The economic case for low carbon waste management in rapidly growing cities in the developing world: The case of Palembang, Indonesia.

PubMed

Papargyropoulou, Effie; Colenbrander, Sarah; Sudmant, Andrew Heshedahl; Gouldson, Andy; Tin, Lee Chew

2015-11-01

The provision of appropriate waste management is not only an indicator of development but also of broader sustainability. This is particularly relevant to expanding cities in developing countries faced with rising waste generation and associated environmental health problems. Despite these urgent issues, city authorities often lack the evidence required to make well-informed decisions. This study evaluates the carbon and economic performance of low-carbon measures in the waste sector at a city level, within the context of a developing country. Palembang in Indonesia is used as a case of a medium-sized city in a newly industrialized country, with relevance to other similar cities in the developing world. Evidence suggests that the waste sector can achieve substantial carbon emission reductions, and become a carbon sink, in a cost effective way. Hence there is an economic case for a low carbon development path for Palembang, and possibly for other cities in developing and developed countries facing similar challenges. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Navajo Mineral Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruffing, Lorraine Turner

1978-01-01

Comparing the resource development of the Navajo Nation with that of Third World countries, this article examines Navajo-Third World similarities in terms of various decision-making alternatives such as transitional corporations and the new forms of agreements now used by Third World countries. (JC)

Knowledge and Beliefs about National Development and Developmental Hierarchies: the Viewpoints of Ordinary People in Thirteen Countries

PubMed Central

Thornton, Arland; Binstock, Georgina; Abbasi-Shavazi, Mohammad Jalal; Ghimire, Dirgha; Gjonca, Arjan; Melegh, Attila; Mitchell, Colter; Moaddel, Mansoor; Xie, Yu; Yang, Li-shou; Young-DeMarco, Linda; Yount, Kathryn M.

2012-01-01

Scholars and policy makers have for centuries constructed and used developmental hierarchies to characterize different countries. The hypotheses motivating this paper are that such social constructions have been circulated internationally, are constructed similarly in various countries, and follow the social constructions of elite international organizations, such as the United Nations. This paper uses data from fifteen surveys in thirteen diverse countries to study how developmental hierarchies are understood in everyday life. Our research shows that most people have constructions of developmental hierarchies that are similar across countries and are similar to the developmental hierarchies constructed by the United Nations. These findings suggest that developmental hierarchies are widely understood around the world and are widely available to ordinary people as they make decisions about many aspects of life. PMID:23017917

The Effects of Defense and Security on Capital Formation in Africa: An Empirical Investigation

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-09-01

costs in forgone investment of defense. An econometric model is constructed and applied to data from 27 Sub-Saharan African countries from 1971 through...undeniably greater homogeneity among African countries than among developing countries from different regions. Most of the countries considered here...alter our conclusions. Despite these similarities, there is considerable variation among African countries as well. About one-third of the countries

Training and Appointing Processes of School Leaders in Developed and Developing Countries: How Is the Situation in Turkey?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saglam, Aycan Çiçek; Geçer, Ali; Bag, Derya

2017-01-01

Goal of the study is to compare training and appointing processes of education administrators in developed and developing countries to see similarities and differences and also the situation in Turkey so as to give some suggestion thought to have some positive impacts on training and appointing-related problems of Turkish Education. Within the…

Macroeconomic dataset for generating macroeconomic volatility among selected countries in the Asia Pacific region.

PubMed

Chow, Yee Peng; Muhammad, Junaina; Amin Noordin, Bany Ariffin; Cheng, Fan Fah

2018-02-01

This data article provides macroeconomic data that can be used to generate macroeconomic volatility. The data cover a sample of seven selected countries in the Asia Pacific region for the period 2004-2014, including both developing and developed countries. This dataset was generated to enhance our understanding of the sources of macroeconomic volatility affecting the countries in this region. Although the Asia Pacific region continues to remain as the most dynamic part of the world's economy, it is not spared from various sources of macroeconomic volatility through the decades. The reported data cover 15 types of macroeconomic data series, representing three broad categories of indicators that can be used to proxy macroeconomic volatility. They are indicators that account for macroeconomic volatility (i.e. volatility as a macroeconomic outcome), domestic sources of macroeconomic volatility and external sources of macroeconomic volatility. In particular, the selected countries are Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines, which are regarded as developing countries, while Singapore, Japan and Australia are developed countries. Despite the differences in level of economic development, these countries were affected by similar sources of macroeconomic volatility such as the Asian Financial Crisis and the Global Financial Crisis. These countries were also affected by other similar external turbulence arising from factors such as the global economic slowdown, geopolitical risks in the Middle East and volatile commodity prices. Nonetheless, there were also sources of macroeconomic volatility which were peculiar to certain countries only. These were generally domestic sources of volatility such as political instability (for Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines), natural disasters and anomalous weather conditions (for Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan and Australia) and over-dependence on the electronic sector (for Singapore).

Social Rights and Economics: Claims to Health Care and Education in Developing Countries. Policy Research Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gauri, Varun

This paper analyzes contemporary rights-based and economic approaches to health care and education in developing countries. The paper assesses the foundations and uses of social rights in development; outlines an economic approach to improving health and education service provision; and highlights differences, similarities, and the hard questions…

Comparing the Origins and Ideologies of the Independent Living Movement and Community Based Rehabilitation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lysack, Catherine; Kaufert, Joseph

1994-01-01

This paper explores the origins, differences, and similarities of community-based rehabilitation, which developed in southern countries, and independent living, which developed in northern countries, for persons with disabilities. Although both approaches share a broad definition of rehabilitation and values emphasizing community and consumer…

Brands or generics: the dilemma of pharmaceutical marketing in a developing country.

PubMed

Quraeshi, Z A; Luqmani, M; Malhotra, N

1983-01-01

A significant issue in pharmaceutical marketing in many developing countries is whether drugs should be sold by generic or by brand names. In Pakistan, legislation prohibited the sale of brand name drugs in order to increase price competition, and strengthen the market position of indigenous manufacturers to compete against multinationals. However, the government's objectives were not achieved for reasons discussed in the article. The Pakistan case has implications for multinational firms and for other developing countries in similar situations.

Health indicators and human development in the Arab region

PubMed Central

Boutayeb, Abdesslam; Serghini, Mansour

2006-01-01

Background The present paper deals with the relationship between health indicators and human development in the Arab region. Beyond descriptive analysis showing geographic similarities and disparities inter countries, the main purpose is to point out health deficiencies and to propose pragmatic strategies susceptible to improve health conditions and consequently enhance human development in the Arab world. Methods Data analysis using Principal Components Analysis is used to compare the achievements of the Arab countries in terms of direct and indirect health indicators. The variables (indicators) are seen to be well represented on the circle of correlation, allowing for interesting interpretation and analysis. The 19 countries are projected on the first and second plane respectively. Results The results given by the present analysis give a good panorama of the Arab countries with their geographic similarities and disparities. The high correlation between health indicators and human development is well illustrated and consequently, countries are classified by groups having similar human development. The analysis shows clearly how health deficits are impeding human development in the majority of Arab countries and allows us to formulate suggestions to improve health conditions and enhance human development in the Arab World. Discussion The discussion is based on the link between different direct and indirect health indicators and the relationship between these indicators and human development index. Without including the GDP indicator, our analysis has shown that the 19 Arab countries may be classified, independently of their geographic proximity, in three different groups according to their global human development level (Low, Medium and High). Consequently, while identifying health deficiencies in each group, the focus was made on the countries presenting a high potential of improvement in health indicators. In particular, maternal mortality and infant mortality which are really challenging health authorities of the first and third group were critically discussed. Conclusion The Arab countries have made substantial economic and social progress during the last decades by improving life expectancy and reducing maternal and infant mortality. However, considering its natural wealth and human resources, the Arab region has accomplished less than expected in terms of human development. Huge social inequalities and health inequities exist inter and intra Arab countries. In most Arab countries, a large percentage of populations, especially in rural areas, are deprived of access to health facilities. Consequently, many women still die during pregnancy and labour, yielding unacceptable levels of maternal and infant mortality. However, the problem is seen to be more complex, going beyond geography and technical accessibility to health care, it compasses, among others, levels of literacy, low social and economic status of women, qualification of health staff, general behaviour and interactions between patients and medical personnel (including corruption). PMID:17194309

The global move toward Internet shopping and its influence on pollution: an empirical analysis.

PubMed

Al-Mulali, Usama; Sheau-Ting, Low; Ozturk, Ilhan

2015-07-01

This study investigates the influence of Internet retailing on carbon dioxide (CO2) emission in 77 countries categorized into developed and developing countries during the period of 2000-2013. To realize the aims of the study, a model that represents pollution is established utilizing the panel two-stage least square (TSLS) and the generalized method of moments (GMM). The results for both regressions similarly indicated that GDP growth, electricity consumption, urbanization, and trade openness are the main factors that increase CO2 emission in the investigated countries. Although the results show that Internet retailing reduces CO2 emission in general, a disaggregation occurs between developed and developing countries whereby Internet retailing has a significant negative effect on CO2 emission in the developed countries while it has no significant impact on CO2 emission in the developing countries. From the outcome of this study, a number of policy implications are provided for the investigated countries.

Sohrab Sepehri's Imaginative Voyage from Negative Romanticism to Positive Romanticism in His Cycles of Poems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oroskhan, Mohammad Hussein; Zohdi, Esmaeil

2014-01-01

Romanticism extended to different countries around the Europe in eighteenth and nineteenth century. This school not only includes European countries but also countries outside the continent like Iran. Similarly, Romanticism developed some of its features out of Iranian contemporary literature. Sohrab Sepehri, the contemporary Iranian poet, has…

Suicide Rates in the World: 1950-2004

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Ka-yuet

2009-01-01

The cross-country differences and the trends of suicide rates in 71 countries from 1950 to 2004 are described. The data are from the World Health Organization's Mortality Database. It shows that suicide rates vary greatly across countries, even within the same region or at similar levels of development. Random-effect models were used to examine…

Disparities in Under-Five Child Injury Mortality between Developing and Developed Countries: 1990-2013.

PubMed

Huang, Yun; Wu, Yue; Schwebel, David C; Zhou, Liang; Hu, Guoqing

2016-07-07

Using estimates from the 2013 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, we update evidence on disparities in under-five child injury mortality between developing and developed countries from 1990 to 2013. Mortality rates were accessed through the online visualization tool by the GBD study 2013 group. We calculated percent change in child injury mortality rates between 1990 and 2013. Data analysis was conducted separately for <1 year and 1-4 years to specify age differences in rate changes. Between 1990 and 2013, over 3-fold mortality gaps were observed between developing countries and developed countries for both age groups in the study time period. Similar decreases in injury rates were observed for developed and developing countries (<1 year: -50% vs. -50% respectively; 1-4 years: -56% vs. -58%). Differences in injury mortality changes during 1990-2013 between developing and developed nations varied with injury cause. There were greater reductions in mortality from transport injury, falls, poisoning, adverse effects of medical treatment, exposure to forces of nature, and collective violence and legal intervention in developed countries, whereas there were larger decreases in mortality from drowning, exposure to mechanical forces, and animal contact in developing countries. Country-specific analysis showed large variations across countries for both injury mortality and changes in injury mortality between 1990 and 2013. Sustained higher child injury mortality during 1990-2013 for developing countries merits the attention of the global injury prevention community. Countries that have high injury mortality can benefit from the success of other countries.

VIOLENCE AND NON-VIOLENCE-RELATED INJURIES AND ALCOHOL IN WOMEN FROM DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A MULTI-SITE EMERGENCY ROOM STUDY

PubMed Central

da Silva, Rosiane Lopes; Diehl, Alessandra; Cherpitel, Cheryl J.; Figlie, Neliana B.

2014-01-01

This study sought to analyze the association between alcohol consumption and the occurrence of injuries in women attending the emergency room (ER) from developing and developed countries. The sample consisted of ER data from women in 15 countries that were collected as part of two multi-site studies using similar methodologies: the Emergency Room Collaborative Alcohol Analysis Project (ERCAAP), and World Health Organization Collaborative Study on Alcohol and Injuries (WHO Study). Women ranged in age from 18 and 98 years. Those from developed countries had higher levels of education (43% completed high-school) than women from developing countries (37%). Over half of the women from developing countries reported they had not consumed alcohol in the last 12 months (abstentious), while 2% reported drinking every day. In addition, current drinking women from developing countries reported more binge drinking episodes (33% reported 5 to 11 drinks and 15% reported 12 or more drinks on an occasion) compared to those from developed countries (28% and 11%, respectively). Violence-related injury was more prevalent in developing countries (18%) compared to developed countries (9%). An association between injury and the frequency of alcohol consumption in the last 12 months was observed in both developing and developed countries. Although women from developing countries who suffered violence-related injuries were more likely to demonstrate alcohol abstinence or have lower rates of daily alcohol consumption, these women drank in a more dangerous way, and violence-related injuries were more likely to occur in these women than in those living in developed countries. PMID:25452073

"Initiate-build-operate-transfer"--a strategy for establishing sustainable telemedicine programs in developing countries: initial lessons from the balkans.

PubMed

Latifi, Rifat; Merrell, Ronald C; Doarn, Charles R; Hadeed, George J; Bekteshi, Flamur; Lecaj, Ismet; Boucha, Kathe; Hajdari, Fatmir; Hoxha, Astrit; Koshi, Dashurije; de Leonni Stanonik, Mateja; Berisha, Blerim; Novoberdaliu, Kadri; Imeri, Arben; Weinstein, Ronald S

2009-12-01

Establishing sustainable telemedicine has become a goal of many developing countries around the world. Yet, despite initiatives from a select few individuals and on occasion from various governments, often these initiatives never mature to become sustainable programs. The introduction of telemedicine and e-learning in Kosova has been a pivotal step in advancing the quality and availability of medical services in a region whose infrastructure and resources have been decimated by wars, neglect, lack of funding, and poor management. The concept and establishment of the International Virtual e-Hospital (IVeH) has significantly impacted telemedicine and e-health services in the Balkans. The success of the IVeH in Kosova has led to the development of similar programs in other Balkan countries and other developing countries in the hope of modernizing and improving their healthcare infrastructure. A comprehensive, four-pronged strategy, "Initiate-Build-Operate-Transfer" (IBOT), may be a useful approach in establishing telemedicine and e-health educational services in developing countries. The development strategy, IBOT, used by the IVeH to establish and develop telemedicine programs, was discussed. IBOT includes assessment of healthcare needs of each country, the development of a curriculum and education program, the establishment of a nationwide telemedicine network, and the integration of the telemedicine program into the healthcare infrastructure. The endpoint is the transfer of a sustainable telehealth program to the nation involved. By applying IBOT, a sustainable telemedicine program of Kosova has been established as an effective prototype for telemedicine in the Balkans. Once fully matured, the program will be transitioned to the national Ministry of Health, which ensures the sustainability and ownership of the program. Similar programs are being established in Albania, Macedonia, and other countries around the world. The IBOT model has been effective in creating sustainable telemedicine and e-health integrated programs in the Balkans and may be a good model for establishing such programs in developing countries.

Test development and use in five Iberian Latin American countries.

PubMed

Wechsler, Solange M; Oakland, Thomas; León, Carmem; Vivas, Eleonora; de Almeida, Leandro; Franco, Amanda; Pérez-Solís, María; Contini, Norma

2014-08-01

The abundance of scholarship on test development and use generally is higher in English-speaking than in Iberian Latin American countries. The purpose of this article is to help overcome this imbalance by describing and identifying similarities and differences in test development and use in two Iberian (Portugal and Spain) and three of the largest Latin American (Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela) countries. The stages of test development in each country, roles of professional associations, presence of standards for test use, professionals' educational training, commonly used tests, together with prominent challenges to continued progress are discussed. Test development and use in these five countries are transitioning from a dependence on the use of translated tests to greater reliance on adapted and finally nationally constructed tests. Continued growth requires adherence to international standards guiding test development and use. Stronger alliance among professional associations in the Iberian Latin American countries could serve as a catalyst to promote test development in these regions. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

Ergonomics in industrially developing countries: a literature review.

PubMed

Huck-Soo, Loo; Richardson, Stanley

2012-12-01

The two final decades of the 20th century saw a significant increase in ergonomics activity (and resulting publications) in industrially developing countries (IDCs). However, a few ergonomics papers from Singapore, for example, were published in 1969 and 1970. This paper reviews developments in ergonomics in industrially developing countries from 1969 relying heavily on published papers although their quality varies considerably. Some criticism of these papers is offered. Most were concerned with the use of work tools, workstation operations, material handling and working environments especially in tropical climates. The similar problems encountered in a variety of countries are discussed, and the importance of low-cost solutions stressed. This study presents an overview of er gonomics research in IDCs. It concentrates on ASEAN countries whilst recognising the valuable work done in other areas.

Global Tobacco Surveillance System (GTSS): purpose, production, and potential.

PubMed

2005-01-01

The World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) developed the Global Tobacco Surveillance System (GTSS) to assist all 192 WHO Member States in collecting data on youth and adult tobacco use. The flexible GTSS system includes common data items but allows countries to include important unique information at their discretion. It uses a common survey methodology, similar field procedures for data collection, and similar data management and processing techniques. The GTSS includes collection of data through three surveys: the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) for youth, and the Global School Personnel Survey (GSPS) and the Global Health Professional Survey (GHPS) for adults. GTSS data potentially can be applied in four ways. First, countries and research partners can disseminate data through publications, presentations, and an active GTSS web site. Second, countries can use GTSS data to inform politicians about the tobacco problem in their country, leading to new policy decisions to prevent and control tobacco use. Third, GTSS can provide countries with valuable feedback to evaluate and improve Country National Action Plans or develop new plans. Fourth, in response to the WHO FCTC call for countries to use consistent methods and procedures in their surveillance efforts, GTSS offers such consistency in sampling procedures, core questionnaire items, training infield procedures, and analysis of data across all survey sites. The GTSS represents the most comprehensive tobacco surveillance system ever developed and implemented. As an example, this paper describes development of the GYTS and discusses potential uses of the data. Sample data were drawn from 38 sites in 24 countries in the African Region, 82 sites in 35 countries in the Americas Region, 20 sites in 17 countries and the Gaza Strip/West Bank region in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 25 sites in 22 countries in the European Region, 34 sites in six countries in the Southeast Asia Region, and 25 sites in 14 countries in the Western Pacific Region.

Ageing in Asia and the Pacific. A multidimensional cross-national study in four countries.

PubMed

Andrews, G R

1987-12-01

Although ageing is not yet a high priority issue for health planners, policy makers and clinicians in most developing countries, there will be a growing need in coming years to pay more attention to the important health issues associated with population ageing in the developing world. This paper reports some of the relevant findings of a cross-national study (sponsored by the World Health Organization) of the health and social aspects of ageing in four developing countries: Korea, the Philippines, Fiji and Malaysia. The key findings are compared and contrasted with those of a similar 11-country WHO study in Europe. In broad terms, the overall demographic, physical, mental health and social patterns and trends associated with ageing as demonstrated by age group and sex differences were consistent throughout the four countries studied. Comparisons with European findings in other similar studies underlined the fundamental universality of age-related changes in biophysical, behavioural and social characteristics. The importance of the family in developing countries was evident with about three-quarters of those aged 60 and over in the four countries living with children, often in extended family situations. Levels of adverse health-related behaviour and the prospect of changing patterns of morbidity with further increases in the total and proportional numbers of aged persons point to a need for emphasis on preventive health measures and programmes directed to the maintenance of the physical and mental health of the ageing population.

"Initiate-build-operate-transfer" - a strategy for establishing sustainable telemedicine programs not only in the developing countries.

PubMed

Latifi, Rifat

2011-01-01

Establishing sustainable telemedicine has become a goal of many developing countries around the world. Yet, despite initiatives from a select few individuals and on occasion from various governments, often these initiatives never mature to become sustainable programs. The introduction of telemedicine and e-learning in the Balkans has been a pivotal step in advancing the quality and availability of medical services in a region whose infrastructure and resources have been decimated by wars, neglect, lack of funding, and poor management. The concept and establishment of the International Virtual e-Hospital (IVeH) has significantly impacted telemedicine and e-health services in Kosova. The success of the IVeH in Kosova has led to the development of similar programs in other Balkan countries and other developing countries in the hope of modernizing and improving their healthcare infrastructure. A comprehensive, four-pronged strategy developed by IVeH "Initiate-Build-Operate-Transfer" (IBOT), may be a useful approach in establishing telemedicine and e-health educational services not only in developing countries, but in developed countries. The development strategy, IBOT, used by the IVeH to establish and develop telemedicine programs is described. IBOT includes assessment of healthcare needs of each country, the development of a curriculum and education program, the establishment of a nationwide telemedicine network, and the integration of the telemedicine program into the very core of healthcare infrastructure. The end point is the transfer of a sustainable telehealth program to the nation involved. By applying IBOT, a sustainable telemedicine program of Kosova and Albania has been established as an effective prototype for telemedicine in the Balkans. Once fully matured, the program is transitioned to the Ministry of Health, which ensures the sustainability and ownership of the program. Similar programs are being established in Macedonia, Montenegro and other countries around the world. The IBOT model has been effective in creating sustainable telemedicine and e-health integrated programs in the Balkans and may be a good model for establishing such programs in developing countries.

Historical review and insights on the livestock tick-borne disease research of a developing country: The Philippine scenario.

PubMed

Ybañez, Adrian P; Mingala, Claro N; Ybañez, Rochelle Haidee D

2018-04-01

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) remain to be a global animal health threat. Developing countries like the Philippines is not exempt to this. Despite the potential impact TBDs can give to these countries, local government initiatives and researches remain to be limited. In the Philippines, most epidemiological studies were confined only to specific areas, and predominantly in the Northern Area. Due to its unique geography and limited studies, the current nationwide status of most TBDs could not be clearly established. This review mainly covered published studies and presented challenges in the conduct of TBD research in the Philippines, which may be similar to other Southeast Asian or developing countries. To date, reported livestock TBD pathogens in the Philippines include Anaplasma, Babesia, Theileria, and Mycoplasma spp. With the ubiquitous presence of the Rhipicephalus microplus ticks in the country, it is highly probable that other pathogens transmitted by these vectors could be present. Despite studies on different TBDs in the livestock sector, the Philippine government has not yet heightened its efforts to implement tick control measures as part of the routine animal health program for local farmers. Further studies might be needed to determine the nationwide prevalence of TBDs and the presence of other possible tick species and TBD pathogens. The Philippine scenario may present situations that are similar to other developing countries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aligning Funding and Need for Family Planning: A Diagnostic Methodology

PubMed Central

Fan, Victoria Y.; Kim, Sunja; Choi, Seemoon; Grépin, Karen A.

2017-01-01

Abstract With limited international resources for family planning, donors must decide how to allocate their funds to different countries. How can a donor for family planning decide whether countries are adequately prioritized for funding? This article proposes an ordinal ranking framework to identify under‐prioritized countries by rank‐ordering countries by their need for family planning and separately rank‐ordering them by their development assistance for family planning. Countries for which the rank of the need for family planning is lower than the rank of its funding are deemed under‐prioritized. We implement this diagnostic methodology to identify under‐prioritized countries that have a higher need but lower development assistance for family planning. This approach indicates whether a country is receiving less compared to other countries with similar levels of need. PMID:29044592

Health and ageing in the developing world.

PubMed

Andrews, G R

1988-01-01

Although ageing is not yet a high priority tissue for health planners, policy makers and clinicians in most developing countries there will be a growing need in coming years to pay more attention to the important health issues associated with population ageing in the developing world. This paper reports some of the relevant findings of a cross-national study (sponsored by the World Health Organization) of the health and social aspects of ageing in four developing countries--Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Fiji and Malaysia. The key findings are compared and contrasted with those of a similar eleven-country WHO study in Europe. In very broad terms, the overall demographic, physical, mental health and social patterns and trends associated with ageing as demonstrated by age-group and sex differences were consistent throughout the four countries studied. Comparisons with European findings in other similar studies underlined the fundamental universality of age-related changes in biophysical, behavioural and social characteristics. The importance of the family in developing countries was evident, with about three-quarters of those aged 60 and over in the four countries living with children, often in extended family situations. Levels of adverse health-related behaviour and the prospect of changing patterns of morbidity with further increases in the total and proportional numbers of aged persons point to a need for emphasis on preventive health measures and programmes directed to the maintenance of the physical and mental health of the ageing population.

Height-income association in developing countries: Evidence from 14 countries.

PubMed

Patel, Pankaj C; Devaraj, Srikant

2017-12-28

The purpose of this study was to assess whether the height-income association is positive in developing countries, and whether income differences between shorter and taller individuals in developing countries are explained by differences in endowment (ie, taller individuals have a higher income than shorter individuals because of characteristics such as better social skills) or due to discrimination (ie, shorter individuals have a lower income despite having comparable characteristics). Instrumental variable regression, Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition, quantile regression, and quantile decomposition analyses were applied to a sample of 45 108 respondents from 14 developing countries represented in the Research on Early Life and Aging Trends and Effects (RELATE) study. For a one-centimeter increase in country- and sex-adjusted median height, real income adjusted for purchasing power parity increased by 1.37%. The income differential between shorter and taller individuals was explained by discrimination and not by differences in endowments; however, the effect of discrimination decreased at higher values of country- and sex-adjusted height. Taller individuals in developing countries may realize higher income despite having characteristics similar to those of shorter individuals. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Living with systemic lupus erythematosus in the developing world.

PubMed

Phuti, A; Schneider, M; Tikly, M; Hodkinson, B

2018-03-26

Most of our understanding of SLE and its negative impact originates from developed countries. This review aims to collate existing literature on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in SLE patients living in developing countries to identify the gaps for the focus of future research. A narrative literature review was compiled using selected MeSH terms to search EBSCOHOST for articles published between January 1975 and February 2018 pertaining to HRQoL in SLE patients in developing countries. 31 studies from 11 countries were included for analysis. Only one longitudinal, one randomized controlled trial (RCT), one qualitative study, and two intervention studies were found. High disease activity and organ damage were associated with poor functional ability, mental health and low socio-economic status (SES). Poor SES is a recurring theme in developing countries, and worsens all SLE outcomes by reducing access to healthcare, mental, social and emotional support systems. In developing countries, SLE has a globally negative impact on patients' HRQoL, similar to that seen in developed countries. There is an urgent need for more HRQoL studies, and in particular, longitudinal, qualitative and interventional studies in these countries to investigate unmet needs, and to explore novel strategies to improve patient outcomes.

Lymphoedema management: an international intersect between developed and developing countries. Similarities, differences and challenges.

PubMed

Stout, Nicole L; Brantus, Pierre; Moffatt, Christine

2012-01-01

Lymphoedema is a chronic swelling condition that contributes to disability, dysfunction and lost quality of life. Significant disparities exist worldwide regarding the availability of resources necessary to identify, treat and manage lymphoedema. This disparity transcends socio-economic status and is a common problem in both developed and developing countries. The overall impact of lymphoedema as a public health problem, however, is underestimated, principally due to the lack of epidemiologic data. These problems pose barriers to optimal identification and management of this disabling, lifelong condition. In 1997, the World Health Organization (50.29) resolved that lymphatic filariasis should be eliminated as a public health problem. A component of this strategy focuses on disability management for those suffering from lymphatic filariasis-related morbidity. This initiative has enhanced lymphoedema awareness in developing countries. However, significant deficits persist in health care providers' knowledge, educational initiatives and basic disease identification and treatment. In developed countries, lymphoedema continues to be an underrecognised condition and assumed to be only cancer-related. Health care resources allocated to treat and manage the disease are insufficient for basic and ongoing care, resulting in disease progression and disability. The International Lymphoedema Framework project, established in 2002, seeks to establish a consensus for best practices in the management of lymphoedema worldwide to reduce this disability burden. A basic global construct for lymphoedema management is needed to decrease morbidity and promote optimal disease management across all cultural and socio-economic boundaries. Many countries are unaware of the importance of lymphoedema management and have not defined a national strategy with respect to this problem. The objective of this article is to define similarities and differences in strategies for lymphoedema management between developed and developing countries and advocate for a cohesive and concerted approach to disease management.

Similarities and differences in child development from birth to age 3 years by sex and across four countries: a cross-sectional, observational study.

PubMed

Ertem, Ilgi Ozturk; Krishnamurthy, Vibha; Mulaudzi, Mphelekedzeni C; Sguassero, Yanina; Balta, Hakan; Gulumser, Ozlem; Bilik, Burcu; Srinivasan, Roopa; Johnson, Benjamin; Gan, Geliang; Calvocoressi, Lisa; Shabanova, Veronika; Forsyth, Brian W C

2018-03-01

Knowledge about typical development is of fundamental importance for understanding and promoting child health and development. We aimed to ascertain when healthy children in four culturally and linguistically different countries attain developmental milestones and to identify similarities and differences across sexes and countries. In this cross-sectional, observational study, we recruited children aged 0-42 months and their caregivers between March 3, 2011, and May 18, 2015, at 22 health clinics in Argentina, India, South Africa, and Turkey. We obtained a healthy subsample, which excluded children with a low birthweight, perinatal complications, chronic illness, undernutrition, or anaemia, and children with missing health data. Using the Guide for Monitoring Child Development, caregivers described their child's development in seven domains: expressive and receptive language, gross and fine motor, play, relating, and self-help. Clinicians examining the children also completed a checklist about the child's health status. We used logit and probit regression models based on the lowest deviance information criterion to generate Bayesian point estimates and 95% credible intervals for the 50th percentile ages of attainment of 106 milestones. We assessed the significance of differences between sexes and countries using predefined criteria and regions of practical equivalence. Of 10 246 children recruited, 4949 children (48·3%) were included in the healthy subsample. For the 106 milestones assessed, the median age of attainment was equivalent for 102 (96%) milestones across sexes and 81 (76%) milestones across the four countries. Across countries, median ages of attainment were equivalent for all play milestones, 20 (77%) of 26 expressive language milestones, ten (67%) of 15 receptive language milestones, nine (82%) of 11 fine motor milestones, 14 (88%) of 16 gross motor milestones, and eight (73%) of 11 relating milestones. However, across the four countries the median age of attainment was equivalent for only two (22%) of nine milestones in the self-help domain. The ages of attainment of developmental milestones in healthy children, and the similarities and differences across sexes and country samples might aid the development of international tools to guide policy, service delivery, and intervention research, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The Tip of the Iceberg: The Quest for Innovation at the Base of the Pyramid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, M. D.; Awad, N. F.

Much of the world in Asia, Latin America, and Africa is at an early stage of economic development similar to what the United States and other developed countries experienced many decades ago. Yet, much as their needs for hard and soft infrastructure, effective business practices, and an educated workforce parallel similar needs that underlay earlier development in the West, replicating Western development would overlook the hallmarks of the current century: widely available information and communications technology; a set of electronic linkages among the world; and a global business environment, to name just a few. Consequently, it should be possible to allow developing countries to use "leapfrog" technologies that were inconceivable decades ago to support their development. One means of identifying these opportunities is by matching traditional development needs with novel support by connecting previously unrelated literatures.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Price, L.K.; Phylipsen, G.J.M.; Worrell, E.

Iron and steel production consumes enormous quantities of energy, especially in developing countries where outdated, inefficient technologies are still used to produce iron and steel. Carbon dioxide emissions from steel production, which range between 5 and 15% of total country emissions in key developing countries (Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and South Africa), will continue to grow as these countries develop and as demand for steel products such as materials, automobiles, and appliances increases. In this report, we describe the key steel processes, discuss typical energy-intensity values for these processes, review historical trends in iron and steel production by process inmore » five key developing countries, describe the steel industry in each of the five key developing countries, present international comparisons of energy use and carbon dioxide emissions among these countries, and provide our assessment of the technical potential to reduce these emissions based on best-practice benchmarking. Using a best practice benchmark, we find that significant savings, in the range of 33% to 49% of total primary energy used to produce steel, are technically possible in these countries. Similarly, we find that the technical potential for reducing intensities of carbon dioxide emissions ranges between 26% and 49% of total carbon dioxide emissions from steel production in these countries.« less

Anesthesia-related mortality in pediatric patients: a systematic review.

PubMed

Gonzalez, Leopoldo Palheta; Pignaton, Wangles; Kusano, Priscila Sayuri; Módolo, Norma Sueli Pinheiro; Braz, José Reinaldo Cerqueira; Braz, Leandro Gobbo

2012-01-01

This systematic review of the Brazilian and worldwide literature aimed to evaluate the incidence and causes of perioperative and anesthesia-related mortality in pediatric patients. Studies were identified by searching EMBASE (1951-2011), PubMed (1966-2011), LILACS (1986-2011), and SciElo (1995-2011). Each paper was revised to identify the author(s), the data source, the time period, the number of patients, the time of death, and the perioperative and anesthesia-related mortality rates. Twenty trials were assessed. Studies from Brazil and developed countries worldwide documented similar total anesthesia-related mortality rates (<1 death per 10,000 anesthetics) and declines in anesthesia-related mortality rates in the past decade. Higher anesthesia-related mortality rates (2.4-3.3 per 10,000 anesthetics) were found in studies from developing countries over the same time period. Interestingly, pediatric perioperative mortality rates have increased over the past decade, and the rates are higher in Brazil (9.8 per 10,000 anesthetics) and other developing countries (10.7-15.9 per 10,000 anesthetics) compared with developed countries (0.41-6.8 per 10,000 anesthetics), with the exception of Australia (13.4 per 10,000 anesthetics). The major risk factors are being newborn or less than 1 year old, ASA III or worse physical status, and undergoing emergency surgery, general anesthesia, or cardiac surgery. The main causes of mortality were problems with airway management and cardiocirculatory events. Our systematic review of the literature shows that the pediatric anesthesia-related mortality rates in Brazil and in developed countries are similar, whereas the pediatric perioperative mortality rates are higher in Brazil compared with developed countries. Most cases of anesthesia-related mortality are associated with airway and cardiocirculatory events. The data regarding anesthesia-related and perioperative mortality rates may be useful in developing prevention strategies.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Benioff, R.; Ness, E.; Hirst, J.

Under its Support for National Action Plans (SNAP) initiative, the U.S. Country Studies Program is providing financial and technical assistance to 18 countries for the development of climate change action plans. Although most of the countries have not yet completed their plans, the important lessons learned thus far are valuable and should be shared with other countries and international institutions that have an interest in the process of action plan development. This interim report describes the experience of 11 countries that are the furthest along in their planning activity and who have offered to share their results to date withmore » the larger community of interested nations. These action plans delineate specific mitigation and adaptation measures that the countries will implement and integrate into their ongoing development programs. This report focuses on the measures the countries have selected and the methods they used to prepare their action plans. This executive summary presents key lessons and common themes using a structure similar to that used in the individual country chapters.« less

A systematic assessment of the current capacity to act in nutrition in West Africa: cross-country similarities and differences.

PubMed

Sodjinou, Roger; Bosu, William K; Fanou, Nadia; Déart, Lucie; Kupka, Roland; Tchibindat, Félicité; Baker, Shawn

2014-01-01

Although it is widely accepted that lack of capacity is one of the barriers to scaling up nutrition in West Africa, there is a paucity of information about what capacities exist and the capacities that need to be developed to accelerate progress toward improved nutrition outcomes in the region. To systematically assess the current capacity to act in nutrition in the West Africa region and explore cross-country similarities and differences. Data were collected from 13 West African countries through interviews with government officials, key development partners, tertiary-level training institutions, and health professional schools. The assessment was based on a conceptual framework of four interdependent levels (tools; skills; staff and infrastructure; and structures, systems and roles). In each of the surveyed countries, we assessed capacity assets and gaps at individual, organizational, and systemic levels. Important similarities and differences in capacity assets and gaps emerged across all the surveyed countries. There was strong momentum to improve nutrition in nearly all the surveyed countries. Most of the countries had a set of policies on nutrition in place and had set up multisectoral, multi-stakeholder platforms to coordinate nutrition activities, although much remained to be done to improve the effectiveness of these platforms. Many initiatives aimed to reduce undernutrition were ongoing in the region, but there did not seem to be clear coordination between them. Insufficient financial resources to implement nutrition activities were a major problem in all countries. The bulk of financial allocations for nutrition was provided by development partners, even though some countries, such as Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal, had a national budget line for nutrition. Sporadic stock-outs of nutrition supplies were reported in most of the countries as a result of a weak logistic and supply chain system. They also had a critical shortage of skilled nutrition professionals. There was limited supervision of nutrition activities, especially at lower levels. Nigeria and Ghana emerged as the countries with the greatest capacities to support the expansion of a nutrition workforce, although a significant proportion of their trained nutritionists were not employed in the nutrition sector. None of the countries had in place a unified nutrition information system that could guide decision-making processes across the different sectors. There is an urgent need for a shift toward wider reforms for nutrition capacity development in the West Africa region. Addressing these unmet needs is a critical first step toward improved capacity for action in nutrition in the region.

Simplified training for hazardous materials management in developing countries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Braithwaite, J.

1994-12-31

There are thousands of dangerous situations happening daily in developing countries around the world involving untrained workers and hazardous materials. There are very few if any agencies in developing countries that are charged with ensuring safe and healthful working conditions. In addition to the problem of regulation and enforcement, there are potential training problems due to the level of literacy and degree of scientific background of these workers. Many of these workers are refugees from poorly developed countries who are willing to work no matter what the conditions. Training methods (standards) accepted as state of the art in the Unitedmore » States and other developed countries may not work well under the conditions found in developing countries. Because these methods may not be appropriate, new and novel ways to train workers quickly, precisely and economically in hazardous materials management should be developed. One approach is to develop training programs that use easily recognizable graphics with minimal verbal instruction, programs similar to the type used to teach universal international driving regulations and safety. The program as outlined in this paper could be tailored to any sized plant and any hazardous material handling or exposure situation. The situation in many developing countries is critical, development of simplified training methods for workers exposed to hazardous materials hold valuable market potential and are an opportunity for many underdeveloped countries to develop indigenous expertise in hazardous materials management.« less

Advice for families traveling to developing countries with young children.

PubMed

Doan, Sylvia; Steele, Russell W

2013-09-01

Young children are most likely to travel to developing countries with their parents to visit relatives. Preparation for such travel must include careful counseling and optimal use of preventive vaccines and chemoprophylaxis. For infants and very young children, data defining safety and efficacy of these agents are often limited. However, accumulated experience suggests that young travelers may be managed similarly to older children and adults.

Some Common and Unique Features of Special Education in the Nordic Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juul, Kristen D.

1989-01-01

Similarities in special education services in the five Scandinavian countries include their normalization philosophy and cooperative policy development. Among unique Scandinavian innovations are camp schools, folk high schools, toy libraries (lekoteks), therapeutic communities or collectives for young substance abuses, and measures to combat…

Convergence and determinants of health expenditures in OECD countries.

PubMed

Nghiem, Son Hong; Connelly, Luke Brian

2017-08-17

This study examines the trend and determinants of health expenditures in OECD countries over the 1975-2004 period. Based on recent developments in the economic growth literature we propose and test the hypothesis that health care expenditures in countries of similar economic development level may converge. We hypothesise that the main drivers for growth in health care costs include: aging population, technological progress and health insurance. The results reveal no evidence that health expenditures among OECD countries converge. Nevertheless, there is evidence of convergence among three sub-groups of countries. We found that the main driver of health expenditure is technological progress. Our results also suggest that health care is a (national) necessity, not a luxury good as some other studies in this field have found.

In Context: Multicultural Education in Korea--Lessons for American Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Gilbert C.; Watson, Sunnie Lee

2011-01-01

Today's global community encompasses interconnectivity between societies, where a development in one country affects and informs something similar in other countries. Multicultural education is not exempt from this pattern. Multicultural education was first started by concerned activists and educators in the United States as a way to secure social…

Ethics and the European countries in transition--the past and the future.

PubMed

Borovecki, Ana; ten Have, Henk; Oreskovic, Stiepan

2006-01-01

This paper surveys the situation regarding bioethical issues in the European transitional societies. It aims at exploring past, present and future characteristics of bioethics in the European countries in transitions, analysing similarities, differences and common themes together with the historical development of bioethics. By carefully studying articles published since the early 1990s, one can perceive a number of bioethical issues, varying from specificities for certain countries to similar problems for all transitional European societies. It seems that more than 15 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Central and Eastern European societies were able to achieve significant improvements in the development of bioethics. However, looking at the bioethical issues important for European transitional societies, it seems that the invisible wall between eastern and western European societies is still there and that it will take years to remove it.

Non-transfusion Dependent Thalassemias: A Developing Country Perspective.

PubMed

Mukherjee, Somnath; Das, Rashmi R; Raghuwanshi, Babita

2015-01-01

Non-transfusion-dependent thalassemias (NTDT) encompass a group of hereditary chronic hemolytic anemia, which, as the name indicates, not require regular blood transfusion for survival. These include β-thalassemia intermedia, hemoglobin E/β-thalassemia, and Hemoglobin H disease (α- thalassemia intermedia). Individuals with structural variant of hemoglobin especially Hemoglobin S and Hemoglobin C associated with "α" or "β" thalassemia in heterozygous condition may also present with similar features of NTDT. NTDT patients are not immune to the development of transfusion unrelated complications in the long run. These hereditary chronic hemolytic anemias are still under-recognized in developing countries like India, where the disease burden might be high causing significant morbidity. The pathophysiologic hallmark that characterizes this group of disorders (ineffective erythropoiesis, hemolysis, chronic anemia) leads to a number of serious complications, similar to transfusion dependent thalassemia. So, timely diagnosis and institution of appropriate preventive/remedial measures as well as education of patient population can help decrease the morbidity to a significant extent. In the present review, focus will be on the pathophysiological mechanisms and available management options of NTDT from a developing country perspective like India.

Chronic airflow limitation in developing countries: burden and priorities

PubMed Central

Aït-Khaled, Nadia; Enarson, Donald A; Ottmani, Salah; Sony, Asma El; Eltigani, Mai; Sepulveda, Ricardo

2007-01-01

Respiratory disease has never received priority in relation to its impact on health. Estimated DALYs lost in 2002 were 12% globally (similar for industrialized and developing countries). Chronic airflow limitation (due mainly to asthma and COPD) alone affects more than 100 million persons in the world and the majority of them live in developing countries. International guidelines for management of asthma (GINA) and COPD (GOLD) have been adopted and their cost-effectiveness demonstrated in industrialized countries. As resources are scarce in developing countries, adaptation of these guidelines using only essential drugs is required. It remains for governments to set priorities. To make these choices, a set of criteria have been proposed. It is vital that the results of scientific investigations are presented in these terms to facilitate their use by decision-makers. To respond to this emerging public health problem in developing countries, WHO has developed 2 initiatives: “Practical Approach to Lung Health (PAL)” and the Global Alliance Against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD)”, and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union) has launched a new initiative to increase affordability of essential asthma drugs for patients in developing countries termed the “Asthma Drug Facility” (ADF), which could facilitate the care of patients living in these parts of the world. PMID:18044686

Chronic airflow limitation in developing countries: burden and priorities.

PubMed

Aït-Khaled, Nadia; Enarson, Donald A; Ottmani, Salah; El Sony, Asma; Eltigani, Mai; Sepulveda, Ricardo

2007-01-01

Respiratory disease has never received priority in relation to its impact on health. Estimated DALYs lost in 2002 were 12% globally (similar for industrialized and developing countries). Chronic airflow limitation (due mainly to asthma and COPD) alone affects more than 100 million persons in the world and the majority of them live in developing countries. International guidelines for management of asthma (GINA) and COPD (GOLD) have been adopted and their cost-effectiveness demonstrated in industrialized countries. As resources are scarce in developing countries, adaptation of these guidelines using only essential drugs is required. It remains for governments to set priorities. To make these choices, a set of criteria have been proposed. It is vital that the results of scientific investigations are presented in these terms to facilitate their use by decision-makers. To respond to this emerging public health problem in developing countries, WHO has developed 2 initiatives: "Practical Approach to Lung Health (PAL)" and the Global Alliance Against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD)", and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (The Union) has launched a new initiative to increase affordability of essential asthma drugs for patients in developing countries termed the "Asthma Drug Facility" (ADF), which could facilitate the care of patients living in these parts of the world.

Building nursing and midwifery leadership capacity in the Pacific.

PubMed

Rumsey, M; Catling, C; Thiessen, J; Neill, A

2017-03-01

The Australian Award Fellowship Program aimed to strengthen nursing and midwifery leadership and capacity in developing countries in the Pacific. It is necessary to build an optimal global health workforce, and leadership and mentorship are central to this need. This is especially important in small island states such as the Pacific who have limited capacity and resources. This health system strengthening program addressed quality improvement in education, through the mentorship of potential nursing and midwifery leaders in the South Pacific Region. Program participants between 2013 and 2015 were interviewed. Data were audio-taped, transcribed and analysed thematically using an inductive process. Thirty-four nurses and midwives from 12 countries participated. There were four main themes arising from the data which were: having a country-wide objective, learning how to be a leader, negotiating barriers and having effective mentorship. Our study showed that participants deemed their mentorship from country leaders highly valuable in relation to completing their projects, networking and role modelling. Similar projects are described. The limitation of this study was its small size. There is a need to continue to build the momentum of the program and Fellows in each country in order to build regional networks. The Program has provided beneficial leadership education and mentorship for nurses and midwives from Pacific countries. It has provided a platform to develop quality improvement projects in line with national priorities. Global aid programs and the recipients of the program would benefit from comparable health strengthening approaches to nursing and midwifery in similar developing countries. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

Teacher Development: A Real Need for English Departments in Vietnam.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hiep, Pham Hoa

2001-01-01

Examines English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) teacher training and teacher development in Vietnam. Suggests ways to promote professional development among EFL teachers in Vietnam, which may be applicable to similar situations in other countries. (Author/VWL)

International hospital productivity comparison: experiences from the Nordic countries.

PubMed

Medin, Emma; Häkkinen, Unto; Linna, Miika; Anthun, Kjartan S; Kittelsen, Sverre A C; Rehnberg, Clas

2013-09-01

This article focuses on describing the methodological challenges intrinsic in international comparative studies of hospital productivity and how these challenges have been addressed within the context of hospital comparisons in the Nordic countries. The hospital sectors in the Nordic countries are suitable for international comparison as they exhibit similar structures in the organisation for hospital care, hold administrative data of good quality at the hospital level, apply a similar secondary patient classification system, and use similar definitions of operating costs. The results of a number of studies have suggested marked differences in hospital cost efficiency and hospital productivity across the Nordic countries and the Finnish hospitals have the highest estimates in all the analyses. Explanatory factors that were tested and seemed to be of limited importance included institutional, structural and technical. A factor that is yet to be included in the Nordic hospital productivity comparison is the quality of care. Patient-level data available from linkable national registers in each country enable the development of quality indicators and will be included in the forthcoming hospital productivity studies within the context of the EuroHOPE (European health care outcomes, performance and efficiency) project. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Occupational asthma in the developing and industrialised world: a review.

PubMed

Jeebhay, M F; Quirce, S

2007-02-01

Occupational asthma is the most common occupational lung disease in industrialised countries, and the second most common occupational lung disease reported after pneumoconioses in developing countries. The median proportion of adult cases of asthma attributable to occupational exposure is between 10% and 15%. The population attributable fraction appears to be similar in industrialised and developing countries characterised by rapid industrialisation (13-15%), but lower in less industrialised developing countries (6%). The high-risk occupations and industries associated with the development of occupational asthma vary depending on the dominant industrial sectors in a particular country. High-risk exposure to cleaning agents and pesticide exposure in developing countries appear to be as important as exposure to isocyanates, cereal flour/grain dust, welding fumes, wood dust and, more recently, hairdressing chemicals, commonly reported in industrialised countries. The reported mean annual incidence of occupational asthma in developing countries is less than 2 per 100 000 population, compared to very high rates of up to 18/100 000 in Scandinavian countries. While occupational asthma remains under-recognised, especially in developing countries, it remains poorly diagnosed and managed and inadequately compensated worldwide. Primary and secondary preventive strategies should be directed at controlling workplace exposures, accompanied by intense educational and managerial improvements. Appropriate treatment remains early removal from exposure to ensure that the worker has no further exposure to the causal agent, with preservation of income. However, up to one third of workers with occupational asthma continue to remain exposed to the causative agent or suffer prolonged work disruption, discrimination and risk of unemployment.

The promise of youth service as a global conservation tool

Treesearch

Emily R. Sloane

2011-01-01

Youth conservation corps (YCCs) and related programs are established and valued in the United States, but little is known about similar programs overseas. This paper presents results from an exploratory survey of YCCs in 10 developing/emerging countries, with particular focus on their activities, challenges, and successes. The study countries exhibit several socio-...

Appalachia in an International Context: Cross-National Comparisons of Developing Regions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obermiller, Phillip J., Ed.; Philliber, William W., Ed.

This book contains 11 essays that compare economic and social conditions in Appalachia to those in rural regions of other countries. These rural, frequently mountainous, regions suffer similar economic problems due to their peripheral position in the national economies of their countries. Among the topics of particular educational interest are the…

The Legal Rights of Students with Disabilities: International Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russo, Charles J., Ed.

2011-01-01

Since 1948 when the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all students have been declared the right to education. The rights of disabled students have not been explicitly addressed, however, and each country has developed their own rules and regulations. Although similarities exist among the different countries,…

Grand canonical validation of the bipartite international trade network.

PubMed

Straka, Mika J; Caldarelli, Guido; Saracco, Fabio

2017-08-01

Devising strategies for economic development in a globally competitive landscape requires a solid and unbiased understanding of countries' technological advancements and similarities among export products. Both can be addressed through the bipartite representation of the International Trade Network. In this paper, we apply the recently proposed grand canonical projection algorithm to uncover country and product communities. Contrary to past endeavors, our methodology, based on information theory, creates monopartite projections in an unbiased and analytically tractable way. Single links between countries or products represent statistically significant signals, which are not accounted for by null models such as the bipartite configuration model. We find stable country communities reflecting the socioeconomic distinction in developed, newly industrialized, and developing countries. Furthermore, we observe product clusters based on the aforementioned country groups. Our analysis reveals the existence of a complicated structure in the bipartite International Trade Network: apart from the diversification of export baskets from the most basic to the most exclusive products, we observe a statistically significant signal of an export specialization mechanism towards more sophisticated products.

Grand canonical validation of the bipartite international trade network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Straka, Mika J.; Caldarelli, Guido; Saracco, Fabio

2017-08-01

Devising strategies for economic development in a globally competitive landscape requires a solid and unbiased understanding of countries' technological advancements and similarities among export products. Both can be addressed through the bipartite representation of the International Trade Network. In this paper, we apply the recently proposed grand canonical projection algorithm to uncover country and product communities. Contrary to past endeavors, our methodology, based on information theory, creates monopartite projections in an unbiased and analytically tractable way. Single links between countries or products represent statistically significant signals, which are not accounted for by null models such as the bipartite configuration model. We find stable country communities reflecting the socioeconomic distinction in developed, newly industrialized, and developing countries. Furthermore, we observe product clusters based on the aforementioned country groups. Our analysis reveals the existence of a complicated structure in the bipartite International Trade Network: apart from the diversification of export baskets from the most basic to the most exclusive products, we observe a statistically significant signal of an export specialization mechanism towards more sophisticated products.

How Career and Technical Education Can Jump-Start a New Industry: Chinese Government Turns to Career-Focused Schools in Maryland for Video Game Industry Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glenn, Lawrence M.; Nikirk, F. Martin

2009-01-01

While career and technical education (CTE) has been an important part of the U.S. education system for decades, other countries have been slower to adopt and develop similar types of training. Realizing that CTE is crucial to developing homegrown talent capable of competing in a 21st century economy, countries like China are reaching out to…

The Dynamics of Democracy, Development and Cultural Values

PubMed Central

Spaiser, Viktoria; Ranganathan, Shyam; Mann, Richard P.; Sumpter, David J. T.

2014-01-01

Over the past decades many countries have experienced rapid changes in their economies, their democratic institutions and the values of their citizens. Comprehensive data measuring these changes across very different countries has recently become openly available. Between country similarities suggest common underlying dynamics in how countries develop in terms of economy, democracy and cultural values. We apply a novel Bayesian dynamical systems approach to identify the model which best captures the complex, mainly non-linear dynamics that underlie these changes. We show that the level of Human Development Index (HDI) in a country drives first democracy and then higher emancipation of citizens. This change occurs once the countries pass a certain threshold in HDI. The data also suggests that there is a limit to the growth of wealth, set by higher emancipation. Having reached a high level of democracy and emancipation, societies tend towards equilibrium that does not support further economic growth. Our findings give strong empirical evidence against a popular political science theory, known as the Human Development Sequence. Contrary to this theory, we find that implementation of human-rights and democratisation precede increases in emancipative values. PMID:24905920

The dynamics of democracy, development and cultural values.

PubMed

Spaiser, Viktoria; Ranganathan, Shyam; Mann, Richard P; Sumpter, David J T

2014-01-01

Over the past decades many countries have experienced rapid changes in their economies, their democratic institutions and the values of their citizens. Comprehensive data measuring these changes across very different countries has recently become openly available. Between country similarities suggest common underlying dynamics in how countries develop in terms of economy, democracy and cultural values. We apply a novel Bayesian dynamical systems approach to identify the model which best captures the complex, mainly non-linear dynamics that underlie these changes. We show that the level of Human Development Index (HDI) in a country drives first democracy and then higher emancipation of citizens. This change occurs once the countries pass a certain threshold in HDI. The data also suggests that there is a limit to the growth of wealth, set by higher emancipation. Having reached a high level of democracy and emancipation, societies tend towards equilibrium that does not support further economic growth. Our findings give strong empirical evidence against a popular political science theory, known as the Human Development Sequence. Contrary to this theory, we find that implementation of human-rights and democratisation precede increases in emancipative values.

Health Care Expenditure and GDP in Oil Exporting Countries: Evidence From OPEC Data, 1995-2012.

PubMed

Fazaeli, Ali Akbar; Ghaderi, Hossein; Salehi, Masoud; Fazaeli, Ali Reza

2015-06-11

There is a large body of literature examining income in relation to health expenditures. The share of expenditures in health sector from GDP in developed countries is often larger than in non-developed countries, suggesting that as the level of economic growth increases, health spending increase, too. This paper estimates long-run relationships between health expenditures and GDP based on panel data of a sample of 12 countries of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), using data for the period 1995-2012. We use panel data unit root tests, cointegration analysis and ECM model to find long-run and short-run relation. This study examines whether health is a luxury or a necessity for OPEC countries within a unit root and cointegration framework. Panel data analysis indicates that health expenditures and GDP are co-integrated and have Engle and Granger causality. In addition, in oil countries that have oil export income, the share of government expenditures in the health sector is often greater than in private health expenditures similar developed countries. The findings verify that health care is not a luxury good and income has a robust relationship to health expenditures in OPEC countries.

Environment and T regulatory cells in allergy.

PubMed

Braga, M; Schiavone, C; Di Gioacchino, G; De Angelis, I; Cavallucci, E; Lazzarin, F; Petrarca, C; Di Gioacchino, M

2012-04-15

The central role of T regulatory cells in the responses against harmless environmental antigens has been confirmed by many studies. Impaired T regulatory cell function is implicated in many pathological conditions, particularly allergic diseases. The "hygiene hypothesis" suggests that infections and infestations may play a protective role for allergy, whereas environmental pollutants favor the development of allergic diseases. Developing countries suffer from a variety of infections and are also facing an increasing diffusion of environmental pollutants. In these countries allergies increase in relation to the spreading use of xenobiotics (pesticides, herbicides, pollution, etc.) with a rate similar to those of developed countries, overcoming the protective effects of infections. We review here the main mechanisms of non-self tolerance, with particular regard to relations between T regulatory cell activity, infections and infestations such as helminthiasis, and exposure to environmental xenobiotics with relevant diffusion in developing countries. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

How International Research on Parenting Advances Understanding of Child Development

PubMed Central

Lansford, Jennifer E.; Bornstein, Marc H.; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Dodge, Kenneth A.; Al-Hassan, Suha M.; Bacchini, Dario; Bombi, Anna Silvia; Chang, Lei; Chen, Bin-Bin; Di Giunta, Laura; Malone, Patrick S.; Oburu, Paul; Pastorelli, Concetta; Skinner, Ann T.; Sorbring, Emma; Steinberg, Laurence; Tapanya, Sombat; Alampay, Liane Peña; Tirado, Liliana Maria Uribe; Zelli, Arnaldo

2016-01-01

International research on parenting and child development can advance our understanding of similarities and differences in how parenting is related to children's development across countries. Challenges to conducting international research include operationalizing culture, disentangling effects within and between countries, and balancing emic and etic perspectives. Benefits of international research include testing whether findings regarding parenting and child development replicate across diverse samples, incorporating cultural and contextual diversity to foster more inclusive and representative research samples and investigators than has typically occurred, and understanding how children develop in proximal parenting and family and distal international contexts. PMID:27725843

The Social Development Summit and the developing countries.

PubMed

Barnabas, A P; Kulkarni, P D; Nanavatty, M C; Singh, R R

1996-01-01

This article discusses some concerns of the 1996 UN Summit on Social Development. Conference organizers identified the three key conference issues as poverty alleviation, social integration of the marginalized and disadvantaged, and expansion of productive employment. The goal of a "society for all" means dealing with the increasing differences between rich and poor countries, the survival of weaker economies in a competitive market system, wide variations in consumption patterns between countries, attainment of political stability while respecting ethnic identity, the rise in social problems among countries with a high human development index, and increasing joblessness. The Human Development Report for 1994 emphasizes human security. Social development is not the equivalent of human resource development nor a side issue of economic growth. The integration of ethnic groups poses social and political problems. There remains a question about what political system and culture would be best for social integration. Developed countries define poverty as the inability of people and government to provide resources and necessary services for people's productive activity. Poverty in developing countries is blamed on colonialism. Globally, developed countries control 71% of world trade. Sharing resources to meet basic needs throughout the world is not an operational ideal. The highest 20% of income earners receive 83% of the world income. The culture of poverty is the strategy used by the poor to survive. Welfare is not an end in itself but does enable the poor to improve their conditions. Development that focuses on productive employment is uncertain. Developed and developing countries do not share similar perceptions of human rights. There is a question as to who should set the priorities for social development. Sustainable social development is related to preservation of natural resources, control of population growth, and promotion of social security.

Emerging from the Periphery: Satellite News Exchanges in the Third World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flournoy, Don M.

In 1984, a group of Asian countries began exchanging television news stories via the Pacific Ocean and Intelsat satellite networks. Similar news networks are in the planning stages among other developing nations in the Middle East and Caribbean. Such exchanges give Third World countries a way to break out of the usual dominance-dependence…

The age structure of selected countries in the ESCAP region.

PubMed

Hong, S

1982-01-01

The study objective was to examine the age structure of selected countries in the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) region, using available data and frequently applied indices such as the population pyramid, aged-child ratio, and median age. Based on the overall picture of the age structure thus obtained, age trends and their implication for the near future were arrived at. Countries are grouped into 4 types based on the fertility and mortality levels. Except for Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, the age structure in the 18 ESCAP region countries changed comparatively little over the 1950-80 period. The largest structural change occurred in Singapore, where the proportion of children under age 15 in the population declined significantly from 41-27%, while that of persons 65 years and older more than doubled. This was due primarily to the marked decline in fertility from a total fertility rate (TFR) of 6.7-1.8 during the period. Hong Kong also had a similar major transformation during the same period: the proportion of the old age population increased 2 1/2 times, from 2.5-6.3%. The age structures of the 18 ESCAP countries varied greatly by country. 10 countries of the 2 high fertility and mortality types showed a similar young age structural pattern, i.e., they have higher dependency ratios, a higher proportion of children under 15 years, a lower proportion of population 65 years and older, lower aged-child ratios, and younger median ages than the average countries in the less developed regions of the world. With minimal changes over the 1950-80 period, the gap between these countries and the average of the less developed regions widened. Unlike these 10 (mostly South Asian) countries, moderately low fertility and mortality countries (China, Korea, and Sri Lanka) are located between the world average and the less developed region in most of the indices, particularly during the last decade. Although their rate of population aging is not rapid, they are moving toward it. 5 countries of the low fertility and mortality group basically showed an age structure in between the world average and that of the more developed region. Notable exceptions were Singapore and Hong Kong, which showed younger age structures than the less developed regions in terms of dependency ratios during 1950-60. On an average, the majority of ESCAP countries still have a young population.

Relative health performance in BRICS over the past 20 years: the winners and losers.

PubMed

Petrie, Dennis; Tang, Kam Ki

2014-06-01

To determine whether the health performance of Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa--the countries known as BRICS--has kept in step with their economic development. Reductions in age- and sex-specific mortality seen in each BRICS country between 1990 and 2011 were measured. These results were compared with those of the best-performing countries in the world and the best-performing countries with similar income levels. We estimated each country's progress in reducing mortality and compared changes in that country's mortality rates against other countries with similar mean incomes to examine changes in avoidable mortality. The relative health performance of the five study countries differed markedly over the study period. Brazil demonstrated fairly even improvement in relative health performance across the different age and sex subgroups that we assessed. India's improvement was more modest and more varied across the subgroups. South Africa and the Russian Federation exhibited large declines in health performance as well as large sex-specific inequalities in health. Although China's levels of avoidable mortality decreased in absolute terms, the level of improvement appeared low in the context of China's economic growth. When evaluating a country's health performance in terms of avoidable mortality, it is useful to compare that performance against the performance of other countries. Such comparison allows any country-specific improvements to be distinguished from general global improvements.

Personality traits across countries: Support for similarities rather than differences

PubMed Central

Mac Giolla, Erik

2017-01-01

In the current climate of migration and globalization, personality characteristics of individuals from different countries have received a growing interest. Previous research has established reliable differences in personality traits across countries. The present study extends this research by examining 30 personality traits in 22 countries, based on an online survey in English with large national samples (NTotal = 130,602). The instrument used was a comprehensive, open-source measure of the Five Factor Model (FFM) (IPIP-NEO-120). We postulated that differences in personality traits between countries would be small, labeling this a Similarities Hypothesis. We found support for this in three stages. First, similarities across countries were observed for model fits for each of the five personality trait structures. Second, within-country sex differences for the five personality traits showed similar patterns across countries. Finally, the overall the contribution to personality traits from countries was less than 2%. In other words, the relationship between a country and an individual’s personality traits, however interesting, are small. We conclude that the most parsimonious explanation for the current and past findings is a cross-country personality Similarities Hypothesis. PMID:28622380

Personality traits across countries: Support for similarities rather than differences.

PubMed

Kajonius, Petri; Mac Giolla, Erik

2017-01-01

In the current climate of migration and globalization, personality characteristics of individuals from different countries have received a growing interest. Previous research has established reliable differences in personality traits across countries. The present study extends this research by examining 30 personality traits in 22 countries, based on an online survey in English with large national samples (NTotal = 130,602). The instrument used was a comprehensive, open-source measure of the Five Factor Model (FFM) (IPIP-NEO-120). We postulated that differences in personality traits between countries would be small, labeling this a Similarities Hypothesis. We found support for this in three stages. First, similarities across countries were observed for model fits for each of the five personality trait structures. Second, within-country sex differences for the five personality traits showed similar patterns across countries. Finally, the overall the contribution to personality traits from countries was less than 2%. In other words, the relationship between a country and an individual's personality traits, however interesting, are small. We conclude that the most parsimonious explanation for the current and past findings is a cross-country personality Similarities Hypothesis.

Does Size Matter? The Multipolar International Landscape of Nanoscience

PubMed Central

Jensen, Pablo; Kreimer, Pablo

2016-01-01

How do different countries tackle nanoscience research? Are all countries similar except for a trivial size effect, as science is often assumed to be universal? Or does size dictate large differences, as large countries are able to develop activities in all directions of research, while small countries have to specialize in some specific niches? Alternatively, is size irrelevant, as all countries have followed different historical paths, leading to different patterns of specialisation? Here, we develop an original method that uses a bottom-up definition of scientific subfields to map the international structure of any scientific field. Our analysis shows that nanoscience research does not show a universal pattern of specialisation, homothetic of that of a single global leader (e.g., the United States). Instead, we find a multipolar world, with four main ways of doing nanosciences. PMID:27992439

Does Size Matter? The Multipolar International Landscape of Nanoscience.

PubMed

Levin, Luciano; Jensen, Pablo; Kreimer, Pablo

2016-01-01

How do different countries tackle nanoscience research? Are all countries similar except for a trivial size effect, as science is often assumed to be universal? Or does size dictate large differences, as large countries are able to develop activities in all directions of research, while small countries have to specialize in some specific niches? Alternatively, is size irrelevant, as all countries have followed different historical paths, leading to different patterns of specialisation? Here, we develop an original method that uses a bottom-up definition of scientific subfields to map the international structure of any scientific field. Our analysis shows that nanoscience research does not show a universal pattern of specialisation, homothetic of that of a single global leader (e.g., the United States). Instead, we find a multipolar world, with four main ways of doing nanosciences.

Prevalence of arthritis in India and Pakistan: a review.

PubMed

Akhter, Ehtisham; Bilal, Saira; Kiani, Adnan; Haque, Uzma

2011-07-01

Recent studies of rheumatoid arthritis worldwide suggest that prevalence of arthritis is higher in Europe and North America than in developing countries. Prevalence data for major arthritis disorders have been compiled in West for several decades, but figures from the third world are just emerging. A coordinated effort by WHO and ILAR (International League Against Rheumatism) has resulted in collecting data for countries like Philippines, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and rural South Africa but the information about prevalence of arthritis in India and Pakistan is scarce. Since both countries, i.e., India and Pakistan, share some ethnic identity, we reviewed published literature to examine the prevalence of arthritis in these countries. Medline and Pubmed were searched for suitable articles about arthritis from 1980 and onwards. Findings from these articles were reviewed and summarized. The prevalence, clinical features, and laboratory findings of rheumatoid arthritis are compiled for both India and Pakistan. Data collected from these two countries were compared with each other, and some of the characteristics of the disease were compared with Europe and North America. It is found to be quite similar to developed countries. Additionally, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is of different variety than reported in West. It is more of polyarticular onset type while in West pauciarticular predominates. Additionally, in systemic onset, JRA uveitis and ANA are common finding in developed countries; on the other hand, they are hardly seen in this region. Although the prevalence of arthritis in Pakistan and India is similar to Western countries, there are inherent differences (clinical features, laboratory findings) in the presentation of disease. The major strength of the study is that it is the first to pool reports to provide an estimate of the disease in the Indian subcontinent. Scarcity of data is one of the major limitations. This study helps to understand the pattern of disease in this part of country that can be stepping-stone for policy makers to draft policies that can affect target population more appropriately.

International transferability of accident modification functions for horizontal curves.

PubMed

Elvik, Rune

2013-10-01

Studies of the relationship between characteristics of horizontal curves and accident rate have been reported in several countries. The characteristic most often studied is the radius of a horizontal curve. Functions describing the relationship between the radius of horizontal curves and accident rate have been developed in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and the United States. Other characteristics of horizontal curves that have been studied include deflection angle, curve length, the presence of transition curves, super-elevation in curves and distance to adjacent curves. This paper assesses the international transferability of mathematical functions (accident modification functions) that have been developed to relate the radius of horizontal curves to their accident rate. The main research problem is whether these functions are similar, which enhances international transferability, or dissimilar, which reduces international transferability. Accident modification functions for horizontal curve radius developed in the countries listed above are synthesised. The sensitivity of the functions to other characteristics of curves than radius is examined. Accident modification functions developed in different countries have important similarities. The functions diverge with respect to accident rate in the sharpest curves. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Critical Analysis of the Brazilian Response to HIV/AIDS: Lessons Learned for Controlling and Mitigating the Epidemic in Developing Countries

PubMed Central

Berkman, Alan; Garcia, Jonathan; Muñoz-Laboy, Miguel; Paiva, Vera; Parker, Richard

2005-01-01

The Brazilian National AIDS Program is widely recognized as the leading example of an integrated HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment program in a developing country. We critically analyze the Brazilian experience, distinguishing those elements that are unique to Brazil from the programmatic and policy decisions that can aid the development of similar programs in other low- and middle-income and developing countries. Among the critical issues that are discussed are human rights and solidarity, the interface of politics and public health, sexuality and culture, the integration of prevention and treatment, the transition from an epidemic rooted among men who have sex with men to one that increasingly affects women, and special prevention and treatment programs for injection drug users. PMID:15933232

National physical activity recommendations: systematic overview and analysis of the situation in European countries.

