Document Library
Diarrhoea is an important cause of death and illness among chil- dren in developing countries; however, it remains controversial as to whether diarrhoea leads to stunting. We conducted a pooled analysis of nine studies that collected daily diarrhoea morbidity and longitudinal anthropometry to determine the effects of the long- itudinal history of diarrhoea prior to… Read more
Objective—To assess the effect of HIV care (including HAART if eligible) on neurodevelopment. Design—Prospective cohort study Methods—Motor and mental development of 35 HIV-infected children (age 18-71 months) was assessed at entry into care, and after 6 and 12 months using age-appropriate tools. Developmental trajectory was compared to 35 HIV-uninfected, affected and 90 control children using… Read more
Abstract Background: Annually over 520,000 newborns die from neonatal sepsis, and 60,000 more from tetanus. Estimates of the effect of clean birth and postnatal care practices are required for evidence-based program planning. Objective: To review the evidence for clean birth and postnatal care practices and estimate the effect on neonatal mortality from sepsis and tetanus… Read more
OBJECTIVE: Diarrhea is a leading cause of mortality worldwide; however, its long-term morbidity is poorly understood. Recently, early childhood diarrhea (ECD) has been associated with impaired physical fitness, growth and cognitive function 6 to 9 years later. We studied the effects of ECD on school functioning in a shantytown in northeastern Brazil. DESIGN: We administered… Read more
In experimental animals, maternal diet during the periconceptional period influences the establishment of DNA methylation at metastable epialleles in the offspring, with permanent phenotypic consequences. Pronounced naturally occurring seasonal differences in the diet of rural Gambian women allowed us to test this in humans. We show that significant seasonal variations in methyl-donor nutrient intake of… Read more
The growth and increasing popularity of ‘low-fee’ private schooling across many parts of India has attracted much research and policy attention. This paper broadens the discussion by drawing attention to the increasing heterogeneity of the educational landscape in many communities. Our specific focus is on the consequences for school choices made by households across rural… Read more
This paper, developed in-house by DFID staff, is intended to be the first iteration of a ‘living document’ to explore in more detail the Learning Framework themes (see figure 1 below) and their relation to learning achievement. The idea is for this paper to bring together in-house synthesis work on existing evidence and to act… Read more
This brief summarises evidence from a rigorous literature review titled ‘Interventions to enhance girls’ education and gender equality‘ by Unterhalter et al (2014). The evidence reviewed indicates the importance of a mix of combined interventions which work to change institutions. Evidence suggests the following interventions: Resource interventions to support girls’ education (eg. conditional cash transfers… Read more
This document constitutes a briefing summary of the case study of a maternal mental health intervention in South Africa, the Philani Mentor Mothers Programme. The case study has been compiled by Professor Mark Tomlinson at Stellenbosch University as a contribution to the Empowerment of Women and Girls theme of the Accountable Grant at the Institute… Read more
This document constitutes a briefing summary of the case study of a maternal mental health intervention in South Africa, the Philani Mentor Mothers Programme. The case study has been compiled by Professor Mark Tomlinson at Stellenbosch University as a contribution to the Empowerment of Women and Girls theme of the Accountable Grant at the Institute… Read more
The returns to tertiary education (TE) have been underestimated. TE appears to contribute substantially to both human and economic development in LLMICs. This evidence brief summarises the findings from a rigorous review conducted by Oketch, McCowan and Schendel (2013), entitled “The impact of tertiary education on development”. The review was produced by the Institute of… Read more