Showing papers by "Japan International Cooperation Agency published in 2020"

Clusters of Coronavirus Disease in Communities, Japan, January-April 2020.

Abstract: We analyzed 3,184 cases of coronavirus disease in Japan and identified 61 case-clusters in healthcare and other care facilities, restaurants and bars, workplaces, and music events. We also identified 22 probable primary case-patients for the clusters; most were 20-39 years of age and presymptomatic or asymptomatic at virus transmission.

Managing disasters amid COVID-19 pandemic: Approaches of response to flood disasters

Abstract: The world faces difficulties managing disasters while making efforts to slowing the spread of COVID-19. The paper aims at proposing policies and approaches to manage dual disasters of flooding and COVID-19. It reviews on-going efforts of organizations in the humanitarian assistance, water and sanitation, disaster management and health sectors. Based on review works the policy was recommended. The objective of the policy is to protect human life, in particular, vulnerable groups, from the human security perspective. Local organizations and communities play an important role in disaster management, and risk information supported by scientific knowledge is essential. As the experience of disaster management shows, various organizations including health and water should be coordinated to conduct measures.

Reforms for financial protection schemes towards universal health coverage, Senegal.

Abstract: Advancing the public health insurance system is one of the key strategies of the Senegalese government for achieving universal health coverage. In 2013, the government launched a universal health financial protection programme, la Couverture Maladie Universelle. One of the programme's aims was to establish a community-based health insurance scheme for the people in the informal sector, who were largely uninsured before 2013. The scheme provides coverage through non-profit community-based organizations and by the end of 2016, 676 organizations had been established across the country. However, the organizations are facing challenges, such as low enrolment rates and low portability of the benefit package. To address the challenges and to improve the governance and operations of the community-based health insurance scheme, the government has since 2018 planned and partly implemented two major reforms. The first reform involves a series of institutional reorganizations to raise the risk pool. These reorganizations consist of transferring the risk pooling and part of the insurance management from the individual organizations to the departmental unions, and transferring the operation and financial responsibility of the free health-care initiatives for vulnerable population to the community-based scheme. The second reform is the introduction of an integrated management information system for efficient and effective data management and operations of the scheme. Here we discuss the current progress and plans for future development of the community-based health insurance scheme, as well as discussing the challenges the government should address in striving towards universal health coverage in the country.

Behavioral Impact of Disaster Education: Evidence from a Dance-Based Program in Indonesia

Abstract: Despite its potential role in reducing disaster mortality, the rigorous evaluation of the impact of disaster education on children's disaster responses, such as evacuation behavior, is scarce. This study examines the impact of a newly introduced Indonesian program on students' earthquake response. The program is carefully designed based on psychological theories and anecdotal lessons from different countries. It is also easy to understand and cost-effective. Exploiting the fact that the treatment schools for the pilot program were selected based on two observable criteria, we employ the propensity score weighting estimation. The results show positive effects on perception regarding students' ability to cope with disaster risk and likelihood of taking appropriate response during an earthquake. The participants are also more likely to self-learn and have higher knowledge of disaster risks. Furthermore, there exists a significant effect on earthquake response even among students with poor learning attitude at school. This feature is preferable for disaster education in developing countries, as those residing in disaster-vulnerable areas tend to have poor educational background.

Reconnaissance on Liquefaction-induced Flow Failure Caused by the 2018 Mw 7.5 Sulawesi Earthquake, Palu, Indonesia

Abstract: The M w 7.5 Sulawesi Earthquake 2018 was a catastrophic disaster that resulted in large numbers of casualties. This study aimed to investigate the damages of liquefaction-induced-flow failure in three areas in Palu city, i.e. Petobo, Balaroa, and Jono Oge. It was found that this flow failure occurred on a large scale at a very gentle ground inclination, ranging from 1 to 3%. In order to gain an understanding of the soil conditions in these specific locations, Portable Dynamic Cone Penetration Tests were conducted in Petobo. The results showed that the soil layers in the affected area were in a loose state compared to the non-affected areas. Furthermore, some spots of freshwater inundation were recognized in Petobo and Balaroa, even two weeks after the disaster. Based on this evidence, a mechanism of liquefaction-induced-flow failure caused by a confined aquifer is proposed.

Using DNA-barcoded Malaise trap samples to measure impact of a geothermal energy project on the biodiversity of a Costa Rican old-growth rain forest1

Abstract: We report one year (2013–2014) of biomonitoring an insect community in a tropical old-growth rain forest, during construction of an industrial-level geothermal electricity project. This is the firs...