PubMed

Kahlmeier, Sonja; Wijnhoven, Trudy M A; Alpiger, Patrick; Schweizer, Christian; Breda, João; Martin, Brian W

2015-02-12

Developing national physical activity (PA) recommendations is an essential element of an effective national approach to promote PA. Systematic overview and analysis of national PA recommendations across the European Region of the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO European national information focal points provided information which was complemented through online searches and input from other experts. Information received until summer 2012 from 37 countries was analyzed. Sixteen countries did not have national recommendations while 21 countries did. For 17 countries, the source document was accessible. Seventeen recommendations referred to adults, 14 to young people and 6 to older adults. Most national recommendations for children and young people are quite similar: 12 countries recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA each day, in line with the WHO global recommendation. Three countries recommend longer durations and one a lower one. In some countries, slight variations were found regarding the recommended intensity and minimum bouts. Only one country was fully in line with the WHO recommendations. Two countries have issued separate recommendations for pre-school children. For adults, most countries still follow the 1995 United States recommendations of "at least 30 minutes on 5 days a week". Three countries were fully in line with the WHO recommendations. Four countries give specific recommendations on reducing weight, avoiding weight gain or continuing weight maintenance. The six identified national PA recommendations for older adults are mainly similar to those for adults but underline that particularly for this age group also less activity has important health benefits; four countries also recommend balance training. About half of the countries for which information was available and likely less than 40% of all 53 countries in the WHO European Region have developed national PA recommendations. Further investment is needed to address this important step towards a comprehensive PA promotion approach. Much remains to be done for the 2010 WHO recommendations to be fully reflected in national documents across all parts of the Region and all age groups. In addition, avoiding extended periods of inactivity and overweight are only addressed by a minority of countries yet.

Access to biologicals in Crohn’s disease in ten European countries

PubMed Central

Péntek, Márta; Lakatos, Peter L; Oorsprong, Talitha; Gulácsi, László; Pavlova, Milena; Groot, Wim; Rencz, Fanni; Brodszky, Valentin; Baji, Petra; Crohn’s Disease Research Group

2017-01-01

AIM To analyze access (availability, affordability and acceptability) to biologicals for Crohn’s disease (CD) in ten European countries and to explore the associations between these dimensions, the uptake of biologicals and economic development. METHODS A questionnaire-based survey combined with desk research was carried out in May 2016. Gastroenterologists from the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden were invited to participate and provide data on the availability of biologicals/biosimilars, reimbursement criteria, clinical practice and prices, and use of biologicals. An availability score was developed to evaluate the restrictiveness of eligibility and administrative criteria applied in the countries. Affordability was defined as the annual cost of treatment as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Correlations with the uptake of biologicals, dimensions of access and GDP per capita were calculated. RESULTS At the time of the survey, infliximab and adalimumab were reimbursed in all ten countries, and vedolizumab was reimbursed in five countries (France, Germany, Latvia, Slovakia, Sweden). Reimbursement criteria were the least strict in Sweden and Germany, and the strictest in Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Between countries, the annual cost of different biological treatments differed 1.6-3.3-fold. Treatments were the most affordable in Sweden (13%-37% of the GDP per capita) and the least affordable in the Central and Eastern European countries, especially in Hungary (87%-124%) and Romania (141%-277%). Biosimilars made treatments more affordable by driving down the annual costs. The number of patients with CD on biologicals per 100000 population was strongly correlated with GDP per capita (0.91), although substantial differences were found in the uptake among countries with similar economic development. Correlation between the number of patients with CD on biologicals per 100000 population and the availability and affordability was also strong (-0.75, -0.69 respectively). CONCLUSION Substantial inequalities in access to biologicals were largely associated with GDP. To explain differences in access among countries with similar development needs further research on acceptance. PMID:28974896

Alternative method of highway traffic safety analysis for developing countries using delphi technique and Bayesian network.

PubMed

Mbakwe, Anthony C; Saka, Anthony A; Choi, Keechoo; Lee, Young-Jae

2016-08-01

Highway traffic accidents all over the world result in more than 1.3 million fatalities annually. An alarming number of these fatalities occurs in developing countries. There are many risk factors that are associated with frequent accidents, heavy loss of lives, and property damage in developing countries. Unfortunately, poor record keeping practices are very difficult obstacle to overcome in striving to obtain a near accurate casualty and safety data. In light of the fact that there are numerous accident causes, any attempts to curb the escalating death and injury rates in developing countries must include the identification of the primary accident causes. This paper, therefore, seeks to show that the Delphi Technique is a suitable alternative method that can be exploited in generating highway traffic accident data through which the major accident causes can be identified. In order to authenticate the technique used, Korea, a country that underwent similar problems when it was in its early stages of development in addition to the availability of excellent highway safety records in its database, is chosen and utilized for this purpose. Validation of the methodology confirms the technique is suitable for application in developing countries. Furthermore, the Delphi Technique, in combination with the Bayesian Network Model, is utilized in modeling highway traffic accidents and forecasting accident rates in the countries of research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Daily activity patterns of 2316 men and women from five countries differing in socioeconomic development.

PubMed

Sani, Mamane; Refinetti, Roberto; Jean-Louis, Girardin; Pandi-Perumal, S R; Durazo-Arvizu, Ramon A; Dugas, Lara R; Kafensztok, Ruth; Bovet, Pascal; Forrester, Terrence E; Lambert, Estelle V; Plange-Rhule, Jacob; Luke, Amy

2015-06-01

Daily rhythmicity in the locomotor activity of laboratory animals has been studied in great detail for many decades, but the daily pattern of locomotor activity has not received as much attention in humans. We collected waist-worn accelerometer data from more than 2000 individuals from five countries differing in socioeconomic development and conducted a detailed analysis of human locomotor activity. Body mass index (BMI) was computed from height and weight. Individual activity records lasting 7 days were subjected to cosinor analysis to determine the parameters of the daily activity rhythm: mesor (mean level), amplitude (half the range of excursion), acrophase (time of the peak) and robustness (rhythm strength). The activity records of all individual participants exhibited statistically significant 24-h rhythmicity, with activity increasing noticeably a few hours after sunrise and dropping off around the time of sunset, with a peak at 1:42 pm on average. The acrophase of the daily rhythm was comparable in men and women in each country but varied by as much as 3 h from country to country. Quantification of the socioeconomic stages of the five countries yielded suggestive evidence that more developed countries have more obese residents, who are less active, and who are active later in the day than residents from less developed countries. These results provide a detailed characterization of the daily activity pattern of individual human beings and reveal similarities and differences among people from five countries differing in socioeconomic development.

Financing Tertiary Education under Fiscal Stress in Botswana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Botlhale, Emmanuel

2015-01-01

Developing countries place a high premium on education because it is believed to correlate with economic development. Similarly, Botswana adopted an education-for-development policy when it became independent in 1966. Providentially, it discovered and mined minerals, particularly diamonds, and funded education. Unfortunately, Botswana is a…

Prediction in complex systems: The case of the international trade network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vidmer, Alexandre; Zeng, An; Medo, Matúš; Zhang, Yi-Cheng

2015-10-01

Predicting the future evolution of complex systems is one of the main challenges in complexity science. Based on a current snapshot of a network, link prediction algorithms aim to predict its future evolution. We apply here link prediction algorithms to data on the international trade between countries. This data can be represented as a complex network where links connect countries with the products that they export. Link prediction techniques based on heat and mass diffusion processes are employed to obtain predictions for products exported in the future. These baseline predictions are improved using a recent metric of country fitness and product similarity. The overall best results are achieved with a newly developed metric of product similarity which takes advantage of causality in the network evolution.

Health Care Expenditure and GDP in Oil Exporting Countries: Evidence from OPEC Data, 1995-2012

PubMed Central

Fazaeli, Ali Akbar; Ghaderi, Hossein; Salehi, Masoud; Fazaeli, Ali Reza

2016-01-01

Background: There is a large body of literature examining income in relation to health expenditures. The share of expenditures in health sector from GDP in developed countries is often larger than in non-developed countries, suggesting that as the level of economic growth increases, health spending increase, too. Objectives: This paper estimates long-run relationships between health expenditures and GDP based on panel data of a sample of 12 countries of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), using data for the period 1995-2012. Patients & Methods: We use panel data unit root tests, cointegration analysis and ECM model to find long-run and short-run relation. This study examines whether health is a luxury or a necessity for OPEC countries within a unit root and cointegration framework. Results: Panel data analysis indicates that health expenditures and GDP are co-integrated and have Engle and Granger causality. In addition, in oil countries that have oil export income, the share of government expenditures in the health sector is often greater than in private health expenditures similar developed countries. Conclusions: The findings verify that health care is not a luxury good and income has a robust relationship to health expenditures in OPEC countries. PMID:26383195

State-Controlled Multimedia Education for All? Science Programs in Early German Radio

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schirrmacher, Arne

2012-01-01

While science education and popularization by means of print media developed in quite similar forms in many nations, the advent of radio resulted in initiatives to bring science on the air that were rather heterogeneous from country to country. The German case stands out with respect to quantity, variety and ambition, and also for its special…

Is the secure base phenomenon evident here, there, and anywhere? A cross-cultural study of child behavior and experts' definitions.

PubMed

Posada, German; Lu, Ting; Trumbell, Jill; Kaloustian, Garene; Trudel, Marcel; Plata, Sandra J; Peña, Paola P; Perez, Jennifer; Tereno, Susana; Dugravier, Romain; Coppola, Gabrielle; Constantini, Alessandro; Cassibba, Rosalinda; Kondo-Ikemura, Kiyomi; Nóblega, Magaly; Haya, Ines M; Pedraglio, Claudia; Verissimo, Manuela; Santos, Antonio J; Monteiro, Ligia; Lay, Keng-Ling

2013-01-01

The evolutionary rationale offered by Bowlby implies that secure base relationships are common in child-caregiver dyads and thus, child secure behavior observable across diverse social contexts and cultures. This study offers a test of the universality hypothesis. Trained observers in nine countries used the Attachment Q-set to describe the organization of children's behavior in naturalistic settings. Children (N = 547) were 10-72 months old. Child development experts (N = 81) from all countries provided definitions of optimal child secure base use. Findings indicate that children from all countries use their mother as a secure base. Children's organization of secure base behavior was modestly related to each other both within and across countries. Experts' descriptions of the optimally attached child were highly similar across cultures. © 2013 The Authors. Child Development © 2013 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Prevalence and predictors for musculoskeletal discomfort in Malaysian office workers: Investigating explanatory factors for a developing country.

PubMed

Maakip, Ismail; Keegel, Tessa; Oakman, Jodi

2016-03-01

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a major occupational health issue for workers in developed and developing countries, including Malaysia. Most research related to MSDs has been undertaken in developed countries; given the different regulatory and cultural practices it is plausible that contributions of hazard and risk factors may be different. A population of Malaysian public service office workers were surveyed (N = 417, 65.5% response rate) to determine prevalence and associated predictors of MSD discomfort. The 6-month period prevalence of MSD discomfort was 92.8% (95%CI = 90.2-95.2%). Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) analyses was used to compare a range of models and determine a model of best fit. Contributions associated with MSD discomfort in the final model consisted of physical demands (61%), workload (14%), gender (13%), work-home balance (9%) and psychosocial factors (3%). Factors associated with MSD discomfort were similar in developed and developing countries but the relative contribution of factors was different, providing insight into future development of risk management strategies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

The relationship between pollutant emissions, renewable energy, nuclear energy and GDP: empirical evidence from 18 developed and developing countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben Mbarek, Mounir; Saidi, Kais; Amamri, Mounira

2018-07-01

This document investigates the causal relationship between nuclear energy (NE), pollutant emissions (CO2 emissions), gross domestic product (GDP) and renewable energy (RE) using dynamic panel data models for a global panel consisting of 18 countries (developed and developing) covering the 1990-2013 period. Our results indicate that there is a co-integration between variables. The unit root test suggests that all the variables are stationary in first differences. The paper further examines the link using the Granger causality analysis of vector error correction model, which indicates a unidirectional relationship running from GDP per capita to pollutant emissions for the developed and developing countries. However, there is a unidirectional causality from GDP per capita to RE in the short and long run. This finding confirms the conservation hypothesis. Similarly, there is no causality between NE and GDP per capita.

Determinants of energy efficiency across countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Guolin

With economic development, environmental concerns become more important. Economies cannot be developed without energy consumption, which is the major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Higher energy efficiency is one means of reducing emissions, but what determines energy efficiency? In this research we attempt to find answers to this question by using cross-sectional country data; that is, we examine a wide range of possible determinants of energy efficiency at the country level in an attempt to find the most important causal factors. All countries are divided into three income groups: high-income countries, middle-income countries, and low-income countries. Energy intensity is used as a measurement of energy efficiency. All independent variables belong to two categories: quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative variables are measures of the economic conditions, development indicators and energy usage situations. Qualitative variables mainly measure political, societal and economic strengths of a country. The three income groups have different economic and energy attributes. Each group has different sets of variables to explain energy efficiency. Energy prices and winter temperature are both important in high-income and middle-income countries. No qualitative variables appear in the model of high-income countries. Basic economic factors, such as institutions, political stability, urbanization level, population density, are important in low-income countries. Besides similar variables, such as macroeconomic stability and index of rule of law, the hydroelectricity share in total electric generation is also a driver of energy efficiency in middle-income countries. These variables have different policy implications for each group of countries.

Development and Dematerialization: An International Study

PubMed Central

Steinberger, Julia K.; Krausmann, Fridolin; Getzner, Michael; Schandl, Heinz; West, Jim

2013-01-01

Economic development and growth depend on growing levels of resource use, and result in environmental impacts from large scale resource extraction and emissions of waste. In this study, we examine the resource dependency of economic activities over the past several decades for a set of countries comprising developing, emerging and mature industrialized economies. Rather than a single universal industrial development pathway, we find a diversity of economic dependencies on material use, made evident through cluster analysis. We conduct tests for relative and absolute decoupling of the economy from material use, and compare these with similar tests for decoupling from carbon emissions, both for single countries and country groupings using panel analysis. We show that, over the longer term, emerging and developing countries tend to have significantly larger material-economic coupling than mature industrialized economies (although this effect may be enhanced by trade patterns), but that the contrary is true for short-term coupling. Moreover, we demonstrate that absolute dematerialization limits economic growth rates, while the successful industrialization of developing countries inevitably requires a strong material component. Alternative development priorities are thus urgently needed both for mature and emerging economies: reducing absolute consumption levels for the former, and avoiding the trap of resource-intensive economic and human development for the latter. PMID:24204555

A synthesis of drug reimbursement decision-making processes in organisation for economic co-operation and development countries.

PubMed

Barnieh, Lianne; Manns, Braden; Harris, Anthony; Blom, Marja; Donaldson, Cam; Klarenbach, Scott; Husereau, Don; Lorenzetti, Diane; Clement, Fiona

2014-01-01

The use of a restrictive formulary, with placement determined through a drug-reimbursement decision-making process, is one approach to managing drug expenditures. To describe the processes in drug reimbursement decision-making systems currently used in national publicly funded outpatient prescription drug insurance plans. By using the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations as the sampling frame, a search was done in the published literature, followed by the gray literature. Collected data were verified by a system expert within the prescription drug insurance plan in each country to ensure the accuracy of key data elements across countries. All but one country provided at least one publicly funded prescription drug formulary. Many systems have adopted similar processes of drug reimbursement decision making. All but three systems required additional consideration of clinical evidence within the decision-making process. Transparency of recommendations varied between systems, from having no information publicly available (three systems) to all information available and accessible to the public (16 systems). Only four countries did not consider cost within the drug reimbursement decision-making process. There were similarities in the decision-making process for drug reimbursement across the systems; however, only five countries met the highest standard of transparency, requirement of evidence, and ability to appeal. Future work should focus on examining how these processes may affect formulary listing decisions for drugs between countries. © 2013 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) Published by International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) All rights reserved.

Spatial and Temporal Trends in Global Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides from 1960 to 2014.

PubMed

Huang, Tianbo; Zhu, Xi; Zhong, Qirui; Yun, Xiao; Meng, Wenjun; Li, Bengang; Ma, Jianmin; Zeng, Eddy Y; Tao, Shu

2017-07-18

The quantification of nitrogen oxide (NO x ) emissions is critical for air quality modeling. Based on updated fuel consumption and emission factor databases, a global emission inventory was compiled with high spatial (0.1° × 0.1°), temporal (monthly), and source (87 sources) resolutions for the period 1960 to 2014. The monthly emission data have been uploaded online ( http://inventory.pku.edu.cn ), along with a number of other air pollutant and greenhouse gas data for free download. Differences in source profiles, not global total quantities, between our results and those reported previously were found. There were significant differences in total and per capita emissions and emission intensities among countries, especially between the developing and developed countries. Globally, the total annual NO x emissions finally stopped increasing in 2013 after continuously increasing over several decades, largely due to strict control measures taken in China in recent years. Nevertheless, the peak year of NO x emissions was later than for many other major air pollutants. Per capita emissions, either among countries or over years, follow typical inverted U-shaped environmental Kuznets curves, indicating that the emissions increased during the early stage of development and were restrained when socioeconomic development reached certain points. Although the trends are similar among countries, the turning points of developing countries appeared sooner than those of developed countries in terms of development status, confirming late-move advantages.

Outcome of schizophrenia: some transcultural observations with particular reference to developing countries.

PubMed

Kulhara, P

1994-01-01

The present paper provides a description of data based and methodologically sound studies of outcome of schizophrenia from developing and non-Western countries and compares the results. Major studies reviewed include the 2- and 5-year follow-up of the cohort of the International Pilot Study of Schizophrenia, the patients of the World Health Organization Collaborative Study on the Determinants of Outcome of Severe Mental Disorders, a few Indian studies including the study sponsored by the Indian Council of Medical Research and some studies from Colombia and South-East Asia. The studies are compared in terms of the quality of methodology and the rate of attrition. Although the outcome criteria of these studies are not similar, it is obvious that the outcome of schizophrenia in developing countries is generally more favourable. The reasons for this are far from clear. Research concerning the issues pertaining to better outcome of schizophrenia in developing countries in the context of socio-cultural differences in woefully lacking. This is an area that deserves research attention.

Optimising design and cost-effective implementation of future pan-African dietary studies: a review of existing economic integration and nutritional indicators for scenario-based profiling and clustering of countries.

PubMed

Aglago, Elom K; Landais, Edwige; Zotor, Francis; Nicolas, Genevieve; Gunter, Marc J; Amuna, Paul; Slimani, Nadia

2018-02-01

Most of the African countries are undergoing a complex nutrition and epidemiologic transition associated with a rapid increase in the prevalence of diverse non-communicable diseases. Despite this alarming situation, the still limited and fragmented resources available in Africa impede the implementation of effective action plans to tackle the current and projected diet-disease burden. In order to address these common needs and challenges, the African Union is increasingly supporting continental approaches and strategies as reflected in the launching of the Agenda 2063 and the African regional nutrition strategy 2015-2025, among others. To assure the successful implementation of pan-African nutritional and health initiatives, cost-effective approaches considering similarities/disparities in economy, regional integration, development and nutritional aspects between countries are needed. In the absence of pre-existing models, we reviewed regional economic integration and nutritional indicators (n 13) available in international organisations databases or governmental agencies websites, for fifty-two African countries. These indicators were used to map the countries according to common languages (e.g. Arabic, English, French, Portuguese), development status (e.g. human development index), malnutrition status (e.g. obesity) and diet (e.g. staples predominantly based on either cereals or tubers). The review of the indicators showed that there exist similarities between African countries that can be exploited to benefit the continent with cross-national experiences in order to avoid duplication of efforts in the implementation of future pan-African health studies. In addition, including present and future nutrition surveillance programmes in Africa into national statistical systems might be cost-effective and sustainable in the longer term.

Characteristics of healthy weight advertisements in three countries.

PubMed

Pettigrew, Simone; Talati, Zenobia; Henriques, Isla; Morley, Belinda; Ball, Kylie

2018-02-01

High rates of population obesity have resulted in the dissemination of mass media campaigns that focus on achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. The aim of the present study was to analyse advertising techniques used in such campaigns to identify common and differential approaches in three countries with similar cultures and rates of obesity (Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States). An Internet search was conducted to identify healthy weight television advertisements aired in the three countries. Seventy-two advertisements were located and coded according to the advertising techniques employed. Despite the cultural similarity and comparable obesity rates of the three countries, there were few consistencies in advertising techniques employed. A main focus of the ads was diet, but disparate approaches were used to convey the message in each country. The identified wide variation in advertising techniques may suggest that campaign managers would benefit from greater certainty about which advertising approaches are most effective in encouraging lifestyle behaviours associated with a healthy weight. Implications for public health: A more robust evidence base would be useful to guide the development of healthy weight campaigns. © 2017 The Authors.

Multi-Country analysis of palm oil consumption and cardiovascular disease mortality for countries at different stages of economic development: 1980-1997.

PubMed

Chen, Brian K; Seligman, Benjamin; Farquhar, John W; Goldhaber-Fiebert, Jeremy D

2011-12-16

Cardiovascular diseases represent an increasing share of the global disease burden. There is concern that increased consumption of palm oil could exacerbate mortality from ischemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke, particularly in developing countries where it represents a major nutritional source of saturated fat. The study analyzed country-level data from 1980-1997 derived from the World Health Organization's Mortality Database, U.S. Department of Agriculture international estimates, and the World Bank (234 annual observations; 23 countries). Outcomes included mortality from IHD and stroke for adults aged 50 and older. Predictors included per-capita consumption of palm oil and cigarettes and per-capita Gross Domestic Product as well as time trends and an interaction between palm oil consumption and country economic development level. Analyses examined changes in country-level outcomes over time employing linear panel regressions with country-level fixed effects, population weighting, and robust standard errors clustered by country. Sensitivity analyses included further adjustment for other major dietary sources of saturated fat. In developing countries, for every additional kilogram of palm oil consumed per-capita annually, IHD mortality rates increased by 68 deaths per 100,000 (95% CI [21-115]), whereas, in similar settings, stroke mortality rates increased by 19 deaths per 100,000 (95% CI [-12-49]) but were not significant. For historically high-income countries, changes in IHD and stroke mortality rates from palm oil consumption were smaller (IHD: 17 deaths per 100,000 (95% CI [5.3-29]); stroke: 5.1 deaths per 100,000 (95% CI [-1.2-11.0])). Inclusion of other major saturated fat sources including beef, pork, chicken, coconut oil, milk cheese, and butter did not substantially change the differentially higher relationship between palm oil and IHD mortality in developing countries. Increased palm oil consumption is related to higher IHD mortality rates in developing countries. Palm oil consumption represents a saturated fat source relevant for policies aimed at reducing cardiovascular disease burdens.

[Prevalence and differentiating aspects related to gender with regard to the bullying phenomenon in poor countries].

PubMed

Romera Félix, Eva M; Del Rey Alamillo, Rosario; Ortega Ruiz, Rosario

2011-11-01

There is a large body of scientific knowledge about school violence and bullying in Europe and some other regions of the so-called developed world. However, improvement is scarce in poor and developing regions, as in the case of Latin America and, in particular, Nicaragua. The goal of this work was to determine the prevalence of the bullying phenomenon in Nicaraguan primary schools, to analyze the eventual relationships between the different forms of violence used by the students and to explore, in relation to these aspects, the similarities and differences between boys and girls. For this purpose, we surveyed 3042 pupils of primary school (50.3% girls) using the "Cuestionario sobre Convivencia, Violencia y Experiencias de Riesgo" (COVER, in English, Questionnaire about Living Together, Violence and Risk Experiences). We found that the level of involvement in bullying is significantly higher than in developed countries, that boys are more involved than girls in verbal, physical and psychological bullying, and that there are no differences with regard to social exclusion. The results are discussed, comparing them with studies conducted in different countries but with similar methodologies.

Solar disinfection of infectious biomedical waste: a new approach for developing countries.

PubMed

Chitnis, V; Chitnis, S; Patil, S; Chitnis, D

2003-10-18

Poor developing countries cannot afford expensive technologies such as incineration for management of infectious biomedical waste. We assessed solar heating as an alternative technology. We immersed simulated infectious waste with added challenge bacteria in water in a box-type solar cooker, which was left in the sun for 6 h. In 24 sets of observations, the amount of viable bacteria was reduced by about 7 log. We also tested infectious medical waste with a heavy load of bacteria (10(8)-10(9)/g) from our hospital's burn unit for solar heat disinfection in 20 experiments. Our results showed a similar 7 log reduction in the amount of viable bacteria. Solar heating thus seems to be a cheap method to disinfect infectious medical waste in less economically developed countries.

[Similarities between disaster areas and developing countries in terms of the lack of facilities for clinical examinations].

PubMed

Suganami, Shigeru

2012-03-01

From the experience of more than 130 emergency medical relief missions in over 50 countries/areas, the AMDA would like to propose a system of mobile clinical examinations to prepare for possible natural disasters in Japan. Such a system will require the development of vehicles equipped with a full range of laboratory equipment, which I believe will become a public property in the world, and contribute to the enhancement of medical services in disaster areas as well as in areas with less developed medical technologies. AMDA's recent medical relief activities include the support of the victims of the earthquakes in Haiti (2010) and Turkey (2011), and the flood in Thailand (2012). In these countries, the AMDA faced the lack of a clinical examination system which resulted in a huge number of patients who could not receive proper treatment after injury, or those who suffered from infectious diseases. Domestically, when the AMDA sent medical teams to the affected areas of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami (2011), their activities took place mainly in evacuation shelters, where survivors needed treatment for chronic diseases and preventive care. All of these experiences highlight the importance of clinical examination in disaster areas, as well as in developing countries/areas similarly lacking basic medical services. The Japanese Society of Laboratory Medicine will surely play an important role in the development of the proposed system of mobile clinical examinations. The AMDA would like to collaborate with the JSLM in emergency relief activities and medical aid projects in areas affected by disasters or lack basic medical services.

Poor nutrition is a serious problem in children with cerebral palsy in Palawan, the Philippines.

PubMed

Socrates, C; Grantham-McGregor, S M; Harknett, S G; Seal, A J

2000-09-01

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) in developed countries have poor nutritional status; however there is little data from developing countries. In Palawan, in the Philippines, the nutritional status of 31 children with CP was compared to that of their siblings (n = 20) and a control group of neighbourhood children (n = 64), matched for age and sex. The children's weights, heights and armspans were measured. The heights of children with CP could not be measured and were estimated from their armspans using an equation relating height to armspan in siblings and controls. Haemoglobin levels of the study cases and siblings were measured. Siblings and controls had similar nutritional status. The children with CP had extremely poor nutritional status, and had significantly smaller weights for height, heights for age and weights for age than siblings or controls. Haemoglobin levels were not significantly different between the children with CP and their siblings. The nutritional status of children with quadriplegic CP was much poorer than that of similar children in the USA. The severity of malnutrition in children with CP is likely to be detrimental to their development, and a nutritional component should be incorporated into rehabilitation programmes. Also, there is a need to examine the nutritional status of children with CP in other developing countries.

Women's Organizations and Development: An Assessment of Capacities for Technical Assistance in Sri Lanka and Thailand. Women in Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stegall, Lael Swinney

A subjective assessment of women's organizations and development in Sri Lanka and Thailand produced specific information about the organizations and suggested ways to improve their development capacities. Personal interviews with nearly 100 organization, government, and agency leaders revealed many similarities between the two countries. In both…

Influences of Some Philosophical Approaches in the Historical Development of Turkish Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turkmen, Lutfullah; Bonnstetter, Ronald J.

2007-01-01

The last one thousand years or more of Turkish science educational development have numerous historical similarities to other parts of the world. While documentation of historical educational developments are important to those whose ancestors are being described, the true value of this regional- and country-specific evolutionary historical…

CONTEMPORARY SITUATIONS AND PROBLEMS OF ROAD/BRIDGE MAINTENANCE TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROJECTS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishimiya, Noriaki; Sanui, Kazumasa; Mizota, Yuzo

It is widely acknowledged that roads are the most important transport infrastructure in developing countries. Unlike railroads requiring organizations and systems to operate, individuals can drive on roads. Almost all donors have assisted developing countr ies for new road constructions and rehabilitations. Report of insufficient maintenance in the developing countries, however, has been notable. As a result of the maintenance problems, deterioration of roads is pr ogressing with speed more than expected. It causes the traffic safety problems and an obstacle of economic development. JICA and other donors recognize that this situation can not be overlooked and reci pient countries are increasing their expectation of obtaining assistance on road/bridge maintenance. JICA has implemented over 10 technical cooper ation projects for road/b ridge maintenance in developing countries. JICA conducted a study to review those projects comprehensively. That study aims at obtaining problems, lessons learned and discussion material for policy making and method improvement for future similar pr ojects. This report introduces the outline of the study including additional analysis and recommendations by the authors.

Twelve Month Prevalence of and Risk Factors for Suicide Attempts in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys

PubMed Central

Borges, Guilherme; Nock, Matthew K.; Haro Abad, Josep M.; Hwang, Irving; Sampson, Nancy A.; Alonso, Jordi; Andrade, Laura Helena; Angermeyer, Matthias C.; Beautrais, Annette; Bromet, Evelyn; Bruffaerts, Ronny; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Florescu, Silvia; Gureje, Oye; Hu, Chiyi; Karam, Elie G; Kovess-Masfety, Viviane; Lee, Sing; Levinson, Daphna; Medina-Mora, Maria Elena; Ormel, Johan; Posada-Villa, Jose; Sagar, Rajesh; Tomov, Toma; Uda, Hidenori; Williams, David R.; Kessler, Ronald C.

2009-01-01

Objective Although suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide, clinicians and researchers lack a data-driven method to assess the risk of suicide attempts. This study reports the results of an analysis of a large cross-national epidemiological survey database that estimates the 12-month prevalence of suicidal behaviors, identifies risk factors for suicide attempts, and combines these factors to create a risk index for 12-month suicide attempts separately for developed and developing countries. Method Data come from the WHO World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys (conducted 2001–2007) in which 108,705 adults from 21 countries were interviewed using the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). The survey assessed suicidal behaviors and potential risk factors across multiple domains including: socio-demographics, parent psychopathology, childhood adversities, DSM-IV disorders, and history of suicidal behavior. Results Twelve-month prevalence estimates of suicide ideation, plans and attempts are 2.0%, 0.6% and 0.3% respectively for developed countries and 2.1%, 0.7% and 0.4% for developing countries. Risk factors for suicidal behaviors in both developed and developing countries include: female sex, younger age, lower education and income, unmarried status, unemployment, parent psychopathology, childhood adversities, and presence of diverse 12-month DSM-IV mental disorders. Combining risk factors from multiple domains produced risk indices that accurately predicted 12-month suicide attempts in both developed and developing countries (AUC=.74–.80). Conclusion Suicidal behaviors occur at similar rates in both developed and developing countries. Risk indices assessing multiple domains can predict suicide attempts with fairly good accuracy and may be useful in aiding clinicians in the prediction of these behaviors. PMID:20816034

A Qualitative Study of the Work Environments of Mexican Nurses

PubMed Central

Squires, Allison; Juarez, Adrian

2012-01-01

Background Studies of the nursing work environment are increasingly common in developed countries, but few exist in developing countries. Because of resource differences between the two contexts, researchers need to clarify what aspects of the work environments are similar and different. Objectives To study the perspectives of Mexican nurses about their work environments to determine similarities and differences to results from developed world studies. Design A secondary, directed content analysis of qualitative data from 46 Spanish language interviews using workplace-oriented themes Setting Purposively selected Mexican states from four regions of the country that reflect the country’s socioeconomic differences. Participants Practicing Mexican nurses with at least one year of clinical experience and currently working in nursing. Participants were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling techniques. Methods Initial data collection occurred in 2006 and 2008 during a broader study about professionalization processes that occurred in Mexican nursing between 1980 and 2005. The secondary, directed content analysis focused on an in-depth exploration of a central theme that emerged from the two original studies: The Workplace. The directed content analysis used themes from the global nursing work environment literature to structure the analysis: Professional relationships, organizational administrative practices, and quality of care and services. Results The three themes from the global literature were relevant for the Mexican context and a new one emerged related to hiring practices. By category, the same factors that created positive or negative perceptions of the work environment matched findings from other international studies conducted in developed countries. The descriptors of the category, however, had different conceptual meanings that illustrate the health system challenges in Mexico. Conclusions Findings from this study suggest that studies that seek to measure nursing work environments will most likely apply in Mexico and other Latin American or middle-income countries. Instruments designed to measure the work environment of nurses in these countries may prove relevant in those contexts, but require careful adaptation and systematic translations to ensure it. PMID:22386989

Attempted Suicide among Iranian Population

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheikholeslami, Homayoun; Kani, Camellia; Ziaee, Amir

2008-01-01

Predictors of suicide attempts in Iran, to distinguish any similarities and differences of these predictors between suicide attempts in Iran and other developed and developing countries and to investigate the relation between general psychiatric symptoms and repetition of suicidal attempts were assessed. The validated Farsi version of the General…

Assessment of the waste electrical and electronic equipment management systems profile and sustainability in developed and developing European Union countries.

PubMed

Ibanescu, Dumitrita; Cailean Gavrilescu, Daniela; Teodosiu, Carmen; Fiore, Silvia

2018-03-01

The assessment of waste management systems for electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) from developed economies (Germany, Sweden and Italy) and developing countries (Romania and Bulgaria), is discussed covering the period 2007-2014. The WEEE management systems profiles are depicted by indicators correlated to WEEE life cycle stages: collection, transportation and treatment. The sustainability of national WEEE management systems in terms of greenhouse gas emissions is presented, together with the greenhouse gas efficiency indicator that underlines the efficiency of WEEE treatment options. In the countries comparisons, the key elements are: robust versus fragile economies, the overall waste management performance and the existence/development of suitable management practices on WEEE. Over the life cycle perspective, developed economies (Germany, Sweden and Italy) manage one order of magnitude higher quantities of WEEE compared to developing countries (Romania and Bulgaria). Although prevention and reduction measures are encouraged, all WEEE quantities were larger in 2013, than in 2007. In 2007-2014, developed economies exceed the annual European collection target of 4 kg WEEE/capita, while collection is still difficult in developing countries. If collection rates are estimated in relationship with products placed on market, than similar values are registered in Sweden and Bulgaria, followed by Germany and Italy and lastly Romania. WEEE transportation shows different patterns among countries, with Italy as the greatest exporter (in 2014), while Sweden treats the WEEE nationally. WEEE reuse is a common practice in Germany, Sweden (from 2009) and Bulgaria (from 2011). By 2014, recycling was the most preferred WEEE treatment option, with the same kind of rates performance, over 80%, irrespective of the country, with efforts in each of the countries in developing special collection points, recycling facilities and support instruments. The national total and the recycling carbon footprints of WEEE are lower in 2013 than in 2007 for each country, the order in reducing the environmental impacts being: Germany, Italy, Sweden, Bulgaria and Romania. The negative values indicate savings in greenhouse gas emissions. In 2013, the GHG efficiency shows no differences of the WEEE management in the developed and developing countries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Resolving legal, ethical, and human rights challenges in HIV vaccine research.

PubMed

Patterson, D

2000-01-01

In the absence of a cure for AIDS, attention has turned to the possibility of developing a preventive vaccine for HIV infection. Yet many scientific, ethical, legal, and economic obstacles remain. At the current rate, the development and production of an effective vaccine could take 15 to 20 years or longer. If tens of millions more HIV infections and deaths are to be avoided in the coming decades, vaccine research needs to be greatly expedited. Furthermore, it must be undertaken ethically, and the products of this research must benefit people in developing countries. This article, an edited and updated version of a paper presented at "Putting Third First," addresses challenges arising in HIV preventive vaccine research in developing countries. It does not address clinical research in developing countries relating to treatments or therapeutic vaccines. Nor does it address legal and ethical issues relating to HIV vaccine research in industrialized countries, although similar issues arise in both contexts. The article concludes that while ethical codes are silent on the obligation to undertake research and development, international law provides strong legal obligations--particularly with regard to industrialized states--that should be invoked to accelerate HIV vaccine development, and distribution.

Trends in cardiovascular diseases and cancer mortality in 45 countries from five continents (1980-2010).

PubMed

Araújo, Fábio; Gouvinhas, Cláudia; Fontes, Filipa; La Vecchia, Carlo; Azevedo, Ana; Lunet, Nuno

2014-08-01

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and cancer are worldwide main causes of death with mortality trends varying across countries with different levels of economic development. We analysed trends in CVD and cancer mortality for 37 European countries, five high-income non-European countries and four leading emerging economies (BRICS) using data from the World Health Organization database for the period 1980-2010. In high-income countries, CVD mortality trends are characterized by steep declines over the last decades, while a downward trend in cancer mortality started more recently and was less pronounced. This resulted in the gradual convergence of the CVD and cancer mortality rates, and the latter are already higher in some countries. The absolute number of CVD deaths decreased in most settings, while cancer deaths increased in nearly all countries. Among the BRICS, China and South Africa share a similar pattern of no meaningful variation in both CVD and cancer age-standardized mortality rates and an increase in the overall number of deaths by these causes. Brazil presents trends similar to those of high-income countries, except for the still increasing number of CVD deaths. The substantial decreases in CVD mortality over the last decades have overcome the impact of the growth and ageing of populations in the overall number of deaths, while stabilization in the number of cancer deaths was observed only in some of the high-income countries. © The European Society of Cardiology 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Heart Failure in North America

PubMed Central

Blair, John E. A; Huffman, Mark; Shah, Sanjiv J

2013-01-01

Heart failure is a major health problem that affects patients and healthcare systems worldwide. Within the continent of North America, differences in economic development, genetic susceptibility, cultural practices, and trends in risk factors and treatment all contribute to both inter-continental and within-continent differences in heart failure. The United States and Canada represent industrialized countries with similar culture, geography, and advanced economies and infrastructure. During the epidemiologic transition from rural to industrial in countries such as the United States and Canada, nutritional deficiencies and infectious diseases made way for degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, overweight/obesity, and diabetes. This in turn has resulted in an increase in heart failure incidence in these countries, especially as overall life expectancy increases. Mexico, on the other hand, has a less developed economy and infrastructure, and has a wide distribution in the level of urbanization as it becomes more industrialized. Mexico is under a period of epidemiologic transition and the etiology and incidence of heart failure is rapidly changing. Ethnic differences within the populations of the United States and Canada highlight the changing demographics of each country as well as potential disparities in heart failure care. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction makes up approximately half of all hospital admissions throughout North America; however, important differences in demographics and etiology exist between countries. Similarly, acute heart failure etiology, severity, and management differ between countries in North America. The overall economic burden of heart failure continues to be large and growing worldwide, with each country managing this burden differently. Understanding the inter-and within-continental differences may help improve understanding of the heart failure epidemic, and may aid healthcare systems in delivering better heart failure prevention and treatment. PMID:23597296

Trends of improved water and sanitation coverage around the globe between 1990 and 2010: inequality among countries and performance of official development assistance

PubMed Central

Cha, Seungman; Mankadi, Paul Mansiangi; Elhag, Mousab Siddig; Lee, Yongjoo; Jin, Yan

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: As the Millennium Development Goals ended, and were replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals, efforts have been made to evaluate the achievements and performance of official development assistance (ODA) in the health sector. In this study, we explore trends in the expansion of water and sanitation coverage in developing countries and the performance of ODA. Design: We explored inequality across developing countries by income level, and investigated how ODA for water and sanitation was committed by country, region, and income level. Changes in inequality were tested via slope changes by investigating the interaction of year and income level with a likelihood ratio test. A random effects model was applied according to the results of the Hausman test. Results: The slope of the linear trend between economic level and sanitation coverage has declined over time. However, a random effects model suggested that the change in slope across years was not significant (e.g. for the slope change between 2000 and 2010: likelihood ratio χ2 = 2.49, probability > χ2 = 0.1146). A similar pro-rich pattern across developing countries and a non-significant change in the slope associated with different economic levels were demonstrated for water coverage. Our analysis shows that the inequality of water and sanitation coverage among countries across the world has not been addressed effectively during the past decade. Our findings demonstrate that the countries with the least coverage persistently received far less ODA per capita than did countries with much more extensive water and sanitation coverage, suggesting that ODA for water and sanitation is poorly targeted. Conclusion: The most deprived countries should receive more attention for water and sanitation improvements from the world health community. A strong political commitment to ODA targeting the countries with the least coverage is needed at the global level. PMID:28604256

Diffusion of counterfeit drugs in developing countries and stability of galenics stored for months under different conditions of temperature and relative humidity.

PubMed

Baratta, Francesca; Germano, Antonio; Brusa, Paola

2012-04-01

To investigate the diffusion of counterfeit medicines in developing countries and to verify the stability of galenic dosage forms to determine the stability of galenics prepared and stored in developing countries. We purchased 221 pharmaceutical samples belonging to different therapeutic classes both in authorized and illegal pharmacies and subjected them to European Pharmacopoeia, 7th ed. quality tests. An UV-visible spectrophotometric assay was used to determine the galenics stability under different conditions of temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH). A substantial percentage of samples was substandard (52%) and thus had to be considered as counterfeit. Stability tests for galenics showed that the tested dosage forms were stable for 24 months under "standard" (t=25±2°C, RH=50±5%) conditions. Under "accelerated" (t=40±2°C, RH=50±5%) conditions, samples were stable for 3 months provided that they were stored in glass containers. Stability results of samples stored in "accelerated" conditions were similar to those obtained by on site in tropical countries and could so supply precious information on the expected stability of galenics in tropical countries. This study gives useful information about the presence of counterfeit medicinal products in the pharmacies of many developing countries. This should serve as an alarm bell and an input for the production of galenics. We recommend setting up of galenic laboratories in developing countries around the globe.

Advance Directives in Some Western European Countries: A Legal and Ethical Comparison between Spain, France, England, and Germany.

PubMed

Veshi, Denard; Neitzke, Gerald

2015-09-01

We have studied national laws on advance directives in various Western European countries: Romance-speaking countries (Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain), English-speaking countries (Ireland and the United Kingdom), and German-speaking countries (Austria, Germany, and Switzerland). We distinguish two potentially complementary types of advance medical declaration: the 'living will' and the nomination of a legal proxy. After examining the similarities and differences between countries, we analyse in detail the legislation of four countries (Spain, France, England, and Germany), since the other countries in this survey have similar legal principles and/or a similar political approach. In conclusion, we note that in all the countries examined, advance directives have been seen as an instrument to enable the patient's right to self-determination. Notwithstanding, in Romance-speaking countries, the involvement of physicians in the end-of-life process and risks arising from the execution of advance directives were also considered.

How important are dual economy effects for aggregate productivity?

PubMed Central

Vollrath, Dietrich

2013-01-01

This paper brings together development accounting techniques and the dual economy model to address the role that factor markets have in creating variation in aggregate total factor productivity (TFP). Development accounting research has shown that much of the variation in income across countries can be attributed to differences in TFP. The dual economy model suggests that aggregate productivity is depressed by having too many factors allocated to low productivity work in agriculture. Data show large differences in marginal products of similar factors within many developing countries, offering prima facie evidence of this misallocation. Using a simple two-sector decomposition of the economy, this article estimates the role of these misallocations in accounting for the cross-country income distribution. A key contribution is the ability to bring sector-specific data on human and physical capital stocks to the analysis. Variation across countries in the degree of misallocation is shown to account for 30–40% of the variation in income per capita, and up to 80% of the variation in aggregate TFP. PMID:23946553

Stroke in Arab countries: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Benamer, Hani T S; Grosset, Donald

2009-09-15

Stroke is second only to ischaemic heart disease as a cause of death, and over a third of stroke deaths occur in developing countries. Arab countries constitute populations with a similar lifestyle and diet that may influence stroke risk, type and survival after stroke, as well as other characteristics in comparison to Western and Oriental populations. Therefore, a review of published reports of stroke in Arab countries was undertaken to provide a background for designing future stroke studies in Arab populations. Thirty-one articles related to incidence, prevalence, types, risk factors and outcome of stroke in Arab countries were identified by keyword searching of Medline and Embase, and review of references in all relevant papers. Studies were available for Saudi Arabia (n=16), Qatar (n=4), Libya (n=3), Kuwait (n=2), Jordan (n=1), United Arab Emirates (n=1), Bahrain (n=1), Tunisia (n=1), Iraq (n=1), and Sudan (n=1). The publication dates ranged from 1983-2008. The annual stroke incidence ranged from 27.5 to 63 per 100,000 population and prevalence was between 42 and 68 per 100,000 population. Ischaemic stroke was the commonest subtype in all series. However, one series from Sudan had a 41% rate of intracerebral haemorrhage, which is more similar to East Asian countries. Non-lacunar infarction occurred more frequently than lacunar infarcts in all but two series. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, and cardiac disease were the commonest risk factors. The case-fatality rate at 30 days was between 10 and 17.5%. Therefore, the incidence and prevalence of stroke in Arab countries are lower than the Western world but within the range reported in Chinese populations. Stroke types and risk factors are similar, but an apparently higher rate of lacunar infarction in some settings needs further investigation. There is therefore a significant opportunity for further evaluation of stroke in Arab countries, especially in unstudied areas such as the populous countries of Egypt, Algeria, Syria, and Morocco.

The Professional Development of School Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathibe, Isaac

2007-01-01

Many schooling systems do not fulfil their mandates because of poor management and leadership. Similarly, the rigidity that one finds in schools does not only stunt schools' capacity to develop, but also leads to schools that are dysfunctional and unproductive. As a result, in countries where there is universal transformation, efficacious…

Essays on the IT Industry in Korea and Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Wen-Chieh

2012-01-01

This dissertation consists of three studies on the development of information technology (IT) industry in Korea and Taiwan. Using industry-level data from those countries, I would like to investigate why similar economies would take different paths toward developing their industries. The first chapter, "Span of Control and Production…

Asia's Four Little Tigers: A Comparison of the Role of Education in Their Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Paul

1996-01-01

In four rapidly developing east Asian nations, educational similarities include strong national curricula and highly competitive selective systems. However, the countries differ in educational funding sources; access to education, particularly tertiary education; extent of state control; relative emphasis on general and technical education; nature…

Flood risk governance arrangements in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matczak, P.; Lewandowski, J.; Choryński, A.; Szwed, M.; Kundzewicz, Z. W.

2015-06-01

The STAR-FLOOD (Strengthening and Redesigning European Flood Risk Practices Towards Appropriate and Resilient Flood Risk Governance Arrangements) project, funded by the European Commission, investigates strategies for dealing with flood risk in six European countries: Belgium, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden and in 18 vulnerable urban regions in these countries. The project aims to describe, analyse, explain, and evaluate the main similarities and differences between the selected EU Member States in terms of development and performance of flood risk governance arrangements. It also discusses the scientific and societal importance of these similarities and differences. Attention is paid to identification and characterization of shifts in flood risk governance arrangements and in flood risk management strategies and to determination of triggering factors and restraining factors. An assessment of a change of resilience and appropriateness (legitimacy, effectiveness, efficiency) of flood risk governance arrangements in Poland is presented and comparison with other European countries is offered.

Comparative Analysis of Human Resource Development between Different Countries under the Vision of Competition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xie, Jinyu; Huang, Erjia

2010-01-01

Based on a literature review from English language journals related to the field of human resource development (HRD), the conceptual framework for this study was derived from the models developed by American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) for HRD practice. This study compared and analyzed the similarities and differences in HRD roles,…

European Vocational Training "Systems"--Some Thoughts on the Theoretical Context of Their Historical Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greinert, Wolf-Dietrich

2004-01-01

There are few long-term studies in which the development of vocational education and training (VET) is placed in a larger societal framework. Consequently, there is limited understanding as to why VET has evolved quite differently even in countries with similar economic and social development. In his reflections on a possible theoretical framework…

World survey of mental illness stigma.

PubMed

Seeman, Neil; Tang, Sabrina; Brown, Adalsteinn D; Ing, Alton

2016-01-15

To obtain rapid and reproducible opinions that address mental illness stigma around the world. Random global Web users were exposed to brief questions, asking whether they interacted daily with someone with mental illness, whether they believed that mental illness was associated with violence, whether it was similar to physical illness, and whether it could be overcome. Over a period of 1.7 years, 596,712 respondents from 229 countries completed the online survey. The response rate was 54.3%. China had the highest proportion of respondents in daily contact with a person with mental illness. In developed countries, 7% to 8% of respondents endorsed the statement that individuals with mental illness were more violent than others, in contrast to 15% or 16% in developing countries. While 45% to 51% of respondents from developed countries believed that mental illness was similar to physical illness, only 7% believed that mental illness could be overcome. To test for reproducibility, 21 repeats of the same questions were asked monthly in India for 21 months. Each time, 10.1 ± 0.11% s.e., of respondents endorsed the statement that persons who suffer from mental illness are more violent than others, indicating strong reproducibility of response. This study shows that surveys of constructs such as stigma towards mental illness can be carried out rapidly and repeatedly across the globe, so that the impact of policy interventions can be readily measured. The method engages English speakers only, mainly young, educated males. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Health Informatics for Development: a Three-pronged Strategy of Partnerships, Standards, and Mobile Health. Contribution of the IMIA Working Group on Health Informatics for Development.

PubMed

Marcelo, A; Adejumo, A; Luna, D

2011-01-01

Describe the issues surrounding health informatics in developing countries and the challenges faced by practitioners in building internal capacity. From these issues, the authors propose cost-effective strategies that can fast track health informatics development in these low to medium income countries (LMICs). The authors conducted a review of literature and consulted key opinion leaders who have experience with health informatics implementations around the world. Despite geographic and cultural differences, many LMICs share similar challenges and opportunities in developing health informatics. Partnerships, standards, and inter-operability are well known components of successful informatics programs. Establishing partnerships can be comprised of formal inter-institutional collaborations on training and research, collaborative open source software development, and effective use of social networking. Lacking legacy systems, LMICs can discuss standards and inter-operability more openly and have greater potential for success. Lastly, since cellphones are pervasive in developing countries, they can be leveraged as access points for delivering and documenting health services in remote under-served areas. Mobile health or mHealth gives LMICs a unique opportunity to leapfrog through most issues that have plagued health informatics in developed countries. By employing this proposed roadmap, LMICs can now develop capacity for health informatics using appropriate and cost-effective technologies.

Building technological capability within satellite programs in developing countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Danielle; Weigel, Annalisa

2011-12-01

This paper explores the process of building technological capability in government-led satellite programs within developing countries. The key message is that these satellite programs can learn useful lessons from literature in the international development community. These lessons are relevant to emerging satellite programs that leverage international partnerships in order to establish local capability to design, build and operate satellites. Countries with such programs include Algeria, Nigeria, Turkey, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. The paper first provides background knowledge about space activity in developing countries, and then explores the nuances of the lessons coming from the international development literature. Developing countries are concerned with satellite technology because satellites provide useful services in the areas of earth observation, communication, navigation and science. Most developing countries access satellite services through indirect means such as sharing data with foreign organizations. More countries, however, are seeking opportunities to develop satellite technology locally. There are objective, technically driven motivations for developing countries to invest in satellite technology, despite rich debate on this topic. The paper provides a framework to understand technical motivations for investment in satellite services, hardware, expertise and infrastructure in both short and long term. If a country decides to pursue such investments they face a common set of strategic decisions at the levels of their satellite program, their national context and their international relationships. Analysis of past projects shows that countries have chosen diverse strategies to address these strategic decisions and grow in technological capability. What is similar about the historical examples is that many countries choose to leverage international partnerships as part of their growth process. There are also historical examples from outside the space arena in which organizations have pursued technological capability. Scholars have analyzed these examples and developed insightful frameworks. The paper draws key concepts from this literature about the nature of development, technology, knowledge and organizational learning. These concepts are relevant to learning in new satellite programs, but the ideas must be applied cautiously because of the nature of satellite technology. The paper draws three major lessons from the international development literature regarding absorptive capacity, tacit knowledge and organizational learning; it synthesizes these lessons into a cohesive, original framework. The closing section proposes future work on a detailed study of technological learning in specific government satellite programs.

The Generalizability of Students' Interests in Biology Across Gender, Country and Religion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagay, G.; Baram-Tsabari, A.; Ametller, J.; Cakmakci, G.; Lopes, B.; Moreira, A.; Pedrosa-de-Jesus, H.

2013-06-01

In order to bridge the existing gap between biology curricula and students' interests in biology, a strategy for identifying students' interest based on their questions and integrating them into the curriculum was developed. To characterize the level of generalizability of students' science interests over 600 high school students from Portugal, Turkey, England and Israel, who chose biology as an advanced subject, their interest level was ranked in 36 questions that were originally raised by Israeli students. Results indicate that students from four different countries show interest in similar science questions. The most intriguing questions were the ones that dealt with human health and new developments in reproduction and genetics. Religious affiliation had the strongest effect on students' interest level, followed by national affiliation and gender. The findings suggest that students' interest in one context is relevant to the development of interest-based learning materials in a different context. However, despite these similarities, cultural and sociological differences need to be taken into account.

Wealth and cardiovascular health: a cross-sectional study of wealth-related inequalities in the awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in high-, middle- and low-income countries.

PubMed

Palafox, Benjamin; McKee, Martin; Balabanova, Dina; AlHabib, Khalid F; Avezum, Alvaro Jr; Bahonar, Ahmad; Ismail, Noorhassim; Chifamba, Jephat; Chow, Clara K; Corsi, Daniel J; Dagenais, Gilles R; Diaz, Rafael; Gupta, Rajeev; Iqbal, Romaina; Kaur, Manmeet; Khatib, Rasha; Kruger, Annamarie; Kruger, Iolanthe Marike; Lanas, Fernando; Lopez-Jaramillo, Patricio; Minfan, Fu; Mohan, Viswanathan; Mony, Prem K; Oguz, Aytekin; Palileo-Villanueva, Lia M; Perel, Pablo; Poirier, Paul; Rangarajan, Sumathy; Rensheng, Lei; Rosengren, Annika; Soman, Biju; Stuckler, David; Subramanian, S V; Teo, Koon; Tsolekile, Lungiswa P; Wielgosz, Andreas; Yaguang, Peng; Yeates, Karen; Yongzhen, Mo; Yusoff, Khalid; Yusuf, Rita; Yusufali, Afzalhussein; Zatońska, Katarzyna; Yusuf, Salim

2016-12-08

Effective policies to control hypertension require an understanding of its distribution in the population and the barriers people face along the pathway from detection through to treatment and control. One key factor is household wealth, which may enable or limit a household's ability to access health care services and adequately control such a chronic condition. This study aims to describe the scale and patterns of wealth-related inequalities in the awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in 21 countries using baseline data from the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology study. A cross-section of 163,397 adults aged 35 to 70 years were recruited from 661 urban and rural communities in selected low-, middle- and high-income countries (complete data for this analysis from 151,619 participants). Using blood pressure measurements, self-reported health and household data, concentration indices adjusted for age, sex and urban-rural location, we estimate the magnitude of wealth-related inequalities in the levels of hypertension awareness, treatment, and control in each of the 21 country samples. Overall, the magnitude of wealth-related inequalities in hypertension awareness, treatment, and control was observed to be higher in poorer than in richer countries. In poorer countries, levels of hypertension awareness and treatment tended to be higher among wealthier households; while a similar pro-rich distribution was observed for hypertension control in countries at all levels of economic development. In some countries, hypertension awareness was greater among the poor (Sweden, Argentina, Poland), as was treatment (Sweden, Poland) and control (Sweden). Inequality in hypertension management outcomes decreased as countries became richer, but the considerable variation in patterns of wealth-related inequality - even among countries at similar levels of economic development - underscores the importance of health systems in improving hypertension management for all. These findings show that some, but not all, countries, including those with limited resources, have been able to achieve more equitable management of hypertension; and strategies must be tailored to national contexts to achieve optimal impact at population level.

In search of a common currency: A comparison of seven EQ-5D-5L value sets.

PubMed

Olsen, Jan Abel; Lamu, Admassu N; Cairns, John

2018-01-01

The recently published EQ-5D-5L value sets from Canada, England, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Spain, and Uruguay are compared with an aim to identify any similarities in preference pattern. We identify some striking similarities for Canada, England, the Netherlands, and Spain in terms of (a) the relative importance of the 5 dimensions; (b) the relative utility decrements across the 5 levels; and (c) the scale length. On the basis of the observed similarities across these 4 Western countries, we develop an amalgam model, WePP (western preference pattern), and compare it with these 4 value sets. The values generated by this model show a high degree of concordance with those of England, Canada, and Spain. Patient level data were obtained from the Multi-Instrument Comparison project, which includes participants from 6 countries in 7 disease groups (N = 7,933): The WePP values lie within the confidence intervals for the value sets in Canada, England, and Spain across the whole severity distribution. We suggest that the WePP model represents a useful "common currency" for (Western) countries that have not yet developed their own value sets. Further research is needed to disentangle the differences between value sets due to preference heterogeneity from those stemming from methodological differences. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development of a survey instrument to investigate the primary care factors related to differences in cancer diagnosis between international jurisdictions

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Survival rates following a diagnosis of cancer vary between countries. The International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership (ICBP), a collaboration between six countries with primary care led health services, was set up in 2009 to investigate the causes of these differences. Module 3 of this collaboration hypothesised that an association exists between the readiness of primary care physicians (PCP) to investigate for cancer – the ‘threshold’ risk level at which they investigate or refer to a specialist for consideration of possible cancer – and survival for that cancer (lung, colorectal and ovarian). We describe the development of an international survey instrument to test this hypothesis. Methods The work was led by an academic steering group in England. They agreed that an online survey was the most pragmatic way of identifying differences between the jurisdictions. Research questions were identified through clinical experience and expert knowledge of the relevant literature. A survey comprising a set of direct questions and five clinical scenarios was developed to investigate the hypothesis. The survey content was discussed and refined concurrently and repeatedly with international partners. The survey was validated using an iterative process in England. Following validation the survey was adapted to be relevant to the health systems operating in other jurisdictions and translated into Danish, Norwegian and Swedish, and into Canadian and Australian English. Results This work has produced a survey with face, content and cross cultural validity that will be circulated in all six countries. It could also form a benchmark for similar surveys in countries with similar health care systems. Conclusions The vignettes could also be used as educational resources. This study is likely to impact on healthcare policy and practice in participating countries. PMID:24938306

Relative health performance in BRICS over the past 20 years: the winners and losers

PubMed Central

Petrie, Dennis

2014-01-01

Abstract Objective To determine whether the health performance of Brazil, the Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa – the countries known as BRICS – has kept in step with their economic development. Methods Reductions in age- and sex-specific mortality seen in each BRICS country between 1990 and 2011 were measured. These results were compared with those of the best-performing countries in the world and the best-performing countries with similar income levels. We estimated each country’s progress in reducing mortality and compared changes in that country’s mortality rates against other countries with similar mean incomes to examine changes in avoidable mortality. Findings The relative health performance of the five study countries differed markedly over the study period. Brazil demonstrated fairly even improvement in relative health performance across the different age and sex subgroups that we assessed. India’s improvement was more modest and more varied across the subgroups. South Africa and the Russian Federation exhibited large declines in health performance as well as large sex-specific inequalities in health. Although China’s levels of avoidable mortality decreased in absolute terms, the level of improvement appeared low in the context of China’s economic growth. Conclusion When evaluating a country’s health performance in terms of avoidable mortality, it is useful to compare that performance against the performance of other countries. Such comparison allows any country-specific improvements to be distinguished from general global improvements. PMID:24940013

Building Sustainable Capacity for Cardiovascular Care at a Public Hospital in Western Kenya

PubMed Central

Binanay, Cynthia A.; Akwanalo, Constantine O.; Aruasa, Wilson; Barasa, Felix A.; Corey, G. Ralph; Crowe, Susie; Esamai, Fabian; Einterz, Robert; Foster, Michael C.; Gardner, Adrian; Kibosia, John; Kimaiyo, Sylvester; Koech, Myra; Korir, Belinda; Lawrence, John E.; Lukas, Stephanie; Manji, Imran; Maritim, Peris; Ogaro, Francis; Park, Peter; Pastakia, Sonak; Sugut, Wilson; Vedanthan, Rajesh; Yanoh, Reuben; Velazquez, Eric J.; Bloomfield, Gerald S.

2015-01-01

Cardiovascular disease deaths are increasing in low- and middle-income countries and are exacerbated by health care systems that are ill-equipped to manage chronic diseases. Global health partnerships, which have stemmed the tide of infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries, can be similarly applied to address cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we present the experiences of an academic partnership between North American and Kenyan medical centers to improve cardiovascular health in a national public referral hospital. We highlight our stepwise approach to developing sustainable cardiovascular services using the health system strengthening World Health Organization Framework for Action. The building blocks of this framework (leadership and governance, health workforce, health service delivery, health financing, access to essential medicines, and health information system) guided our comprehensive and sustainable approach to delivering subspecialty care in a resource limited setting. Our experiences may guide the development of similar collaborations in other settings. PMID:26653630

Price competition in the Chinese pharmaceutical market.

PubMed

Wang, Y Richard

2006-06-01

We study price competition between high-quality global products and low-quality local products in a developing country, i.e., China, Nearly all previous studies on pharmaceutical price competition focused on developed countries with bioequivalent generics. In China, local generic products are not bioequivalent and are deemed of lower quality, while global products in the same class are considered similar in quality and better substitutes. We hypothesize that local generic competition drives down local product price but not global product price. In addition, we hypothesize that therapeutic competition among similar global products lowers global product price. Our empirical results support both hypotheses. Number of local generic competitors has a significantly negative effect on local product price but no effect on global product price, while number of global therapeutic competitors has a significantly negative effect on global product price. Policy changes that encourage bioequivalent local products and accelerate global product approvals will enhance price competition in China.

Faster Growth of Road Transportation CO2 Emissions in Asia Pacific Economies: Exploring Differences in Trends of the Rapidly Developing and Developed Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcotullio, Peter J.

2006-01-01

Researchers have identified how in some rapidly developing countries, road and aviation transportation CO2 emissions are rising faster (over time) when compared to the experiences of the USA at similar levels of economic development. While suggestive of how experiences of the rapidly developing Asia are different from those of the developed world…

International variations and trends in renal cell carcinoma incidence and mortality.

PubMed

Znaor, Ariana; Lortet-Tieulent, Joannie; Laversanne, Mathieu; Jemal, Ahmedin; Bray, Freddie

2015-03-01

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) incidence rates are higher in developed countries, where up to half of the cases are discovered incidentally. Declining mortality trends have been reported in highly developed countries since the 1990s. To compare and interpret geographic variations and trends in the incidence and mortality of RCC worldwide in the context of controlling the future disease burden. We used data from GLOBOCAN, the Cancer Incidence in Five Continents series, and the World Health Organisation mortality database to compare incidence and mortality rates in more than 40 countries worldwide. We analysed incidence and mortality trends in the last 10 yr using joinpoint analyses of the age-standardised rates (ASRs). RCC incidence in men varied in ASRs (World standard population) from approximately 1/100,000 in African countries to >15/100,000 in several Northern and Eastern European countries and among US blacks. Similar patterns were observed for women, although incidence rates were commonly half of those for men. Incidence rates are increasing in most countries, most prominently in Latin America. Although recent mortality trends are stable in many countries, significant declines were observed in Western and Northern Europe, the USA, and Australia. Southern European men appear to have the least favourable RCC mortality trends. Although RCC incidence is still increasing in most countries, stabilisation of mortality trends has been achieved in many highly developed countries. There are marked absolute differences and opposing RCC mortality trends in countries categorised as areas of higher versus lower human development, and these gaps appear to be widening. Renal cell cancer is becoming more commonly diagnosed worldwide in both men and women. Mortality is decreasing in the most developed settings, but not in low- and middle-income countries, where access to and the availability of optimal therapies are likely to be limited. Copyright © 2014 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving the quality of health care: using international collaboration to inform guideline programmes by founding the Guidelines International Network (G-I-N)*

PubMed Central

Ollenschlager, G; Marshall, C; Qureshi, S; Rosenbrand, K; Burgers, J; Makela, M; Slutsky, J; t for

2004-01-01



 Clinical practice guidelines are regarded as powerful tools to achieve effective health care. Although many countries have built up experience in the development, appraisal, and implementation of guidelines, until recently there has been no established forum for collaboration at an international level. As a result, in different countries seeking similar goals and using similar strategies, efforts have been unnecessarily duplicated and opportunities for harmonisation lost because of the lack of a supporting organisational framework. This triggered a proposal in 2001 for an international guidelines network built on existing partnerships. A baseline survey confirmed a strong demand for such an entity. A multinational group of guideline experts initiated the development of a non-profit organisation aimed at promotion of systematic guideline development and implementation. The Guidelines International Network (G-I-N) was founded in November 2002. One year later the Network released the International Guideline Library, a searchable database which now contains more than 2000 guideline resources including published guidelines, guidelines under development, "guidelines for guidelines", training materials, and patient information tools. By June 2004, 52 organisations from 27 countries had joined the network including institutions from Oceania, North America, and Europe, and WHO. This paper describes the process that led to the foundation of the G-I-N, its characteristics, prime activities, and ideas on future projects and collaboration. PMID:15576708

"The family is the clinic, the community is the hospital": community mental health in Timor-Leste.

PubMed

Hawkins, Zoe; Tilman, Teofilo

2011-07-01

This paper describes the history and recent development of mental health services in Timor-Leste, a small developing country recovering from conflict. Challenges to effective service delivery are discussed as well as plans for future development. Timor-Leste's mental health service began just over a decade ago. Unlike many other low and middle income countries where hospital-based services predominate, the mental health model in Timor-Leste is entirely community based. However, challenges to effective mental health care delivery are similar to most developing countries and include a lack of sufficient financial resources, human resources, and mental health infrastructure. Addressing these issues successfully requires political will, a greater prioritization of mental health services, close coordination between stakeholders, as well as developments in the area of education, training and infrastructure. Greater understanding and education about the links between mental and physical health would benefit the overall health of the population, and integration of these respective policies may prove a successful method of more equitably redistributing finances and resources.

Do South Indian newborn babies have higher fat percentage for a given birth weight?

PubMed

Kv, Radha Krishna; Hemalatha, Rajkumar; Mamidi, Raja Sriswan; Jj, Babu Geddam; Balakrishna, N

2016-05-01

India is experiencing rapidly escalating epidemics of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. High fat percent in Indian adults may have its origins at birth (Fetal origin hypothesis). Conflicting evidence from India have shown increased or similar fat mass in Indian newborn babies compared to western countries. To compare body composition of term infants with data from similar studies in India and developed countries. Cross-sectional study in newborn infants at the antenatal ward of a tertiary care hospital in South India. 626 mothers and their newborn babies. Maternal body weight and height, baby weight, length, head circumference, skin folds at three sites. Body fat, arm muscle area and arm muscle index were calculated based on known methods. Mean (SD) birth weight of newborn babies was 2.80 (0.37) kg and 43% of them were small for gestational age. Birth weight was significantly related to subscapular (r=0.445; p<0.001) and triceps (r=0.567; p<0.001) skin fold thickness. Mean (CI) Subscapular skin fold thickness and total body fat % was 3.81mm (3.74-3.97) and 10.5% (10.2-10.8). Mean total body fat % for small for gestational age (SGA) (9.57%) was significantly lower than appropriate for gestational age (AGA) babies (11.7%). The mean body fat percent in AGA infants was similar to that of studies reported on term infants of developed countries, suggesting that South Indian babies may accumulate similar fat mass with increasing birth weight and gestational age. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global capacity, potentials and trends of solid waste research and management.

PubMed

Nwachukwu, Michael A; Ronald, Mersky; Feng, Huan

2017-09-01

In this study, United States, China, India, United Kingdom, Nigeria, Egypt, Brazil, Italy, Germany, Taiwan, Australia, Canada and Mexico were selected to represent the global community. This enabled an overview of solid waste management worldwide and between developed and developing countries. These are countries that feature most in the International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management (ICSW) over the past 20 years. A total of 1452 articles directly on solid waste management and technology were reviewed and credited to their original country of research. Results show significant solid waste research potentials globally, with the United States leading by 373 articles, followed by India with 230 articles. The rest of the countries are ranked in the order of: UK > Taiwan > Brazil > Nigeria > Italy > Japan > China > Canada > Germany >Mexico > Egypt > Australia. Global capacity in solid waste management options is in the order of: Waste characterisation-management > waste biotech/composting > waste to landfill > waste recovery/reduction > waste in construction > waste recycling > waste treatment-reuse-storage > waste to energy > waste dumping > waste education/public participation/policy. It is observed that the solid waste research potential is not a measure of solid waste management capacity. The results show more significant research impacts on solid waste management in developed countries than in developing countries where economy, technology and society factors are not strong. This article is targeted to motivate similar study in each country, using solid waste research articles from other streamed databases to measure research impacts on solid waste management.

