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This paper reports findings of a study on young mothers living in Uganda's poor urban areas which have been politically labeled as informal settlements and therefore not eligible for social services delivery. Although 59% of all school dropouts in Uganda are due to young motherhood, the national education policy, and practice automatically exclude young mothers. Past studies on student motherhood addressed student mothers of all ages, and were not focused on poor urban communities. The qualitative study involved young female participants enrolled in institutions of higher learning aged, between the 17 and 25 and investigated the magnitude of their marginalization and exclusion. Study participants were purposively selected using snowball technique. Data were collected using life history interviews and observation. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded, and thematic analysis was done. The key themes are the context of urban poverty and student motherhood, lack of counseling services, poor law enforcement, and abandonment. The paper discusses how the young women navigate motherhood and education, thereby advancing the discourse on student motherhood in precarious educational contexts of urban poverty.

Low-fee private schools (LFPS) have grown considerably in the developing world as public free primary education has been unable to cater to the poorest children. Bridge International Academies (BIA), one of the largest chains of LFPS, has positioned itself as a solution to issues of access and quality of primary education. Using newspaper articles from Kenya and Uganda, this paper examines public discourse of BIA through the lens of cultural political economy, or how public discourse can influence variation, selection and retention regarding LFPS. After exploring scholarship to understand the justifications and impacts of LFPS, this paper finds that justifications are present in public discourse while impacts are not. Therefore, public discourse has given voice and promoted the need for improvements, with LFPS as an option, but that discourse (and scholarship) has yet to emphasize LFPS as a real solution, due to inconclusive evidence and ongoing battles with governments.

The current research investigates whether higher economic inequality disproportionately intensifies the financial hardship of low-income individuals. We propose that higher economic inequality increases financial hardship for low-income individuals by reducing their ability to rely on their community as a buffer against financial difficulties. This may occur, in part, because a frayed community buffer reduces low-income individuals' propensity to seek informal financial support from others. We provide empirical support across eight studies (sample size N = 1,029,900) from the United States, Australia and rural Uganda, through correlational and experimental data, as well as an instrumental variable analysis. On average across our studies, a 1 s.d. increase in economic inequality is associated with an increase of financial hardship among low-income individuals of 0.10 s.d. We discuss the implications of these results for policies aimed to help people living in poverty buffer against the adverse effects higher economic inequality imposes on them.

Religious education, like all learning, can take place in informal, nonformal, and formal settings. In Uganda, the Education Bill 2007 triggered discussions about religious education and control over schools by founding religious bodies. In this context, the role played by the Mugigi course to supplement the religious education imparted in schools has become especially important. The course targets candidates for the Solemn Communion and involves catechetical instruction, formation, and literacy. This paper compares the teaching approach of "Mugigi" and that of schools. Also highlighted are three limitations of the "Mugigi" programme, related respectively to the issues of poverty, the risk of placing too much emphasis on examination results, and the 'apparent failure' to help learners reflect further on the local Church's inculturated rites integrated into the Mass.

Based on social psychological and neurobiological models of human development, this paper proposes that the role of the teacher is central in the rehabilitation of children who have suffered the effects of stress and trauma. The purpose of this paper is to describe the experiences of educators regarding children's learning. This study used a qualitative methodology to categorise the variation of experiences regarding children's learning as described by 10 school teachers and six school leaders from two government and two non-government primary schools in Northern Uganda. Among the significant findings of the study were the categorical descriptions of children's learning as "fragmented" and "hijacked" due to the debilitating effects of stress and trauma. Educators thought children had many "gaps" in their learning as a result of war and associated disease and poverty. This paper demonstrates the salient role of educators in the neurological, psychological and sociological rehabilitation of students and provides strong evidence for education being a means of positive change.

This paper articulates lessons learned about without-prejudice teaching and learning from a researcher-practitioner who has experience in both developing and developed contexts. Developing countries often look to Western countries for education standards, but Western countries rarely look to developing contexts where theory is being generated about divisions and access to education. This comparative study integrates lessons learned from both contexts. It uses an auto-ethnographic methodology and draws upon phenomenographic research and critical theory. The need for "emic" (insider) without-prejudice teaching and learning practices is articulated in three lessons: 1. culture privileges for or prejudices against students' access to education; 2. beliefs systems allow or deny access to learning opportunities and environments; and 3. student--teacher relationship can interrupt prejudice.

The potential of ICT for education and sustainable development cannot be underestimated. Using cases from some African countries and data from deprived regions in Ghana, this paper discusses the opportunities and challenges in ICT for education and sustainable development in underserved areas in Africa. Much as infrastructural development, illiteracy and financial bottlenecks limits the possibility of fully utilizing emerging technologies, the growth of innovative technology like mobile telephony presents opportunities for using ICT to kick out of poverty through education. In this process the concern should not just be to provide access but to implement development programs that will meet the educational, agricultural, economic and healthcare needs of the people in underserved areas.