Unique combinations of coral host and algal symbiont genotypes reflect intraspecific variation in heat stress responses among colonies of the reef-building coral, Montipora digitata

Abstract: High temperatures disrupt coral–algal symbioses in multiple ways, with negative impacts on the physiology of the coral host, the algal symbiont, and the combined holobiont. Most heat stress studies on hard corals have understandably focused on species trends based on the combined observation of multiple individuals to account for phenotypic plasticity among colonies. As the “average coral” continues to decline while sea temperatures rise, the outlier colonies that exhibit neutral or positive responses to heat stress are coming to represent larger proportions of marginal coral populations. These colonies are those most likely to guide the future trajectory of reef ecosystems, but their dynamics are often obscured by aggregate analyses. To directly measure and analyze intraspecific variation in heat stress responses within a natural coral population, we performed aquarium experiments on sixteen colonies of the structurally important branching coral Montipora digitata from Okinawa Island, Japan. We resolved host and symbiont genotypes, exposed replicate coral fragments to ambient or elevated temperature, and monitored stress-driven differences in host calcification, symbiont photochemistry, and colony mortality. Over the 6-month experiment, six colonies appeared to tolerate stress (exhibiting no major physiological changes), seven were sensitive to stress (exhibiting reduced growth), and three expired. Both host and symbiont genotype contributed to this variation. These results demonstrate the degree to which unique M. digitata holobionts may differentially respond to thermal stress in warming oceans and highlight the important role of intraspecific variation in shaping future reef assemblages.

Formal education and disaster response of children: evidence from coastal villages in Indonesia

Abstract: Although children are exposed to a high mortality risk during disasters, what determines their disaster response, especially during earthquakes, remains largely unexplored. The goal of this study is to examine the association between formal education and earthquake response. Using a unique survey collected from elementary school students in the coastal villages of Indonesia, we show that students’ attitude to learning science is positively associated with their risk perception, perceived coping ability, knowledge about the disaster mechanism and response, and propensity to respond appropriately. Parents’ disaster experience also significantly affects these outcomes. In contrast, attitude to religious class explains none of outcomes. Locus of control is associated with perception and knowledge, but not the response. Our findings suggest that the effects of education on the disaster mortality of children could vary with the school curriculum.

Managing healthcare delivery system to fight the COVID-19 epidemic: experience in Japan

Abstract: Amid the global pandemic of a novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), healthcare delivery system is being stretched. In Japan, rapid spread of the epidemic brings hospitals to the brink of exhaustion. This commentary aims to briefly review related policies of Japan in managing healthcare delivery system. Among the relevant actions, strengthening the hospitalized care is emphasized to save lives. Despite of limitations, the policies show a success in preventing a collapse of healthcare delivery system and skyrocketing mortality from happening so far. On the other hand, huge concerns remain if the infections continue to rapidly increase. The experience in Japan indicates the urgency of planning of healthcare delivery system, mobilizing all relevant social sectors by consensus, and guiding people with calm manner based on the best shared knowledge and evidences.

Sustainability assessment of long-term, widely used household Kanchan Arsenic Filters in Nepal.

Abstract: This study revealed the status of 2833 Kanchan Arsenic Filters (KAFs), aged 2 months to over 10 years, distributed in Nepal. Thirty percent of the filters were being used, but usage status generall...

Moving Towards Universal Health Coverage in Haiti

Abstract: Haiti announced in 2018 its aim to achieve universal health coverage. In this paper, we discuss what this objective means for the country and what next steps should be taken. To contextualize the notion, we framed Haiti en route to the 2030 goal and analyzed qualitatively the status quo in terms of geographic, financial, and service access. For each dimension, we focused on the context, the government's policies and political agendas, their implementation progress, and key influential factors. Our analysis found little progress and numerous challenges. Geographic access was limited due principally to the insufficient number of facilities, difficulties in reaching health facilities, and local customs. Financial coverage was low because of the government's insufficient budgets, inefficient budget allocation, and ineffective management. Service access also had room for significant improvement for a lack of basic infrastructure and resources, gaps between the essential service package guidelines, health professionals' skills, and the needs, as well as deficiencies in people-centered care. These factors affected not only health service coverage but also its quality. We found that the root causes of these issues were composed of unstable financing mechanisms, opportunistic resource allocation, and ineffective management control systems. We suggest that to overcome these issues and achieve universal health coverage with decent service quality, Haiti's health system needs to be reformed by implementing strategic financing, decentralized management systems, and community engagement in primary health care.

