PurposeIn 2020, the education system was preliminary halted by the COVID-19 crisis and went through radical improvisation, and online-based distance learning was the only plausible initiative to continue educational activities ensuring health guidelines properly. However, in reality, such desperate measure in case of a lower-middle-income developing nation lacking proper structural capabilities raised some issues and concerns for both pupils and mentors, and this study aims to explore the practice of online-based distance learning in private universities of Bangladesh and the challenges associated with it.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory research is qualitative in nature. A total number of 89 undergraduate level university students from different private universities were divided into two main clusters and interviewed in depth.FindingsThe findings of this paper revealed that common developing country syndromes like improper technological infrastructure development, limitation to devices or internet accessibility and financial hindrances can disrupt the harmony of the online learning experience. Also, the lack of tech literacy has created a huge tension and psychological inertia among both the teachers and the students.Social implicationsThe coronavirus pandemic event, with its dreadful influence, is creating immense mental pressures for students to cope well with the online learning system. Comprehending the underlying challenges affiliated with online-based distance learning and enabling faculties or respected personnel with training and development programs to handle impediments better way, this learning initiative can ensure the best outcomes.Originality/valueThe significance of this study lies in comprehending the feasibility of online-based education regarding lower-middle-income developing nation context and the realism of such learning process's acceptability considering its actual effectiveness.

IntroductionResearch has established that various forms of stigma (HIV stigma, gender non-conforming stigma and same-gender sex stigma) exist across Sub-Saharan Africa and have consequences for the utilisation of HIV prevention and care services. Stigmas are typically investigated in HIV literature individually or through investigating individual populations and the various stigmas they may face. The concept of intersectionality highlights the interconnected nature of social categorisations and their ability to create interdependent systems of discrimination based on gender, race, sexuality and so on. Drawing from perspectives on intersectionality, intersectional stigma denotes the convergence of multiple marginalised identities within an individual or a group, the experiences of stigma associated with these identities as well as the synergistic impact of these experiences on health and well-being. With respect to HIV, public health scholars can examine the impacts of intersectional stigmas on HIV prevention and care utilisation.Methods and analysisReviewers will search systematically through MEDLINE, Global Health, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection and Africa Index Medicus and citations for quantitative studies, qualitative studies and grey literature that include data on stigma and HIV among men who have sex with men and women who have sex with women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Eligible studies will include primary or secondary data on stigma related to HIV risk factors experienced by this population. Studies will be written in French or English and be published between January 1991 and November 2020. All screening and data extraction will be performed in duplicate, and if discrepancies arise, they will be settled by GM’RA, LEN, DD or AO. Findings from this study will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval is not required as there will be no human participants and no protected data will be used in this study. We will disseminate findings through peer-reviewed manuscripts, conferences and webinars.

PurposeThe extreme measures that have been taken by governments across the globe to minimize the spread of COVID-19 have had significant impacts on almost all the public sectors, especially on the economy and education. This study aims to address the approaches and prospective of online-based training and e-learning for employee learning and development during this COVID-19 crisis.Design/methodology/approachWith an emphasis on the qualitative approach and considering the complex COVID-19 emergency, required data were collected from in-depth interviews to interpret the experiences of the respondents.FindingsThe findings suggested that the digital learning ecosystem offered flexibility of time, place and pace, which provided essential convenience during the COVID-19 crisis. From the human resource (HR) perspective, the e-learning culture has enabled the organizations to quickly adopt the new normal, secure sustainable continuity of organizational development and ensure decent work and growth within and across organizations. The adoption of e-learning and flexible working conditions following the setback has enabled the organizations to quickly cope up with the new normal, causing a significant paradigm shift in the organizational culture and corporate sector of Bangladesh.Research limitations/implicationsThe study will assist the HR of any organization to contemplate e-learning systems as effective alternative training methods. Also, the study will be suggestive to traverse new dimensions and skillsets for the pedagogues.Originality/valueThis study offers new evidential scenarios regarding the emergence of effective e-learning initiatives and online-based learning programs for developing the workforce to be efficient and productive even in distressful and inconvenient COVID-19 situations.

This study aims to offer insightful knowledge on organizational members’ real-life experience of working in a ‘new normal’ environment and explores changes in organizational HR practices and the future of work culture during this pandemic. Applying the qualitative methodology through implementing an in-depth interview technique, this study revealed subjective insights on pandemic impacts within diverse organizations and their coping strategies, that is, remote work practices and technological adaptations. The study found out that HR functionalities powered by different online tools and remote work or flexible roster duties are ensuring employee betterment and organizational productivity at the same time. Pandemic countermeasure oriented or transformed HR practices like online training and e-recruitment are keeping the workforce steady in this distressing time, but the ‘new normal’ lifestyle and evolved work environment, practices are putting much stress on and changing the dimension of work policies like employee well-being, compensation, leave, and so on, through isolation, quarantine and strict health guideline type issues.

IntroductionGlobally, rates of HIV are disproportionately high among black men who have sex with men (MSM). In Canada, race, gender and sexuality have been investigated as separate factors that influence quality of care within and progression along the HIV care continuum. Traditional compartmental approaches to synthesising the HIV care continuum literature do not sufficiently account for intersectional experiences and marginalisation of Black MSM (BMSM). Moreover, there is limited research outlining access to and quality of care as specific barriers to progression along the care continuum among BMSM in Canada.ObjectivesThe primary objective of this scoping review is to assess the state of the science regarding the influence of access to and quality of HIV care continuum outcomes for BMSM in Canada.Methods and analysisWe will conduct a systematic search of published literature of quantitative and qualitative studies published on Canadian BMSM’s healthcare and HIV status. The searches will be conducted through MEDLINE, Excerpta Medica Database, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, the Cochrane Library, the NHUS Economic Development Database, Global Health, APA PsychInfo, PubMed and Web of Science.Eligibility criteriaEligible studies will include data on black MSM living with or without HIV in Canada and must be published after 1983 in either English or French. Screening and data extraction will be conducted in duplicate. Any discrepancies that arise will be resolved by consulting a third author. The findings will subsequently be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval is not required as secondary published data will be used. Our findings will be disseminated as peer-reviewed manuscripts, at conferences, student rounds and could be of interest to government health agencies and HIV/AIDS service organisations.