Japan International Cooperation Agency

About: Japan International Cooperation Agency is a government organization based out in Tokyo, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 555 authors who have published 613 publications receiving 9536 citations.

Carriage of Escherichia coli Producing CTX-M-Type Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase in Healthy Vietnamese Individuals

Abstract: Healthy carriage of CTX-M-type extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli was examined by thrice collecting fecal samples from the same 199 healthy Vietnamese subjects every 6 months. Using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), identical PFGE patterns throughout the three samplings were not observed, although prevalence of E. coli in the subjects was around 50% in the three samplings. Our results suggested a short carriage period of the CTX-M-type ESBL-producing E. coli in healthy Vietnamese subjects.

Good enough today is not enough tomorrow: Challenges of increasing investments in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation

Abstract: As population is growing and urbanization is progressing, higher numbers of people are exposed to disaster risks, especially in developing countries. Climate change is further worsening impacts of existing risks and introducing new risks in the form of heat stress, water scarcity, water and vector borne diseases and extreme events. There is no doubt that countries need to investment more in disaster risk reduction (DRR) together with climate change adaptation (CCA) not only to minimize impacts but also build resilience. Sadly, investment in DRR and CCA is far behind compared with investments in expansion of human settlements, infrastructure and services development. This paper examines existing practices of investment and investigates challenges in increasing investments in reduction of water-related disaster risks. It concludes that in the first place, DRR needs to be integrated in national development plans. In addition, formulating sectoral long-term plans proved helpful to secure commitment of investment.

Building the capacity of nursing professionals in Cambodia: Insights from a bridging programme for faculty development.

Abstract: To upgrade nursing instruction capacity in Cambodia, two bridging programmes were opened for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing simultaneously in-country and out-of-country (Thailand). A descriptive qualitative study was conducted to assess effectiveness of both programmes jointly and to explore needs concerning the further development of nursing education. This study included interviews with 34 current or previous programme participants (nursing instructors or hospital preceptors) and 10 managers of collaborating institutions. New learning content, personal outcomes, challenges and obstacles and future needs were qualitatively coded to create categories and subcategories of data. Findings show that programme participants were most influenced by the new content areas (e.g. nursing theory and professionalism), active teaching-learning strategies and the full-time educational immersion afforded by the out-of-country programme. Programme participants who had returned to their workplaces also identified on-going needs for employing new active teaching-learning approaches, curriculum revision, national standardization of nursing curricula and improvements in the teaching-learning infrastructure. Another outcome of this study is the development of a theoretical model for Nursing Capacity Building in Developing Countries that describes the need for intermediate and long-term planning as well as using both Bottom-Up and Edge-Pulling strategies.

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.