scholarly journals Unintended consequences or ambivalent policy objectives? Conflict minerals and mining reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Diemel ◽  
D. J. M. Hilhorst
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Conflict Minerals ◽  
Policy Objectives

scholarly journals Lessons learned from the polio eradication initiative in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia: analysis of implementation barriers and strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (S4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wakgari Deressa ◽  
Patrick Kayembe ◽  
Abigail H. Neel ◽  
Eric Mafuta ◽  
Assefa Seme ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Polio Eradication ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Health Programs ◽  
Implementation Barriers ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Republic Of Congo

Abstract Background Since its inception in 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has partnered with 200 countries to vaccinate over 2.5 billion children against poliomyelitis. The polio eradication approach has adapted to emerging challenges and diverse contexts. Knowledge assets gained from these experiences can inform implementation of future health programs, but only if efforts are made to systematically map barriers, identify strategies to overcome them, identify unintended consequences, and compare experiences across country contexts. Methods A sequential explanatory mixed methods design, including an online survey followed by key informant interviews (KIIs), was utilized to map tacit knowledge derived from the polio eradication experience from 1988 to 2019. The survey and KIIs were conducted between September 2018 and March 2019. A cross-case comparison was conducted of two study countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Ethiopia, which fit similar epidemiological profiles for polio. The variables of interest (implementation barriers, strategies, unintended consequences) were compared for consistencies and inconsistencies within and across the two country cases. Results Surveys were conducted with 499 and 101 respondents, followed by 23 and 30 KIIs in the DRC and Ethiopia, respectively. Common implementation barriers included accessibility issues caused by political insecurity, population movement, and geography; gaps in human resources, supply chain, finance and governance; and community hesitancy. Strategies for addressing these barriers included adapting service delivery approaches, investing in health systems capacity, establishing mechanisms for planning and accountability, and social mobilization. These investments improved system infrastructure and service delivery; however, resources were often focused on the polio program rather than strengthening routine services, causing community mistrust and limiting sustainability. Conclusions The polio program investments in the DRC and Ethiopia facilitated program implementation despite environmental, system, and community-level barriers. There were, however, missed opportunities for integration. Remaining pockets of low immunization coverage and gaps in surveillance must be addressed in order to prevent importation of wild poliovirus and minimize circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus. Studying these implementation processes is critical for informing future health programs, including identifying implementation tools, strategies, and principles which can be adopted from polio eradication to ensure health service delivery among hard-to-reach populations. Future disease control or eradication programs should also consider strategies which reduce parallel structures and define a clear transition strategy to limit long-term external dependency.

scholarly journals Branding Raw Material to Improve Human Rights: Intel’s Ban on Conflict Minerals

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Osburg
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Business Process ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Republic Of Congo ◽  
Electronic Products ◽  
Conflict Minerals

Abstract Many companies seek to take over more responsibility for their supply chain and their raw materials. Intel was one of the first companies investigating the origin of conflict minerals like tin, tantalum, gold or tungsten, which are used in many electronic products. Their path to ultimately offering conflict-free microprocessors took more than five years of consistent preparation and intensive reengineering of the business process. They identified smelters as a bottleneck in the supply chain and started cooperating closely with them to trace their minerals’ supply. By developing a bag-and-tag system the company is now able to ensure that their minerals are not sourced from illegal mines, which often finance illegal warlords, for example, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The cooperation with the smelters brings about higher demand and in consequence higher prices for the legally sourced minerals. Many small miners and their families in the region directly benefit from the higher earnings.

The Role of Gender in Agent Banking: Evidence from the Democratic Republic of Congo

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Chamboko ◽  
Robert Cull ◽  
Xavier Gine ◽  
Soren Heitmann ◽  
Fabian Reitzug ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Democratic Republic Of Congo ◽  
Republic Of Congo
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