Corruption Forms and Heath Care Provision in Douala Metropolis Public Hospitals of Cameroon

Abstract. This study analyzes and highlights the most practised forms of corruption in public hospitals of Douala metropolis in Cameroon, namely corruption with theft and that without theft. The results of our analyzes show a predominance of the form without theft, this regardless of the hospital, and this allowed us to classify hospitals based on the dominant form. It appears that the General and Deido Hospitals are health facilities where corruption without theft is the least and the most practiced respectively, while the Cité des Palmiers and New Bell hospitals are those where corruption with theft is the least and the most practiced. An estimate through odds ratios revealed for instance that the odds would be about 5.46 times higher that the form without theft is not practiced at the General hospital compared to other hospitals, and about 11.11 times that it is practiced at Deido hospital compared  to all hospitals.Keywords. Corruption forms, Health system, Odds ratio, Cameroon.JEL. I10, I14, I15

Corruption and discrimination in Douala metropolis public hospitals of Cameroon

Abstract. The problem that arises is how the State official in a monopoly situation maximizes the value of bribes collected, by selling public services to users? To answer this question, we show that the State agent in a monopoly situation can discriminate users according to their characteristics in order to collect more possible bribes. The Shleifer and Vishny’ simple monopoly model is therefore limited. The survey of patients of nine public hospitals in Douala revealed the existence of two forms of corruption at consultation: corruption without theft and corruption with theft. An evaluation of maximizing the earnings of medical doctors using odds ratios, showed that in the pursuit of these gains and whatever the form of corruption practiced, the State agent plays not only on amounts of bribes paid, but also on users’ characteristics. However, for amounts between 3,000 FCFA and 5,000 FCFA, our results revealed that the doctor will tend to practice the form of corruption without theft on men, the wealthiest, the learned and the old where he/she would draw the greatest possible gain.Keywords. Corruption with and without theft, Discrimination at first degree, Health system, Odds ratios, Cameroon.JEL. D40, I10, I14, I15

Corruption and health care provision: An extension of the Shleifer and Vishny’ Model

Abstract. The problem that arises is how the State official in a monopoly situation maximizes the value of bribes collected, by selling public services to users? To answer this question, we show first that in the case of health care provision, the Shleifer and Vishny’ simple monopoly model which highlights two forms of corruption (with theft and without theft) is limited insofar as it underestimates not only the value of bribes likely to be collected, but also the loss of income that corrupt practices cause to public services. Our model rather reveals that the State agent in a monopoly situation can discriminate users according to their characteristics in order to collect more possible bribes. Indeed, our model shows that when a medical doctor maximizes its earnings and whatever the form of corruption practiced, he plays not only on amounts of bribes paid and a part of the official price, but also on users’ characteristics. However, for some amounts the State agent will tend to practice the form of corruption without theft on certain users’ characteristics where he/she would draw the greatest possible gain.Keywords. Corruption with and without theft, Discrimination at first degree, Lerner`s index, Profit-sharing scheme, Health system.JEL. D40, I10, I14, I15

Bribery game in government secondary schools in Cameroon: An empirical investigation of Banfield’s model

Abstract. This paper analyzes the influence of bribery on the evaluation of students at the entrance and at the outlet of Government Secondary Schools (GSS) in Cameroon using the BANFIELD’s model. The empirical evidence reveals that there is bribery at the entrance and at the outlet in GSS. So, students can be registered or pass an exam thanks to “gombo”. The couples (student, teacher) and (student, secretary), respectively at the entrance and the outlet, are corrupt at a significant threshold of 5% and a P-value of 0%. In the first case corruption highlights that students are victims of adverse- selection and the principal of the school is victim of moral hazard. In the second, it suggests that the principal is not only victim of moral risk but also of adverse selection.Keywords. Bribery, Government secondary schools, Banfield’s model, Adverse selection, Moral hazard.JEL. B52, F55, O17, O31, O33, O35, O43, P10, P14, P48

