There has been an increase in the outbreak of communicable diseases in recent times; the most recent ones are Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and COVID-19. These diseases have had different impacts on society and the ecosystem. However, underlying these impacts are the levels of preparedness of governments and public health institutions to mitigate and control these diseases. Therefore, this paper aims to explore these impacts, government and institutional interventions and their nexus towards the effective management of such crises. A critical review of empirical literature was adopted for the methodological approach and narrative synthesis used for analysis. Results show that EVD had diverse impacts on West Africa; economically through the loss of income from economic activities due to widespread sickness among workers and movement restrictions. EVD also had significant social impacts, such as reduced community cohesion, school and business closures, job losses, food insecurity, and high morbidity and mortality. Though some good efforts have been made by different countries in collaboration with international organisations like the World Health Organization to control disease outbreaks more effectively, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has however exposed major weaknesses in the capacity of most African countries to cope. Poor capacity for testing and treatment, inadequate health facilities, poor incentives for health care workers, poor governance systems, poor border control, and awareness and research capacities impacted negatively on the capacity to control disease outbreaks. There is, therefore, a need to strengthen health systems across Africa through improved resource mobilisation, staff training, and coordination of investment strategies to sustain health system preparedness to manage future emerging or re-emerging outbreaks.

Background. Agrochemicals are used by farmers in Southeast Nigeria to increase crop yields and food production. However, farmers are often illiterate and do not follow precautions for their usage and application, increasing the risk of exposures to humans and the environment. Objectives. The aim of the present study was to determine the extent of the use of agrochemicals by farmers, category or type used, ability to read instructions, exposure to agrochemicals during application and perception of the health effects of exposure to agrochemicals in Southeast Nigeria. Methods. From February–June 2017, a total of 200 farmers were surveyed using oral interviews and structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Respondents were asked about items such as socioeconomic characteristics, types and amounts of fertilizers and pesticides used, exposure during application and perceptions of the health effects of exposure to agrochemicals. Results. In the present study, the majority of farm...

The study evaluated the use and determinants of households’ adoption of biomass improved cook stove in Nigeria. Enugu State was chosen for the study. Structured questionnaires were used to collect the required data. Using a multi stage sampling techniques, a total of 160 households were selected for the study. Findings from the study reveal that majority (23.12%) of the household heads were within the age range of 31-40 years, 68.10% were married and 56.90% were female, while 86% attended school, 61% had other occupations other than farming, 59% had 0-10 years farming experience and 85% had monthly income of between N1000 to N50,000. About 68% of the households use one form of locally fabricated improved cook stove or the other. The different kinds of improved cook stove used are iron bucket stove (33.03%), saw dust stove (39.45%), U shaped mud stove (17.43%), jiko and mirt stove (10.09%). The study found age, gender, educational level, household size and income to be statistically significant as determinants of adoption of ICS. Some of the problems inhibiting the adoption of modern improved cook stove are lack of availability, lack of awareness and high cost. We recommend that stoves should be made available and affordable.

Background. Five hundred milliliter bags of water, referred to as ‘sachet water,’ are widely used in Liberia, as they are low cost, safe sources of clean drinking water for the population. Objectives. This study aims to determine sources of drinking water in the study area, the rate of sachet water use, empty sachet water disposal methods and environmental problems associated with sachet water waste disposal. Methods. Using a simple random sampling technique, 257 respondents were interviewed between April and June 2018 using structured questionnaires. On a five-point Likert scale with a mean score of 3 as the cutoff point, data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results. The paper found that sachet water (mean (M)=4.37) is an essential source of drinking water in Liberia with a daily consumption rate of at least 6 bags of sachet water per individual. Affordability, availability, and safety were named by respondents as reasons for their consumption of sachet water. Improper disposal methods practi...

Background: Farmers in Nigeria are using agrochemicals inappropriately which pose health and environmental risks. The current research aims at establishing the socio‐economic pressure factors behind these practices and also assesses the effectiveness of measures into reducing the risky use of agrochemicals. Data were collected from 840 participants comprising farmers and agrochemical marketers using a multistage sampling technique across six states in Nigeria. Descriptive statistics and detailed case studies were employed to explore socio‐economic antecedents of agrochemical application.Results: Findings of this study showed that market demands, costs, and unavailability of safer compounds put the farmers in a dilemma regarding proper usage of agrochemicals. Among the farmers in Esanland, 96% of them applied agrochemicals in their farming activities without first following the best practices, and the reason was that 61% of them mentioned that they were compelled to use it due to market demands. Likewise in Fadan Daji, 65% farmers revealed that high cost and no training were the causes of their improper use of agrochemicals. This study also established that factors that hindered the prevention of these practices including financial constraints, lack of adequate education and training, and weak enforcement of regulations.Conclusion: This study suggested that to encourage proper utilization of agrochemicals, extended emphasis needs to be placed on addressing the socio‐economic factors. Hence, the study recommended the following measures: incentives to facilitate the use of sustainable practices by encouraging financial rewards, extensive education, and training on the benefits of sustainable practices as well as new legislation to reduce supply of reckless agrochemicals.

Open budget systems and participatory budgeting in Africa: A comparative analysis of Nigeria and Ghana, 2012 and 2015 Emeka C. Iloh Research Fellow African Heritage Institution, Enugu Nigeria E-mail: iloh.emeka@gmail.com Michael E. Nwokedi, Ph.D Lecturer Department of Political Science, Madonna University, Okija Anambra State, Nigeria E-mail: nwokedi2002@yahoo.com Chikamso C. Apeh Research Associate African Heritage Institution, Enugu…