This paper demonstrates that the phenomenographic methodology -- the study of variations of lived experience -- has the capacity to manage cultural and paradigmatic differences between researchers and participants in cross-cultural research. The process of cross-cultural research presented herein makes a contribution to the existing body of knowledge about the efficacy of phenomenography. This process was developed from a phenomenographic research project in Northern Uganda and from due consideration of other cross-cultural phenomenographic studies. The study of experience in cross-cultural education projects provides an opportunity to understand participants' conceptions of inner (psychological) and outer (sociocultural) learning processes. A phenomenographic methodology necessitates the organization of categories of description into a holistic 'mental model', which may comprise metaphoric representation. The use of metaphor in phenomenography to depict the categories of description as a whole was found to be particularly powerful in this cross-cultural research study as metaphor helped to establish common understandings between researchers and participants. Furthermore, phenomenography also has the potential to help manage the influences of internationalization in local contexts as its methods give primacy to local participants' experiences.

Frequent measurement of poverty is challenging because measurement often relies on complex and expensive expenditure surveys that try to measure expenditures on a comprehensive consumption aggregate. This paper investigates the use of consumption "subaggregates" instead. The use of consumption subaggregates is theoretically justified if and only if all Engel curves are linear for any realization of prices. This is very stringent. However, it may be possible to empirically identify certain goods that happen to have linear Engel curves given prevailing prices, and when the effect of price changes is small, such a subaggregate might work in practice. The paper constructs such linear subaggregates using data from Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. The findings show that using subaggregates is ill advised in practice as well as in theory. This also raises questions about the consistency of the poverty tracking efforts currently applied across countries, since obtaining exhaustive consumption measures remains an unmet challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores causes of differences in estimates of poverty incidence in Uganda since the early 1990s as measured by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics and the World Bank. While both sets of estimates from the two organisations show a declining trend in poverty incidence there are important differences in the levels of poverty, the speed of the decline and the direction of change in the early 2000s. Methodological differences linked to the determination of the poverty line and adjustments for household composition are found to play a role. Assessing the effect of other potential causes is complicated by limitations in the World Bank's meta-data.

This paper is divided into three complementary parts. First, we examine the challenges to the Universal Primary Education (UPE) policy in Uganda, including insufficient instructional materials and family-level poverty. Second, guided by asset theory, and based on a systematic review of studies on asset-based development programs and interventions, we assess the potential of these programs in addressing the challenges of UPE, and improving access to UPE. Third, we conclude with a discussion of the implication of using asset-based development as one structural-level approach that may strengthen the UPE policy. (Contains 1 figure.)

This study examined the relationship between the 1997 UPE policy and regional educational and poverty inequality and its impact on lifelong learning through a one-year field based critical ethnography in Uganda, between June 2007 and May 2008. It drew on the Government's assumption that through UPE the twin goals of the universalisation of primary education and lifelong learning would be attained. This led to the concentration of resources away from higher education, secondary education, and lifelong learning to primary education. This "UPE centric" approach ignored the precarious situation of the large number of illiterate children, youths and adults who have never accessed UPE or dropped out without attaining literacy and numeracy skills. This paper will clarify the relationship between informal, formal, non-formal, adult education and lifelong learning. It will suggest policy recommendations to prioritise lifelong learning as the route towards achieving well-balanced national Education for All and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) goals of halving poverty and achieving UPE by 2015. (Contains 2 tables.)

The Stages-of-Progress methodology helps identify context-specific reasons associated with households' movements into or out of poverty. Developed in 2002, it was used over the next seven years for examining the experiences of 35,567 households in 398 diverse communities of India, Kenya, Uganda, Peru, and North Carolina. This essay looks at the reasons that motivated the development of a different methodology for exploring poverty flows, explores the steps involved, and briefly presents key results. Large numbers of households have fallen into poverty in every context examined, but large numbers have also become persistently poor. Different reasons are associated, respectively, with escaping poverty and falling into poverty. Different policies are, therefore, required to deal with each of the two poverty flows. (Contains 8 tables and 28 footnotes.)