Improving the management of dairy production systems in Cameroon

This work was carried out with the objective of improving dairy farms in Cameroon using an integrated method. Research done in the area on milk production in the country was reviewed. A participatory rural appraisal was conducted in dairy farms of the North West Region of Cameroon. An economic opportunity survey was carried out on 61 dairy farms in the same region. Interventions aimed at solving main constraints were planned. An on-farm study on the effect of feed supplementation before calving on milk production, ovarian activity and calf growth of Holstein, indigenous Red Fulani cows and their crosses was conducted. Corresponding blood samples were analyzed using ELISA Progesterone kits. Animal health studies involved screening for Brucella abortus antibodies in 21 villages by ELISA. Partial budgeting was used to evaluate the financial impact of interventions. Results show that five small scale dairy production systems are found in the region: transhumance, improved extensive, semi intensive, zero grazing and peri-urban. Main constraints to dairy production include in order of importance: poor marketing opportunities and long distances to market, limited grazing land and poor supplementation of cattle, limited health control, inadequate knowledge in processing, conservation and storage of milk, poor 19 reproductive management and prolonged calving interval, lack of water in the dry season, poor housing, poor organization of group, limited number of dairy cows and poor record keeping. Milk production per cow on-one-day and average calf production interval account for the greater part of economic opportunity. A human progesterone ELISA kit was validated for use in cattle. Brucella screening showed a general seroprevalence of 8.4%. It is recommended that infected cattle should be slaughtered. A specific control programme should be organized and an effort should be made to determine the causes of the spread of brucellosis. A regular Brucella testing should be instituted. Farmers adopting interventions had returns of 193 and 232% without and with opportunity costs proving the positive impact of interventions using the integrated method. These interventions need to be spread to more farms in the country. The integrated method was proven to be effective in ensuring improvement of dairy systems in Cameroon. This method needs to be adopted for further dairy production improvement by the creation of multidisciplinary intervention teams and the training of integrated intervention specialists in the dairy sector. Copyright 2009, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Bayemi Pougue, HD 2009, Improving the management of dairy production systems in Cameroon, PhD thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd D629/agThesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009.Animal and Wildlife Sciencesunrestricte

Bribery in Cameroonian Public Hospitals: Who Pays and How Much?

This paper deeply analyzes the characteristics of corrupters during consultation in the Douala public hospitals, as well as the amounts of bribe they pay. A survey of patients in these hospitals reveals that the majority of bribes paid during consultation is between 1,000 and 3,000 CFA Francs, interval which corresponds to the 25th and 75th percentile of the amounts of bribe paid respectively. Our estimates indicate that for the amounts of bribe paid falling within this interval, it appears that the rich, the women, the older and the more educated are more likely to corrupt practices. However, when such amounts are set outside of that interval, the amounts of bribe paid and the characteristics of corrupters are no more the same as before. This contradicts for instance to some extent some theoretical results that do not include the setting of the level of bribe. It finally emerges from our analysis that with regard to each of the characteristics highlighted, correspond specific amounts of bribe paid, which are related to the socio-professional and socio-demographic categories of patients. In particular, senior staffs and business men / contractors would be most likely to pay bribes, whatever the amount

Interaction between Trypanosoma brucei and Haemonchus contortus infection in West African Dwarf Goats

In order to investigate the immunomodulatory influence of concurrent T. brucei and H. contortus infection in West African Dwarf (WAD) goats, 28 infected and 7 uninfected (control) of 8-9 months old male WAD goats were studied. The infected goats were separated into resistant (Class 1) and susceptible (Class 2) Faecal Eggs Count (FEC) phenotypes. They were infected with 3000 infective larvae (L3) of H. contortus and 5 x 106 T. brucei. Another group of these phenotypes received only the H. contortus challenge. The responses were measured by parasitological response through FEC and Worm Burden (WB), and by host immune response through IgG levels. Class 2 animals with or without T. brucei infection exhibited non-significant (P > 0.05) higher FEC compared to those of Class 1. Worm burdens were not significantly different between FEC classes but were different (P=0.038) in relation to T. brucei infection. There was an overall increase in worm burdens of T. brucei infected goats, more pronounced in Class 2 than in Class 1. There was a significant upward drift of antibody levels with time across all groups without significant interactions. However, there was a significant effect of FEC Class (P=0.017) and trypanosome infection (P=0.041) with no significant interaction. Animals in Class 1 had generally higher antibody levels than those in Class 2, irrespective of T. brucei infection. Infection status had a highly significant (P=0.0001) effect on IgG. H. contortus only infected goats had the highest antibody levels and trypanosome infection reduced this response, irrespective of FEC phenotype. There was a highly significant (P=0.001) positive correlation (r = +0.719) between FEC and total worm counts. This work showed that the two response phenotypes identified in earlier immunizing infections were still clearly recognizable following homologous challenge and dual infections. This suggests that under field conditions where repeated H. contortus challenge occurs and trypanosomosis is endemic, the phenotypes could remain unchanged.© 2016 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Haemoparasite, Gastrointestinal parasite, concurrent infection, immune response, domestic animal