The role of strategic health planning processes in the development of health care reform policies: a comparative study of Eritrea, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Green, Andrew; Collins, Charles; Stefanini, Angelo; Ferrinho, Paulo; Chapman, Glyn; Hagos, Besrat; Adams, Yussuf; Omar, Mayeh

2007-01-01

This paper reports on comparative analysis of health planning and its relationship with health care reform in three countries, Eritrea, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The research examined strategic planning in each country focusing in particular on its role in developing health sector reforms. The paper analyses the processes for strategic planning, the values that underpin the planning systems, and issues related to resources for planning processes. The resultant content of strategic plans is assessed and not seen to have driven the development of reforms; whilst each country had adopted strategic planning systems, in all three countries a more complex interplay of forces, including influences outside both the health sector and the country, had been critical forces behind the sectoral changes experienced over the previous decade. The key roles of different actors in developing the plans and reforms are also assessed. The paper concludes that a number of different conceptions of strategic planning exist and will depend on the particular context within which the health system is placed. Whilst similarities were discovered between strategic planning systems in the three countries, there are also key differences in terms of formality, timeframes, structures and degrees of inclusiveness. No clear leadership role for strategic planning in terms of health sector reforms was discovered. Planning appears in the three countries to be more operational than strategic. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

On the Development of Citizenship Education Outlook in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Xiaoman, Zhu; Xiujun, Feng

2008-01-01

A source-identifying and comparative study of the development of the outlook on citizenship education in China and the Western countries indicates that there emerges a tendency of similar orientations in terms of relations between citizens and the state and society, between citizens' rights and obligations and between citizenship education and…

Diffusion of counterfeit drugs in developing countries and stability of galenics stored for months under different conditions of temperature and relative humidity

PubMed Central

Baratta, Francesca; Germano, Antonio; Brusa, Paola

2012-01-01

Aim To investigate the diffusion of counterfeit medicines in developing countries and to verify the stability of galenic dosage forms to determine the stability of galenics prepared and stored in developing countries. Methods We purchased 221 pharmaceutical samples belonging to different therapeutic classes both in authorized and illegal pharmacies and subjected them to European Pharmacopoeia, 7th ed. quality tests. An UV-visible spectrophotometric assay was used to determine the galenics stability under different conditions of temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH). Results A substantial percentage of samples was substandard (52%) and thus had to be considered as counterfeit. Stability tests for galenics showed that the tested dosage forms were stable for 24 months under “standard” (t = 25 ± 2°C, RH = 50 ± 5%) conditions. Under “accelerated” (t = 40 ± 2°C, RH = 50 ± 5%) conditions, samples were stable for 3 months provided that they were stored in glass containers. Stability results of samples stored in “accelerated” conditions were similar to those obtained by on site in tropical countries and could so supply precious information on the expected stability of galenics in tropical countries. Conclusion This study gives useful information about the presence of counterfeit medicinal products in the pharmacies of many developing countries. This should serve as an alarm bell and an input for the production of galenics. We recommend setting up of galenic laboratories in developing countries around the globe. PMID:22522996

Scientific practices and social behaviors in managing landslide risks: comparing experiences between developing and developed countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devoli, G.

2012-04-01

A successful landslide risk reduction program requires that the society is aware and understand the landslide problems within the geographic area involved. Central organizations that manage national landslide risks should: a) create and systematically applied natural hazard laws/national landslide strategies, where roles and limits of responsibilities of federal, state, provincial, municipal and private entities are well defined; c) establish fruitful multidisciplinary and interinstitutional collaboration among scientists; d) provide good risk assessments in which landslide experts report transparently what is really known and the limitations of methods and tools used; e) share and systematically communicate their knowledge more effectively with all private and public stakeholders involved, paying attention to providing balanced information about risks and addressing inevitable uncertainties; f) support the mass-media in spreading correct scientific information; g) perform serious risk and cost-benefit analyses before mitigation measures are realized; h) assist local authorities in the application of land-use planning policies and g) built trust and confidence by means of a continuous contact and communication with the public and local authorities. However, this is not yet achieved, not even in developed countries where, in theory, more economical resources are available and people are better educated then in developing countries. Herein I make some observations on how national landslide prevention efforts are being organized in two countries (Nicaragua and Norway), where I have been worked at governmental agencies as landslide expert in the last 10 years. I start describing similarities and differences between the countries and try to compare practices and experiences. The analysis was motivated by the following questions: Why after so many years of landslide mapping and investigations, landslide prevention is not good and effective as it should be? Is this because of wrong or inadequate scientific practices, unethical landslide experts, complex bureaucracy and hierarchy at governmental level, presence of non-scientific public officials and politicians with lack of long-term landslide risk management knowledge, often interposed between landslide experts and public, or, because of others human behaviors, or social or political aspects that make this difficult? Are there any differences or similarities in landslide prevention between developed and developing countries? Where is better achieved a good communication between landslide experts and public? Where the multidisciplinary and interstitutional cooperation among specialists gives the most fruitful results? Is it possible and how we can exchange knowledge and experiences learned in developing countries?

Financing healthcare in Gulf Cooperation Council countries: a focus on Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Alkhamis, Abdulwahab; Hassan, Amir; Cosgrove, Peter

2014-01-01

Background This paper presents an analysis of the main characteristics of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) health financing systems and draws similarities and differences between GCC countries and other high-income and low-income countries, in order to provide recommendations for healthcare policy makers. The paper also illustrates some financial implications of the recent implementation of the Compulsory Employment-based Health Insurance (CEBHI) system in Saudi Arabia. Methods Employing a descriptive framework for the country-level analysis of healthcare financing arrangements, we compared expenditure data on healthcare from GCC and other developing and developed countries, mostly using secondary data from the World Health Organization health expenditure database. The analysis was supported by a review of related literature. Results There are three significant characteristics affecting healthcare financing in GCC countries: (i) large expatriate populations relative to the national population, which leads GCC countries to use different strategies to control expatriate healthcare expenditure; (ii) substantial government revenue, with correspondingly high government expenditure on healthcare services in GCC countries; and (iii) underdeveloped healthcare systems, with some GCC countries’ healthcare indicators falling below those of upper-middle-income countries. Conclusion Reforming the mode of health financing is vital to achieving equitable and efficient healthcare services. Such reform could assist GCC countries in improving their healthcare indicators and bring about a reduction in out-of-pocket payments for healthcare. PMID:23996348

[Developing a harmonised system for the recognition of clinical trials for veterinary product registration].

PubMed

Maliandi, F S

2008-12-01

The increase of commerce between developing countries requires a harmonised system for accepting the results of clinical trials (CT) of veterinary products, similar to those that exist in developed countries. The objective of this paper is to propose a basis for the creation of a system that harmonises CTs for approving veterinary products (VP) for registration. Such a system would be a step towards unifying the CTs of different countries, while maintaining country-specific variations that are compatible with the scientific method, international standards, and the principles of objectivity, transparency and confidentiality. Basic requirements to be fulfilled by both private institutions and public offices are described, as are professional responsibilities and possible administrative procedures that could be adapted in each country. The conclusion reached is that a harmonised system is feasible, as has been demonstrated in numerous countries throughout the world. A harmonised system will result in a more efficient product approval process, a reduction in costs, greater transparency in controls, an improvement in the reliability of the health system, and a reduction in the time the process takes. It will also contribute to animal welfare by avoiding the need to repeat trials. The author acknowledges that there are cultural, technological and economic limitations and that these problems, and others, have yet to be overcome.

Considerations for conducting epidemiologic case-control studies of cancer in developing countries.

PubMed

Brinton, L A; Herrero, R; Brenes, M; Montalván, P; de la Guardia, M E; Avila, A; Domínguez, I L; Basurto, E; Reeves, W C

1991-01-01

The challenges involved in conducting epidemiologic studies of cancer in developing countries can be and often are unique. This article reports on our experience in performing a case-control study of invasive cervical cancer in four Latin American countries (Columbia, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Panama), the summary medical results of which have been published in a previous issue of this journal (1). The study involved a number of principal activities--mainly selecting, conducting interviews with, and obtaining appropriate biologic specimens from 759 cervical cancer patients, 1,467 matched female controls, and 689 male sex partners of monogamous female subjects. This presentation provides an overview of the planning and methods used to select the subjects, conduct the survey work, and obtain complete and effectively unbiased data. It also points out some of the important advantages and disadvantages of working in developing areas similar to those serving as locales for this study.

The Role of Research in International Tobacco Control

PubMed Central

Warner, Kenneth E.

2005-01-01

The future of the tobacco-produced disease epidemic rests in low- and middle-income countries, where cigarette sales are growing—the result of rising incomes, trade liberalization, liberalization of the treatment of women, and the introduction of Western-style advertising. Research on disease causation, epidemiology, and educational and policy interventions has contributed significantly to reducing smoking rates in developed countries. A similar contribution is needed in less affluent nations, but severe challenges are involved in implementing a robust research program in such countries. In an attempt to understand these challenges and begin to conceptualize an approach to overcoming them, I examine the need for and methods to achieve a program of meaningful research on tobacco and health, as well as health policy, in the developing world. PMID:15914819

Socioeconomic impact on device-associated infections in pediatric intensive care units of 16 limited-resource countries: international Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium findings.

PubMed

Rosenthal, Victor D; Jarvis, William R; Jamulitrat, Silom; Silva, Cristiane Pavanello Rodrigues; Ramachandran, Bala; Dueñas, Lourdes; Gurskis, Vaidotas; Ersoz, Gulden; Novales, María Guadalupe Miranda; Khader, Ilham Abu; Ammar, Khaldi; Guzmán, Nayide Barahona; Navoa-Ng, Josephine Anne; Seliem, Zeinab Salah; Espinoza, Teodora Atencio; Meng, Cheong Yuet; Jayatilleke, Kushlani

2012-07-01

We report the results of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium prospective surveillance study from January 2004 to December 2009 in 33 pediatric intensive care units of 16 countries and the impact of being in a private vs. public hospital and the income country level on device-associated health care-associated infection rates. Additionally, we aim to compare these findings with the results of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network annual report to show the differences between developed and developing countries regarding device-associated health care-associated infection rates. A prospective cohort, active device-associated health care-associated infection surveillance study was conducted on 23,700 patients in International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium pediatric intensive care units. The protocol and methodology implemented were developed by International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium. Data collection was performed in the participating intensive care units. Data uploading and analyses were conducted at International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium headquarters on proprietary software. Device-associated health care-associated infection rates were recorded by applying Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network device-associated infection definitions, and the impact of being in a private vs. public hospital and the income country level on device-associated infection risk was evaluated. None. Central line-associated bloodstream infection rates were similar in private, public, or academic hospitals (7.3 vs. 8.4 central line-associated bloodstream infection per 1,000 catheter-days [p < .35 vs. 8.2; p < .42]). Central line-associated bloodstream infection rates in lower middle-income countries were higher than low-income countries or upper middle-income countries (12.2 vs. 5.5 central line-associated bloodstream infections per 1,000 catheter-days [p < .02 vs. 7.0; p < .001]). Catheter-associated urinary tract infection rates were similar in academic, public and private hospitals: (4.2 vs. 5.2 catheter-associated urinary tract infection per 1,000 catheter-days [p = .41 vs. 3.0; p = .195]). Catheter-associated urinary tract infection rates were higher in lower middle-income countries than low-income countries or upper middle-income countries (5.9 vs. 0.6 catheter-associated urinary tract infection per 1,000 catheter-days [p < .004 vs. 3.7; p < .01]). Ventilator-associated pneumonia rates in academic hospitals were higher than private or public hospitals: (8.3 vs. 3.5 ventilator-associated pneumonias per 1,000 ventilator-days [p < .001 vs. 4.7; p < .001]). Lower middle-income countries had higher ventilator-associated pneumonia rates than low-income countries or upper middle-income countries: (9.0 vs. 0.5 per 1,000 ventilator-days [p < .001 vs. 5.4; p < .001]). Hand hygiene compliance rates were higher in public than academic or private hospitals (65.2% vs. 54.8% [p < .001 vs. 13.3%; p < .01]). Country socioeconomic level influence device-associated infection rates in developing countries and need to be considered when comparing device-associated infections from one country to another.

Costs of Addressing Heroin Addiction in Malaysia and 32 Comparable Countries Worldwide

PubMed Central

Ruger, Jennifer Prah; Chawarski, Marek; Mazlan, Mahmud; Luekens, Craig; Ng, Nora; Schottenfeld, Richard

2012-01-01

Objective Develop and apply new costing methodologies to estimate costs of opioid dependence treatment in countries worldwide. Data Sources/Study Setting Micro-costing methodology developed and data collected during randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 126 patients (July 2003–May 2005) in Malaysia. Gross-costing methodology developed to estimate costs of treatment replication in 32 countries with data collected from publicly available sources. Study Design Fixed, variable, and societal cost components of Malaysian RCT micro-costed and analytical framework created and employed for gross-costing in 32 countries selected by three criteria relative to Malaysia: major heroin problem, geographic proximity, and comparable gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Principal Findings Medication, and urine and blood testing accounted for the greatest percentage of total costs for both naltrexone (29–53 percent) and buprenorphine (33–72 percent) interventions. In 13 countries, buprenorphine treatment could be provided for under $2,000 per patient. For all countries except United Kingdom and Singapore, incremental costs per person were below $1,000 when comparing buprenorphine to naltrexone. An estimated 100 percent of opiate users in Cambodia and Lao People's Democratic Republic could be treated for $8 and $30 million, respectively. Conclusions Buprenorphine treatment can be provided at low cost in countries across the world. This study's new costing methodologies provide tools for health systems worldwide to determine the feasibility and cost of similar interventions. PMID:22091732

Costs of addressing heroin addiction in Malaysia and 32 comparable countries worldwide.

PubMed

Ruger, Jennifer Prah; Chawarski, Marek; Mazlan, Mahmud; Luekens, Craig; Ng, Nora; Schottenfeld, Richard

2012-04-01

Develop and apply new costing methodologies to estimate costs of opioid dependence treatment in countries worldwide. Micro-costing methodology developed and data collected during randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 126 patients (July 2003-May 2005) in Malaysia. Gross-costing methodology developed to estimate costs of treatment replication in 32 countries with data collected from publicly available sources. Fixed, variable, and societal cost components of Malaysian RCT micro-costed and analytical framework created and employed for gross-costing in 32 countries selected by three criteria relative to Malaysia: major heroin problem, geographic proximity, and comparable gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Medication, and urine and blood testing accounted for the greatest percentage of total costs for both naltrexone (29-53 percent) and buprenorphine (33-72 percent) interventions. In 13 countries, buprenorphine treatment could be provided for under $2,000 per patient. For all countries except United Kingdom and Singapore, incremental costs per person were below $1,000 when comparing buprenorphine to naltrexone. An estimated 100 percent of opiate users in Cambodia and Lao People's Democratic Republic could be treated for $8 and $30 million, respectively. Buprenorphine treatment can be provided at low cost in countries across the world. This study's new costing methodologies provide tools for health systems worldwide to determine the feasibility and cost of similar interventions. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

National Health Models and the Adoption of E-Health and E-Prescribing in Primary Care - New Evidence from Europe.

PubMed

Brennan, James; McElligott, Annette; Power, Norah

2015-11-25

Recent research from the European Commission (EC) suggests that the development and adoption of eHealth in primary care is significantly influenced by the context of the national health model in operation. This research identified three national health models in Europe at this time - the National Health Service (NHS) model, the social insurance system (SIS) model and the transition country (TC) model, and found a strong correlation between the NHS model and high adoption rates for eHealth. The objective of this study is to establish if there is a similar correlation in one specific application area - electronic prescribing (ePrescribing) in primary care. A review of published literature from 2000 to 2014 was undertaken covering the relevant official publications of the European Union and national government as well as the academic literature. An analysis of the development and adoption of ePrescribing in Europe was extracted from these data. The adoption of ePrescribing in primary care has increased significantly in recent years and is now practised by approximately 32% of European general practitioners. National ePrescribing services are now firmly established in 11 countries, with pilot projects underway in most others. The highest adoption rates are in countries with the NHS model, concentrated in the Nordic area. The electronic transmission of prescriptions continues to pose a significant challenge, especially in SIS countries and TCs. There is a strong correlation between the NHS model and high adoption rates for ePrescribing similar to the EC findings on the adoption of eHealth. It may be some time before many SIS countries and TCs reach the same adoption levels for ePrescribing and eHealth in primary care as most NHS countries.

Design for Occupational Safety and Health of Workers in Construction in Developing Countries: A Study of Architects in Nigeria.

PubMed

Manu, Patrick; Poghosyan, Anush; Mshelia, Ibrahim Mark; Iwo, Samuel Tekena; Mahamadu, Abdul-Majeed; Dziekonski, Krzysztof

2018-06-14

Design for safety (DfS) of workers is amongst the prominent ways of tackling poor occupational safety and health (OSH) performance in construction. However, in developing countries there is an extremely limited research on DfS. This study thus makes an important contribution to the subject of DfS in developing countries by specifically examining the awareness and practice of DfS amongst architects within the construction sector of Nigeria. A survey of architects, yielding 161 valid responses, was conducted. While there is a high awareness of the concept of DfS, the actual practice is low. Additionally, although there is high interest in DfS training, the engagement in DfS training is low. Significantly, awareness of DfS, training and education related to DfS, and membership of a design professional body have very limited bearing on the practice of DfS by architects. The findings are thus symptomatic of the prevalence of influential DfS implementation barriers within the construction sector. Industry stakeholders should seek to raise the profile of DfS practice within the sector. Furthermore, similar empirical studies in the construction sector of other developing countries would be useful in shedding light on the status of DfS in these countries.

Tunisian women in scientific research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaziri, Sihem

2013-03-01

The number of Tunisian women conducting scientific research is comparable to that of countries where educating girls has been going on much longer. Although women play an increasingly important role in the field of research, they rarely hold positions of responsibility. Enormous similarities exist between the degree of integration of Tunisian women in science and technology and that of developed countries. Since independence and the removal of discrimination between girls and boys, Tunisian women have been catching up very quickly.

Attitudes towards people with intellectual disability in the UK and Libya: A cross-cultural comparison.

PubMed

Benomir, Aisha M; Nicolson, Roderick I; Beail, Nigel

2016-01-01

The attitude of the general population towards people with intellectual disability (ID) provides important background for policy development. Furthermore, because of changes in attitudes across cultures, it is vital to ground policy development for each country in data from that country. This paper aimed to undertake a cross-cultural study, investigating attitudes to people with ID in Libya in the year 2011, and to compare the Libyan data with those for the UK. This paper provides a cross-cultural analysis of attitudes to people with ID, using a questionnaire study of three groups in Libya and in the UK: science students, psychology students and professionals in ID support. The questionnaire used was the established Community Living Attitude Scales for Mental Retardation (CLAS-MR). In terms of the four CLAS-MR sub-scales, the Libyan sample showed significantly less favourable scores on Empowerment, Similarity and Exclusion than the UK sample, but no significant difference on the Sheltering sub-scale. Within-country analysis indicated no main effects of gender on all four sub-scales in Libya and the UK. This study is the first to undertake quantitative analysis of attitudes to people with ID in Libya. The attitudes were in general less favourable than in the UK and other Western countries, but showed similarities with studies of attitudes to people with ID in Pakistan. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inflammatory bowel disease in India - Past, present and future.

PubMed

Ray, Gautam

2016-09-28

There is rising incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in India topping the Southeast Asian (SEA) countries. The common genes implicated in disease pathogenesis in the West are not causal in Indian patients and the role of "hygiene hypothesis" is unclear. There appears to be a North-South divide with more ulcerative colitis (UC) in north and Crohn's disease (CD) in south India. IBD in second generation Indian migrants to the West takes the early onset and more severe form of the West whereas it retains the nature of its country of origin in migrants to SEA countries. The clinical presentation is much like other SEA countries (similar age and sex profile, low positive family history and effect of smoking, roughly similar disease location, use of aminosalicylates for CD, low use of biologics and similar surgical rates) with some differences (higher incidence of inflammatory CD, lower perianal disease, higher use of aminosalicylates and azathioprine and lower current use of corticosteroids). UC presents more with extensive disease not paralleled in severity clinically or histologically, follows benign course with easy medical control and low incidence of fulminant disease, cancer, complications, and surgery. UC related colorectal cancer develop in an unpredictable manner with respect to disease duration and site questioning the validity of strict screening protocol. About a third of CD patients get antituberculosis drugs and a significant number presents with small intestinal bleed which is predominantly afflicted by aggressive inflammation. Biomarkers have inadequate diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for both. Pediatric IBD tends to be more severe than adult. Population based studies are needed to address the lacunae in epidemiology and definition of etiological factors. Newer biomarkers and advanced diagnostic techniques (in the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy, molecular pathology and genetics) needs to be developed for proper disease definition and treatment.

Implementation of a Regional Training Program on African Swine Fever As Part of the Cooperative Biological Engagement Program across the Caucasus Region

PubMed Central

De Nardi, Marco; Léger, Anaïs; Stepanyan, Tatul; Khachatryan, Bagrat; Karibayev, Talgat; Sytnik, Igor; Tyulegenov, Samat; Akhmetova, Assel; Nychyk, Serhiy; Sytiuk, Mykola; Nevolko, Oleg; Datsenko, Roman; Chaligava, Tengiz; Avaliani, Lasha; Parkadze, Otar; Ninidze, Lena; Kartskhia, Natia; Napetvaridze, Tsira; Asanishvili, Zviad; Khelaia, Demna; Menteshashvili, Ioseb; Zadayan, Meruzhan; Niazyan, Lyudmila; Mykhaylovska, Nataliya; Brooks, Bradford Raymond; Zhumabayeva, Gulnara; Satabayeva, Saltanat; Metreveli, Magda; Gallagher, Theresa; Obiso, Richard

2017-01-01

A training and outreach program to increase public awareness of African swine fever (ASF) was implemented by Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the Ministries of Agriculture in Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. The implementing agency was the company SAFOSO (Switzerland). Integration of this regional effort was administered by subject matter experts for each country. The main teaching effort of this project was to develop a comprehensive regional public outreach campaign through a network of expertise and knowledge for the control and prevention of ASF in four neighboring countries that experience similar issues with this disease. Gaps in disease knowledge, legislation, and outbreak preparedness in each country were all addressed. Because ASF is a pathogen with bioterrorism potential and of great veterinary health importance that is responsible for major economic instability, the project team developed public outreach programs to train veterinarians in the partner countries to accurately and rapidly identify ASF activity and report it to international veterinary health agencies. The project implementers facilitated four regional meetings to develop this outreach program, which was later disseminated in each partner country. Partner country participants were trained as trainers to implement the outreach program in their respective countries. In this paper, we describe the development, execution, and evaluation of the ASF training and outreach program that reached more than 13,000 veterinarians, farmers, and hunters in the partner countries. Additionally, more than 120,000 booklets, flyers, leaflets, guidelines, and posters were distributed during the outreach campaign. Pre- and post-ASF knowledge exams were developed. The overall success of the project was demonstrated in that the principles of developing and conducting a public outreach program were established, and these foundational teachings can be applied within a single country or expanded regionally to disseminate disease information across borders; overall, this method can be modified to raise awareness about many other diseases. PMID:29124058

Hemorrhage and culture: management in the developing world and cultural implications for nursing care.

PubMed

Penney, D S

1991-01-01

In the industrialized world, technological resources and skilled personnel characterize the response to a hemorrhagic crisis. Such an efficient use of supplied technology stands in stark contrast to the responses toward a similar crisis when encountered in a developing country. In fact, attempting to manage a hemorrhage in a developing country may pose entanglements with economic, political, cultural, environmental, and medical obstacles. The uniqueness of this task and its challenges to the health professional are presented to provide nurses in advanced societies with a basic understanding of principles involved in managing hemorrhage in less-than-ideal circumstances. In addition, cultural care considerations are briefly described as they relate to the nursing role in the developing world.

Development assistance for health in central and eastern European Region.

PubMed

Suhrcke, Marc; Rechel, Bernd; Michaud, Catherine

2005-12-01

We aimed to quantify development assistance for health to countries of central and eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE-CIS). We used the International Development Statistics database of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the database on development assistance for health compiled for the Commission on Macroeconomics and Health to quantify health development assistance to the region, compared to global and overall development assistance. We based our analysis on standard health indicators, including child mortality, life expectancy at birth and health expenditures. Although total development assistance per capita to CEE-CIS was higher than that for most other regions of the world, development assistance for health was very low compared to other countries with similar levels of child mortality, life expectancy at birth and national expenditures on health. The allocation of development assistance for health on a global scale seems to be related far more to child mortality rather than adult mortality. Countries of CEE-CIS have a high burden of adult morbidity and mortality from non-communicable diseases, which does not appear to attract proportionate development assistance. Levels of development assistance for health should be determined in consideration of the region's particular burden of disease.

HIV/AIDS-related social anxieties in adolescents in three African countries.

PubMed

Venier, J L; Ross, M W; Akande, A

1998-02-01

This study examines the social anxieties associated with HIV prevention in adolescents in three African countries (Nigeria, Kenya, and Zimbabwe). The subjects used in this study were black Africans in form 2 or grade 10 in public high schools (Nigeria, n = 387; Kenya, n = 274; Zimbabwe n = 313). Subjects responded to the 33 item AIDS Social Assertiveness Scale (ASAS). Data indicated similar factor structures for each of the three countries and included five factors. The combined sample factor intercorrelations were modestly but significantly correlated. The mean scores for each factor were compared, and ANOVA of the factors by country, by gender, and by interaction between country and gender were performed. The factor structures were very similar between countries, each including five factors that had similar themes: condom interactions, refusal of risk, confiding in significant others, contact with people with HIV/AIDS, and general assertiveness. These factor structures were also very similar to one found in previous studies of Australian adolescents on the ASAS. The Kenyan means for four of the five factors were significantly lower than those for Nigeria, and were also significantly lower than the Zimbabwean means for two of the five factors, suggesting that Kenyan students are less anxious about social situations related to HIV/AIDS than others. Significant variance was found for several factors due to gender, country, and the interaction between gender and country. These results have important implications for designing education programs. The similarities of anxieties regarding HIV/AIDS social situations suggest that these clusters of social barriers to reduction of HIV infection risk might form the basis of educational interventions, and that dimensions of HIV social anxieties are similar across countries.

Air pollution and population health: a global challenge.

PubMed

Chen, Bingheng; Kan, Haidong

2008-03-01

"Air pollution and population health" is one of the most important environmental and public health issues. Economic development, urbanization, energy consumption, transportation/motorization, and rapid population growth are major driving forces of air pollution in large cities, especially in megacities. Air pollution levels in developed countries have been decreasing dramatically in recent decades. However, in developing countries and in countries in transition, air pollution levels are still at relatively high levels, though the levels have been gradually decreasing or have remained stable during rapid economic development. In recent years, several hundred epidemiological studies have emerged showing adverse health effects associated with short-term and long-term exposure to air pollutants. Time-series studies conducted in Asian cities also showed similar health effects on mortality associated with exposure to particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO(2)), nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)) and ozone (O(3)) to those explored in Europe and North America. The World Health Organization (WHO) published the "WHO Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs), Global Update" in 2006. These updated AQGs provide much stricter guidelines for PM, NO(2), SO(2) and O(3). Considering that current air pollution levels are much higher than the WHO-recommended AQGs, interim targets for these four air pollutants are also recommended for member states, especially for developing countries in setting their country-specific air quality standards. In conclusion, ambient air pollution is a health hazard. It is more important in Asian developing countries within the context of pollution level and population density. Improving air quality has substantial, measurable and important public health benefits.

Developing hand therapy skills in Bangladesh: experiences of Australian volunteers.

PubMed

O'Brien, Lisa; Hardman, Alison

2014-01-01

Bangladesh is a developing country whose health system is highly dependent on project funding from foreign countries. Interplast Australia & New Zealand have supported volunteer hand therapists to provide training to local staff in the management of hand injuries and burns since 2006. We aimed to explore and describe the volunteers' own experience and provide recommendations for future therapy capacity building projects in developing countries. This qualitative study involved nine volunteer therapists, who attended a focus group to discuss their experiences, including the key milestones, challenges, and progress achieved. The two authors analyzed transcripts independently and emergent themes were discussed and identified by consensus. Overall the experience was extremely positive and rewarding for volunteers. Key learnings and challenges encountered in this project were cultural differences in learning styles, the need to adapt our approach to 2 facilitate sustainable local solutions, attrition of skilled local staff, and concerns regarding volunteer health and safety. Recommendations for similar projects include allowing adequate time for in-country scoping and planning, coordination and pooling of resources, and the use of strategies that encourage the shift to confident local ownership of ongoing learning and skill development. Volunteering in a health capacity building program in developing countries can be a challenging but immensely rewarding experience. Programs designed to meet the health demands in developing countries should emphasize adequate training of professionals in the use of transferable, sustainable and cost effective techniques. Time spent in the scoping and planning phase is crucial, as is coordination of efforts and pooling of resources. 2C. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perspectives on Dental Education in the Nordic Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiehn, Nils-Erik

2002-01-01

Reviews the state of dental education and current developments at Nordic dental schools. Discusses similarities and differences in the institutional circumstances of the schools, including demands on the schools, their educational philosophies, and the educational system and its regulation. (EV)

Financing healthcare in Gulf Cooperation Council countries: a focus on Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Alkhamis, Abdulwahab; Hassan, Amir; Cosgrove, Peter

2014-01-01

This paper presents an analysis of the main characteristics of the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) health financing systems and draws similarities and differences between GCC countries and other high-income and low-income countries, in order to provide recommendations for healthcare policy makers. The paper also illustrates some financial implications of the recent implementation of the Compulsory Employment-based Health Insurance (CEBHI) system in Saudi Arabia. Employing a descriptive framework for the country-level analysis of healthcare financing arrangements, we compared expenditure data on healthcare from GCC and other developing and developed countries, mostly using secondary data from the World Health Organization health expenditure database. The analysis was supported by a review of related literature. There are three significant characteristics affecting healthcare financing in GCC countries: (i) large expatriate populations relative to the national population, which leads GCC countries to use different strategies to control expatriate healthcare expenditure; (ii) substantial government revenue, with correspondingly high government expenditure on healthcare services in GCC countries; and (iii) underdeveloped healthcare systems, with some GCC countries' healthcare indicators falling below those of upper-middle-income countries. Reforming the mode of health financing is vital to achieving equitable and efficient healthcare services. Such reform could assist GCC countries in improving their healthcare indicators and bring about a reduction in out-of-pocket payments for healthcare. © 2013 The Authors. International Journal of Health Planning and Management published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The work of the Village: creating a new world for children with hearing loss and their families.

PubMed

Yoshinaga-Itano, Christine; Thomson, Vickie

2008-01-01

Though the health and economic issues in developing countries may create situations in which the development of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs could seem insurmountable, developing countries have some resources that are not easily available to those in the developed world. Developing countries often have well-organized communities in which members work together for the benefit of the individuals within their communities as well as a willingness to learn strategies that can improve the lives of individuals in their communities. Paradoxically, there also exists societal intolerance for disabilities that can result in stigmatization and ultimate isolation of affected families. Hopefully, education within these communities can begin to overcome historical intolerance. While some might argue that sufficient financial resources are the key to the development of an EHDI system, the Colorado system, although grateful for all financial resources, is dependent, first and foremost upon the human resources. This article provides information about the history of the Colorado system in the hopes that lessons learned will provide valuable input to others facing similar challenges.

The impact of the financial crisis on human resources for health policies in three southern-Europe countries.

PubMed

Correia, Tiago; Dussault, Gilles; Pontes, Carla

2015-12-01

The public health sector has been the target of austerity measures since the global financial crisis started in 2008, while health workforce costs have been a source of rapid savings in most European Union countries. This article aims to explore how health workforce policies have evolved in three southern European countries under external constraints imposed by emergency financial programmes agreed with the International Monetary Fund, Central European Bank and European Commission. The selected countries, Greece, Portugal and Cyprus, show similarities with regard to corporatist systems of social protection and comprehensive welfare mechanisms only recently institutionalized. Based on document analysis of the Memoranda of Understanding agreed with the Troika, our results reveal broadly similar policy responses to the crisis but also important differences. In Cyprus, General Practitioners have a key position in reducing public expenditure through gatekeeping and control of users' access, while Portugal and Greece seeks to achieve cost containment by constraining the decision-making powers of professionals. All three countries lack innovation as well as monitoring and assessment of the effects of the financial crisis in relation to the health workforce. Consequently, there is a need for health policy development to use human resources more efficiently in healthcare. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Food irradiation: regulatory aspects in the Asia and Pacific region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luckman, Gary James

2002-03-01

Irradiation treatment of food is becoming an increasingly accepted processing option for countries in the Asia Pacific region wishing to meet growing sanitary and phytosanitary requirements in international trade. There remain however, large differences between the regulatory requirements in the countries in this region. This paper gives an outline on existing food irradiation regulations in the separate countries of the Asia Pacific region. New developments such as the recent decision by the Australia New Zealand Food Authority to start assessing applications for food irradiation treatment are discussed. Australia's intention to regulate the export of food treated by irradiation will also be outlined. Details of the decision to harmonise food irradiation regulations by 13 countries in the Asia Pacific region based on conformance with Codex requirements is outlined. The likelihood of other Asia Pacific countries enacting similar harmonisation of their regulations will be examined. Future development such as certification of irradiation as a sanitary treatment for food are discussed. The expected result of these initiatives is a likely increase in irradiated foods traded within the Asia Pacific region.

ICT Policy and Implementation in Education: Cases in Canada, Northern Ireland and Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin, Roger; Hunter, Bill

2013-01-01

Countries with similar levels of economic development often implement different education ICT policies. Much of the existing research attributes such differences to economic and political factors. In this paper, we examine the development of ICT policy and implementation in the two parts of Ireland and in two Canadian provinces and find that…

Technology transfer of oil-in-water emulsion adjuvant manufacturing for pandemic influenza vaccine production in Romania.

PubMed

Fox, Christopher B; Huynh, Chuong; O'Hara, Michael K; Onu, Adrian

2013-03-15

Many developing countries lack or have inadequate pandemic influenza vaccine manufacturing capacity. In the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, this led to delayed and inadequate vaccine coverage in the developing world. Thus, bolstering developing country influenza vaccine manufacturing capacity is urgently needed. The Cantacuzino Institute in Bucharest, Romania has been producing seasonal influenza vaccine since the 1970s, and has the capacity to produce ∼5 million doses of monovalent vaccine in the event of an influenza pandemic. Inclusion of an adjuvant in the vaccine could enable antigen dose sparing, expanding vaccine coverage and potentially allowing universal vaccination of the Romanian population and possibly neighboring countries. However, adjuvant formulation and manufacturing know-how are difficult to access. This manuscript describes the successful transfer of oil-in-water emulsion adjuvant manufacturing and quality control technologies from the Infectious Disease Research Institute in Seattle, USA to the Cantacuzino Institute. By describing the challenges and accomplishments of the project, it is hoped that the knowledge and experience gained will benefit other institutes involved in similar technology transfer projects designed to facilitate increased vaccine manufacturing capacity in developing countries. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Global environment and health--with emphasis on world nutritional status].

PubMed

Suzuki, T

1993-12-01

Forthcoming global environmental changes threaten to endanger human survival through direct and indirect influences. In this paper, the contemporary world food supply situation and resultant nutritional status was first reviewed on by country and region. When compared with the nutritional energy requirement, countries with an inadequate food supply were concentrated in the developing world, in particular in some parts of Africa. The life expectancy at birth is clearly shorter in such countries, and peoples of African countries with an inadequate food supply have shorter life expectancies than other countries with a similar inadequacy. Global warning is likely to decrease food production in some parts of the world. According to the present estimation using various methods, a future crisis of food production may occur in African countries which are at present most vulnerable to food shortages, as well as in countries which are presently food exporters. Thus, a future crisis of human health conditions caused by the imbalance of food production and trade may be least avoidable in the region of present predicament.

Dilemmas in examining understanding of nature of science in Vietnam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatherley-Greene, Peter

2017-06-01

The two authors, Thi Phuong Thao-Do and Chokchai Yuenyong, explored the Nature of Science as it is understood in Vietnam, a fast-developing `ancient' and modern country which continues to be shaped by uniquely Asian social norms and values. Upon reviewing their paper, I observed strong parallels to the country, the United Arab Emirates, where I have lived and worked for 20 years. In this forum piece, I described several areas of similarity and one striking area of difference between the two societies.

Immunological changes at rectal mucosa in appendectomised subjects and inhabitants of developing countries.

PubMed

Olivares, David; Gisbert, Javier P; Gamallo, Carlos; Maté-Jiménez, José

2007-02-01

It has been suggested that appendicitis protects against ulcerative colitis. We hypothesize that early poor hygiene protects against ulcerative colitis (UC) and predisposes to appendicitis. Our aim was to elucidate the immunological characteristics of rectal mucosa in two populations protected against UC development: appendectomised subjects and inhabitants of developing countries. this was an age-matched prospective case-control study. Each consecutive individual case appendectomised (group A) was compared to another control from a developing country (group B) and to a control from the general population (group C). Four biopsies from rectal mucosa were taken from all subjects, two for histological and two for histochemical study; specific antibodies were used for T lymphocytes CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and B lymphocytes CD20+ populations. Mucosa samples of 45 non-smoker healthy subjects were studied, of which 15 were from group A, 15 from group B and 15 from group C. In appendectomised subjects, the proportion of CD8+ cells was higher than in the control group (p<0.001), but similar to that in B group. The proportion of CD3+ and CD20+ cells was significatively lower than in Ecuadorians, but similar to the control group. In Ecuadorians, the proportion of CD3+ and CD8+ cells was significatively higher than in the control group (p<0.001), and were similar to that of CD20+. There were no significant differences in the proportion of CD4+. Appendectomy and deficient environmental hygiene are associated with an increase of CD8+ T lymphocytes in the rectal mucosa. Moreover, deficient environmental hygiene is associated with an increase of CD3+ and CD8+ lymphocytes. The CD8+ increase is the only common significant alteration in the mucosa of both groups protected against the development of ulcerative colitis, suggesting that the factors causing changes in lamina propria lymphocytes of both groups are different.

Diet, microbiota, and inflammatory bowel disease: lessons from Japanese foods

PubMed Central

Matsuoka, Katsuyoshi; Naganuma, Makoto; Hayashi, Atsushi; Hisamatsu, Tadakazu

2014-01-01

The incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) including ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease are rapidly increasing in Western countries and in developed Asian countries. Although biologic agents targeting the immune system have been effective in patients with IBD, cessation of treatment leads to relapse in the majority of patients, suggesting that intrinsic immune dysregulation is an effect, not a cause, of IBD. Dramatic changes in the environment, resulting in the dysregulated composition of intestinal microbiota or dysbiosis, may be associated with the fundamental causes of IBD. Japan now has upgraded water supply and sewerage systems, as well as dietary habits and antibiotic overuse that are similar to such features found in developed Western countries. The purpose of this review article was to describe the association of diet, particularly Japanese food and microbiota, with IBD. PMID:25045286

Diet, microbiota, and inflammatory bowel disease: lessons from Japanese foods.

PubMed

Kanai, Takanori; Matsuoka, Katsuyoshi; Naganuma, Makoto; Hayashi, Atsushi; Hisamatsu, Tadakazu

2014-07-01

The incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) including ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease are rapidly increasing in Western countries and in developed Asian countries. Although biologic agents targeting the immune system have been effective in patients with IBD, cessation of treatment leads to relapse in the majority of patients, suggesting that intrinsic immune dysregulation is an effect, not a cause, of IBD. Dramatic changes in the environment, resulting in the dysregulated composition of intestinal microbiota or dysbiosis, may be associated with the fundamental causes of IBD. Japan now has upgraded water supply and sewerage systems, as well as dietary habits and antibiotic overuse that are similar to such features found in developed Western countries. The purpose of this review article was to describe the association of diet, particularly Japanese food and microbiota, with IBD.

FAIR TRADE ETHANOL: FUEL PRODUCTION FROM COFFEE WASTES

EPA Science Inventory

Coffee is an important crop for developing countries, particularly in Latin America. It provides essential income to millions of people, but the wastewater generated threatens the environment and human health. The basic needs in Nicaragua are enormous, similar to many other co...

Clostridium difficile infection in low- and middle-human development index countries: a systematic review.

PubMed

Forrester, Joseph D; Cai, Lawrence Z; Mbanje, Chenesa; Rinderknecht, Tanya N; Wren, Sherry M

2017-10-01

To describe the impact and epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in low- and middle-human development index (LMHDI) countries. Prospectively registered, systematic literature review of existing literature in the PubMed, Ovid and Web of Science databases describing the epidemiology and management of C. difficile in LMHDI countries. Risk factors were compared between studies when available. Of the 218 abstracts identified after applying search criteria, 25 studies were reviewed in detail. The weighted pooled infection rate among symptomatic non-immunosuppressed inpatients was 15.8% (95% CI 12.1-19.5%) and was 10.1% (95% CI 3.0-17.2%) among symptomatic outpatients. Subgroup analysis of immunosuppressed patient populations revealed pooled infection rates similar to non-immunosuppressed patient populations. Risk factor analysis was infrequently performed. While the percentages of patients with CDI in LMHDI countries among the reviewed studies are lower than expected, there remains a paucity of epidemiologic data evaluating burden of C. difficile infection in these settings. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prospects and problems of medical tourism in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Mamun, Muhammad Z; Andaleeb, Syed Saad

2013-01-01

The growing trend of Bangladeshi patients travelling abroad for medical services has led to some soul-searching in policy circles. While other countries of the Southeast Asia region are profiting from medical tourism, Bangladesh not only lags behind, it also loses patients to these countries in a continuous stream. This exodus for medical treatment is seemingly driven by the higher perceived quality of treatment abroad, despite the fact that similar treatment is available more cost-effectively within the country. Certainly the Bangladesh health care system is not without its problenis, which have diminished the perception of quality in the sector. Thus, this study focuses on key factors for Bangladeshi health service providers to address. By doing so, they will be better able to develop the local health care sector and retain Bangladeshi patients within the country. Subsequently, by identifying strategic niches, Bangladesh could focus on delivering higher quality health care services to develop medical tourism and attract patients from abroad in specific categories of health care.

Cancer research performance in the European Union: a study of published output from 2000 to 2008.

PubMed

Micheli, Andrea; Di Salvo, Francesca; Lombardo, Claudio; Ugolini, Donatella; Baili, Paolo; A Pierotti, Marco

2011-01-01

Although several studies have assessed cancer research performance in individual European countries, comparisons of European Union (EU27) performance with countries of similar population size are not available. We compared cancer research performance in 2000-2008 between EU27 and 11 countries with over 100 million inhabitants. Performance should not have been affected by the 2007-2009 recession. We examined 143 journals considered oncology journals by Journal Citation Reports, accessing them via Scopus. Publications were attributed to countries using a published counting procedure. For number of publications, the USA held a clear lead in 2006-2008 (yearly averages: 10,293 USA vs 9,962 EU27), whereas the EU27 held the lead previously. EU27 was also second to the USA for total impact factor. China markedly improved its cancer publications record over the period. Compared to the USA, EU27 and Japan, the other countries (all developing) had a poor publications record. Comparative cancer research spending data are not available. However from 2002 to 2007, gross domestic expenditure on research and development (UNESCO data) increased by 34% in North America, 161% in China and only 28% in EU27. Thus the European Union is lagging behind North America and may well be eclipsed by China in research and development spending in the near future. We suggest that these new findings should be considered by policymakers in Europe and other countries when developing policies for cancer control.

International Perspectives on Radiology in Preventive Screening.

PubMed

Brus-Ramer, Marcel; Lexa, Frank J; Kassing, Pamela; McGinty, Geraldine

2016-11-01

Several years ago, the International Economics Committee of the ACR began a study of comparisons among nations regarding the practice of radiology. This article is the second in a series. The purpose here is to compare the use across countries of imaging modalities in the screening algorithms of a variety of common diseases. In conjunction with the initial study, this will allow radiologists to understand in greater detail how health system practices differ among a selected set of nations. In this study, a standardized survey was administered to committee members from 10 countries in the developed and developing world. As with the prior study, there were both striking differences and similarities, even among a small cohort of nations that are all (except India) members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. For example, breast cancer screening with mammography involves similar radiographic techniques for screening evaluations and has similarly high levels of insurance coverage, but the recommended ages at initial screening and end of screening differ. Other diseases, such as lung cancer and abdominal aortic aneurysm, have variable, but overall lower, levels of estimated participation among surveyed countries and significantly lower insurance coverage. Although this data set relies on survey data from individual practitioners, it provides an important perspective of the role of radiology in screening programs. Given the increasing pressure from domestic and foreign governments to reign in health care costs, the comparative differences in screening programs, and especially their use of (often costly) imaging techniques, may be a harbinger for future health policy decisions in the United States and abroad. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Primary health care and the millennium development goals].

PubMed

Faye, A; Bob, M; Fall, A; Fall, C

2012-01-01

Member countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) met in Alma Ata (8-12 September 1978) to define and advocate the implementation of primary health care (PHC) worldwide, above all, in developing countries, which had a real need to review their strategies for meeting the health needs of their populations. They did not suspect that 20 years later the vision they displayed would remain undeniably relevant. Here we examine the similarities and points of convergence of their declaration about PHC with the Millennium Development Goals that seek today to reduce poverty across the world. An exhaustive and analytic literature review was conducted to collect those similarities. Further analysis of the definitions, objectives, principles and recommendations of the Alma Ata Declaration and the Millennium Declaration reveals multiple dependencies and fundamental points of similarity between these two representations. Almost all states have pledged to achieve the eight MDG by 2015: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability, and develop a global partnership for development. The Alma Ata conference defined primary health care as essential health care, based on practical methods and techniques that are both scientifically sound and socially acceptable, universally accessible to all individuals and all families of the community, through their full participation and at a cost that the community and countries can afford at all stages of their development in the spirit of self-reliance and self-determination. It is an integral part of economic and social development. The following principles are involved in the achievement of both primary health care and the MDG: social equity, community participation, and intersectorality. Public health is an essential condition of poverty eradication and MDG achievement. Public health issues are central to the problem of sustainable development and must therefore remain the focus of attention. It is increasingly urgent to break the vicious circle created by the close correlation between environmental degradation, poor health, and poverty.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Marara, Madeleine; Okello, Nick; Kuhanwa, Zainab

This paper reviews and compares the condition of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) system in three countries in the East Africa region: Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. The criteria used for the evaluation and the comparison of each system are based on the elements of the legal, administrative and procedural frameworks, as well as the context in which they operate. These criteria are adapted from the evaluation and quality control criteria derived from a number of literature sources. The study reveals that the EIA systems of Kenya and Tanzania are at a similar stage in their development. The two countries, themore » first to introduce the EIA concept into their jurisdiction in this part of Africa, therefore have more experience than Rwanda in the practice of environmental impact assessment, where the legislation and process requires more time to mature both from the governmental and societal perspective. The analysis of the administrative and procedural frameworks highlights the weakness in the autonomy of the competent authority, in all three countries. Finally a major finding of this study is that the contextual set up i.e. the socio-economic and political situation plays an important role in the performance of an EIA system. The context in developing countries is very different from developed countries where the EIA concept originates. Interpreting EIA conditions in countries like Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania requires that the analysis for determining the effectiveness of their systems should be undertaken within a relevant framework, taking into account the specific requirements of those countries.« less

Is astronomical research appropriate for developing countries?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snowden, Michael S.

An unproductive 45-cm astronomical telescope, given by JICA (Japan) to Sri Lanka, raises general questions as to the reasons for unproductive pure science in developing countries. Before installation, site, maintenance, and scientific objectives were discussed. The facility was launched with a conference organised by the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs. Unfortunately, no research or significant education has resulted after four years. The annual operating cost is U.S. $5000 per year, including salary for a trainee, maintenance, and a modest promotional programme. Comparison with a similar installation in Auckland suggests lack of funding or technical competence do not explain the failure in Sri Lanka. The facility in New Zealand, on the roof of Auckland University's Physics Department, has a slightly smaller budget but has led to modest but useful research and teaching. Lack of financial backing and expertise are often blamed for weak science in developing countries, but examination shows most of these countries have adequately skilled people, and plenty of resources for religion and military. General lack of motivation for science appears to be the principal reason. This lack of interest and highly inefficient bureaucracies are common to scientifically unproductive countries. They mostly lack the cultural and philosophical base of the European Renaissance that motivate the pursuit of modern science, an activity that violates human preferences. There are excellent facilities (ESO, SAAO, Cerro Tololo, and GONG) in some of these same countries, when administered from the West.

Spending to save? State health expenditure and infant mortality in India.

PubMed

Bhalotra, Sonia

2007-09-01

There are severe inequalities in health in the world, poor health being concentrated amongst poor people in poor countries. Poor countries spend a much smaller share of national income on health expenditure than do richer countries. What potential lies in political or growth processes that raise this share? This depends upon how effective government health spending in developing countries is. Existing research presents little evidence of an impact on childhood mortality. Using specifications similar to those in the existing literature, this paper finds a similar result for India, which is that state health spending saves no lives. However, upon allowing lagged effects, controlling in a flexible way for trended unobservables and restricting the sample to rural households, a significant effect of health expenditure on infant mortality emerges, the long run elasticity being about -0.24. There are striking differences in the impact by social group. Slicing the data by gender, birth order, religion, maternal and paternal education and maternal age at birth, I find the weakest effects in the most vulnerable groups (with the exception of a large effect for scheduled tribes). Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Influences on the Knowledge and Beliefs of Ordinary People about Developmental Hierarchies

PubMed Central

Binstock, Georgina; Thornton, Arland; Abbasi-Shavazi, Mohammad J; Ghimire, Dirgha; Xie, Yu; Yount, Kathryn M

2014-01-01

This paper is motivated by the idea that development and developmental hierarchies have been constructed and embraced for centuries by scholars and policy makers, and have been disseminated among ordinary people. Recent research shows that most people have constructions of development hierarchies that are similar across countries. In this paper, we extend this research by examining how basic social factors influence ordinary people´s beliefs about development and developmental hierarchies in six countries: Argentina, China, Egypt, Iran, Nepal and the United States. Results show that the understanding and perception of developmental hierarchies vary by gender and education. These results are important because they show how distinct groups of people have differential access to information or ideas. PMID:24634541

Impact of regulatory assessment on clinical studies in Brazil.

PubMed

Russo, Luis Augusto Tavares; Eliaschewitz, Freddy Goldberg; Harada, Vitor; Trefiglio, Roberta Pereira; Picciotti, Raffaella; Machado, Paula Goulart Pinheiro; Kesselring, Gustavo Luiz Ferreira

2016-01-01

Despite the recent expansion of clinical studies allocated to Brazil, the delay of local regulatory deadlines directly impacts their completion. This article examines the allocation process of clinical studies to Brazil in comparison with other countries, as well as the financial impact of studies not completed due to interruption caused by the delay in the regulatory process. The allocation processes of studies were compared in nine countries with similar stages of economic development and countries in Latin America using the websites http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/GDP-rankings-table and http://worldpopulationreview.com and clinicaltrials.gov, comprising 185 countries. The 46 studies sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry underwent an analysis of the regulatory review process. 46 studies sponsored by the industry and submitted in the country between June 2007 and June 2013 were analyzed; 18 (39%) were discontinued due to the delay in obtaining the necessary approvals. For the approved studies, patient recruitment began an average of 11 months after the other countries. It is estimated that 530 Brazilians patients did not have the opportunity to participate in these studies. Financial losses were to the order of 14.6 million dollars for the country, including patient, medication and supplies costs, and expenses. Brazil has enormous potential for the realization of clinical studies. Researchers, associations of disabled people and patients with chronic diseases, sponsors and the authorities must work together to develop an approval process that is efficient, predictable and, most of all, transparent. The current regulatory environment must and can be improved and optimized in order to result in tangible benefits for patients, society and the country's scientific development.

What do we know about neurogenic bladder prevalence and management in developing countries and emerging regions of the world?

PubMed

Przydacz, Mikolaj; Denys, Pierre; Corcos, Jacques

2017-09-01

To summarize information on Neurogenic Bladder (NB) epidemiology, management and access to patient treatment in developing countries and emerging regions of the world in order to propose future interventions and help governmental as well as non-governmental organizations design their action plans. Different search methods were used to gather the maximum available data. They included strategic searches; reference checks; grey literature searches (reports, working papers, government documents, civil society information); contacting professional societies, registries, and authors; requesting unpublished data from organizations; and browsing related websites and journals. The incidence and prevalence rates of NB in developing countries are difficult to establish because epidemiological reports are few and far between. The frequency of bladder dysfunction in neurologically impaired populations can be approximately estimated in some of these countries. Similar information paucity affects diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to NB patients living in less-developed regions of the world. The assessment and management of NB seems to vary markedly between countries, and care of patients from emerging regions of the world is often inadequate. Strong concerted efforts are needed on the part of international scientific societies, non-governmental organizations and local governments to work together to change the prognosis for these patients and to improve their quality of life. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Career Techniques and Interventions: Themes from an International Conversation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feller, Rich W.; Russell, Martha; Whichard, Judy A.

2005-01-01

The need for appropriate, timely, and increasingly comprehensive career development and education programs continues to escalate. It is interesting that despite the differences in cultures, religions, economies, political systems, and education structures, many countries face similar challenges when designing and implementing career development…

Electric service reliability cost/worth assessment in a developing country

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, Mohan Kumar

Considerable work has been done in developed countries to optimize the reliability of electric power systems on the basis of reliability cost versus reliability worth. This has yet to be considered in most developing countries, where development plans are still based on traditional deterministic measures. The difficulty with these criteria is that they cannot be used to evaluate the economic impacts of changing reliability levels on the utility and the customers, and therefore cannot lead to an optimum expansion plan for the system. The critical issue today faced by most developing countries is that the demand for electric power is high and growth in supply is constrained by technical, environmental, and most importantly by financial impediments. Many power projects are being canceled or postponed due to a lack of resources. The investment burden associated with the electric power sector has already led some developing countries into serious debt problems. This thesis focuses on power sector issues facing by developing countries and illustrates how a basic reliability cost/worth approach can be used in a developing country to determine appropriate planning criteria and justify future power projects by application to the Nepal Integrated Electric Power System (NPS). A reliability cost/worth based system evaluation framework is proposed in this thesis. Customer surveys conducted throughout Nepal using in-person interviews with approximately 2000 sample customers are presented. The survey results indicate that the interruption cost is dependent on both customer and interruption characteristics, and it varies from one location or region to another. Assessments at both the generation and composite system levels have been performed using the customer cost data and the developed NPS reliability database. The results clearly indicate the implications of service reliability to the electricity consumers of Nepal, and show that the reliability cost/worth evaluation is both possible and practical in a developing country. The average customer interruption costs of Rs 35/kWh at Hierarchical Level I and Rs 26/kWh at Hierarchical Level II evaluated in this research work led to an optimum reserve margin of 7.5%, which is considerably lower than the traditional reserve margin of 15% used in the NPS. A similar conclusion may result in other developing countries facing difficulties in power system expansion planning using the traditional approach. A new framework for system planning is therefore recommended for developing countries which would permit an objective review of the traditional system planning approach, and the evaluation of future power projects using a new approach based on fundamental principles of power system reliability and economics.

Building Sustainable Capacity for Cardiovascular Care at a Public Hospital in Western Kenya.

PubMed

Binanay, Cynthia A; Akwanalo, Constantine O; Aruasa, Wilson; Barasa, Felix A; Corey, G Ralph; Crowe, Susie; Esamai, Fabian; Einterz, Robert; Foster, Michael C; Gardner, Adrian; Kibosia, John; Kimaiyo, Sylvester; Koech, Myra; Korir, Belinda; Lawrence, John E; Lukas, Stephanie; Manji, Imran; Maritim, Peris; Ogaro, Francis; Park, Peter; Pastakia, Sonak D; Sugut, Wilson; Vedanthan, Rajesh; Yanoh, Reuben; Velazquez, Eric J; Bloomfield, Gerald S

2015-12-08

Cardiovascular disease deaths are increasing in low- and middle-income countries and are exacerbated by health care systems that are ill-equipped to manage chronic diseases. Global health partnerships, which have stemmed the tide of infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries, can be similarly applied to address cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we present the experiences of an academic partnership between North American and Kenyan medical centers to improve cardiovascular health in a national public referral hospital. We highlight our stepwise approach to developing sustainable cardiovascular services using the health system strengthening World Health Organization Framework for Action. The building blocks of this framework (leadership and governance, health workforce, health service delivery, health financing, access to essential medicines, and health information system) guided our comprehensive and sustainable approach to delivering subspecialty care in a resource-limited setting. Our experiences may guide the development of similar collaborations in other settings. Copyright © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cancer Care and Control as a Human Right: Recognizing Global Oncology as an Academic Field.

PubMed

Eniu, Alexandru E; Martei, Yehoda M; Trimble, Edward L; Shulman, Lawrence N

2017-01-01

The global burden of cancer incidence and mortality is on the rise. There are major differences in cancer fatality rates due to profound disparities in the burden and resource allocation for cancer care and control in developed compared with developing countries. The right to cancer care and control should be a human right accessible to all patients with cancer, regardless of geographic or economic region, to avoid unnecessary deaths and suffering from cancer. National cancer planning should include an integrated approach that incorporates a continuum of education, prevention, cancer diagnostics, treatment, survivorship, and palliative care. Global oncology as an academic field should offer the knowledge and skills needed to efficiently assess situations and work on solutions, in close partnership. We need medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, pediatric oncologists, gynecologic oncologists, radiologists, and pathologists trained to think about well-tailored resource-stratified solutions to cancer care in the developing world. Moreover, the multidisciplinary fundamental team approach needed to treat most neoplastic diseases requires coordinated investment in several areas. Current innovative approaches have relied on partnerships between academic institutions in developed countries and local governments and ministries of health in developing countries to provide the expertise needed to implement effective cancer control programs. Global oncology is a viable and necessary field that needs to be emphasized because of its critical role in proposing not only solutions in developing countries, but also solutions that can be applied to similar challenges of access to cancer care and control faced by underserved populations in developed countries.

The future of reforestation programs in the tropical developing countries: insights from the Philippines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukul, S. A.; Herbohn, J. L.

2013-12-01

Reforestation against the rapid rate of deforestation and forest degradation is common in most tropical developing countries. The main objective of reforestation programs is to restore and/or enhance the degraded landscapes depreciated in environmental value. However due to changing socio-political contexts and increasing awareness on sustainable development and environmental issues such programs are becoming more challenging, particularly in the developing tropics. Like most tropical developing countries substantial deforestation has occurred in the Philippines followed by massive logging and slash-and-burn agriculture, resulting in severe social and environmental problems. The country is also one of the pioneer countries that introduces reforestation program to restore its degraded forests. Most recently the government of the Philippines has launched the National Greening Program (NGP), one of the largest reforestation projects so far, with an aim to reforest 1.5 million hectares of degraded forest in critical watersheds over a five year time period. This paper highlights the key challenges that might hinder the success of the reforestation program through National Greening Program. We found that it is unlikely to achieve the desired project goals if rural communities dependent on upland landscapes are excluded from the reforestation program through plantation establishment. Bringing larger amount of areas and greater number of people under community based forest management (CBFM) initiatives for reforestation programs, with clearly defined rights and responsibilities, as well as securing timely access to timber harvesting permits to the communities involved in maintaining the plantations could enhance the long term reforestation success in the country. The paper also tries to provide a critical review of the past reforestation efforts in the Philippines, and direction of possible research and development in order to achieve a win-win situation that will benefits both the local livelihoods and the environment, not only in the Philippines but in other tropical developing countries with similar socio-political context.

Addressing economic development goals through innovative teaching of university statistics: a case study of statistical modelling in Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oseloka Ezepue, Patrick; Ojo, Adegbola

2012-12-01

A challenging problem in some developing countries such as Nigeria is inadequate training of students in effective problem solving using the core concepts of their disciplines. Related to this is a disconnection between their learning and socio-economic development agenda of a country. These problems are more vivid in statistical education which is dominated by textbook examples and unbalanced assessment 'for' and 'of' learning within traditional curricula. The problems impede the achievement of socio-economic development objectives such as those stated in the Nigerian Vision 2020 blueprint and United Nations Millennium Development Goals. They also impoverish the ability of (statistics) graduates to creatively use their knowledge in relevant business and industry sectors, thereby exacerbating mass graduate unemployment in Nigeria and similar developing countries. This article uses a case study in statistical modelling to discuss the nature of innovations in statistics education vital to producing new kinds of graduates who can link their learning to national economic development goals, create wealth and alleviate poverty through (self) employment. Wider implications of the innovations for repositioning mathematical sciences education globally are explored in this article.

Development assistance for health in central and eastern European Region.

PubMed Central

Suhrcke, Marc; Rechel, Bernd; Michaud, Catherine

2005-01-01

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to quantify development assistance for health to countries of central and eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE-CIS). METHODS: We used the International Development Statistics database of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the database on development assistance for health compiled for the Commission on Macroeconomics and Health to quantify health development assistance to the region, compared to global and overall development assistance. We based our analysis on standard health indicators, including child mortality, life expectancy at birth and health expenditures. FINDINGS: Although total development assistance per capita to CEE-CIS was higher than that for most other regions of the world, development assistance for health was very low compared to other countries with similar levels of child mortality, life expectancy at birth and national expenditures on health. CONCLUSION: The allocation of development assistance for health on a global scale seems to be related far more to child mortality rather than adult mortality. Countries of CEE-CIS have a high burden of adult morbidity and mortality from non-communicable diseases, which does not appear to attract proportionate development assistance. Levels of development assistance for health should be determined in consideration of the region's particular burden of disease. PMID:16462984

Abdominal ultrasonographic findings in typhoid fever: a comparison between typhoid patients and those with non-typhoidal Salmonella and Campylobacter jejuni enterocolitis.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Akira; Adachi, Yasuo; Iwata, Yoshinori; Sakai, Yoshiyuki; Shigemitu, Kazuaki; Todoroki, Miwako; Ide, Mituru

2012-03-01

Typhoid fever is a major health problem in many developing countries and its clinical features are similar to other types of bacterial enterocolitis. Definitive diagnosis by blood culture requires several days and is often unfeasible to perform in developing countries. More efficient and rapid diagnostic methods for typhoid are needed. We compared the pathological changes in the bowel and adjacent tissues of patients having typhoid fever with those having bacterial enterocolitis using ultrasonography. A characteristic of patients with non-typhoidal Salmonella and Campylobacter jejuni enterocolitis was mural thickening of the terminal ileum; only mild mural swelling or no swelling was observed in patients with typhoid fever. Mesenteric lymph nodes in patients with typhoid fever were significantly more enlarged compared to patients with other types of bacterial enterocolitis. Our findings suggest typhoid fever is not fundamentally an enteric disease but rather resembles mesenteric lymphadenopathy and ultrasound is a promising modality for diagnosing typhoid fever in developing countries.

Are intrinsic motivational factors of work associated with functional incapacity similarly regardless of the country?

PubMed

Väänänen, A; Pahkin, K; Huuhtanen, P; Kivimäki, M; Vahtera, J; Theorell, T; Kalimo, R

2005-10-01

Many psychosocial models of wellbeing at work emphasise the role of intrinsic motivational factors such as job autonomy, job complexity, and innovativeness. However, little is known about whether the employees of multinational enterprises differ from country to country with regard to intrinsic motivational factors, and whether these factors are associated with wellbeing similarly in the different countries. The purpose of this study was to examine the level of intrinsic motivational factors and their impact on functional incapacity in different countries in a multinational corporation. In 2000, data were collected from a globally operating corporation with a questionnaire survey. The participants were 13 795 employees (response rate 59%; 56% under age 45; 80% men; 61% blue collar employees), who worked in similar industrial occupations in five countries (Canada, China, Finland, France, and Sweden). The Chinese employees reported higher autonomy and lower complexity at work than the employees from the other countries. After adjustment for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and physical work environment, job autonomy, and job complexity at work were associated with functional incapacity in most countries, whereas in China the impact was significantly stronger. In Finland and in China employees with low innovativeness at work were more prone to functional incapacity than corresponding employees in other countries. The level of intrinsic motivational factors varied between the Chinese employees and those in other countries. In line with theoretical notions, the relation between intrinsic motivational factors of work and functional incapacity followed a similar pattern in the different countries. However, these country specific results show that a culture specific approach to employee wellbeing should also be applied.

Health care professionals from developing countries report educational benefits after an online diabetes course.

PubMed

Wewer Albrechtsen, Nicolai J; Poulsen, Kristina W; Svensson, Lærke Ø; Jensen, Lasse; Holst, Jens J; Torekov, Signe S

2017-05-31

Medical education is a cornerstone in the global combat against diseases such as diabetes and obesity which together affect more than 500 million humans. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are educational tools for institutions to teach and share their research worldwide. Currently, millions of people have participated in evidence-based MOOCs, however educational and professional benefit(s) for course participants of such initiatives have not been addressed sufficiently. We therefore investigated if participation in a 6 week open online course in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and obesity had any impact on the knowledge, skills, and career of health care professionals contrasting participants from developing countries versus developed countries. 52.006 participants signed up and 29.469 participants were active in one of the three sessions (2014-2015) of Diabetes - a Global Challenge. Using an online based questionnaire (nine sections) software (Survey Monkey), email invitations were send out using a Coursera based database to the 29.469 course participants. Responses were analyzed and stratified, according to the United Nations stratification method, by developing and developed countries. 1.303 (4.4%) of the 29.469 completed the questionnaire. 845 of the 1303 were defined as health care professionals, including medical doctors (34%), researchers (15%), nurses (11%) and medical students (8%). Over 80% of the health care participants report educational benefits, improved knowledge about the prevention and treatment therapies of diabetes and furthermore improved professional life and practice. Over 40% reported that their professional network expanded after course participation. Study participants who did not complete all modules of the course reported similar impact as the ones that completed the entire course(P = 0.9). Participants from developing countries gained more impact on their clinical practice (94%) compared to health care professionals from developed regions (88%) (Mean of differences = 6%, P = 0.03. Based on self-reports from course participants, MOOC based medical education seems promising with respect to providing accessible and free research-based education to health professionals in both developing and developed countries. Course participants from developing countries report more benefits from course participation than their counterparts in the developed world.

Determinants of Antibiotic Consumption - Development of a Model using Partial Least Squares Regression based on Data from India.

PubMed

Tamhankar, Ashok J; Karnik, Shreyasee S; Stålsby Lundborg, Cecilia

2018-04-23

Antibiotic resistance, a consequence of antibiotic use, is a threat to health, with severe consequences for resource constrained settings. If determinants for human antibiotic use in India, a lower middle income country, with one of the highest antibiotic consumption in the world could be understood, interventions could be developed, having implications for similar settings. Year wise data for India, for potential determinants and antibiotic consumption, was sourced from publicly available databases for the years 2000-2010. Data was analyzed using Partial Least Squares regression and correlation between determinants and antibiotic consumption was evaluated, formulating 'Predictors' and 'Prediction models'. The 'prediction model' with the statistically most significant predictors (root mean square errors of prediction for train set-377.0 and test set-297.0) formulated from a combination of Health infrastructure + Surface transport infrastructure (HISTI), predicted antibiotic consumption within 95% confidence interval and estimated an antibiotic consumption of 11.6 standard units/person (14.37 billion standard units totally; standard units = number of doses sold in the country; a dose being a pill, capsule, or ampoule) for India for 2014. The HISTI model may become useful in predicting antibiotic consumption for countries/regions having circumstances and data similar to India, but without resources to measure actual data of antibiotic consumption.

The physical therapy profile questionnaire (PTPQ): development, validation and pilot testing.

