R4D Rwanda

Presence of banana bacterial wilt (Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum) in Rwanda

Thu, 24 May 2012 06:53 GMT

Document Type: Journal Article

Production Year: 2007

Citation: Reeder, R.; Opolot, O.; Muhinyuza, J.; Aritua, A.; Crozier, J.; Smith, J. Presence of banana bacterial wilt (Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum) in Rwanda. Plant Pathology (2007) 56 (6) 1038-1038. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3059.2007.01640.x]

Summary: This is the first report of BBW in Rwanda and poses a serious threat to banana production, endangering the livelihoods of banana growing households throughout the country.

FHS Inception Phase Report

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:31 GMT

Document Type: Report

Production Year: 2011

Citation: Anon. FHS Inception Phase Report. (2011) 16 pp.

Summary: The Inception Phase for the second phase of the Future Health Systems Research Program Consortium lasted from January-August 2011. This report summarizes the progress made during that time and lays out a plan of action for the next five years of work. In particular, the report summarizes progress made on research (including different analytical frameworks, themes and methodologies), management, capacity development, policy influence and research uptake and monitoring and evaluation of the program.

Rwanda: Emerging in a changing climate

Wed, 09 May 2012 04:15 GMT

Document Type: Video
Creator: Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN)

Production Year: 2011

Citation: Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN). Rwanda: Emerging in a changing climate. (2011) [Video: 25 min 32 sec]

Summary: CDKN and the Environmental Education Media Project (EEMP) co-produced this film, written and directed by John Liu, which documents Rwanda's efforts to plan and manage for climate change. Also available in a shortened version.

Overcoming service delivery bottlenecks: Safe motherhood in rural Rwanda

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:40 GMT

Document Type: PowerPoint Presentation
Creator: Chambers, V.

Production Year: 2012

Citation: Chambers, V. Overcoming service delivery bottlenecks: Safe motherhood in rural Rwanda. Presented at Understanding the Politics of Service Delivery Workshop, 16 Jan 2012. (2012) 8 pp.

Summary: Victoria Chambers’ presentation from an ODI and Plan UK workshop, Understanding the politics of service delivery, 16 January 2012.

APPP Research Report 04. Is the bride too beautiful? Safe motherhood in rural Rwanda

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 07:31 GMT

Document Type: Report
Creator: Chambers, V.; Golooba-Mutebi, F.

Production Year: 0

Citation: Chambers, V.; Golooba-Mutebi, F. APPP Research Report 04. Is the bride too beautiful? Safe motherhood in rural Rwanda. Africa Power and Politics Programme (APPP), Overseas Development Institute, London, UK 67 pp.

Summary: Despite recent improvements in some countries, progress towards reducing maternal mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa overall lags considerably behind that of other developing country regions. Recent evidence indicates that Rwanda has made impressive progress in this area, particularly in the rural locations. This report presents research findings from a project concerned with identifying the institutional arrangements which have enabled Rwanda to achieve significant improvement in ensuring safe motherhood for growing numbers of women in the rural districts of Nyamagabe and Musanze. Ethnographic research conducted over several months explored how actors, institutions and resources have been combined to overcome the key bottlenecks which might otherwise have undermined the provision of the key services which contribute to good maternal health outcomes. Initial analysis indicates that the coherence of the policy environment has been a key element. In addition to aiding in the clear definition of lines of responsibility, it has facilitated the avoidance of the sorts of overlapping mandates which usually encourage actors to pass the buck for service delivery failures. Laxity in professional standards and related problems ensuing from lack of motivation have been overcome by accountability mechanisms which serve as strong deterrents against misconduct by all actors responsible for service provision. Accompanying performance pressures based on consistent incentives comprising rewards and punishment ensure that all actors work toward the same objective of providing high-quality services. A crucial element in all this has been the facilitation of collaboration through which different actors, including users, can work together to overcome key bottlenecks.

Stable Iron Isotope Studies in Rwandese Women Indicate That the Common Bean Has Limited Potential as a Vehicle for Iron Biofortification

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 06:12 GMT

Document Type: Journal Article
Creator: Petry, N.; Egli, I.; Gahutu, J.B.; Tugirimana, P.L.; Boy, E.; Hurrell, R.

Production Year: 2012

Citation: Petry, N.; Egli, I.; Gahutu, J.B.; Tugirimana, P.L.; Boy, E.; Hurrell, R. . Stable Iron Isotope Studies in Rwandese Women Indicate That the Common Bean Has Limited Potential as a Vehicle for Iron Biofortification. Journal of Nutrition (2012) 142 (3) 492-497. [DOI: 10.3945/jn.111.149286]

Summary: Biofortification of plants is a new approach to combat iron deficiency. Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) can be bred with a higher iron concentration but are rich in iron absorption inhibitors, phytic acid (PA), and polyphenols (PP). To evaluate the potential of beans to combat iron deficiency, three iron absorption studies were carried out in 61 Rwandese women with low iron status. Studies 1 and 2 compared iron absorption from high and low PP beans, similar in PA and iron, fed as bean puree in a double meal design or with rice and potatoes as multiple meals. Study 3 compared iron absorption from high and normal iron beans with similar PP levels and a PA:iron molar ratio, fed with potatoes or rice in multiple meals. Iron absorption was measured as erythrocyte incorporation of stable iron isotopes. In study 1, iron absorption from the high PP bean (3.4%) was 27% lower (P < 0.01) than from low PP bean (4.7%), but when fed in multiple meals (study 2), there was no difference (7 and 7.4%, respectively; P > 0.05). In study 3, iron absorption from the high iron bean (3.8%) was 40% lower (P < 0.001) than from the normal iron bean (6.3%), resulting in equal amounts of iron absorbed. When beans were combined with other meal components in multiple meals, high PP concentration had no negative impact on iron absorption. However, the quantity of iron absorbed from composite meals with high iron beans was no higher than with normal iron beans, indicating that efficacious iron biofortification may be difficult to achieve in beans rich in PA and PP.

