There is an immediate need to step up the flow of credit to agricultural and other rural activities in India for improving rural productivity and economic welfare. In this context, we propose an ICT-based solution for improving the delivery of credit and other services to the rural areas through unbundling and outsourcing of the rural banking operations. The solution involves setting up of a co...

This paper examines livelihood diversification as a survival strategy of rural households in developing countries. Although still of central importance, farming on its own is increasingly unable to provide a sufficient means of survival in rural areas. The paper’s objectives are first, to increase awareness of livelihood diversification in approaches to rural development; second, to consider th...

The introduction of Medicare's Prospective Payment System (PPS) has disproportionately increased financial pressures on rural hospitals and posed challenges to the survival of these institutions. Increasingly, rural hospitals are seeking strategies that can enhance their chances for survival in a turbulent and hostile environment. This study examined the survival effects of one such strategy, m...

AIM An analysis of general practice data for rural communities in close proximity to coal mining and coal-fired power generation in the Hunter Valley region of NSW was conducted to identify unusual patterns of illness. METHODS Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health general practice consultation data from the Hunter Valley region for 1998-2010 were compared with data from all other rural ...

Approximately three fourths of middle-aged and older adults have at least two simultaneously occurring chronic conditions ("multiple morbidity," or MM), a trend expected to increase dramatically throughout the world. Rural residents, who tend to have fewer personal and health resources, are more likely to experience MM. To improve our understanding of the ways in which vulnerable, rural residen...

In order to improve the level of intelligence, availability, convenience, information and humanization of rural public transportation systems, they are more willing to use modern information and communicative technologies. In addition to management services, intelligent transportation systems can provide passengers, drivers and other institutions with other services such as trip planning, track...

Agriculture and natural resource management are crucial for pro-poor growth; empowerment is key to the success and sustainability of development initiatives in these areas. Donors can support empowerment processes in rural areas where poor people face pressing challenges to their livelihoods by supporting their rights and access to natural resources; through participatory and accountable knowle...

In this paper, we use key concepts in strategic management, such as value, and use the conceptual framework of diffusion of innovations to understand factors underlying the lack of demand for rural telecenters. We present a background of ICT use in rural areas, examining both the prospects and current situation. We then develop a framework that explains rural telecenter performance using litera...

BACKGROUND There is twice the morbidity and mortality resulting from vehicle related trauma in rural and remote areas than in metropolitan areas. Little is known about Australian rural general practitioners' management of those affected. METHODS Seventeen rural GPs in North Queensland participated in semi-structured interviews for this exploratory study of the management of patients presentin...

In order to improve the level of intelligence, availability, convenience, information and humanization of rural public transportation systems, they are more willing to use modern information and communicative technologies. In addition to management services, intelligent transportation systems can provide passengers, drivers and other institutions with other services such as trip planning, track...