PubMed

Dizon, Janine Margarita R; Grimmer-Somers, Karen; Kumar, Saravana

2011-09-19

Country by country similarities and differences in physical therapy practice exists. Therefore, before updates in practice can be provided, such as trainings in evidence-based practice, it is necessary to identify the profile and nature of practice in a given country or setting. Following a search of the international literature, no appropriate tool was identified to collect and establish data to create the profile of physical therapy practice in the Philippines. We therefore developed, validated and pilot tested a survey instrument which would comprehensively describe the practice of physical therapy in the Philippines We used a mixed methods design to answer our study aims. A focus group interview was conducted among a group of physical therapists to establish the content and contexts of items to be included in the survey instrument. Findings were amalgamated with the information from the literature on developing survey instruments/questionnaires. A survey instrument was drafted and named as the Physical Therapy Profile Questionnaire (PTPQ). The PTPQ was then validated and pilot tested to a different group of physical therapists.The final version consisted of five separate parts namely (A) General information and demographics, (B) Practice Profile, (C) Treatment Preferences, (D) Bases for clinical work and (E) Bases for educational/research work. At present the PTPQ is relevant to the Philippines and could be used by any country which has a similar nature of practice with the Philippines. The Physical Therapy Practice Questionnaire (PTPQ) was shown to have good face and content validity among the Filipino physical therapists and their context of practice. It has also been found to be useful, easy to administer tool and in a format appealing to respondents. The PTPQ is expected to assist comprehensive data collection to create a profile of physical therapy practice in the Philippines.

Developing an International Corpus of Creative English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassall, Peter John

2006-01-01

This paper proposes an International Corpus of Creative English (ICCE) as a worldwide corpus particularly suitable for implementation in countries which have tertiary institutions with well-defined populations of students possessing similar cultural and/or linguistic backgrounds. The ICCE is contextualized as a world Englishes corpus with…

What Educators Can Do About Cigarette Smoking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Washington, DC.

Examples of interesting experiences which have occurred in smoking education programs throughout the country are presented in condensed form to encourage active participation by educators in such programs. These experiences, together with guidelines for creating similar programs, are drawn from a four-year Leadership Development Project on smoking…

America's Culturally Different Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donelson, Kenneth, Ed.

1969-01-01

To maintain within a national unity the richness of cultural diversity that has made America great, school curriculums should develop in the child a knowledge of the country's varying cultures. Teachers should initiate for children meaningful experiences with other cultures to help them appreciate the differences and similarities among people. One…

Sustainable waste management in Africa through CDM projects.

PubMed

Couth, R; Trois, C

2012-11-01

Only few Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects (traditionally focussed on landfill gas combustion) have been registered in Africa if compared to similar developing countries. The waste hierarchy adopted by many African countries clearly shows that waste recycling and composting projects are generally the most sustainable. This paper undertakes a sustainability assessment for practical waste treatment and disposal scenarios for Africa and makes recommendations for consideration. The appraisal in this paper demonstrates that mechanical biological treatment of waste becomes more financially attractive if established through the CDM process. Waste will continue to be dumped in Africa with increasing greenhouse gas emissions produced, unless industrialised countries (Annex 1) fund carbon emission reduction schemes through a replacement to the Kyoto Protocol. Such a replacement should calculate all of the direct and indirect carbon emission savings and seek to promote public-private partnerships through a concerted support of the informal sector. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Promoting space research and applications in developing countries through small satellite missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sweeting, M.

The high vantage-point of space offers very direct and tangible benefits to developing countries when carefully focused upon their real and particular communications and Earth observation needs. However, until recently, access to space has been effectively restricted to only those countries prepared to invest enormous sums in complex facilities and expensive satellites and launchers: this has placed individual participation in space beyond the sensible grasp of developing countries. However, during the last decade, highly capable and yet inexpensive small satellites have been developed which provide an opportunity for developing countries realistically to acquire and operate their own independent space assets - customized to their particular national needs. Over the last 22 years, the Surrey Space Centre has pioneered, developed and launched 23 nano-micro-minisatellite missions, and has worked in partnership with 12 developing countries to enable them to take their first independent steps into space. Surrey has developed a comprehensive and in-depth space technology know-how transfer and 'hands-on' training programme that uses a collaborative project comprising the design, construction, launch and operation of a microsatellite to acquire an indigenous space capability and create the nucleus of a national space agency and space industry. Using low cost small satellite projects as a focus, developing countries are able to initiate a long term, affordable and sustainable national space programme specifically tailored to their requirements, that is able to access the benefits derived from Earth observation for land use and national security; improved communications services; catalyzing scientific research and indigenous high-technology supporting industries. Perhaps even more important is the long-term benefit to the country provided by stimulating educational and career opportunities for your scientists and engineers and retaining them inside the country rather the all-too-familiar 'brain-drain' seeking employment overseas. The most successful countries have secured their initial investment in acquiring space know-how by following through with the formation of a national space agency or organization to provide a stable nucleus for supporting long-term space activities. Particularly suited to developing countries, Surrey has co-ordinated the first international constellation of small satellites for Earth Observation - the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC). Four enhanced microsatellites have been launched in 2002 & 2003 built collaboratively by Surrey and Algeria, Nigeria, Turkey and UK which now provide daily images of anywhere in the world for disaster management and monitoring other dynamic phenomena such as land use and urban development. The same model of international partnership will be used in follow-on constellations with different sensors (IR, SAR, hyper-spectral) to meet national needs in a sustainable way. In a similar manner whereby the Personal Computer enabled developing countries access to modern information technologies on an affordable budget, small satellites are enabling these same countries to access space within sensible and sustainable expenditures for the direct benefit of their populations.

International Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (I-JEDI) Model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

International Jobs and Economic Development Impacts (I-JEDI) is a freely available economic model that estimates gross economic impacts from wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy projects. Building on a similar model for the United States, I-JEDI was developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory under the U.S. government's Enhancing Capacity for Low Emission Development Strategies (EC-LEDS) program to support partner countries in assessing economic impacts of LEDS actions in the energy sector.

The common objectives of the European Nordic countries and the role of space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehnert, Christopher; Giannopapa, Christina; Vaudo, Ersilia

2016-11-01

The European Space Agency (ESA) has twenty two Member States with common goals of engaging in European space activities. However, the various Member States have a variety of governance structures, strategic priorities regarding space and other sectorial areas depending on their cultural and geopolitical aspirations. The Nordic countries, namely Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, have similarities which result often in common geopolitical and cultural aspects. These in turn shape their respective priorities and interests in setting up their policies in a number of sectorial areas like shipping and fisheries, energy, immigration, agriculture, security and defence, infrastructures, climate change and the Arctic. Space technology, navigation, earth observation, telecommunication and integrated applications can assist the Nordic countries in developing, implementing and monitoring policies of common interest. This paper provides an in-depth overview and a comprehensive assessment of these common interests in policy areas where space can provide support in their realisation. The first part provides a synthesis of the Nordic countries respective priorities through analysing their government programmes and plans. The priorities are classified according to the six areas of sustainability: energy, environment and climate change, transport, knowledge and innovation, natural resources (fisheries, agriculture, forestry, mining, etc), and security and external relations. Although the national strategies present different national perspectives, at the same time, there are a number of similarities when it comes to overall policy objectives in a number of areas such as the Arctic and climate change. In other words, even though the Arctic plays a different role in each country's national context and there are clear differences as regards geography, access to resources and security policies, the strategies display common general interest in sustainable development and management of resources, protection of the environment, international cooperation and regional security. The second part of this paper focuses on the national space strategies and indicates the main priorities and trends. The priorities vary from one country to the other and can include science, navigation, earth observation, human space flight, launchers, technology development, and/or applications. The motivation for investing in space activities also change (e.g. international cooperation, industrial competitiveness, societal benefits, job creation).

The overlap of overweight and anaemia among women in three countries undergoing the nutrition transition.

PubMed

Eckhardt, C L; Torheim, L E; Monterrubio, E; Barquera, S; Ruel, M T

2008-02-01

To compare the odds of anaemia in overweight and obese (OVWT) (body mass index (BMI) > or =25) versus non-overweight (non-OVWT) (BMI<25) women in three countries at different stages of the nutrition transition. Analysis of cross-sectional data. Nationally representative data from Mexico (1998 National Nutrition Survey), Peru and Egypt (2000 Demographic and Health Surveys) were analyzed. Data from non-pregnant women ages 18-49 years were used. Logistic regression was used to test whether the odds of anaemia differed by BMI category, controlling for sociodemographic factors. More than half of the women were OVWT in all three countries and the prevalence of OVWT reached 77% in Egypt. Anaemia prevalence was similar across countries (28, 31 and 23% in Egypt, Peru and Mexico respectively). In Egypt, OVWT women had significantly lower odds of anaemia than non-OVWT women (OR=0.78, 95% CI: 0.68, 0.90). Similar results were found in Peru, but the difference was smaller in magnitude (OR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.71, 0.96). In Mexico, there were no differences in the odds of anaemia by BMI group. These findings show that the iron needs of OVWT women in developing countries are not necessarily being met. The intakes of other micronutrients might also be insufficient. Diet quality remains an important issue even among women with sufficient energy intakes.

Challenges and barriers for implementation of the World Health Organization Global Disability Action Plan in low- and middle- income countries.

PubMed

Khan, Fary; Owolabi, Mayowa Ojo; Amatya, Bhasker; Hamzat, Talhatu Kolapo; Ogunniyi, Adesola; Oshinowo, Helen; Elmalik, Alaeldin; Galea, Mary P

2018-04-18

To identify potential barriers and facilitators for implementation of the World Health Organization Global Disability Action Plan (GDAP) in Nigeria and compare these with other low- and middle-income countries. A rehabilitation team from the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Australia, conducted intensive workshops at medical/academic institutions in Nigeria for healthcare professionals from various local Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation facilities. A modified Delphi method identified challenges for person with disability, using 3 GDAP objectives. Findings were compared with similar exercises in Madagascar, Pakistan and Mongolia. Despite differences in the healthcare system and practice, the challenges reported in Nigeria were similar to those in other 3 low- and middle-income countries, at both macro (governmental/policymakers) and micro levels (community/social/individual). Common challenges identified were: limited knowledge of disability services, limited Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation workforce, guidelines and accreditation standards; coordination amongst healthcare sectors; social issues; data and research; legislation and political commitment. Common potential facilitators included: need for strong leadership; advocacy of disability-inclusive development; investment in infrastructure/human resources; coordination/partnerships in healthcare sector; and research. Disability care is an emerging priority in low- and middle-income countries to address the needs of people with disability. The challenges identified in Nigeria are common to most low- and middle-income countries. The GDAP framework can facilitate access and strengthen Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation services.

Turning the tide: national policy approaches to increasing physical activity in seven European countries.

PubMed

Bull, Fiona; Milton, Karen; Kahlmeier, Sonja; Arlotti, Alberto; Juričan, Andrea Backović; Belander, Olov; Martin, Brian; Martin-Diener, Eva; Marques, Ana; Mota, Jorge; Vasankari, Tommi; Vlasveld, Anita

2015-06-01

Physical inactivity is one of the four leading behavioural risk factors for non-communicable disease (NCD). Like tobacco control, increasing levels of health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) will require a national policy framework providing direction and a clear set of actions. Despite frequent calls, there has been insufficient progress on policy development in the majority of countries around the world. This study sought and summarised national HEPA policy in seven European countries (Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia and Switzerland). Data collection used a policy audit tool (PAT), a 27-item instrument structured into four sections. All countries reported some legislation or policy across the sectors of education, sport and health. Only some countries reported supportive policy in the transport and environment sectors. Five countries reported a stand-alone HEPA policy and six countries reported national recommendations. HEPA prevalence targets varied in magnitude and specificity and the presence of other relevant goals from different sectors highlighted the opportunity for joint action. Evaluation and the use of scientific evidence were endorsed but described as weak in practice. Only two countries reported a national multisector coordinating committee and most countries reported challenges with partnerships on different levels of policy implementation. Bringing together the key components for success within a national HEPA policy framework is not simple. This in-depth policy audit and country comparison highlighted similarities and differences and revealed new opportunities for consideration by other countries. These examples can inform countries within and beyond Europe and guide the development of national HEPA policy within the NCD prevention agenda. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

[Induced abortion: a world perspective].

PubMed

Henshaw, S K

1987-01-01

This article presents current estimates of the number, rate, and proportion of abortions for all countries which make such data available. 76% of the world's population lives in countries where induced abortion is legal at least for health reasons. Abortion is legal in almost all developed countries. Most developing countries have some laws against abortion, but it is permitted at least for health reasons in the countries of 67% of the developing world's population. The other 33%--over 1 billion persons--reside mainly in subSaharan Africa, Latin America, and the most orthodox Muslim countries. By the beginning of the 20th century, abortion had been made illegal in most of the world, with rules in Africa, Asia, and Latin America similar to those in Europe and North America. Abortion legislation began to change first in a few industrialized countries prior to World War II and in Japan in 1948. Socialist European countries made abortion legal in the first trimester in the 1950s, and most of the industrialized world followed suit in the 1960s and 1970s. The worldwide trend toward relaxed abortion restrictions continues today, with governments giving varying reasons for the changes. Nearly 33 million legal abortions are estimated to be performed annually in the world, with 14 million of them in China and 11 million in the USSR. The estimated total rises to 40-60 million when illegal abortions added. On a worldwide basis some 37-55 abortions are estimated to occur for each 1000 women aged 15-44 years. There are probably 24-32 abortions per 100 pregnancies. The USSR has the highest abortion rate among developed countries, 181/1000 women aged 15-44, followed by Rumania with 91/1000, many of them illegal. The large number of abortions in some countries is due to scarcity of modern contraception. Among developing countries, China apparently has the highest rate, 62/1000 women aged 15-44. Cuba's rate is 59/1000. It is very difficult to calculate abortion rates in countries where the procedure is illegal. On the basis of hospital reports and other fragmentary information, the true rate appears to be relatively high in Latin America and the Far East. The abortion rate for Latin America in the mid-1970s was estimated at 65/1000 fertile aged women, and rates were believed to be higher in urban areas. Sub-Saharan Africa, where women desire very large families, apparently had the lowest rates. Up to 68% of pregnancies in the USSR, 57% in Rumania, and 55% in Japan may end in abortion. The proportion in developing countries ranged from 8% in Vietnam to 43% in China. Women undergoing abortion in developed countries tend to be young, childless, and single, while those in developing countries tend to be older, high parity, and married. Abortion mortality is still high in countries where large numbers of illegal abortions are performed by unqualified personnel, as in many parts of Latin America.

Institutions and national development in Latin America: a comparative study

PubMed Central

Portes, Alejandro; Smith, Lori D.

2013-01-01

We review the theoretical and empirical literatures on the role of institutions on national development as a prelude to present a more rigorous and measurable definition of the concept and a methodology to study this relationship at the national and subnational levels. The existing research literature features conflicting definitions of the concept of “institutions” and empirical tests based mostly on reputational indices, with countries as units of analysis. The present study’s methodology is based on a set of five strategic organizations studied comparatively in five Latin American countries. These include key federal agencies, public administrative organizations, and stock exchanges. Systematic analysis of results show a pattern of differences between economically-oriented institutions and those entrusted with providing basic services to the general population. Consistent differences in institutional quality also emerge across countries, despite similar levels of economic development. Using the algebraic methods developed by Ragin, we test six hypotheses about factors determining the developmental character of particular institutions. Implications of results for theory and for methodological practices of future studies in this field are discussed. PMID:26543407

Petroleum scene heating in fledgling crude exporter Papua New Guinea

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-04-18

Operators, paced by a feisty independent based in Port Moresby, have drilled a string of discoveries near the infrastructure of the Kutubu development project that supports Papua New Guinea crude exports. All signs point to the increasing likelihood of good sized -- maybe world class -- oil discoveries that promise to sustain exploration and development interest beyond 2000. Also in the offing are world class gas strikes that eventually could support a liquefied natural gas export project. And integration is the newest concept in Papua New Guinea petroleum. Efforts are under way to build the country's first refineries. Most operatorsmore » in Papua New Guinea believe thy have merely scratched the surface of the country's oil and gas potential. Thy agree there still will be frustrations and setbacks -- political as well as technical -- but the prevailing opinion is that these problems are no greater than they are in a number of other countries with similar exploration/development potential. The paper discusses the development of Papua New Guinea's oil and gas industry, and exploratory drilling in areas other than Kutubu.« less

Pediatric anesthesia in developing countries.

PubMed

Bösenberg, Adrian T

2007-06-01

To highlight the problems faced in developing countries where healthcare resources are limited, with particular emphasis on pediatric anesthesia. The fact that very few publications address pediatric anesthesia in the developing world is not surprising given that most anesthetics are provided by nonphysicians, nurses or unqualified personnel. In compiling this article information is drawn from pediatric surgical, anesthetic and related texts. In a recent survey more than 80% of anesthesia providers in a poor country acknowledged that with the limited resources available they could not provide basic anesthesia for children less than 5 years. Although many publications could be regarded as anecdotal, the similarities to this survey suggest that the lack of facilities is more generalized than we would like to believe. The real risk of anesthesia in comparison to other major health risks such as human immunodeficiency virus, malaria, tuberculosis and trauma remains undetermined. The critical shortage of manpower remains a barrier to progress. Despite erratic electrical supplies, inconsistent oxygen delivery, paucity of drugs or equipment and on occasion even lack of running water, many provide life-saving anesthesia. Perioperative morbidity and mortality is, however, understandably high by developed world standards.

Urbanisation and child health in resource poor settings with special reference to under-five mortality in Africa.

PubMed

Garenne, Michel

2010-06-01

The health of children improved dramatically worldwide during the 20th century, although with major contrasts between developed and developing countries, and urban and rural areas. The quantitative evidence on urban child health from a broad historical and comparative perspective is briefly reviewed here. Before the sanitary revolution, urban mortality tended to be higher than rural mortality. However, after World War I, improvements in water, sanitation, hygiene, nutrition and child care resulted in lower urban child mortality in Europe. Despite a similar mortality decline, urban mortality in developing countries since World War II has been generally lower than rural mortality, probably because of better medical care, higher socio-economic status and better nutrition in urban areas. However, higher urban mortality has recently been seen in the slums of large cities in developing countries as a result of extreme poverty, family disintegration, lack of hygiene, sanitation and medical care, low nutritional status, emerging diseases (HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis) and other health hazards (environmental hazards, accidents, violence). These emerging threats need to be addressed by appropriate policies and programmes.

Developing a National-Level Concept Dictionary for EHR Implementations in Kenya.

PubMed

Keny, Aggrey; Wanyee, Steven; Kwaro, Daniel; Mulwa, Edwin; Were, Martin C

2015-01-01

The increasing adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHR) by developing countries comes with the need to develop common terminology standards to assure semantic interoperability. In Kenya, where the Ministry of Health has rolled out an EHR at 646 sites, several challenges have emerged including variable dictionaries across implementations, inability to easily share data across systems, lack of expertise in dictionary management, lack of central coordination and custody of a terminology service, inadequately defined policies and processes, insufficient infrastructure, among others. A Concept Working Group was constituted to address these challenges. The country settled on a common Kenya data dictionary, initially derived as a subset of the Columbia International eHealth Laboratory (CIEL)/Millennium Villages Project (MVP) dictionary. The initial dictionary scope largely focuses on clinical needs. Processes and policies around dictionary management are being guided by the framework developed by Bakhshi-Raiez et al. Technical and infrastructure-based approaches are also underway to streamline workflow for dictionary management and distribution across implementations. Kenya's approach on comprehensive common dictionary can serve as a model for other countries in similar settings.

Country clustering applied to the water & sanitation sector: a new tool with potential applications in research & policy

PubMed Central

Onda, Kyle; Crocker, Jonny; Kayser, Georgia Lyn; Bartram, Jamie

2013-01-01

The fields of global health and international development commonly cluster countries by geography and income to target resources and describe progress. For any given sector of interest, a range of relevant indicators can serve as a more appropriate basis for classification. We create a new typology of country clusters specific to the water and sanitation (WatSan) sector based on similarities across multiple WatSan-related indicators. After a literature review and consultation with experts in the WatSan sector, nine indicators were selected. Indicator selection was based on relevance to and suggested influence on national water and sanitation service delivery, and to maximize data availability across as many countries as possible. A hierarchical clustering method and a gap statistic analysis were used to group countries into a natural number of relevant clusters. Two stages of clustering resulted in five clusters, representing 156 countries or 6.75 billion people. The five clusters were not well explained by income or geography, and were unique from existing country clusters used in international development. Analysis of these five clusters revealed that they were more compact and well separated than United Nations and World Bank country clusters. This analysis and resulting country typology suggest that previous geography- or income-based country groupings can be improved upon for applications in the WatSan sector by utilizing globally available WatSan-related indicators. Potential applications include guiding and discussing research, informing policy, improving resource targeting, describing sector progress, and identifying critical knowledge gaps in the WatSan sector. PMID:24054545

The Creditworthiness of Eastern Europe in the 1980s.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-01-01

OMPoT NuMs 7. AuTI"*Mf.) IL CONTRACT OR GNANT NUMS19AM Keith Crane MDA903-83-C-0148 9. pnrFoffwnM AIO iNMAM A "iv CT TAMK The Rand Corporation 1700 Main...These supply-side models capture the constraints on output imposed by balance of payments pressures. Poland Six scenarios are formulated to analyze... rational at the time.9 Other East European countries and many of the developing countries pursued similar policies with varying degrees of success-e.g

Recommendations for genetic variation data capture in developing countries to ensure a comprehensive worldwide data collection.

PubMed

Patrinos, George P; Al Aama, Jumana; Al Aqeel, Aida; Al-Mulla, Fahd; Borg, Joseph; Devereux, Andrew; Felice, Alex E; Macrae, Finlay; Marafie, Makia J; Petersen, Michael B; Qi, Ming; Ramesar, Rajkumar S; Zlotogora, Joel; Cotton, Richard G H

2011-01-01

Developing countries have significantly contributed to the elucidation of the genetic basis of both common and rare disorders, providing an invaluable resource of cases due to large family sizes, consanguinity, and potential founder effects. Moreover, the recognized depth of genomic variation in indigenous African populations, reflecting the ancient origins of humanity on the African continent, and the effect of selection pressures on the genome, will be valuable in understanding the range of both pathological and nonpathological variations. The involvement of these populations in accurately documenting the extant genetic heterogeneity is more than essential. Developing nations are regarded as key contributors to the Human Variome Project (HVP; http://www.humanvariomeproject.org), a major effort to systematically collect mutations that contribute to or cause human disease and create a cyber infrastructure to tie databases together. However, biomedical research has not been the primary focus in these countries even though such activities are likely to produce economic and health benefits for all. Here, we propose several recommendations and guidelines to facilitate participation of developing countries in genetic variation data documentation, ensuring an accurate and comprehensive worldwide data collection. We also summarize a few well-coordinated genetic data collection initiatives that would serve as paradigms for similar projects.

[Health manpower in the Americas].

PubMed

Nogueira, R P; Brito, P

1986-01-01

The article summarizes the country studies on the development of the health manpower situation published in this issue of Educación médica y Salud, Vol. 20, No. 3, 1986. The countries covered are Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States of America. In these studies, the concept of disequilibrium or lack of balance and proportion was used to describe and examine some specific situations. However, no study took this concept as an object of further theoretical development, and in some it was preferred to replace it explicitly with the term "problem." The following categories of health personnel are considered: physicians, nurses and "other professions" (the latter very briefly). Professional training, the labor market, the relationship between supply and demand and the relationship with the geographic distribution of members of the health professions in the country are discussed. The studies summarized show that the situations and trends are similar in most of the countries, but that specific variations exist owing to structural and situational aspects in each. The most notable differences are seen between the characteristics of the manpower in the developed and in the developing countries. The variations in the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean are also brought out. Finally, there is a discussion of the occupational pyramid of the human resources in the health field, which consists of three horizontal segments. At the vertex are the university-trained categories; the middle is occupied by the technicians and auxiliary personnel, and at the base are the occupations requiring a low educational level.

The low prevalence of female smoking in the developing world: gender inequality or maternal adaptations for fetal protection?

PubMed Central

Hagen, Edward H.; Garfield, Melissa J.; Sullivan, Roger J.

2016-01-01

Background: Female smoking prevalence is dramatically lower in developing countries (3.1%) than developed countries (17.2%), whereas male smoking is similar (32% vs 30.1%). Low female smoking has been linked to high gender inequality. Alternatively, to protect their offspring from teratogenic substances, pregnant and lactating women appear to have evolved aversions to toxic plant substances like nicotine, which are reinforced by cultural proscriptions. Higher total fertility rates (TFRs) in developing countries could therefore explain their lower prevalence of female smoking. Objective: To compare the associations of TFR and gender inequality with national prevalence rates of female and male smoking. Methods: Data from a previous study of smoking prevalence vs gender inequality in 74 countries were reanalysed with a regression model that also included TFR. We replicated this analysis with three additional measures of gender equality and 2012 smoking data from 173 countries. Results: A 1 SD increase in TFR predicted a decrease in female smoking prevalence by factors of 0.58–0.77, adjusting for covariates. TFR had a smaller and unexpected negative association with male smoking prevalence. Increased gender equality was associated with increased female smoking prevalence, and, unexpectedly, with decreased male smoking prevalence. TFR was also associated with an increase in smoking prevalence among postmenopausal women. Conclusions: High TFR and gender inequality both predict reduced prevalence of female smoking across nations. In countries with high TFR, adaptations and cultural norms that protect fetuses from plant toxins might suppress smoking among frequently pregnant and lactating women. PMID:27193200

The Road Traffic Injuries Research Network: a decade of research capacity strengthening in low- and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Hyder, Adnan A; Norton, Robyn; Pérez-Núñez, Ricardo; Mojarro-Iñiguez, Francisco R; Peden, Margie; Kobusingye, Olive

2016-02-27

Road traffic crashes have been an increasing threat to the wellbeing of road users worldwide; an unacceptably high number of people die or become disabled from them. While high-income countries have successfully implemented effective interventions to help reduce the burden of road traffic injuries (RTIs) in their countries, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have not yet achieved similar results. Both scientific research and capacity development have proven to be useful for preventing RTIs in high-income countries. In 1999, a group of leading researchers from different countries decided to join efforts to help promote research on RTIs and develop the capacity of professionals from LMICs. This translated into the creation of the Road Traffic Injuries Research Network (RTIRN) - a partnership of over 1,100 road safety professionals from 114 countries collaborating to facilitate reductions in the burden of RTIs in LMICs by identifying and promoting effective, evidenced-based interventions and supporting research capacity building in road safety research in LMICs. This article presents the work that RTIRN has done over more than a decade, including production of a dozen scientific papers, support of nearly 100 researchers, training of nearly 1,000 people and 35 scholarships granted to researchers from LMICs to attend world conferences, as well as lessons learnt and future challenges to maximize its work.

Neonaticide in India and the stigma of female gender: report of two cases.

PubMed

Mishra, Kirtisudha; Ramachandran, Smita; Kumar, Ajay; Tiwari, Soumya; Chopra, Nidhi; Datta, Vikram; Saili, Arvind

2014-08-01

Neonaticide is known to occur across the globe in both developed and developing countries, but has rarely been reported from India. Two similar cases of female neonaticide are presented which were committed by their mothers while in the maternity ward. The social issues and maternal provocation highlighted in this report are different from those reported in world reviews of neonaticide.

Discussions of Educational Change in Canada and the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webber, Charles F.

This paper summarizes the collective views of American and Canadian educators who discussed educational differences and similarities between the two countries at a cross-cultural conference. In October 1994, 26 members of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) met in Calgary with 150 educators from across Alberta…

Dementia in Latin America: Epidemiological Evidence and Implications for Public Policy

PubMed Central

Custodio, Nilton; Wheelock, Ana; Thumala, Daniela; Slachevsky, Andrea

2017-01-01

Population aging is among the most important global transformations. Today, 12% of the world population is of age 60 and over and by the middle of this century this segment will represent 21.5%. The increase in population of those aged 80 and over, also referred to as the “oldest old” or the “very elderly”, will be even more pronounced, going from 1.7% of the population to 4.5% within the same period. Compared to European and North American countries, Latin America (LA) is experiencing this unprecedented demographic change at a significantly faster rate. Due to demographic and health transitions, the number of people with dementia will rise from 7.8 million in 2013 to over 27 million by 2050. Nowadays, the global prevalence of dementia in LA has reached 7.1%, with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) being the most frequent type. This level is similar to those found in developed countries; however, the dementia rate is twice as high as that of the 65–69 years age group in developed countries. In addition, the prevalence and incidence of dementia is higher among illiterate people. Mortality rates due to dementia have risen considerably. The burden and costs of the disease are high and must be covered by patients’ families. The prevention of dementia and the development of long-term care policies and plans for people with dementia in LA, which take into account regional differences and similarities, should be urgent priorities. PMID:28751861

Global Seasonality of Rotavirus Disease

PubMed Central

Patel, Manish M.; Pitzer, Virginia; Alonso, Wladimir J.; Vera, David; Lopman, Ben; Tate, Jacqueline; Viboud, Cecile; Parashar, Umesh D.

2012-01-01

Background A substantial number of surveillance studies have documented rotavirus prevalence among children admitted for dehydrating diarrhea. We sought to establish global seasonal patterns of rotavirus disease before widespread vaccine introduction. Methods We reviewed studies of rotavirus detection in children with diarrhea published since 1995. We assessed potential relationships between seasonal prevalence and locality by plotting the average monthly proportion of diarrhea cases positive for rotavirus according to geography, country development, and latitude. We used linear regression to identify variables that were potentially associated with the seasonal intensity of rotavirus. Results Among a total of 99 studies representing all six geographical regions of the world, patterns of year-round disease were more evident in low- and low-middle income countries compared with upper-middle and high income countries where disease was more likely to be seasonal. The level of country development was a stronger predictor of strength of seasonality (P=0.001) than geographical location or climate. However, the observation of distinctly different seasonal patterns of rotavirus disease in some countries with similar geographical location, climate and level of development indicate that a single unifying explanation for variation in seasonality of rotavirus disease is unlikely. Conclusion While no unifying explanation emerged for varying rotavirus seasonality globally, the country income level was somewhat more predictive of the likelihood of having seasonal disease than other factors. Future evaluation of the effect of rotavirus vaccination on seasonal patterns of disease in different settings may help understand factors that drive the global seasonality of rotavirus disease. PMID:23190782

Meat products and consumption culture in the East.

PubMed

Nam, Ki-Chang; Jo, Cheorun; Lee, Mooha

2010-09-01

Food consumption is a basic activity necessary for survival of the human race and evolved as an integral part of mankind's existence. This not only includes food consumption habits and styles but also food preparation methods, tool development for raw materials, harvesting and preservation as well as preparation of food dishes which are influenced by geographical localization, climatic conditions and abundance of the fauna and flora. Food preparation, trade and consumption have become leading factors shaping human behavior and developing a way of doing things that created tradition which has been passed from generation to generation making it unique for almost every human niche in the surface of the globe. Therefore, the success in understanding the culture of other countries or ethnic groups lies in understanding their rituals in food consumption customs. Meat consumption culture in the East has not been well developed by its characteristic environment, religion, history, and main food staples. However, recently, the amount of meat production and consumption of the Eastern countries has grown rapidly by the globalization of food industry and rapid economic growth of the countries. This manuscript introduces meat-based products and consumption culture in Asian countries. However, because the environments and cultures within Asia are too diverse to cover all food cultures, this manuscript focused mainly on three northeast Asian countries including China, Japan, and Korea (Republic of) and some southeast Asian countries including Vietnam and Thailand, which have similar environments and cultural interactions historically but retain their own characteristic food culture.

Inflammatory bowel disease in India - Past, present and future

PubMed Central

Ray, Gautam

2016-01-01

There is rising incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in India topping the Southeast Asian (SEA) countries. The common genes implicated in disease pathogenesis in the West are not causal in Indian patients and the role of “hygiene hypothesis” is unclear. There appears to be a North-South divide with more ulcerative colitis (UC) in north and Crohn’s disease (CD) in south India. IBD in second generation Indian migrants to the West takes the early onset and more severe form of the West whereas it retains the nature of its country of origin in migrants to SEA countries. The clinical presentation is much like other SEA countries (similar age and sex profile, low positive family history and effect of smoking, roughly similar disease location, use of aminosalicylates for CD, low use of biologics and similar surgical rates) with some differences (higher incidence of inflammatory CD, lower perianal disease, higher use of aminosalicylates and azathioprine and lower current use of corticosteroids). UC presents more with extensive disease not paralleled in severity clinically or histologically, follows benign course with easy medical control and low incidence of fulminant disease, cancer, complications, and surgery. UC related colorectal cancer develop in an unpredictable manner with respect to disease duration and site questioning the validity of strict screening protocol. About a third of CD patients get antituberculosis drugs and a significant number presents with small intestinal bleed which is predominantly afflicted by aggressive inflammation. Biomarkers have inadequate diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for both. Pediatric IBD tends to be more severe than adult. Population based studies are needed to address the lacunae in epidemiology and definition of etiological factors. Newer biomarkers and advanced diagnostic techniques (in the field of gastrointestinal endoscopy, molecular pathology and genetics) needs to be developed for proper disease definition and treatment. PMID:27688654

Cross-National Analysis of the Associations among Mental Disorders and Suicidal Behavior: Findings from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys

PubMed Central

Nock, Matthew K.; Hwang, Irving; Sampson, Nancy; Kessler, Ronald C.; Angermeyer, Matthias; Beautrais, Annette; Borges, Guilherme; Bromet, Evelyn; Bruffaerts, Ronny; de Girolamo, Giovanni; de Graaf, Ron; Florescu, Silvia; Gureje, Oye; Haro, Josep Maria; Hu, Chiyi; Huang, Yueqin; Karam, Elie G.; Kawakami, Norito; Kovess, Viviane; Levinson, Daphna; Posada-Villa, Jose; Sagar, Rajesh; Tomov, Toma; Viana, Maria Carmen; Williams, David R.

2009-01-01

Background Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide. Mental disorders are among the strongest predictors of suicide; however, little is known about which disorders are uniquely predictive of suicidal behavior, the extent to which disorders predict suicide attempts beyond their association with suicidal thoughts, and whether these associations are similar across developed and developing countries. This study was designed to test each of these questions with a focus on nonfatal suicide attempts. Methods and Findings Data on the lifetime presence and age-of-onset of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) mental disorders and nonfatal suicidal behaviors were collected via structured face-to-face interviews with 108,664 respondents from 21 countries participating in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. The results show that each lifetime disorder examined significantly predicts the subsequent first onset of suicide attempt (odds ratios [ORs] = 2.9–8.9). After controlling for comorbidity, these associations decreased substantially (ORs = 1.5–5.6) but remained significant in most cases. Overall, mental disorders were equally predictive in developed and developing countries, with a key difference being that the strongest predictors of suicide attempts in developed countries were mood disorders, whereas in developing countries impulse-control, substance use, and post-traumatic stress disorders were most predictive. Disaggregation of the associations between mental disorders and nonfatal suicide attempts showed that these associations are largely due to disorders predicting the onset of suicidal thoughts rather than predicting progression from thoughts to attempts. In the few instances where mental disorders predicted the transition from suicidal thoughts to attempts, the significant disorders are characterized by anxiety and poor impulse-control. The limitations of this study include the use of retrospective self-reports of lifetime occurrence and age-of-onset of mental disorders and suicidal behaviors, as well as the narrow focus on mental disorders as predictors of nonfatal suicidal behaviors, each of which must be addressed in future studies. Conclusions This study found that a wide range of mental disorders increased the odds of experiencing suicide ideation. However, after controlling for psychiatric comorbidity, only disorders characterized by anxiety and poor impulse-control predict which people with suicide ideation act on such thoughts. These findings provide a more fine-grained understanding of the associations between mental disorders and subsequent suicidal behavior than previously available and indicate that mental disorders predict suicidal behaviors similarly in both developed and developing countries. Future research is needed to delineate the mechanisms through which people come to think about suicide and subsequently progress from ideation to attempts. Please see later in the article for Editors' Summary PMID:19668361

Utilizing lean tools to improve value and reduce outpatient wait times in an Indian hospital.

PubMed

Miller, Richard; Chalapati, Nirisha

2015-01-01

This paper aims to demonstrate how lean tools were applied to some unique issues of providing healthcare in a developing country where many patients face challenges not found in developed countries. The challenges provide insight into how lean tools can be utilized to provide similar results across the world. This paper is based on a qualitative case study carried out by a master's student implementing lean at a hospital in India. This paper finds that lean tools such as value-stream mapping and root cause analysis can lead to dramatic reductions in waste and improvements in productivity. The problems of the majority of patients paying for their own healthcare and lacking transportation created scheduling problems that required patients to receive their diagnosis and pay for treatment within a single day. Many additional wastes were identified that were significantly impacting the hospital's ability to provide care. As a result of this project, average outpatient wait times were reduced from 1 hour to 15 minutes along with a significant increase in labor productivity. The results demonstrate how lean tools can increase value to the patients. It also provides are framework that can be utilized for healthcare providers in developed and developing countries to analyze their value streams to reduce waste. This paper is one of the first to address the unique issues of implementing lean to a healthcare setting in a developing country.

Capacity building for global nursing leaders: challenges and experiences.

PubMed

Shin, S; Han, J; Cha, C

2016-12-01

The aim of this article is to describe our experience in operating a capacity-building programme, the Korea International Cooperation Project, for global nursing leaders from developing countries, held during the International Council of Nurses (ICN) Conference in 2015 in Seoul, Korea. Globalization points to the importance of global leadership among nursing leaders. In accordance with the theme of 'Global Citizen, Global Nursing' at the ICN conference in 2015, a capacity-building programme for nursing leaders of developing countries was implemented. The global nursing leadership programme shared experiences during the preparation and operation of the conference. To prepare the programme, this paper describes selecting participants, working with invitation lists from 30 countries, and recruiting and training volunteers. The operation of the programme, orientation, organizing tailored programmes for participant groups, addressing unexpected issues and evaluating the programme are described. ICN could implement capacity-building programmes for nursing leaders of developing countries during its ICN conference for the nursing society. A programme tailored for each continent with similar sociocultural backgrounds and health issues would provide chances for collaboration and networking. A policy to compile global nursing indicators should be developed. This would allow nursing leaders to learn about the strengths and weaknesses of global nursing and provide evidence for collaboration. The programme was successful in introducing and broadening global perspectives of participants on health and education as well as building a network among leaders and next-generation leaders in participating countries for future cooperation and collaboration. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

[Trauma surgery in Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS)].

PubMed

Oberli, H; Martin, C

2017-10-01

The small developing countries in the Pacific are grouped together as Small Island Development States (SIDS) because they face similar problems which they cannot cope with nationally. They are developing countries, so-called low and lower middle income countries (LMIC), are economically weak and the islands of the different nations are widely scattered. Approximately 80% of the 10 million inhabitants live in rural regions. Over 40% of patients in the surgical departments of hospitals are hospitalized for injuries, and this tendency is increasing. Fractures of the upper extremities are relatively more frequent in the Pacific than in the countries of the North. Long distances, lack of possibilities for treatment and lack of transport often cause complications, such as infected open fractures, pseudarthrosis and posttraumatic malformations. There are too few hospitals with sufficiently competent surgeons, anesthetists and obstetricians (SAO) and appropriate equipment. The PIOA was founded in Honiara, Solomon Islands, and offers surgeons of the Pacific SIDS a comprehensive, structured trauma and orthopedic surgery training in their own countries. It lasts 4 years and leads to an M‑Med (orthopaedic surgery) diploma and to a Fellowship of the International College of Surgeons (FICS), which are both recognized by the participating hospitals. It is free for participants. The AOAF is an independent organization with the only aim to enhance trauma surgery capacity in LMICs. The AOAF supports the PIOA program together with the Wyss Medical Foundation. Currently, 18 trainees from 8 Pacific SIDS are participating in the PIOA training program.

Potential of integrated continuous surveys and quality management to support monitoring, evaluation, and the scale-up of health interventions in developing countries.

PubMed

Rowe, Alexander K

2009-06-01

Well-funded initiatives are challenging developing countries to increase health intervention coverage and show impact. Despite substantial resources, however, major obstacles include weak health systems, a lack of reasonably accurate monitoring data, and inadequate use of data for managing programs. This report discusses how integrated continuous surveys and quality management (I-Q), which are well-recognized approaches in wealthy countries, could support intervention scale-up, monitoring and evaluation, quality control for commodities, capacity building, and implementation research in low-resource settings. Integrated continuous surveys are similar to existing national cross-sectional surveys of households and health facilities, except data are collected over several years by permanent teams, and most results are reported monthly at the national, province, and district levels. Quality management involves conceptualizing work as processes, involving all workers in quality improvement, monitoring quality, and teams that improve quality with "plan-do-study-act" cycles. Implementing and evaluating I-Q in a low-income country would provide critical information on the value of this approach.

Barriers to rural households' participation in low-skilled off-farm labor markets: theory and empirical results from northern Ethiopia.

PubMed

Bhatta, Bharat P; Arethun, Torbjørn

2013-12-01

Promotion of low-skilled off-farm rural labor market participation can be an important strategy to improve livelihoods and food security of the poor in developing countries. This paper investigates rural farm households' participation in low-skilled off-farm labor markets with disaggregate data from a survey of 400 households in Tigray, the northern highlands of Ethiopia. Adopting Heckman's two stage approach, we examined households' decisions to participate or not in markets by probit model in the first stage and level of participation by ordinary least squares procedures in the second stage. The results show that households' decision to enter into a labor market significantly depends on the characteristics of the households such as sex, age of the household heads and labor endowments in the households. Similarly, the level of participation in labor markets measured by the amount of off-farm wage income depends on labor endowments in the households and the place where the households are located. Since cash constrained rural households do not find themselves advantageous to participate in off-farm labor markets, the reduction of cash constraint is the major policy implication of the paper. This holds true in general for all cash constrained rural households in developing countries. Similarly, the empirical results in the paper suggest removal of locational barriers to access labor markets. This helps them to earn off-farm income. It is necessary to eliminate (or at least reduce) obstacles for rural households to enter into a market of off-farm wage earning activities. This holds true in general for all rural households in developing countries. This paper is therefore expected to contribute to frame appropriate policy that promotes participation in low-skilled off-farm rural labor markets in developing countries where many rural households are not only poor but also low-skilled.

An empirical evaluation of software quality assurance practices and challenges in a developing country: a comparison of Nigeria and Turkey.

PubMed

Sowunmi, Olaperi Yeside; Misra, Sanjay; Fernandez-Sanz, Luis; Crawford, Broderick; Soto, Ricardo

2016-01-01

The importance of quality assurance in the software development process cannot be overemphasized because its adoption results in high reliability and easy maintenance of the software system and other software products. Software quality assurance includes different activities such as quality control, quality management, quality standards, quality planning, process standardization and improvement amongst others. The aim of this work is to further investigate the software quality assurance practices of practitioners in Nigeria. While our previous work covered areas on quality planning, adherence to standardized processes and the inherent challenges, this work has been extended to include quality control, software process improvement and international quality standard organization membership. It also makes comparison based on a similar study carried out in Turkey. The goal is to generate more robust findings that can properly support decision making by the software community. The qualitative research approach, specifically, the use of questionnaire research instruments was applied to acquire data from software practitioners. In addition to the previous results, it was observed that quality assurance practices are quite neglected and this can be the cause of low patronage. Moreover, software practitioners are neither aware of international standards organizations or the required process improvement techniques; as such their claimed standards are not aligned to those of accredited bodies, and are only limited to their local experience and knowledge, which makes it questionable. The comparison with Turkey also yielded similar findings, making the results typical of developing countries. The research instrument used was tested for internal consistency using the Cronbach's alpha, and it was proved reliable. For the software industry in developing countries to grow strong and be a viable source of external revenue, software assurance practices have to be taken seriously because its effect is evident in the final product. Moreover, quality frameworks and tools which require minimum time and cost are highly needed in these countries.

The legal status of home education in post-communist countries of Central Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostelecká, Yvona

2012-08-01

As new laws on education were gradually adopted in post-communist states after 1989, the countries also dealt with the problem of how to include home education in their own legislation. This article investigates the development of legislation on home education in five states of post-communist Central Europe: the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland and Hungary. This analysis of the legal environment for home education confirms on the one hand that these countries' approach is similar in many aspects. Generally, laws tend to regulate home education rather strictly, all home-educated children must be enrolled at some school, and these schools are mandated by the state to serve as supervisory bodies for home-educated children. This legal arrangement puts the parents of home-schooled children in a very subordinate position in relation to the school. Despite these restrictions, however, the states have gradually opened up the option for home education to quite a broad pool of potentially interested people. On the other hand, the findings show that there are also significant differences between individual countries. These differences provide a good illustration of the fact that, despite historical, economic and cultural similarities, political institutions and state bureaucracies in individual states act autonomously, which leads to different policy outcomes.

Scale is not an Issue : Opportunities for Collaboration among Geoscientists in Latin America and the Caribbean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carby, B. E.

2015-12-01

Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries face multiple hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes, accelerated erosion, landslides, drought, flooding, windstorms and the effects of climate variability and change. World Bank (2005) data indicate that seventeen of the top thirty-five countries with relatively high mortality risk from 3 or more hazards are located in LAC, El Salvador has the second highest per cent of its population at risk - 77.7% and 7 of the top 10 countries for population exposure to multiple hazards are in LAC. All LAC countries have half or more of GDP exposed to at least one hazard. The report underscores the need for better data and information on hazards and disasters to inform disaster risk reduction (DRR) and supports the view that reduction of disaster risk is essential for achieving Sustainable Development (SD). This suggests that DRR must be integrated into development planning of countries. However the Global Assessment Report notes that globally, there has been little progress in mainstreaming DRR in national development (UNISDR 2009). Without this, countries will not realise development goals. DRR efforts in LAC require an integrated approach including societal input in deciding priority DRR research themes and interdisciplinary, multi-hazard research informing DRR policy and practice. Jiminez (2015) from a study of countries across LAC reports that efforts are being made to link research to national planning through inclusion of policy makers in some university-led research projects. Research by the author in Jamaica reveals that the public sector has started to apply research on hazards to inform DRR policy, programmes and plans. As most research is done by universities, there is collaboration between the public sector and academia. Despite differences in scale among countries across the region, similarities in exposure to multiple hazards and potential hazard impacts suggest that collaboration among researchers in LAC could be beneficial. It is proposed here that this collaboration should go beyond the scientific community and should include sharing of experiences in linking DRR research to national development needs, inclusion of policy makers in research design and implementation and integration of research results in policy and programme development.

Geographic exposure risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in US blood donors: a risk-ranking model to evaluate alternative donor-deferral policies.

PubMed

Yang, Hong; Huang, Yin; Gregori, Luisa; Asher, David M; Bui, Travis; Forshee, Richard A; Anderson, Steven A

2017-04-01

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) has been transmitted by blood transfusion (TTvCJD). The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends deferring blood donors who resided in or traveled to 30 European countries where they may have been exposed to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) through beef consumption. Those recommendations warrant re-evaluation, because new cases of BSE and vCJD have markedly abated. The FDA developed a risk-ranking model to calculate the geographic vCJD risk using country-specific case rates and person-years of exposure of US blood donors. We used the reported country vCJD case rates, when available, or imputed vCJD case rates from reported BSE and UK beef exports during the risk period. We estimated the risk reduction and donor loss should the deferral be restricted to a few high-risk countries. We also estimated additional risk reduction by leukocyte reduction (LR) of red blood cells (RBCs). The United Kingdom, Ireland, and France had the greatest vCJD risk, contributing approximately 95% of the total risk. The model estimated that deferring US donors who spent extended periods of time in these three countries, combined with currently voluntary LR (95% of RBC units), would reduce the vCJD risk by 89.3%, a reduction similar to that achieved under the current policy (89.8%). Limiting deferrals to exposure in these three countries would potentially allow donations from an additional 100,000 donors who are currently deferred. Our analysis suggests that a deferral option focusing on the three highest risk countries would achieve a level of blood safety similar to that achieved by the current policy. © 2016 AABB.

Evaluation of an international faculty development program for developing countries in Asia: the Seoul Intensive Course for Medical Educators.

PubMed

Kim, Do-Hwan; Yoon, Hyun Bae; Sung, Minsun; Yoo, Dong-Mi; Hwang, Jinyoung; Kim, Eun Jung; Lee, Seunghee; Shin, Jwa-Seop

2015-12-18

The issue of collaboration in medical education is becoming prominent. Some faculty development programs have suggested an approach for promoting collaboration on a global level. However, non-English-speaking developing countries in Asia, especially in Southeast Asia, do not take advantage of them due to their unique context, such as language and culture. To address these issues, Seoul National University College of Medicine initiated a 6-week international faculty development program called the "Seoul Intensive Course for Medical Educators" for 16 fellows from five Asian countries (Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, and Vietnam). The aim of this study is to report the evaluation results of the outcome of the program and discuss better ways of collaborating with developing countries. Three levels of collaboration-intraorganizational, intranational, and international-were central initiatives of the program. Prior to setting up the program details, we first established four design principles, following which the contents, materials, and facilitators were determined to maintain consistency with the design principles. The evaluation of the program was done with Kirkpatrick's four-level model. Most of the evaluation data for level 1 were collected by two questionnaires, the post-module survey and the post-program survey. Portfolios and progress reports were mainly used to collect outcome data for levels 2 and 3, respectively. The reaction was generally positive throughout the program and there was a significant correlation between satisfaction and relevance to one's job or needs. Despite the fellows' propensity for overestimating themselves, both the evaluators and fellows reported that there was significant improvement in learning. Opinions on the impact or urgency of the topics were slightly different from country to country; however, the answers regarding feasibility were fairly similar. Moreover, we could observe from the post-program progress reports that the transfer of learning was actively in progress, mainly for topics that were highly feasible. These results show that the program was successful in terms of its effectiveness. Consistent and timely support is essential for the sustainable development of the medical education systems in these countries. Further understanding of the underlying factors on transfer (level 3) could improve the effectiveness of faculty development programs for developing countries.

Factors influencing women in physical activity programs in Malaysia.

PubMed

Hanlon, C; Khoo, S; Morris, T; Eime, R

2017-12-11

The majority of research on factors associated with women participation in physical activity (PA) has been in developed countries with limited research in developing countries. Few women in Malaysia are active at the recommended levels for health, and activity rates are less than developed countries. Little research has focused specially on physically active Malaysian women and the factors that contribute to them becoming and staying active in PA programs. This lack of knowledge hinders the tailored development and implementation of PA programs to meet their needs. The aim of this study was to identify the factors of participation in PA programs for Malaysian women. The social-ecological model was used to investigate and theme the factors. Focus group discussion was conducted with participants in six PA programs targeted specifically to women. Thirty-seven women were involved in the focus group discussion, with ages ranging from 19 to 82 years. Inductive and deductive content analysis was conducted from verbatim transcripts using NVivo. Inductive content analysis allowed raw data and second-order themes to emerge. Findings revealed social support structures, tailored programs for women, and location were key contributors that encouraged women to participate in these programs. The similarity in contributors between women in non-western and western countries signifies a prime opportunity for bi-lateral relationships to be formed to enable the enhancement of program development relevant to different ethnicities and cultures within or across countries. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The impact of childhood sickness on adult socioeconomic outcomes: Evidence from late 19th century America

PubMed Central

Warren, John Robert; Knies, Laurie; Haas, Steven; Hernandez, Elaine M.

2013-01-01

We use family fixed-effects models to estimate the impact of childhood health on adult literacy, labor force outcomes, and marital status among pairs of white brothers observed as children in the 1880 U.S. Census and then as adults in the 1900–1930 Censuses. Given our focus on the 19th century, we observed a wider array of infectious, chronic, and traumatic health problems than is observed using data that are more recent; our results thus provide some insights into circumstances in modern developing countries where similar health problems are more frequently observed. Compared to their healthy siblings, sick brothers were less likely to be located (and thus more likely to be dead) 20–50 years after their 1880 enumeration. Sick brothers were also less likely to be literate, to have ever been married, and to have reported an occupation. However, among those with occupations, sick and healthy brothers tended to do similar kinds of work. We discuss the implications of our results for research on the impact of childhood health on socioeconomic outcomes in developed and developing countries. PMID:22809795

Health Inequalities in South Asia at the Launch of Sustainable Development Goals: Exclusions in Health in Kerala, India Need Political Interventions.

PubMed

Thresia, C U

2018-01-01

Despite substantial progress in social development during the post-colonial period, health inequalities in the South Asian countries were staggering, with reduced life expectancy, higher maternal and child mortality, and gender discrimination. Notably, even with the rapid economic growth during the neoliberal period, India fares below most of the South Asian countries in several health indicators. The Indian state of Kerala stands out with social sector gains; nevertheless, evidence indicates widening health inequalities, restricted public arenas, and undemocratic practices in health, particularly in the context of increasing market logic in the health and social arenas shaping health. The caste, class, gender, and ethnic ideologies and patriarchal power structure interwoven in the sociopolitical, cultural, moral, and health discourses similar to the South Asian context raise serious inequalities for health. At the launch of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, the populations with lingering privations and forbidden freedoms for gaining better health in Kerala, similar to South Asia, were largely the dalits, ethnic and religious minorities, and women. This necessitates greater political interventions, recognizing the interacting effects of history, culture, social factors, politics, and policies on health. And public health research needs to underscore this approach.

A focus on the consumer: social marketing for change.

PubMed

Lucaire, L E

1985-01-01

Social marketing is the application of commercial marketing principles to advance a social cause, issue, behavior, product, or service. Social marketing has added a framework to social efforts that heretofore lacked organization and has inspired projects that otherwise might never have been initiated. In the US, social marketing techniques have been particularly successful in the health field. Although advertising and other communications are central to social marketing, the discipline also depends upon other elements of what is termed the marketing mix: product, price, place, and promotion. Social marketing is a cyclical process involving 6 steps: analysis; planning; development, testing, and refining elements of the plan; implementation; assessment of in-market effectiveness; and feedback. In developing countries, health has similarly been the greatest beneficiary to date of applied social marketing techniques. Family planning programs and oral rehydration therapy (ORT) projects have used social marketing techniques effectively in numerous developing countries. Social marketing has been even more widely applied in the sale of contraceptives in developing countries. Contraceptive social marketing (CSM) programs are well established in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Nepal, Colombia, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, and Egypt. More recently programs have been established in Honduras, Guatemala, Barbados, St. Vincent, and St. Lucia. SOMARC (Social Marketing for Change) is a project funded by the US Agency for International Development (AID) and is working with existing CSM programs and helping to launch new CSM programs. CSM programs are successfully functioning as legitimate marketing organizations in developing countries and are using local private sector resources in the process. Program results are encouraging. Social marketing requires both experience and sensitivity to local conditions. Many developing countries now have their own marketing resources. Local private sector advertising and marketing agencies are helping public and private sector programs. In countries where local resources are scarce, AID has created several programs to provide technical assistance in social marketing.

Wind for Schools: Developing Education Programs to Train the Next Generation of the Wind Energy Workforce

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baring-Gould, I.; Flowers, L.; Kelly, M.

2009-08-01

This paper provides an overview of the Wind for Schools project elements, including a description of host and collegiate school curricula developed for wind energy and the status of the current projects. The paper also provides focused information on how schools, regions, or countries can become involved or implement similar projects to expand the social acceptance and understanding of wind energy.

Country clustering applied to the water and sanitation sector: a new tool with potential applications in research and policy.

PubMed

Onda, Kyle; Crocker, Jonny; Kayser, Georgia Lyn; Bartram, Jamie

2014-03-01

The fields of global health and international development commonly cluster countries by geography and income to target resources and describe progress. For any given sector of interest, a range of relevant indicators can serve as a more appropriate basis for classification. We create a new typology of country clusters specific to the water and sanitation (WatSan) sector based on similarities across multiple WatSan-related indicators. After a literature review and consultation with experts in the WatSan sector, nine indicators were selected. Indicator selection was based on relevance to and suggested influence on national water and sanitation service delivery, and to maximize data availability across as many countries as possible. A hierarchical clustering method and a gap statistic analysis were used to group countries into a natural number of relevant clusters. Two stages of clustering resulted in five clusters, representing 156 countries or 6.75 billion people. The five clusters were not well explained by income or geography, and were distinct from existing country clusters used in international development. Analysis of these five clusters revealed that they were more compact and well separated than United Nations and World Bank country clusters. This analysis and resulting country typology suggest that previous geography- or income-based country groupings can be improved upon for applications in the WatSan sector by utilizing globally available WatSan-related indicators. Potential applications include guiding and discussing research, informing policy, improving resource targeting, describing sector progress, and identifying critical knowledge gaps in the WatSan sector. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Duration of breast-feeding and the risk of childhood allergic diseases in a developing country.

PubMed

Ehlayel, Mohammad S; Bener, Abdulbari

2008-01-01

Exclusive breast-feeding (EBF) seems to reduce risk of allergies in the western countries, but there are few reports from developing countries. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of EBF on the development of allergic diseases and eczema in a developing country. This is a cross-sectional survey done at the well-baby clinics of 11 primary health centers, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar. A multistage sampling design was used and a representative sample of 1500 children (0-5 years old) and mothers (18-47 years old) were surveyed between October 2006 and September 2007. Of them, 1278 mothers (85.2%) participated in the study. A confidential, anonymous questionnaire assessing breast-feeding and allergic diseases was completed by mothers bringing children for immunization. Questionnaire included allergic rhinitis, wheezing, eczema, type and duration of breast-feeding, parental smoking habits, number of siblings, family income, maternal education, and parental allergies. Univariate and multivariate statistical methods were performed for statistical analysis. More than one-half of the infants (59.3%) were on EBF. Length of breast-feeding was associated with maternal age. Prevalence of eczema (19.4%), allergic rhinitis (22.6%), and wheezing (12.7%) were significantly less frequent in those with prolonged (>6 months) compared with short-term fed infants. The association between EBF and eczema tended to be similar in children with a positive family history of atopy (p < 0.001) and eczema (p < 0.001) compared with those without. In children of developing countries, prolonged breast-feeding reduces the risk of developing allergic diseases and eczema even in the presence of maternal allergy, where it might be a practical, effective preventive measure.

Promoting ergonomics in Algeria: activities of "the research and training laboratory" in the University of Oran.

PubMed

Mebarki, Bouhafs; El-Bachir, Tebboune Cheikh

2012-01-01

The growing need in Algeria to develop ergonomics knowledge and practice in industry was behind the initiative to develop a training and research project within the ergonomics laboratory at Oran University. Since 2005 the laboratory team is running an academic option master in work design and ergonomics. The evaluation of the academic master in 2010 revealed the acute need of the local industry for professional competences in ergonomic and work psychology. A professional training master program in "ergonomics & work psychology" was then developed in partnership with local industry, five European Universities and six Universities from three Maghreb countries. Research projects were initiated around the two training programs, in conjunction with a number of ergonomics dissemination and promotion activities. Preliminary results of the project are presented and discussed in relation to the local context, and in the light of similar cases in Industrially Developing Countries.

Developments in legal and medical practice regarding the unborn child and the need to expand prenatal legal protection.

PubMed

Dorscheidt, Jozef H H M

2010-12-01

Developments in legal and medical practice in the Netherlands give rise to questions regarding the legal position of the unborn child. This article provides an overview of these developments and argues--in view of developments in other countries--that current Dutch legislation regarding the unborn child is not up to date. In effect, the article challenges the idea that the actual legal protection of the unborn child under positive Dutch law can be considered proportionate, even sufficient. To support this view the author will show that abortion is not the only matter in which clarity as to the legal protection of the viable unborn child is required. This signalisation provides good cause to reconsider the Dutch perspective on the matter, thus offering a point of reference to countries with a similar interpretation of what constitutes an appropriate legal protection of the unborn child.

Rapid Growth of Psychology Programs in Turkey: Undergraduate Curriculum and Structural Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sümer, Nebi

2016-01-01

Similar to the other developing countries, undergraduate psychology programs in Turkish universities have rapidly grown in the last two decades. Although this sharp increment signifies the need for psychologists, it has also caused a number of challenges for effective teaching of psychology. The department chairs (N = 42) were interviewed with an…

Skilling Australians: Lessons from World War II National Workforce Development Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dymock, Darryl; Billett, Stephen

2010-01-01

Governments are currently mobilising their national workforces to compete effectively in a globalised economy where being export-effective and import-competitive are necessary to secure national economic and social goals. Australia is no exception here. Yet, in this country, as in others, similar mobilisations occurred in earlier times, most…

The Politics of Testing in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chisholm, Linda; Wildeman, Russell

2013-01-01

This article considers the politics of adoption of a testing regime in South Africa. While the broad features of this regime are similar to those in developed countries, there are features specific to the South African context. These emerge from a combination of external and internal pressures. External pressures derive from international testing…

Information Literacy in Postsecondary Education in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Folk, Amanda L.

2016-01-01

This comparison seeks to determine if the three documents addressing information literacy skills and competence developed by professional library associations for postsecondary education in four predominantly English-speaking countries--the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand--have similar or varying conceptions of…

Living kidney donation: outcomes, ethics, and uncertainty.

PubMed

Reese, Peter P; Boudville, Neil; Garg, Amit X

2015-05-16

Since the first living-donor kidney transplantation in 1954, more than half a million living kidney donations have occurred and research has advanced knowledge about long-term donor outcomes. Donors in developed countries have a similar life expectancy and quality of life as healthy non-donors. Living kidney donation is associated with an increased risk of end-stage renal disease, although this outcome is uncommon (<0·5% increase in incidence at 15 years). Kidney donation seems to elevate the risks of gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia. Many donors incur financial expenses due to factors such as lost wages, need for sick days, and travel expenses. Yet, most donors have no regrets about donation. Living kidney donation is practised ethically when informed consent incorporates information about risks, uncertainty about outcomes is acknowledged when it exists, and a donor's risks are proportional to benefits for the donor and recipient. Future research should determine whether outcomes are similar for donors from developing countries and donors with pre-existing conditions such as obesity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The low prevalence of female smoking in the developing world: gender inequality or maternal adaptations for fetal protection?

PubMed

Hagen, Edward H; Garfield, Melissa J; Sullivan, Roger J

2016-01-01

Female smoking prevalence is dramatically lower in developing countries (3.1%) than developed countries (17.2%), whereas male smoking is similar (32% vs 30.1%). Low female smoking has been linked to high gender inequality. Alternatively, to protect their offspring from teratogenic substances, pregnant and lactating women appear to have evolved aversions to toxic plant substances like nicotine, which are reinforced by cultural proscriptions. Higher total fertility rates (TFRs) in developing countries could therefore explain their lower prevalence of female smoking. To compare the associations of TFR and gender inequality with national prevalence rates of female and male smoking. Data from a previous study of smoking prevalence vs gender inequality in 74 countries were reanalysed with a regression model that also included TFR. We replicated this analysis with three additional measures of gender equality and 2012 smoking data from 173 countries. A 1 SD increase in TFR predicted a decrease in female smoking prevalence by factors of 0.58-0.77, adjusting for covariates. TFR had a smaller and unexpected negative association with male smoking prevalence. Increased gender equality was associated with increased female smoking prevalence, and, unexpectedly, with decreased male smoking prevalence. TFR was also associated with an increase in smoking prevalence among postmenopausal women. High TFR and gender inequality both predict reduced prevalence of female smoking across nations. In countries with high TFR, adaptations and cultural norms that protect fetuses from plant toxins might suppress smoking among frequently pregnant and lactating women. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Foundation for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health.

Evidence-based medicine training in a resource-poor country, the importance of leveraging personal and institutional relationships

PubMed Central

Tomatis, Cristina; Taramona, Claudia; Rizo-Patrón, Emiliana; Hernández, Fiorela; Rodríguez, Patricia; Piscoya, Alejandro; Gonzales, Elsa; Gotuzzo, Eduardo; Heudebert, Gustavo; Centor, Robert M.; Estrada, Carlos A.

2011-01-01

Rationale, aims and objectives Efforts to implement evidence-based medicine (EBM) training in developing countries are limited. We describe the results of an international effort to improve research capacity in a developing country; we conducted a course aimed at improving basic EBM attitudes and identified challenges. Method Between 2005 and 2009, we conducted an annual 3-day course in Perú consisting of interactive lectures and case-based workshops. We assessed self-reported competence and importance in EBM using a Likert scale (1 = low, 5 = high). Results Totally 220 clinicians participated. For phase I (2005–2007), self-reported EBM competence increased from a median of 2 to 3 (P < 0.001) and the perceived importance of EBM did not change (median = 5). For phase II (2008–2009), before the course, 8–72% graded their competence very low (score of 1–2). After the course, 67–92% of subjects graded their increase in knowledge very high (score of 4–5). The challenges included limited availability of studies relevant to the local reality written in Spanish, participants’ limited time and lack of long-term follow-up on practice change. Informal discussion and written evaluation from participants were universally in agreement that more training in EBM is needed. Conclusions In an EBM course in a resource-poor country, the baseline self-reported competence and experience on EBM were low, and the course had measurable improvements of self-reported competence, perceived utility and readiness to incorporate EBM into their practices. Similar to developed countries, translational research and building the research capacity in developing countries is critical for translating best available evidence into practice. PMID:21276140

[Clinical ethics committees in Mexico: their development in the Mexican Institute of Social Security].

PubMed

Valdez-Martínez, Edith; Bedolla, Miguel

2007-01-01

The Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) considers the relevance of ethics in a similar context than other countries have developed. According to these considerations, IMSS implemented formally of system of local committees on clinical ethics (CLEC), not only to provide support when ethical dilemmas emerge, but to facilitate the development of an ethics culture among health professionals. The implementation of the CLEC network started in 2004, and since then, its number has increased across the country. Currently IMSS has 78 CLECs. Their number continues to grow due to the level of awareness about the importance of ethics for making medical decisions. In November 2006 the first CLEC national meeting was held and the need to redefine strategies to improve performance of CLECS emerged. This article reports the current situation of the CLECs in Mexico.

British firms mark progress off Viet Nam

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-11-23

British companies are making more inroads in exploring for oil and gas off Viet Nam. British Gas plc won a 25 year production sharing contract for a license off southern Viet Nam in the South China Sea. Meantime, London independent Lasmo plc started seismic surveys on the block adjoining the British Gas block. Separately, Thailand and Viet Nam have reached agreement to jointly explore for and develop oil and gas found in waters claimed by both countries. Plans call for the two countries to draw up joint development plans covering oil and gas resources in the southeastern fringe of themore » Gulf of Thailand. Bangkok officials say they would have preferred to delineate maritime boundaries with Hanoi, but opted for the joint development accord, noting that Thailand and Malaysia had taken 12 years to resolve a similar dispute.« less

Do hernia operations in african international cooperation programmes provide good quality?

PubMed

Gil, J; Rodríguez, J M; Hernández, Q; Gil, E; Balsalobre, M D; González, M; Torregrosa, N; Verdú, T; Alcaráz, M; Parrilla, P

2012-12-01

Hernia is especially prevalent in developing countries where the population is obliged to undertake strenuous work in order to survive, and International Cooperation Programmes are helping to solve this problem. However, the quality of surgical interventions is unknown. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the quality of hernia repair processes carried out by the Surgical Solidarity Charity in Central African States. A total of 524 cases of inguinal hernia repair carried out in Cameroon and Mali during 2005 to 2009 were compared with 386 cases treated in a Multicentre Spanish Study (2003). General data (clinical, demographic, etc.), type of surgery, complications, and effectiveness and efficiency indicators were collected. Preoperative studies in the Spanish group were greater in number than in the African group. The use of local anesthesia was similar. Antibiotic prophylaxis was higher in the African group (100% to 75.4%). The use of mesh was similar. The incidence of hematomas was higher in the Spanish group (11.61% to 4.61%), but the incidence of infection of the wound and of hernia recurrence was similar, although follow-up was only carried out in 20.97% in the African group (70% in the Spanish group). Hospital stay of more than 24 h was higher in the Spanish group. The standard quality of surgery for the treatment of hernia in developing countries with few instrumental means, and in sub-optimal surgical conditions is similar to that provided in Spain.