Comparative study on institutional designs and performance of national greenhouse gas inventories: the cases of Vietnam and the Philippines

Abstract: A transparency framework has been enhanced under the Paris Agreement. Developing countries need to develop the capacity to regularly update national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, thereby tracking progress toward climate change mitigation goals under their nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Although much study in recent years has been focused on the challenges faced by developing countries in building the long-term institutional capabilities required for more frequent inventory reporting, little work has been done to analyze the institutional linkage between the national GHG inventories and NDCs in the respective countries. Against this backdrop, we examined the cases of Vietnam and the Philippines. Through desktop reviews and a series of interviews conducted in 2018, the present study characterized their institutional designs for the national GHG inventory. It also evaluated observed outcomes of institutional performance in the following dimensions: (1) the frequency and quality of national GHG inventory reporting and (2) the effectiveness of the national GHG inventory at informing the process to formulate mitigation actions under NDCs. The study found that there are differences in performance outcomes between the two countries, which may be linked to the differences in institutional designs. It also found potential trade-offs: A good performance outcome in one dimension may not necessarily translate into a similar result in the other. The findings have implications for transparency-related capacity building assistance: A sound understanding of institutional arrangements and their potential consequences is important for development partners to facilitate the interplay between the national GHG inventory and NDCs in developing countries.

Impact of the Maternal and Child Health handbook in Angola for improving continuum of care and other maternal and child health indicators: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Abstract: The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) handbook is an integrated home-based record (HBR) designed to record in a single document all the information regarding health services provided to a pregnant woman and her child. The MCH handbook has the potential to support continuity of care which is key to strengthening maternal, newborn and child health. However, there is a lack of an integrated system to manage the health of pregnant women and young children on an ongoing basis in Angola. Thus, the Angolan Ministry of Health is partnering with the Japan International Cooperation Agency to build the capacity of healthcare providers through trainings and implementation of the MCH handbook to improve service utilisation. In this study, we will estimate the impact of an intervention package including distribution of MCH handbook and its supplementary interventions to women, on the utilisation of services provided at healthcare facilities from pregnancy through the postnatal and early childhood period. This study is a cluster randomised controlled trial involving public healthcare facilities across all the municipalities located in Benguela Province, Angola. All women who go to participating healthcare facilities and with confirmed pregnancy around the beginning of the trial period will be included in the study. Women will be randomised according to the municipality where their primary maternity and/or childcare services are located. The intervention package will consist of MCH handbook distribution at all public healthcare facilities, MCH handbook utilisation training for healthcare providers and community mobilisation for women on the use of the MCH handbook. The intervention will be administered to all women in the intervention arm while those in the control arm will continue the traditional use of two stand-alone HBRs. The primary outcome measure for this study is to compare the proportion of women who achieve a complete continuum of care in both study arms. The findings from the study are expected to form a basis for revising the current trial version of the Angola MCH handbook and provide a framework for policy guiding nationwide scale-up and distribution of the MCH handbook. ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN20510127 . Registered on 4 June 2019

Importance of market-oriented research for rice production in Tanzania. A review

Abstract: Rice consumption in Tanzania has greatly increased since the 1960s; it is predicted to continue to increase owing to urbanization and changes in consumer preferences from traditional staples to rice. In this study, we review rice agroecology, its value chain, and price determinants, and the history of and challenges to rice research in Tanzania. Our main findings are as follows: (1) rice cultivation can be classified into three major categories: irrigated lowland, rainfed lowland, and rainfed upland. Irrigated lowland is then subdivided into the permanent river, seasonal water, dam, and groundwater subtypes, while rainfed lowland is subdivided into flood plain (fields near rivers), catchment (fields on gentle slope in catchment basin), narrow valley (fields on flat narrow valley bottoms), and plain grassland (fields on gentle slope in savannah grassland). (2) Various stakeholders are involved in production, storage, milling, wholesale, retail, and trade at local, urban, regional, and national levels, resulting in higher market prices of local rice compared to imported rice. However, consumers still choose local rice consisting of traditional cultivar because of its distinct taste and aroma. (3) Improving yield potential through the introduction of foreign elite lines/cultivars has been a major research target; however, farmers have been rejecting most of the new cultivars due to poor grain quality. (4) An integrated set of agronomic management techniques is effective in increasing the yield of traditional cultivars under irrigated lowland. Technical package effectiveness has yet to be tested in all subtypes of rainfed lowland. We propose a new research framework for rice production in Tanzania that is greatly oriented toward meeting consumer demands. In the framework, both breeding and agronomy should have specific research targets for each agroecosystem. Furthermore, genetic resources of traditional cultivars should be fully explored. This study shows the importance of multidisciplinary approach in improving rice production in Tanzania.

