Market failures and government failures in West Africa: Which strategies for the future?

Structuralism and orthodox economics failed to help African countries overcome their backwardness because these countries lack efficient institutions and have not reached the critical value of human capital beyond which an economy generates self-sustaining development. These findings legitimized the following propositions: because development requires a strong mobilization capacity, African governments should decentralize to levels where loyalty and transparency are high. Since decentralization merely facilitates consensus on basic principles but does not affect the quality of goods produced and the competitiviness of an economy, it must be supplemented by a sufficient stock of knowledge that can adapt and master advanced technologies

МЕТОДОЛОГІЧНІ МОЖЛИВОСТІ ДОСВІДУ ТРАНСГУМАНІТАРНОСТІ В ДИДАКТИЧНО-ОСВІТНІЙ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ. (Methodological possibilities of the experience of transhumantarish in the didactic-educational activity)

Стаття присвячена розгляду методологічного потенціалу концепту трансгуманітарності, який передбачає розгляд не лише феномена людини в реаліях сьогодення, але й середовища, створеного людиною, особливостей її діяльності та існування. Наголошується на евристичному потенціалі досвіду трансгуманітарності в осмисленні характеру та спрямованості трансформацій, що відбуваються в освітній сфері. Акцентується увага на необхідності зміни гуманітарної парадигми на трансгуманітарну в дидактично-освітній діяльності. (This article is dedicated to the analysis of methodological potential of the concept of transhumantarish, which foresees the analysis not only the phenomena of a human in the realities of our time, but also the environmrnt, which was creatcol by a human, peculiarities of its activity and existence. Transhumanitarity foresees the changes in scientific perception, it reflects all cultural practices, connected with the human world, where the inner potential of personal "I" is realized. Concept of transhumanitarity comes from centrical understanding of a person, her position in the world and personal nature. It orients educational process to the necessity of searching and creation by a person the social requirements in all identical and cultural forms. Attention is accented to the circumstances that formation and development of transhumanitarity as a new humanitarian direction is prepared by scientific-technogical and cultural development of mankind. It is stressed on the problem of the evristic potential of the experience, transhumantarism in the comprehension of the character and the direction of transformations, which take place in the educational sphcre. Attention is paid to the necessity of changing the humanistic paradigm for the transhumanistic in the didactic-educational activity The article proves the need and nature of innovational development of education in the modern society. Innovational part of transhumanitarity orients the didactic-educational process to the maximal development of creative qualities to the formation of great motivation of self-development of individium. Educational activity is more concentrated on the development of capability to education. It is emphasized that the accentualization on free development of the personality, creative selt-vealization is one of the educational bearings of informational epoch. Organization of educational process, educational institutions and technogies are directed to the disclosing of inner world of a person who happens to be "in the movement" (self-changing and self-formation). It is emphasized that the accentualization on free development of the personality, creative selt-vealization is one of the educational bearings of informational epoch. Stressed, that the dialogue in education is the desire to attract people to active learning of the world

Infections trypanosomiennes chez des bovins dans la zone Sud-soudanienne du Burkina Faso

Afin d'évaluer la prévalence apparente des infections trypanosomiennes et quelques facteurs de variation chez les bovins dans la zone Sud-soudanienne du Burkina Faso, 1 796 animaux répartis dans cinq provinces ont été prélevés entre 1994 et 1995, pour la recherche de trypanosomes par l'examen microscopique du buffy coat et du frottis sanguin coloré au Giemsa. Dans quatre des provinces prospectées en saison des pluies (juillet-août), la prévalence apparente a varié entre 7,6 p. 100 (intervalle de confiance : 4,9-11,3 p. 100)et 12,2 p. 100 (IC : 8,9-16,3 p. 100). Celle-ci a été de 4,9 p. 100 (IC : 2,7-8,4 p. 100) pour l'unique province où l'enquête a été effectuée en saison sèche (mars). Des facteurs de variation étudiés (province, zone d'encadrement d'élevage, phénotype animal, classe d'âge), seules la zone d'élevage et la classe d'âge semblent avoir eu un effet significatif sur la prévalence des infections chez les animaux. Une diminution en particulier de la prévalence àTrypanosoma vivax avec l'âge, alors que c'était l'inverse pour T. congolense, a été observée. L'espèce T. vivax était prédominante (64 p. 100 des infections totales), suivie par T. congolense (46,6 p. 100) et T. brucei (2,5 p. 100). Il y a eu 13 p. 100 d'infections mixtes et les infections à T. vivax étaient positivement associées à celles à T. congolense. (Résumé d'auteur

