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Heavy alcohol consumption is an established risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) but few studies have investigated drinking and disease risk in middle income, non-western countries. We report on the relationship between alcohol consumption and NCDs in Thailand.A nationwide cross sectional survey was conducted of 87,151 Thai adult open university students aged 15 to 87 years (mean age 30.5 years) who were recruited into the Thai Cohort Study. Participants were categorized as never having drunk alcohol (n = 22,527), as being occasional drinkers who drank infrequently but heavily (4+ glasses/occasion - occasional heavy drinkers, n = 24,152) or drank infrequently and less heavily (<4 glasses/occasion - occasional light drinkers, n = 26,861). Current regular drinkers were subdivided into those who either drank heavily (4 + glasses per occasion - regular heavy drinkers, n = 3,675) or those who drank less (<4 glasses/occasion -regular light drinkers, n = 490). There were 7,548 ex-drinkers in the study. Outcomes were lifetime diagnoses of self-reported NCDs and obesity (body mass index ≥ 25).Most women were never drinkers (40 % among females) or occasional light drinkers (39 %), in contrast to men (11 % and 22 %, respectively). Alcohol consumption was associated with urban in-migration and other recognized risks for NCDs (sedentary lifestyle and poor diet). After adjustment for these factors the odds ratios (ORs) for several NCDs outcomes - high cholesterol, hypertension, and liver disease - were significantly elevated among both occasional heavy drinkers (1.2 to 1.5) and regular heavy drinkers (1.5 to 2.0) relative to never drinkers.Heavy alcohol consumption of 4 or more glasses per occasion, even if the occasions were infrequent, was associated with elevated risk of NCDs in Thailand. These results highlight the need for strategies in Thailand to reduce the quantity of alcohol consumed to prevent alcohol-related disease. Thailand is fortunate that most of the female population is culturally protected from drinking and this national public good should be endorsed and supported.

Indigenous and traditional foods crops (ITFCs) have multiple uses within society, and most notably have an important role to play in the attempt to diversify the food in order to enhance food and nutrition security. However, research suggests that the benefits and value of indigenous foods within the South African and the African context have not been fully understood and synthesized. Their potential value to the African food system could be enhanced if their benefits were explored more comprehensively. This synthesis presents a literature review relating to underutilized indigenous crop species and foods in Africa. It organizes the findings into four main contributions, nutritional, environmental, economic, and social-cultural, in line with key themes of a sustainable food system framework. It also goes on to unpack the benefits and challenges associated with ITFCs under these themes. A major obstacle is that people are not valuing indigenous foods and the potential benefit that can be derived from using them is thus neglected. Furthermore, knowledge is being lost from one generation to the next, with potentially dire implications for long-term sustainable food security. The results show the need to recognize and enable indigenous foods as a key resource in ensuring healthy food systems in the African continent.

Hygiene is the most useful public health measure for preventing infections of important endemic and emerging diseases of global significance. This study aimed to assess the impact of these public health preventive measures on dirty hand diseases. A retrospective survey was conducted in the rural general hospitals of Taabo (south-central Côte d’Ivoire) and Marcory (urban Abidjan) to collect clinical data on dirty hand diseases in the patients’ records from 2013 to 2020. In addition, focus group discussions (N = 8) were conducted in the communities in both settings to identify the sociocultural and economic hindering or fostering factors that affected the adoption of and the compliance with handwashing and disinfection practices. A total of 3245 and 8154 patients’ records were examined in the general hospitals of Taabo and Marcory, respectively. Compared with women, men were more affected by typhoid fever (OR, 0.68 [95%CI, 0.53–0.88]) and influenza (OR, 0.87 [95%CI, 0.75–1]). Hygiene measures promoted during Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks had no impact on the prevalence of typhoid fever in both settings; however, a positive impact was observed regarding influenza infections. Populations were aware of the importance of handwashing for public health but had difficulties adhering due to financial constraints, access to drinking water, and the absence or scarcity of handwashing facilities.

