Richard Bwalya | University of Zambia (original) (raw)

Papers by Richard Bwalya

The policy agenda proposed here builds on good measures already taken by the Government of Zambia... more The policy agenda proposed here builds on good measures already taken by the Government of Zambia in education, social protection, debt relief and macroeconomic management, and addresses the challenges that remain in creating a more prosperous and equal Zambia.

PubMed, 2023

Introduction: mortality in under-five children remains a significant challenge in developing coun... more Introduction: mortality in under-five children remains a significant challenge in developing countries, including Zambia, where pneumonia and malaria account for twenty percent of under-five deaths. Poor health care seeking is one of the contributors to the high mortality rates. This study examined the predictors of health care seeking for acute respiratory infection (ARI) and fever among under-five children in Zambia. Methods: the study used a population based cross-sectional survey program evaluation dataset with sample size of 12,507 households from 28 districts. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the determinants of appropriate care seeking for ARI or fever, ARI, and fever. Results: the prevalence of fever or ARI in children under five was 22.9%, ARI 12.9%, and fever 13.4%. Educational status and non-participation in positive deviance hearth (PDH) were significant predictors in those with fever or ARI. Children whose household head had secondary education or higher were 4.5 times more likely to seek care than those whose household head did not have any education. Among those with ARI, educational status, women empowerment in decision-making and growth monitoring and promotion (GMP) were significant predictors while for fever only GMP was a significant predictor. Conclusion: over two thirds of caregivers sought care appropriately for fever or ARI. Only educational status and GMP were associated with more than one appropriate care seeking outcome. Through GMP services, policymakers can improve healthcare seeking behavior in children under five.

African smallholders. Food crops, markets and policy

... The coefficients on perceptions of market access, education of household head, access to ... ... more ... The coefficients on perceptions of market access, education of household head, access to ... as alternatives, especially in areas where rainfall has become unpredictable due to climate change. ... provision of free improved sorghum seed and cassava cuttings, among other services ...

Universal health coverage depends on having the necessary human resources to deliver health care ... more Universal health coverage depends on having the necessary human resources to deliver health care services. Zambia is among the African countries currently experiencing a crisis in the area of human resources for health (HRH). The major causes of the crisis include inadequate and inequitable distribution of health workers; high vacancy rates; insufficient education capacity to supply the desired levels of health workers needed by the market, inadequate wages and working conditions to attract and retain people into health work, particularly in rural underserved areas. This shortage affects most of the available health worker categories. The shortage and maldistribution of health workers stems from various labour market and governance factors, including an exodus of trained professionals to other countries in Africa and elsewhere. This document provides an overview of the HRH labour market in Zambia, highlighting the importance of a comprehensive approach to understanding the driving f...

Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics, Sep 30, 2013

Financial Crises, Poverty and Environmental Sustainability: Challenges in the Context of the SDGs and Covid-19 Recovery, 2022

Abstract: The main objective of this study was to assess the major opportunities and constraints ... more Abstract: The main objective of this study was to assess the major opportunities and constraints in Zambia's cotton industry. The study found that the cotton sector has considerable potential to contribute to growth and employment in Zambia as it currently accounts for direct and indirect employment of approximately 21% of the population and about 19% of agricultural Gross Domestic Product. The prominence of smallholder farmers in the sector is indicative of the income equity promotion potential of the cotton sector. However, the highly concentrated structure of the sector, with two key players currently accounting for about 80% of the total market share in ginning; the absence of regulatory mechanisms for setting of prices; the openness of the local market to global price fluctuations and the lack of support programmes as compared to competing crops like maize are major impediments to equity promotion in the sector. Overall growth of the cotton sector is also constrained by lo...

A number of problems plague the current Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), including: late de... more A number of problems plague the current Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), including: late delivery of inputs; distribution of standardized inputs that may not be appropriate for all agro-ecological zones or soil types; crowding out of private sector; poor targeting, and; high cost to the government treasury. The Government of Zambia has yet to pilot an e-voucher system for FISP due to concerns that the private sector in rural Zambia lacks the capacity to effectively provide farmers with inputs and that a failure of FISP would have negative consequences for national food security. Analysis of existing e-voucher systems in Zambia suggests that e-vouchers can be used to distribute FISP inputs to farmers, particularly in high potential agricultural regions. Moreover, the use of e-vouchers for FISP can effectively address many of the problems that plague the current distribution system.

Transaction costs and smallholder household access to maize markets in Zambia

Business and Economic Research

Smallholders and the poor populations, especially in rural areas, tend to have little or no acces... more Smallholders and the poor populations, especially in rural areas, tend to have little or no access to formal credit, which limits their capacity to invest in the technologies and inputs they need to increase their yields and incomes and reduce hunger and poverty. This mainly arises because financial institutions interested in serving this market face a myriad of risks and challenges associated with agricultural production and lending, including seasonality and the associated irregular cash flows, high transaction costs, and systemic risks, such as floods, droughts, and plant diseases. As a solution to the challenge of financial exclusion among the rural poor, several international development organizations have been using Village Savings and Lending Associations (VSLAs) as an alternative option to increasing financial inclusion among the rural communities in most developing countries. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, this study aimed to assess whether membership to t...

IDS Bulletin

In this article, we discuss how our academic research on disability and international development... more In this article, we discuss how our academic research on disability and international development in five African countries has benefited hugely from active collaboration with advocates, practitioners, and policymakers, ultimately ensuring that research evidence is used to inform policy and practice. Whilst building such partnerships is seen as good practice, it is particularly important when working on disability issues, as the clarion call of the disability movement, 'nothing about us without us', attests. This is not just a slogan. Without the active and critical engagement of disabled people-as researchers, participants, advocates-the evidence gathered would not have the same impact. This article discusses experiences from research in Liberia, Kenya, Uganda, Sierra Leone, and Zambia. It highlights the challenges and opportunities such partnerships can bring in achieving the goals of leaving no one behind and doing nothing without the active engagement and inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Afrint stands for “Africa” and “Intensification”. It is the name of a team of scholars researchin... more Afrint stands for “Africa” and “Intensification”. It is the name of a team of scholars researching the drivers of agricultural intensification in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim is better understand the nature of the African food crisis, and the means of alleviating it. Information about the Afrint database can be found at: http://gem.sam.lu.se/soc/socgdjweb/Databases/Readme.pdf

Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics, 2013

Journal of Agricultural Studies, 2014

Despite the enormous potential that indigenous chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) have for susta... more Despite the enormous potential that indigenous chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) have for sustaining livelihoods, their production and marketing has been mostly neglected resulting in the sub-sector being highly underdeveloped with poor linkages between producers and consumers. The main objective of this study was to map and analyze the value chain for indigenous chickens in Lusaka and Central Provinces of Zambia. The study also analyzes the value added and the associated costs in the chain. Findings show that although almost all (99 percent) of smallholder households keep indigenous poultry, productivity and production is very low leading to low and unplanned sales. Low production is due to high mortality of indigenous chickens mainly as a result of limited producer knowledge of methods of disease prevention and breeding practices. The absence of processing along the value chain means that chickens are sold live (in open markets) and consequently cannot be retailed through formal channels like supermarkets leading to exclusion of potential middle and high income consumers. Although the value chain for indigenous chicken shows positive gross margins for all the players along the chain, there is need to address the various constraints affecting the value chain in order to improve the operation of the chain and hence lead to increased