Publications

Attention to tuberculosis (TB) control in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Areas (EEA) has been raised in recent years through a number of initiatives, including the launching of the Framework Action Plan to Fight Tuberculosis in the EU.

Governance is important in every aspect of sustainable development, as it affects guidance, processes, consistent management, cohesive policies, accountability mechanisms and the right to decide on particular areas of responsibility. This is equally true of all types of organisation, regardless of their purpose and motivation (such as for common goods or individual benefits, profit or not-for-profit) and whether a single individual, a group of people, a community, local government, university or research centre, an enterprise, ministry or even all of humanity is involved.

The changing nature of African agriculture in the face of myriad global, regional and local challenges demands change in agricultural capacity development. Universities are well placed to spearhead this change, but to effectively do so they need to update courses’ content and change the way they are delivered. In particular, changes at an institutional level are required to transform the long-held negative image of universities as backwaters populated by egotistical academics and bureaucratic administrators. The African university must become better positioned to be a facilitator of agricultural innovation, technology, institutions and development.

Smoothly functioning food markets are vital for food security. They give smallholder farmers incentives to generate a surplus they can sell, and to invest in new production and postharvest management technologies. They also ensure that food reaches consumers in deficit areas. In doing so, they contribute to food security and higher incomes, the main goal of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

Good maternal nutrition is an important factor influencing newborn and child health and survival. While many nutritional programmes in the health sector incorporate interventions for (pregnant) women and girls, improved maternal nutritional status is often not the main focus. In current programming, the long-term, positive impact of improved maternal nutrition on health and productivity in the population is not always taken into consideration. Gender and empowerment issues as underlying causes of maternal malnutrition are also insufficiently addressed. Using existing
information and evidence, we demonstrate that maternal malnutrition can best be alleviated using a multi-sectoral approach (health, agriculture, finance) and a gender lens. This policy brief argues for making women central to programming in order to ensure sustainable change and improved health outcomes for women as well as their children.

The Royal Tropical Institute did research in 2011 to assess the impact of schoolbased dance4life programmes on young people in Uganda and Russia. This article discusses the concept of meaningful participation using findings from the study. What does this concept mean and which models exist to analyse the different aspects of participation? It is concluded that participation not only becomes meaningful if young people are actively involved and have a voice, but also when it is sustainable and valued by the young people.