Trypanosomose animale chez les bovins dans la zone sud-soudanienne du Burkina Faso. Résultats d'une enquête sérologique

Afin d'estimer l'importance de la trypanosomose bovine dans la zone Sud-Soudanienne du Burkina Faso, 1 403 bovins ont été sélectionnés par échantillonnage aléatoire dans 18 sites d'élevage répartis dans quatre provinces et soumis à une enquête sérologique pour la détection des anticorps par le test Elisa-indirect. Les prélèvements sanguins ont été effectués entre juillet et septembre 1994 et en mars 1995. La prévalence sérologique sur l'ensemble de la zone étudiée a été évaluée à 43 ± 2,7 p. 100. Dans les provinces de la Bougouriba, du Kénédougou et du Mouhoun où l'enquête a été réalisée en saison pluvieuse (juillet à septembre 1994), les prévalences ont été évaluées respectivement à 41,7 ± 5,6 p. 100, 33,5 ± 4,4 p. 100 et 34,3 ± 5,7 p. 100. Dans la province de la Comoé où l'étude a été menée au cours de la saison sèche (mars 1995), la séroprévalence a été estimée 71 ± 4,5 p. 100. Il n'y a pas eu de relation significative entre le phénotype de l'animal et la séroprévalence observée. En revanche, la séroprévalence a augmenté significativement avec l'âge des animaux. (Résumé d'auteur

After surgery: the effects of life-saving caesarean sections in Burkina Faso

Background In African countries, caesarean sections are usually performed to save mothers and babies’ lives, sometimes in extremis and at considerable costs. Little is known about the health and lives of women once discharged after such surgery. We investigated the long-term effects of life-saving caesarean section on health, economic and social outcomes in Burkina Faso. Methods We conducted a 4 year prospective cohort study of women and their babies using mixed methods. The quantitative sample was selected in seven hospitals and included 950 women: 100 women with a caesarean section associated with near-miss complication (life-saving caesareans); 173 women with a vaginal birth associated with near-miss complication; and 677 women with uncomplicated vaginal childbirth. Structured interviews were conducted at 3 months, 6 months, 12 months and 3 and 4 years postpartum. These were supplemented by medical record data on delivery and physical examinations at 6 and 12 months postpartum. The lives and experiences of 21 women were documented ethnographically. Data were analysed with multivariable logistic regressions, using survival analysis and thematic analysis. Results The physical effects of life-saving caesareans appeared to be similar to women who had an uncomplicated childbirth, although 55 % of women with life-saving caesareans had another caesarean in their next pregnancy. The negative effects were generally economic, social and reproductive when compared to vaginal births, including increased debts (AOR = 3.91 (1.46–10.48) and sexual violence (AOR = 4.71 (1.04–21.3)) and lower fertility (AOR = 0.44 (0.24–0.80)) 4 years after life-saving caesareans. In the short and medium term, women with life-saving caesareans appeared to suffer increased psychological distress compared to uncomplicated births. They were more likely to use contraceptives (AOR = 5.95 (1.53–23.06); 3 months). Mortality of the index child was increased in both near-miss groups, independent of delivery mode. Ethnographic data suggest that these consequences are significant for Burkinabe women, whose well-being and social standing are mostly determined by their fertility, marriage strength and family links. Conclusions Life-saving caesareans have broad consequences beyond clinical sequelae. The recent policy to subsidise emergency obstetric care costs implemented in Burkina Faso should help avoid the majority of catastrophic costs, shown to be problematic for women undergoing emergency caesarean section

Alive & Thrive Evaluation in Burkina Faso: endline data

The data are the endline survey of a before-after cluster-randomised trial evaluating the Alive & Thrive programme in Burkina Faso. This was a cross-sectional household survey (N=3,367), designed to select a population-representative sample of women of reproductive age with at least one live birth in the previous 23 months living in rural areas of Boucle du Mouhoun, Burkina Faso. The dataset contains information on the following: socio-demographic characteristics of the woman & her husband; household assets; reproductive history; antenatal, delivery & postnatal care relating to the index birth; illnesses the infant has experienced in the past fortnight; initiation of breastfeeding; current infant feeding patterns (food diaries); problems/difficulties experienced relating to breastfeeding; sources of information & advice relating to infant feeding; and the woman’s knowledge of optimal infant feeding practices