The paper discusses the overlooked political marginalisation of Karamojong pastoralists in Uganda, contrary to a commonly held belief that ecological factors and pastoralism are the leading contributors to poverty and underdevelopment in Karamoja.1 Anchored within the theoretical strand of marginalisation, this article discusses how the actions of those operating at the centre of power perpetuate persistent poverty in Karamoja. A particular focus is placed on political representation, resource allocation and the engagement of local people in poverty eradication and development. The paper argues that the grants from central government are meagre and misguided, Karamoja is poorly and ineffectively represented at policy levels, and the local people have a limited voice in poverty alleviation and development programmes. The paper concludes that Karamoja's persistent poverty is to a great extent a product of political marginalisation. Finally, it recommends affirmative action, effective local leadership, sensitisation and involvement of local people in poverty alleviation initiatives and combating corruption in public offices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty and economic insecurity are driving forces in entering sex work among women in low resource areas. This increases their risk for HIV by influencing the decision-making process for high-risk behaviors. Few studies have examined the financial behaviors and capacities of women engaged in sex work (WESW). This paper describes the methodology used in a financial diary study aimed at characterizing women's spending patterns within a larger prevention intervention trial among WESW in Uganda. From June 2019 to March 2020, a subsample of 150 women randomized to the combination HIV prevention and economic empowerment treatment was asked to complete financial diaries to monitor daily expenditures in real time. Two hundred and forty financial diaries were distributed to study participants during the financial literacy sessions at eight sites. A total of 26,919 expense entries were recorded over 6 months. Sex-work-related expenses comprised approximately 20.01% of the total. The process of obtaining quality and consistent data was challenging due to the transient and stigmatized nature of sex work coupled with women's varying levels of education. Frequent check-ins, using peer support, code word or visuals, and a shorter time frame would allow for a more accurate collection of high-frequency data. Moreover, the ability of women to complete the financial diaries despite numerous challenges speaks to their potential value as a data collection tool, and also as an organizing tool for finances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper aims to assess the effects of taxes and benefits on inequality and poverty in five African countries: Ghana, Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use newly developed micro-simulation models to analyse the distribution and composition of incomes. Findings: The study's results suggest that income-based measures result in higher levels of poverty and inequality than consumption-based measures. The country with the most effective system in terms of reducing income inequality and poverty is South Africa; in Ghana, the tax-benefit system was found to have the smallest impact on inequality. The systems of Uganda, Mozambique and Zambia were estimated to have no poverty-reducing properties; many individuals remain largely unaffected by them as they are too poor to pay direct taxes, and benefits are very modest and narrowly targeted. Originality/value: While consumption data are crucial for measuring poverty, income data are becoming vital for assessing the extent to which tax-benefit policies achieve redistribution in economies where own-consumption is becoming less significant and the share of people in employment is increasing. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study where poverty and inequality are measured in both terms, for several African countries in a common framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uganda is home to 1.5 million refugees from DRC, Burundi, South Sudan and other countries. The Uganda political framework is one of the most progressive and inclusive toward refugees. Only a fraction of the refugees is likely to revert to their home countries. The papers collected in this special issue assess Uganda's progressive refugee policy with reference to how it functioned in the era of COVID-19 using a unique panel data collected between 2017 and 2021. The findings of the special issue stress that the support to refugees and hosts is helping to manage daily challenges but not to ultimately get them out of poverty. Further, this support was insufficient to provide a comprehensive response to COVID-19. For the long-term sustainable integration and development, new policy approaches are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses poverty dynamics and checks for the existence of poverty traps among refugee and host communities living close to each other in Uganda. Although some non-linearities emerge in asset dynamics, there is convergence towards one stable equilibrium for the whole sample that suggests the existence of a structural poverty trap. However, households are quite heterogeneous: when analysing refugees and hosts separately, refugees converge to a lower own-group equilibrium than hosts. The household size and education are asset growth enablers for both communities. Noticeably, access to land, past history and social cohesion are also significant correlates of refugees' asset dynamics. From a policy perspective, structural poverty traps are bad news, because standard anti-poverty interventions would not unlock the trap. Our results stress the need of more structural approaches aimed at promoting economic growth in the whole area where refugee and host communities live, targeting both communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systems for regular, preventive maintenance of infrastructure are needed to ensure safe water access globally. Emerging and growing across rural sub-Saharan Africa, professionalized maintenance arrangements feature legal, regulated service providers who maintain infrastructure in exchange for consumer payment through contracts. However, little is understood about the conditions that enable service providers to retain consumer contracts, an important component of their sustainability that indicates consistent demand and payment. This paper uses fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis to identify combinations of operational, natural, physical, political, and social conditions enabling high contract retention across 22 implementation cases in Uganda, uncovering 2 pathways to success. In both pathways, consistent expansion by the service provider normalizes concepts such as tariff payment and local government participation increases trust and accountability between the service provider and consumers. The predominant pathway features one additional condition, coordinated sector aid, ensuring consistent implementation and mitigating harmful dependencies. The alternative pathway relies on large user communities and ease of access to those communities to counteract uncoordinated aid. Thus, operational, social, and political conditions may be sufficient to enable high contract retention irrespective of natural and physical conditions. This paper uncovers the combined efforts required of service providers, service authorities, international donors, and local aid actors to ensure the sustainable maintenance of rural water infrastructure for reliable safe water access., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

