Associations between sustainable development goals accelerators and well-being, by household heads' disability status among adolescents in Zambia

We examined associations between accelerators (interventions impacting two or more SDG targets) and well-being indicators among adolescents in Zambia. Methods: We randomly sampled 1,800 households receiving social cash transfers (SCT) in four districts, surveyed adults 16 years and older. Using multivariable logistic regressions, stratified by household heads disability status, we examined associations between accelerators (SCT, life-long learning (LLL), mobile phone access (MPA)) and seven well-being indicators among adolescents 16 to 24 years old. We predicted adolescents' probabilities of reporting indicators with marginal effects models. Results: We included 1,725 adolescents, 881(51.1%) girls. MPA was associated with no poverty (adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] 2.08, p<0.001), informal cash transfers (aOR 1.82 p=0.004), seeking mental support (aOR 1.61, p=0.020); SCT with no health access restrictions related to disability (aOR 2.56, p=0.004), lesser odds seeking mental support (aOR 0.53, p=0.029); LLL with informal cash transfers (aOR 3.49, p<0.001), lower school enrolment (aOR 0.70, p=0.004). Adolescents living with disabled household heads reported worse poverty, good health, less suicidal ideation. Conclusions: Accelerators - SCT, LLL, MPA - were associated with well-being indicators. Adolescents living with disabled household heads benefited less.

The health policy response to COVID-19 in Malawi

Malawi declared a state of national disaster due to the COVID-19 pandemic on 20th March 2020 and registered its first confirmed coronavirus case on the 2 April 2020. The aim of this paper was to document policy decisions made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic from January to August 2020. We reviewed policy documents from the Public Health Institute of Malawi, the Malawi Gazette, the Malawi Ministry of Health and Population and the University of Oxford Coronavirus Government Response Tracker. We found that the Malawi response to the COVID-19 pandemic was multisectoral and implemented through 15 focused working groups termed clusters. Each cluster was charged with providing policy direction in their own area of focus. All clusters then fed into one central committee for major decisions and reporting to head of state. Key policies identified during the review include international travel ban, school closures at all levels, cancellation of public events, decongesting workplaces and public transport, and mandatory face coverings and a testing policy covering symptomatic people. Supportive interventions included risk communication and community engagement in multiple languages and over a variety of mediums, efforts to improve access to water, sanitation, nutrition and unconditional social-cash transfers for poor urban and rural households.

Utilisation of Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Transfer: Evidence from the Upper West Region of Ghana

The emergence of social cash transfers, including Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) scheme, in Ghana was due to the need to mitigate poverty. However, prior assessment studies focused on the entirety of the programmes, and not solely on assessing the utilisation of grants from such programmes. Consequently, this study examined the utilisation of the LEAP grant, by employing a cross-sectional study design. A sample of 302 LEAP beneficiaries was selected by means of stratified random sampling. Data from beneficiaries were gathered via a questionnaire, while an interview guide was used to collect supporting evidence from key informants. Analysis of data involved descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, chi-square test of independence and thematic analysis. The study found that beneficiaries spent their LEAP grant on both consumption and investments, with consumption appearing dominant. Overall, beneficiaries utilised the grant in meeting their basic needs. It is, therefore, recommended that in order to develop self-sufficiency, beneficiaries must be advised by the programme officials to invest part of their grant in income generating activities to earn extra income to supplement the LEAP grant, and eventually wean them of the programme.

The Impact of Social Cash Transfer on Rural Livelihood in Zambia

The article is focused on the impact that the social cash transfer has on the lives of the rural people. To assess the impact, the study will use processes involving literature reviews and field visits to institutions mandate to manage the scheme. Interviews will also be conducted with the beneficiaries through the help of an interview schedule that the researcher with design. Thus the main objective was to assess the relevance, appropriateness, sustainability, and impact of social cash transfer schemes in Shamwinda Village in Chibombo District, Zambia. It can be concluded that the research was successful because all the objectives that were alluded to in the first research were met. The findings were more positive than negative according to the article title, which is the impact of cash transfers on rural livelihood. Although it has been discovered that a higher percentage of the beneficiaries did not use their money to invest but on food. Therefore, it can be concluded that social cash transfers have played a tremendous change in the diet of the beneficiaries in Shamwinda Village.