Food Chain Mycotoxin Exposure, Gut Health, and Impaired Growth: A Conceptual Framework1

PubMed Central

Smith, Laura E.; Stoltzfus, Rebecca J.; Prendergast, Andrew

2012-01-01

Childhood stunting is an important and intractable public health problem that underlies ∼20% of deaths among children aged <5 y in developing countries. Environmental enteropathy (EE), a subclinical condition of the small intestine characterized by reduced absorptive capacity and increased intestinal permeability, is almost universal among children in developing countries and may mediate stunting. However, the etiology of EE is poorly understood. Mycotoxins are metabolites of fungi that frequently contaminate the staple foods of children living in developing countries. We review evidence from human and animal studies that exposure to mycotoxins, particularly aflatoxin (AF), fumonisin (FUM), and deoxynivaenol (DON), may impair child growth. Although these toxins have distinct actions, they all mediate intestinal damage through: 1) inhibition of protein synthesis (AF, DON); 2) an increase in systemic proinflammatory cytokines (DON); and 3) inhibition of ceramide synthase (FUM). The intestinal pathology that arises from mycotoxin exposure is very similar to that of EE. We propose that future studies should address the role of mycotoxins in the pathogenesis of EE and evaluate interventions to limit mycotoxin exposure and reduce childhood stunting. PMID:22797988

Socioeconomic Determinants of Adult Mortality in Namibia Using an Event History Analysis.

PubMed

Kandjimbi, Alina; Nickanor, Ndeyapo; Kazembe, Lawrence N

2014-01-01

Adult mortality remains a neglected public health issue in sub-Saharan Africa, with most policy instruments concentrated on child and maternal health. In developed countries, adult mortality is negatively associated with socioeconomic factors. A similar pattern is expected in developing countries, but has not been extensively demonstrated, because of dearth of data. Understanding the hazard and factors associated with adult mortality is crucial for informing policies and for implementation of interventions aimed at improving adult survival. This paper applied a geo-additive survival model to elucidate effects of socioeconomic factors on adult mortality in Namibia, controlling for spatial frailties. Results show a clear disadvantage for adults in rural areas, for those not married and from poor households or in female-headed households. The hazard of adult mortality was highly variable with a 1.5-fold difference between areas, with highest hazard recorded in north eastern, central west and southern west parts of the country. The analysis emphasizes that, for Namibia to achieve its national development goals, targeted interventions should be aimed at poor-resourced adults, particularly in high-risk areas.

Weight-related stigma is a significant psychosocial stressor in developing countries: Evidence from Guatemala.

PubMed

Hackman, Joseph; Maupin, Jonathan; Brewis, Alexandra A

2016-07-01

Weight-related stigma is established as a major psychosocial stressor and correlate of depression among people living with obesity in high-income countries. Anti-fat beliefs are rapidly globalizing. The goal of the study is to (1) examine how weight-related stigma, enacted as teasing, is evident among women from a lower-income country and (2) test if such weight-related stigma contributes to depressive symptoms. Modeling data for 12,074 reproductive-age women collected in the 2008-2009 Guatemala National Maternal-Infant Health Survey, we demonstrate that weight-related teasing is (1) experienced by those both underweight and overweight, and (2) a significant psychosocial stressor. Effects are comparable to other factors known to influence women's depressive risk in lower-income countries, such as living in poverty, experiencing food insecurity, or suffering sexual/domestic violence. That women's failure to meet local body norms-whether they are overweight or underweight-serves as such a strong source of psychological distress is particularly concerning in settings like Guatemala where high levels of over- and under-nutrition intersect at the household and community level. Current obesity-centric models of weight-related stigma, developed from studies in high-income countries, fail to recognize that being underweight may create similar forms of psychosocial distress in low-income countries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid population growth.

PubMed

1972-01-01

At the current rate of population growth, world population by 2000 is expected to reach 7 billion or more, with developing countries accounting for some 5.4 billion, and economically advanced nations accounting for 1.6 billion. 'Population explosion' is the result of falling mortality rates and continuing high birth rates. Many European countries, and Japan, have already completed what is termed as demographic transition, that is, birth rates have fallen to below 20 births per 1000 population, death rates to 10/1000 population, and annual growth rates are 1% or less; annual growth rates for less developed countries ranged from 2 to 3.5%. Less developed countries can be divided into 3 groups: 1) countries with both high birth and death rates; 2) countries with high birth rates and low death rates; and 3) countries with intermediate and declining birth rates and low death rates. Rapid population growth has serious economic consequences. It encourages inequities in income distribution; it limits rate of growth of gross national product by holding down level of savings and capital investments; it exerts pressure on agricultural production and land; and it creates unemployment problems. In addition, the quality of education for increasing number of chidren is adversely affected, as high proportions of children reduce the amount that can be spent for the education of each child out of the educational budget; the cost and adequacy of health and welfare services are affected in a similar way. Other serious consequences of rapid population growth are maternal death and illness, and physical and mental retardation of children of very poor families. It is very urgent that over a billion births be prevented in the next 30 years to reduce annual population growth rate from the current 2% to 1% per year.

Levels of health development: a new tool for comparative research and policy formulation.

PubMed

Hunter, S S

1990-01-01

Levels of health development are formed by mathematically clustering countries using six health status indicators: crude birth, crude death, infant mortality and child death rates, and male and female life expectancy. Stratifying two international samples of 128 and 163 countries into levels of health development--groups with similar health status profiles--improves the results of regression analyses used to identify economic, political, social, educational, health and other health determinants. For this reason, health development levels are a systematic framework for delineation of health determinants. Earlier large scale statistical studies have been limited in their success in part because they did not partition their data sets prior to analysis, or used inappropriate criteria that blurred rather than heightened developmental differences in underlying social systems. These developmental differences regulate the way in which health status inputs are converted into health status outputs, defining the relative importance of health determinants at various developmental levels. At lowest health development levels (countries with poorer health status), the under-development of economic, health and educational infrastructures creates a vacuum which allows international intervention (aid, investment, export/import activities) to play a dominant role in health status determination. At middle health development levels, health and educational infrastructures are better developed, but still secondary in importance as health status determinants to basic economic infrastructure. Demographic problems are particularly apparent at these levels. At higher health development levels, education, women's status, and political structure are especially important health status determinants. This research has facilitated the identification of health status determinants for use in health policy analysis. Recommendations for future research include use of findings in health policymaking by individual countries and by comparative researchers, and development of appropriate health systems models for each level of health development.

Is the reporting timeliness gap for avian flu and H1N1 outbreaks in global health surveillance systems associated with country transparency?

PubMed

Tsai, Feng-Jen; Tseng, Eva; Chan, Chang-Chuan; Tamashiro, Hiko; Motamed, Sandrine; Rougemont, André C

2013-03-25

This study aims to evaluate the length of time elapsed between reports of the same incidents related to avian flu and H1N1 outbreaks published by the WHO and ProMED-mail, the two major global health surveillance systems, before and after the amendment of the International Health Regulations in 2005 (IHR 2005) and to explore the association between country transparency and this timeliness gap. We recorded the initial release dates of each report related to avian flu or H1N1 listed on the WHO Disease Outbreak News site and the matching outbreak report from ProMED-mail, a non-governmental program for monitoring emerging diseases, from 2003 to the end of June 2009. The timeliness gap was calculated as the difference in days between the report release dates of the matching outbreaks in the WHO and ProMED-mail systems. Civil liberties scores were collected as indicators of the transparency of each country. The Human Development Index and data indicating the density of physicians and nurses were collected to reflect countries' development and health workforce statuses. Then, logistic regression was performed to determine the correlation between the timeliness gap and civil liberties, human development, and health workforce status, controlling for year. The reporting timeliness gap for avian flu and H1N1 outbreaks significantly decreased after 2003. On average, reports were posted 4.09 (SD = 7.99) days earlier by ProMED-mail than by the WHO. Countries with partly free (OR = 5.77) and free civil liberties scores (OR = 10.57) had significantly higher likelihoods of longer timeliness gaps than non-free countries. Similarly, countries with very high human development status had significantly higher likelihoods of longer timeliness gaps than countries with middle or low human development status (OR = 5.30). However, no association between the timeliness gap and health workforce density was found. The study found that the adoption of IHR 2005, which contributed to countries' awareness of the importance of timely reporting, had a significant impact in improving the reporting timeliness gap. In addition, the greater the civil liberties in a country (e.g., importance of freedom of the media), the longer the timeliness gap.

Hepatitis E and pregnancy: current state.

PubMed

Pérez-Gracia, María Teresa; Suay-García, Beatriz; Mateos-Lindemann, María Luisa

2017-03-20

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is responsible for more than 50% of acute viral hepatitis cases in endemic countries. Approximately 2 billion individuals live in hepatitis E-endemic areas and, therefore, are at risk of infection. According to World Health Organization, HEV causes about 20.1 million infections and 70 000 deaths every year. In developing countries with poor sanitation, this disease is transmitted through contaminated water and is associated with large outbreaks, affecting hundreds or thousands of people. In developed countries, autochthonous cases of HEV have been increasingly recognized in the past several years. Hepatitis E virus typically causes an acute, self-limiting illness similar to other acute viral hepatitis, such as hepatitis A or B, with about 0.2% to 1% mortality rate in the general population. However, the course of hepatitis E in pregnancy is different than the mild self-constraining infection described in other populations. During pregnancy, HEV infection can take a fulminant course, resulting in fulminant hepatic failure, membrane rupture, spontaneous abortions, and stillbirths. Studies from various developing countries have shown a high incidence of HEV infection in pregnancy with a significant proportion of pregnant women progressing to fulminant hepatitis with a fatality rate of up to 30%. The present review will highlight new aspects of the HEV infection and pregnancy. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

TeleFood: a worldwide appeal.

PubMed

1997-12-01

In 1997, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) broadcast its first global television program on the theme of "Food for All" to an audience of approximately 450 million viewers. The objective of "TeleFood" was to raise awareness of the scale of the problem and to encourage solidarity in the fight against hunger. TeleFood raised funds to support the FAO's Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) and similar grassroots projects that target rural people in developing countries. The SPFS project, now operational in 19 countries and being formulated in 32 more, emphasizes national ownership, farmer participation, environmental awareness, and recognition of the role of women in food production and marketing. The 3-year SPFS pilot phase involves 1) small-scale water harvesting, irrigation, and drainage; 2) sustainable intensification of crop production; 3) diversification of production; and 4) removal of policies that impede food security. Results to date include 1) greatly increased maize and potato yields in Bolivia and more modest increases in Nepal; 2) doubled yields of maize and rice in Tanzania; and 3) expansion of the area under low-cost irrigation in Zambia. South-South cooperation is allowing some developing countries to benefit from experience gained in other developing countries. The pilot activities are being funded with an increasing number of "soft" loans from governments and financial institutions.

Does Gender Matter? Female Representation on Corporate Boards and Firm Financial Performance--A Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Pletzer, Jan Luca; Nikolova, Romina; Kedzior, Karina Karolina; Voelpel, Sven Constantin

2015-01-01

In recent years, there has been an ongoing, worldwide debate about the representation of females in companies. Our study aimed to meta-analytically investigate the controversial relationship between female representation on corporate boards and firm financial performance. Following a systematic literature search, data from 20 studies on 3097 companies published in peer-reviewed academic journals were included in the meta-analysis. On average, the boards consisted of eight members and female participation was low (mean 14%) in all studies. Half of the 20 studies were based on data from developing countries and 62% from higher income countries. According to the random-effects model, the overall mean weighted correlation between percentage of females on corporate boards and firm performance was small and non-significant (r = .01, 95% confidence interval: -.04, .07). Similar small effect sizes were observed when comparing studies based on developing vs. developed countries and higher vs. lower income countries. The mean board size was not related to the effect sizes in studies. These results indicate that the mere representation of females on corporate boards is not related to firm financial performance if other factors are not considered. We conclude our study with a discussion of its implications and limitations.

Does Gender Matter? Female Representation on Corporate Boards and Firm Financial Performance - A Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Pletzer, Jan Luca; Nikolova, Romina; Kedzior, Karina Karolina; Voelpel, Sven Constantin

2015-01-01

In recent years, there has been an ongoing, worldwide debate about the representation of females in companies. Our study aimed to meta-analytically investigate the controversial relationship between female representation on corporate boards and firm financial performance. Following a systematic literature search, data from 20 studies on 3097 companies published in peer-reviewed academic journals were included in the meta-analysis. On average, the boards consisted of eight members and female participation was low (mean 14%) in all studies. Half of the 20 studies were based on data from developing countries and 62% from higher income countries. According to the random-effects model, the overall mean weighted correlation between percentage of females on corporate boards and firm performance was small and non-significant (r = .01, 95% confidence interval: -.04, .07). Similar small effect sizes were observed when comparing studies based on developing vs. developed countries and higher vs. lower income countries. The mean board size was not related to the effect sizes in studies. These results indicate that the mere representation of females on corporate boards is not related to firm financial performance if other factors are not considered. We conclude our study with a discussion of its implications and limitations. PMID:26086454

Recommendations for Genetic Variation Data Capture in Developing Countries to Ensure a Comprehensive Worldwide Data Collection

PubMed Central

Patrinos, George P; Al Aama, Jumana; Al Aqeel, Aida; Al-Mulla, Fahd; Borg, Joseph; Devereux, Andrew; Felice, Alex E; Macrae, Finlay; Marafie, Makia J; Petersen, Michael B; Qi, Ming; Ramesar, Rajkumar S; Zlotogora, Joel; Cotton, Richard GH

2011-01-01

Developing countries have significantly contributed to the elucidation of the genetic basis of both common and rare disorders, providing an invaluable resource of cases due to large family sizes, consanguinity, and potential founder effects. Moreover, the recognized depth of genomic variation in indigenous African populations, reflecting the ancient origins of humanity on the African continent, and the effect of selection pressures on the genome, will be valuable in understanding the range of both pathological and nonpathological variations. The involvement of these populations in accurately documenting the extant genetic heterogeneity is more than essential. Developing nations are regarded as key contributors to the Human Variome Project (HVP; http://www.humanvariomeproject.org), a major effort to systematically collect mutations that contribute to or cause human disease and create a cyber infrastructure to tie databases together. However, biomedical research has not been the primary focus in these countries even though such activities are likely to produce economic and health benefits for all. Here, we propose several recommendations and guidelines to facilitate participation of developing countries in genetic variation data documentation, ensuring an accurate and comprehensive worldwide data collection. We also summarize a few well-coordinated genetic data collection initiatives that would serve as paradigms for similar projects. Hum Mutat 31:1–8, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. PMID:21089065

Land-use and alternative bioenergy pathways for waste biomass.

PubMed

Campbell, J E; Block, E

2010-11-15

Rapid escalation in biofuels consumption may lead to a trade regime that favors exports of food-based biofuels from tropical developing countries to developed countries. There is growing interest in mitigating the land-use impacts of these potential biofuels exports by converting biorefinery waste streams into cellulosic ethanol, potentially reducing the amount of land needed to meet production goals. This increased land-use efficiency for ethanol production may lower the land-use greenhouse gas emissions of ethanol but would come at the expense of converting the wastes into bioelectricity which may offset fossil fuel-based electricity and could provide a vital source of domestic electricity in developing countries. Here we compare these alternative uses of wastes with respect to environmental and energy security outcomes considering a range of electricity production efficiencies, ethanol yields, land-use scenarios, and energy offset assumptions. For a given amount of waste biomass, we found that using bioelectricity production to offset natural gas achieves 58% greater greenhouse gas reductions than using cellulosic ethanol to offset gasoline but similar emissions when cellulosic ethanol is used to offset the need for more sugar cane ethanol. If bioelectricity offsets low-carbon energy sources such as nuclear power then the liquid fuels pathway is preferred. Exports of cellulosic ethanol may have a small impact on the energy security of importing nations while bioelectricity production may have relatively large impacts on the energy security in developing countries.

Guidelines in lower-middle income countries.

PubMed

Olayemi, Edeghonghon; Asare, Eugenia V; Benneh-Akwasi Kuma, Amma A

2017-06-01

Guidelines include recommendations intended to optimize patient care; used appropriately, they make healthcare consistent and efficient. In most lower-middle income countries (LMICs), there is a paucity of well-designed guidelines; as a result, healthcare workers depend on guidelines developed in Higher Income Countries (HICs). However, local guidelines are more likely to be implemented because they are applicable to the specific environment; and consider factors such as availability of resources, specialized skills and local culture. If guidelines developed in HICs are to be implemented in LMICs, developers need to incorporate local experts in their development. Involvement of local stakeholders may improve the rates of implementation by identifying and removing barriers to implementation in LMICs. Another option is to encourage local experts to adapt them for use in LMICs; these guidelines may recommend strategies different from those used in HICs, but will be aimed at achieving the best practicable standard of care. Infrastructural deficits in LMICs could be improved by learning from and building on the successful response to the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome pandemic through interactions between HICs and LMICs. Similarly, collaborations between postgraduate medical colleges in both HICs and LMICs may help specialist doctors training in LMICs develop skills required for guideline development and implementation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Importance of public participation in decision-making process in healthcare system illustarted with an example of the development of American and Polish scope of health benefit basket.

PubMed

Kolasa, Katarzyna; Hermanowski, Tomasz; Borek, Ewa

2013-01-01

The process of the development of health benefit basket may serve as a good example of decision-making process in the healthcare system which is based on public participation. Comparative analysis of development and implementation of health benefit basket in Poland and the USA. On a basis of the literature review, following questions were studied, i.e.: What is the origin of health benefit basket development in the USA and Poland? What was the role of pubic opinion in determining the range of health benefit basket in both countries? What criteria were employed to determine the range of health benefit basket in both countries? What conclusions can be drawn for Poland from the USA experience of determining the range of health benefit basket? Irrespective of the similarities in the origin of health benefit basket development, both countries approached this issue differently. In the USA, the approach based on social dialogue and patient's perspective was selected while in Poland the perspective of public payer predominated. The transparency of principles and social dialogue constitute the fundamental elements of effective process of health benefit basket development and implementation which is both required and generally unpopular modification.

Methods of Implementation of Evidence-Based Stroke Care in Europe: European Implementation Score Collaboration.

PubMed

Di Carlo, Antonio; Pezzella, Francesca Romana; Fraser, Alec; Bovis, Francesca; Baeza, Juan; McKevitt, Chris; Boaz, Annette; Heuschmann, Peter; Wolfe, Charles D A; Inzitari, Domenico

2015-08-01

Differences in stroke care and outcomes reported in Europe may reflect different degrees of implementation of evidence-based interventions. We evaluated strategies for implementing research evidence into stroke care in 10 European countries. A questionnaire was developed and administered through face-to-face interviews with key informants. Implementation strategies were investigated considering 3 levels (macro, meso, and micro, eg, policy, organization, patients/professionals) identified by the framing analysis, and different settings (primary, hospital, and specialist) of stroke care. Similarities and differences among countries were evaluated using the categorical principal components analysis. Implementation methods reported by ≥7 countries included nonmandatory policies, public financial incentives, continuing professional education, distribution of educational material, educational meetings and campaigns, guidelines, opinion leaders', and stroke patients associations' activities. Audits were present in 6 countries at national level; national and regional regulations in 4 countries. Private financial incentives, reminders, and educational outreach visits were reported only in 2 countries. At national level, the first principal component of categorical principal components analysis separated England, France, Scotland, and Sweden, all with positive object scores, from the other countries. Belgium and Lithuania obtained the lowest scores. At regional level, England, France, Germany, Italy, and Sweden had positive scores in the first principal component, whereas Belgium, Lithuania, Poland, and Scotland showed negative scores. Spain was in an intermediate position. We developed a novel method to assess different domains of implementation in stroke care. Clear variations were observed among European countries. The new tool may be used elsewhere for future contributions. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Travelling in the eastern Mediterranean with landscape character assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abu Jaber, N.; Abunnasr, Y.; Abu Yahya, A.; Boulad, N.; Christou, O.; Dimitropoulos, G.; Dimopoulos, T.; Gkoltsiou, K.; Khreis, N.; Manolaki, P.; Michael, K.; Odeh, T.; Papatheodoulou, A.; Sorotou, A.; Sinno, S.; Suliman, O.; Symons, N.; Terkenli, T.; Trigkas, Vassilis; Trovato, M. G.; Victora, M.; Zomeni, M.; Vogiatzakis, I. N.

2015-06-01

Following its application in Northern Europe, Landscape Character Assessment has also been implemented in Euro-Mediterranean countries as a tool for classifying, describing and assessing landscapes. Many landscape classifications employed in the Euro-Mediterranean area are similar in philosophy and application to the ones developed in Northern Europe. However, many aspects of landform, climate, land-use and ecology, as well as socio-economic context are distinctive of Mediterranean landscapes. The paper discusses the conceptual and methodological issues faced during landscape mapping and characterisation in four East-Mediterranean countries (within the MEDSCAPES project): Cyprus, Greece, Jordan and Lebanon. The major hurdles to overcome during the first phase of methodology development include variation in availability, quality, scale and coverage of spatial datasets between countries and also terminology semantics around landscapes. For example, the concept of landscape - a well-defined term in Greek and English - did not exist in Arabic. Another issue is the use of relative terms like 'high mountains,' `uplands' `lowlands' or ' hills'. Such terms, which are regularly used in landscape description, were perceived slightly differently in the four participating countries. In addition differences exist in nomenclature and classification systems used by each country for the dominant landscape-forming factors i.e. geology, soils and land use- but also in the cultural processes shaping the landscapes - compared both to each other and to the Northern-European norms. This paper argues for the development of consistent, regionally adapted, relevant and standardised methodologies if the results and application of LCA in the eastern Mediterranean region are to be transferable and comparable between countries.

Women's perceptions of iron deficiency and anemia prevention and control in eight developing countries.

PubMed

Galloway, Rae; Dusch, Erin; Elder, Leslie; Achadi, Endang; Grajeda, Ruben; Hurtado, Elena; Favin, Mike; Kanani, Shubhada; Marsaban, Julie; Meda, Nicolas; Moore, K Mona; Morison, Linda; Raina, Neena; Rajaratnam, Jolly; Rodriquez, Javier; Stephen, Chitra

2002-08-01

The World Health Organization estimates that 58% of pregnant women in developing countries are anemic. In spite of the fact that most ministries of health in developing countries have policies to provide pregnant women with iron in a supplement form, maternal anemia prevalence has not declined significantly where large-scale programs have been evaluated. During the period 1991-98, the MotherCare Project and its partners conducted qualitative research to determine the major barriers and facilitators of iron supplementation programs for pregnant women in eight developing countries. Research results were used to develop pilot program strategies and interventions to reduce maternal anemia. Across-region results were examined and some differences were found but the similarity in the way women view anemia and react to taking iron tablets was more striking than differences encountered by region, country or ethnic group. While women frequently recognize symptoms of anemia, they do not know the clinical term for anemia. Half of women in all countries consider these symptoms to be a priority health concern that requires action and half do not. Those women who visit prenatal health services are often familiar with iron supplements, but commonly do not know why they are prescribed. Contrary to the belief that women stop taking iron tablets mainly due to negative side effects, only about one-third of women reported that they experienced negative side effects in these studies. During iron supplementation trials in five of the countries, only about one-tenth of the women stopped taking the tablets due to side effects. The major barrier to effective supplementation programs is inadequate supply. Additional barriers include inadequate counseling and distribution of iron tablets, difficult access and poor utilization of prenatal health care services, beliefs against consuming medications during pregnancy, and in most countries, fears that taking too much iron may cause too much blood or a big baby, making delivery more difficult. Facilitators include women's recognition of improved physical well being with the alleviation of symptoms of anemia, particularly fatigue, a better appetite, increased appreciation of benefits for the fetus, and subsequent increased demand for prevention and treatment of iron deficiency and anemia.

Cultural factors in the origin and remediation of alternative conceptions in physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thijs, Gerard D.; van den Berg, Ed

1995-10-01

Over a wide range of subject areas students exhibit persistent conceptions contrary to the prevailing scientific concepts. The same alternative conceptions in physics are reported to exist across many countries, within a variety of cultural and environmental contexts. Also, many alternative conceptions show striking similarities with difficulties encountered in the historical development of physics. What is the reason for these similarities? Is intuitive science learned or triggered? And, if similar brain structures are responsible for common-sense theories, in what way then are cultural factors still important in the teaching-learning process? The influence of cultural factors will be discussed on the basis of literature available on this topic. Data collected by the authors in the Netherlands, Indonesia and countries in Africa are also taken into consideration. A distinction is proposed between alternative conceptions some of which may be universal and some dependent on culture. The same distinction is made regarding ways of reasoning and epistemology. It is suggested that the effectiveness of methods for the remediation of alternative conceptions is strongly influenced by cultural aspects of the teaching-learning process.

Power Law Distributions of Patents as Indicators of Innovation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Neale, Dion; Hendy, Shaun

2013-03-01

The total number of patents produced by a country (or the number of patents produced per capita) is often used as an indicator for innovation. Such figures however give an overly simplistic measure of innovation within a country. Here we present evidence that the distribution of patents amongst applicants within many countries is well-fitted to a power law distribution with exponents that vary between 1.66 (Japan) and 2.37 (Poland). We suggest that this exponent is a useful new metric for studying innovation. Using simulations based on simple preferential attachment-type rules that generate power laws, we find we can explain some of the variation in exponents between countries, with countries that have larger numbers of patents per applicant generally exhibiting smaller exponents in both the simulated and actual data. Similarly we find that the exponents for most countries are inversely correlated with other indicators of innovation, such as research and development intensity or the ubiquity of export baskets. This suggests that in more advanced economies, which tend to have smaller values of the exponent, a greater proportion of the total number of patents are filed by large companies than in less advanced countries.

Global threat to agriculture from invasive species.

PubMed

Paini, Dean R; Sheppard, Andy W; Cook, David C; De Barro, Paul J; Worner, Susan P; Thomas, Matthew B

2016-07-05

Invasive species present significant threats to global agriculture, although how the magnitude and distribution of the threats vary between countries and regions remains unclear. Here, we present an analysis of almost 1,300 known invasive insect pests and pathogens, calculating the total potential cost of these species invading each of 124 countries of the world, as well as determining which countries present the greatest threat to the rest of the world given their trading partners and incumbent pool of invasive species. We find that countries vary in terms of potential threat from invasive species and also their role as potential sources, with apparently similar countries sometimes varying markedly depending on specifics of agricultural commodities and trade patterns. Overall, the biggest agricultural producers (China and the United States) could experience the greatest absolute cost from further species invasions. However, developing countries, in particular, Sub-Saharan African countries, appear most vulnerable in relative terms. Furthermore, China and the United States represent the greatest potential sources of invasive species for the rest of the world. The analysis reveals considerable scope for ongoing redistribution of known invasive pests and highlights the need for international cooperation to slow their spread.

Global threat to agriculture from invasive species

PubMed Central

Paini, Dean R.; Sheppard, Andy W.; Cook, David C.; De Barro, Paul J.; Worner, Susan P.; Thomas, Matthew B.

2016-01-01

Invasive species present significant threats to global agriculture, although how the magnitude and distribution of the threats vary between countries and regions remains unclear. Here, we present an analysis of almost 1,300 known invasive insect pests and pathogens, calculating the total potential cost of these species invading each of 124 countries of the world, as well as determining which countries present the greatest threat to the rest of the world given their trading partners and incumbent pool of invasive species. We find that countries vary in terms of potential threat from invasive species and also their role as potential sources, with apparently similar countries sometimes varying markedly depending on specifics of agricultural commodities and trade patterns. Overall, the biggest agricultural producers (China and the United States) could experience the greatest absolute cost from further species invasions. However, developing countries, in particular, Sub-Saharan African countries, appear most vulnerable in relative terms. Furthermore, China and the United States represent the greatest potential sources of invasive species for the rest of the world. The analysis reveals considerable scope for ongoing redistribution of known invasive pests and highlights the need for international cooperation to slow their spread. PMID:27325781

Taking stock of Myanmar's progress toward the health-related Millennium Development Goals: current roadblocks, paths ahead.

PubMed

Saw, Yu Mon; Win, Khine Lae; Shiao, Laura Wen-Shuan; Thandar, Moe Moe; Amiya, Rachel M; Shibanuma, Akira; Tun, Soe; Jimba, Masamine

2013-09-11

Myanmar is a developing country with considerable humanitarian needs, rendering its pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) an especially high priority. Yet progress to date remains under-examined on key fronts. Particularly within the three health-related MDGs (MDGs 4, 5, and 6), the limited data reported point to patchy levels of achievement. This study was undertaken to provide an overview and assessment of Myanmar's progress toward the health-related MDGs, along with possible solutions for accelerating health-related development into 2015 and beyond. The review highlights off-track progress in the spheres of maternal and child health (MDGs 4 and 5). It also shows Myanmar's achievements toward MDG 6 targets--in the areas of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Such achievements are especially notable in that Myanmar has been receiving the lowest level of official development assistance among all of the least developed countries in Asia. However, to make similar progress in MDGs 4 and 5, Myanmar needs increased investment and commitment in health. Toward moving forward with the post-2015 development agenda, Myanmar's government also needs to take the lead in calling for attention from the World Health Organization and its global development partners to address the stagnation in health-related development progress within the country. In particular, Myanmar's government should invest greater efforts into health system strengthening to pave the road to universal health coverage.

The history of neurosurgery in Bolivia and pediatric neurosurgery in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

PubMed

Dabdoub, Carlos F; Dabdoub, Carlos B

2013-09-25

The practice of neurosurgery in Bolivia began thousands of years ago with skull trepanation. This procedure dates from the earliest period of the Tiwanaku culture, a preInca civilization. Neurosurgical development in Bolivia has its origins in the late 19(th) century and can be divided in two stages. At the beginning, before the advent of neurosurgery as a discipline, some general surgeons performed procedures on the skull and brain. Formal neurosurgery in Bolivia was developed with the arrival of neurosurgeons trained in the United States and some countries of South America. The Bolivian Neurosurgical Society was created in 1975. Nowadays, our national society has 74 members. It is affiliated with the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies and the Latin American Federation of Neurosurgical Societies. Presently, neurosurgery in Bolivia is similar to that seen in developed countries. In this sense, government programs should dedicate more financial support to establish specialized healthcare centers where the management of complex central nervous system lesions could be offered. In contrast, we believe that encouraging the local training of young neurosurgeons is one of the most important factors in the development of neurosurgery in Bolivia or any other country.

The history of neurosurgery in Bolivia and pediatric neurosurgery in Santa Cruz de la Sierra

PubMed Central

Dabdoub, Carlos F.; Dabdoub, Carlos B.

2013-01-01

The practice of neurosurgery in Bolivia began thousands of years ago with skull trepanation. This procedure dates from the earliest period of the Tiwanaku culture, a preInca civilization. Neurosurgical development in Bolivia has its origins in the late 19th century and can be divided in two stages. At the beginning, before the advent of neurosurgery as a discipline, some general surgeons performed procedures on the skull and brain. Formal neurosurgery in Bolivia was developed with the arrival of neurosurgeons trained in the United States and some countries of South America. The Bolivian Neurosurgical Society was created in 1975. Nowadays, our national society has 74 members. It is affiliated with the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies and the Latin American Federation of Neurosurgical Societies. Presently, neurosurgery in Bolivia is similar to that seen in developed countries. In this sense, government programs should dedicate more financial support to establish specialized healthcare centers where the management of complex central nervous system lesions could be offered. In contrast, we believe that encouraging the local training of young neurosurgeons is one of the most important factors in the development of neurosurgery in Bolivia or any other country. PMID:24232440

Basic language comprehension and production in >100,000 young children from sixteen developing nations

PubMed Central

BORNSTEIN, MARC H.; HENDRICKS, CHARLENE

2013-01-01

Using the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, language comprehension and production were compared in a sample of 101,250 children aged 2;00 to 9;11 and a focus subsample of 38,845 children aged 2;00 to 4;11 from sixteen under-researched developing nations. In the whole sample, comprehension slightly exceeded production; correlations between comprehension and production by country were positive and significant, but varied in size, and the average correlation was positive, significant, and small to medium. Mean comprehension and production varied with child age, reaching an asymptote at 5;00, and correlations between comprehension and production by age were positive, significant, and similar at each age. In the focus subsample, comprehension exceeded production; correlations between comprehension and production by country were positive and significant, but varied in size, and the average correlation was positive, significant, and medium in size. Children in countries with lower standards of living were less likely to demonstrate basic language comprehension or production. PMID:22129486

World meat consumption patterns: An overview of the last fifty years (1961-2011).

PubMed

Sans, P; Combris, P

2015-11-01

Driven by economic development and urbanisation, protein consumption has surged worldwide over the last 50years, rising from 61g per person per day in 1961 to 80g per person per day in 2011 [Corrected]. This contribution analyses the apparent convergence of dietary models worldwide with respect to the proportion of ABP and especially meat in intake. By using FAO data for 183 countries over the period 1961-2011, the authors show the connection between annual per capita GDP and the level of ABP (R2=0.62) and meat consumption (R2=0.62). They emphasise the surge in ABP intake in emerging countries (China, Brazil) which has partly replaced plant protein. However, for similar degrees of economic development, the composition of ABPs and the position of meat within this category vary significantly among countries, suggesting that historical, geographical, cultural and religious factors may be involved. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How Other Countries Use Deprivation Indices-And Why The United States Desperately Needs One.

PubMed

Phillips, Robert L; Liaw, Winston; Crampton, Peter; Exeter, Daniel J; Bazemore, Andrew; Vickery, Katherine Diaz; Petterson, Stephen; Carrozza, Mark

2016-11-01

Integrating public health and medicine to address social determinants of health is essential to achieving the Triple Aim of lower costs, improved care, and population health. There is intense interest in the United States in using social determinants of health to direct clinical and community health interventions, and to adjust quality measures and payments. The United Kingdom and New Zealand use data representing aspects of material and social deprivation from their censuses or from administrative data sets to construct indices designed to measure socioeconomic variation across communities, assess community needs, inform research, adjust clinical funding, allocate community resources, and determine policy impact. Indices provide these countries with comparable data and serve as a universal language and tool set to define organizing principles for population health. In this article we examine how these countries develop, validate, and operationalize their indices; explore their use in policy; and propose the development of a similar deprivation index for the United States. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Countries population determination to test rice crisis indicator at national level using k-means cluster analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayat, Y.; Purwandari, T.; Sukono; Ariska, Y. D.

2017-01-01

This study aimed to obtain information on the population of the countries which is have similarities with Indonesia based on three characteristics, that is the democratic atmosphere, rice consumption and purchasing power of rice. It is useful as a reference material for research which tested the strength and predictability of the rice crisis indicators Unprecedented Restlessness (UR). The similarities countries with Indonesia were conducted using multivariate analysis that is non-hierarchical cluster analysis k-Means with 38 countries as the data population. This analysis is done repeatedly until the obtainment number of clusters which is capable to show the differentiator power of the three characteristics and describe the high similarity within clusters. Based on the results, it turns out with 6 clusters can describe the differentiator power of characteristics of formed clusters. However, to answer the purpose of the study, only one cluster which will be taken accordance with the criteria of success for the population of countries that have similarities with Indonesia that cluster contain Indonesia therein, there are countries which is sustain crisis and non-crisis of rice in 2008, and cluster which is have the largest member among them. This criterion is met by cluster 2, which consists of 22 countries, namely Indonesia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Japan, Korea South, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Suriname.

Magnitude and risk factors for postpartum symptoms: a literature review.

PubMed

Norhayati, M N; Hazlina, N H Nik; Asrenee, A R; Emilin, W M A Wan

2015-04-01

The prevalence of postpartum depression worldwide varies from 0.5% to 60.8% in the first 12 months postpartum using self-reported questionnaire. This review aims to update the current magnitude of postpartum depression based on self-reported questionnaire and clinical interview and explore its associated factors in developed and developing countries. A literature search conducted between 2005 and 2014 identified 203 studies, of which 191 used self-reported questionnaire in 42 countries and 21 used structured clinical interview in 15 countries. Nine studies used a combination of self-reported questionnaire and clinical interview. The prevalence of postpartum depression varies from 1.9% to 82.1% in developing countries and from 5.2% to 74.0% in developed countries using self-reported questionnaire. Structured clinical interview shows a much lower prevalence range from 0.1% in Finland to 26.3% in India. Antenatal depression and anxiety, previous psychiatric illness, poor marital relationship, stressful life events, negative attitude towards pregnancy, and lack of social support are significant contributors to postpartum depression. All studies are included irrespective of the methodological quality, such as small sample size and their inclusion could affect the generalizability of the results. The current prevalence of postpartum depression is much higher than that previously reported, and similar risk factors are documented. A culturally sensitive cut-off score with adequate psychometric properties of the screening instruments should be available. In future studies, examining the physical, biological, and cultural factors in qualitative studies and in those with adequate methodological qualities is recommended. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Public Health & Nutrition in the Asia-Pacific: reflections on a quarter century.

PubMed

Cavalli-Sforza, Luca Tommaso

2015-01-01

Some reflections from work in the Asia Pacific Region, mostly with WHO, in the past 25 years, and the changes in nutrition seen in this time are shared. In 1988-89 I helped to start a Centre for Child Nutrition in Chengdu, Sichuan, through the Italian Development Cooperation. The nutritional problems in urban and rural China, 25 years ago, were similar to those elsewhere in the Region. Like China, these countries underwent rapid economic development and changes in health patterns, within two decades. The main problems for child nutrition had to do with infant feeding practices and less breastfeeding: anaemia, protein energy malnutrition and rickets were frequent. How did China and other countries tackle these and other nutrition problems? In the 1990s the global nutrition community started working on a problem-solving framework. In 1992, at the 1st FAO/WHO International Conference on Nutrition, 159 countries agreed to develop national nutrition plans. In 2014, 22 years later, FAO and WHO invited countries to review their national nutrition situation and plans. The epidemiological picture today is profoundly different. Many Asia-Pacific countries have achieved remarkable progress in socio-economic development, including malnutrition reduction. To reach the MDGs and the post-MDG goals being formulated, the remaining under-nutrition problems need to be alleviated, inequalities between sectors of society reduced, and also the growing threat of overweight/obesity and NCDs prevented and controlled. Assessing, monitoring and evaluating programmes to improve progress, now requires focusing not only on biological outcomes, but also on food security, programme process, and the policy environment.

A Model for S&T Information Provision to Small R&D Systems in Developing Countries with Case Studies in Ethiopia and Tanzania. Stockholm Papers in Library and Information Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winkel, Annette; Schwarz, Stephan

By carefully considering the special characteristics of two small African scientific and technical (S&T) information systems for research and development (R&D), this report defines a simple and straightforward model which can be easily implemented in similar situations with a minimum of external support. The model is designed to build up a…

Poverty and stroke in India: a time to act.

PubMed

Pandian, Jeyaraj D; Srikanth, Velandai; Read, Stephen J; Thrift, Amanda G

2007-11-01

In developed countries, the predominant health problems are those lifestyle-related illnesses associated with increased wealth. In contrast, diseases occurring in developing countries can largely be attributed to poverty, poor healthcare infrastructure, and limited access to care. However, many developing countries such as India have undergone economic and demographic growth in recent years resulting in a transition from diseases caused by poverty toward chronic, noncommunicable, lifestyle-related diseases. Despite this recent rapid economic growth, a large proportion of the Indian population lives in poverty. Although risk factors for stroke in urban Indian populations are similar to developed nations, it is likely that they may be quite different among those afflicted by poverty. Furthermore, treatment options for stroke are fewer in developing countries like India. Well-organized stroke services and emergency transport services are lacking, many treatments are unaffordable, and sociocultural factors may influence access to medical care for many stroke victims. Most stroke centers are currently in the private sector and establishing such centers in the public sector will require enormous capital investment. Given the limited resources available for hospital treatments, it would be logical to place a greater emphasis on effective populationwide interventions to control or reduce exposure to leading stroke risk factors. There also needs to be a concerted effort to ensure access to stroke care programs that are tailored to suit Indian communities and are accessible to the large majority of the population, namely the poor.

The global impact of noncommunicable diseases: estimates and projections.

PubMed

Manton, K G

1988-01-01

With the aging of populations in developing countries there is both a demographic and an epidemiological transition which affects the impact of chronic degenerative diseases on the health status of the populations. Demographic transition takes place in countries where there are effective programmes of disease control which allow for survival during the early years of childhood and adolescence. This results in an increase in life expectancy which places larger proportions of the population in the age range (60 years and older) in which chronic degenerative diseases become the major determinants of health status. Epidemiological transition in diseases may also be brought about by shifts in social and economic patterns which favour detrimental changes in risk factors for the chronic degenerative diseases. Such changes may include health-related behaviour which augments dietary consumption of fats and alcohol, increases obesity, increases smoking and decreases physical activity. Such changes in risk-factor levels increase the prevalence of chronic degenerative diseases which manifest themselves at later ages, and for which early preventive actions could be cost-effective. In order to illustrate the impact of both demographic and risk-factor effects, analyses are made of the impact of increases in life expectancy on cause-specific mortality in both developing and developed countries. It is shown that there is great similarity in the effect of major noncommunicable diseases on the life expectancy of adults in both developed and developing countries. The major differences are seen to be in the proportions of deaths expected from such diseases as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cirrhosis; but not in the distribution of age at death which is the better measure of disease impact. Demographic analyses, computing indirect estimates of mortality, also demonstrate that there are currently more chronic disease deaths in developing than developed countries and that as expectation of life increases in developing countries the global chronic disease burden will be greatly concentrated in the developing countries. Analyses of risk-factor reduction by feasible intervention strategies, e.g. smoking cessation campaigns, treatment of high blood pressure, using relationships between risk factors and diseases established in longitudinal studies carried out in developed countries, point out that the effect of risk-factor control in long-living populations can be hidden by the dependency of risk factors and various related causes of death, e.g. smoking has an impact on lung cancer, ischaemic heart disease and emphysema, but at different ages.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Socioeconomic gradients in early childhood health: evidence from Bangladesh and Nepal.

PubMed

Devkota, Satis; Panda, Bibhudutta

2016-05-16

A large literature has developed researching the origins of socioeconomic gradients in child health in developed countries. Particularly, this research examines the age at which these gradient effects emerge and how they change across different stages of childhood. However, similar research on developing countries is limited. This paper examines the socioeconomic gradients in early childhood health in two developing countries, Bangladesh and Nepal using the 2011 Demographic and Health Surveys. The paper separately studies two measures of household socioeconomic status: household wealth and maternal educational attainment. Two anthropometric measures of early childhood health, height-for-age and weight-for-age Z scores for 0-59 months of children, are used for our empirical exercise. The paper uses both non-parametric and multivariate ordinary least squares approaches to examine at what age socioeconomic disparities in health emerge, and investigates if these disparities increase with age in early childhood. The paper provides significant evidence of age-specific socioeconomic gradients in early childhood health in both countries. Health disparities in household wealth exist in both countries. This disparity emerges in the first 11 months of life, and is particularly severe for children from the poorest quintile. On the other hand, while the emergence of maternal education gradients during the first 11 months is sensitive to the choice of childhood health measure, the study finds the children of mothers with higher education to enjoy significantly higher health outcomes in comparison to those with lower education. However, controlling for father's education weakens the effects of maternal education on child health in both countries. Further, the paper does not find statistically significant evidence where socioeconomic gradients in health increase with age in early childhood. Our study concludes that socioeconomic disparities in health outcomes exist even in very early childhood in Bangladesh and Nepal. This has important implications for targeted policy interventions in the form of food security and nutrition supplement programs, free provision of health care, and maternal education in both countries.

Some comparisons of US and USSR aircraft design developments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spearman, M. L.

1985-01-01

A review is given of the design and development of some US and USSR aircraft. The emphasis is on the historical development of large aircraft-civil and military transports and bombers. Design trends are somewhat similar for the two countries and indications are that some fundamental characteristics are dictated more by ideological differences rather than technological differences. A brief description is given in a more or less chronological order of the major bomber aircraft, major civil and military transport aircraft, and the development of the air transport systems.

University Teachers' Perceptions of Appropriate Emotion Display and High-Quality Teacher-Student Relationship: Similarities and Differences across Cultural-Educational Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagenauer, Gerda; Gläser-Zikuda, Michaela; Volet, Simone E.

2016-01-01

Research on teachers' emotion display and the quality of the teacher-student relationship in higher education is increasingly significant in the context of rapidly developing internationalization in higher education, with scholars (and students) moving across countries for research and teaching. However, there is little theoretically grounded…

Mapping Music Education Research in Brazil and Argentina: The British Impact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hentschke, Liane; Martinez, Isabel

2004-01-01

In this brief article we share with our colleagues around the world the British impact on the development of music education and psychology of music research in Brazil and Argentina. Although both countries are pursuing similar research policies, their research areas differ. Brazilian research on music education has had its focus on curriculum…

Seeing and Hearing: Examining Production Workers' Literacy and Numeracy Practices in a Context of Crisis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Tony; Yasukawa, Keiko; Black, Stephen

2014-01-01

A policy consensus has emerged in Australia that there is a workforce literacy and numeracy crisis, similar to many other Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. The study informing this paper examined this framing of crisis by interviewing and observing production workers in three manufacturing companies. Each company was…

Laptops and Diesel Generators: Introducing PhET Simulations to Teachers in Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKagan, Sam

2010-01-01

This article describes workshops for high school physics teachers in Uganda on inquiry-based teaching and PhET simulations. I hope it increases awareness of the conditions teachers face in developing countries and inspires others to give similar workshops. This work demonstrates what is possible with some concerted, but not extraordinary, effort.

Assessing Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy in Three Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caprara, Gian Vittorio; Giunta, Laura Di; Eisenberg, Nancy; Gerbino, Maria; Pastorelli, Concetta; Tramontano, Carlo

2008-01-01

The Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy (RESE) scale was developed to assess perceived self-efficacy in managing negative (NEG) and in expressing positive (POS) affect (G. V. Caprara & M. Gerbino, 2001). In this study of young adults, the factorial structure of the RESE scale was found to be similar in Italy, the United States, and Bolivia: In…

Language Policy Provisions and Curriculum Issues: The Challenges for Secondary Schools in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adejimola, Amuseghan Sunday

2010-01-01

Language, language policy and curriculum issues occupy very important and strategic places in educational planning in any society. In a multilingual Nigerian society as well as in similar countries like Australia, India or even in seemingly homogeneous linguistic societies like Britain, language planning, development and policies are sin qua non.…

Attention that Indicators Receive in the Press

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendriks, Maria; Barzano, Giovanna; Brumana, Emanuela; Cremonesi, Claudia

2004-01-01

With the release of each edition of Education at a Glance, the Office for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) prepares a press briefing to be used for the international press release and which individual countries in preparing their national press releases can also use. Similarly, the European Union prepares a summary, not for use at the…

Aligning Perceptions of Laboratory Demonstrators' Responsibilities to Inform the Design of a Laboratory Teacher Development Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flaherty, Aishling; O'Dwyer, Anne; Mannix-McNamara, Patricia; Leahy, J. J.

2017-01-01

Throughout countries such as Ireland, the U.K., and Australia, graduate students who fulfill teaching roles in the undergraduate laboratory are often referred to as "laboratory demonstrators". The laboratory demonstrator (LD) model of graduate teaching is similar to the more commonly known graduate teaching assistant (GTA) model that is…

Trends and Characteristics of Economics Degrees in a Developing Country: The Case of Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duval-Hernandez, Robert; Villagomez, F. Alejandro

2011-01-01

This article documents trends in enrollment in undergraduate economics programs in Mexico in 1970-2007 and discusses the characteristics of the programs--particularly the typical curriculum and graduation requirements--and the entry of graduates into the job market. Recent data show a pattern in enrollment rates surprisingly similar to those of…

Who Is Schooled in Developing Countries? The Roles of Income, Parental Schooling, Sex, Residence and Family Size.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolfe, Barbara L.; Behrman, Jere R.

1984-01-01

This paper explores supply and demand determinants of the amount and distribution of schooling in prerevolution Nicaragua (1977-78). Findings suggest that the difference between rural and urban areas significantly affects schooling availability, but family background also accounts for variance in schooling here and in similar societies. (TE)

Functional Illiteracy: What Public Libraries Can Do To Help People with Reading and Writing Problems. An Ideas Pamphlet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Federation of Library Associations, The Hague (Netherlands).

This pamphlet describes literacy programs currently in effect in Scandinavian countries and provides guidelines for the development of similar programs. Reasons for functional illiteracy in the industrialized world are discussed, and current and potential roles for public libraries in improving the situation are considered. Persons who are…

Educational Equity in Spain and Norway: A Comparative Analysis of Two OECD Country Notes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haugen, Cecilie Ronning

2011-01-01

This article undertakes a comparative study of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) thematic reviews on "equity in education" for Spain and Norway. The author investigates whether there may be a similar orientation to equity expressed in the two reviews and discusses how social stratification may occur…

Aflatoxin regulations and global pistachio trade: insights from social network analysis.

PubMed

Bui-Klimke, Travis R; Guclu, Hasan; Kensler, Thomas W; Yuan, Jian-Min; Wu, Felicia

2014-01-01

Aflatoxins, carcinogenic toxins produced by Aspergillus fungi, contaminate maize, peanuts, and tree nuts in many regions of the world. Pistachios are the main source of human dietary aflatoxins from tree nuts worldwide. Over 120 countries have regulations for maximum allowable aflatoxin levels in food commodities. We developed social network models to analyze the association between nations' aflatoxin regulations and global trade patterns of pistachios from 1996-2010. The main pistachio producing countries are Iran and the United States (US), which together contribute to nearly 75% of the total global pistachio market. Over this time period, during which many nations developed or changed their aflatoxin regulations in pistachios, global pistachio trade patterns changed; with the US increasingly exporting to countries with stricter aflatoxin standards. The US pistachio crop has had consistently lower levels of aflatoxin than the Iranian crop over this same time period. As similar trading patterns have also been documented in maize, public health may be affected if countries without aflatoxin regulations, or with more relaxed regulations, continually import crops with higher aflatoxin contamination. Unlike the previous studies on maize, this analysis includes a dynamic element, examining how trade patterns change over time with introduction or adjustment of aflatoxin regulations.

Nurses' supervisors, learning options and organisational commitment: Australia, Brazil and England.

PubMed

Brunetto, Yvonne; Shacklock, Kate; Teo, Stephen; Farr-Wharton, Rod; Nelson, Silvia

2015-11-01

To examine the relationships between leader-member exchange (LMX), workplace learning options (teamwork, training and development), empowerment and organisational commitment, for nurses in Australia, England and Brazil. The supervisor-employee relationship is fundamental to management theory and practice within the work context of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. Survey-based, self-report data were collected from 1350 nurses in 23 acute-care hospitals during 2011. Significant relationships were found between key Social Exchange Theory antecedents (LMX and teamwork) and outcomes (organisational commitment) for nurses in Australia and England, but not in Brazil. As expected, the path between teamwork and organisational commitment was significant in the three countries. The findings affirm the importance of LMX as a management tool affecting employee outcomes in OECD countries. In contrast, LMX cannot be assumed to play an important role within a context that operates a dual employment structure coupled with a culture accepting of 'Jeitinho' workplace relationships. Informal workplace relationships - 'Jeitinho' (similar to the Chinese 'guanxi') may be worthy of examination within BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries such as Brazil. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Aflatoxin Regulations and Global Pistachio Trade: Insights from Social Network Analysis

PubMed Central

Bui-Klimke, Travis R.; Guclu, Hasan; Kensler, Thomas W.; Yuan, Jian-Min; Wu, Felicia

2014-01-01

Aflatoxins, carcinogenic toxins produced by Aspergillus fungi, contaminate maize, peanuts, and tree nuts in many regions of the world. Pistachios are the main source of human dietary aflatoxins from tree nuts worldwide. Over 120 countries have regulations for maximum allowable aflatoxin levels in food commodities. We developed social network models to analyze the association between nations’ aflatoxin regulations and global trade patterns of pistachios from 1996–2010. The main pistachio producing countries are Iran and the United States (US), which together contribute to nearly 75% of the total global pistachio market. Over this time period, during which many nations developed or changed their aflatoxin regulations in pistachios, global pistachio trade patterns changed; with the US increasingly exporting to countries with stricter aflatoxin standards. The US pistachio crop has had consistently lower levels of aflatoxin than the Iranian crop over this same time period. As similar trading patterns have also been documented in maize, public health may be affected if countries without aflatoxin regulations, or with more relaxed regulations, continually import crops with higher aflatoxin contamination. Unlike the previous studies on maize, this analysis includes a dynamic element, examining how trade patterns change over time with introduction or adjustment of aflatoxin regulations. PMID:24670581

What can health care marketing learn from bank marketing?

PubMed

Mindak, W A

1988-01-01

A useful technique in assessing opportunities for international marketers is called "lead lag" analysis. It suggests that one can predict developments, such as demand patterns, in one country by looking at an analogous country. Applying such a technique to the domestic scene, what could we predict about the development and application of marketing to the health care sector if we looked at an analogous service such as banking? Many experts believe that health care is following in the footsteps of banking and point to environmental similarities such as changes in government regulation, new forms of nontraditional competition, increased concern about retail sectors, and pressures on scarce resources. Are there lessons that health care marketers can learn from bankers that might help them avoid some false starts or expensive mistakes?

Bordetella pertussis, Finland and France

PubMed Central

Elomaa, Annika; Brun, Delphine; Mertsola, Jussi; He, Qiushui; Guiso, Nicole

2006-01-01

We used pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis and genotyping to compare clinical isolates of Bordetella pertussis recovered since the early 1990s in Finland and France, 2 countries with similar histories of long-term mass vaccination with whole-cell pertussis vaccines. Isolates from both countries were similar genetically but varied temporally. PMID:16707058

Work Values Similarities among Students from Six Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lebo, R. Brad; And Others

1995-01-01

Examines high school students' selected work values in the United States, Norway, Finland, Canada, Australia, and France. Findings indicated that selected work values were more similar than dissimilar across countries and cultures, and that there is a higher degree of transnational agreement among girls than among their male peers. (JPS)

Investigation of pedestrian crashes on two-way two-lane rural roads in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Tulu, Getu Segni; Washington, Simon; Haque, Md Mazharul; King, Mark J

2015-05-01

Understanding pedestrian crash causes and contributing factors in developing countries is critically important as they account for about 55% of all traffic crashes. Not surprisingly, considerable attention in the literature has been paid to road traffic crash prediction models and methodologies in developing countries of late. Despite this interest, there are significant challenges confronting safety managers in developing countries. For example, in spite of the prominence of pedestrian crashes occurring on two-way two-lane rural roads, it has proven difficult to develop pedestrian crash prediction models due to a lack of both traffic and pedestrian exposure data. This general lack of available data has further hampered identification of pedestrian crash causes and subsequent estimation of pedestrian safety performance functions. The challenges are similar across developing nations, where little is known about the relationship between pedestrian crashes, traffic flow, and road environment variables on rural two-way roads, and where unique predictor variables may be needed to capture the unique crash risk circumstances. This paper describes pedestrian crash safety performance functions for two-way two-lane rural roads in Ethiopia as a function of traffic flow, pedestrian flows, and road geometry characteristics. In particular, random parameter negative binomial model was used to investigate pedestrian crashes. The models and their interpretations make important contributions to road crash analysis and prevention in developing countries. They also assist in the identification of the contributing factors to pedestrian crashes, with the intent to identify potential design and operational improvements. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing: levels and trends in developed countries.

PubMed

Singh, S; Darroch, J E

2000-01-01

Adolescent pregnancy occurs in all societies, but the level of teenage pregnancy and childbearing varies from country to country. A cross-country analysis of birth and abortion measures is valuable for understanding trends, for identifying countries that are exceptional and for seeing where further in-depth studies are needed to understand observed patterns. Birth, abortion and population data were obtained from various sources, such as national vital statistics reports, official statistics, published national and international sources, and government statistical offices. Trend data on adolescent birthrates were compiled for 46 countries over the period 1970-1995. Abortion rates for a recent year were available for 33 of the 46 countries, and data on trends in abortion rates could be gathered for 25 of the 46 countries. The level of adolescent pregnancy varies by a factor of almost 10 across the developed countries, from a very low rate in the Netherlands (12 pregnancies per 1,000 adolescents per year) to an extremely high rate in the Russian Federation (more than 100 per 1,000). Japan and most western European countries have very low or low pregnancy rates (under 40 per 1,000); moderate rates (40-69 per 1,000) occur in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and a number of European countries. A group of five countries--Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, the Russian Federation and the United States--have pregnancy rates of 70 or more per 1,000. The adolescent birthrate has declined in the majority of industrialized countries over the past 25 years, and in some cases has been more than halved. Similarly, pregnancy rates in 12 of the 18 countries with accurate abortion reporting showed declines. Decreases in the adolescent abortion rate, however, were less prevalent. The trend toward lower adolescent birthrates and pregnancy rates over the past 25 years is widespread and is occurring across the industrialized world, suggesting that the reasons for this general trend are broader than factors limited to any one country: increased importance of education, increased motivation of young people to achieve higher levels of education and training, and greater centrality of goals other than motherhood and family formation for young women.

Trilateral South-American project: a reference system for measuring electric power up to 100 kHz – progress report II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kyriazis, G. A.; Di Lillo, L.; Slomovitz, D.; Iuzzolino, R.; Yasuda, E.; Trigo, L.; de Souza, R. M.; Laiz, H.; Debatin, R. M.; Afonso, E.

2018-03-01

Three countries in South America are jointly developing a reference system for measuring electric power up to 100 kHz. The objective is the construction of three similar measuring systems, one for each institute. This project will contribute to provide calibration services in measuring ranges still not covered by the three institutes. The status of its development by the end of 2017 is described here.

Geologic report and recommendations for the cobalt mission to Morocco sponsored by The Trade and Development Program of the International Development Cooperation Agency

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foose, M.P.; Rossman, D.L.

1982-01-01

A mission sponsored by the Trade and Development Program (TDP) of the International Development Cooperation Agency (IDCA) went to Morocco to evaluate the possibility of finding additional sources of cobalt in that country, as well as other types of mineralization. Information obtained during this trip shows Morocco to be a country for which much geologic information is available and in which there are many favorable target areas for future exploration. Work in the Bou Azzer district (Morocco's principal cobalt district) shows that much excellent geologic work has been done in searching for additional deposits. However, a number of useful approaches to locate cobalt have not been tried, and their use might be successful. The potential for undiscovered deposits in the Bou Azzer region seems very high. The cobalt mineralization in the Siroua uplift is different from that in the Bou Azzer district. However, geologic similarities between the two areas suggest that a genetic link may exist between the two types of mineralization. This further indicates that cobalt deposits of the Bou Azzer types might be present in the Siroua region. Examination of the Bleida copper mine shows it to be a well-exposed volcanic hosted stratabound copper deposit. Large unexplored areas containing similar rocks occur near this deposit and may contain as yet undiscovered copper mineralization.

Equity of access to maternal health interventions in Brazil and Colombia: a retrospective study.

PubMed

De La Torre, Amaila; Nikoloski, Zlatko; Mossialos, Elias

2018-04-11

Reducing maternal mortality is a top priority in Latin American countries. Despite the progress in maternal mortality reduction, Brazil and Colombia still lag behind countries at similar levels of development. Using data from the Demographic Health Survey, this study quantified and compared, by means of concentration indices, the socioeconomic-related inequity in access to four key maternal health interventions in Brazil and Colombia. Decomposition analysis of the concentration index was used for two indicators - skilled attendance at birth and postnatal care in Brazil. Coverage levels of the four key maternal health interventions were similar in the two countries. More specifically, we found that coverage of some of the interventions (e.g. ante-natal care and skilled birth assistance) was higher than 90% in both countries. Nevertheless, the concentration index analysis pointed to significant pro-rich inequities in access in all four key interventions in both countries. Interestingly, the analysis showed that Colombia fared slightly better than Brazil in terms of equity in access of the interventions studied. Finally, the decomposition analysis for the presence of a skilled attendant at birth and postnatal care in Brazil underlined the significance of regional disparities, wealth inequalities, inequalities in access to private hospitals, and inequalities in access to private health insurance. There are persistent pro-rich inequities in access to four maternal health interventions in both Brazil and Colombia. The decomposition analysis conducted on Brazilian data suggests the existence of disparities in system capacity and quality of care between the private and the public health services, resulting in inequities of access to maternal health services.

Co-development, innovation and mutual learning--or how we need to turn the world upside down.

PubMed

Crisp, Nigel

2015-12-01

This paper describes the scope for mutual learning and the sharing of innovation between different parts of the world. It argues that the top-down concept of international development--with its connotations that low income countries need to develop in ways that emulate progress in richer more "developed" ones needs to be replaced with the idea of co-development and learning and sharing together. Similarly, it advocates for replacing the term of "reverse innovation" with the concept of global sourcing of innovation. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Central Asian Post-Soviet health systems in transition: has different aid engagement produced different outcomes?

PubMed Central

Ulikpan, Anar; Mirzoev, Tolib; Jimenez, Eliana; Malik, Asmat; Hill, Peter S.

2014-01-01

Background The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 resulted in a transition from centrally planned socialist systems to largely free-market systems for post-Soviet states. The health systems of Central Asian Post-Soviet (CAPS) countries (Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) have undergone a profound revolution. External development partners have been crucial to this reorientation through financial and technical support, though both relationships and outcomes have varied. This research provides a comparative review of the development assistance provided in the health systems of CAPS countries and proposes future policy options to improve the effectiveness of development. Design Extensive documentary review was conducted using Pubmed, Medline/Ovid, Scopus, and Google scholar search engines, local websites, donor reports, and grey literature. The review was supplemented by key informant interviews and participant observation. Findings The collapse of the Soviet dominance of the region brought many health system challenges. Donors have played an essential role in the reform of health systems. However, as new aid beneficiaries, neither CAPS countries’ governments nor the donors had the experience of development collaboration in this context. The scale of development assistance for health in CAPS countries has been limited compared to other countries with similar income, partly due to their limited history with the donor community, lack of experience in managing donors, and a limited history of transparency in international dealings. Despite commonalities at the start, two distinctive trajectories formed in CAPS countries, due to their differing politics and governance context. Conclusions The influence of donors, both financially and technically, remains crucial to health sector reform, despite their relatively small contribution to overall health budgets. Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Tajikistan have demonstrated more effective development cooperation and improved health outcomes; arguably, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have made slower progress in their health and socio-economic indices because of their resistance to open and accountable development relationships. PMID:25231098

Cross-national comparisons of socioeconomic differences in the prevalence of leisure-time and occupational physical activity, and active commuting in six Asia-Pacific countries.

PubMed

Bauman, Adrian; Ma, Guansheng; Cuevas, Frances; Omar, Zainal; Waqanivalu, Temo; Phongsavan, Philayrath; Keke, Kieren; Bhushan, Anjana

2011-01-01

This study describes physical activity patterns and their association with socioeconomic factors in six countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and examines whether physical activity associations with socioeconomic status follow similar patterns across the six countries. Population-wide representative surveys of non-communicable disease risk factors and socioeconomic factors conducted in Australia, China, Fiji, Malaysia, Nauru and the Philippines between 2002 and 2006 were used. Survey respondents aged 18-64 years who provided information on their socioeconomic status (age, education, income, area of residence) and physical activity level in three domains (leisure-time, occupation, commuting) were included in the study (Australia N=15,786; China N=142,693; Fiji N=6763; Malaysia N=2572; Nauru N=2085; Philippines N=3307). Leisure-time physical activity increased with age in China, showed inverse associations for Fiji and Nauru men, and there were no age relationships in other countries. Individuals in China, Fiji and Malaysia living in urban areas, with higher educational attainment and affluence were physically active during leisure time but less active at work and during commuting compared to those in rural areas, with lower educational attainment and lower income. There is a link between types of physical activity participation and socioeconomic factors in developing countries. Associations with socioeconomic indicators are likely to reflect economic growth. The findings strongly support the need for a comparable non-communicable risk factors surveillance system in developing countries.

Prevalence of and factors associated with burnout among health care professionals in Arab countries: a systematic review.

PubMed

Elbarazi, I; Loney, T; Yousef, S; Elias, A

2017-07-17

Burnout among healthcare professionals is one of the key challenges affecting health care practice and quality of care. This systematic review aims to (1) estimate the prevalence of burnout among health care professionals (HCP) in Arab countries; and (2) explore individual and work-related factors associated with burnout in this population. Multiple electronic databases were searched for studies published in English or Arabic from January 1980 to November 2014 assessing burnout (using the Maslach Burnout Inventory; MBI) amongst health care professionals (HCP) in Arab countries. Nineteen studies (N = 4108; 49.3% females) conducted on HCP in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia and Yemen were included in this review. There was a wide range of prevalence estimates for the three MBI subscales, high Emotional Exhaustion (20.0-81.0%), high Depersonalization (9.2-80.0%), and low Personal Accomplishment (13.3-85.8%). Gender, nationality, service duration, working hours, and shift patterns were all significantly associated with burnout. Within the constraints of the study and the range of quality papers available, our review revealed moderate-to-high estimates of self-reported burnout among HCP in Arab countries that are similar to prevalence estimates in non-Arabic speaking westernized developed countries. In order to develop culturally appropriate interventions, further research using longitudinal designs is needed to confirm the risk factors for burnout in specific HCP settings and specialties in Arab countries.

First molecular identification and characterization of classical swine fever virus isolates from Nepal.

PubMed

Postel, Alexander; Jha, Vijay C; Schmeiser, Stefanie; Becher, Paul

2013-01-01

Classical swine fever (CSF) is a major constraint to pig production worldwide, and in many developing countries, the epidemiological status is unknown. Here, for the first time, molecular identification and characterization of CSFV isolates from two recent outbreaks in Nepal are presented. Analysis of full-length E2-encoding sequences revealed that these isolates belonged to CSFV subgenotype 2.2 and had highest genetic similarity to isolates from India. Hence, for CSFV, Nepal and India should be regarded as one epidemiological unit. Both Nepalese isolates exhibited significant sequence differences, excluding a direct epidemiological connection and suggesting that CSFV is endemic in that country.

Comparative analysis of aging policy reforms in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, and Mexico.

PubMed

Calvo, Esteban; Berho, Maureen; Roqué, Mónica; Amaro, Juan Sebastián; Morales, Fernando; Rivera, Emiliana; Gutiérrez Robledo, Luis Miguel F; López, Elizabeth Caro; Canals, Bernardita; Kornfeld, Rosa

2018-04-16

This investigation uses case studies and comparative analysis to review and analyze aging policy in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, and Mexico, and uncovers similarities and relevant trends in the substance of historical and current aging policy across countries. Initial charity-based approaches to poverty and illness have been gradually replaced by a rights-based approach considering broader notions of well-being, and recent reforms emphasize the need for national, intersectoral, evidence-based policy. The results of this study have implications for understanding aging policy in Latin America from a welfare regime and policymakers' perspective, identifying priorities for intervention, and informing policy reforms in developing countries worldwide.

Assessment of municipal infrastructure development and its critical influencing factors in urban China: A FA and STIRPAT approach.

PubMed

Li, Yu; Zheng, Ji; Li, Fei; Jin, Xueting; Xu, Chen

2017-01-01

Municipal infrastructure is a fundamental facility for the normal operation and development of an urban city and is of significance for the stable progress of sustainable urbanization around the world, especially in developing countries. Based on the municipal infrastructure data of the prefecture-level cities in China, municipal infrastructure development is assessed comprehensively using a FA (factor analysis) model, and then the stochastic model STIRPAT (stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence and technology) is examined to investigate key factors that influence municipal infrastructure of cities in various stages of urbanization and economy. This study indicates that the municipal infrastructure development in urban China demonstrates typical characteristics of regional differentiation, in line with the economic development pattern. Municipal infrastructure development in cities is primarily influenced by income, industrialization and investment. For China and similar developing countries under transformation, national public investment remains the primary driving force of economy as well as the key influencing factor of municipal infrastructure. Contribution from urbanization and the relative consumption level, and the tertiary industry is still scanty, which is a crux issue for many developing countries under transformation. With economic growth and the transformation requirements, the influence of the conventional factors such as public investment and industrialization on municipal infrastructure development would be expected to decline, meanwhile, other factors like the consumption and tertiary industry driven model and the innovation society can become key contributors to municipal infrastructure sustainability.