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Economically vulnerable women engaged in sex work (WESW) comprise one of the key populations with higher prevalence of HIV globally. In Uganda, HIV prevalence among WESW is estimated at 37% and accounts for 18% of all new infections in the country. This paper describes the strategies by which we have engaged community stakeholders in a randomised clinical trial aimed at evaluating the efficacy of adding economic empowerment components to traditional HIV risk reduction to reduce the incidence of STIs and HIV among WESW in Uganda. We demonstrate that stakeholder engagement, including the engagement of WESW themselves, plays a critical role in the adaptation, implementation, uptake, and potential sustainability of evidence-based interventions. To our knowledge, this is the first study to utilise stakeholder engagement involving WESW in Uganda. Researchers working with hard-to-reach populations, such as WESW, are encouraged to invest time and resources to engage key stakeholders through a full range of collaborative activities; and ensure that research is culturally appropriate and meets the needs of all stakeholders involved. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03583541. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Menstrual hygiene management and health is increasingly gaining policy importance in a bid to promote dignity, gender equality and reproductive health. Effective and adequate menstrual hygiene management requires women and girls to have access to their menstrual health materials and products of choice, but also extends into having private, clean and safe spaces for using these materials. The paper provides empirical evidence of the inequality in menstrual hygiene management in Kinshasa (DRC), Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rajasthan (India), Indonesia, Nigeria and Uganda using concentration indices and decomposition methods. There is consistent evidence of wealth-related inequality in the conditions of menstrual hygiene management spaces as well as access to sanitary pads across all countries. Wealth, education, the rural-urban divide and infrastructural limitations of the household are major contributors to these inequalities. While wealth is identified as one of the key drivers of unequal access to menstrual hygiene management, other socio-economic, environmental and household factors require urgent policy attention. This specifically includes the lack of safe MHM spaces which threaten the health and dignity of women and girls.

Building on the model of Meyer [(2007). Pro-Poor tourism: from leakages to linkages. A conceptual framework for creating linkages between the accommodation sector and ‘poor’ neighbouring communities. Current Issues in Tourism 10(6), 558-83], this paper focuses on the regional development potential of local linkages with the supply chain and community partnerships of established tourism businesses in western Uganda. Results show that supply-related inconsistencies of local produce undermine the existence of supply chain linkages with local farmers, and favour business linkages with local intermediary suppliers, dominantly shaping the regional development potential of supply chain linkages in western Uganda. Yet, this research found several ‘windows of opportunity’ for local suppliers to connect to the tourism value chain. Results on community partnerships suggest that most businesses do not move beyond the absolute minimum partnership intensity that is required to be able to strategically use for marketing purposes and obtain a unique selling proposition. Finally, our research exposes the complexity of locating responsibility among different stakeholders of the value chain in suggested paths for (regional) development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the ways in which "mental health" difficulties are approached in low-income countries, using a case study of Uganda focus down upon the issues. Design/methodology/approach – The study involved two phases. The first was the collection and analysis of documentary evidence and interviews with policy makers in Uganda. The second involved interviews with health staff, traditional healers and the public in the Buganda Kingdom of Uganda. Interviews were conducted in English or Luganda and translated as necessary. No external sources of funding to declare. Findings – There are differing perceptions of mental health and illness in Uganda and there exists culturally accepted sources of support for distress. This highlights the important role of traditional healers and the paper argues that they should be recognised for their work in mental health care. Research limitations/implications – The paper is a small-scale study of one area of Uganda (Buganda Kingdom), the extent to which it can be generalised is therefore very limited. However, the research is sufficient to indicate the benefits of traditional healers in mental health care and supports an argument towards a public mental health model. Practical implications – The paper argues for a move in priority away from a focus upon a biomedical model of mental health support towards a public health model and the meaningful engagement of traditional healers. This would also necessitate a refocus of spending in the wider society. Originality/value – The paper poses a challenge to the Global Public Health movement and questions the relevance of expanding biomedical psychiatry in low-income countries. The paper also adds weight to emerging literature on the value of a public health approach to mental health and illness, especially in the developing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to reveal the role of microfinance on poverty alleviation in Uganda. Using a probit regression model, a principal component analysis (PCA)and the analysis of variance technique, the impact of microfinance is evaluated using variables, such as gross income, loans, among