Female slam poets of francophone Africa: spirited words for social change

Social capital, health, and Francophone minorities.

The goal of this article is to outline the analytical perspectives of the concept of social capital regarding health and health management. Social capital, as defined in terms of social networks and resources, has a positive impact on a number of areas, notably the health, well-being, and social and economic development of communities. It is also a useful tool for implementing social policy, es...

Female genital mutilation and social change.

If you were a UK Health Secretary faced with soaring rates of obesity, alcohol misuse, and diet-related diseases, what would you do? Were you to take an evidence-based approach, you might consider minimum pricing per unit of alcohol and restrictions on its availability. You might look at toughening the regulation of how the least healthy foods are marketed to children. You could even demand tha...

Communicating for Social Change, Empowerment & Human Rights in Africa

Climate change, rainfall, and social conflict in Africa

Much of the debate over the security implications of climate change revolves around whether changing weather patterns will lead to future conflict. This article addresses whether deviations from normal rainfall patterns affect the propensity for individuals and groups to engage in disruptive activities such as demonstrations, riots, strikes, communal conflict, and anti-government violence. In c...

Programme evaluation training for health professionals in francophone Africa: process, competence acquisition and use

BACKGROUND While evaluation is, in theory, a component of training programmes in health planning, training needs in this area remain significant. Improving health systems necessarily calls for having more professionals who are skilled in evaluation. Thus, the Université de Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) and the Université de Montréal (Canada) have partnered to establish, in Burkina Faso, a master's...