Social Science Research Council

• In Sierra Leone almost 59% of the population live in remote, rural areas.
• Roads may be non-existent or in bad condition, making it very difficult for rural dwellers to access healthcare.

Why are vaccination rates low in Sierra Leone?

• In stark contrast, only 15% of people had been vaccinated in low-income countries.
• The hardships Sierra Leoneans face are typical of the obstacles people in low-income countries have to overcome to access healthcare.
• In the early days of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign in Sierra Leone, it took the average Sierra Leonean living in a rural community three-and-a-half hours each way to the nearest vaccination centre.

How did this vaccine drive tackle the problem?

• The primary aim of this intervention was to take vaccine doses and nurses to administer vaccines to remote, rural communities, preceded by seeking permission and community mobilisation.
• At the time, only 6% to 9% of the adults who took part in the programme were already immunised.
• The leaders were asked for their cooperation in encouraging eligible community members to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Finally, vaccine doses and healthcare workers arrived at the villages to administer the doses.

Looking forward

• This approach proved 76% more cost-effective than other vaccination campaigns.
• Transport accounted for a large share of the costs, so the cost-effectiveness of last mile delivery can be increased by offering a “bundle” of health products.
• Other estimates put the death toll for the same period at 14.83 million, which is 2.74 times higher.
• Developing cost-effective strategies to make vaccines easily accessible to everyone, everywhere, is the most promising solution to prevent future pandemics.

Niccolò Francesco Meriggi receives funding from Weiss Asset Management, UKRI and the International Growth Centre.

• The software segment contributed the largest market share in the Environment, Health, and Safety Market during the forecast period.
• EHS software helps identify hazards, manage safety data, and monitor worker health, promoting a safer and healthier work environment.
• Analyze each submarket concerning individual growth trends, prospects, and contributions to the overall Environment, Health, and Safety Market.
• To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high-growth segments of the Environment, Health, and Safety Market.

• But to achieve these large reductions, policies are needed to help drive individual change, often through government or businesses.
• _But research in social and behavioral science for the best solutions has been lagging behind communication of climate and the physical science of it.
• The discussion of the relationship between human behavior and climate change consisted of three panels and six speakers.

Electrification and incentives

• The experiment raised indoor temperatures and reduced air conditioner use during the afternoon, usually a time when energy costs were high.
• To reduce greenhouse gases significantly, Wichman said, the U.S. needs the right incentives to inspire such behavioral changes as reducing water use.
• He also explained that, while encouraging the electrification of homes and vehicles is important, there must also be policies that promote clean electricity and discourage high-emissions behaviors.

Individuals matter in culture shifts

• Andrew Hoffman, Holcim Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan.
• Hoffman identified policies needed to lower climate-warming emissions, including reducing corporations’ emissions and giving nature, such as rivers, legally enforceable rights.

Corporations sparking large-scale change

• OAKLAND, Calif., May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Consumer Reports in partnership with the Kapor Foundation released BAD INPUT, a video series directed by Filmmaker Alice Gu, exploring biases in algorithms and data sets and the resulting potential for harm, specifically among communities of color.
• The series draws from experts in several fields, including medicine, finance, law, and technology, to compile a diverse mix of perspectives.
• "Algorithms are not good, bad or neutral," said Dr. Michael Akinwumi, Chief Tech Equity Officer at the National Fair Housing Alliance and who's interviewed in the series.
• To learn more, take action, and view the full BAD INPUT video series, visit badinput.org.