Case study: ICT and education in Rwanda

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 06:12 GMT

Document Type: Book Chapter
Creator: Uworwabayeho, A.; Rubagiza, J.; Were, E.; Sutherland, R.

Production Year: 2009

Citation: Uworwabayeho, A.; Rubagiza, J.; Were, E.; Sutherland, R. . Case study: ICT and education in Rwanda. In: Unwin, T. (ed.) ICT4D: Information and Communication Technology for Development. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK (2009) 228-229. ISBN 9780521712361

Efficacy of artesunate-amodiaquine for treating uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa: a multi-centre analysis

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:52 GMT

Document Type: Journal Article
Creator: Zwang, J.; Olliaro, P.; Barennes, H.; Bonnet, M.; Brasseur, P.; Bukirwa, H.; Cohuet, S.; D'Alessandro, U.; Djimde, A.; Martensson, A.; Yeka, A.; Karema, C.; Guthmann, J.-P.; Hamour, S.; Ndiaye, J.-L.; Rwagacondo, C.; Sagara, I.; Same-Ekobo, A.; Sirima, S.; van den Broek, I.; Taylor, W.; Dorsey, G.; Randrianarivelojosia, M.

Production Year: 2009

Citation: Zwang, J.; Olliaro, P.; Barennes, H.; Bonnet, M.; Brasseur, P.; Bukirwa, H.; Cohuet, S.; D'Alessandro, U.; Djimde, A.; Martensson, A.; Yeka, A.; Karema, C.; Guthmann, J.-P.; Hamour, S.; Ndiaye, J.-L.; Rwagacondo, C.; Sagara, I.; Same-Ekobo, A.; Sirima, S.; van den Broek, I.; Taylor, W.; Dorsey, G.; Randrianarivelojosia, M. Efficacy of artesunate-amodiaquine for treating uncomplicated falciparum malaria in sub-Saharan Africa: a multi-centre analysis. Malaria Journal (2009) 8 (1) 203. [DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-8-203]

Summary: Artesunate and amodiaquine (AS&AQ) is at present the world's second most widely used artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). It was necessary to evaluate the efficacy of ACT, recently adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and deployed over 80 countries, in order to make an evidence-based drug policy. An individual patient data (IPD) analysis was conducted on efficacy outcomes in 26 clinical studies in sub-Saharan Africa using the WHO protocol with similar primary and secondary endpoints. A total of 11,700 patients (75% under 5 years old), from 33 different sites in 16 countries were followed for 28 days. Loss to follow-up was 4.9% (575/11,700). AS&AQ was given to 5,897 patients. Of these, 82% (4,826/5,897) were included in randomized comparative trials with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genotyping results and compared to 5,413 patients (half receiving an ACT). AS&AQ and other ACT comparators resulted in rapid clearance of fever and parasitaemia, superior to non-ACT. Using survival analysis on a modified intent-to-treat population, the Day 28 PCR-adjusted efficacy of AS&AQ was greater than 90% (the WHO cut-off) in 11/16 countries. In randomized comparative trials (n = 22), the crude efficacy of AS&AQ was 75.9% (95% CI 74.6–77.1) and the PCR-adjusted efficacy was 93.9% (95% CI 93.2–94.5). The risk (weighted by site) of failure PCR-adjusted of AS&AQ was significantly inferior to non-ACT, superior to dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP, in one Ugandan site), and not different from AS+SP or AL (artemether-lumefantrine). The risk of gametocyte appearance and the carriage rate of AS&AQ was only greater in one Ugandan site compared to AL and DP, and lower compared to non-ACT (p = 0.001, for all comparisons). Anaemia recovery was not different than comparator groups, except in one site in Rwanda where the patients in the DP group had a slower recovery. AS&AQ compares well to other treatments and meets the WHO efficacy criteria for use against falciparum malaria in many, but not all, the sub-Saharan African countries where it was studied. Efficacy varies between and within countries. An IPD analysis can inform general and local treatment policies. Ongoing monitoring evaluation is required.

EdQual FINAL Report 05-11.

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:58 GMT

Document Type: Technical Report

Production Year: 2011

Citation: Anon. EdQual FINAL Report 05-11. University of Bristol, Bristol, UK (2011) 87 pp.

Summary:

This is the final report for a 5-year research programme which aimed to generate new knowledge to assist governments in low income countries, DFID and the international development community to implement initiatives that will improve the quality of education in ways that will benefit the poorest people in the world and will promote gender equity. The main focus for the programme was on the African continent.

Five main research projects were conducted in the areas of school effectiveness, language and literacy, ICTs in basic education, implementing science and maths curriculum change, and leadership and management for quality improvement.

The report presents the research highlights, achievements and lessons learnt.

APPP Policy Brief 5. Improving maternal health when resources are limited: Safe motherhood in rural Rwanda

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:45 GMT

Document Type: Briefing
Creator: Chambers, V.

Production Year: 0

Citation: Chambers, V. APPP Policy Brief 5. Improving maternal health when resources are limited: Safe motherhood in rural Rwanda. Africa Power and Politics Programme (APPP), Overseas Development Institute, London, UK 4 pp.

Summary: Over the past decade, Rwanda has managed to overcome many of the critical bottlenecks to make impressive progress on maternal health. It has done so despite the fact that health spending per capita in the country remains below the sub-Saharan African average.

Africa Power and Politics (APPP) carried out eleven months of fieldwork during 2009-2011 in the rural Rwandan districts of Nyamagabe and Musanze. This indicates that substantial gains can be made, even in the absence of adequate material resources.