Fully Human Monoclonal Antibodies Effectively Neutralizing Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype B.

Abstract: Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is the most potent natural toxin known. Of the seven BoNT serotypes (A to G), types A, B, E, and F cause human botulism. Treatment of human botulism requires the development of effective toxin-neutralizing antibodies without side effects such as serum sickness and anaphylaxis. In this study, we generated fully human monoclonal antibodies (HuMAbs) against serotype B BoNT (BoNT/B1) using a murine-human chimera fusion partner cell line named SPYMEG. Of these HuMAbs, M2, which specifically binds to the light chain of BoNT/B1, showed neutralization activity in a mouse bioassay (approximately 10 i.p. LD50/100 µg of antibody), and M4, which binds to the C-terminal of heavy chain, showed partial protection. The combination of two HuMAbs, M2 (1.25 µg) and M4 (1.25 µg), was able to completely neutralize BoNT/B1 (80 i.p. LD50) with a potency greater than 80 i.p. LD50/2.5 µg of antibodies, and was effective both prophylactically and therapeutically in the mouse model of botulism. Moreover, this combination showed broad neutralization activity against three type B subtypes, namely BoNT/B1, BoNT/B2, and BoNT/B6. These data demonstrate that the combination of M2 and M4 is promising in terms of a foundation for new human therapeutics for BoNT/B intoxication.

Issue interpretations and implementation analysis for the national greenhouse gas inventory: the case of Indonesia

Abstract: The transparency framework under the Paris Agreement hinges to a large extent on the capacities for developing countries to regularly update their national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories. The present study aims to understand how such capacities are developed at the organizational level and how this process is influenced by changes in the institutional environments. To this end, we selected the case of Indonesia, a country where the task of producing a national GHG inventory was once outsourced to experts but is now managed within the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. This paper probes why and how this is possible through two different lenses: a model of strategic issue diagnosis and the framework for implementation analysis. Based on data obtained through participant observation, interviews, and document reviews, both approaches were vital in studying the importance of clarity and consistency of basic policy decisions. This study also highlighted the role of capacity development and found that these factors interacted with each other to create positive impacts on the implementation of a national GHG inventory in Indonesia. The analytical frameworks we used can be applied to contexts in other countries. While the model of strategic issue diagnosis enables us to check each aspect of issue interpretations by decision-makers and other organizational participants (urgency, feasibility, and interdependence), the framework for implementation analysis assists with determining if the necessary conditions exist for effective policy implementation. These results are useful for governments and/or donor agencies to identify priority areas of intervention.

Implementing a sustainable health insurance system in Cambodia: a study protocol for developing and validating an efficient household income-level assessment model for equitable premium collection.

Abstract: As elsewhere in low- and middle-income countries, due to limited fiscal resources, universal health coverage (UHC) remains a challenge in Cambodia. Since 2016, the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has implemented a social health insurance scheme with a contributory approach for formal sector workers. However, informal sector workers and dependents of formal sector workers are still not covered by this insurance because it is difficult to set an optimal amount of contribution for such individuals as their income levels are inestimable. The present study aims to develop and validate an efficient household income-level assessment model for Cambodia. We aim to help the country implement a financially sustainable social health insurance system in which the insured can pay contributions according to their ability. This study will use nationally representative data collected by the Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey (CSES), covering the period from 2009 to 2019, and involving a total of 50,016 households. We will employ elastic net regression analysis, with per capita disposable income based on purchasing power parity as the dependent variable, and individual and community-level socioeconomic and demographic characteristics as independent variables. These analyses aim to create efficient income-level assessment models for health insurance contribution estimation. To fully capture socioeconomic heterogeneity, sub-group analyses will be conducted to develop separate income-level assessment models for urban and rural areas, as well as for each province. This research will help Cambodia implement a sustainable social health insurance system by collecting optimal amount of contributions from each socioeconomic group of the society. Incorporation of this approach into existing NSSF schemes will enhance the country’s current efforts to prevent impoverishing health expenditure and to achieve UHC.