Assessment of municipal infrastructure development and its critical influencing factors in urban China: A FA and STIRPAT approach

PubMed Central

Li, Yu; Zheng, Ji; Li, Fei; Jin, Xueting; Xu, Chen

2017-01-01

Municipal infrastructure is a fundamental facility for the normal operation and development of an urban city and is of significance for the stable progress of sustainable urbanization around the world, especially in developing countries. Based on the municipal infrastructure data of the prefecture-level cities in China, municipal infrastructure development is assessed comprehensively using a FA (factor analysis) model, and then the stochastic model STIRPAT (stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence and technology) is examined to investigate key factors that influence municipal infrastructure of cities in various stages of urbanization and economy. This study indicates that the municipal infrastructure development in urban China demonstrates typical characteristics of regional differentiation, in line with the economic development pattern. Municipal infrastructure development in cities is primarily influenced by income, industrialization and investment. For China and similar developing countries under transformation, national public investment remains the primary driving force of economy as well as the key influencing factor of municipal infrastructure. Contribution from urbanization and the relative consumption level, and the tertiary industry is still scanty, which is a crux issue for many developing countries under transformation. With economic growth and the transformation requirements, the influence of the conventional factors such as public investment and industrialization on municipal infrastructure development would be expected to decline, meanwhile, other factors like the consumption and tertiary industry driven model and the innovation society can become key contributors to municipal infrastructure sustainability. PMID:28787031

Health care service provision in Europe and regional diversity: a stochastic metafrontier approach.

PubMed

Schley, Katharina

2018-05-31

■■■: In the last decades, demographic change coupled with new and expensive medical innovations have put most health care systems in developed countries under financial pressure. Therefore, ensuring efficient service provision is essential for a sustainable health care system. This paper investigates the performance of regional health care services in six West European countries between 2005 and 2014. We apply a stochastic metafrontier model to capture the different conditions in the health care systems in the countries within the European Union. By means of this approach, it is possible to detect performance differences in the European health care systems subject to different conditions and technologies relative to the potential technology available. The results indicate that regional deprivation plays a key role for the efficiency of health care provision. Furthermore, a pooled model which assumes a similar technology for all countries cannot sufficiently account for differences between countries. Surprisingly, the Scandinavian regions lag behind other regions with respect to the metafrontier. C23, D61, I12, I18, R10.

Health status and health systems financing in the MENA region: roadmap to universal health coverage.

PubMed

Asbu, Eyob Zere; Masri, Maysoun Dimachkie; Kaissi, Amer

2017-01-01

Since the declaration of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 1990, many countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region made some improvements in maternal and child health and in tackling communicable diseases. The transition to the global agenda of Sustainable Development Goals brings new opportunities for countries to move forward toward achieving progress for better health, well-being, and universal health coverage. This study provides a profile of health status and health financing approaches in the MENA region and their implications on universal health coverage. Time-series data on socioeconomics, health expenditures, and health outcomes were extracted from databases and reports of the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the United Nations Development Program and analyzed using Stata 12 statistical software. Countries were grouped according to the World Bank income categories. Descriptive statistics, tables and charts were used to analyze temporal changes and compare the key variables with global averages. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries account for more than three quarters of the disability-adjusted life years in all but two lower middle-income countries (Sudan and Yemen). Prevalence of risk factors (raised blood glucose, raised blood pressure, obesity and smoking) is higher than global averages and counterparts by income group. Total health expenditure (THE) per capita in most of the countries falls short of global averages for countries under similar income category. Furthermore, growth rate of THE per capita has not kept pace with the growth rate of GDP per capita. Out-of-pocket spending (OOPS) in all but the high-income countries in the group exceeds the threshold for catastrophic spending implying that there is a high risk of households getting poorer as a result of paying for health care. The alarmingly high prevalence of NCDs and injuries and associated risk factors, health spending falling short of the GDP and GDP growth rate, and high OOPS pose serious challenges for universal health coverage. Using multi-sector interventions, countries should develop and implement evidence-informed health system financing roadmaps to address these obstacles and move forward toward universal health coverage.

Environmental Impact Assessment in the marine environment: A comparison of legal frameworks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guerra, Flávia, E-mail: f.c.diasguerra@vu.nl; Liga para a Protecção da Natureza, 1500-124 Lisboa; Grilo, Catarina

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a well-established practice in most developed countries, even though its application to projects in the marine environment is at a much earlier stage of development. We use the Portuguese example to address marine EIA legislation since its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is currently the third largest in the European Union and its EIA legislation does not require various offshore activities with potentially negative environmental impacts to undergo EIA before being licensed. This paper aims to determine whether three types of projects implemented within Portuguese maritime zones – artificial reefs using sunken ships, hydrocarbon prospecting andmore » wave-energy generation – would benefit from application of an appropriately designed EIA. We have conducted a structured review of EIA legal provisions from seven other countries, and considered whether a full EIA was required for each project type. Consequently, 12 Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) have been compared to identify patterns of (dis)similarity across countries and project types. Additionally, we identified key descriptors and predicted impacts for each project type referred to in their EIS. The main conclusion is that ultimately all three projects would benefit from mandatory EIA in Portugal. This paper is relevant for countries with large maritime areas and underdeveloped marine EIA legislation, helping improve international policy-making relating to these three types of marine projects. - Highlights: • EIA is not mandatory for some project types developed in Portuguese maritime zones. • Artificial reefs, oil&gas prospecting and wave-energy licensing differ in 8 countries. • EIA should be mandatory in Portugal for artificial reefs and oil&gas prospecting. • However, an AEInc approach is enough for wave-energy projects in Portugal. • Findings could be extended to other EU countries with extensive maritime zones.« less

ELSI practices in genomic research in East Asia: implications for research collaboration and public participation

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Common infrastructures and platforms are required for international collaborations in large-scale human genomic research and policy development, such as the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health and the ‘ELSI 2.0’ initiative. Such initiatives may require international harmonization of ethical and regulatory requirements. To enable this, however, a greater understanding of issues and practices that relate to the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of genomic research will be needed for the different countries and global regions involved in such research. Here, we review the ELSI practices and regulations for genomic research in six East Asian countries (China, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan), highlighting the main similarities and differences between these countries, and more generally, in relation to Western countries. While there are significant differences in ELSI practices among these East Asian countries, there is a consistent emphasis on advancing genomic science and technology. In addition, considerable emphasis is placed on informed consent for participation in research, whether through the contribution of tissue samples or personal information. However, a higher level of engagement with interested stakeholders and the public will be needed in some countries. PMID:24944586

Decreases in adolescent weekly alcohol use in Europe and North America: evidence from 28 countries from 2002 to 2010

PubMed Central

Raaijmakers, Quinten; ter Bogt, Tom; Bendtsen, Pernille; Farhat, Tilda; Ferreira, Mafalda; Godeau, Emmanuelle; Kuntsche, Emmanuel; Molcho, Michal; Pförtner, Timo-Kolja; Simons-Morton, Bruce; Vieno, Alessio; Vollebergh, Wilma; Pickett, William

2015-01-01

Background: This study examined trends in adolescent weekly alcohol use between 2002 and 2010 in 28 European and North American countries. Methods: Analyses were based on data from 11-, 13- and 15-year-old adolescents who participated in the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) study in 2002, 2006 and 2010. Results: Weekly alcohol use declined in 20 of 28 countries and in all geographic regions, from 12.1 to 6.1% in Anglo-Saxon countries, 11.4 to 7.8% in Western Europe, 9.3 to 4.1% in Northern Europe and 16.3 to 9.9% in Southern Europe. Even in Eastern Europe, where a stable trend was observed between 2002 and 2006, weekly alcohol use declined between 2006 and 2010 from 12.3 to 10.1%. The decline was evident in all gender and age subgroups. Conclusions: These consistent trends may be attributable to increased awareness of the harmful effects of alcohol for adolescent development and the implementation of associated prevention efforts, or changes in social norms and conditions. Although the declining trend was remarkably similar across countries, prevalence rates still differed considerably across countries. PMID:25805792

PISA and Scientific Literacy: Similarities and Differences between the Nordic Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kjaernsli, Marit; Lie, Svein

2004-01-01

In this paper we have set out to search for similarities and differences between the Nordic countries concerning patterns of competencies defined as scientific literacy in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) study. The first part focuses on gender differences concerning the two types of competencies, understanding of…

Cataract Surgical Rate and Socioeconomics: A Global Study.

PubMed

Wang, Wei; Yan, William; Fotis, Kathy; Prasad, Noela M; Lansingh, Van Charles; Taylor, Hugh R; Finger, Robert P; Facciolo, Damian; He, Mingguang

2016-11-01

Cataract is the leading cause of blindness and cataract surgical rate (CSR) is used as a proxy indicator of access to cataract services in a country. The aim of this study was to explore the associations between the CSR and the economic development of countries in terms of gross domestic product per capital (GDP/P) and gross national income per capita (GNI/P). We systematically searched OVID (Medline and Embase), Pubmed, Embase.com, ISI Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases, and retrieved additional data from unpublished reports. Cataract surgical rates and economic indicators (GDP/P, GNI/P) were collected for each country from 2005 to 2014. Complete data were used for the 50 largest countries according to World Health Organization (WHO) population estimates. Linear correlations between GDP/P and CSR were calculated. Cataract surgical rate data over two periods were used for analysis: 2005 to 2009 and 2010 to 2014 (CSR in 2009 or nearest year, CSR in 2014 or nearest year). Over the study period, CSR data were available for 152 countries across both time periods. Most of the CSR data were obtained from nongovernment organization (NGO) reports, including WHO reports. A good linear correlation between CSR and GDP/P was found overall, nearest to 2009 (β = 0.162, Linear: y = 0.162x + 282.242; R2 = 0.665, P < 0.001). Regression analysis of CSR nearest to 2014 produced similar findings, with significant correlations between CSR and GDP/P (Linear: y = 0.208x + 94.008; R2 = 0.785, P < 0.001). When using GNI/P as an economic indicator, similarly excellent lines of fit were obtained. After adjusting for time and country, CSR was significantly associated with GDP/P (Coefficient = 0.147, R2 = 0.759, P < 0.001), and GNI/P (Coefficient = 0.152, R2 = 0.757, P < 0.001). Most countries had an increase in CSRs over time, with the greatest increases observed for Iran and Argentina. Cataract surgical rate and economic indicators are closely associated, indicating the strong influence of resource availability on healthcare delivery. Considering this relationship, it is important to be innovative in delivery of low-cost services and invest strategically in capacity development to meet cataract surgical need in low-resource settings.

How Uganda Reversed Its HIV Epidemic

PubMed Central

Okware, Sam; Naamara, Warren; Sutherland, Don; Flanagan, Donna; Carael, Michel; Blas, Erik; Delay, Paul; Tarantola, Daniel

2006-01-01

Uganda is one of only two countries in the world that has successfully reversed the course of its HIV epidemic. There remains much controversy about how Uganda's HIV prevalence declined in the 1990s. This article describes the prevention programs and activities that were implemented in Uganda during critical years in its HIV epidemic, 1987 to 1994. Multiple resources were aggregated to fuel HV prevention campaigns at multiple levels to a far greater degree than in neighboring countries. We conclude that the reversed direction of the HIV epidemic in Uganda was the direct result of these interventions and that other countries in the developing world could similarly prevent or reverse the escalation of HIV epidemics with greater availability of HIV prevention resources, and well designed programs that take efforts to a critical breadth and depth of effort. PMID:16858635

Global survey of hospital pharmacy practice.

PubMed

Doloresco, Fred; Vermeulen, Lee C

2009-03-01

The current state of hospital pharmacy practice around the globe and key issues facing international hospital pharmacy practice were studied. This survey assessed multiple aspects of hospital pharmacy practice within each of the Member States recognized by the United Nations. An official respondent from each nation was identified by a structured nomination process. The survey instrument was developed; pilot tested; translated into English, French, and Spanish; and distributed in July 2007. The nature, scope, and breadth of hospital pharmacy practices in medication procurement, prescribing, preparation and distribution, administration, outcomes monitoring, and human resources and training were evaluated. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the responses. Eighty-five countries (44% of the 192 Member States) responded to the survey. The respondent sample of countries was representative of all nations in terms of population, geographic region, World Health Organization region, and level of economic development. In addition to qualifying the nature of hospital pharmacy practice, the survey highlighted numerous challenges facing the profession of pharmacy in the hospital setting around the globe, including access to medicines and adequately trained pharmacists. While the practice of hospital pharmacy differs from country to country, many nations face similar challenges, regardless of their population, location, or wealth. These survey results provide a basis for identifying opportunities for growth and development, as well as for international collaboration, to advance the profession of pharmacy and ensure that patients worldwide receive the care that they deserve.

A Comparative Analysis of Personal Skills Profiles among Administrators, Department Chairs and Faculty at a College in South Texas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mejia, Juan Eduardo

2012-01-01

To remain competitive in a global economy, institutions of higher learning must commit to excellence and establish as a priority organizational and human resource development (McCabe, 2001). While mission statements from community colleges throughout the country may include similar foci, it is of paramount importance that these institutions of…

Reducing the Cultural Divide among U.S. and Mexican Students through Application of the Contact Hypothesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mickus, Maureen; Bowen, Denise

2017-01-01

Mexico and the U.S. are closely associated by commerce, culture and family ties. Despite the geographical proximity and the long-standing socio-political history between the two countries, there is limited understanding of cultural differences and similarities. A unique study abroad programme for U.S. and Mexican students was developed based on…

Incorporating Multicultural Education Into the Curriculum. Grades Four through Eight. Publication No. GC-89-1981.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Los Angeles Unified School District, CA.

This guide for teachers focuses on the educational aspect of cultural similarities and differences and is designed to develop acceptance of individual and group heritage. The materials covered deal with the roots of American culture and the sources of many customs that were brought to this country. The guide is divided into 9 sections: (1)…

It’s the Infrastructure Stupid: Vietnam’s Key to Economic Prosperity

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-01

development spurred by industrialization and urbanization . Other countries witnessed similar urbanization impacts that Vietnam will likely encounter...Publicinformation/Pressreleases/WCMS_212989/lang-- en/index.htm. 58 Urbanization and Global Change: Consequences of Sprawl in the United States...Book, Inc, 2012. 23 Urbanization and Global Change: Consequences of Sprawl in the United States. January 4, 2006. http

Development and Implementation of Inquiry-Based and Computerized-Based Laboratories: Reforming High School Chemistry in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnea, Nitza; Dori, Yehudit Judy; Hofstein, Avi

2010-01-01

Reforms in science education in general and in chemistry education in particular have been introduced in many countries since the beginning of the 21st Century. Similarly, at this time in Israel both the content and pedagogy of the chemistry curriculum in high schools were reformed. New content and pedagogical standards emerged, fostering…

Children of the World. A Series of Nine Television Programs for Elementary Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Jo Ann

This is a guide to nine, thirty-minute video tape programs that try to develop in elementary school children an awareness of a true family of man. Brazil, Guatemala, Dahomey, Somalia, Nepal, Thailand, Chile, Peru, and Jamaica are the countries in which a child's life, showing the similarities and differences that exist for all humans, is the…

Education of the Elderly in Turkey: Their Educational Needs, Expectations of Educational Programmes, and Recommendations to the Related Sectors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erisen, Yavuz

2010-01-01

The world population is getting older especially in the developed countries and this phenomenon causes health, social, cultural, economical, and educational problems and needs. The ageing population shows a similar trend in Turkey too. This study aims to determine, using the survey model, the educational needs and expectations of the educational…

Epidemiological trends and patterns of antimicrobial resistance of Shigella spp. isolated from stool cultures in two different populations in Southern Israel.

PubMed

Peleg, Itai; Givon-Lavi, Noga; Leibovitz, Eugene; Broides, Arnon

2014-03-01

Southern Israel is inhabited by Bedouins, living in conditions similar to developing countries and Jews, living in conditions similar to developed countries. We determined the epidemiology of Shigella spp. in these populations. We retrospectively reviewed Shigella spp. stool isolations between 2005-2009. Overall, 3295 isolates were analyzed. S. sonnei was isolated in 2057/3295 (62.4%) and S. flexneri in 1058 (32.1%). S. sonnei was isolated in 1567/1707 (91.8%) from Jewish patients and S. flexneri in 931/1542 (60.4%) from Bedouin patients. Ampicillin resistance increased linearly from 217/373 (58.2%) in 2005 to 186/256 (72.7%) in 2009, (P < 0.001). Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance decreased linearly from 328/373 (87.9%) in 2005 to 133/256 (51.9%) in 2009 (P < 0.001). Higher resistance of Shigella spp. to ampicilin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole were found in Jewish patients: 1527/1706 (89.5%) versus 977/1542 (63.4%) (P < 0.0001), 1635/1706 (95.8%) versus 1026/1542 (66.5%) (P < 0.0001). The epidemiology of Shigella spp. infections can differ in populations residing in the same geographical area. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Taking stock of Myanmar’s progress toward the health-related Millennium Development Goals: current roadblocks, paths ahead

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Myanmar is a developing country with considerable humanitarian needs, rendering its pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) an especially high priority. Yet progress to date remains under-examined on key fronts. Particularly within the three health-related MDGs (MDGs 4, 5, and 6), the limited data reported point to patchy levels of achievement. This study was undertaken to provide an overview and assessment of Myanmar’s progress toward the health-related MDGs, along with possible solutions for accelerating health-related development into 2015 and beyond. The review highlights off-track progress in the spheres of maternal and child health (MDGs 4 and 5). It also shows Myanmar’s achievements toward MDG 6 targets – in the areas of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Such achievements are especially notable in that Myanmar has been receiving the lowest level of official development assistance among all of the least developed countries in Asia. However, to make similar progress in MDGs 4 and 5, Myanmar needs increased investment and commitment in health. Toward moving forward with the post-2015 development agenda, Myanmar’s government also needs to take the lead in calling for attention from the World Health Organization and its global development partners to address the stagnation in health-related development progress within the country. In particular, Myanmar’s government should invest greater efforts into health system strengthening to pave the road to universal health coverage. PMID:24025845

Performance of universal health insurance: lessons from South Korea.

PubMed

Moon, Sangho; Shin, Jaeun

2007-04-01

The aim of this study was to assess the maturity of the South Korean healthcare system in comparison with those of the 30 countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and to provide a foundation to evaluate the performance of the South Korean healthcare system. Using OECD Health Data 2005, we evaluated the performance of the healthcare system of the 30 industrialized countries. The evaluation focused on three dimensions that have remained central to healthcare debates internationally for years: access, cost and outcomes. Although South Korea has successfully implemented its universal health insurance scheme in a very short period of time and possesses highly advanced medical technologies, we found that South Koreans incurred more out-of-pocket expenditures on healthcare. Health outcomes were of relatively low quality compared with those of other OECD countries, but compared relatively well with the four countries (Greece, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain) with similar per capita gross domestic product (GDP).

Performance of universal health insurance: lessons from South Korea.

PubMed

Moon, Sangho; Shin, Jaeun

2007-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess the maturity of the South Korean healthcare system in comparison with those of the 30 countries of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and to provide a foundation to evaluate the performance of the South Korean healthcare system. Using OECD Health Data 2005, we evaluated the performance of the healthcare system of the 30 industrialized countries. The evaluation focused on three dimensions that have remained central to healthcare debates internationally for years: access, cost and outcomes. Although South Korea has successfully implemented its universal health insurance scheme in a very short period of time and possesses highly advanced medical technologies, we found that South Koreans incurred more out-of-pocket expenditures on healthcare. Health outcomes were of relatively low quality compared with those of other OECD countries, but compared relatively well with the four countries (Greece, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain) with similar per capita gross domestic product (GDP).

Establishing a new medical school: Botswana's experience.

PubMed

Mokone, Gaonyadiwe G; Kebaetse, Maikutlo; Wright, John; Kebaetse, Masego B; Makgabana-Dintwa, Oarabile; Kebaabetswe, Poloko; Badlangana, Ludo; Mogodi, Mpho; Bryant, Katie; Nkomazana, Oathokwa

2014-08-01

Having adequate numbers of qualified human resources for health is essential for any effective health care system. However, there is a global shortage of skilled health care workers, especially in Sub-Saharan African countries. This shortage is exacerbated by a disproportionately high rate of infectious diseases, the burden of emerging chronic, noncommunicable diseases, and the emigration of medical doctors. Botswana has also experienced this critical shortage of doctors for many years. To address the shortage, the country in the 1990 s embarked on an aggressive program to train its students at foreign medical schools. Despite intensified training, many graduates have not returned. As a result, the country decided to establish a medical school within Botswana. The newly established school was awarded a grant from the Medical Education Partnership Initiative, which has helped to accelerate the school's development. This paper describes the authors' experiences, highlighting curriculum, staffing, infrastructure approaches, key successes, and challenges encountered. The paper concludes by proposing solutions. The authors' experiences and the lessons learned can inform colleagues in other countries considering similar endeavors.

Heatwave early warning systems and adaptation advice to reduce human health consequences of heatwaves.

PubMed

Lowe, Dianne; Ebi, Kristie L; Forsberg, Bertil

2011-12-01

With climate change, there has been an increase in the frequency, intensity and duration of heatwave events. In response to the devastating mortality and morbidity of recent heatwave events, many countries have introduced heatwave early warning systems (HEWS). HEWS are designed to reduce the avoidable human health consequences of heatwaves through timely notification of prevention measures to vulnerable populations. To identify the key characteristics of HEWS in European countries to help inform modification of current, and development of, new systems and plans. We searched the internet to identify HEWS policy or government documents for 33 European countries and requested information from relevant organizations. We translated the HEWS documents and extracted details on the trigger indicators, thresholds for action, notification strategies, message intermediaries, communication and dissemination strategies, prevention strategies recommended and specified target audiences. Twelve European countries have HEWS. Although there are many similarities among the HEWS, there also are differences in key characteristics that could inform improvements in heatwave early warning plans.

The International Postal Network and Other Global Flows as Proxies for National Wellbeing.

PubMed

Hristova, Desislava; Rutherford, Alex; Anson, Jose; Luengo-Oroz, Miguel; Mascolo, Cecilia

2016-01-01

The digital exhaust left by flows of physical and digital commodities provides a rich measure of the nature, strength and significance of relationships between countries in the global network. With this work, we examine how these traces and the network structure can reveal the socioeconomic profile of different countries. We take into account multiple international networks of physical and digital flows, including the previously unexplored international postal network. By measuring the position of each country in the Trade, Postal, Migration, International Flights, IP and Digital Communications networks, we are able to build proxies for a number of crucial socioeconomic indicators such as GDP per capita and the Human Development Index ranking along with twelve other indicators used as benchmarks of national well-being by the United Nations and other international organisations. In this context, we have also proposed and evaluated a global connectivity degree measure applying multiplex theory across the six networks that accounts for the strength of relationships between countries. We conclude by showing how countries with shared community membership over multiple networks have similar socioeconomic profiles. Combining multiple flow data sources can help understand the forces which drive economic activity on a global level. Such an ability to infer proxy indicators in a context of incomplete information is extremely timely in light of recent discussions on measurement of indicators relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals.

The International Postal Network and Other Global Flows as Proxies for National Wellbeing

PubMed Central

Rutherford, Alex; Anson, Jose; Luengo-Oroz, Miguel; Mascolo, Cecilia

2016-01-01

The digital exhaust left by flows of physical and digital commodities provides a rich measure of the nature, strength and significance of relationships between countries in the global network. With this work, we examine how these traces and the network structure can reveal the socioeconomic profile of different countries. We take into account multiple international networks of physical and digital flows, including the previously unexplored international postal network. By measuring the position of each country in the Trade, Postal, Migration, International Flights, IP and Digital Communications networks, we are able to build proxies for a number of crucial socioeconomic indicators such as GDP per capita and the Human Development Index ranking along with twelve other indicators used as benchmarks of national well-being by the United Nations and other international organisations. In this context, we have also proposed and evaluated a global connectivity degree measure applying multiplex theory across the six networks that accounts for the strength of relationships between countries. We conclude by showing how countries with shared community membership over multiple networks have similar socioeconomic profiles. Combining multiple flow data sources can help understand the forces which drive economic activity on a global level. Such an ability to infer proxy indicators in a context of incomplete information is extremely timely in light of recent discussions on measurement of indicators relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals. PMID:27248142

Contract-based electricity markets in developing countries: Overcoming inefficiency constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perera, M. N. Susantha

The electric utility sector throughout the world has been undergoing significant changes. It is changing from its traditional, central-station generation model managed under a vertically integrated monopoly to a more market-dependent business. In the rich industrialized countries, this change has progressed rapidly with the emergence of competitive markets---not only in the area of electricity generation, but also in the extension of such markets down to the level of retail domestic consumer. Developing countries, on the other hand, are trying to attract much-needed investment capital for their power sector expansion activities, particularly for the expansion of generating capacity, through the involvement of the private sector. Unlike their industrialized counterparts, they are facing many limitations in transforming the mostly government-owned monopolies into market-driven businesses, thereby creating an environment that is conducive to private sector participation. Amongst these limitations are the lack of a well-developed, local private sector or domestic financial market that can handle the sophisticated power sector financing; inadequate legal and regulatory frameworks that can address the many complexities of private power development; and numerous risk factors including political risks. This dissertation research addresses an important inefficiency faced by developing countries in the new contract-based market structure that has emerged within these countries. It examines the inefficiencies brought on by restrictions in the contracts, specifically those arising from the guaranteed purchase conditions that are typically included in contracts between the purchasing utility and independent power producers in this new market. The research attempts to provide a solution for this problem and proposes a methodology that enables the parties to conduct their businesses in a cost-efficient manner within a cooperative environment. The situation described above is modeled as a cooperative game based on the relationships that typically exist in power pools. This model draws its mathematical basis from game theory. This research demonstrates that the proposed model has a theoretical solution that yields an efficient allocation of resources. Furthermore, this solution has a significant practical validity as a tool that can be employed by developing country governments faced with similar market situations. In the case study presented here, the model is tested using data from a small developing country.

Lexical development in Korean: vocabulary size, lexical composition, and late talking.

PubMed

Rescorla, Leslie; Lee, Youn Mi Cathy; Lee, Youn Min Cathy; Oh, Kyung Ja; Kim, Young Ah

2013-04-01

In this study, the authors aimed to compare vocabulary size, lexical composition, and late talking in large samples of Korean and U.S. children ages 18-35 months. Data for 2,191 Korean children (211 children recruited "offline" through preschools, and 1,980 recruited "online" via the Internet) and 274 U.S. children were obtained using the Language Development Survey (LDS). Mean vocabulary size was slightly larger in the offline than the online group, but the groups were acquiring almost identical words. Mean vocabulary size did not differ by country; girls and older children had larger vocabularies in both countries. The Korean-U.S. Q correlations for percentage use of LDS words (.53 and .56) indicated considerable concordance across countries in lexical composition. Noun dominance was as large in Korean lexicons as in U.S. lexicons. About half of the most commonly reported words for the Korean and U.S. children were identical. Lexicons of late talkers resembled those of typically developing younger children in the same sample. Despite linguistic and discourse differences between Korean and English, LDS findings indicated considerable cross-linguistic similarity with respect to vocabulary size, lexical composition, and late talking.

The complex legal and ethical issues related to generic medications. Viral hepatitis: a case study.

PubMed

Danta, M; Ghinea, N

2017-04-01

The economic impact of medications is significant, with many countries unable to afford the essential medicines listed by the WHO. Generic medications are one strategy to address this issue. Generic medications are similar to but not the same as originator medications. They have a significant cost advantage because they do not require the background research and development studies to support registration. Consequently, they are gaining increased market share in both the developed and developing world. Many new medications are now licensed to generic manufacturers in the developing world. As a result, it is possible for patients to bypass regulatory and cost barriers by importing medications directly from generic producers. Importation of the novel hepatitis C direct-acting antiviral therapy into Australia before it was registered in the country is an illustrative case study. This review will characterise generic medications and some of the legal and ethical issues around their utilisation, focusing on the relevant players, including pharma, government, patients and doctors.

Development of an intervention delivered by mobile phone aimed at decreasing unintended pregnancy among young people in three lower middle income countries.

PubMed

McCarthy, Ona L; Wazwaz, Ola; Osorio Calderon, Veronica; Jado, Iman; Saibov, Salokhiddin; Stavridis, Amina; López Gallardo, Jhonny; Tokhirov, Ravshan; Adada, Samia; Huaynoca, Silvia; Makleff, Shelly; Vandewiele, Marieka; Standaert, Sarah; Free, Caroline

2018-05-02

Unintended pregnancies can result in poorer health outcomes for women, children and families. Young people in low and middle income countries are at particular risk of unintended pregnancies and could benefit from innovative contraceptive interventions. There is growing evidence that interventions delivered by mobile phone can be effective in improving a range of health behaviours. This paper describes the development of a contraceptive behavioural intervention delivered by mobile phone for young people in Tajikistan, Bolivia and Palestine, where unmet need for contraception is high among this group. Guided by Intervention Mapping, the following steps contributed to the development of the interventions: (1) needs assessment; (2) specifying behavioural change to result from the intervention; (3) selecting behaviour change methods to include in the intervention; (4) producing and refining the intervention content. The results of the needs assessment produced similar interventions across the countries. The interventions consist of short daily messages delivered over 4 months (delivered by text messaging in Palestine and mobile phone application instant messages in Bolivia and Tajikistan). The messages provide information about contraception, target attitudes that are barriers to contraceptive uptake and support young people in feeling that they can influence their reproductive health. The interventions each contain the same ten behaviour change methods, adapted for delivery by mobile phone. The development resulted in a well-specified, theory-based intervention, tailored to each country. It is feasible to develop an intervention delivered by mobile phone for young people in resource-limited settings.

The practice of internal medicine in Europe: organisation, clinical conditions and procedures.

PubMed

Cranston, Mark; Semple, Colin; Duckitt, Roger; Vardi, Moshe; Lindgren, Stefan; Davidson, Christopher; Palsson, Runolfur

2013-10-01

Current information on the role of internists in the European countries is scarce. This report describes the results of a survey of the practice of internists in Europe. Two online questionnaire-based surveys were carried out by the European Board of Internal Medicine, one on the practice of internists and the other on postgraduate training in internal medicine. The national internal medicine societies of all 30 member countries of the European Federation of Internal Medicine were invited to participate. The responses were reviewed by internal medicine trainees from the respective countries and summaries of the data were sent to the national societies for approval. Descriptive analysis of the data on the practice of internists was carried out. Twenty-seven countries (90%) completed the questionnaire and approved their datasets. In 8 European countries, most internists practised internal medicine alone and in 7 countries at least half of physicians practised internal medicine together with a subspecialty. Internal medicine was considered a hospital-based specialty in most countries. The majority of selected presenting problems and diagnoses were rated as commonly encountered in all countries. More variability between countries was observed in the performance of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Many similarities exist in the practice of internal medicine between the European countries, while some differences are present that likely reflect the variable impact of subspecialisation. The results of the survey should prove valuable for the definition of specific competencies and development of a common curriculum for internal medicine at the European level. © 2013.

Changes in chlamydia control activities in Europe between 2007 and 2012: a cross-national survey

PubMed Central

Sfetcu, Otilia; van der Sande, Marianne A.; Andersen, Berit; Herrmann, Björn; Ward, Helen; Götz, Hannelore M.; Uusküla, Anneli; Woodhall, Sarah C.; Redmond, Shelagh M.; Amato-Gauci, Andrew J.; Low, Nicola; van Bergen, Jan E.

2016-01-01

Background: In 2012, the levels of chlamydia control activities including primary prevention, effective case management with partner management and surveillance were assessed in 2012 across countries in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA), on initiative of the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) survey, and the findings were compared with those from a similar survey in 2007. Methods: Experts in the 30 EU/EEA countries were invited to respond to an online questionnaire; 28 countries responded, of which 25 participated in both the 2007 and 2012 surveys. Analyses focused on 13 indicators of chlamydia prevention and control activities; countries were assigned to one of five categories of chlamydia control. Results: In 2012, more countries than in 2007 reported availability of national chlamydia case management guidelines (80% vs. 68%), opportunistic chlamydia testing (68% vs. 44%) and consistent use of nucleic acid amplification tests (64% vs. 36%). The number of countries reporting having a national sexually transmitted infection control strategy or a surveillance system for chlamydia did not change notably. In 2012, most countries (18/25, 72%) had implemented primary prevention activities and case management guidelines addressing partner management, compared with 44% (11/25) of countries in 2007. Conclusion: Overall, chlamydia control activities in EU/EEA countries strengthened between 2007 and 2012. Several countries still need to develop essential chlamydia control activities, whereas others may strengthen implementation and monitoring of existing activities. PMID:26498953

Urban photogrammetric data base for multi-purpose cadastral-based information systems: the Riyadh city case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-garni, Abdullah M.

Urban information systems are economic resources that can benefit decision makers in the planning, development, and management of urban projects and resources. In this research, a conceptual model-based prototype Urban Geographic Information System (UGIS) is developed. The base maps used in developing the system and acquiring visual attributes are obtained from aerial photographs. The system is a multi-purpose parcel-based one that can serve many urban applications such as public utilities, health centres, schools, population estimation, road engineering and maintenance, and many others. A modern region in the capital city of Saudi Arabia is used for the study. The developed model is operational for one urban application (population estimation) and is tested for that particular application. The results showed that the system has a satisfactory accuracy and that it may well be promising for other similar urban applications in countries with similar demographic and social characteristics.

Methane emission from ruminants and solid waste: A critical analysis of baseline and mitigation projections for climate and policy studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthews, E.

2012-12-01

Current and projected estimates of methane (CH4) emission from anthropogenic sources are numerous but largely unexamined or compared. Presented here is a critical appraisal of CH4 projections used in climate-chemistry and policy studies. We compare emissions for major CH4 sources from several groups, including our own new data and RCP projections developed for climate-chemistry models for the next IPCC Assessment Report (AR5). We focus on current and projected baseline and mitigation emissions from ruminant animals and solid waste that are both predicted to rise dramatically in coming decades, driven primarily by developing countries. For waste, drivers include increasing urban populations, higher per capita waste generation due to economic growth and increasing landfilling rates. Analysis of a new global data base detailing waste composition, collection and disposal indicates that IPCC-based methodologies and default data overestimate CH4 emission for the current period which cascades into substantial overestimates in future projections. CH4 emission from solid waste is estimated to be ~10-15 Tg CH4/yr currently rather than the ~35 Tg/yr often reported in the literature. Moreover, emissions from developing countries are unlikely to rise rapidly in coming decades because new management approaches, such as sanitary landfills, that would increase emissions are maladapted to infrastructures in these countries and therefore unlikely to be implemented. The low current emission associated with solid waste (~10 Tg), together with future modest growth, implies that mitigation of waste-related CH4 emission is a poor candidate for slowing global warming. In the case of ruminant animals (~90 Tg CH4/yr currently), the dominant assumption driving future trajectories of CH4 emission is a substantial increase in meat and dairy consumption in developing countries to be satisfied by growing animal populations. Unlike solid waste, current ruminant emissions among studies exhibit a narrow range that does not necessarily signal low uncertainty but rather a reliance on similar animal statistics and emission factors. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) projects 2000-2030 growth rates of livestock for most developing countries at 2% to >3% annually. However, the assumption of rapidly rising meat consumption is not supported by current trends nor by resource availability. For example, increased meat consumption in China and other developing countries is poultry and pork that do not affect CH4 emissions, suggesting that the rapid growth projected for all animals, boosting growth in CH4 emission, will not occur. From a resource standpoint, large increases in cattle, sheep and goat populations, especially for African countries (~60% by 2030), are not supportable on arid grazing lands that require very low stocking rates and semi-nomadic management. Increases projected for African animal populations would require either that about 2/3 more animals are grazed on increasingly drier lands or that all non-forested areas become grazing lands. Similar to solid waste, future methane emission from ruminant animals is likely to grow modestly although animals are not a likely candidate for CH4 mitigation due to their dispersed distribution throughout widely varying agricultural systems under very local management.

Private sector contributions and their effect on physician emigration in the developing world

PubMed Central

Ugarte-Gil, Cesar; Darko, Kwame

2013-01-01

Abstract The contribution made by the private sector to health care in a low- or middle-income country may affect levels of physician emigration from that country. The increasing importance of the private sector in health care in the developing world has resulted in newfound academic interest in that sector’s influences on many aspects of national health systems. The growth in physician emigration from the developing world has led to several attempts to identify both the factors that cause physicians to emigrate and the effects of physician emigration on primary care and population health in the countries that the physicians leave. When the relevant data on the emerging economies of Ghana, India and Peru were investigated, it appeared that the proportion of physicians participating in private health-care delivery, the percentage of health-care costs financed publicly and the amount of private health-care financing per capita were each inversely related to the level of physician expatriation. It therefore appears that private health-care delivery and financing may decrease physician emigration. There is clearly a need for similar research in other low- and middle-income countries, and for studies to see if, at the country level, temporal trends in the contribution made to health care by the private sector can be related to the corresponding trends in physician emigration. The ways in which private health care may be associated with access problems for the poor and therefore reduced equity also merit further investigation. The results should be of interest to policy-makers who aim to improve health systems worldwide. PMID:23476095

Private sector contributions and their effect on physician emigration in the developing world.

PubMed

Loh, Lawrence C; Ugarte-Gil, Cesar; Darko, Kwame

2013-03-01

The contribution made by the private sector to health care in a low- or middle-income country may affect levels of physician emigration from that country. The increasing importance of the private sector in health care in the developing world has resulted in newfound academic interest in that sector's influences on many aspects of national health systems. The growth in physician emigration from the developing world has led to several attempts to identify both the factors that cause physicians to emigrate and the effects of physician emigration on primary care and population health in the countries that the physicians leave. When the relevant data on the emerging economies of Ghana, India and Peru were investigated, it appeared that the proportion of physicians participating in private health-care delivery, the percentage of health-care costs financed publicly and the amount of private health-care financing per capita were each inversely related to the level of physician expatriation. It therefore appears that private health-care delivery and financing may decrease physician emigration. There is clearly a need for similar research in other low- and middle-income countries, and for studies to see if, at the country level, temporal trends in the contribution made to health care by the private sector can be related to the corresponding trends in physician emigration. The ways in which private health care may be associated with access problems for the poor and therefore reduced equity also merit further investigation. The results should be of interest to policy-makers who aim to improve health systems worldwide.

Meta-analysis of environmental contamination by alkylphenols.

PubMed

Bergé, Alexandre; Cladière, Mathieu; Gasperi, Johnny; Coursimault, Annie; Tassin, Bruno; Moilleron, Régis

2012-11-01

Alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates (APE) are toxics classified as endocrine-disrupting compounds; they are used in detergents, paints, herbicides, pesticides, emulsifiers, wetting and dispersing agents, antistatic agents, demulsifiers, and solubilizers. Many studies have reported the occurrence of alkylphenols in different environmental matrices, though none of these studies have yet to establish a comprehensive overview of such compounds in the water cycle within an urban environment. This review summarizes APE concentrations for all environmental media throughout the water cycle, from the atmosphere to receiving waters. Once the occurrence of compounds has been assessed for each environmental compartment (urban wastewater, wastewater treatment plants [WWTP], atmosphere, and the natural environment), data are examined in order to understand the fate of APE in the environment and establish their geographical and historical trends. From this database, it is clear that the environment in Europe is much more contaminated by APE compared to North America and developing countries, although these APE levels have been decreasing in the last decade. APE concentrations in the WWTP effluent of developed countries have decreased by a factor of 100 over the past 30 years. This study is aimed at identifying both the correlations existing between environmental compartments and the processes that influence the fate and transport of these contaminants in the environment. In industrial countries, the concentrations observed in waterways now represent the background level of contamination, which provides evidence of a past diffuse pollution in these countries, whereas sediment analyses conducted in developing countries show an increase in APE content over the last several years. Finally, similar trends have been observed in samples drawn from Europe and North America.

Modeling and assessing international climate financing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Jing; Tang, Lichun; Mohamed, Rayman; Zhu, Qianting; Wang, Zheng

2016-06-01

Climate financing is a key issue in current negotiations on climate protection. This study establishes a climate financing model based on a mechanism in which donor countries set up funds for climate financing and recipient countries use the funds exclusively for carbon emission reduction. The burden-sharing principles are based on GDP, historical emissions, and consumptionbased emissions. Using this model, we develop and analyze a series of scenario simulations, including a financing program negotiated at the Cancun Climate Change Conference (2010) and several subsequent programs. Results show that sustained climate financing can help to combat global climate change. However, the Cancun Agreements are projected to result in a reduction of only 0.01°C in global warming by 2100 compared to the scenario without climate financing. Longer-term climate financing programs should be established to achieve more significant benefits. Our model and simulations also show that climate financing has economic benefits for developing countries. Developed countries will suffer a slight GDP loss in the early stages of climate financing, but the longterm economic growth and the eventual benefits of climate mitigation will compensate for this slight loss. Different burden-sharing principles have very similar effects on global temperature change and economic growth of recipient countries, but they do result in differences in GDP changes for Japan and the FSU. The GDP-based principle results in a larger share of financial burden for Japan, while the historical emissions-based principle results in a larger share of financial burden for the FSU. A larger burden share leads to a greater GDP loss.

Suicide methods in children and adolescents.

PubMed

Kõlves, Kairi; de Leo, Diego

2017-02-01

There are notable differences in suicide methods between countries. The aim of this paper is to analyse and describe suicide methods in children and adolescents aged 10-19 years in different countries/territories worldwide. Suicide data by ICD-10 X codes were obtained from the WHO Mortality Database and population data from the World Bank. In total, 101 countries or territories, have data at least for 5 years in 2000-2009. Cluster analysis by suicide methods was performed for countries/territories with at least 10 suicide cases separately by gender (74 for males and 71 for females) in 2000-2009. The most frequent suicide method was hanging, followed by poisoning by pesticides for females and firearms for males. Cluster analyses of similarities in the country/territory level suicide method patterns by gender identified four clusters for both gender. Hanging and poisoning by pesticides defined the clusters of countries/territories by their suicide patterns in youth for both genders. In addition, a mixed method and a jumping from height cluster were identified for females and two mixed method clusters for males. A number of geographical similarities were observed. Overall, the patterns of suicide methods in children and adolescents reflect lethality, availability and acceptability of suicide means similarly to country specific patterns of all ages. Means restriction has very good potential in preventing youth suicides in different countries. It is also crucial to consider cognitive availability influenced by sensationalised media reporting and/or provision of technical details about specific methods.

Comparison of the burden of illness for adults with ADHD across seven countries: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Brod, Meryl; Pohlman, Betsy; Lasser, Robert; Hodgkins, Paul

2012-05-14

The purpose of this study was to expand the understanding of the burden of illness experienced by adults with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) living in different countries and treated through different health care systems. Fourteen focus groups and five telephone interviews were conducted in seven countries in North America and Europe, comprised of adults who had received a diagnosis of ADHD. The countries included Canada, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States (two focus groups in each country). There were 108 participants. The focus groups were designed to elicit narratives of the experience of ADHD in key domains of symptoms, daily life, and social relationships. Consonant with grounded theory, the transcripts were analyzed using descriptive coding and then themed into larger domains. Participants' statements regarding the presentation of symptoms, childhood experience, impact of ADHD across the life course, addictive and risk-taking behavior, work and productivity, finances, relationships and psychological health impacts were similarly themed across all seven countries. These similarities were expressed through the domains of symptom presentation, childhood experience, medication treatment issues, impacts in adult life and across the life cycle, addictive and risk-taking behavior, work and productivity, finances, psychological and social impacts. These data suggest that symptoms associated with adult ADHD affect individuals similarly in different countries and that the relevance of the diagnostic category for adults is not necessarily limited to certain countries and sociocultural milieus.

Comparison of the burden of illness for adults with ADHD across seven countries: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to expand the understanding of the burden of illness experienced by adults with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) living in different countries and treated through different health care systems. Methods Fourteen focus groups and five telephone interviews were conducted in seven countries in North America and Europe, comprised of adults who had received a diagnosis of ADHD. The countries included Canada, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States (two focus groups in each country). There were 108 participants. The focus groups were designed to elicit narratives of the experience of ADHD in key domains of symptoms, daily life, and social relationships. Consonant with grounded theory, the transcripts were analyzed using descriptive coding and then themed into larger domains. Results Participants’ statements regarding the presentation of symptoms, childhood experience, impact of ADHD across the life course, addictive and risk-taking behavior, work and productivity, finances, relationships and psychological health impacts were similarly themed across all seven countries. These similarities were expressed through the domains of symptom presentation, childhood experience, medication treatment issues, impacts in adult life and across the life cycle, addictive and risk-taking behavior, work and productivity, finances, psychological and social impacts. Conclusions These data suggest that symptoms associated with adult ADHD affect individuals similarly in different countries and that the relevance of the diagnostic category for adults is not necessarily limited to certain countries and sociocultural milieus. PMID:22583562

International collaboration, funding and association with burden of disease in randomized controlled trials in Africa.

PubMed Central

Swingler, George H.; Pillay, Victoria; Pienaar, Elizabeth D.; Ioannidis, John P. A.

2005-01-01

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess whether randomized controlled trials conducted in Africa with collaborators from outside Africa were more closely associated with health conditions that have a burden of disease that is of specific importance to Africa than with conditions of more general global importance or with conditions important to developed countries. We also assessed whether the source of funding influenced a study's relevance to Africa. METHODS: We compared randomized controlled trials performed in Africa that looked at diseases specifically relevant to Africa (as determined by burden of disease criteria) with trials classified as looking at diseases of global importance or diseases important to developed countries in order to assess differences in collaboration and funding. FINDINGS: Of 520 trials assessed, 347 studied diseases that are specifically important to Africa; 99 studied globally important diseases and 74 studied diseases that are important to developed countries. The strongest independent predictor of whether a study was of specifically African or global importance was the corresponding author's country of origin: African importance was negatively associated with a corresponding author being from South Africa (odds ratio (OR) = 0.04; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.02-0.10) but there was little difference between corresponding authors from other African countries and corresponding authors from countries outside Africa. The importance of a study to Africa was independently associated with having more non-African authors (OR per author = 1.31; 95% CI = 1.08-1.58), fewer trial sites (OR per site = 0.69; 95% CI = 0.50-0.96), and reporting of funding (OR = 2.14; 95% CI = 1.15-4.00). Similar patterns were present in the comparisons of trials studying diseases important to Africa versus those studying diseases important to developed countries with stronger associations overall. When funding was reported, private industry funding was negatively associated with African importance compared with global importance (OR = 0.31, P= 0.008 for African importance and OR = 0.51, P= 0.57 for importance for developed countries). CONCLUSION: The relevance to Africa of trials conducted in Africa was not adversely affected by collaboration with non-African researchers but funding from private industry was associated with a decreased emphasis on diseases relevant to Africa. PMID:16175825

Bologna Process and Basic Nursing Education in 21 European Countries.

PubMed

Humar, L; Sansoni, J

2017-01-01

The Bologna Process and the Directives of the European Union have had a profound impact on nursing education in Europe. The aim of this study was to identify the similarities and differences within nursing education framework at entry level in 2014 in European countries. A questionnaire was devised by the researchers and distributed via e-mail to the nursing associations/nursing regulatory bodies of 30 European countries. Data were collected from January to May 2014. Responses were received from 21 European Countries. Results indicated that while a completion of 12 years of general education was a requirement to access nursing education in almost all respondent countries, other admission requirements differed between countries. Nursing courses were offered mostly by Faculties of Nursing and Faculties of Health Sciences (in higher education Institutions) and lecturers and management staff were mainly nurses. The results indicated significant different educational requirements for nurse educators. A foreign language was mandatory in half of the respondent countries. Nursing profession was represented at government level in just over half of the respondent countries, often with a Directorate position. The Bologna Process has helped harmonise initial nursing education in Europe but clear standards for nursing education need to be set up. Therefore, the research about the influence of the Bologna process on the development of the nursing profession should be further encouraged.

Maximize Life Global Cancer Awareness Campaign: improving the lives of cancer patients while increasing global awareness of their needs.

PubMed

Garcia-Gonzalez, Pat; Schwartz, Erin L

2012-01-01

In October 2010 The Max Foundation, in partnership with 30 cancer patient associations in emerging countries, organized a global cancer awareness campaign. The aims of the campaign were: (i) to increase awareness of the needs of people living with cancer in developing countries; (ii) to increase local visibility of patient associations in their countries; (iii) to collect more than 10,000 signatures to the World Cancer Declaration (WCD); and (iv) to improve the lives of cancer survivors by providing them with an opportunity to express their feelings about the disease. The campaign was developed as a global effort, to be implemented by local patient associations through their volunteer survivors and caregivers. The methodology at the global level included developing the framework, branding, and communication tools, while making available limited funding and heavy logistical support. Local patient associations were encouraged to adapt the initiative to a culturally accepted format. Key elements of the campaign were the mix of low tech and high tech elements to allow low tech populations to participate while promoting the initiative using social media and high tech tools. Additionally, the participation of survivors and caregivers ensured the campaign provided immediate benefit to cancer patients. Finally, the addition of the World Cancer Declaration provided a strong unifying component. More than 60 events were held in 31 countries around the world, collecting more than 13,000 signatures to the World Cancer Declaration and a similar number of support messages to cancer survivors representing 84 countries. Local events gained local media visibility in many countries, and the campaign was promoted in multiple international forums and Web sites. This initiative involving mobilization of volunteers and the development of a global initiative as a grassroots movement taught important lessons on media outreach and selection of leaders for a cancer awareness campaign.

Breast Cancer Survivors Report Similar Concerns Related to Return to Work in Developed and Developing Nations.

PubMed

Luo, Shi-Xiang; Liu, Jun-E; Cheng, Andy S K; Xiao, Shu-Qin; Su, Ya-Li; Feuerstein, Michael

2018-02-14

Aim To determine whether breast cancer survivors (BCS) at work following the diagnosis and/or treatment of breast cancer, in a rapidly developing country such as China experience similar to return to work challenges as reported in nations with established return to work (RTW) policy and procedures for employees with cancer. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 BCS who returned to work following diagnosis and/or primary cancer treatment. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to investigate responses. Results Three recurring themes emerged: (1) challenges at work related to residual effects of diagnosis and/or primary treatment; (2) positive and negative responses from employers and/or supervisors; and (3) positive and negative responses from co-workers/colleagues. Although several participants experienced a high level of workplace support, there was a subgroup that did report challenges related to symptom burden, cognitive limitations, and both positive and negative responses by employers and co-workers were reported. Conclusions Findings indicate similar challenges in BCS who RTW during and/or following cancer treatment in both rapidly developing and developed nations. Results suggest that regardless of the existence of workplace policies and practices related to RTW for workers with a history of cancer, a subgroup of BCS experience similar challenges when returning to work. These findings highlight the international nature of RTW challenges and suggest the need for more global efforts to develop and evaluate workplace interventions to assist with these similarities.

[Electronic medical records in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The electronic card--the medical record of the future in Boznia-Herzegovina].

PubMed

Masić, I; Pandza, H; Ridanović, Z; Dover, M

1997-01-01

The biggest problem in organisation of the effective and rational health care of good quality in Bosnia quality and Herzegovina is a functional and updated Health Information System. In this system, important role play Health Statistic System in which documentation and evidence are very important segment. Developed countries proceeded from the manual and semiautomatic method of medical data processing and system management to the new methods of entering, storage, transfer, searching and protection of data using electronic equipment. Recently, the competition between manufacturers of the Smart Card and Laser Card is reality. Also scientific and professional debate exists about the standard card for storage of medical information in Health Care System. First option is supported by West European countries that developing Smart Card called Eurocard and second by USA and Far East countries. Because the Health Care System and other segments of Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina innovate intensively similar systems, the authors of this article intend to open discussion, and to show advantages and failures of each technological medium.

Health workforce remuneration: comparing wage levels, ranking, and dispersion of 16 occupational groups in 20 countries

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background This article represents the first attempt to explore remuneration in Human Resources for Health (HRH), comparing wage levels, ranking and dispersion of 16 HRH occupational groups in 20 countries (Argentina, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Russian Federation, Republic of South Africa (RSA), Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom (UK), and United States of America (USA)). The main aim is to examine to what extent the wage rankings, standardized wage levels, and wage dispersion are similar between the 16 occupational groups and across the selected countries and what factors can be shown to be related to the differences that emerge. Method The pooled data from the continuous, worldwide, multilingual WageIndicator web survey between 2008 and 2011 (for selected HRH occupations, n=49,687) have been aggregated into a data file with median or mean remuneration values for 300 occupation/country cells. Hourly wages are expressed in standardized US Dollars (USD), all controlled for purchasing power parity (PPP) and indexed to 2011 levels. Results The wage ranking of 16 HRH occupational groups is fairly similar across countries. Overall Medical Doctors have the highest and Personal Care Workers the lowest median wages. Wage levels of Nursing & Midwifery Professionals vary largely. Health Care Managers have lower earnings than Medical Doctors in all except six of the 20 countries. The largest wage differences are found for the Medical Doctors earning 20 times less in Ukraine than in the US, and the Personal Care Workers, who earn nine times less in the Ukraine than in the Netherlands. No support is found for the assumption that the ratio across the highest and lowest earning HRH occupations is similar between countries: it varies from 2.0 in Sweden to 9.7 in Brazil. Moreover, an increase in the percentage of women in an occupation has a large downward effect on its wage rank. Conclusions This article breaks new ground by investigating for the first time the wage levels, ranking, and dispersion of occupational groups in the HRH workforce across countries. The explorative findings illustrate that the assumption of similarity in cross-country wage ranking holds, but that wage dispersion and wage levels are not similar. These findings might contribute to the policies for health workforce composition and the planning of healthcare provisions. PMID:23448429

E-government factors to reduce administrative and finance corruption in Arab countries: Case study Iraqi oil sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammed, M. A.; Eman, Y.; Hussein, A. H.; Hasson, A. R.

2015-12-01

Arab countries face the corruption issues in its several public organizations. The corruption in these countries is considered as the main challenge. The oil sector is one of the public sectors that have huge level of corruption. However, the Iraqi economy had become dependable on oil sector daring the last three decades, and on the contrary, of what other oil countries did. The capital is considered as one of the essential factor for economic development. The revenues of oil exports will stay the essential source for economic development in Iraq in the future in order to reduce being dependable on oil. Since the beginning of the 3rd thousands, the world witnessed great rise in the demand on oil, but the Iraqi exports of crude oil come to be less than its similarities in the seventeenths of last century. So our oil sector is still in need of deep study. This study focuses on technological technique that can make huge decrease for corruption in oil sector in Iraq. However, e-government is considered as the best techniques that can decrease the corruption. Thus, this study bases on challenges that effect on build successful e-government project in Iraqi oil industry.

Assessing and adjusting for differences between HIV prevalence estimates derived from national population-based surveys and antenatal care surveillance, with applications for Spectrum 2013

PubMed Central

Marsh, Kimberly; Mahy, Mary; Salomon, Joshua A.; Hogan, Daniel R.

2014-01-01

Objective(s): To assess differences between HIV prevalence estimates derived from national population surveys and antenatal care (ANC) surveillance sites and to improve the calibration of ANC-derived estimates in Spectrum 2013 to more appropriately account for differences between these data. Design: Retrospective analysis of national population survey and ANC surveillance data from 25 countries with generalized epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa and 8 countries with concentrated epidemics. Methods: Adult national population survey and ANC surveillance HIV prevalence estimates were compared for all available national population survey data points for the years 1999–2012. For sub-Saharan Africa, a mixed-effects linear regression model determined whether the relationship between national population and ANC estimates was constant across surveys. A new calibration method was developed to incorporate national population survey data directly into the likelihood for HIV prevalence in countries with generalized epidemics. Results were used to develop default rules for adjusting ANC data for countries with no national population surveys. Results: ANC surveillance data typically overestimate population prevalence, although a wide variation, particularly in rural areas, is observed across countries and survey years. The new calibration method yields similar point estimates to previous approaches, but leads to an average 44% increase in the width of 95% uncertainty intervals. Conclusion: Important biases remain in ANC surveillance data for HIV prevalence. The new approach to model-fitting in Spectrum 2013 more appropriately accounts for this bias when producing national estimates in countries with generalized epidemics. In countries with concentrated epidemics, local sex ratios should be used to calibrate ANC surveillance estimates. PMID:25203158

Long-term-average spectrum characteristics of country singers during speaking and singing.

PubMed

Cleveland, T F; Sundberg, J; Stone, R E

2001-03-01

Five premier male country singers involved in our previous studies spoke and sang the words of both the national anthem and a country song of their choice. Long-term-average spectra were made of the spoken and sung material of each singer. The spectral characteristics of county singers' speech and singing were similar. A prominent peak in the upper part of the spectrum, previously described as the "speaker's formant," was found in the county singers' speech and singing. The singer's formant, a strong spectral peak near 2.8 kHz, an important part of the spectrum of classically trained singers, was not found in the spectra of the country singers. The results support the conclusion that the resonance characteristics in speech and singing are similar in country singing and that county singing is not characterized by a singer's formant.

Variation in adult vaccination policies across Europe: an overview from VENICE network on vaccine recommendations, funding and coverage.

PubMed

Kanitz, Elisabeth E; Wu, Lauren A; Giambi, Cristina; Strikas, Raymond A; Levy-Bruhl, Daniel; Stefanoff, Pawel; Mereckiene, Jolita; Appelgren, Eva; D'Ancona, Fortunato

2012-07-27

In 2010-2011, in the framework of the VENICE project, we surveyed European Union (EU) and Economic Area (EEA) countries to fill the gap of information regarding vaccination policies in adults. This project was carried out in collaboration with the United States National Vaccine Program Office, who conducted a similar survey in all developed countries. VENICE representatives of all 29 EU/EEA-countries received an online questionnaire including vaccination schedule, recommendations, funding and coverage in adults for 17 vaccine-preventable diseases. The response rate was 100%. The definition of age threshold for adulthood for the purpose of vaccination ranged from 15 to 19 years (median=18 years). EU/EEA-countries recommend between 4 and 16 vaccines for adults (median=11 vaccines). Tetanus and diphtheria vaccines are recommended to all adults in 22 and 21 countries respectively. The other vaccines are mostly recommended to specific risk groups; recommendations for seasonal influenza and hepatitis B exist in all surveyed countries. Six countries have a comprehensive summary document or schedule describing all vaccines which are recommended for adults. None of the surveyed countries was able to provide coverage estimates for all the recommended adult vaccines. Vaccination policies for adults are not consistent across Europe, including the meaning of "recommended vaccine" which is not comparable among countries. Coverage data for adults should be collected routinely like for children vaccination. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relevance of the Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Rangeland Management to Conditions in Patagonia (Argentina)

Treesearch

Andrés F. Cibils; Gabriel E. Oliva

2006-01-01

Patagonia’s rangelands are similar to those in western United States in terms of climate, topography, and vegetation physiognomy. However, differences in environmental, economic, and societal values do exist between regions. We assessed the usefulness of C&I (Criteria and Indicators) developed in the United States for other countries, and identified indicators not...

The Research Mission of Universities of Applied Sciences and the Future Configuration of Higher Education Systems in Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lepori, Benedetto; Kyvik, Svein

2010-01-01

This article presents a comparative analysis of the development of research in universities of applied sciences (UAS) in eight European countries and its implications for the configuration of the higher education system. The enhancement of research has mostly been seen as a case of academic drift where UAS attempt to become more similar to…

State Policies and Women's Autonomy in China, the Republic of Korea, and India, 1950-2000: Lessons from Contrasting Experiences. Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Das Gupta, Monica; Lee, Sunhwa; Uberoi, Patricia; Wang, Danning; Wang, Lihong; Zhang, Xiaodan

This paper compares the influence of state policies on gender roles and women's empowerment in China, India, and South Korea. In 1950, these newly formed states were largely poor and agrarian, with common cultural factors that placed similar severe constraints on women's autonomy. The three countries followed very different paths of development,…

Civic Knowledge and Engagement at Age 14 in 28 Countries: Results from the IEA Civic Education Study. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torney-Purta, Judith; Amadeo, Jo-Ann; Lehmann, Rainer

What do 14-year-old students know about democratic institutions and processes? What skills do they possess to understand and interpret political communication? Do they hold concepts of citizenship and democracy similar to those held by adults in their societies? What role do schools and other civic organizations play in the civic development of…

Comparison of Fertility Trends Estimated Alternatively from Birth Histories and Own Children. Papers of the East-West Population Institute, No. 94.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Retherford, Robert D.; Alam, Iqbal

Fertility trends estimated alternately from birth histories and own children method are compared for eight developing countries in which the World Fertility Survey was conducted. Principle hypotheses are that fertility trends estimated by the two approaches suffer from similar errors in the reporting of women's and children's ages, and that these…

Using Ripple Effect Mapping to Evaluate Program Impact: Choosing or Combining the Methods That Work Best for You

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emery, Mary; Higgins, Lorie; Chazdon, Scott; Hansen, Debra

2015-01-01

A mind mapping approach to evaluation called Ripple Effects Mapping (REM) has been developed and used by a number of Extension faculty across the country recently. This article describes three approaches to REM, as well as key differences and similarities. The authors, each from different land-grant institutions, believe REM is an effective way to…

Curriculum Changes and Their Implications for the Development of Citizenship: A Comparative Study of the Primary Social Education Curricula in Hong Kong and Shanghai

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lo, Joe Tin-yau

2012-01-01

This article aims to unveil the illusions embedded in the simple dichotomy of differences and similarities and of divergence and convergence between Hong Kong and Shanghai under the principle of "One Country, Two Systems" through analyzing their respective social education curricula at the primary level. It will shed light on the…

A systematic review of global cultural variations in knowledge, attitudes and health responses to tuberculosis stigma.

PubMed

Chang, S-H; Cataldo, J K

2014-02-01

Tuberculosis (TB) related stigma is associated with lack of treatment adherence. Individual perceptions of stigma differ by societal context. Limited data are available on variations of TB stigma worldwide. To describe the influence of TB stigma on knowledge, attitudes and responses to TB and to identify similarities and differences across countries. Systematic review of international descriptive studies. A total of 1268 studies were identified from PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane, PsycINFO and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature database searches. Eighty-three studies from 35 countries met the inclusion criteria for English, peer-reviewed, original and non-interventional studies. Variation and similarities in the influence of TB stigma on knowledge, attitudes and responses to TB across countries were identified. Stigma antecedents included negative attitudes and misperceptions regarding the causes of TB and the association with the human immunodeficiency virus. Decisions about illness disclosure and choices between traditional healers and public or private providers were influenced by TB stigma. Sex-influenced perceptions and management of TB and public health responses contributed to TB stigma. Our findings confirm cultural variations with respect to TB and the potential for stigma. Cultural variations should be considered in the development of interventions aimed at reducing stigma and improving treatment adherence.

Patients' attitudes towards privacy in a Nepalese public hospital: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Moore, Malcolm; Chaudhary, Ritesh

2013-01-29

Many people in western countries assume that privacy and confidentiality are features of most medical consultations. However, in many developing countries consultations take place in a public setting where privacy is extremely limited. This is often said to be culturally acceptable but there is little research to determine if this is true. This research sought to determine the attitudes of patients in eastern Nepal towards privacy in consultations. A structured survey was administered to a sample of patients attending an outpatients department in eastern Nepal. It asked patients about their attitudes towards physical privacy and confidentiality of information. The majority of patients (58%) stated that they were not comfortable having other patients in the same room. A similar percentage (53%) did not want other patients to know their medical information but more patients were happy for nurses and other health staff to know (81%). Females and younger patients were more concerned to have privacy. The results challenge the conventional beliefs about patients' privacy concerns in Nepal. They suggest that consideration should be given to re-organising existing outpatient facilities and planning future facilities to enable more privacy. The study has implications for other countries where similar conditions prevail. There is a need for more comprehensive research exploring this issue.

Quest for harmonisation: differences and similarities in national programmes for GLP monitoring. A senior inspector's viewpoint.

PubMed

Helder, Theo

2008-01-01

The conditions under which safety data may be accepted by regulatory authorities (RAs) in OECD Countries do not only include the obligation to apply the principles of good laboratory practice (GLP) while producing these data, but also must countries, partaking in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) system for mutual acceptance of data (MAD), establish a monitoring programme to ensure proper application of the GLP principles. Detailed guidance to this end is given in the OECD GLP documents No. 2 and 3. Nevertheless, this guidance permits countries quite some freedom where it concerns the organisation of their programmes. Monitoring programmes may be embedded in governmental as well as private structures. It appears that GLP compliance monitoring is increasingly charged to accreditation bodies. Inspectors may be full-time or part-time workers, and there are differences in scheduling and performing inspections and study audits. Also the financing of the monitoring programmes is diverging: in some countries the programme is fully or partly paid by the inspected test facilities (TFs), while in other countries the financing comes from the national treasury. Is there a need for harmonisation in this area, as there is and was in the interpretation of the GLP principles themselves? Over the years more than ten consensus and advisory documents have been published by the OECD working group on GLP. The very existence of these documents is however no guarantee that the interpretation of the GLP principles by inspectors is similar, let alone identical. The most important criterion is, in fact, that there be no harm for human health and the environment.

Population and labour force growth and patterns in ASEAN countries.

PubMed

Saw, S

1988-01-01

"The paper shows that the diverse labor dimensions prevailing in the ASEAN region can be attributed to changes in the structure of the society and economy in the course of recent economic development. It observes the considerable variety in the growth of the population and its effect on the labor force in the ASEAN region.... The paper details the similarity and diversity in the level and type of labor force participation rates. A common feature shared by ASEAN countries is a general pattern in the age-specific participation rate of men. In contrast, the women, aside from participating in the labor force at a much lower level than men at almost all ages, display diverse patterns of participation over the working age range. Lastly, the distribution of the labor force according to major industrial sectors in the six ASEAN countries is presented...." excerpt

An empirical model for global earthquake fatality estimation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jaiswal, Kishor; Wald, David

2010-01-01

We analyzed mortality rates of earthquakes worldwide and developed a country/region-specific empirical model for earthquake fatality estimation within the U.S. Geological Survey's Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) system. The earthquake fatality rate is defined as total killed divided by total population exposed at specific shaking intensity level. The total fatalities for a given earthquake are estimated by multiplying the number of people exposed at each shaking intensity level by the fatality rates for that level and then summing them at all relevant shaking intensities. The fatality rate is expressed in terms of a two-parameter lognormal cumulative distribution function of shaking intensity. The parameters are obtained for each country or a region by minimizing the residual error in hindcasting the total shaking-related deaths from earthquakes recorded between 1973 and 2007. A new global regionalization scheme is used to combine the fatality data across different countries with similar vulnerability traits.

Cancer registries in four provinces in Turkey: a case study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The burden of cancer affects all countries; while high-income countries have the capacity and resources to establish comprehensive cancer control programs, low and middle-income countries have limited resources to develop such programs. This paper examines factors associated with the development of cancer registries in four provinces in Turkey. It looks at the progress made by these registries, the challenges they faced, and the lessons learned. Other countries with similar resources can benefit from the lessons identified in this case study. Methods A mix of qualitative case study methods including key informant interviews, document review and questionnaires was used. Results This case study showed that surveillance systems that accurately report current cancer-related data are essential components of a country’s comprehensive cancer control program. At the initial stages, Turkey established one cancer registry with international support, which was used as a model for other registries. The Ministry of Health recognized the value of the registry data and its contribution to the country’s cancer control program and is supporting sustainability of these registries as a result. Conclusions This study demonstrates how Turkey was able to use resources from multiple sources to enhance its population based cancer registry system in four provinces. With renewed international interest in non-communicable diseases and cancer following the 2011 UN high-level meeting on NCDs, low- and middle- income countries can benefit from Turkey’s experience. Other countries can utilize lessons learned from Turkey as they address cancer burden and establish their own registries. PMID:23110989

Nine-point plan to improve care of the injured patient: A case study from Kenya.

PubMed

Bachani, Abdulgafoor M; Botchey, Isaac; Paruk, Fatima; Wako, Daniel; Saidi, Hassan; Aliwa, Bethuel; Kibias, Simon; Hyder, Adnan A

2017-12-01

Injury rates in low- and middle-income countries are among the greatest in the world, with >90% of unintentional injury occurring in low- or middle-income countries. The risk of death from injuries is 6 times more in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. This increased rate of injury is partly due to the lack of availability and access to timely and appropriate medical care for injured individuals. Kenya, like most low- and middle-income countries, has seen a 5-fold increase in injury fatalities throughout the past 4 decades, in large part related to the absence of a coordinated, integrated system of trauma care. We aimed to assess the trauma-care system in Kenya and to develop and implement a plan to improve it. A trauma system profile was performed to understand the landscape for the care of the injured patient in Kenya. This process helped identify key gaps in care ranging from prehospital to hospital-based care. In response to this observation, a 9-point plan to improve trauma care in Kenya was developed and implemented in close collaboration with local stakeholders. The 9-point plan was centered on engagement of the stakeholders, generation of key data to guide and improve services, capacity development for prehospital and hospital care, and strengthening policy and legislation. There is an urgent need for coordinated strategies to provide appropriate and timely medical care to injured individuals in low- or middle-income countries to decrease the burden of injuries and related fatalities. Our work in Kenya shows that such an integrated system of trauma care could be achieved through a step-by-step integrated and multifaceted approach that emphasizes engagement of local stakeholders and evidence-based approaches to ensure effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of system-wide improvements. This plan and lessons learned in its development and implementation could be adaptable to other similar settings to improve the care of the injured patient in low- or middle-income countries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transformation of environmental conditions in large former Soviet countries: regional analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bityukova, V. R.; Borovikov, M. S.