AbstractThe urban environment influences human health, safety and wellbeing. Cities in Africa are growing faster than other regions but have limited data to guide urban planning and policies. Our aim was to use smart sensing and analytics to characterise the spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of features of the urban environment relevant for health, liveability, safety and sustainability. We collected a novel dataset of 2.1 million time-lapsed day and night images at 145 representative locations throughout the Metropolis of Accra, Ghana. We manually labelled a subset of 1,250 images for 20 contextually relevant objects and used transfer learning with data augmentation to retrain a convolutional neural network to detect them in the remaining images. We identified 23.5 million instances of these objects including 9.66 million instances of persons (41% of all objects), followed by cars (4.19 million, 18%), umbrellas (3.00 million, 13%), and informally operated minibuses known as tro tros (2.94 million, 13%). People, large vehicles and market-related objects were most common in the commercial core and densely populated informal neighbourhoods, while refuse and animals were most observed in the peripheries. The daily variability of objects was smallest in densely populated settlements and largest in the commercial centre. Our novel data and methodology shows that smart sensing and analytics can inform planning and policy decisions for making cities more liveable, equitable, sustainable and healthy.

Smallholder farmers’ maize production is highly susceptible to climate change. Higher temperatures may result in reduced yields while encouraging weed, pest, and disease infestation. The impacts of climate change on agriculture are projected to be negative, threatening global food security; therefore, this is an important area of empirical research. This study sought to identify the factors affecting the adoption and intensity of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) adoption among smallholder maize farmers in the uMshwathi and uKhahlamba Municipal areas of KwaZulu Natal. The study used the primary data collected from 99 respondents who were selected through simple random sampling. The descriptive results indicated that farmers had experienced severe climatic conditions such as drought, pests, diseases, hailstorms, heavy rains (floods), soil infertility, and frost in their farming system. The first hurdle of the probit model results showed that drought, on-farm income, and household size significantly influenced the adoption of CSA practices. In contrast, the main source of income and educational level had a significant negative influence. The results from the second hurdle showed that drought had a significant positive impact on the intensity of CSA adoption, while marital status had a significant negative effect. Several factors influence the adoption of an intensification of CSA practices. The study recommends that policymakers and climate change champions consider smallholder farmers’ socioeconomic factors when developing climate change adaptation programs. Local climate change organizations must scale up climate change awareness and adaptation programs collaboratively. Investments in public climate and adaptation education or training are needed, as well as localized meteorological observations and early warning systems. Mass media dissemination of climate change and adaptation information in locally understood languages is urgently required.

Each country that is a signatory to the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) produces a nationally determined contribution (NDC), outlining national plans for mitigating and adapting to climate change. The NDCs of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have greater coverage of the health risks of and responses to climate change, in terms of risks, adaptation, mitigation, co-benefits, and trade-offs, whereas higher-income countries tend to focus on energy, the economy, and related sectors (Dasandi et al. 2021). This difference reflects the expectation that the largest health risks of climate change will occur in LMICs, where rising ambient temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and rising sea levels are increasingly affecting air, water, and food systems. Such changes will affect the geographic and seasonal patterns of major causes of morbidity and mortality—particularly undernutrition, diarrheal diseases, malaria, dengue, and injuries—and will disproportionately affect the most vulnerable population groups, such as the lowest-income families, older individuals, pregnant women, and neonates (Smith et al. 2014; Watts et al. 2015). The timeliness and effectiveness of adaptation and mitigation efforts will determine the extent of increase in risks with additional climate change (Ebi and Hess 2020). There is a critical need for more evidence on effective locally led adaptation and mitigation interventions.