Effect of cow parity and synchronization method with PGF2α on conception rates of Bos indicus cows in Cameroon

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of two synchronization methods with prostaglandins F2α (PGF2α) on heifers and multiparous cows. Fourty-three Bos indicus cows (white and Red Fulani) were divided into four groups in a two-by-two factorial structure, parity x method of synchronization. The synchronization methods consisted of a two-dose regime which involved injection of animals on day 0 with PGF2α (Lutalyse) at 5 ml per cow intramuscularly. On day 11, the injection was repeated at the same dosage. On day 14 (72 h after the second injection), a fixed-time artificial insemination (AI) was done. On day 15 (96 h after the second injection), a second insemination was done. The one-and-a-half-dose regime consisted of an injection similar to the first treatment mentioned above on day 0. Thereafter, cows were observed for heat, and anyone showing heat was inseminated. A second dose was given on day 11 to all animals not having shown any heat. A fixed-time AI was done on days 14 and 15. Blood samples were collected on the day 0 of insemination for each cow while day 11 and day 21 after insemination. Progesterone was analysed by means of standard ELISA progesterone kits to determine its profiles after insemination. Results show no evidence of the effect of treatments on conception rates (P>0.05). Similarly, heifers and multiparous cows had similar conception rates (P>0.05). Between 3 weeks and 3 months of pregnancy, there was a loss of embryos of 28 % in heifers and 20 % in multiparous cows, but the difference between the two groups was not significant (P>0.05). It recommended that farmers do not synchronize animals with poor body condition score (BCS). They should also monitor weight gains of heifers, remove them from the herd when they have been mixed with young growing bulls and put them in a breeding herd. The two-dose regime is better to be used in areas where the inseminator cannot easily be available.http://link.springer.com/journal/112502016-01-31hb201

Brucellosis in West and Central Africa: A review of the current situation in a changing landscape of dairy cattle systems

Brucellosis is a neglected endemic zoonosis in West and Central Africa. In this narrative review, evidence of livestock and human infection is presented along with details of past and current control strategies in 14 selected countries. Data from available literature is combined with expert opinion elicited during a regional workshop on brucellosis diagnostics. Demographic changes that affect both the epidemiology of brucellosis and the success of control or surveillance are also considered. The evidence suggests that brucellosis prevalence in emerging peri-urban dairy cattle systems may be higher than that found in traditional transhumant extensive systems. Accurate microbiological and epidemiological evidence across the region is lacking but it appears there is inherent interest in controlling the disease. There are many data gaps which require collaborative future research to evaluate fully the social and economic impact of the disease in an evolving livestock sector heavily influenced by high rates of urbanisation and regional population growth

Effect of pre-partum feed supplementation on post-partum ovarian activity, milk production and calf growth of small holder dairy cattle in Cameroon

Seventy-two cows were selected for an on-farm study on the effect of feed supplementation before calving on milk production, ovarian activity and calf growth of Holstein, indigenous Red Fulani cows and their crosses. Prepartum feed supplementation was done using cotton seed cake (80 %), maize (18 %), bone meal (1 %) and kitchen salt (1 % NaCl). Supplementation levels consisted of a low supplementation fed at 1 kg per animal per day and high supplementation fed at 2 kg per animal per day. In addition, Red Fulani cows received the supplements in two different ways namely a prepartum supplementation consisting of 1 kg per cow per day and pre- and post-partum supplementation consisting of 1 kg per cow per day before calving and 1 kg per cow per day postpartum up to 30 days after calving. Blood samples were analysed using ELISA Progesterone kits to determine the length of post-partum anoestrus. Results show that prepartum levels of feeding did not have any effect (P>0.05) on body condition score (BCS) at 12 weeks after calving, calf birth weight, average daily weight gain of calves, milk production and post-partum anoestrus. High BCS at calving was shown to influence BCS at 12 weeks of lactation. Holstein cows had bigger calves (P<0.01) at birth (45 kg) compared to traditional cows (36 kg) and crosses (34 kg). There was little benefit of pre-partum supplementation on the parameters investigated in this study. Consequently, low income farmers are advised to concentrate their efforts of supplementation early in lactation.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the African Development Bank.http://link.springer.com/journal/112502015-10-30hj201