2018-01-01

The article studies changes in the structure of environmental conditions of regions in the large former Soviet countries (case study of Russia and Kazakhstan) that have formed considerable contrasts in the placement of industrial complex and population settlement during the previous development stages. The changes related to the transition to market economy have led to essential transformation of environmental conditions. A complex index allowing to assess changes at the regional level in Kazakhstan and Russia and to reveal main similarities and differences between those changes is applied to studying the transformation of regional and industry structure. The article examines both industry-specific and spatial patterns forming environmental conditions at the regional level.

Global health and development: conceptualizing health between economic growth and environmental sustainability.

PubMed

Borowy, Iris

2013-07-01

After World War II, health was firmly integrated into the discourse about national development. Transition theories portrayed health improvements as part of an overall development pattern based on economic growth as modeled by the recent history of industrialization in high-income countries. In the 1970s, an increasing awareness of the environmental degradation caused by industrialization challenged the conventional model of development. Gradually, it became clear that health improvements depended on poverty-reduction strategies including industrialization. Industrialization, in turn, risked aggravating environmental degradation with its negative effects on public health. Thus, public health in low-income countries threatened to suffer from lack of economic development as well as from the results of global economic development. Similarly, demands of developing countries risked being trapped between calls for global wealth redistribution, a political impossibility, and calls for unrestricted material development, which, in a world of finite land, water, air, energy, and resources, increasingly looked like a physical impossibility, too. Various international bodies, including the WHO, the Brundtland Commission, and the World Bank, tried to capture the problem and solution strategies in development theories. Broadly conceived, two models have emerged: a "localist model," which analyzes national health data and advocates growth policies with a strong focus on poverty reduction, and a "globalist" model, based on global health data, which calls for growth optimization, rather than maximization. Both models have focused on different types of health burdens and have received support from different institutions. In a nutshell, the health discourse epitomized a larger controversy regarding competing visions of development.

Risk factors for early myocardial infarction in South Asians compared with individuals in other countries.

PubMed

Joshi, Prashant; Islam, Shofiqul; Pais, Prem; Reddy, Srinath; Dorairaj, Prabhakaran; Kazmi, Khawar; Pandey, Mrigendra Raj; Haque, Sirajul; Mendis, Shanthi; Rangarajan, Sumathy; Yusuf, Salim

2007-01-17

South Asians have high rates of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) at younger ages compared with individuals from other countries but the reasons for this are unclear. To evaluate the association of risk factors for AMI in native South Asians, especially at younger ages, compared with individuals from other countries. Standardized case-control study of 1732 cases with first AMI and 2204 controls matched by age and sex from 15 medical centers in 5 South Asian countries and 10,728 cases and 12,431 controls from other countries. Individuals were recruited to the study between February 1999 and March 2003. Association of risk factors for AMI. The mean (SD) age for first AMI was lower in South Asian countries (53.0 [11.4] years) than in other countries (58.8 [12.2] years; P<.001). Protective factors were lower in South Asian controls than in controls from other countries (moderate- or high-intensity exercise, 6.1% vs 21.6%; daily intake of fruits and vegetables, 26.5% vs 45.2%; alcohol consumption > or =once/wk, 10.7% vs 26.9%). However, some harmful factors were more common in native South Asians than in individuals from other countries (elevated apolipoprotein B(100) /apolipoprotein A-I ratio, 43.8% vs 31.8%; history of diabetes, 9.5% vs 7.2%). Similar relative associations were found in South Asians compared with individuals from other countries for the risk factors of current and former smoking, apolipoprotein B100/apolipoprotein A-I ratio for the top vs lowest tertile, waist-to-hip ratio for the top vs lowest tertile, history of hypertension, history of diabetes, psychosocial factors such as depression and stress at work or home, regular moderate- or high-intensity exercise, and daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Alcohol consumption was not found to be a risk factor for AMI in South Asians. The combined odds ratio for all 9 risk factors was similar in South Asians (123.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 38.7-400.2] and in individuals from other countries (125.7; 95% CI, 88.5-178.4). The similarities in the odds ratios for the risk factors explained a high and similar degree of population attributable risk in both groups (85.8% [95% CI, 78.0%-93.7%] vs 88.2% [95% CI, 86.3%-89.9%], respectively). When stratified by age, South Asians had more risk factors at ages younger than 60 years. After adjusting for all 9 risk factors, the predictive probability of classifying an AMI case as being younger than 40 years was similar in individuals from South Asian countries and those from other countries. The earlier age of AMI in South Asians can be largely explained by higher risk factor levels at younger ages.

Capacity Building through Operational Research Training in Tobacco Control: Experiences and Lesson Learned.

PubMed

Goel, Sonu; V Kumar, Ajay M; Aggarwal, Arun Kumar; Singh, Rana J; Lal, Pranay; Kumar, Ravinder; Gupta, Madhu; Dogra, Vishal; Gupta, Deepti

2018-01-01

Several competing priorities with health and development sector currently deter research, and as a result of which evidence does not drive policy- or decision-making. There is limited operational research (OR) within the India's National Tobacco Control Programme, as it is in other middle- and low-income countries, primarily due to limited capacity and skills in undertaking OR and lack of dedicated funding. Few models of OR have been developed to meet the needs of different settings; however, they were found to be costly and time-consuming. To elucidate a cost-effective and less resource arduous training model for building capacity in OR focused on tobacco control. This 5½-day partly funded course enrolled 15 participants across the country and nine facilitators. The facilitator-participants interactions were initiated 2 weeks before the course, which enabled them to develop possible research questions and a plan for data analysis. This article presents the new OR model along with experiences of the participants which will provide useful insights on lessons learned for planning similar courses in the future. While we faced several challenges in the process and the outputs were modest, several lessons were learned which will be instrumental in the future courses that we are planning to conduct. This low cost and less time intensive model can be applied in similar settings across range of public health issues.

Establishing space research capability in Ethiopia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosinger, T.; Damtie, B.; Usoskin, I. G.

It is often considered by various sources and institutions around the world that promotion of space physics activities in a developing country like Ethiopia is a waste of time and resources. It has, of course, some sense: developing countries should put all their efforts in improving the standard of life, infrastructure and basic education. However, it is straightforward to realize that nowadays improvement in any of the basic needs of developing countries is related to high technology (e.g. mobile phones, GPS, remote sensing). This means that a developing country has to take care of recruiting specialists among their own people who can take part in the decision making processes which are increasingly of global nature. Moreover, many citizens of developing countries are studying and working abroad attaining high expertise. As a matter of fact, there are more Ethiopians with PhD in physics working abroad than in the country. These people are lost for the benefit of their own country if there is no need for their profession in their home country. There is no doubt that the main task of improving the standard of living cannot be achieved without development and social transformation of the society, which can take place efficiently in a self-adopting and dynamic process. In line with the above argument, we have initiated the establishment of the Washera Space Physics Laboratory (WASPL) at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. It is a collaboration project between Oulu University and Addis Ababa University. The laboratory is expected to start operation of a pulsation magnetometer and photometer in September 2004. Other types of standard geophysical instruments are to be installed in subsequent missions. The project is of mutual interest of both parties. The equatorial ionosphere is still a poorly investigated region of our near Earth's space. In a first pilot investigation the existence and properties of the ionospheric Alfvén resonator (IAR) in the equatorial ionosphere is addressed. WASPL is expected to join worldwide activities in monitoring local and global atmosphereic and ionospheric parameters. There is also a plan to install a neutron monitor to measure galactic and solar cosmic rays. WASPL will be situated at the magnetic equator and at 2500m above seal level, which make it a unique place to carry out space physics experiments. In this paper, we describe WASPL in some more details. Interested scientists may participate with us and/or start similar initiatives.

A Comparative Study of Suicide Rates among 10–19-Year-Olds in 29 OECD Countries

PubMed Central

Roh, Beop-Rae; Jung, Eun Hee; Hong, Hyun Ju

2018-01-01

Objective This study had two main objectives: to compare current suicide rates in OECD countries among 10–19-year-olds and to identify patterns of suicide rates based on age, gender and time. Furthermore we investigated the main dimensions that contributed to the variation in child and adolescent suicide rates across countries. Methods We combined the WHO mortality data and the population data released by OECD to calculate the suicide rates in 29 OECD countries. A self-organizing map (SOM), k-means clustering analysis, and multi-dimensional scaling were used to classify countries based on similarities in suicide rate structure and to identify the important dimensions accounting for differences among groups. Results We identified significant differences in suicide rates depending on age, sex, country, and time period. Late adolescence and male gender were universal risk factors for suicide, and we observed a general trend of declining suicide rates in OECD countries. The SOM analysis yielded eight types of countries. Most countries showed gender gaps in suicide rates of similar magnitudes; however, there were outliers in which the gender gap was particularly large or small. Conclusion Significant variation exists with respect to suicide rates and their associated gender gaps in OECD countries. PMID:29486551

Challenges in economic evaluation of new drugs: experience with rituximab in Hungary.

PubMed

Brodszky, Valentin; Orlewska, Ewa; Pentek, Martha; Karpati, Krisztian; Skoupa, Jana; Gulacsi, Laszlo

2010-01-01

Implementation of a new therapy into clinical practice is a complex process. Various countries have different requirements for information but most often focus on economic evaluation, which often plays a stronger role in healthcare decision making than does clinical evidence. To identify all potential challenges in economic evaluation, the case of a new biological drug, rituximab, used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, has been taken as an example. We present methods and results of economic assessment, highlighting the specific issues that should be considered in countries with economic and health care conditions similar to those of Hungary. In principle, economic evaluation requires data on characteristics of target population, disease progression, treatment impact, preferences, resource utilization and unit prices. Treatment effect/relative risk reduction and clinical practice patterns (resource use) may be more generalizable, whereas prices and baseline risk need to be jurisdiction specific. In order to address issues of transferability, investments need to be made in the collection of epidemiological and demographic data, plus data on clinical practice patterns, resource use, costs and health state valuation. In Hungary this problem has been solved through conducting a well designed 255 patient cross-sectional study. The Hungarian example shows that there should be more investment in data collection for those parameters that are thought to differ most from place to place. Owing to the similarities between Central and Eastern Europe countries in health care systems, clinical practice patterns and economic indicators, they may be able to develop partnerships to develop relevant regional databases and registries.

Stem cell tourism and future stem cell tourists: policy and ethical implications.

PubMed

Einsiedel, Edna F; Adamson, Hannah

2012-04-01

Stem cell tourism is a small but growing part of the thriving global medical tourism marketplace. Much stem cell research remains at the experimental stage, with clinical trials still uncommon. However, there are over 700 clinics estimated to be operating in mostly developing countries--from Costa Rica and Argentina to China, India and Russia--that have lured many patients, mostly from industrialized countries, driven by desperation and hope, which in turn continue to fuel the growth of such tourism. While much research has focused on such dimensions as the promotions that allow such businesses to make their services known, media coverage, some patient research, and regulatory conditions for developing country clinics, little attention has been paid to the non-affected members of the general population, the future potential users of such services. This empirical study based on five focus group discussions with a diverse group of healthy adults in a Canadian city, explored participant views of patients who use stem cell tourism services, the likelihood they would avail themselves of such services if they were to suffer similar illnesses, and the conditions under which they might do so, and the impact that admonitions and advice from international expert bodies might have on their decisions. Our findings suggest that these healthy adults are sympathetic to the drivers of hope and desperation, and, despite cautions about research limitations, may seek such treatments themselves under similar conditions. These findings are discussed in the context of the policy and ethical issues raised by this form of medical tourism. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Optimizing the use of breed types in developing country livestock production systems: a neglected research area.

PubMed

Marshall, K

2014-10-01

Developing country livestock production systems are diverse and dynamic, and include those where existing indigenous breeds are currently optimal and likely to remain so, those where non-indigenous breed types are already in common use, and systems that are changing, such as by intensification, where the introduction of new breed types represents significant opportunities. These include opportunities to improve the livelihood of the world's poor, increase food and nutrition security and enhance environmental sustainability. At present, very little research has focused on this issue, such that significant knowledge gaps in relation to breed-change interventions remain. The purpose of this study is to raise awareness of this issue and suggests strategic research areas to begin filling these knowledge gaps. Such strategic research would include (i) assessing the impact of differing breed types in developing country livestock productions systems, from a range of viewpoints including intrahousehold livelihood benefit, food and nutrition security at different scales, and environmental sustainability; (ii) identification of specific livestock production systems within developing countries, and the type of livestock keepers within these system, that are most likely to benefit from new breed types; and (iii) identification of new breed types as candidates for in-situ testing within these systems, such as through the use of spatial analysis to identify similar production environments combined with community acceptance studies. Results of these studies would primarily assist stakeholders in agriculture, including both policy makers and livestock keepers, to make informed decisions on the potential use of new breed types. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Estimating Casualties for Large Earthquakes Worldwide Using an Empirical Approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jaiswal, Kishor; Wald, David J.; Hearne, Mike

2009-01-01

We developed an empirical country- and region-specific earthquake vulnerability model to be used as a candidate for post-earthquake fatality estimation by the U.S. Geological Survey's Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) system. The earthquake fatality rate is based on past fatal earthquakes (earthquakes causing one or more deaths) in individual countries where at least four fatal earthquakes occurred during the catalog period (since 1973). Because only a few dozen countries have experienced four or more fatal earthquakes since 1973, we propose a new global regionalization scheme based on idealization of countries that are expected to have similar susceptibility to future earthquake losses given the existing building stock, its vulnerability, and other socioeconomic characteristics. The fatality estimates obtained using an empirical country- or region-specific model will be used along with other selected engineering risk-based loss models for generation of automated earthquake alerts. These alerts could potentially benefit the rapid-earthquake-response agencies and governments for better response to reduce earthquake fatalities. Fatality estimates are also useful to stimulate earthquake preparedness planning and disaster mitigation. The proposed model has several advantages as compared with other candidate methods, and the country- or region-specific fatality rates can be readily updated when new data become available.

An exploratory study on cultural variations in oral health attitudes, behaviour and values of freshman (first-year) dental students.

PubMed

Kawamura, M; Wright, F A C; Declerck, D; Freire, M C M; Hu, D Y; Honkala, E; Lévy, G; Kalwitzki, M; Polychronopoulou, A; Yip, H K; Kinirons, M J; Eli, I; Petti, S; Komabayashi, T; Kim, K J; Razak, A A A; Srisilapanan, P; Kwan, S Y L

2005-08-01

To identify similarities and differences in oral health attitudes, behaviour and values among freshman dental students. Cross-cultural survey of dental students. 18 cultural areas. 904 first-year dental students completed the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) translated into their own languages. Individual areas were clustered by similarity in responses to the questions. The first group displayed an 'occidental-culture orientation' with the exception of Brazil (Cluster 1 comprised: Australia, United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and Brazil, Cluster 2: Germany, Italy, Finland and France). The second group displayed an 'oriental-cultural orientation' with the exception of Greece and Israel (Cluster 3 comprised: China and Indonesia, and Cluster 4: Japan, Korea, Israel, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and Greece). Australia and United Kingdom were the countries that were most alike. Ireland was the 'neighbour' to these countries. Greece and Malaysia had similar patterns of oral health behaviour although geographic conditions are very different. Although it was considered that in Hong Kong, occidental nations have affected the development of education, it remained in the oriental-culture group. Comparison with the data from the occidentals indicates that a higher percentage of the orientals put off going to the dentist until they have toothache (p < 0.001). Only a small proportion of the occidentals (8%) reported a perception of inevitability in having false teeth, whereas 33% of the orientals held this fatalistic belief (p = 0.001). Grouping the countries into key cultural orientations and international clusters yielded plausible results, using the HU-DBI.

Chinese and Australian Year 3 Children's Conceptual Understanding of Science: A multiple comparative case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Ying; Colette Oliver, Mary; Venville, Grady Jane

2012-04-01

Children have formal science instruction from kindergarten in Australia and from Year 3 in China. The purpose of this research was to explore the impact that different approaches to primary science curricula in China and Australia have on children's conceptual understanding of science. Participants were Year 3 children from three schools of high, medium and low socio-economic status in Hunan Province, central south China (n = 135) and three schools of similar socio-economic status in Western Australia (n = 120). The students' understanding was assessed by a science quiz, developed from past Trends in Mathematics and Science Study science released items for primary children. In-depth interviews were carried out to further explore children's conceptual understanding of living things, the Earth and floating and sinking. The results revealed that Year 3 children from schools of similar socio-economic status in the two countries had similar conceptual understandings of life science, earth science and physical science. Further, in both countries, the higher the socio-economic status of the school, the better the students performed on the science quiz and in interviews. Some idiosyncratic strengths and weaknesses were observed, for example, Chinese Year 3 children showed relative strength in classification of living things, and Australian Year 3 children demonstrated better understanding of floating and sinking, but children in both countries were weak in applying and reasoning with complex concepts in the domain of earth science. The results raise questions about the value of providing a science curriculum in early childhood if it does not make any difference to students' conceptual understanding of science.

Employment relations and global health: a typological study of world labor markets.

PubMed

Chung, Haejoo; Muntaner, Carles; Benach, Joan

2010-01-01

In this study, the authors investigate the global labor market and employment relations, which are central building blocks of the welfare state; the aim is to propose a global typology of labor markets to explain global inequalities in population health. Countries are categorized into core (21), semi-peripheral (42), and peripheral (71) countries, based on gross national product per capita (Atlas method). Labor market-related variables and factors are then used to generate clusters of countries with principal components and cluster analysis methods. The authors then examine the relationship between the resulting clusters and health outcomes. The clusters of countries are largely geographically defined, each cluster with similar historical background and developmental strategy. However, there are interesting exceptions, which warrant further elaboration. The relationship between health outcomes and clusters largely follows the authors' expectations (except for communicable diseases): more egalitarian labor institutions have better health outcomes. The world system, then, can be divided according to different types of labor markets that are predictive of population health outcomes at each level of economic development. As is the case for health and social policies, variability in labor market characteristics is likely to reflect, in part, the relative strength of a country's political actors.

Management strategies for trace organic chemicals in water - A review of international approaches.

PubMed

Bieber, Stefan; Snyder, Shane A; Dagnino, Sonia; Rauch-Williams, Tanja; Drewes, Jörg E

2018-03-01

To ensure an appropriate management of potential health risks and uncertainties from the release of trace organic chemicals (TOrCs) into the aqueous environment, many countries have evaluated and implemented strategies to manage TOrCs. The aim of this study was to evaluate existing management strategies for TOrCs in different countries to derive and compare underlying core principles and paradigms and to develop suggestions for more holistic management strategies to protect the environment and drinking water supplies from the discharge of undesired TOrCs. The strategies in different industrial countries were summarized and subsequently compared with regards to three particular questions: 1) Do the approaches different countries have implemented manage all or only specific portions of the universe of chemicals; 2) What implementation and compliance strategies are used to manage aquatic and human health risk and what are their pros and cons; and 3) How are site-specific watershed differences being addressed? While management strategies of the different countries target similar TOrCs, the programs differ in several important aspects, including underlying principles, the balance between aquatic or human health protection, implementation methods, and financing mechanisms used to fund regulatory programs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of global public health strategy in non-profit organisational change at country level: lessons from the joining of Save the Children and Merlin in Myanmar.

PubMed

Campbell, Fiona M; Balabanova, Dina; Howard, Natasha

2018-01-01

The paper presents a case study that critically assesses the role of global strategy 'Public Health on the Frontline 2014-2015' ('the Strategy') in supporting Merlin and Save the Children's organisational change and future programme of the combined organisation in Myanmar. Research was undertaken in 2014 in Myanmar. Twenty-six individual and three group interviews were conducted with stakeholders, and 10 meetings relevant to the country organisational transition process were observed. A conceptual framework was developed to assess the role of the global strategy in supporting the country change process. Several positive aspects of the global strategy were found, as well as critical shortcomings in its support to the organisational change process at country level. The strategy was useful in signalling Save the Children's intention to scale up humanitarian health provision. However, it had only limited influence on the early change process and outcomes in Myanmar. Results highlight several aspects that would enhance the role of a global strategy at country level. Lessons can be applied by organisations undertaking a similar process. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Backsliding on a key health investment in Latin America and the Caribbean: the case of breastfeeding promotion.

PubMed

Lutter, Chessa K; Chaparro, Camila M; Grummer-Strawn, Laurence; Victora, Cesar G

2011-11-01

We examined trends in breastfeeding promotion investments, breastfeeding promotion activities, and breastfeeding duration in Latin America and the Caribbean from the 1980s to the 2000s. We obtained financial data from the United States Agency for International Development and the International Code Documentation Center, and we obtained breastfeeding promotion data from surveys of breastfeeding coordinators with ministries of health and with the International Baby Food Action Network. We obtained breastfeeding data from nationally representative surveys conducted between 1986 and 2008. Investment in breastfeeding promotion declined in the 2000s relative to earlier years. For all countries, breastfeeding duration increased between the first and last survey. Of the 12 countries represented in the interval when investment in breastfeeding promotion was high, breastfeeding duration decreased in 1 country. Of the 12 countries represented in the interval when investment was low, breastfeeding duration decreased in 3 countries. Nonetheless, the average annual change in breastfeeding duration for the 2 intervals was positive and similar (0.16 months and 0.21 months). Breastfeeding promotion likely resulted in large improvements in breastfeeding. Investments in breastfeeding promotion have declined, but this does not appear to have adversely affected breastfeeding duration.

Setting priorities for teaching and learning: an innovative needs assessment for a new family medicine program in Lao PDR.

PubMed

Kanashiro, Jeanie; Hollaar, Gwen; Wright, Bruce; Nammavongmixay, Khamphong; Roff, Sue

2007-03-01

Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) is a small, tropical, landlocked country in southeast Asia. It is one of the least developed countries in the region, and its socioeconomic indicators are among the lowest 25% in the world. The World Health Organization has long called for increased equity in primary health care access around the world. To meet this need in Lao PDR, the Family Medicine Specialist Program was developed, a Lao-generated postgraduate training program designed to produce community-oriented primary care practitioners to serve the rural, remote areas of Lao PDR, where 80% of the population lives. An innovative method of needs assessment was required to determine the health care priorities to be met by this new program. Through the use of a modified Delphi technique, local key leaders in medical education, clinical specialists, and teachers were consulted to develop prioritized objectives for the hospital-based curriculum of the program. By setting priorities for teaching and learning in the unique and needy circumstances of Lao PDR, a novel approach to curriculum planning in a low-income country was explored and ultimately formed the foundation of the new curriculum. This process served to direct the allocation of scarce resources during implementation of this groundbreaking program. More importantly, this model of needs assessment could potentially be used to customize medical curricula in other low-income countries facing challenges similar to those in Lao PDR.

The development, evolution, and modifications of ICD-10: challenges to the international comparability of morbidity data.

PubMed

Jetté, Nathalie; Quan, Hude; Hemmelgarn, Brenda; Drosler, Saskia; Maass, Christina; Moskal, Lori; Paoin, Wansa; Sundararajan, Vijaya; Gao, Song; Jakob, Robert; Ustün, Bedihran; Ghali, William A

2010-12-01

The United States is about to make a major nationwide transition from ICD-9-CM coding of hospital discharges to ICD-10-CM, a country-specific modification of the World Health Organization's ICD-10. As this transition occurs, the WHO is already in the midst of developing ICD-11. Given this context, we undertook this review to discuss: (1) the history of the International Classification of Diseases (a core information "building block" for health systems everywhere) from its introduction to the current era of ICD-11 development; (2) differences across country-specific ICD-10 clinical modifications and the challenges that these differences pose to the international comparability of morbidity data; (3) potential strategic approaches to achieving better international ICD-11 comparability. A literature review and stakeholder consultation was carried out. The various ICD-10 clinical modifications (ICD-10-AM [Australia], ICD-10-CA [Canada], ICD-10-GM [Germany], ICD-10-TM [Thailand], ICD-10-CM [United States]) were compared. These ICD-10 modifications differ in their number of codes, chapters, and subcategories. Specific conditions are present in some but not all of the modifications. ICD-11, with a similar structure to ICD-10, will function in an electronic health records environment and also provide disease descriptive characteristics (eg, causal properties, functional impact, and treatment). The threat to the comparability of international clinical morbidity is growing with the development of many country-specific ICD-10 versions. One solution to this threat is to develop a meta-database including all country-specific modifications to ensure more efficient use of people and resources, decrease omissions and errors but most importantly provide a platform for future ICD updates.

Young adults on disability benefits in 7 countries.

PubMed

Kaltenbrunner Bernitz, Brita; Grees, Nadja; Jakobsson Randers, Marie; Gerner, Ulla; Bergendorff, Sisko

2013-11-01

This article, based on a study by the Swedish Social Insurance Inspectorate, describes the development of young adults receiving disability benefits due to reduced working capability, and the disability benefit systems in seven European countries; Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK. This comparative study mainly uses Sweden as a benchmark. Apart from a documentary and legal data collection and analysis, 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives of the responsible ministries and authorities in the studied countries. In addition, national and European data was collected. There is an increasing trend of young adults, aged 19-29, on disability benefits in all studied countries. The most common diagnosis group among young adults on disability benefits is mental and behavioural disorders, ranging from 58% in the UK to 80% in Denmark. The comparison of the different disability benefit systems shows that there are relatively large national differences in terms of rules and regulations, the handling of disability benefit cases, and offered rehabilitation activities and other measures to support young adults on disability benefits to strengthen their working capability, and hence enable them to approach the labour market in the future. However, it is clear that these countries face similar challenges, and therefore there could be a lot to learn from European exchange of experiences and expertise in this area. This article identifies a number of measures of special interest to study and discusses further with regard to the further development of the Swedish system for disability benefits for young adults.

The Mental Health Leadership and Advocacy Program (mhLAP): a pioneering response to the neglect of mental health in Anglophone West Africa

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Developing countries in Africa and other regions share a similar profile of insufficient human resources for mental health, poor funding, a high unmet need for services and a low official prioritisation of mental health. This situation is worsened by misconceptions about the causes of mental disorders, stigma and discrimination that frequently result in harmful practices against persons with mental illness. Previous explorations of the required response to these challenges have identified the need for strong leadership and consistent advocacy as potential drivers of the desired change. The Mental Health Leadership and Advocacy Program (mhLAP) is a project that aims to provide and enhance the acquisition of skills in mental health leadership, service development, advocacy and policy planning and to build partnerships for action. Launched in 2010 to serve the Anglophone countries of The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, this paper describes the components of the program, the experience gained since its initiation, and the achievements made during the three years of its implementation. These achievements include: 1) the annual training in mental health leadership and advocacy which has graduated 96 participants from 9 different African countries and 2) the establishment of a broad coalition of service user groups, non-governmental organizations, media practitioners and mental health professionals in each participating country to implement concerted mental health advocacy efforts that are focused on country-specific priorities PMID:24467884

The Mental Health Leadership and Advocacy Program (mhLAP): a pioneering response to the neglect of mental health in Anglophone West Africa.

PubMed

Abdulmalik, Jibril; Fadahunsi, Woye; Kola, Lola; Nwefoh, Emeka; Minas, Harry; Eaton, Julian; Gureje, Oye

2014-01-27

Developing countries in Africa and other regions share a similar profile of insufficient human resources for mental health, poor funding, a high unmet need for services and a low official prioritisation of mental health. This situation is worsened by misconceptions about the causes of mental disorders, stigma and discrimination that frequently result in harmful practices against persons with mental illness. Previous explorations of the required response to these challenges have identified the need for strong leadership and consistent advocacy as potential drivers of the desired change. The Mental Health Leadership and Advocacy Program (mhLAP) is a project that aims to provide and enhance the acquisition of skills in mental health leadership, service development, advocacy and policy planning and to build partnerships for action. Launched in 2010 to serve the Anglophone countries of The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, this paper describes the components of the program, the experience gained since its initiation, and the achievements made during the three years of its implementation. These achievements include: 1) the annual training in mental health leadership and advocacy which has graduated 96 participants from 9 different African countries and 2) the establishment of a broad coalition of service user groups, non-governmental organizations, media practitioners and mental health professionals in each participating country to implement concerted mental health advocacy efforts that are focused on country-specific priorities.

How the United States exports managed care to developing countries.

PubMed

Waitzkin, H; Iriart, C

2001-01-01

As their expansion slows in the United States, managed care organizations will continue to enter new markets abroad. Investors view the opening of managed care in Latin America as a lucrative business opportunity. As public-sector services and social security funds are cut back, privatized, and reorganized under managed care, with the support of international lending agencies such as the World Bank, the effects of these reforms on access to preventive and curative services will hold great importance throughout the developing world. Many groups in Latin America are working on alternative projects that defend health as a public good, and similar movements have begun in Africa and Asia. Increasingly, this organizing is being recognized not only as part of a class struggle but also as part of a struggle against economic imperialism--which has now taken on the new appearance of rescuing less developed countries from rising health care costs and inefficient bureaucracies through the imposition of neoliberal managed-care solutions exported from the United States.

The pharmaceutical industry's responsibility for protecting human subjects of clinical trials in developing nations.

PubMed

Kelleher, Finnuala

2004-01-01

Pharmaceutical companies increasingly perform clinical trials in developing nations. Governments of host nations see the trials as a way to provide otherwise unaffordable medical care, while trial sponsors are drawn to those countries by lower costs, the prevalence of diseases rare in developed nations, and large numbers of impoverished patients. Local governments, however, fail to police trials, and the FDA does not monitor trials in foreign countries, resulting in the routine violation of international standards for the protection of human subjects. This Note proposes independent accreditation of those institutions involved in clinical trials--the institutional review boards which oversee trial protocol; the organizations, such as pharmaceutical companies, which sponsor the trials; and the research organizations that conduct the trials. Accreditation, similar to that used in the footwear and apparel industries, would increase the transparency of pharmaceutical trials and would enable the United States government and consumers to hold trial sponsors accountable for their actions.

Definitions of healthy eating in Spain as compared to other European Member States.

PubMed

Martínez-González, M A; Holgado, B; Gibney, M; Kearney, J; Martínez, J A

2000-06-01

To assess what healthy eating means for the European population and whether this concept differs between Spain and other European Countries. A Pan-European survey was developed between October 1995 and February 1996 by the Institute of European Food Studies (Dublin). Each subject was asked to describe in his or her own words what he/she understood by 'healthy eating'. Comparisons were made among four groups of European countries (Northern, Central, Spain, and other Mediterranean countries). The survey included participants from the 15 member states of the European Union, selecting quota-controlled samples to make them nationally representative. The questionnaire was completed by 14,331 persons, approximately 1000 from each country. The responses were grouped into 89 broad categories of similar answers concerning nutritional value and afterwards these responses were collapsed to simplify the presentation. The definition of healthy eating such as 'more fiber' and 'less fat' was more prevalent in other States, members of the European Union than in Mediterranean Countries, although the definition of 'balanced diet' was more frequently mentioned in Spain than in the rest of the European Union. Our results show that the concept of 'balance and variety' is more prevalent in Spaniards than in other traditional Mediterranean countries. Differences in the definitions of healthy eating among European countries could be explained, at least partially by differences in consumption patterns and in the nutrition education.

U.S. Social Security at 75 years: an international perspective.

PubMed

Hoskins, Dalmer D

2010-01-01

Is the historical development of the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program unique or similar to the development of social security programs in other industrialized countries? The U.S. Social Security program was adopted some 40 to 50 years after those of most Western European nations. The United States thus had the opportunity to choose from a number of models and clearly chose to follow the classic social insurance path of such countries as Austria, France, and Germany, which in 1935 already had considerable experience administering earnings-related, employer/worker-financed old-age pension programs. Although based on the traditional social insurance model, OASDI evolved in certain unique ways, including the rejection over the course of succeeding decades of any reliance on general revenue financing, the importance attached to long-range (75-year) actuarial projections, and the relative generosity of benefits for survivors and dependents.

Controlling and Autonomy-Supportive Parenting in the United States and China: Beyond Children's Reports.

PubMed

Cheung, Cecilia S; Pomerantz, Eva M; Wang, Meifang; Qu, Yang

2016-11-01

Research comparing the predictive power of parents' control and autonomy support in the United States and China has relied almost exclusively on children's reports. Such reports may lead to inaccurate conclusions if they do not reflect parents' practices to the same extent in the two countries. A total of 394 American and Chinese children (M age  = 13.19 years) and their mothers reported on mothers' controlling and autonomy-supportive parenting in the academic arena; trained observers coded such parenting in the laboratory. Children's reports were associated modestly with mothers' reports and weakly, if at all, with observers' reports in both the United States and China. Parenting predicted children's academic and emotional functioning similarly in the two countries, irrespective of reporter. © 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Fluoride availability from natural resources in The Gambia--implications for oral health care.

PubMed

Jordan, Rainer A; Markovic, Ljubisa; Gaengler, Peter

2008-10-01

Changing food patterns in combination with ineffective oral hygiene measures and insufficient bioavailability of fluoride from drinking water and other sources seem to impair the dental health status in developing countries, especially in the younger population. Therefore, preventive programmes in controlling dental caries progression should be based on local conditions. For mapping the drinking water fluoride content throughout The Gambia, samples of water from rural community wells, public water taps, commercial mineral water, and from the Gambia-River were measured. Additionally, fluoride concentrations of locally extracted table salt and green tea were determined. Showed the need for supplementary fluoride intake, because natural dietary fluoride availability is very low. Age-related recommendations for oral health care and for additional fluoride bioavailability are given, taking into account local socio-economic conditions in the Republic of The Gambia and similar developing countries.

Mortality from bacterial meningitis in children in Kosovo.

PubMed

Namani, Sadie; Milenkovic, Zvonko; Kuchar, Ernest; Koci, Remzie; Mehmeti, Murat

2012-01-01

Bacterial meningitis is a severe infection responsible for high mortality. This prospective study of 277 pediatric bacterial meningitis cases was done to identify factors predicting death in children <16 years of age living and treated in a limited-resources country (Kosovo). Of the 277 children enrolled, 60 patients (22%) developed neurologic complications, and 15 children died (5%). The following variables were strongly correlated with mortality: altered mental status on admission (relative risk [RR] = 29.9), presentation of the initial cerebrospinal fluid as thick pus (RR = 29.9), prehospital seizures (RR = 23.5) and their recurrence >24 hours after admission (RR = 11.5), age <1 month (RR = 19.3), the use of inotropic agents (RR = 11.5), and admission after 5 days' duration of illness (P < .001). The mortality rate in children in Kosovo is similar to those reported from developing countries, and this is most likely due to the unfavorable living conditions.

[Changes in the epidemiology of inflammatory bowel diseases].

PubMed

Lakatos, László; Lakatos, Péter László

2007-02-04

Significant changes have been observed in the epidemiology of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in the last two decades. Traditionally, the incidence of IBD was higher in the developed, industrialized countries, in contrast, nowadays it became more prevalent in the previously low incidence areas. In particular, the incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) is similar to that observed in North America and Western Europe, while the incidence of Crohn's disease (CD) in developing countries is still low, suggesting that the environmental factors may act faster or differently in UC than in CD. In Europe, the North to South gradient disappeared, and also the West to East gradient is diminishing. Smoking and appendectomy may be considered as important environmental factors in both UC and CD, however, with opposite effects. In addition, the use of oral contraceptives is associated to disease susceptibility in both diseases. The role of diet, perinatal events, stress and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the pathogenesis is still controversial.

Population education in the school curriculum: a comparative analysis of the American and Asian models.

PubMed

Okobiah, O S

1981-02-01

The content, strategies, and objectives of population education curriculum materials developed for use in school systems in a developed country (US) and in a developing country (Thailand) were compared. It was assumed that the objectives and strategies of population education developed in a specific country would reflect the way in which population matters were viewed by that country's policy makers and planners. In developed countries, population education is primarily an outgrowth of environmental concerns. In less developed countries population education is pursued mainly because of concerns about rapid population growth. The specific curriculum materials which were analyzed were the Population, Environmental-Ecological Education Project developed by the Missouri State Department of Education and the Population and Family Education Project developed in Bangkok. A conceptual framework for analyzing the content of the materials was developed. The framework included 5 major parameters. These parameters were 1) a description of the human population, 2) basic population concepts and processes, 3) population dynamics, 4) the causes and consequences of population change, and 5) population issues. Content analysis of the materials revealed that the content focus was similar for both of the curriculum materials. 74% of the Asian curricula and 73% of the US curricula focused on population issues and on the causes and consequences of population growth; however, the US materials emphasized environmental consequences and policies while the Asian materials emphasized family planning policies and the effects of population growth on family, community, sociocultural, and personal factors. Marked differences were revealed when the instructional strategies and course objectives of the materials were judged in reference to established educational standards of objectivity. All of the sampled instructional strategies in the US materials were judged as suitable for use in the formal school setting in that they encouraged students to analyze information and to develop their own generalizations. Most of the sampled strategies in the Asian materials were judged to be inappropriate for use in the formal school setting as they sought to indoctrinate students with specific attitudes and norms, e.g., the small family norm. The materials instructed the Asian teachers to manipulate, limit, and mold discussion sessions while the US materials encouraged teachers to develop the analytic skills of their students. The approach adopted in the Asian materials will ultimately defeat the goal of population education which is to prepare students to make informed and rational population related decisions when they reach adulthood.

Similar Students and Different Countries? An Analysis of the Barriers and Drivers for Erasmus Participation in Seven Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beerkens, Maarja; Souto-Otero, Manuel; de Wit, Hans; Huisman, Jeroen

2016-01-01

Increasing participation in the Erasmus study abroad program in Europe is a clear policy goal, and student-reported barriers and drivers are regularly monitored. This article uses student survey data from seven countries to examine the extent to which student-level barriers can explain the considerable cross-country variation in Erasmus…

[Why are there few publications by the Argentine gastroenterology? Considerations on a bibliometric analysis of Argentine publications on gastroenterology].

PubMed

Barreyro, Fernando J; Krabshuis, Justus; Planzer del Campo, Marcela; Bai, Julio C

2009-03-01

The publication of scientific findings is the main way to communicate advances. Our aim was to perform a bibliometric and comparative analysis of the Argentinean gastroenterological research output. We analyzed Argentinean gastroenterological publications selectively retrieved from LILACS (between years 1982-2006) and EMBASE (1996-2007) databases by means of specially constructed filter based on author address and subject headings. The global Argentinean scientific research output is far below that of developed countries and has been affected in direct manner by economic, political and social disturbances in the country. The gastroenterological research output from Argentina represent about 6% of national biomedical research. While 54% belongs to gastroenterology and 46% to hepatology, 65% are based on clinical research and 67% were originally contributions. Only 11% have been published in high impact factor journals. The comparative analysis within countries with health indicators similarities has shown a low biomedical and gastroenterology research output, however, the rate of acceptance at the 18 top gastroenterological journals is acceptable (15%). The contributions of registered specialists were lower for gastroenterologists compared with those from hepatologists (8.7% and 16.4% respectively). The research projects at public hospital funded by the pharmaceutical industry overcome those funded independently. Indeed, it seems that the independent research is being progressively replaced by that supported by the industry due to economic benefits for researchers even when there is a very low participation rate in publications (3%) by Argentinean researchers. We conclude that the Argentinean biomedical and gastroenterological research output is scanty compared with developed countries and countries with comparable health indicators. Our analysis suggests that efforts must be taken to attain objectives directed to develop and improve the Argentinean biomedical and gastroenterological scientific work and publication.

Metal exposures from aluminum cookware: An unrecognized public health risk in developing countries.

PubMed

Weidenhamer, Jeffrey D; Fitzpatrick, Meghann P; Biro, Alison M; Kobunski, Peter A; Hudson, Michael R; Corbin, Rebecca W; Gottesfeld, Perry

2017-02-01

Removing lead from gasoline has resulted in decreases in blood lead levels in most of the world, but blood lead levels remain elevated in low and middle-income countries compared to more developed countries. Several reasons for this difference have been investigated, but few studies have examined the potential contribution from locally-made aluminum cookware. In a previous study of cookware from a single African country, Cameroon, artisanal aluminum cookware that is made from scrap metal released significant quantities of lead. In this study, 42 intact aluminum cookware items from ten developing countries were tested for their potential to release lead and other metals during cooking. Fifteen items released ≥1 microgram of lead per serving (250mL) when tested by boiling with dilute acetic acid for 2h. One pot, from Viet Nam, released 33, 1126 and 1426 micrograms per serving in successive tests. Ten samples released >1 microgram of cadmium per serving, and fifteen items released >1 microgram of arsenic per serving. The mean exposure estimate for aluminum was 125mg per serving, more than six times the World Health Organization's Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake of 20mg/day for a 70kg adult, and 40 of 42 items tested exceeded this level. We conducted preliminary assessments of three potential methods to reduce metal leaching from this cookware. Coating the cookware reduced aluminum exposure per serving by >98%, and similar reductions were seen for other metals as well. Potential exposure to metals by corrosion during cooking may pose a significant and largely unrecognized public health risk which deserves urgent attention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[The European countries confronting cancer: a set of indicators assessing public health status].

PubMed

Borella, Laurent

2008-11-01

We now know that efficient public policies for cancer control need to be global and take into account each and all the factors involved: economics and level of development, style of life and risk factors, access to screening, effectiveness of the care-providing system. A very simple scorecard is proposed, based on publicized public health indicators, which allows a comparison between European countries. We extracted 49 indicators from public databases and literature concerning 22 European countries. We made correlation calculations in order to identify relevant indicators from which a global score was extracted. Using a hierarchical clustering method we were then able to identify subsets of homogeneous countries. A 7 indicator scorecard was drawn up: national gross product, scientific production, smoking rate, breast screening participating rate, all cancer mortality rate (male population), 5 years relative survival for colorectal cancer and life expectancy at birth. A global score shows: 1) the better positioned countries: Switzerland, Sweden, Finland and France; 2) the countries where cancer control is less effective: Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Three subsets of countries with a fairly similar profile were identified: a high level of means and results group; a high level of means but a medium level of results group; and a low level of means and results group. This work emphasizes dramatically heterogeneous situations between countries. A follow-up, using a reduced but regularly updated set of public health indicators, would help induce an active European policy for cancer control.

Epidemiology of prostate cancer in Asian countries.

PubMed

Kimura, Takahiro; Egawa, Shin

2018-06-01

The incidence of prostate cancer has been increasing worldwide in recent years. The GLOBOCAN project showed that prostate cancer was the second most frequently diagnosed cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer mortality among men worldwide in 2012. This trend has been growing even in Asian countries, where the incidence had previously been low. However, the accuracy of data about incidence and mortality as a result of prostate cancer in some Asian countries is limited. The cause of this increasing trend is multifactorial. One possible explanation is changes in lifestyles due to more Westernized diets. The incidence is also statistically biased by the wide implementation of early detection systems and the accuracy of national cancer registration systems, which are still immature in most Asian countries. Mortality rate decreases in Australia, New Zealand and Japan since the 1990s are possibly due to the improvements in treatment and/or early detection efforts employed. However, this rate is increasing in the majority of other Asian countries. Studies of latent and incidental prostate cancer provide less biased information. The prevalence of latent and incidental prostate cancer in contemporary Japan and Korea is similar to those in Western countries, suggesting the influence of lifestyle changes on carcinogenesis. Many studies reported evidence of both congenital and acquired risk factors for carcinogenesis of prostate cancer. Recent changes in the acquired risk factors might be associated with the increasing occurrence of prostate cancer in Asian countries. This trend could continue, especially in developing Asian countries. © 2018 The Japanese Urological Association.

Big two personality and big three mate preferences: similarity attracts, but country-level mate preferences crucially matter.

PubMed

Gebauer, Jochen E; Leary, Mark R; Neberich, Wiebke

2012-12-01

People differ regarding their "Big Three" mate preferences of attractiveness, status, and interpersonal warmth. We explain these differences by linking them to the "Big Two" personality dimensions of agency/competence and communion/warmth. The similarity-attracts hypothesis predicts that people high in agency prefer attractiveness and status in mates, whereas those high in communion prefer warmth. However, these effects may be moderated by agentics' tendency to contrast from ambient culture, and communals' tendency to assimilate to ambient culture. Attending to such agentic-cultural-contrast and communal-cultural-assimilation crucially qualifies the similarity-attracts hypothesis. Data from 187,957 online-daters across 11 countries supported this model for each of the Big Three. For example, agentics-more so than communals-preferred attractiveness, but this similarity-attracts effect virtually vanished in attractiveness-valuing countries. This research may reconcile inconsistencies in the literature while utilizing nonhypothetical and consequential mate preference reports that, for the first time, were directly linked to mate choice.

Risk factors for unplanned pregnancy in women with mental illness living in a developing country.

PubMed

du Toit, Elsa; Jordaan, Esme; Niehaus, Dana; Koen, Liezl; Leppanen, Jukka

2018-06-01

Pregnant women in general are at an increased risk of experiencing symptoms of mental illness, and those living in a developing country are even more vulnerable. Research points towards a causal relationship between unplanned pregnancy and perinatal mental illness and suggests that pregnancy planning can aid in reducing the negative impact of mental illness on a woman, her unborn baby, and the rest of the family. In this quantitative, descriptive study, we investigated both socio-demographic factors and variables relating to mental illness itself that may place women at an increased risk of experiencing unplanned pregnancy. Data was gathered at two maternal mental health clinics in Cape Town by means of semi-structured interviews. Univariate analyses of the data revealed five independent key risk factors for unplanned pregnancy: lower levels of education, unmarried status, belonging to the Colored ethnic population, substance use, and having a history of two or more suicide attempts. Some of these factors overlap with findings of similar studies, but others are unique to the specific population (women with mental illness within a developing country). Screening of women based on these risk predictors may pave the way for early interventions and reduce the incidence of unplanned pregnancy and the negative consequences thereof in the South African population.

Telemedicine utilization to support the management of the burns treatment involving patient pathways in both developed and developing countries: a case study.

PubMed

Syed-Abdul, Shabbir; Scholl, Jeremiah; Chen, Chiehfeng Cliff; Santos, Martinho D P S; Jian, Wen-Shan; Liou, Der-Ming; Li, Yu-Chuan

2012-01-01

This case study reports on the utilization of telemedicine to support the management of the burns treatment in the islands of Sao Tome and Principe by Taipei Medical University-affiliated hospital in Taiwan. The authors share experiences about usage of telemedicine to support treatment of the burn victims in a low-income country that receive reconstructive surgery in a developed country. Throughout the entire care process, telemedicine has been used not only to provide an expert advice from distance but also to help establish and maintain the doctor-patient relationship, to keep patients in contact with their families, and to help educate and consult the medical personal physically present in Sao Tome and Principe. This case study presents the details of how this process has been conducted to date, on what were learned from this process, and on issues that should be considered to improve this process in the future. The authors plan to create instructional videos and post them on YouTube to aid clinical workers providing similar treatment during the acute care and rehabilitation process and also to support eLearning in many situations where it otherwise is not possible to use videoconferencing to establish real-time contact between doctors at the local site and remote specialists.

Export-oriented deforestation in Mato Grosso: harbinger or exception for other tropical forests?

PubMed

DeFries, Ruth; Herold, Martin; Verchot, Louis; Macedo, Marcia N; Shimabukuro, Yosio

2013-06-05

The Brazilian state of Mato Grosso was a global deforestation hotspot in the early 2000s. Deforested land is used predominantly to produce meat for distal consumption either through cattle ranching or soya bean for livestock feed. Deforestation declined dramatically in the latter part of the decade through a combination of market forces, policies, enforcement and improved monitoring. This study assesses how representative the national-level drivers underlying Mato Grosso's export-oriented deforestation are in other tropical forest countries based on agricultural exports, commercial agriculture and urbanization. We also assess how pervasive the governance and technical monitoring capacity that enabled Mato Grosso's decline in deforestation is in other countries. We find that between 41 and 54 per cent of 2000-2005 deforestation in tropical forest countries (other than Brazil) occurred in countries with drivers similar to Brazil. Very few countries had national-level governance and capacity similar to Brazil. Results suggest that the ecological, hydrological and social consequences of land-use change for export-oriented agriculture as discussed in this Theme Issue were applicable in about one-third of all tropical forest countries in 2000-2005. However, the feasibility of replicating Mato Grosso's success with controlling deforestation is more limited. Production landscapes to support distal consumption similar to Mato Grosso are likely to become more prevalent and are unlikely to follow a land-use transition model with increasing forest cover.

Export-oriented deforestation in Mato Grosso: harbinger or exception for other tropical forests?

PubMed Central

DeFries, Ruth; Herold, Martin; Verchot, Louis; Macedo, Marcia N.; Shimabukuro, Yosio

2013-01-01

The Brazilian state of Mato Grosso was a global deforestation hotspot in the early 2000s. Deforested land is used predominantly to produce meat for distal consumption either through cattle ranching or soya bean for livestock feed. Deforestation declined dramatically in the latter part of the decade through a combination of market forces, policies, enforcement and improved monitoring. This study assesses how representative the national-level drivers underlying Mato Grosso's export-oriented deforestation are in other tropical forest countries based on agricultural exports, commercial agriculture and urbanization. We also assess how pervasive the governance and technical monitoring capacity that enabled Mato Grosso's decline in deforestation is in other countries. We find that between 41 and 54 per cent of 2000–2005 deforestation in tropical forest countries (other than Brazil) occurred in countries with drivers similar to Brazil. Very few countries had national-level governance and capacity similar to Brazil. Results suggest that the ecological, hydrological and social consequences of land-use change for export-oriented agriculture as discussed in this Theme Issue were applicable in about one-third of all tropical forest countries in 2000–2005. However, the feasibility of replicating Mato Grosso's success with controlling deforestation is more limited. Production landscapes to support distal consumption similar to Mato Grosso are likely to become more prevalent and are unlikely to follow a land-use transition model with increasing forest cover. PMID:23610176

Rio De Janeiro and Medellin: Similar Challenges, Different Approaches

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

philosophy influenced their respective programs . Examining other countries, such as Argentina or Chile , could help show whether this thesis’s...struggled with public insecurity caused by illegal armed groups. Both have developed new programs to address areas of violence and parts of the... program . In Colombia, the program is called the Medellín Model and originated out of the mayor’s office. This thesis uses a comparative analysis to

Nutrition, Balance and Fear of Falling as Predictors of Risk for Falls among Filipino Elderly in Nursing Homes: A Structural Equation Model (SEM)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Guzman, Allan B.; Ines, Joanna Louise C.; Inofinada, Nina Josefa A.; Ituralde, Nielson Louie J.; Janolo, John Robert E.; Jerezo, Jnyv L.; Jhun, Hyae Suk J.

2013-01-01

While a number of empirical studies have been conducted regarding risk for falls among the elderly, there is still a paucity of similar studies in a developing country like the Philippines. This study purports to test through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) a model that shows the interaction between and among nutrition, balance, fear of…

Typology of State Types: Persistence and Transition

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-28

is the lack of positive transition among the weakest states. Our findings are derived from a minimalist construct of a refined time series dataset...states based on a „ minimalist ‟ construct of the Country Indicators for Foreign Policy (CIFP) fragile states project and its core structural...begin with the rationale for developing a minimalist construct of a state typology model (STM), similar to the approach taken by Gravingholt, Ziaja

Co-benefits of addressing climate change can motivate action around the world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bain, Paul G.; Milfont, Taciano L.; Kashima, Yoshihisa; Bilewicz, Michał; Doron, Guy; Garðarsdóttir, Ragna B.; Gouveia, Valdiney V.; Guan, Yanjun; Johansson, Lars-Olof; Pasquali, Carlota; Corral-Verdugo, Victor; Aragones, Juan Ignacio; Utsugi, Akira; Demarque, Christophe; Otto, Siegmar; Park, Joonha; Soland, Martin; Steg, Linda; González, Roberto; Lebedeva, Nadezhda; Madsen, Ole Jacob; Wagner, Claire; Akotia, Charity S.; Kurz, Tim; Saiz, José L.; Schultz, P. Wesley; Einarsdóttir, Gró; Saviolidis, Nina M.

2016-02-01

Personal and political action on climate change is traditionally thought to be motivated by people accepting its reality and importance. However, convincing the public that climate change is real faces powerful ideological obstacles, and climate change is slipping in public importance in many countries. Here we investigate a different approach, identifying whether potential co-benefits of addressing climate change could motivate pro-environmental behaviour around the world for both those convinced and unconvinced that climate change is real. We describe an integrated framework for assessing beliefs about co-benefits, distinguishing social conditions (for example, economic development, reduced pollution or disease) and community character (for example, benevolence, competence). Data from all inhabited continents (24 countries; 6,196 participants) showed that two co-benefit types, Development (economic and scientific advancement) and Benevolence (a more moral and caring community), motivated public, private and financial actions to address climate change to a similar degree as believing climate change is important. Critically, relationships were similar for both convinced and unconvinced participants, showing that co-benefits can motivate action across ideological divides. These relationships were also independent of perceived climate change importance, and could not be explained by political ideology, age, or gender. Communicating co-benefits could motivate action on climate change where traditional approaches have stalled.

How to deal with burden of critical illness: A comparison of strategies in different areas of China.

PubMed

Liu, Pengcheng; Jiang, Liwen; Li, Chengyue; Sun, Mei; Rieger, Alexander; Hao, Mo

2014-05-01

This article aims to introduce, compare and analyze the design and development of Critical Illness Insurance systems in different parts of China under different social and economic conditions, to explain their characteristics and similarities. It may provide references to other countries, especially developing countries, to solve the problem of high medical costs. According to the methods in Comparative Economics, 3 areas (Taicang in Jiangsu, Zhanjiang in Guangdong, Xunyi in Shanxi) which are in high, medium and low socio-economic condition respectively were chosen in China. Their critical illness insurance systems were analyzed in the study. Each system shares several common points, including coordinating urban and rural medical insurance fund, financing from the basic medical insurance surplus, and exploring payment reform and so on. But in the way of management, Taicang and Zhanjiang cooperate with commercial insurance agencies, but Xunyi chooses autonomous management by government. In Xunyi, multi-channel financing is relatively more dispersed, while funds of Taicang and Zhanjiang are mainly from the basic medical insurance surplus. The specific method of payment is different among these three areas. Because of the differences in economic development, population structure, and sources of funds, each area took their own mode on health policy orientation, financing, payment, coverage, and fund management to design their Critical Illness Insurance systems. This might provide references to other areas in China and other developing countries in the world.

Academic detailing.

PubMed

Shankar, P R; Jha, N; Piryani, R M; Bajracharya, O; Shrestha, R; Thapa, H S

2010-01-01

There are a number of sources available to prescribers to stay up to date about medicines. Prescribers in rural areas in developing countries however, may not able to access some of them. Interventions to improve prescribing can be educational, managerial, and regulatory or use a mix of strategies. Detailing by the pharmaceutical industry is widespread. Academic detailing (AD) has been classically seen as a form of continuing medical education in which a trained health professional such as a physician or pharmacist visits physicians in their offices to provide evidence-based information. Face-to-face sessions, preferably on an individual basis, clear educational and behavioural objectives, establishing credibility with respect to objectivity, stimulating physician interaction, use of concise graphic educational materials, highlighting key messages, and when possible, providing positive reinforcement of improved practices in follow-up visits can increase success of AD initiatives. AD is common in developed countries and certain examples have been cited in this review. In developing countries the authors have come across reports of AD in Pakistan, Sudan, Argentina and Uruguay, Bihar state in India, Zambia, Cuba, Indonesia and Mexico. AD had a consistent, small but potentially significant impact on prescribing practices. AD has much less resources at its command compared to the efforts by the industry. Steps have to be taken to formally start AD in Nepal and there may be specific hindering factors similar to those in other developing nations.

Cross-cultural validity of the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH) scale: examination across six nations.

PubMed

Vogel, David L; Armstrong, Patrick Ian; Tsai, Pei-Chun; Wade, Nathaniel G; Hammer, Joseph H; Efstathiou, Georgios; Holtham, Elizabeth; Kouvaraki, Elli; Liao, Hsin-Ya; Shechtman, Zipora; Topkaya, Nursel

2013-04-01

Researchers have found that the stigma associated with seeking therapy--particularly self-stigma--can inhibit the use of psychological services. Yet, most of the research on self-stigma has been conducted in the United States. This is a considerable limitation, as the role of self-stigma in the help-seeking process may vary across cultural groups. However, to examine cross-cultural variations, researchers must first develop culturally valid scales. Therefore, this study examined scale validity and reliability of the widely used Self-Stigma of Seeking Help scale (SSOSH; Vogel, Wade, & Haake, 2006) across samples from 6 different countries (England, Greece, Israel, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United States). Specifically, we used a confirmatory factor analysis framework to conduct measurement invariance analysis and latent mean comparisons of the SSOSH across the 6 sampled countries. Overall, the results suggested that the SSOSH has a similar univariate structure across countries and is sufficiently invariant across countries to be used to explore cultural differences in the way that self-stigma relates to help-seeking behavior.

Local magnitude scale for earthquakes in Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kılıç, T.; Ottemöller, L.; Havskov, J.; Yanık, K.; Kılıçarslan, Ö.; Alver, F.; Özyazıcıoğlu, M.

2017-01-01

Based on the earthquake event data accumulated by the Turkish National Seismic Network between 2007 and 2013, the local magnitude (Richter, Ml) scale is calibrated for Turkey and the close neighborhood. A total of 137 earthquakes (Mw > 3.5) are used for the Ml inversion for the whole country. Three Ml scales, whole country, East, and West Turkey, are developed, and the scales also include the station correction terms. Since the scales for the two parts of the country are very similar, it is concluded that a single Ml scale is suitable for the whole country. Available data indicate the new scale to suffer from saturation beyond magnitude 6.5. For this data set, the horizontal amplitudes are on average larger than vertical amplitudes by a factor of 1.8. The recommendation made is to measure Ml amplitudes on the vertical channels and then add the logarithm scale factor to have a measure of maximum amplitude on the horizontal. The new Ml is compared to Mw from EMSC, and there is almost a 1:1 relationship, indicating that the new scale gives reliable magnitudes for Turkey.

Evolution, opportunity and challenges of transboundary water and energy problems in Central Asia.

PubMed

Guo, Lidan; Zhou, Haiwei; Xia, Ziqiang; Huang, Feng

2016-01-01

Central Asia is one of the regions that suffer the most prominent transboundary water and energy problems in the world. Effective transboundary water-energy resource management and cooperation are closely related with socioeconomic development and stability in the entire Central Asia. Similar to Central Asia, Northwest China has an arid climate and is experiencing a water shortage. It is now facing imbalanced supply-demand relations of water and energy resources. These issues in Northwest China and Central Asia pose severe challenges in the implementation of the Silk Road Economic Belt strategy. Based on the analysis of water and energy distribution characteristics in Central Asia as well as demand characteristics of different countries, the complexity of local transboundary water problems was explored by reviewing corresponding historical problems of involved countries, correlated energy issues, and the evolution of inter-country water-energy cooperation. With references to experiences and lessons of five countries, contradictions, opportunities, challenges and strategies for transboundary water-energy cooperation between China and Central Asia were discussed under the promotion of the Silk Road Economic Belt construction based on current cooperation conditions.

Heatwave Early Warning Systems and Adaptation Advice to Reduce Human Health Consequences of Heatwaves

PubMed Central

Lowe, Dianne; Ebi, Kristie L.; Forsberg, Bertil

2011-01-01

Introduction: With climate change, there has been an increase in the frequency, intensity and duration of heatwave events. In response to the devastating mortality and morbidity of recent heatwave events, many countries have introduced heatwave early warning systems (HEWS). HEWS are designed to reduce the avoidable human health consequences of heatwaves through timely notification of prevention measures to vulnerable populations. Objective: To identify the key characteristics of HEWS in European countries to help inform modification of current, and development of, new systems and plans. Methods: We searched the internet to identify HEWS policy or government documents for 33 European countries and requested information from relevant organizations. We translated the HEWS documents and extracted details on the trigger indicators, thresholds for action, notification strategies, message intermediaries, communication and dissemination strategies, prevention strategies recommended and specified target audiences. Findings and Conclusions: Twelve European countries have HEWS. Although there are many similarities among the HEWS, there also are differences in key characteristics that could inform improvements in heatwave early warning plans. PMID:22408593

Training doctors for primary care in China: Transformation of general practice education.

PubMed

Li, Donald

2016-01-01

China is known for developing a cadre of "Barefoot Doctors" to address her rural healthcare needs in past. The tradition of barefoot doctors has inspired similar developments in several other countries across world. Recently China has embarked upon an ambitious new mission to create a primary care workforce consisting of trained general practitioners having international standard skillsets. This editorial provides an insight into the current status of policy deliberations with regards to training of primary care doctors and a new surge in general practice education in China.

Current Reform in Higher Education in Bahrain.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saif, Philip S.

Higher education in Bahrain and background information on this Arab Gulf country are considered. Bahrain, similar to other Gulf States, depended heavily on expatriates as teachers, most of whom were from Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon. Bahraini students have pursued college studies in other countries. Higher education in the country started as separate…

Why Are Some Low-Income Countries Better at Providing Secondary Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Binder, Melissa

2009-01-01

Despite the tremendous expansion in education access worldwide, countries differ dramatically both in primary and secondary enrollment rates and in student achievement. Although per capita income explains a great deal of the difference, schooling outcomes vary sharply even among countries at similar income levels. This study asks whether…

Disaster risk reduction in developing countries: costs, benefits and institutions.

PubMed

Kenny, Charles

2012-10-01

Some 60,000 people worldwide die annually in natural disasters, mostly due to the collapse of buildings in earthquakes, and primarily in the developing world. This is despite the fact that engineering solutions exist that can eliminate almost completely the risk of such deaths. Why is this? The solutions are expensive and technically demanding, so their cost-benefit ratio often is unfavourable as compared to other interventions. Nonetheless, there are various public disaster risk reduction interventions that are highly cost-effective. That such interventions frequently remain unimplemented or ineffectively executed points to a role for issues of political economy. Building regulations in developing countries appear to have limited impact in many cases, perhaps because of inadequate capacity and corruption. Public construction often is of low quality, perhaps for similar reasons. This suggests the need for approaches that emphasise simple and limited disaster risk regulation covering only the most at-risk structures-and that, preferably, non-experts can monitor-as well as numerous transparency and oversight mechanisms for public construction projects. © 2012 The Author(s). Journal compilation © Overseas Development Institute, 2012.

Biosimilars in psoriasis: Clinical practice and regulatory perspectives in Latin America.

PubMed

de la Cruz, Claudia; de Carvalho, André V E; Dorantes, Gladys L; Londoño Garcia, Angela M; Gonzalez, Cesar; Maskin, Matías; Podoswa, Nancy; Redfern, Jan S; Valenzuela, Fernando; van der Walt, Joelle; Romiti, Ricardo

2017-01-01

Latin American countries view biosimilar agents as an effective approach to curtail health-care expenditures while maintaining the safety and efficacy profile of their branded innovator comparators. To understand the complexities of the regulatory landscape and key therapeutic issues for use of biosimilars to treat moderate to severe psoriasis in Latin America, the International Psoriasis Council convened dermatology experts from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Mexico in October 2015 to review the definition, approval, marketing and future of biosimilars in each country and develop a consensus statement. The regulatory framework for marketing approval of biosimilars in Latin America is currently a mosaic of disparate, country-specific, regulatory review processes, rules and standards, with considerable heterogeneity in clarity and specificity. Regulations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico have undergone multiple refinements whereas Colombia is finalizing draft guidelines. Verification of the similarity in quality, safety and efficacy of biosimilars to the innovator biologic remains a key challenge for policy makers and regulatory authorities. Other key regulatory challenges include: naming of agents and traceability, pharmacovigilance, extrapolation of indications, and interchangeability and substitution. An urgent need exists for more Latin American countries to establish national psoriasis registries and to integrate their common components into a multinational psoriasis network, thereby enhancing their interpretative power and impact. A Latin American psoriasis network similar to PSONET in Europe would assist health-care providers, pharmaceutical companies, regulators and patients to fully comprehend specific products being prescribed and dispensed and to identify potential regional trends or differences in safety or outcomes. © 2016 Japanese Dermatological Association.

Contribution of plants and traditional medicines to the disparities and similarities in acute poisoning incidents in Botswana, South Africa and Uganda.

PubMed

Malangu, N

2014-01-01

Acute poisoning incidents are one of the leading causes of morbidity and hospitalization in several countries. The purpose of this analysis was to compare the patterns of acute poisoning in three countries namely, Botswana, South Africa and Uganda; and examine the similarities and disparities in the patterns of occurrence of acute poisoning based on the sociodemographic factors of the victims, the toxic agents involved, the circumstances surrounding the incidents and their outcomes. This paper is based on the re-analysis of data that were collected from January to June 2005 by some Master of Public Health students using a similar data collection tool. A single dataset made of the original individual datasheets was constituted and analysed. Overall, it was found that the mean age of victims of acute poisoning was 20.9 ± 14.5 years; the youngest victim was a 3 months old boy from South Africa; and the oldest was a 75 years old man from Uganda. In descending order, the most common toxic agents involved in poisoning incidents were household products (46.1%), agrochemicals (18.8%), pharmaceuticals (14.0%), animal and insect bites (13.0%), food poisoning (4.5%), as well as plants and traditional medicines (3.6%). Across the three countries, acute poisoning occurred mainly by accident, but the contextual factors of each country led to a pattern of acute poisoning that showed some similarities with regard to the distribution of deliberate self-poisoning among females, teenagers, and young adult victims. There were disparities related to the differential access to toxic agents, based on the age and gender of the victims. Of the 17 deaths reported, 2 (11.7%) were due to traditional medicines; household products were implicated in fatal outcomes in all three countries, though the extent of their involvement varied from country to country. Although plant and traditional medicines caused fewer cases of acute poisoning incidents, they contributed considerably to fatal outcomes.

Public attitudes toward stuttering in Europe: Within-country and between-country comparisons.