Integrating economic measures of adaptation effectiveness into climate change interventions: A case study of irrigation development in Mwea, Kenya.

Abstract: As climate change adaptation is becoming a recognized policy issue, the need is growing for quantitative economic evaluation of adaptation-related public investment, particularly in the context of climate finance. Funds are meant to be allocated not to any types of beneficial investments with or without climate change but to projects regarded as effective for climate change adaptation based on some metrics. But attempts at such project-specific evaluation of adaptation effects are few, in part because such assessments require an integration of various types of simulation analyses. Against this background, we conduct a case study of a Kenyan irrigation development project using a combination of downscaled climate data, runoff simulations, yield forecasting, and local socioeconomic projections to examine the effects of interventions specifically attributable to climate change adaptation, i.e., how much irrigation development can reduce the negative effects of climate change in the future. The results show that despite the uncertainties in precipitation trends, increased temperatures due to climate change have a general tendency to reduce rice yields, and that irrigation development will mitigate income impacts from the yield loss–for example, for the median scenario, the household income loss of 6% in 2050 due to climate change without irrigation development is flipped to become positive with the project. This means that the irrigation development project will likely be effective as a means for climate change adaptation.

Socioeconomic barriers to facility-based delivery in urban poor communities of Lagos: Wealth, linguistic capacity, and residential area

Abstract: Background The objective of this study is to describe delivery care utilizations and to identify socioeconomic barriers to practicing facility-based deliveries, in urban poor communities of Lagos, Nigeria. Methods The study was a prospective cohort study conducted in Lagos Mainland, a local government area of Lagos State, Nigeria. A total of 723 randomly selected pregnant women participated in this study. The socio-economic barriers were sought from three different perspectives, i.e., household wealth as a financial barrier, linguistic capacity as a social barrier, and residential area as a physical barrier. The data were analyzed with descriptive and multivariate statistical methods using the imputed datasets. Results While 41.9% of the participants delivered at governmental health facilities, 28.3% and 29.8% of them gave births at private health facilities and other places, respectively. As the results of the analyses, household wealth was positively associated with childbirth at a governmental health facility. Egun-speaking women were more likely to give births at private facilities than Yoruba-speaking women, while Igbo-speaking and Hausa-speaking women were more likely to choose other places for their childbirths. Conclusion This study identified the financial and linguistic barriers to facility-based deliveries among women in urban poor communities.

Social Development and the Environment—A View from Solid Waste Management

Abstract: Social development is a paired concept with economic development, and environmental sustainability is their common foundation. The linkage between these two types of development and environmental sustainability is established by the installation of an integrated environmental management system in a society, which means an appropriate control of human activities in production and consumption for sustainable development. A solid waste management system is regarded as one of the typical integrated environmental management systems, aiming to control human activities that generate solid waste, ensure public health conditions, and protect the environment in a proactive way. To functionalize and enhance the solid waste management system, social consensus and cooperation for sustainability are required in addition to adequate technological interventions. Based on the experience of improving solid waste management systems in a developing country, the crucial roles of public consensus building and promotion of cooperative measures among people and community are discussed as a typical example of social development process.

Gluconobacter aidae sp. nov., an acetic acid bacteria isolated from tropical fruits in Thailand

Abstract: Two bacterial strains, isolates AC10T and AC20, which were reported in a previous study on the diversity of acetic acid bacteria in Thailand, were subjected to a taxonomic study The phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the two isolates were located closely to the type strains of Gluconobacter oxydans and Gluconobacter roseus However, the two isolates formed a separate cluster from the type strains of the two species The genomic DNA of isolate AC10T was sequenced The assembled genomes of the isolate were analysed for average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) The results showed that the highest ANI and dDDH values between isolate AC10T and G oxydans DSM 3503T were 9115 and 682 %, which are lower than the suggested values for species delineation The genome-based tree was reconstructed and the phylogenetic lineage based on genome sequences showed that the lineage of isolate AC10T was distinct from G oxydans DSM 3503T and its related species The two isolates were distinguished from G oxydans and their relatives by their phenotypic characteristics and MALDI-TOF profiles Therefore, the two isolates, AC10T (=BCC 15749T=TBRC 11329T=NBRC 103576T) and AC20 (=BCC 15759=TBRC 11330=NBRC 103579), can be assigned to an independent species within the genus Gluconobacter , and the name Gluconobacter aidae sp nov is proposed for the two isolates

Awareness of personal height and weight among community-dwelling people in West New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea.

