Browsing by Author "Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)"

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    Challenges to Regional Integration: The Case of Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
    (Addis Ababa University, 2013-05) Abraha, Gebregiorgis; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    This study explores and examines the challenges of regional integration in the sub region of Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Political and Economic integration has been part of African strategy to overcome fragmentation and improve the continent‟s position in the global political economy. Regional Economic Communities have been part of this and there are more such efforts in Africa than other continents. One of these, Intergovernmental Authority on Development was initiated in 1986 to coordinate efforts at combating drought and desertification and Reorganized in 1996, it has since been more active in managing regional conflicts. The paper uses the IGAD region as a case study to argue that there are more political and economic integration. In continental and regional perspectives there seem to be strong evidence that political and economic integration are close related, these include Neo-functionalism, Intergovernmentalism,Custom Union theory, Optimal Currency theory, Fiscal federalism and International Political Economy respectively. The study also discusses pre-conditions that are necessary to regional integration such as diversity in production, adequate infrastructure, political will, domestic peace, robust and strong private sector, strong market pressure and mutual trust among member countries and challenges for regional integration, including lack of supra nationalism and political will, overlapping membership, distrust among membership, lack of complementarities and poor infrastructure. The appraisal of this study reveals the challenges of IGAD region. The major challenges are political and security (lack of supra nationalism, lack of political will, security), structural challenges (weak institution, over lapping membership, lack of a proper managing of relations among member states) economic and social challenges (poverty, lack of complementarities, inadequate infrastructure, fast growth of population, endemic diseases and HIV/AIDS), problems on human and resources (lack of enough man power and finance). In conclusion the regional integration process in the IGAD region is still at lower level. Thus, this study stresses that if actual and sustainable regional integration is to advance, IGAD needs further agreements to implement and achieve their goal, and it needs synchronization of national efforts to improve agricultural production, bring the region‟s conflicts under control and need to reduce it
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    The Psychosocial and Economic Impact of Parkinson’s disease On People Infected and Affected by the Disease
    (Addis Ababa University, 2014-06-23) Asfaw, Helen; Hassen, Mohammed (PhD)
    Parkinson‘s Disease (PD) is one of the life threatening diseases that impede the health condition of people around the world. The disease does not discriminate color, age and sex. According to various studies males are most likely exposed by PD than females. The prevalence rate in Ethiopia is unknown where as many studies conducted worldwide affirmed that one in five hundred people are infected by PD regardless of their age. The exact cause of PD is unknown but the loss of dopamine in the brain is the primary contributing factor for a person to experience Parkinson‘s Disease. Many studies agree that being at the age of sixty and living in toxic environment are the contributing factors for PD. The disease is characterized by tremors, slow voice, wriggling movement, communication difficulties. PD patients are suffering with multifaceted challenges. This study ‗the psychosocial and economic impact of Parkinson‘s on people infected and affected by the disease‘‘ is the first of its kind in the field of social work as well for the social science. The author relied on qualitative study with exploratory nature and Addis Ababa is the center of this study that engaged dwellers from ten sub-cities. This study involved eighteen adults living with PD, four careers and three Neurologists. The modus of operandi applied to collect the data are Key Informant Interviews (KII) and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) and case studies. The finding of this study indicated that PD has brought multilayered psycho-social and economic impact on patients, family members as well as their close relatives. It was observed that the majority of the patients living with PD either experiencing early retirement, self-stigmatization, introvert behaviors, subjective experience of time, lonesomeness, depression, social anxiety and etc., divorce, frequent quarrel with family members, refrain oneself from social gathering, unable to deliver the social and communal commitments, wrong interpretation of PD, unable to make love and give birth are some of the daily challenges of the people with PD. The author also found out that PD information among family members, careers and the community members are still at infant stage; the public and private Medias are silent about the subject