Prevalence of and factors associated with human cysticercosis in 60 villages in three provinces of Burkina Faso

Background : Taenia solium, a zoonotic infection transmitted between humans and pigs, is considered an emerging infection in Sub-Saharan Africa, yet individual and community-level factors associated with the human infection with the larval stages (cysticercosis) are not well understood. This study aims to estimate the magnitude of association of individual-level and village-level factors with current human cysticercosis in 60 villages located in three Provinces of Burkina Faso. Methodology/Principal Findings : Baseline cross-sectional data collected between February 2011 and January 2012 from a large community randomized-control trial were used. A total of 3609 individuals provided serum samples to assess current infection with cysticercosis. The association between individual and village-level factors and the prevalence of current infection with cysticercosis was estimated using Bayesian hierarchical logistic models. Diffuse priors were used for all regression coefficients. The prevalence of current cysticercosis varied across provinces and villages ranging from 0% to 11.5%. The results obtained suggest that increased age, being male and consuming pork as well as a larger proportion of roaming pigs and percentage of sand in the soil measured at the village level were associated with higher prevalences of infection. Furthermore, consuming pork at another village market had the highest increased prevalence odds of current infection. Having access to a latrine, living in a household with higher wealth quintiles and a higher soil pH measured at the village level decreased the prevalence odds of cysticercosis. Conclusions/Significance : This is the first large-scale study to examine the association between variables measured at the individual-, household-, and village-level and the prevalence odds of cysticercosis in humans. Factors linked to people, pigs, and the environment were of importance, which further supports the need for a One Health approach to control cysticercosis infection

Dataset for "Involving male partners in maternity care in Burkina Faso: a randomized controlled trial"

Dataset and supplementary material collected as part of a public health intervention study. The study sought to determine whether an intervention to involve male partners in maternity care of pregnant women influenced care-seeking, healthy breastfeeding and contraceptive practices after childbirth. The dataset includes baseline socio-demographic data on study participants, information about treatment arm assignment and adherence to the intervention, and health and behaviour outcomes in the postpartum period. It brings together data from four collection points: [1] the baseline interview, [2] the 3-month postpartum follow-up interview, [3] the 8-month postpartum follow-up interview, and [4] process data on attendance at the three intervention sessions. Also included are the informed consent form, the information sheet, and the three questionnaires for the baseline interview, 3-month and 8-month postpartum follow-up interviews

ABOVE WATER: An Educational Game for Anxiety

© Lennart Nacke, 2016. This is the author’s version of the work. It is posted here for your personal use. Not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in CHI PLAY Companion '16 Proceedings of the 2016 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play Companion Extended Abstracts, https://doi.org/10.1145/2968120.2971804We present Above Water - a digital/physical hybrid game to inform people about the available strategies to cope with two types of Anxiety Disorders - Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder. The game teaches players about existing treatments. This hybrid game is designed to inspire players to share their experiences and develop their own personal narrative. The document also outlines an assessment strategy to study the game and determine its effectiveness as a game for health. The game is designed to educate non-institutionalized individuals with clinical anxiety and panic disorder. Potential players may be diagnosed, seeking intervention information, or a supportive friend.Peer-reviewe

CLEVER: A Trivia and Strategy Game for Enterprise Knowledge Learning

© Lennart Nacke, 2016. This is the author’s version of the work. It is posted here for your personal use. Not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in CHI PLAY Companion '16 Proceedings of the 2016 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play Companion Extended Abstracts, https://doi.org/10.1145/2968120.2971805Knowledge management (KM) includes the acquisition, sharing, and dissemination of knowledge within a company. The problem with many enterprise KM systems is that they are complex and hardly used, because workers lack motivation to engage in a collaborative process of knowledge sharing and learning. To address this, we developed a gameful learning component of an enterprise KM system (KMS). Our game features an innovative combination of trivia and strategy elements, put together to afford motivation within a KMS. It can be played by employees in the same organization to foster collaborative knowledge exchange and learning.NSERC SSHRCPeer-reviewe