The scale of West Africa’s Ebola epidemic has been attributed to the weak health systems of affected countries,
their lack of resources, the mobility of communities and their inexperience in dealing with Ebola. This briefing for African Affairs argues that these explanations lack important contex...t. The briefing examines responses to the outbreak and offers a different set of explanations, rooted in the history of the region and the political economy of global health and development. To move past technical discussions of “weak” health systems, it highlights how structural violence has contributed to the epidemic. As part of this, local people – their beliefs, concerns and priorities – have been marginalised. Both the crisis response and post-Ebola ‘reconstruction’ will be strengthened by acknowledgment of its long term structural underpinnings and from a more collaborative inclusion of local people.
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BMC Medicine 2014, 12:196
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/12/196
A workshop methodology for children, young people and adults
The “Tree of Life” is a psychosocial support tool based on narrative practices that is designed to help participants accept the hardships of their past and identify the strengths that can help them achieve a better future. It uses th...e different parts of a tree as metaphors to represent the different parts of our lives. The workshop generally takes one day.
Participants draw their own “Tree of Life” in which they get to speak of their ‘roots” (where they come from), their skills and knowledge, their hopes and dreams and the special people in their lives
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This report documents different approaches to conservation of medicinal plants and traditional knowledge in Bolipara union of Thanchi upazila of Bandarban hill district. This initiative involved the collection of baseline data on medicinal plants and their uses, motivating people towards the uses an...d practices, identification and knowledge sharing with the traditional healers, establishment of an electronic database and carrying out specific conservation measures and awareness activities. This document also provides a number of recommendations to ensure sustainability of such initiatives for safeguarding medicinal plants and indigenous knowledge associated with them. We sincerely hope that this account will be useful to the people interested in medicinal plants, especially in developing countries.
Original file: 29 MB
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An action research conducted in Bang Shau village Northern Shan State, Myanmar
BMC Medicine201614:112 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-016-0660-0
Policy Guidance Brief 1
• Climate change has already challenged the agriculture sector in Myanmar by afecting rice yields and livestock production, while disasters such as foods and cyclones have caused massive destruction in rural areas.
• Without adaptation, the long-term consequenc...es of climate change will likely include reduced productivity and huge economic losses, food insecurity, poverty and migration.
• According to the Climate Change Action Plan for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock sector, by 2030 Myanmar should achieve climate-resilient productivity and promote climate-smart responses to support food security and livelihood strategies while also introducing resource-efficient and lowcarbon practices.
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This module carries pre-training entry level assessment as well as hands on exercise manual on Geographic Information Systems, Remote Sensing, Geographic Positioning System (GPS) and some applications of these technologies on Disaster Risk Management (DRM) especially for hazard mapping, monitoring a...nd risk assessment module as well as the damage assessment module. Practical manual developed using open source products like Quantum GIS , RStudio, Google Earth Pro and Google Earth Engine.
This module can also can be used by other training facilitators, non-technical professionals and selflearners as well. However, it is strongly recommended that training participants and self-learners already have some basic knowledge of Computer Basic, Geoinformatics and disaster management.
No publication year indicated.
Original file: 29,5 MB
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The Indonesian government has reformed its laws, policies, and institutions to better manage disaster risk since the significant 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. The Government of Indonesia now has contingency plans for every disaster-prone city which identifies its vulnerabilities, outlines the relief re...sponse, and builds overall preparedness. In 2007, the government introduced a disaster management bill that incorporated disaster management prevention into disaster management response. In 2008, Indonesia created the National Disaster Management Agency (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana, BNPB). The new shift led to the strengthening of the country’s disaster management agency, and the addition of district branches and representatives. Despite the progress made, more work is needed at the local level as well as integration of disaster risk reduction in government departments.11 Under Indonesia’s 2007 Disaster Management law, provincial and district administrations are mandated to head disaster management during a crisis.
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This scoping study done in Myanmar offers the chance for FoodSTART+ to explore prospects for future partnerships in another important country of the region. The study was done from October 2016 to February 2017 and included visits to selected major potato and cassava production areas to meet with re...spective stakeholders and market actors.
Although root and tuber crop (RTC) production in Myanmar has gradually increased since the late 1990s, they still lag behind the other major crops like rice. No RTCs are included in the country’s list of primary important crops even though potatoes are regularly consumed in daily meals while other common RTCs like cassava, elephant foot yam and sweetpotato are consumed occasionally. RTCs primarily contribute to food security and livelihoods through the income generated from their sale, whether fresh or processed, rather than directly through consumption.
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The coastal regions of Bangladesh are hit by cyclones regularly. The country has evolved, in the face of repetitious calamities, a disaster preparedness programme. The major response to cyclones has been the building of cyclone shelters, which also double as community centers and schools. While thes...e cyclone shelters have proved to be useful, they are more in the nature of disaster management, that is, they are measures that come in useful particularly in the event of a cyclone. The approach of this study has been to look at existing houses and the process of building and maintaining these houses in the face of frequent cyclonic storms and storm surges, and gather information on shared knowledge and collective experiences of the people in all aspects of house building. The aim of this study is to find ways to make traditional structures more cyclone resistant and less prone to wind damage.
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This report summarizes the latest scientific knowledge on the links between exposure to air pollution and adverse health effects in children. It is intended to inform and motivate individual and collective action by health care professionals to prevent damage to children’s health from exposure to ...air pollution. Air pollution is a major environmental health threat. Exposure to fine particles in both the ambient environment and in the household causes about seven million premature deaths each year. Ambient air pollution (AAP) alone imposes enormous costs on the global economy, amounting to more than US$ 5 trillion in total welfare losses in 2013.
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Globalization and Health201612:53 DOI: 10.1186/s12992-016-0194-4
Key Features:
• Module Users: Disaster Management Trainers
• Training Targets: State Government and District
officials / Disaster Management Authorities / Disaster
Management Planners and Responders
• Training Duration: 5 working days (one week)
• Trainers Input: Multi-disciplinary
... Training methods: Lecture, Discussion, Film Show,
Field Visits, Group Exercise.
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This is the 19th annual Landmine Monitor report. It is the sister publication to the Cluster Munition Monitor report, first published in November 2010.
Landmine Monitor 2016 provides a global overview of the landmine situation. Chapters on developments in specific countries and other areas are ava...ilable in online Country Profiles at www.the-monitor.org/cp.
Landmine Monitor covers mine ban policy, use, production, trade, and stockpiling, and also includes information on contamination, clearance, casualties, victim assistance, and support for mine action. The report focuses on calendar year 2015, with information included up to November 2016 when possible.
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