scholarly journals Neurosurgical Emergencies at a Tertiary Referral Center in a Sub-Saharan African Country

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (03) ◽  
pp. 407-410
Author(s):  
Thierry Alihonou ◽  
Kisito Quenum ◽  
Adébola Padonou ◽  
François Amossou ◽  
Francis Dossou
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Hospital ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Postoperative Mortality ◽  
Outcome Data ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Spine Injury ◽  
Tertiary Referral Center ◽  
Male Predominance ◽  
Low Income Country ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract Background The practice of neurosurgery in a teaching hospital requires modern diagnostic tools and a rigorous organization of care. Objectives To present and discuss the management of neurosurgical emergencies in a teaching hospital in poor and low-income country. Patients and Methods This is a retrospective and descriptive study from April 2015 to March 2017 and includes traumatic and nontraumatic neurosurgical emergencies. Epidemiological, diagnostic, operative, and outcome data were evaluated. Results During the study period, 397 cases of neurosurgery were admitted. One hundred seventy-five of them were emergencies (43%), including 168 (96%) of traumatic origin. The average age was 32.5 years (1–80 years) with a male predominance: 149 men for 26 women, the sex ratio was 6.68. The cause of the neurotraumatological emergency was mostly road accidents with 143 cases (85.1%). The trauma was brain injury in 155 patients (92.3%) and spine injury in 13 patients (7.7%). In 64.3% of cases, diagnostic imaging was done beyond 48 hours. Surgery time was more than 48 hours when it was performed (21 cases). Outcome was good for 19 patients. Overall and postoperative mortality were, respectively, 34.5% (58 cases) and 9.5% (2 cases). Conclusion Neurosurgical emergencies care at the Departmental Teaching Hospital of Ouémé–Plateau has become a common activity with encouraging operating results despite difficult practice conditions.

Survival and Quality of Life of Patients After Rectal Cancer Surgery in a Low-Income Country: A Study in Cameroon, Sub-Saharan African Region

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy Aristide Bang ◽  
Eric Patrick Savom ◽  
Georges Bwelles ◽  
Julienne Yambassa Fayam ◽  
Yannick Mahamat Ekani Boukar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Rectal Cancer ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Cancer Surgery ◽  
Income Country ◽  
Rectal Cancer Surgery ◽  
African Region ◽  
Low Income Country ◽  
Sub Saharan

scholarly journals A drone delivery network for antiepileptic drugs: a framework and modelling case study in a low-income country

2020 ◽  
Vol 114 (4) ◽  
pp. 308-314
Author(s):  
Farrah J Mateen ◽  
K H Benjamin Leung ◽  
Andre C Vogel ◽  
Abass Fode Cissé ◽  
Timothy C Y Chan
Keyword(s):  
Response Time ◽  
Antiepileptic Drugs ◽  
Low Income ◽  
National Income ◽  
Urban Hospital ◽  
Emergency Case ◽  
Low Income Country ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Delivery Times ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract Background In urbanized, low-income cities with high rates of congestion, delivery of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) by unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to people with epilepsy for both emergency and non-urgent distribution may prove beneficial. Methods Conakry is the capital of the Republic of Guinea, a low-income sub-Saharan African country (2018 per capita gross national income US$830). We computed the number of drones and delivery times to distribute AEDs from a main urban hospital to 27 pre-identified gas stations, mosques and pharmacies and compared these to the delivery times of a personal vehicle. Results We predict that a single drone could serve all pre-identified delivery locations in Conakry within a 20.4-h period. In an emergency case of status epilepticus, 8, 20 and 24 of the 27 pre-identified destinations can be reached from the hub within 5, 10 and 15 min, respectively. Compared with the use of a personal vehicle, the response time for a drone is reduced by an average of 78.8% across all times of the day. Conclusions Drones can dramatically reduce the response time for both emergency and routine delivery of lifesaving medicines. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of such a drone delivery model with relevance to epilepsy. However, the commissioning of a trial of drones for drug delivery in related diseases and geographies is justified.

Ethiopia’s homegrown economic reforms face challenges

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Reform ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Income Country ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reform Agenda ◽  
Low Income Country ◽  
Debt Burden ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Government

Subject Outlook for Ethiopia's economic reform agenda. Significance The government has launched a “Homegrown Economic Reform” agenda, which aims to transform Ethiopia from a largely agrarian low-income country to an industrialised lower-middle-income country by 2030. This will require the private sector to take charge of growth amid waning public sector financing capacity. However, significant economic liberalisation within this timeframe is unrealistic given the entrenched nature of the old command economy. Impacts Ethiopia has overtaken Angola as Sub-Saharan Africa’s third-largest economy but slowing growth could threaten this new status. The large external debt burden and high import content of the new agenda will curb plans to liberalise the exchange rate. Ethio Telecom and Ethiopian Airlines will be the crown jewels among proposed privatisation offerings.

Academics’ societal engagement in ecologies of knowledge: A case study from Mozambique

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Casimiro Zavale ◽  
Christian Schneijderberg
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Innovation System ◽  
Structural Data ◽  
Low Income Country ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Knowledge Based Economy ◽  
External Stakeholders ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
University Industry

Abstract Sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) structural conditions are mostly considered unfavorable to foster academics’ societal engagement (ASE)—that is collaboration between higher education institutions and external stakeholders in general and university–industry linkages in particular. The received view is that ASE in SSA empirically studied only through macro-structural data related to approaches and metrics of national innovation system or knowledge-based economy will predictably display weak portrait and potentially not make visible specific patterns that ASE in SSA may have. This theory-led study reports findings from a case study examining the inputs, in-process, outputs, and impact/outcome of ASE in a university in Mozambique, an African low-income country. The article attempts to make visible specific patterns of ASE that occurs within the ecologies of knowledge in a country like Mozambique. However, we are far away from being able to suggest context adequate indicators. Instead, we provide insights into the qualities and patterns of ASE cooperation.

scholarly journals Associations of day of week and time of day of ICU admission with hospital mortality in Malawi

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 303-311
Author(s):  
Meghan Prin ◽  
Ruoyu Ji ◽  
Clement Kadyaudzu ◽  
Guohua Li ◽  
Anthony Charles
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Hospital Mortality ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Low Income Country ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Night And Day ◽  
Time Of Admission

This prospective cohort study evaluated the associations of day and time of admission to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with hospital mortality at a referral hospital in Malawi, a low-income country in sub-Saharan Africa. Patients admitted to the ICU during the day (08:00–16:00) were compared to those admitted at night (16:01–07:59); patients admitted on weekdays (Monday–Friday) were compared to admissions on weekends/holidays. The primary outcome was hospital mortality. Most patients were admitted during daytime (56%) and on weekdays (72%). There was no difference in mortality between night and day admissions (58% vs. 56%, P = 0.8828; hazard ratio [HR] = 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI = 0.82–1.44, P = 0.5614) or weekend/holiday versus weekday admissions (56% vs. 57%, P = 0.9011; HR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.62–1.21, P = 0.4133). No interaction between time and day was found. These results may be affected by high overall hospital mortality.

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