PubMed

St Louis, Kenneth O; Sønsterud, Hilda; Junuzović-Žunić, Lejla; Tomaiuoli, Donatella; Del Gado, Francesca; Caparelli, Emilia; Theiling, Mareen; Flobakk, Cecilie; Helmen, Lise Nesbakken; Heitmann, Ragnhild R; Kvenseth, Helene; Nilsson, Sofia; Wetterling, Tobias; Lundström, Cecilia; Daly, Ciara; Leahy, Margaret; Tyrrell, Laila; Ward, David; Węsierska, Marta

2016-01-01

Epidemiological research methods have been shown to be useful in determining factors that might predict commonly reported negative public attitudes toward stuttering. Previous research has suggested that stuttering attitudes of respondents from North America and Europe (i.e., "The West"), though characterized by stereotypes and potential stigma, are more positive than those from several other regions of the world. This inference assumes that public attitudes within various regions characterized by "The West" are similar. This study aimed to determine the extent to which public stuttering attitudes are similar or different both within regions of three different European countries and between or among five different European countries or similar geographic areas. It also aimed to compare these European attitudes to attitudes from 135 samples around the world using a standard measure. Using convenience sampling, 1111 adult respondents from eight different investigations completed the Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) in the dominant language of each country or area. In Study I, the authors compared attitudes within three different regions of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway. In Study II, the authors compared attitudes between combined samples from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway (with additional respondents from Sweden), and two other samples, one from Germany and the other from Ireland and England. Attitudes of adults from the three samples within Bosnia & Herzegovina, Italy, and Norway were remarkably similar. By contrast, attitudes between the five different countries or area were quite dramatically different. Demographic variables on the POSHA-S did not predict the rank order of these between-country/area differences. Compared to the POSHA-S worldwide database, European attitudes ranged from less positive than average (i.e., Italians) to more positive than average (i.e., Norwegians and Swedes). Factors related to national identity appear to play a significant role in differences in public attitudes in Europe and should be explored in future research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A promising method for identifying cross-cultural differences in patient perspective: the use of Internet-based focus groups for content validation of new Patient Reported Outcome assessments

PubMed Central

Atkinson, Mark J; Lohs, Jan; Kuhagen, Ilka; Kaufman, Julie; Bhaidani, Shamsu

2006-01-01

Objectives This proof of concept (POC) study was designed to evaluate the use of an Internet-based bulletin board technology to aid parallel cross-cultural development of thematic content for a new set of patient-reported outcome measures (PROs). Methods The POC study, conducted in Germany and the United States, utilized Internet Focus Groups (IFGs) to assure the validity of new PRO items across the two cultures – all items were designed to assess the impact of excess facial oil on individuals' lives. The on-line IFG activities were modeled after traditional face-to-face focus groups and organized by a common 'Topic' Guide designed with input from thought leaders in dermatology and health outcomes research. The two sets of IFGs were professionally moderated in the native language of each country. IFG moderators coded the thematic content of transcripts, and a frequency analysis of code endorsement was used to identify areas of content similarity and difference between the two countries. Based on this information, draft PRO items were designed and a majority (80%) of the original participants returned to rate the relative importance of the newly designed questions. Findings The use of parallel cross-cultural content analysis of IFG transcripts permitted identification of the major content themes in each country as well as exploration of the possible reasons for any observed differences between the countries. Results from coded frequency counts and transcript reviews informed the design and wording of the test questions for the future PRO instrument(s). Subsequent ratings of item importance also deepened our understanding of potential areas of cross-cultural difference, differences that would be explored over the course of future validation studies involving these PROs. Conclusion The use of IFGs for cross-cultural content development received positive reviews from participants and was found to be both cost and time effective. The novel thematic coding methodology provided an empirical platform on which to develop culturally sensitive questionnaire content using the natural language of participants. Overall, the IFG responses and thematic analyses provided a thorough evaluation of similarities and differences in cross-cultural themes, which in turn acted as a sound base for the development of new PRO questionnaires. PMID:16995935

A promising method for identifying cross-cultural differences in patient perspective: the use of Internet-based focus groups for content validation of new patient reported outcome assessments.

PubMed

Atkinson, Mark J; Lohs, Jan; Kuhagen, Ilka; Kaufman, Julie; Bhaidani, Shamsu

2006-09-22

This proof of concept (POC) study was designed to evaluate the use of an Internet-based bulletin board technology to aid parallel cross-cultural development of thematic content for a new set of patient-reported outcome measures (PROs). The POC study, conducted in Germany and the United States, utilized Internet Focus Groups (IFGs) to assure the validity of new PRO items across the two cultures--all items were designed to assess the impact of excess facial oil on individuals' lives. The on-line IFG activities were modeled after traditional face-to-face focus groups and organized by a common 'Topic' Guide designed with input from thought leaders in dermatology and health outcomes research. The two sets of IFGs were professionally moderated in the native language of each country. IFG moderators coded the thematic content of transcripts, and a frequency analysis of code endorsement was used to identify areas of content similarity and difference between the two countries. Based on this information, draft PRO items were designed and a majority (80%) of the original participants returned to rate the relative importance of the newly designed questions. The use of parallel cross-cultural content analysis of IFG transcripts permitted identification of the major content themes in each country as well as exploration of the possible reasons for any observed differences between the countries. Results from coded frequency counts and transcript reviews informed the design and wording of the test questions for the future PRO instrument(s). Subsequent ratings of item importance also deepened our understanding of potential areas of cross-cultural difference, differences that would be explored over the course of future validation studies involving these PROs. The use of IFGs for cross-cultural content development received positive reviews from participants and was found to be both cost and time effective. The novel thematic coding methodology provided an empirical platform on which to develop culturally sensitive questionnaire content using the natural language of participants. Overall, the IFG responses and thematic analyses provided a thorough evaluation of similarities and differences in cross-cultural themes, which in turn acted as a sound base for the development of new PRO questionnaires.

Development of an automated data processing method for sample to sample comparison of seized methamphetamines.

PubMed

Choe, Sanggil; Lee, Jaesin; Choi, Hyeyoung; Park, Yujin; Lee, Heesang; Pyo, Jaesung; Jo, Jiyeong; Park, Yonghoon; Choi, Hwakyung; Kim, Suncheun

2012-11-30

The information about the sources of supply, trafficking routes, distribution patterns and conspiracy links can be obtained from methamphetamine profiling. The precursor and synthetic method for the clandestine manufacture can be estimated from the analysis of minor impurities contained in methamphetamine. Also, the similarity between samples can be evaluated using the peaks that appear in chromatograms. In South Korea, methamphetamine was the most popular drug but the total seized amount of methamphetamine whole through the country was very small. Therefore, it would be more important to find the links between samples than the other uses of methamphetamine profiling. Many Asian countries including Japan and South Korea have been using the method developed by National Research Institute of Police Science of Japan. The method used gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID), DB-5 column and four internal standards. It was developed to increase the amount of impurities and minimize the amount of methamphetamine. After GC-FID analysis, the raw data have to be processed. The data processing steps are very complex and require a lot of time and effort. In this study, Microsoft Visual Basic Application (VBA) modules were developed to handle these data processing steps. This module collected the results from the data into an Excel file and then corrected the retention time shift and response deviation generated from the sample preparation and instruments analysis. The developed modules were tested for their performance using 10 samples from 5 different cases. The processed results were analyzed with Pearson correlation coefficient for similarity assessment and the correlation coefficient of the two samples from the same case was more than 0.99. When the modules were applied to 131 seized methamphetamine samples, four samples from two different cases were found to have the common origin and the chromatograms of the four samples were appeared visually identical. The developed VBA modules could process raw data of GC-FID very quickly and easily. Also, they could assess the similarity between samples by peak pattern recognition using whole peaks without spectral identification of each peak that appeared in the chromatogram. The results collectively suggest that the modules would be useful tools to augment similarity assessment between seized methamphetamine samples. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical characteristics of patients from the worldwide registry on peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM): EURObservational Research Programme in conjunction with the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology Study Group on PPCM.

PubMed

Sliwa, Karen; Mebazaa, Alexandre; Hilfiker-Kleiner, Denise; Petrie, Mark C; Maggioni, Aldo P; Laroche, Cecile; Regitz-Zagrosek, Vera; Schaufelberger, Maria; Tavazzi, Luigi; van der Meer, Peter; Roos-Hesselink, Jolien W; Seferovic, Petar; van Spandonck-Zwarts, Karin; Mbakwem, Amam; Böhm, Michael; Mouquet, Frederic; Pieske, Burkert; Hall, Roger; Ponikowski, Piotre; Bauersachs, Johann

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study is to describe disease presentation, co-morbidities, diagnosis and initial therapeutic management of patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) living in countries belonging to the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) vs. non-ESC countries. Out of 500 patients with PPCM entered by 31 March 2016, we report on data of the first 411 patients with completed case record forms (from 43 countries) entered into this ongoing registry. There were marked differences in socio-demographic parameters such as Human Development Index, GINI index on inequality, and Health Expenditure in PPCM patients from ESC vs. non-ESC countries (P < 0.001 each). Ethnicity was Caucasian (34%), Black African (25.8%), Asian (21.8%), and Middle Eastern backgrounds (16.4%). Despite the huge disparities in socio-demographic factors and ethnic backgrounds, baseline characteristics are remarkably similar. Drug therapy initiated post-partum included ACE inhibitors/ARBs and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists with identical frequencies in ESC vs. non-ESC countries. However, in non-ESC countries, there was significantly less use of beta-blockers (70.3% vs. 91.9%) and ivabradine (1.4% vs. 17.1%), but more use of diuretics (91.3% vs. 68.8%), digoxin (37.0% vs. 18.0%), and bromocriptine (32.6% vs. 7.1%) (P < 0.001). More patients in non-ESC vs. ESC countries continued to have symptomatic heart failure after 1 month (92.3% vs. 81.3%, P < 0.001). Venous thrombo-embolic events, arterial embolizations, and cerebrovascular accidents were documented in 28 of 411 patients (6.8%). Neonatal death rate was 3.1%. PPCM occurs in women from different ethnic backgrounds globally. Despite marked differences in socio-economic background, mode of presentation was largely similar. Embolic events and persistent heart failure were common within 1 month post-diagnosis and required intensive, multidisciplinary management. © 2017 The Authors. European Journal of Heart Failure © 2017 European Society of Cardiology.

The diversity of regulation and public financing of IVF in Europe and its impact on utilization.

PubMed

Berg Brigham, K; Cadier, B; Chevreul, K

2013-03-01

How do the different forms of regulation and public financing of IVF affect utilization in otherwise similar European welfare state systems? Countries with more liberal social eligibility regulations had higher levels of IVF utilization, which diminished as the countries' policies became more restrictive. Europe is a world leader in the development and utilization of IVF, yet surveillance reveals significant differences in uptake among countries which have adopted different approaches to the regulation and and public financing of IVF. A descriptive and comparative analysis of legal restrictions on access to IVF in 13 of the EU15 countries that affirmatively regulate and publicly finance IVF. Using 2009 data from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology study of regulatory frameworks in Europe and additional legislative research, we examined and described restrictions on access to IVF in terms of general eligibility, public financing and the scope of available services. Multiple correspondence analysis was used to identify patterns of regulation and groups of countries with similar regulatory patterns and to explore the effects on utilization of IVF, using data from the most recent European and international IVF monitoring reports. Regulations based on social characteristics of treatment seekers who are not applicable to other medical treatments, including relationship status and sexual orientation, appear to have the greatest impact on utilization. Countries with the most generous public financing schemes tend to restrict access to covered IVF to a greater degree. However, no link could be established between IVF utilization and the manner in which coverage was regulated or the level of public financing. Owing to the lack of data regarding the actual level of public versus private financing of IVF it is impossible to draw conclusions regarding equity of access. Moreover, the regulatory and utilization data were not completely temporally matched in what can be a quickly changing regulatory landscape. Whether motivated by cost, eligility restrictions or the availability of particular services, cross-border treatment seeking is driven by regulatory policies, underscoring the extra-territorial implications of in-country political decisions regarding access to IVF. There was no funding source for this study. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Estimating Pneumonia Deaths of Post-Neonatal Children in Countries of Low or No Death Certification in 2008

PubMed Central

Theodoratou, Evropi; Zhang, Jian Shayne F.; Kolcic, Ivana; Davis, Andrew M.; Bhopal, Sunil; Nair, Harish; Chan, Kit Yee; Liu, Li; Johnson, Hope; Rudan, Igor; Campbell, Harry

2011-01-01

Background Pneumonia is the leading cause of child deaths globally. The aims of this study were to: a) estimate the number and global distribution of pneumonia deaths for children 1–59 months for 2008 for countries with low (<85%) or no coverage of death certification using single-cause regression models and b) compare these country estimates with recently published ones based on multi-cause regression models. Methods and Findings For 35 low child-mortality countries with <85% coverage of death certification, a regression model based on vital registration data of low child-mortality and >85% coverage of death certification countries was used. For 87 high child-mortality countries pneumonia death estimates were obtained by applying a regression model developed from published and unpublished verbal autopsy data from high child-mortality settings. The total number of 1–59 months pneumonia deaths for the year 2008 for these 122 countries was estimated to be 1.18 M (95% CI 0.77 M–1.80 M), which represented 23.27% (95% CI 17.15%–32.75%) of all 1–59 month child deaths. The country level estimation correlation coefficient between these two methods was 0.40. Interpretation Although the overall number of post-neonatal pneumonia deaths was similar irrespective to the method of estimation used, the country estimate correlation coefficient was low, and therefore country-specific estimates should be interpreted with caution. Pneumonia remains the leading cause of child deaths and is greatest in regions of poverty and high child-mortality. Despite the concerns about gender inequity linked with childhood mortality we could not estimate sex-specific pneumonia mortality rates due to the inadequate data. Life-saving interventions effective in preventing and treating pneumonia mortality exist but few children in high pneumonia disease burden regions are able to access them. To achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goal 4 target to reduce child deaths by two-thirds in year 2015 will require the scale-up of access to these effective pneumonia interventions. PMID:21966425

Current status of nutrition labelling and claims in the South-East Asian region: are we in harmony?

PubMed

Tee, E-Siong; Tamin, Suryani; Ilyas, Rosmulyati; Ramos, Adelisa; Tan, Wei-Ling; Lai, Darwin Kah-Soon; Kongchuntuk, Hataya

2002-01-01

This review includes the situation of nutrition labelling and claims in six countries in South-East Asia: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. With the exception of Malaysia, there is no mandatory nutrition labelling requirements for foods in these countries except for special categories of foods and when nutritional claims are made for fortified or enriched foods. Nevertheless, several food manufacturers, especially multinationals, do voluntarily label the nutritional content of a number of food products. There is, therefore, increasing interest among authorities in countries in the region to start formulating regulations for nutrition labelling for a wider variety of foods. Malaysia has proposed new regulations to make it mandatory to label a number of foodstuffs with the four core nutrients, protein, carbohydrate, fat and energy. Other countries have preferred to start with voluntary labelling by the manufacturers, but have spelt out the requirements for this voluntary labelling. The format and requirements for nutrition labelling differ widely for countries in the region. Some countries, such as Malaysia, closely follow the Codex guidelines on nutrition labelling in terms of format, components to be included and mode of expression. Other countries, such as the Philippines and Thailand, have drafted nutrition labelling regulations very similar to those of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of the United States. Nutrition and health claims are also not specifically permitted under food regulations that were enacted before 1998. However, various food products on the market have been carrying a variety of nutrition and health claims. There is concern that without proper regulations, the food industry may not be certain as to what claims can be made. Excessive and misleading claims made by irresponsible manufacturers would only serve to confuse and mislead the consumer. In recent years, there has been efforts in countries in the region to enact regulations on nutrition claims. Recently enacted regulations or amendments to existing regulations of almost all the countries reviewed have included provisions for nutrition claims. Malaysia is in the process of gazetting regulations to clearly stipulate the permitted nutrition claims and the conditions required to make these claims along the guidelines of Codex Alimentarius Commission. Only two countries in the region permit health claims to be made - Indonesia and Philippines. Other countries in the region are following developments in Codex and examining the need for allowing these claims. There are more differences than similarities in the regulations on nutrition labelling and claims among countries in the South-East Asian region as no previous efforts have been made to address these. Hopefully, through this first regional meeting, countries can initiate closer interaction, with a view to working towards greater harmonization of nutrition labelling and health claims in the region.

Undernutrition and quality of life.

PubMed

Gabr, M

1987-01-01

Malnutrition, the most pervasive human problem especially in less developed countries (LDCs), not only adversely affects quality of life but also socioeconomic development. 25% of pregnant women in LDCs suffer from protein energy malnutrition while only 4% do in developed countries. This and other forms of malnutrition cause low birth weight infants and consequently high infant mortality and morbidity rates and limited fetal brain development. Child mortality due to measles is 200-400 times greater in malnourished children in LDCs than those in developed countries. In addition, measles brings about acute malnutrition in marginally nourished children. Malnutrition also adversely affects fertility, such as reducing a woman's fecundity during the menstrual cycle. Studies demonstrate that severe malnutrition during the 1st 6 months of life and maybe up to the 1st 2 years impairs intellectual development and the effects cannot be reversed. However, breast milk provides adequate nutrition and protects infants from infection when they are most susceptible. Inadequately nourished children are often apathetic, nonresponsive, impulsive; exhibit nongoal directed behavior; do not respond normally in social interactions; and cannot cope with stress or frequent daily demands. Studies indicate that even inadequately nourished adults develop behavior patterns similar to those of malnourished children. A starvation period among adults reduces muscle strength by almost 30% and precision of movements by 15-20%. In addition, childhood malnutrition reduces adult body weight and therefore restricting working capacity. The known effects of malnutrition should convince policy makers of the need to invest in programs that improve the nutritional standards of the populace for humanitarian reasons and to stimulate economic growth.

[A comparative presentation of the population policies of Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal].

PubMed

Dabo, K

1992-07-01

Population policies are currently at the center of debates about demography and development, and are a preoccupation of most governments, international organizations, and research institutions working in the areas of population, development, and human resources. Between 1988-93, 4 Sahel countries adopted populations policies. this article compares the policies of Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso. The 3 policy documents have similar structures, with preambles recalling the international agreements concerning population and development entered into by their governments. A chapter on population and development describes the demo-economic problem in each country at regional, sectorial, and global levels. After the analysis of demo-economic problems, each of the 3 has a chapter presenting the population policy. Each presentation covers the foundations and basic principles of the policy, its objectives, the strategies to be pursued, and the organizational structure. Development of each policy was technically supervised by the Planning Ministry in collaboration with the national population councils. In general terms, the 3 countries recognize in their basic principles that the population is the primary source of wealth of a nation. Each country states its desire to translate the recommendations of different African and world population conferences into concrete acts. The principles avow respect for fundamental human rights including the right to informed decision making by couples on number and spacing of children. The principles also recognize the need for an integrated approach to population and development. The ultimate objective of the population policies is improvement in the standard and quality of life. The number of general objectives outlined in the policies varied from 7 in Senegal to 13 in Burkina Faso. Senegal was the only country of the 3 to specify reduction of the fertility rate and the growth rate as an objective. Senegal and Burkina Faso included quantified mortality objectives. The strategies of the 3 countries include improving the health of the population and of mothers and children in particular, promoting family planning, providing IEC on health and population topics, integrating women into development by improving their socioeconomic status, developing human resources through employment and education, developing territorial management systems for control of spatial distribution and internal migration, satisfying the basic needs of the population, protecting the environment, and providing training and research in relevant disciplines such as demography, statistics, and economics. Specific contraceptive prevalence goals stated in the policies were 24.04% of fertile aged women in Senegal in 2011, 60% in Burkina Faso in 2005, and 60% in Mali in 2020. Each country specified different entities for decision making, consultation, and execution of different phases of the population policy.

Investigating factors influencing construction waste management efforts in developing countries: an experience from Thailand.

PubMed

Manowong, Ektewan

2012-01-01

Rapid economic growth and urbanization in developing countries lead to extensive construction activities that generate a large amount of waste. A challenge is how to manage construction waste in the most sustainable way. In the developing world, research on construction waste management is scarce and such academic knowledge needs to be responsive to actual practices in the industry in order to be implemented. As construction projects involve a number of participants and stakeholders, their participation and commitment can have a major influence on the goals of green and sustainable construction for urban development. This study provides a significant step in conducting a very first research of this kind in Thailand by aiming to investigate the level of construction stakeholders' commitment as well as the achievement of construction waste management in order to improve short-term practices and to establish a long-term strategic construction waste management plan. In this study, a structural equation model was employed to investigate the influence of factors that are related to environmental aspects, social aspects, and economic aspect of construction waste management. Concern about health and safety was found to be the most significant and dominant influence on the achievement of sustainable construction waste management. Other factors affecting the successful management of construction waste in Thai construction projects were also identified. It is perceived that this study has potential to contribute useful guidelines for practitioners both in Thailand and other developing countries with similar contexts.

Challenges to implementing Gavi's health system strengthening support in Chad and Cameroon: results from a mixed-methods evaluation.

PubMed

Dansereau, Emily; Miangotar, Yodé; Squires, Ellen; Mimche, Honoré; El Bcheraoui, Charbel

2017-11-16

Since 2005, Gavi has provided health system strengthening (HSS) grants to address bottlenecks affecting immunization services. This study is the first to evaluate the Gavi HSS implementation process in either Cameroon or Chad, two countries with significant health system challenges and poor achievement on the child and maternal health Millennium Development Goals. We triangulated quantitative and qualitative data including financial records, document review, field visit questionnaires, and key informant interviews (KII) with representatives from the Ministries of Health, Gavi, and other partners. We conducted a Root Cause Analysis of key implementation challenges, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. We conducted 124 field visits and 43 KIIs in Cameroon, and 57 field visits and 39 KIIs in Chad. Cameroon's and Chad's HSS programs were characterized by delayed disbursements, significant deviations from approved expenditures, and reprogramming of funds. Nearly a year after the programs were intended to be complete, many district and facility-level activities were only partially implemented and significant funds remained unabsorbed. Root causes of these challenges included unpredictable Gavi processes and disbursements, poor communication between the countries and Gavi, insufficient country planning without adequate technical assistance, lack of country staff and leadership, and weak country systems to manage finances and promote institutional memory. Though Chad and Cameroon both critically needed support to strengthen their weak health systems, serious challenges drastically limited implementation of their Gavi HSS programs. Implementation of future HSS programs in these and similar settings can be improved by transparent and reliable procedures and communication from Gavi, proposals that account for countries' programmatic capacity and the potential for delayed disbursements, implementation practices that foster learning and adaptation, and an early emphasis on developing managerial and other human resources.

IMPLICATIONS OF GLOBAL PRICING POLICIES ON ACCESS TO INNOVATIVE DRUGS: THE CASE OF TRASTUZUMAB IN SEVEN LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES.

PubMed

Pichon-Riviere, Andres; Garay, Osvaldo Ulises; Augustovski, Federico; Vallejos, Carlos; Huayanay, Leandro; Bueno, Maria del Pilar Navia; Rodriguez, Alarico; de Andrade, Carlos José Coelho; Buendía, Jefferson Antonio; Drummond, Michael

2015-01-01

Differential pricing, based on countries' purchasing power, is recommended by the World Health Organization to secure affordable medicines. However, in developing countries innovative drugs often have similar or even higher prices than in high-income countries. We evaluated the potential implications of trastuzumab global pricing policies in terms of cost-effectiveness (CE), coverage, and accessibility for patients with breast cancer in Latin America (LA). A Markov model was designed to estimate life-years (LYs), quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and costs from a healthcare perspective. To better fit local cancer prognosis, a base case scenario using transition probabilities from clinical trials was complemented with two alternative scenarios with transition probabilities adjusted to reflect breast cancer epidemiology in each country. Incremental discounted benefits ranged from 0.87 to 1.00 LY and 0.51 to 0.60 QALY and incremental CE ratios from USD 42,104 to USD 110,283 per QALY (2012 U.S. dollars), equivalent to 3.6 gross domestic product per capita (GDPPC) per QALY in Uruguay and to 35.5 GDPPC in Bolivia. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed 0 percent probability that trastuzumab is CE if the willingness-to-pay threshold is one GDPPC per QALY, and remained so at three GDPPC threshold except for Chile and Uruguay (4.3 percent and 26.6 percent, respectively). Trastuzumab price would need to decrease between 69.6 percent to 94.9 percent to became CE in LA. Although CE in other settings, trastuzumab was not CE in LA. The use of health technology assessment to prioritize resource allocation and support price negotiations is critical to making innovative drugs available and affordable in developing countries.

Need and Possibilities for Seat Belt Use Promotion in Bashkortostan, Russia

PubMed Central

Akhmadeeva, Leila; Andreeva, Valentina A.; Sussman, Steve; Khusnutdinova, Zolya; Simons-Morton, Bruce G.

2009-01-01

Bashkortostan is a republic in the Russian Federation with a population of 4.1 million. As with other health behaviors, the prevalence of seat belt use is low, which may account in part for the very high rate of motor-vehicle-related mortality in this republic. The authors discuss the need and potential for translating seat belt promotion programming from other Russian regions and other countries to Bashkortostan. The authors conclude that current policies developed in other countries could work well in the republic, if they are enforced. Meanwhile, initiatives such as the Sakhalin Road Safety Partnership offer great potential for translation in Bashkortostan as well as in other regions with similarly low seat belt use prevalence. PMID:18559882

Pertussis and influenza immunisation during pregnancy: a landscape review.

PubMed

Abu Raya, Bahaa; Edwards, Kathryn M; Scheifele, David W; Halperin, Scott A

2017-07-01

Immunisation during pregnancy is a relatively new strategy, and is currently limited to tetanus, pertussis, and influenza vaccines. None of these vaccines were developed specifically for use in pregnancy, but they provide an effective method of protecting mothers and young infants. In response to increases in pertussis morbidity and mortality among young infants, several countries have recommended universal tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis immunisation during pregnancy. Similarly, many countries recommend influenza immunisation during pregnancy to reduce the risk of disease for mother and infant. Although scientific evidence to support maternal immunisation against pertussis and influenza is rapidly accumulating, important knowledge gaps remain that need to be addressed by future research, which we have highlighted in this Series paper. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diabetes mellitus and tuberculosis facts and controversies

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are both important health issues. A bidirectional association between them has been demonstrated by many researchers. The link of DM and TB is more prominent in developing countries where TB is endemic and the burden of diabetes mellitus is increasing. The association between diabetes and tuberculosis may be the next challenge for global tuberculosis control worldwide. Proper planning and collaboration are necessary to reduce the dual burden of diabetes and TB. One model similar to the TB-HIV program for prevention, screening and treatment of both diseases can be the best approach. In this paper, we review existing data and discuss the matters of controversy that would be helpful for determining research priorities in different countries. PMID:24360398

Parenting Attributions and Attitudes in Cross-Cultural Perspective.

PubMed

Bornstein, Marc H; Putnick, Diane L; Lansford, Jennifer E

2011-07-01

OBJECTIVE: This article used the Parenting Across Cultures Project to evaluate similarities and differences in mean levels and relative agreement between mothers' and fathers' attributions and attitudes in parenting in 9 countries. DESIGN: Mothers and fathers reported their perceptions of causes of successes and failures in caregiving and their progressive versus authoritarian childrearing attitudes. Gender and cultural similarities and differences in parents' attributions and attitudes in 9 countries were analyzed: China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, or the United States. RESULTS: Although mothers and fathers did not differ in any attribution, mothers reported more progressive parenting attitudes and modernity of childrearing attitudes than did fathers, and fathers reported more authoritarian attitudes than did mothers. Country differences also emerged in all attributions and attitudes that were examined. Mothers' and fathers' attributions and their attitudes were moderately correlated, but parenting attitudes were more highly correlated in parents than were attributions. CONCLUSIONS: We draw connections among the findings across the 9 countries and outline implications for understanding similarities and differences in mothers' and fathers' parenting attributions and attitudes.

Parenting Attributions and Attitudes in Cross-Cultural Perspective

PubMed Central

Bornstein, Marc H.; Putnick, Diane L.; Lansford, Jennifer E.

2011-01-01

SYNOPSIS Objective This article used the Parenting Across Cultures Project to evaluate similarities and differences in mean levels and relative agreement between mothers’ and fathers’ attributions and attitudes in parenting in 9 countries. Design Mothers and fathers reported their perceptions of causes of successes and failures in caregiving and their progressive versus authoritarian childrearing attitudes. Gender and cultural similarities and differences in parents’ attributions and attitudes in 9 countries were analyzed: China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, or the United States. Results Although mothers and fathers did not differ in any attribution, mothers reported more progressive parenting attitudes and modernity of childrearing attitudes than did fathers, and fathers reported more authoritarian attitudes than did mothers. Country differences also emerged in all attributions and attitudes that were examined. Mothers’ and fathers’ attributions and their attitudes were moderately correlated, but parenting attitudes were more highly correlated in parents than were attributions. Conclusions We draw connections among the findings across the 9 countries and outline implications for understanding similarities and differences in mothers’ and fathers’ parenting attributions and attitudes. PMID:21927591

Composition of tobaccos from countries with high and low incidences of lung cancer. I. Selenium, polonium-210, Alternaria, tar, and nicotine.

PubMed

Bogden, J D; Kemp, F W; Buse, M; Thind, I S; Louria, D B; Forgacs, J; Llanos, G; Moncoya Terrones, I

1981-01-01

Tobaccos from countries with high and low incidences of lung cancer were analyzed. Tobacco concentrations of polonium-210 were similar in cigarettes from high- and low-incidence countries, as were levels of cigarette smoke tar and nicotine. Tobaccos from low-incidence countries had significantly lower Alternaria spore counts. Mean selenium concentrations of tobaccos from the high-incidence countries (0.16 +/- 0.05 micrograms/g) were significantly lower than those of tobaccos from the low-incidence countries (0.49 +/- 0.22 micrograms/g).

Comparing the effects of kamikihito in Japan and kami-guibi-tang in Korea on memory enhancement: working towards the development of a global study.

PubMed

Watari, Hidetoshi; Shigyo, Michiko; Tanabe, Norio; Tohda, Michihisa; Cho, Ki-Ho; Kyung, Park Su; Jung, Woo Sang; Shimada, Yutaka; Shibahara, Naotoshi; Kuboyama, Tomoharu; Tohda, Chihiro

2015-03-01

Traditional medicine is widely used in East Asia, and studies that demonstrate its usefulness have recently become more common. However, formulation-based studies are not globally understood because these studies are country-specific. There are many types of formulations that have been introduced to Japan and Korea from China. Establishing whether a same-origin formulation has equivalent effects in other countries is important for the development of studies that span multiple countries. The present study compared the effects of same-origin traditional medicine used in Japan and Korea in an in vivo experiment. We prepared drugs that had the same origin and the same components. The drugs are called kamikihito (KKT) in Japan and kami-guibi-tang (KGT) in Korea. KKT (500 mg extract/kg/day) and KGT (500 mg extract/kg/day) were administered to ddY mice, and object recognition and location memory tests were performed. KKT and KGT administration yielded equivalent normal memory enhancement effects. 3D-HPLC showed similar, but not identical, patterns of the detected compounds between KKT and KGT. This comparative research approach enables future global clinical studies of traditional medicine to be conducted through the use of the formulations prescribed in each country. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Subjective wellbeing and income: Empirical patterns in the rural developing world.

PubMed

Reyes-García, Victoria; Babigumira, Ronnie; Pyhälä, Aili; Wunder, Sven; Zorondo-Rodríguez, Francisco; Angelsen, Arild

2016-04-01

A commonality in the economics of happiness literature is that absolute income matters more for the subjective wellbeing of people at low income levels. In this article, we use a large sample of people in rural areas of developing countries with relatively low income levels to test whether subjective wellbeing an increasing function of absolute income in our sample, and to analyze the existence of adaptation and social comparison effects on subjective wellbeing. Our sample includes 6973 rural households in 23 countries throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The average total income per adult equivalent in our sample was US$1555, whereas levels of subjective wellbeing resembled levels found in previous research using cross-country data. We find that, despite low levels of absolute income, levels of subjective wellbeing of our respondents resemble levels found in previous research using cross-country data. We also find remarkable similarities in many of the determinants of subjective wellbeing previously tested. Our data show that absolute income covariates with subjective wellbeing, but -as for richer samples- the magnitude of the association is lower once we control for adaptation and social comparison. Finally, our results suggest that social comparison has a stronger effect than adaptation in explaining the subjective wellbeing of our sample. Our findings highlight the importance of adaptation and social comparison even at low levels of absolute income.

Subjective wellbeing and income: Empirical patterns in the rural developing world

PubMed Central

Reyes-García, Victoria; Babigumira, Ronnie; Pyhälä, Aili; Wunder, Sven; Zorondo-Rodríguez, Francisco; Angelsen, Arild

2016-01-01

A commonality in the economics of happiness literature is that absolute income matters more for the subjective wellbeing of people at low income levels. In this article, we use a large sample of people in rural areas of developing countries with relatively low income levels to test whether subjective wellbeing an increasing function of absolute income in our sample, and to analyze the existence of adaptation and social comparison effects on subjective wellbeing. Our sample includes 6973 rural households in 23 countries throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The average total income per adult equivalent in our sample was US$1555, whereas levels of subjective wellbeing resembled levels found in previous research using cross-country data. We find that, despite low levels of absolute income, levels of subjective wellbeing of our respondents resemble levels found in previous research using cross-country data. We also find remarkable similarities in many of the determinants of subjective wellbeing previously tested. Our data show that absolute income covariates with subjective wellbeing, but -as for richer samples- the magnitude of the association is lower once we control for adaptation and social comparison. Finally, our results suggest that social comparison has a stronger effect than adaptation in explaining the subjective wellbeing of our sample. Our findings highlight the importance of adaptation and social comparison even at low levels of absolute income. PMID:27642259

Future CO2 emissions and electricity generation from proposed coal-fired power plants in India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shearer, Christine; Fofrich, Robert; Davis, Steven J.

2017-04-01

With its growing population, industrializing economy, and large coal reserves, India represents a critical unknown in global projections of future CO2 emissions. Here, we assess proposed construction of coal-fired power plants in India and evaluate their implications for future emissions and energy production in the country. As of mid-2016, 243 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired generating capacity are under development in India, including 65 GW under construction and an additional 178 GW proposed. These under-development plants would increase the coal capacity of India's power sector by 123% and, when combined with the country's goal to produce at least 40% of its power from non-fossil sources by 2030, exceed the country's projected future electricity demand. The current proposals for new coal-fired plants could therefore either "strand" fossil energy assets (i.e., force them to retire early or else operate at very low capacity factors) and/or ensure that the goal is not met by "locking-out" new, low-carbon energy infrastructure. Similarly, future emissions from the proposed coal plants would also exceed the country's climate commitment to reduce its 2005 emissions intensity 33% to 35% by 2030, which—when combined with the commitments of all other countries—is itself not yet ambitious enough to meet the international goal of holding warming well below 2°C relative to the pre-industrial era.

78 FR 46792 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Least Developed Countries That Are Designated Countries

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-01

... 9000-AM62 Federal Acquisition Regulation; Least Developed Countries That Are Designated Countries... States Trade Representative (USTR) to the list of least developed countries that are designated countries...) allows the President to designate least developed countries as eligible countries under the Trade...

Perceived mother and father acceptance-rejection predict four unique aspects of child adjustment across nine countries.

PubMed

Putnick, Diane L; Bornstein, Marc H; Lansford, Jennifer E; Malone, Patrick S; Pastorelli, Concetta; Skinner, Ann T; Sorbring, Emma; Tapanya, Sombat; Uribe Tirado, Liliana Maria; Zelli, Arnaldo; Alampay, Liane Peña; Al-Hassan, Suha M; Bacchini, Dario; Bombi, Anna Silvia; Chang, Lei; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Di Giunta, Laura; Dodge, Kenneth A; Oburu, Paul

2015-08-01

It is generally believed that parental rejection of children leads to child maladaptation. However, the specific effects of perceived parental acceptance-rejection on diverse domains of child adjustment and development have been incompletely documented, and whether these effects hold across diverse populations and for mothers and fathers are still open questions. This study assessed children's perceptions of mother and father acceptance-rejection in 1,247 families from China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States as antecedent predictors of later internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, school performance, prosocial behavior, and social competence. Higher perceived parental rejection predicted increases in internalizing and externalizing behavior problems and decreases in school performance and prosocial behavior across 3 years controlling for within-wave relations, stability across waves, and parental age, education, and social desirability bias. Patterns of relations were similar across mothers and fathers and, with a few exceptions, all nine countries. Children's perceptions of maternal and paternal acceptance-rejection have small but nearly universal effects on multiple aspects of their adjustment and development regardless of the family's country of origin. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Availability of mobile phones for discharge follow-up of pediatric Emergency Department patients in western Kenya

PubMed Central

Cheptinga, Philip; Rusyniak, Daniel E.

2015-01-01

Objective. Mobile phones have been successfully used for Emergency Department (ED) patient follow-up in developed countries. Mobile phones are widely available in developing countries and may offer a similar potential for follow-up and continued care of ED patients in low and middle-income countries. The goal of this study was to determine the percentage of families with mobile phones presenting to a pediatric ED in western Kenya and rate of response to a follow-up phone call after discharge. Methods. A prospective, cross-sectional observational study of children presenting to the emergency department of a government referral hospital in Eldoret, Kenya was performed. Documentation of mobile phone access, including phone number, was recorded. If families had access, consent was obtained and families were contacted 7 days after discharge for follow-up. Results. Of 788 families, 704 (89.3%) had mobile phone access. Of those families discharged from the ED, successful follow-up was made in 83.6% of cases. Conclusions. Mobile phones are an available technology for follow-up of patients discharged from a pediatric emergency department in resource-limited western Kenya. PMID:25780757

A comparative analysis of biomedical research ethics regulation systems in Europe and Latin America with regard to the protection of human subjects.

PubMed

Lamas, Eugenia; Ferrer, Marcela; Molina, Alberto; Salinas, Rodrigo; Hevia, Adriana; Bota, Alexandre; Feinholz, Dafna; Fuchs, Michael; Schramm, Roland; Tealdi, Juan-Carlos; Zorrilla, Sergio

2010-12-01

The European project European and Latin American Systems of Ethics Regulation of Biomedical Research Project (EULABOR) has carried out the first comparative analysis of ethics regulation systems for biomedical research in seven countries in Europe and Latin America, evaluating their roles in the protection of human subjects. We developed a conceptual and methodological framework defining 'ethics regulation system for biomedical research' as a set of actors, institutions, codes and laws involved in overseeing the ethics of biomedical research on humans. This framework allowed us to develop comprehensive national reports by conducting semi-structured interviews to key informants. These reports were summarised and analysed in a comparative analysis. The study showed that the regulatory framework for clinical research in these countries differ in scope. It showed that despite the different political contexts, actors involved and motivations for creating the regulation, in most of the studied countries it was the government who took the lead in setting up the system. The study also showed that Europe and Latin America are similar regarding national bodies and research ethics committees, but the Brazilian system has strong and noteworthy specificities.

Perceived mother and father acceptance-rejection predict four unique aspects of child adjustment across nine countries

PubMed Central

Putnick, Diane L.; Bornstein, Marc H.; Lansford, Jennifer E.; Malone, Patrick S.; Pastorelli, Concetta; Skinner, Ann T.; Sorbring, Emma; Tapanya, Sombat; Tirado, Liliana Maria Uribe; Zelli, Arnaldo; Alampay, Liane Peña; Al-Hassan, Suha M.; Bacchini, Dario; Bombi, Anna Silvia; Chang, Lei; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Di Giunta, Laura; Dodge, Kenneth A.; Oburu, Paul

2014-01-01

Background It is generally believed that parental rejection of children leads to child maladaptation. However, the specific effects of perceived parental acceptance-rejection on diverse domains of child adjustment and development have been incompletely documented, and whether these effects hold across diverse populations and for mothers and fathers are still open questions. Methods This study assessed children's perceptions of mother and father acceptance-rejection in 1247 families from China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States as antecedent predictors of later internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, school performance, prosocial behavior, and social competence. Results Higher perceived parental rejection predicted increases in internalizing and externalizing behavior problems and decreases in school performance and prosocial behavior across three years controlling for within-wave relations, stability across waves, and parental age, education, and social desirability bias. Patterns of relations were similar across mothers and fathers and, with a few exceptions, all 9 countries. Conclusions Children's perceptions of maternal and paternal acceptance-rejection have small but nearly universal effects on multiple aspects of their adjustment and development regardless of the family's country of origin. PMID:25492267

Diagnosis and treatment for ocular tuberculosis among uveitis specialists: the international perspective.

PubMed

Lou, Susan M; Montgomery, Paul A; Larkin, Kelly L; Winthrop, Kevin; Zierhut, Manfred; Rosenbaum, James T

2015-02-01

To assess the approach of international specialists, who primarily practice in tuberculosis-endemic areas, to ocular tuberculosis (TB). International experts from India, Brazil, Taiwan, and more than 10 other countries were surveyed using two clinical cases and general questions. A total of 244 experts were sent a survey about the treatment and diagnosis of ocular tuberculosis; 65 responded (27%), of whom 34 were affiliated with practices in India, while 31 primarily practice at international sites outside of India and North America. The data from this survey were compared with the results of a similar survey sent to members of the American Uveitis Society. The survey provided normative data on how physicians evaluate patients with uveitis as well as opinions about ocular TB. Responses varied widely on topics such as tests to include in the workup of undifferentiated uveitis, initial therapy, and duration of treatment. Physicians from developing countries relied more on chest CT scans and tuberculin skin testing (TST) than their counterparts in developed countries. The approach to diagnosis and management of TB is heterogeneous worldwide. However, there are substantial differences in the clinical approach to uveitis depending on the clinician's location of practice.

Availability of mobile phones for discharge follow-up of pediatric Emergency Department patients in western Kenya.

PubMed

House, Darlene R; Cheptinga, Philip; Rusyniak, Daniel E

2015-01-01

Objective. Mobile phones have been successfully used for Emergency Department (ED) patient follow-up in developed countries. Mobile phones are widely available in developing countries and may offer a similar potential for follow-up and continued care of ED patients in low and middle-income countries. The goal of this study was to determine the percentage of families with mobile phones presenting to a pediatric ED in western Kenya and rate of response to a follow-up phone call after discharge. Methods. A prospective, cross-sectional observational study of children presenting to the emergency department of a government referral hospital in Eldoret, Kenya was performed. Documentation of mobile phone access, including phone number, was recorded. If families had access, consent was obtained and families were contacted 7 days after discharge for follow-up. Results. Of 788 families, 704 (89.3%) had mobile phone access. Of those families discharged from the ED, successful follow-up was made in 83.6% of cases. Conclusions. Mobile phones are an available technology for follow-up of patients discharged from a pediatric emergency department in resource-limited western Kenya.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Couth, R.; Trois, C., E-mail: troisc@ukzn.ac.za

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This is a compendium on GHG reductions via improved waste strategies in Africa. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This note provides a strategic framework for Local Authorities in Africa. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Assists LAs to select Zero Waste scenarios and achieve sustained GHG reduction. - Abstract: Only few Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects (traditionally focussed on landfill gas combustion) have been registered in Africa if compared to similar developing countries. The waste hierarchy adopted by many African countries clearly shows that waste recycling and composting projects are generally the most sustainable. This paper undertakes a sustainability assessment for practical waste treatment and disposal scenariosmore » for Africa and makes recommendations for consideration. The appraisal in this paper demonstrates that mechanical biological treatment of waste becomes more financially attractive if established through the CDM process. Waste will continue to be dumped in Africa with increasing greenhouse gas emissions produced, unless industrialised countries (Annex 1) fund carbon emission reduction schemes through a replacement to the Kyoto Protocol. Such a replacement should calculate all of the direct and indirect carbon emission savings and seek to promote public-private partnerships through a concerted support of the informal sector.« less

National spending on health by source for 184 countries between 2013 and 2040.

PubMed

Dieleman, Joseph L; Templin, Tara; Sadat, Nafis; Reidy, Patrick; Chapin, Abigail; Foreman, Kyle; Haakenstad, Annie; Evans, Tim; Murray, Christopher J L; Kurowski, Christoph

2016-06-18

A general consensus exists that as a country develops economically, health spending per capita rises and the share of that spending that is prepaid through government or private mechanisms also rises. However, the speed and magnitude of these changes vary substantially across countries, even at similar levels of development. In this study, we use past trends and relationships to estimate future health spending, disaggregated by the source of those funds, to identify the financing trajectories that are likely to occur if current policies and trajectories evolve as expected. We extracted data from WHO's Health Spending Observatory and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's Financing Global Health 2015 report. We converted these data to a common purchasing power-adjusted and inflation-adjusted currency. We used a series of ensemble models and observed empirical norms to estimate future government out-of-pocket private prepaid health spending and development assistance for health. We aggregated each country's estimates to generate total health spending from 2013 to 2040 for 184 countries. We compared these estimates with each other and internationally recognised benchmarks. Global spending on health is expected to increase from US$7·83 trillion in 2013 to $18·28 (uncertainty interval 14·42-22·24) trillion in 2040 (in 2010 purchasing power parity-adjusted dollars). We expect per-capita health spending to increase annually by 2·7% (1·9-3·4) in high-income countries, 3·4% (2·4-4·2) in upper-middle-income countries, 3·0% (2·3-3·6) in lower-middle-income countries, and 2·4% (1·6-3·1) in low-income countries. Given the gaps in current health spending, these rates provide no evidence of increasing parity in health spending. In 1995 and 2015, low-income countries spent $0·03 for every dollar spent in high-income countries, even after adjusting for purchasing power, and the same is projected for 2040. Most importantly, health spending in many low-income countries is expected to remain low. Estimates suggest that, by 2040, only one (3%) of 34 low-income countries and 36 (37%) of 98 middle-income countries will reach the Chatham House goal of 5% of gross domestic product consisting of government health spending. Despite remarkable health gains, past health financing trends and relationships suggest that many low-income and lower-middle-income countries will not meet internationally set health spending targets and that spending gaps between low-income and high-income countries are unlikely to narrow unless substantive policy interventions occur. Although gains in health system efficiency can be used to make progress, current trends suggest that meaningful increases in health system resources will require concerted action. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Public perception of hazardousness caused by current trends of municipal solid waste management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Al-Khatib, Issam A., E-mail: ikhatib@birzeit.edu; Kontogianni, Stamatia; Abu Nabaa, Hendya

Highlights: • Contribution to the scientific literature by examining the relationship between concern for the environment and waste disposal in the frame of household waste treatment mechanism specifically in developing countries. • The awareness of the citizens satisfaction level and the local existing capacities in developing countries significantly contribute to decision making on MSW management sustainability in Palestine and other developing countries when applied. • Identification of the differences and similarities among DC resulting to failures or success in WM field. - Abstract: Municipal solid waste (MSW) piling up is becoming a serious problem in all developing countries (DC) asmore » a result of inequitable waste collection and treatment. Citizens’ collaboration is partly based on understanding their views and their active involvement in MSW planning; on the other hand the assessment of the perception of hazardousness related with MSW is considered rather important as well since the identification of the weak points of the applied MWM strategy is eased and the level of required training is determined. Researchers implemented a case study in the West Bank (WB) and Gaza Strip (GS) regions of Palestine, taking into consideration previous researches in other developing countries. They reached to safe and useful conclusions regarding the parameters which mean the greatest in the waste management field as far as DC are concerned. Lack of skilled manpower, irregular collection services, inadequate equipment used for waste collection, inadequate legal provisions, and resource constraints are additional factors that are confirmed to be challenging the waste management scenarios in all DCs today. The research takes those factors under consideration but focuses on the educational gap and the results revealed interesting trends a significant relationship between respondent’s educational attainment and their awareness of hazardous waste (hazard perception); the results will indicate the measure taking required to avoid accidents occurred in those regions (burns from toxics, cuts from sharps, etc). National policy and legislation development based on the research outcomes will ensure equitable and accessible services are in place in order to move towards a healthier environment. Specialized health education and training programs on national scale are also needed to enhance awareness on hazardous waste.« less

The World Health Channel: an innovation for health and development.

PubMed

McConnell, Harry; Haile-Mariam, Tenagne; Rangarajan, S

2004-01-01

The issues of the digital divide and of accessing health information in areas of greatest need has been addressed by many. It has been a key component of the discussion of the World Summit for the Information Society and also the focus of an important new initiative, the Global Review for Health Information. Only approximately 1 in 700 people in Africa have internet access compared to a rate worldwide of approximately 10%. Access to essential health information and knowledge management for health care has been deemed a priority for the development of health systems and for the care of patients in areas with limited resources, prompting recent efforts by international organisations and by both governmental and non-governmental agencies (see Godlee et al, 2004 and McConnell, 2004). Health care in developing countries can be limited by many different resources: lack of health care workers with sufficient training, lack of diagnostic equipment, lack of treatment facilities or essential pharmaceuticals; and lack of education or expertise in many relevant areas. Much of the health care done in developing countries is by local lay persons or practitioners or by volunteers working with a variety of NGOs. These volunteers are often very dedicated young people with a vision of health-for-all that is often frustrated in the limited time they are able to spend in these areas and further constrained by meager resources (including availability of appropriate information). The availability of medical expertise and consultation depends largely on the geographical location of the health practitioner and of the patient as well as the level of integration with local practitioners and extent of outside agency involvement. Futhermore, there are often many NGOs working simultaneously on similar projects in the same region without knowledge of each other's activities. Often this occurs simply because a lack of communication exists between organisations, resulting in unnecessary duplication of effort. The availability of medical expertise and consultation depends largely on the geographical location of the health practitioner and of the patient as well as the level of integration with local practitioners and extent of outside agency involvement. The health care worker in developing countries is frequently faced with a paucity of information appropriate to the clinical situations on hand as well as a lack of locally available expertise. The lack of access to health care and other vital resources is one factor in the much lower (by approximately 1/3) life expectancy in the least developed countries campared to industrialised nations. In many developing countries there is only one doctor for 5-10,00 people, compared to a ratio of 1:200 in many developed countries. Textbooks, if they exist, may be 10-20 years out of date and are often directed more at the needs of developed countries. There is thus a growing need for wider availability of training and information on health care in developing countries and support for health care workers. There is also a need for increased communication and collaboration between governmental and non-governmental organisations working in international health to share education, resources and to coordinate efforts in areas supporting improved health care delivery. In recognition of this, the Institute for Sustainable Health Education and Development (www.ished.org) is launching the World Health Channel (WHC) in the spring of 2005 in collaboration with WorldSpace. This will allow access to critical health information in developing countries and place the emphasis on issues important for clinical care for front line health workers in these areas.

External Quality Control for Dried Blood Spot Based C-reactive Protein Assay: Experience from the Indonesia Family Life Survey and the Longitudinal Aging Study in India

PubMed Central

Hu, Peifeng; Herningtyas, Elizabeth H.; Kale, Varsha; Crimmins, Eileen M.; Risbud, Arun R.; McCreath, Heather; Lee, Jinkook; Strauss, John; O’Brien, Jennifer C.; Bloom, David E.; Seeman, Teresa E.

2015-01-01

Measurement of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, in dried blood spots has been increasingly incorporated in community-based social surveys internationally. Although the dried blood spot based CRP assay protocol has been validated in the United States, it remains unclear whether laboratories in other less developed countries can generate C-reactive protein results of similar quality. We therefore conducted external quality monitoring for dried blood spot based C-reactive protein measurement for the Indonesia Family Life Survey and the Longitudinal Aging Study in India. Our results show that dried blood spot based C-reactive protein results in these two countries have excellent and consistent correlations with serum-based values and dried blood spot based results from the reference laboratory in the United States. Even though the results from duplicate samples may have fluctuations in absolute values over time, the relative order of C-reactive protein levels remains similar and the estimates are reasonably precise for population-based studies that investigate the association between socioeconomic factors and health. PMID:25879265

The DALY, context and the determinants of the severity of disease: an exploratory comparison of paraplegia in Australia and Cameroon.

PubMed

Allotey, Pascale; Reidpath, Daniel; Kouamé, Aka; Cummins, Robert

2003-09-01

This paper summarises the findings of an empirical investigation of some of the technical and social assumptions on which the disability adjusted life year (DALY) is based. The objectives of the study were to examine the notion that the burden of disease is broadly similar without regard to country, environment, gender or socio-economic status and to develop detailed descriptions of the experiences of the burden of disease as they related to these contextual factors. The study was a multi-factorial exploratory study employing qualitative and quantitative techniques to obtain data on the effects of country (development), environment (urban versus rural), gender and socio-economic status on people with paraplegia. The data provided an extensive and detailed compilation of context rich descriptions of living with paraplegia. Striking features of the data were the differences between countries with respect to the impact of the health conditions on functioning and highlight a context in which paraplegia of like clinical severity can be fatal in one environment and not in another. While there has been some focus on the control of social determinants of disease, there has been little work on the social determinants of the severity of disease. The underlying assumptions of the DALY, which ignore context in the assessment of the burden of disease, risk exacerbating inequalities by undervaluing the burden of disease in less-developed countries. There is a need to continue to subject the development of indicators to rigorous debate to determine a balance between the assumption of a global "average social milieu" and the treatment of each individual as belonging to their own context in the assessment of population health in order for indicators to be meaningful cross-culturally.

Measuring the quality of child health care at first-level facilities.

PubMed

Gouws, Eleanor; Bryce, Jennifer; Pariyo, George; Armstrong Schellenberg, Joanna; Amaral, João; Habicht, Jean-Pierre

2005-08-01

Sound policy and program decisions require timely information based on valid and relevant measures. Recent findings suggest that despite the availability of effective and affordable guidelines for the management of sick children in first-level health facilities in developing countries, the quality and coverage of these services remains low. We report on the development and evaluation of a set of summary indices reflecting the quality of care received by sick children in first-level facilities. The indices were first developed through a consultative process to achieve face validity by involving technical experts and policymakers. The definition of evaluation measures for many public health programs stops at this point. We added a second phase in which standard statistical techniques were used to evaluate the content and construct validity of the indices and their reliability, drawing on data sets from the multi-country evaluation of integrated management of childhood illness (MCE) in Brazil, Tanzania and Uganda. The statistical evaluation identified important conceptual errors in the indices arising from the theory-driven expert review. The experts had combined items into inappropriate indicators resulting in summary indices that were difficult to interpret and had limited validity for program decision making. We propose a revised set of summary indices for the measurement of child health care in developing countries that is supported by both expert and statistical reviews and that led to similar programmatic insights across the three countries. We advocate increased cross-disciplinary research within public health to improve measurement approaches. Child survival policymakers, program planners and implementers can use these tools to improve their monitoring and so increase the health impact of investments in health facility care.

Follow-up methods for retrospective cohort studies in New Zealand.

PubMed

Fawcett, Jackie; Garrett, Nick; Bates, Michael N

2002-01-01

To define a general methodology for maximising the success of follow-up processes for retrospective cohort studies in New Zealand, and to illustrate an approach to developing country-specific follow-up methodologies. We recently conducted a cohort study of mortality and cancer incidence in New Zealand professional fire fighters. A number of methods were used to trace vital status, including matching with records of the New Zealand Health Information Service (NZHIS), pension records of Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ), and electronic electoral rolls. Non-electronic methods included use of paper electoral rolls and the records of the Registrar of Births Deaths and Marriages. 95% of the theoretical person-years of follow-up of the cohort were traced using these methods. In terms of numbers of cohort members traced to end of follow-up, the most useful tracing methods were fire fighter employment records, the NZHIS, WINZ, and the electronic electoral rolls. The follow-up process used for the cohort study was highly successful. On the basis of this experience, we propose a generic, but flexible, model for follow-up of retrospective cohort studies in New Zealand. Similar models could be constructed for other countries. Successful follow-up of cohort studies is possible in New Zealand using established methods. This should encourage the use of cohort studies for the investigation of epidemiological issues. Similar models for follow-up processes could be constructed for other countries.

Importance Placed on Managerial Leadership Competencies across Countries: What Managers Need to Know

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kowske, Brenda J.; Anthony, Kshanika

2005-01-01

This study examines the importance placed on managerial competencies across countries. A partial replication of work done 5 years ago, this research demonstrated that various countries' managers have changed the emphasis placed on some managerial competencies. Overall, results showed that many managerial competencies have similar amounts of…

Corruption in Higher Education: Causes, Consequences, Reforms. The Case of Georgia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orkodashvili, Mariam

2009-01-01

Certain cases from any single country might provide examples for consideration of corruption issues for other countries or regions. Corruption cases and the strategies of fighting them in Georgian flagship universities might be noteworthy and useful for other countries facing similar problems. The paper discusses the features of corruption in…

The changing context of Western European healthcare systems: convergence versus divergence in nursing problematics.

PubMed

Spitzer, Ada; Camus, Didier; Desaulles, Cécile; Kuhne, Nicolas

2006-10-01

Many countries reorganizing their health services are drawn toward similar reform programs and tend to experience what seem to be similar problems relating to implementation outcomes. One such problem is the major crisis within the nursing profession relating to the labor market, working conditions and level of autonomy. This research examines the thesis that the profile of nursing problems is global (the 'convergence' thesis) by comparing the changing hospital contexts nursing has been confronting in 20 Western European countries between 1990 and 2001. The analysis indicates that in spite of growing convergence, the divergence in patient care processes, workforce composition and resources allocated for care is still rather remarkable and that similarity or divergence between countries changes over time. This contextual variability highlights why problems such as the crisis of the nursing profession must be analysed from a divergent rather than a convergent perspective.

Paved with Good Intentions? China’s Regional Road and Rail Connections

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-12-01

reasons similar to those of China, is also developing RRCs with Southeast Asian countries. Some analysts view Chinese and Indian RRC activity in Southeast...Asia (and Burma in particular) as evidence of emerging Sino- Indian geopolitical competition; others note the prospect of cooperation between the two...Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean decreases Chinese vulnerability to closure, disruption or inter- diction of

From Soft Power to Economic Diplomacy? A Comparison of the Changing Rationales and Roles of the U. S. and Canadian Federal Governments in International Education. Research & Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.2.15

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trilokekar, Roopa Desai

2015-01-01

Through a historical and comparative analysis of international education policy development in Canada and the U.S., this paper will map the similarities and differences in the two countries. It will highlight the contributions and challenges of the government's involvement in international education (IE) in the two federal states and in…

Future issues including broadening the scope of the GLP principles.

PubMed

Liem, Francisca E; Lehr, Mark J

2008-01-01

When the principles of good laboratory practice (GLP) were drafted in 1982 by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) the electronic era was in its infant stages and many of the issues surrounding what may affect the environment and human health was not expected. Today, advances in technology for capturing and recording data for the reconstruction of a study are available and are being developed operating at speeds which could not have been known or understood in years past. Since that time, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has required the conduct of additional studies in support of a pesticide registration in accordance with the GLP regulations. However, not all of these studies are required in other countries or may not require adherence to the principles of GLP. Companies are using computer models as virtual studies instead of inlife or bench type regulated research. Studies are often conducted at institutions of higher learning because of the academic expertise they offer. What is the overall impact advancing technology has on the principles of GLP? Are monitoring authorities (MAs) ready? The medical products field faces similar issues. Development and testing of these products and devices is being conducted similar to development and testing in the pesticide arena. To garner trust in mutual acceptance of data, each participating country must adhere to practices that ensure the highest standards of quality and integrity. The GLP inspector will need to have a good understanding of the science supporting the study conduct and the electronic systems that generate process and maintain study records.

Sustainability on the urban scale: Proposal of a structure of indicators for the Spanish context

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Braulio-Gonzalo, Marta, E-mail: braulio@uji.es; Bovea, María Dolores, E-mail: bovea@uji.es; Ruá, María José, E-mail: rua@uji.es

Some efforts to assess sustainability on the urban scale have been made and different tools for measuring the impact on and caused by cities have emerged. However, the sustainability concept varies from region to region, and indicators to measure it should be suitable for the context-specific conditions of the region under study. After doing a comprehensive review of the indicators included in 13 tools developed to assess urban sustainability of cities, this article proposes a new structure of indicators adapted to a Mediterranean city in Spain. The proposed structure is based on a two-level scheme that consists in 14 categoriesmore » and 63 subcategories, which agglutinate urban sustainability indicators according to their purpose. This structure suggests a set of comprehensible qualitative and quantitative indicators that are easily applicable on neighbourhood or city scales. Given the similar features of Mediterranean countries in terms of environmental and socio-economic aspects, the proposed structure could be extrapolated to other countries with climatic and cultural similarities. Otherwise, the system is a useful tool in the decision-making process to help the different stakeholders involved in new urban developments and regeneration projects in existing neighbourhoods, such as developers, urban planners and public administrations. - Highlights: • Comprehensive review of 13 urban sustainability assessment tools • Proposal of a two-level structure to cluster urban sustainability indicators • Inclusion of sustainability criteria for urban planning projects and interventions.« less

Hunger influenced life expectancy in war-torn Sub-Saharan African countries.

PubMed

Uchendu, Florence N

2018-04-27

Malnutrition is a global public health problem especially in developing countries experiencing war/conflicts. War might be one of the socio-political factors influencing malnutrition in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. This study aims at determining the influence of war on corruption, population (POP), number of population malnourished (NPU), food security and life expectancy (LE) in war-torn SSA countries (WTSSA) by comparing their malnutrition indicators. Fourteen countries in WTSSA were stratified into zones according to war incidences. Countries' secondary data on population (POP), NPU, Food Security Index (FSI), corruption perceptions index (CPI), Global Hunger Index (GHI) and LE were obtained from global published data. T test, multivariate and Pearson correlation analyses were performed to determine the relationship between CPI, POP, GHI, FSI, NPU, male LE (MLE) and female LE (FLE) in WTSSA at p < .05. Data were presented in tables, means, standard deviation and percentages. Mean NPU, CPI, GHI, POP, FSI, MLE and FLE in WTSSA were 5.0 million, 28.3%, 18.2%, 33.8 million, 30.8%, 54.7 years and 57.1 years, respectively. GHI significantly influenced LE in both male and female POP in WTSSA. NPU, CPI, FSI, GHI and FLE were not significantly different according to zones except in MLE. Malnutrition indicators were similarly affected in WTSSA. Hunger influenced life expectancy. Policies promoting good governance, equity, peaceful co-existence, respect for human right and adequate food supply will aid malnutrition eradication and prevent war occurrences in Sub-Saharan African countries.

Diabetes mellitus prevalence is increasing in South Asians but is stable in Chinese living in Singapore and Mauritius.

PubMed

Tan, Kristin H X; Barr, Elizabeth L M; Koshkina, Vira; Ma, Stefan; Kowlessur, Sudhir; Magliano, Dianna J; Söderberg, Stefan; Chia, Kee Seng; Zimmet, Paul; Lim, Wei-Yen

2017-09-01

Asia is experiencing a type 2 diabetes epidemic, but prevalence differs by ethnicity and level of socioeconomic development. Singapore and Mauritius have implemented comprehensive campaigns to address this public health problem. We compared diabetes and obesity prevalence trends among Chinese and South Asians living in Singapore and Mauritius to determine the contribution of ethnicity and economic development to diabetes. Age-specific data from serial national population-based surveys in Singapore and Mauritius between 1987 and 2010 were used to estimate age-standardized diabetes and obesity prevalence. Modified Breslow-Cox proportional hazard models were used to obtain rate ratios for diabetes risk factors. In Singapore, the age-standardized prevalence of diabetes remained stable for Chinese (men: 14% in 1992, 13% in 2010; women: 12% in 1992, 10% in 2010), but increases were observed for South Asians (men: 20% in 1992, 26% in 2010; women: 18% in 1992, 20% in 2010). There were similar patterns in Mauritius. In both countries, obesity prevalence trends were stable for Chinese women, but increased for Chinese men and South Asians. Associations between obesity and diabetes were stronger in Chinese than South Asians regardless of country. Despite different socioeconomic settings in Singapore and Mauritius, we observed rising diabetes prevalence among South Asians but stable prevalence in Chinese in both countries. This provides further evidence that ethnicity contributes to the development of diabetes, and that there should be an increased emphasis on future prevention strategies targeting South Asian populations in these countries. © 2016 Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Prevalence of childhood asthma in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in 2009.

PubMed

Yoshihara, Shigemi; Munkhbayarlakh, Sonomjants; Makino, Sohei; Ito, Clyde; Logii, Narantsetseg; Dashdemberel, Sarangerel; Sagara, Hironori; Fukuda, Takeshi; Arisaka, Osamu

2016-01-01

Bronchial asthma is a common but important chronic disease in children in all over the world. To take measures against prevalence of childhood asthma, many researchers have surveyed the actual statuses of childhood asthma in developed countries, but in most Asia-Pacific developing countries including Mongolia such surveys have never been sufficiently conducted until now. We have thought that this survey, though performed in 2009, will give important and meaningful information even now in taking measures to prevent prevailing bronchial asthma in children in Mongolia or the countries under similar statuses. The asthma prevalence and patient background information in Mongolian children aged 6-7 living in Ulaanbaatar were examined using a written questionnaire modified for their parents from that prepared by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). The estimated prevalence of asthma in Mongolian children was 20.9%. The following 3 risk factors were found to be related to asthma: (1) having allergic rhinitis symptoms, (2) mothers' smoking, and (3) history of severe respiratory infection before 1-year-old. The asthma prevalence in Mongolian children was higher than that in the world and Asia-Pacific countries reported by ISAAC. The higher prevalence was probably attributable to households' (especially mothers) smoking in draft-free houses designed for the cold area and severe air-pollution due to rapid industrialization and urbanization in Mongolia. Smoking prohibition in the mother (including family members) and a reduction of exposure to air pollutants are urgently needed to prevent developing childhood asthma. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Current status of solid waste management in small island developing states: A review.

PubMed

Mohee, Romeela; Mauthoor, Sumayya; Bundhoo, Zumar M A; Somaroo, Geeta; Soobhany, Nuhaa; Gunasee, Sanjana

2015-09-01

This article reviews the current status of waste management in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the challenges that are faced in solid waste management. The waste generation rates of SIDS were compared within the three geographic regions namely Caribbean SIDS, Pacific SIDS and Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and South China (AIMS) SIDS and with countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). Only Pacific SIDS had a waste generation rate less than 1kg/capita/day. The waste generation rates for the three SIDS regions averaged 1.29kg/capita/day while that for OECD countries was at a mean value of 1.35kg/capita/day. The waste compositions in the different SIDS regions were almost similar owing to comparable consumption patterns while these differed to a large extent with wastes generated in OECD countries. In SIDS, the major fraction of MSW comprised of organics (44%) followed by recyclables namely paper, plastics, glass and metals (total: 43%). In contrast, MSW in OECD countries consisted mainly of recyclables (43%) followed by organics (37%). This article also reviewed the other functional elements of the waste management systems in SIDS. Several shortcomings were noted in the process of waste collection, transfer and transport namely the fact of having outdated collection vehicles and narrow roads which are inaccessible. Among the waste management practices in SIDS, waste disposal via landfilling, illegal dumping and backyard burning were favoured most of the time at the expense of sustainable waste treatment technologies such as composting, anaerobic digestion and recycling. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing capacity-building activities for mental health system strengthening in low- and middle-income countries for service users and caregivers, service planners, and researchers.

PubMed

Semrau, M; Alem, A; Abdulmalik, J; Docrat, S; Evans-Lacko, S; Gureje, O; Kigozi, F; Lempp, H; Lund, C; Petersen, I; Shidhaye, R; Thornicroft, G; Hanlon, C

2018-02-01

There is increasing international recognition of the need to build capacity to strengthen mental health systems. This is a fundamental goal of the 'Emerging mental health systems in low- and middle-income countries' (Emerald) programme, which is being implemented in six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) (Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda). This paper discusses Emerald's capacity-building approaches and outputs for three target groups in mental health system strengthening: (1) mental health service users and caregivers, (2) service planners and policy-makers, and (3) mental health researchers. When planning the capacity-building activities, the approach taken included a capabilities/skills matrix, needs assessments, a situational analysis, systematic reviews, qualitative interviews and stakeholder meetings, as well as the application of previous theory, evidence and experience. Each of the Emerald LMIC partners was found to have strengths in aspects of mental health system strengthening, which were complementary across the consortium. Furthermore, despite similarities across the countries, capacity-building interventions needed to be tailored to suit the specific needs of individual countries. The capacity-building outputs include three publicly and freely available short courses/workshops in mental health system strengthening for each of the target groups, 27 Masters-level modules (also open access), nine Emerald-linked PhD students, two MSc studentships, mentoring of post-doctoral/mid-level researchers, and ongoing collaboration and dialogue with the three groups. The approach taken by Emerald can provide a potential model for the development of capacity-building activities across the three target groups in LMICs.

Reconciliation of international administrative coding systems for comparison of colorectal surgery outcome.

PubMed

Munasinghe, A; Chang, D; Mamidanna, R; Middleton, S; Joy, M; Penninckx, F; Darzi, A; Livingston, E; Faiz, O

2014-07-01

Significant variation in colorectal surgery outcomes exists between different countries. Better understanding of the sources of variable outcomes using administrative data requires alignment of differing clinical coding systems. We aimed to map similar diagnoses and procedures across administrative coding systems used in different countries. Administrative data were collected in a central database as part of the Global Comparators (GC) Project. In order to unify these data, a systematic translation of diagnostic and procedural codes was undertaken. Codes for colorectal diagnoses, resections, operative complications and reoperative interventions were mapped across the respective national healthcare administrative coding systems. Discharge data from January 2006 to June 2011 for patients who had undergone colorectal surgical resections were analysed to generate risk-adjusted models for mortality, length of stay, readmissions and reoperations. In all, 52 544 case records were collated from 31 institutions in five countries. Mapping of all the coding systems was achieved so that diagnosis and procedures from the participant countries could be compared. Using the aligned coding systems to develop risk-adjusted models, the 30-day mortality rate for colorectal surgery was 3.95% (95% CI 0.86-7.54), the 30-day readmission rate was 11.05% (5.67-17.61), the 28-day reoperation rate was 6.13% (3.68-9.66) and the mean length of stay was 14 (7.65-46.76) days. The linkage of international hospital administrative data that we developed enabled comparison of documented surgical outcomes between countries. This methodology may facilitate international benchmarking. Colorectal Disease © 2014 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.