others. The study is based on primary empirical data collected from 170 clients in 2017. The study revealed that access to microfinance loans had a positive impact on poverty reduction. The study concluded that, through the interplay of loan sizes, family employment, gross income and education, MFIs could play a significant role in poverty alleviation in Uganda. The study recommended that MFIs should provide non-financial assistance, such as facilitating business and management skills, and assist the poor, who would otherwise slide into further poverty, by including them in the financial stream in the country. risk. It further recommended that MFIs should provide low-interest loans to SMEs and that sensitization on borrowing should be introduced to increase the number of borrowers. Moreover, outreach programmes, low interest rates and the promotion of saving be encouraged. Lastly, it recommended a reduction in bureaucratic tendencies in lending methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the links between social capital and household poverty in Uganda. It assumes a two-way causal relationship between poverty and access to social capital. This suggests an endogeneity problem, so the paper uses econometric techniques that control for endogeneity. Using two nationally representative datasets, the authors' analyses revealed that access to social capital defined in terms of membership of social organisations positively affects household income and reduces poverty. Education was the key determinant of income and increases the probability of joining social networks. Their results further show that household income and welfare are positively associated with access to social capital or group participation. This suggests that government strategies to increase household income that take into consideration existing social institutions will go a long way to encourage associational growth and performance and consequently reduce poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization is one of the critical global trends shaping the future of humanity. At the same time, it has been argued that full development requires an urbanized environment. This paper attempts to examine and characterize the major phases of urbanization in Uganda and what this means for urban policy planning and poverty reduction in the country. Although the history of urbanization in Uganda is relatively young compared to other East African countries, dating as far back as 100 years, the rate of urban development (5.1% per annum) in the country is reported to be one of the highest in the world. However, little effort is being made to seize the opportunities and maximize the potential benefits of urban development, as well as reducing its potentially negative consequences. The urban development path of Uganda can be classified in terms of five phases: (1) the stage of initiation (before 1900); (2) the stage of settlement stabilization, fixation, and pseudo-planning (1900–1962); (3) the age of conflict and collapse (1962–1985); (4) the age of laissez faire development and urban informality (1986–2004); and (5) the urban renaissance (2005 to date). These phases, which this paper refers to as transitions, have shown characteristics of planning systems that are partly malfunctioning, partly wobbly and incomplete, and partly non-existent. Pertinent socioeconomic, environmental, and political problems that are insurmountable for urban planning and management are a feature of the urban areas in the country. Most importantly, welfare and poverty indicators have not shown marked improvements (in absolute terms) for the urban population over the last 50 years. This paper argues for a strong urban planning policy that takes into account the rate of urbanization being experienced in the country today, the failure of which will lead to increasing marginalization of city residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper combines qualitative and quantitative ('Q-Squared') research methods to further our understanding of poverty dynamics. Using existing nationally representative panel data from Uganda, we adopt the same sampling frame and collect life history information to consider some of the methodological issues that are of importance when combining such research methods and furthering our knowledge of poverty dynamics. Although using relatively old panel data as a base for 'Q-Squared' work may not be ideal for sequencing and triangulation of data, we find that if undertaken correctly this can still provide the basis for unique insights regarding key factors that underpin poverty dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an interesting and continuing debate on the nature and role of social protection in poverty reduction. Within the health sector, discussion has focussed on the drawbacks associated with fee exemption schemes and community-based health insurance, with much less attention paid to the policy option of abolishing user fees. This paper reviews empirical evidence on the impact of the Government of Uganda's decision in 2001 to abolish user fees for health services. The paper finds that this policy intervention has had a significant positive impact on health-seeking behaviour in Uganda and concludes that this policy measure can make an important contribution towards a more ‘promotional’ policy approach to social protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the factors influencing chronic poverty in Uganda from the perspective of the poor. The findings are based on participatory poverty assessments conducted in 23 urban and 57 rural sites covering 21 districts. The paper examines: the view of the poor on the definitions of chronic poverty, the types of people who are chronically poor and why; opportunities and constraints for moving out of poverty; the effects of government policies; and suggestions for improvements. The findings suggest that the factors driving and maintaining poverty often are transmitted inter-generationally, and certain categories of people, such as the disabled, women and refugees, are more vulnerable than others. Also, ineffective local governance and government policies seem to prevent the chronically poor from escaping the poverty trap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Budaka is one of the 146 districts in Uganda experiencing domestic violence (DV) with 5016 cases, recorded in 2020. This was a significant number with obvious development repercussions despite relevant regulations, prohibiting the vice. The purpose of this study is to determine the nature and causes of domestic violence in Budaka district, development implications, and then suggest a course of action. A mixed-methods approach that included desk review and interviews to obtain quantitative and qualitative data, respectively was used. Domestic