Les cultures orphelines peuvent contribuer à renforcer la résilience des systèmes de cultures marginales en tant que stratégie d'adaptation au changement climatique. Les cultures orphelines jouent un rôle important dans la sécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle mondiale et peuvent contribuer à des systèmes alimentaires durables dans le contexte du changement climatique. En raison des informations faisant état de leur potentiel en cas de pénurie d'eau, il existe un argument pour les promouvoir afin de relever durablement des défis tels que la sécheresse croissante et la pénurie d'eau, l'insécurité alimentaire et nutritionnelle, la dégradation de l'environnement et la création d'emplois dans le contexte du changement climatique. Nous avons effectué un examen de la portée en utilisant des bases de données en ligne pour identifier les perspectives des cultures orphelines pour contribuer à (1) des systèmes alimentaires durables et sains, (2) des ressources génétiques pour l'amélioration future des cultures et (3) l'amélioration de la durabilité agricole dans le contexte du changement climatique. L'examen a révélé que, en tant que produit de générations d'agriculture traditionnelle, plusieurs cultures orphelines sont nutritives, résilientes et adaptées aux environnements agricoles marginaux de niche. L'inclusion de ces cultures orphelines dans les systèmes de culture monoculturels existants pourrait soutenir des systèmes alimentaires plus durables, nutritifs et diversifiés dans des environnements agricoles marginalisés. Les cultures orphelines représentent également un large pool de gènes pour l'amélioration future des cultures. La réduction des terres arables due au changement climatique offre des possibilités d'étendre la superficie sous leur production. Leur adéquation à des environnements de niche marginaux et à faibles intrants offre des opportunités pour de faibles émissions de gaz à effet de serre (GES) du point de vue des agro-écosystèmes, de la production et de la transformation. Ceci, associé à leur statut de sous-ensemble de l'agro-biodiversité, offre des opportunités pour relever les défis socio-économiques et environnementaux liés au changement climatique. Avec la recherche et le développement, et les politiques pour les soutenir, les cultures orphelines pourraient jouer un rôle important dans l'adaptation au changement climatique, en particulier dans les pays du Sud. Los cultivos huérfanos pueden contribuir a aumentar la resiliencia de los sistemas de cultivos marginales como estrategia de adaptación al cambio climático. Los cultivos huérfanos desempeñan un papel importante en la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional mundial, y pueden tener el potencial de contribuir a sistemas alimentarios sostenibles bajo el cambio climático. Debido a los informes de su potencial bajo la escasez de agua, existe un argumento para promoverlos para abordar de manera sostenible desafíos como el aumento de la sequía y la escasez de agua, la inseguridad alimentaria y nutricional, la degradación ambiental y la creación de empleo bajo el cambio climático. Realizamos una revisión de alcance utilizando bases de datos en línea para identificar las perspectivas de los cultivos huérfanos para contribuir a (1) sistemas alimentarios sostenibles y saludables, (2) recursos genéticos para la mejora futura de los cultivos y (3) mejorar la sostenibilidad agrícola bajo el cambio climático. La revisión encontró que, como producto de generaciones de agricultura autóctona, varios cultivos huérfanos son nutritivos, resistentes y están adaptados a entornos agrícolas marginales de nicho. La inclusión de estos cultivos huérfanos en los sistemas de monocultivos existentes podría apoyar sistemas alimentarios más sostenibles, nutritivos y diversos en entornos agrícolas marginados. Los cultivos huérfanos también representan un amplio acervo genético para la mejora futura de los cultivos. La reducción de la tierra cultivable debido al cambio climático ofrece oportunidades para expandir el área bajo su producción. Su idoneidad para nichos