Abstract: We investigated the accessibility of height- and weight-measurement tools and the awareness of one's own height and weight in a specific population in West New Britain Province (WNBP), Papua New Gu

Spectrum of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive determinants of child undernutrition: a multisectoral cross-sectional study in rural Mozambique

Abstract: Background Despite an increasing need for multisectoral interventions and coordinations for addressing malnutrition, evidence-based multisectoral nutrition interventions have been rarely developed and implemented in low-income and middle-income countries. To identify key determinants of undernutrition for effectively designing a multisectoral intervention package, a nutrition survey was conducted, by comprehensively covering a variety of variables across sectors, in Niassa province, Mozambique. Methods A cross-sectional household survey was conducted in Niassa province, August–October 2019. Anthropometric measurements, anaemia tests of children under 5 years of age and structured interviews with their mothers were conducted. A total of 1498 children under 5 years of age participated in the survey. We employed 107 background variables related to possible underlying and immediate causes of undernutrition, to examine their associations with being malnourished. Both bivariate (χ2 test and Mann-Whitney’s U test) and multivariate analyses (logistic regression) were undertaken, to identify the determinants of being malnourished. Results Prevalence rates of stunting, underweight and wasting were estimated at 46.2%, 20.0% and 7.1%, respectively. Timely introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods to children of 6–8 months of age was detected as a determinant of being not stunted. Mother–child cosleeping and ownership of birth certificate were a protective factor from and a promoting factor for being underweight, respectively. Similarly, availability and consumption of eggs at the household level and cough during the last 2 weeks among children were likely to be a protective factor from and a promoting factor for being wasted, respectively. Conclusion Timely introduction of solid, semi-solid or soft foods could serve as an entry point for the three sectors to start making joint efforts, as it requires the interventions from all health, agriculture and water sectors. To enable us to make meaningful interprovincial, international and inter-seasonal comparisons, it is crucially important to develop a standard set of variables related to being malnourished.

Challenges to neonatal care in Cambodia amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract: Since mid-February, 2020, coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has been spreading in Cambodia and, as of April 9, 2020, the Ministry of Health has identified 119 polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive cases. However, the PCR test is available in only two specialized institutes in the capital city Phnom Penh; therefore, exact and adequate identification of the cases remains still limited. Many vulnerable newborn infants have been admitted to the neonatal care unit (NCU) at the National Maternal and Child Health Center in Phnom Penh. Although the staff have implemented strict infection prevention and control measures, formidable gaps in neonatal care between Cambodia and Japan exist. Due to the shortages in professional workforce, one family member of sick newborn(s) should stay for 24 hours in the NCU to care for the baby. This situation, however, may lead to several errors, including hospital-acquired infection. It is crucial not only to make all efforts to prevent infections but also to strengthen the professional healthcare workforce instead of relying on task sharing with family members.

Coming to Financial Close in PPPs: Identifying Critical Factors in the Case of Toll Road Projects in Indonesia

Abstract: In Indonesia, public–private partnerships (PPPs) schemes have been attracting a lot of attention to meet the huge demand for infrastructure developments. However, their applications are still limited and the financial close of a project tends to be behind the planned schedule. This research therefore aims to investigate the critical success factors (CSFs) causing fast/slow progress in the processes toward the financial close of PPPs toll road projects in Indonesia. The results revealed that, to realize smoother delivery of PPPs toll road projects in Indonesia to the financial close in the future, it is important to improve coordination among the related stakeholders especially between the central and local governments, though the other CSFs are currently well developed. The research also found an issue that should be addressed from a sustainability viewpoint, namely that the government highly depends on state-owned companies (SOEs) for a timely financial close of PPPs toll road projects.

Guide on diabetes and COVID-19 for healthcare professionals in Bangladesh

Abstract: The world is suffering from a pandemic of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), and people with diabetes mellitus (DM) are more vulnerable to the serious effects of the COVID-19. This interaction is alarming, considering the high transmission rate of COVID-19 and the global prevalence of DM. Considering the importance of the link between COVID-19 and DM, Bangladesh Diabetic Association has formed a panel of national and international experts in the field of public health, diabetes, and endocrinology to provide some evidence-based guidance for the prevention and care of people with DM during the COVID-19 pandemic.