violence affects people of all ages, education levels, income levels, social standing, and religions, and manifests itself in form of physical, economic, sexual, political, religious, cultural and psychological. Poverty, culture, ethical and moral failure, biological vulnerability of women, and difficulties in obtaining evidence are the causes of domestic violence with far-reaching economic, political, and social development implications in Budaka district. In conclusion, domestic violence exists in Budaka district as a social construct with enormous developmental ramifications. The study recommends deconstruction through adopting Uganda's National Gender Policy of 2007, gender mainstreaming in the district, enacting by-laws, gender monitoring and evaluation, and strengthening Mifuni NGO in the fight against domestic violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the impact of a voucher project that targeted vulnerable and poor pregnant women in Uganda. Highly subsidised vouchers gave access to a package of safe delivery services consisting of four antenatal visits, safe delivery, one postnatal visit, the treatment and management of selected pregnancy-related medical conditions and complications, and emergency transport. Vouchers were sold during the project's operational period from 2016 to 2019. This study covers 8 out of 25 project-benefiting districts in Uganda and a total of 1,881 pregnancies, including both beneficiary and non-beneficiary mothers. Using a matching design, the results show a positive effect on the survival of new-born babies. The difference in the survival rate between the control group and the treatment group is 5.4% points, indicating that the voucher project reduced infant mortality by more than 65 per cent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of neoliberal reforms in northern Uganda was carried out in the context of armed conflicts in the years 1988–2006 and the post-conflict resettlement and reconstruction activities since 2006. This paper uses an intersectional gender analysis of the life histories of heads of the poorest households in Gulu district to document and examine the effects of neoliberalisation processes of appropriation and class formation in the context of extreme poverty in a post-war setting. It examines the gendered nature of the households' experiences of survival, crisis, and vulnerability and analyses the effects of neoliberal policies on land, labour, livelihoods, and access to healthcare. The data evidences that the neoliberalisation of northern Uganda is compounding the dispossession of the poor, who were previously dispossessed by war. It underscores the fallacy of the ideology of 'inclusive neoliberalism' that informed the second phase of neoliberalisation in Uganda, into which northern Uganda was integrated. Gender proves to be a highly useful analytical lens through which to explore life histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Keeping shared toilets clean is a key public health challenge household users face in urban slum settlements of most developing countries. This paper provides insights on the cleanliness of households' shared toilets and the factors that influence their cleanliness, as well as influencing the inclination of the users to keep them clean. Subjects and methods: This analysis is part of a cross-sectional study conducted in 50 randomly selected slums in Kampala, Uganda between October and November 2010. A total of 1,500 respondents were interviewed, using a semi-structured questionnaire. Results: Out of 1,019 respondents using shared toilets, less than 12 % reported having very clean toilets. Some of the significant factors influencing the cleanliness of shared toilets are: the ease or difficulty in keeping shared toilets clean, the number of households sharing a toilet room, effortful cleaning behaviour and cleaning intention on the part of the users. Conclusion: The findings show that most slum dwellers use toilets that are not hygienic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the performance of a method of predicting poverty rates. Because most developing countries cannot justify the expense of frequent household budget surveys, additional low-cost methods have been developed and used. The prediction method is based on a model linking the proportion of poor households to suitable explanatory variables (consumption proxies). These consumption proxies are variables that can be collected at much lower cost through smaller annual surveys. Several applications have shown that such models can produce poverty estimates with confidence intervals of a similar magnitude to the poverty estimates from the household budget surveys. There is, however, limited evidence of how well the methods perform out-of-sample. A series of seven household budget surveys conducted in Uganda in the period 1993-2005 allows us to test the prediction performance of the model. We test the poverty models by using data from one survey to predict the proportion of poor households in other surveys, and vice versa. The results are encouraging, as all models predict similar poverty trends. Although in most cases the predictions are precise, sometimes they differ significantly from the poverty level estimated from the survey directly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Partnerships are increasingly common in conducting research. However, there is little published evidence about processes in research-policy partnerships in different contexts. This paper contributes to filling this gap by analysing experiences of research-policy partnerships between Ministries of Health and research organisations for the implementation of the Mental Health and Poverty Project in Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia. Methods: A conceptual framework for understanding and assessing research-policy partnerships was developed and guided this study. The data collection methods for this qualitative study included semi-structured interviews with Ministry of Health Partners (MOHPs) and Research Partners (RPs) in each country. Results: The term partnership was perceived by the partners as a collaboration involving mutually-agreed goals and objectives. The principles of trust, openness, equality and mutual respect were identified as constituting the core of partnerships. The MOHPs and RPs had clearly defined roles, with the MOHPs largely providing political support and RPs leading the research agenda. Different influences affected partnerships. At the individual level, personal relationships and ability to compromise within partnerships were seen as important. At the organisational level, the main influences included the degree of formalisation of roles and responsibilities and the internal structures and procedures affecting decision-making. At the contextual level, political