marginales y entornos de bajos insumos ofrece oportunidades para bajas emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero (GEI) desde una perspectiva de agroecosistemas, producción y procesamiento. Esto, junto con su condición de subconjunto de la agrobiodiversidad, ofrece oportunidades para abordar los desafíos socioeconómicos y ambientales del cambio climático. Con la investigación y el desarrollo, y la política para apoyarlos, los cultivos huérfanos podrían desempeñar un papel importante en la adaptación al cambio climático, especialmente en el sur global. Orphan crops can contribute to building resilience of marginal cropping systems as a climate chnage adaptation strategy. Orphan crops play an important role in global food and nutrition security, and may have potential to contribute to sustainable food systems under climate change. Owing to reports of their potential under water scarcity, there is an argument to promote them to sustainably address challenges such as increasing drought and water scarcity, food and nutrition insecurity, environmental degradation, and employment creation under climate change. We conducted a scoping review using online databases to identify the prospects of orphan crops to contribute to (1) sustainable and healthy food systems, (2) genetic resources for future crop improvement, and (3) improving agricultural sustainability under climate change. The review found that, as a product of generations of landrace agriculture, several orphan crops are nutritious, resilient, and adapted to niche marginal agricultural environments. Including such orphan crops in the existing monocultural cropping systems could support more sustainable, nutritious, and diverse food systems in marginalised agricultural environments. Orphan crops also represent a broad gene pool for future crop improvement. The reduction in arable land due to climate change offers opportunities to expand the area under their production. Their suitability to marginal niche and low-input environments offers opportunities for low greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from an agro-ecosystems, production, and processing perspective. This, together with their status as a sub-set of agro-biodiversity, offers opportunities to address socio-economic and environmental challenges under climate change. With research and development, and policy to support them, orphan crops could play an important role in climate-change adaptation, especially in the global south. يمكن أن تسهم المحاصيل اليتيمة في بناء مرونة أنظمة المحاصيل الهامشية كاستراتيجية للتكيف مع تغير المناخ. تلعب المحاصيل اليتيمة دورًا مهمًا في الأمن الغذائي والتغذوي العالمي، وقد يكون لها القدرة على المساهمة في النظم الغذائية المستدامة في ظل تغير المناخ. ونظرًا للتقارير التي تشير إلى إمكاناتهم في ظل ندرة المياه، هناك حجة لتشجيعهم على مواجهة التحديات بشكل مستدام مثل زيادة الجفاف وندرة المياه، وانعدام الأمن الغذائي والتغذوي، والتدهور البيئي، وخلق فرص العمل في ظل تغير المناخ. أجرينا مراجعة تحديد النطاق باستخدام قواعد البيانات عبر الإنترنت لتحديد آفاق المحاصيل اليتيمة للمساهمة في (1) النظم الغذائية المستدامة والصحية، (2) الموارد الوراثية لتحسين المحاصيل في المستقبل، و (3) تحسين الاستدامة الزراعية في ظل تغير المناخ. وجد الاستعراض أنه، كمنتج لأجيال من الزراعة البرية، فإن العديد من المحاصيل اليتيمة مغذية ومرنة ومتكيفة مع البيئات الزراعية الهامشية المتخصصة. يمكن أن يؤدي إدراج هذه المحاصيل اليتيمة في أنظمة المحاصيل أحادية الثقافة الحالية إلى دعم أنظمة غذائية أكثر استدامة ومغذية ومتنوعة في البيئات الزراعية المهمشة. تمثل المحاصيل اليتيمة أيضًا مجموعة جينات واسعة لتحسين المحاصيل في المستقبل. يوفر الانخفاض في الأراضي الصالحة للزراعة بسبب تغير المناخ فرصًا لتوسيع المساحة التي تنتجها. توفر ملاءمتها للبيئات الهامشية والبيئات منخفضة المدخلات فرصًا لانبعاثات غازات الدفيئة المنخفضة من منظور النظم الإيكولوجية الزراعية والإنتاج والمعالجة. هذا، إلى جانب وضعهم كمجموعة فرعية من التنوع البيولوجي الزراعي، يوفر فرصًا لمواجهة التحديات الاجتماعية والاقتصادية والبيئية في ظل تغير المناخ. مع البحث والتطوير، وسياسة دعمهم، يمكن للمحاصيل اليتيمة أن تلعب دورًا مهمًا في التكيف مع تغير المناخ، خاصة في جنوب العالم.