environment and the degree of health system decentralisation affected partnerships. Conclusions: Several lessons can be learned from these experiences. Taking account of influences on the partnership at individual, organisation and contextual/system levels can increase its effectiveness. A common understanding of mutually-agreed goals and objectives of the partnership is essential. It is important to give attention to the processes of initiating and maintaining partnerships, based on clear roles, responsibilities and commitment of parties at different levels. Although partnerships are often established for a specific purpose, such as carrying out a particular project, the effects of partnership go beyond a particular initiative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a method for poverty-inclusive evaluation of architectural sustainability. Existing evaluation tools largely ignore poverty-an omission that renders them inadequate for use in a developing country context. Methodological challenges arise from the complexity due to inclusion of poverty alongside numerous other sustainability aspects. Moreover, the shared transdisciplinary nature of architecture and sustainability coupled with inherent scale polarities add to the complexity. The evaluation method discussed here adopts concepts from systems theory to develop a framework that addresses the above challenges. It yields credible results in a developing country context with a dearth of research precedents and databases. The method was applied in an empirically based study of the sustainability performance of earth walling techniques in Uganda. The study showed that, from a sustainability viewpoint, wattle-and-daub performs best, followed by adobe, whereas the most popular brick was only better than compressed earth blocks. In their transparency, the evaluation method and results here presented can stand conventional academic scrutiny. But the conclusions point to the need for greater acceptance of transdisciplinary approaches to knowledge conceptualism if the holistic disposition of sustainability, architecture and sustainable architecture is to be accommodated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of African legislatures in poverty reduction has been widely debated since the 1990s. In this essay, I argue that a poverty reduction strategy that is alien and mute to a human rights-based approach is suspect. Focusing on the case of Uganda, the paper examines the construction of the poverty reduction agenda in the country as encapsulated in the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP). There is evidence to show that the PEAP has lacked a rights-based backbone and that the Ugandan parliament has played only a marginal role in poverty reduction policies. The parliament has largely rubberstamped the objectives of the executive branch of guaranteeing and creating a conducive environment for the imperialist neoliberal agenda for the flourishing of global capitalism. Until the hidden hand of imperialism is dealt with, the role of legislatures in actively influencing poverty reduction strategies in Africa will remain a mirage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Within the theoretical context of human security, this United Nations (IJN) three-year research project examines the causes and effects of conflicts in the arid and semi-arid lands of Northern Kenya. The purpose of this paper is to address the human security concerns arising out of conflict, displacement, migration and poverty. The people who live in the area are mainly nomadic pastoralists. Design/methodology/approach - A review of previous empirical research and ongoing field studies are used to examine four problem areas: cattle rustling, proliferation of small arms, competition over scarce resources and conflict between refugees and local communities. Findings - Seeking access to water and green pastures, the nomads generally follow their cattle across the region, and their movement is not confined to Kenya alone. They cross and re-cross international boundaries to and from Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia and Uganda resulting in conflicts over water and pasture. Resource competition in a fragile economy has had grave consequences for the economic security of families and internally displaced people. Originality/value - The North Rift and North Eastern regions of Kenya are the most underdeveloped area of the country and suffer from a high level of human insecurity, with more than three-quarters of the population living below the poverty line. This UN project seeks an empirical understanding of the causes of conflict and ways to build the capacity of a vulnerable population to gain both freedom from fear and freedom from want. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does a lack of consideration to gender and diversity restrict the success of implementing poverty-reduction policies? What are the lessons to be learned from past mistakes and omissions? This article examines the Uganda Participatory Poverty Assessment Process (UPPAP), which fed into Uganda's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The UPPAP process involved the participation of people whose identities often cause them to be marginalised. Useful lessons can be learned from this experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares and contrasts rural livelihoods in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi, with a view to informing rural poverty reduction policies within Poverty Reduction Strategy Plans (PRSPs). Low household incomes in rural areas of all countries are associated with low land and livestock holdings, high reliance on food crop agriculture, and low monetisation of the rural economy. These adverse factors are in some instances made more difficult by land sub-division at inheritance, declining civil security in rural areas, deteriorating access to proper agronomic advice and inputs, and predatory taxation by decentralised district councils. Better off households are distinguished by virtuous spirals of accumulation typically involving diverse livestock ownership, engagement in non-farm self-employment, and diversity of on-farm and non-farm income sources. Lessons for PRSPs centre on the creation of a facilitating, rather than blocking, public sector environment for the multiplication of non-farm enterprises; seeking creative solutions to the spread of technical advice to farmers; and examining critically the necessity for, and impact of, tax revenue collection by district councils on rural incomes and enterprise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides evidence on the heterogeneous welfare implications of rural income portfolios in eastern Uganda. We use household survey data from two-panel rounds, and fixed and random effects estimation and quantile regressions to estimate average and heterogeneous effects. While the literature mostly focuses on either income diversification or participation in non-farm activities, we distinguish between income diversification, using the Simpson Index, and off-farm income generation. We use ex-post income and poverty measures as well as an ex-ante vulnerability measure to analyse welfare effects. We find that income diversification and non-farm income generation improve household income, and reduce poverty and vulnerability. We find that it is most beneficial for poorer households with less land assets to diversify their income portfolio, while moving out of agriculture is equally beneficial at all income levels and most beneficial for households with more human capital. We find that income diversification reduces vulnerability most strongly at high levels of diversification and low levels of income while non-farm income generation reduces vulnerability at lower levels of non-farm income and increases vulnerability at higher levels of non-farm income. Our results lead to nuanced findings that bring additional insights in the literature on structural transformation and rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older adults’ vulnerability and resilience are a result of processes constructed throughout the lifecycle. In Uganda, older people almost always rely exclusively on their social networks for care and economic support when in need. These support systems are mainly family based, and play a role of safety net for their older members. However, localised in-depth studies have pointed out the limitations of family-based support systems, especially in the context of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This paper uses 83 in-depth interviews conducted in various settings across Uganda with older people and their family members on the subject of their support systems. Over and above the lack of immediate/personal resources characterising most older people, our results highlight the importance of the extent of support systems and resource diversity. Most of the people in our case studies had lost descendants due to the civil war, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, or simply family break-ups, events which often create large breaches and gaps in support systems. Few older people can be resilient in this situation, primarily because there are often not enough resources available in their support networks to cover the needs of all, especially education for the young and health-care access for the old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poor menstrual knowledge and access to sanitary products have been proposed as barriers to menstrual health and school attendance. In response, interventions targeting these needs have seen increasing implementation in public and private sectors. However, there has been limited assessment of their effectiveness. Objectives: Assess the impact of providing reusable sanitary pads and puberty education on girls’ school attendance and psychosocial wellbeing outcomes. Methods: A cluster quasi-randomised controlled trial was conducted across 8 schools, including 1124 girls, in rural Uganda. Schools were allocated to one of four conditions: the provision of puberty education alone; reusable sanitary pads alone; puberty education and reusable sanitary pads; and a control (no intervention). The primary outcome was school attendance. Secondary outcomes reflected psychosocial wellbeing. Results: At follow-up, school attendance had worsened for girls across all conditions. Per-protocol analysis revealed that this decline was significantly greater for those in the control condition d = 0.52 (95%CI 0.26–0.77), with those in control schools having a 17.1% (95%CI: 8.7–25.5) greater drop in attendance than those in any intervention school. There were no differences between the intervention conditions. High rates of school drop-out and transfer meant the trial suffered from substantial participant drop-out. Intention-to-treat analyses using two different imputation strategies were consistent with the main results, with mean differences of 5.2% attendance in best-case and 24.5% in worst-case imputations. Results were robust to adjustments for clustering. There was no impact of the interventions on girls’ self-reported shame or insecurity during menstruation. Conclusion: Results of the trial support the hypothesised positive impact of providing sanitary pads or puberty education for girls’ school attendance in a developing country context. Findings must be interpreted with caution in light of poor participant retention, intervention fidelity, and the attendance measures used. Trial Registration: Pan African Clinical Trials Registry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We test whether an environment of poverty affects time preferences through purely psychological channels. We measured discount rates among farmers in Uganda who made decisions about when to enjoy entertainment instead of working. To circumvent the role of economic constraints, we experimentally induced thoughts about poverty-related problems, using priming techniques. We find that thinking about poverty increases the preference to consume entertainment early and to delay work. Using monitoring tools similar to eye tracking, a novel feature for this subject pool, we show that this effect is unlikely to be driven by less careful decision-making processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: HIV is hyperendemic among fisherfolk in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially around Lake Victoria, Uganda. Purpose/Research Design: We conducted cross-sectional semi-structured interviews about oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) implementation with 35 Ugandan fisherfolk (15 women, 20 men) and 10 key stakeholders (healthcare providers, policymakers, community leaders). We used a directed content analysis approach based on implementation science and social marketing frameworks. Results: Participants showed high acceptability for PrEP. Anticipated barriers among fisherfolk included stigma (due to similar medications/packaging as HIV treatment); misconceptions; mobility, competing needs, poverty, and partner conflict. Anticipated provider barriers included insufficient staffing and travel support. Recommendations included: change PrEP packaging; integrate PrEP with other services; decrease PrEP refill frequency; give transportation resources to providers; train more healthcare workers to provide PrEP to fisherfolk; and use positively framed messages to promote PrEP. Conclusions: Results can inform policymakers and healthcare organizations on how to overcome barriers to PrEP scale-up in most at-risk populations with poor healthcare access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]