Design Exploration of Affordable Refreshable Braille Display Technology for Low-Income Visually Impaired Users

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony S. Walker ◽  
Shraddha Sangelkar
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Tactile Display ◽  
Influential Factor ◽  
High Price ◽  
Digital Information ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Braille Display

People with visual disability need assistance in reading and writing by converting text to braille. Braille allows tactile display of the information for the visually impaired. Refreshable braille displays are commonly available in developed countries for a high price with the number of cells the display contains being the most influential factor on that price. Low-income blind individuals from developing countries cannot afford an expensive refreshable braille display, which in turn limits their access to digital information. The purpose to this paper is to explore design options for reducing the cost of refreshable braille displays. The paper begins with a summary of currently available refreshable braille displays on the market and their features. Next, the design requirements are explored for developing a low-cost device for visually impaired users in the developing countries. The paper also explains the state-of-the-art technologies for actuating the braille dots that may reduce the cost of the device. Finally, the recommendations for reducing the cost of these displays are presented.

scholarly journals Emerging Frontier of Prehistory and Burning Issues of its Study in Developing Countries

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Som Prasad Khatiwada
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
High Price ◽  
Great Loss ◽  
National Budget ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
The People ◽  
The One

Many more prehistoric locations and material remains of man’s past are identified from different part of the world from the scholars of developed countries. In the one hand great amount of facilities and resources provided by their governments and related institutions, scholars of developed countries are working continuously in the field of archaeology and prehistory. Besides this the developing countries are struggling for physical development of the country with low amount of resources and they are incapable to allocate national budget for such studies and the scholars and researchers are badly suffered with low income level and high price for livelihood resulting low level of research capabilities. In this context research work on archaeology and prehistory is far away for them and many more prehistoric sites are still hidden under the geological strata of developing countries. There is a great danger of manipulation in data, possibility of forgery like Piltdown forgery and possible damage of megalithic graves for finding antiquities by tomb hunters. Damage of prehistoric sites, tombs and shelters is a great loss for human being not only for related countries, but for the people of the whole world. Therefore, need of collaborative research among the scholars of developed and underdeveloped countries is must for the development of anthropology in global context. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/researcher.v1i1.8375   Researcher: A Research Journal of Culture and Society Vol.1(1) 2013

The cost implication of primary prevention in the HOPE 3 trial

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-271
Author(s):  
Andre Lamy ◽  
Eva Lonn ◽  
Wesley Tong ◽  
Balakumar Swaminathan ◽  
Hyejung Jung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Primary Prevention ◽  
Cost Saving ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Clinical Trial Registration ◽  
Pressure Lowering ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Care Costs ◽  
Country Specific

Abstract Aims The Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation-3 (HOPE-3) found that rosuvastatin alone or with candesartan and hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) (in a subgroup with hypertension) significantly lowered cardiovascular events compared with placebo in 12 705 individuals from 21 countries at intermediate risk and without cardiovascular disease. We assessed the costs implications of implementation in primary prevention in countries at different economic levels. Methods and results Hospitalizations, procedures, study and non-study medications were documented. We applied country-specific costs to the healthcare resources consumed for each patient. We calculated the average cost per patient in US dollars for the duration of the study (5.6 years). Sensitivity analyses were also performed with cheapest equivalent substitutes. The combination of rosuvastatin with candesartan/HCT reduced total costs and was a cost-saving strategy in United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. In contrast, the treatments were more expensive in developing countries even when cheapest equivalent substitutes were used. After adjustment for gross domestic product (GDP), the costs of cheapest equivalent substitutes in proportion to the health care costs were higher in developing countries in comparison to developed countries. Conclusion Rosuvastatin and candesartan/HCT in primary prevention is a cost-saving approach in developed countries, but not in developing countries as both drugs and their cheapest equivalent substitutes are relatively more expensive despite adjustment by GDP. Reductions in costs of these drugs in developing countries are essential to make statins and blood pressure lowering drugs affordable and ensure their use. Clinical trial registration HOPE-3 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00468923.

The Evolution of the Digital Divide across Developing Countries

2013 ◽  
pp. 1554-1570
Author(s):  
Nicoletta Corrocher ◽  
Anna Raineri
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Competition Policy ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Effective Strategy ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Emerging Patterns

This chapter aims at investigating the evolution of the digital divide within a set of developing countries between the years 2000 and 2005. In doing so, it moves away from the traditional analysis of the digital divide, which compares developed countries and developing countries, and examines the existing gap within a relatively homogeneous group of countries. On the basis of the theoretical and empirical contributions from scholars in different disciplines, we select a series of socioeconomic and technological indicators and provide an empirical assessment of the digitalization patterns in a set of 51 low income and lower-middle income countries. By means of cluster analysis techniques, we identify three emerging patterns of the digital divide and derive a series of policy implications, related to the implementation of an effective strategy to reduce digital backwardness. The characteristics of each pattern of digitalization can be also usefully employed to understand whether past interventions, especially in the area of competition policy, have been successful in addressing country-specific issues.

A Systems Approach for Sustainably Reducing Childhood Diarrheal Deaths in Developing Countries

2016 ◽  
pp. 1208-1227
Author(s):  
Monica Gray
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Industrialized Nations ◽  
Sub Saharan

Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death and is the major cause of malnutrition in children under age 5 worldwide. More than 50 percent of the cases occur in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Open defecation, substandard fecal disposal systems, and contaminated water supplies are the typical causes of diarrheal diseases. This public health crisis in low income countries mirrors the experiences of today's industrialized nations two centuries ago. The lessons learned from their sanitary evolution can be instructive in charting a sustainable path towards saving the lives of almost 2 million children annually. In this chapter a case study of Cuba's sanitary reformation is also presented to showcase successes, similar to those of developed countries, within a developing country and economically challenging context.

scholarly journals Therapies Out of Reach: Anticancer Drugs and Global Trade Regimes

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-387
Author(s):  
Dwaipayan Banerjee ◽  
James Sargent
Keyword(s):  
Anticancer Drugs ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
High Price ◽  
Global Trade ◽  
Trade Regimes ◽  
History Of ◽  
Policy Analysts ◽  
The Cost ◽  
New Generation

Medical policy analysts and oncologists have cautioned against the high price of anticancer drugs. They argue that the current drug development model that relies on patents and short-term shareholder value is proving unsustainable, since the cost of the new generation of drugs puts many of them out of reach for the average consumer. The high price of cancer drugs is especially troubling in the context of middle- and low-income countries, where the burden of cancer carries disproportionate impact. To analyse the pricing of anticancer drugs, we examined legal controversies, regulatory treaties and documents, as well as the history of pricing data in India. We also conducted interviews with policy consultants and surveyed financial data filings of major global and Indian pharmaceutical corporations. Our research revealed that global trade agreements have become key barriers to lowering anticancer drug prices. This article argues that in the shadow of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and with Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) imminent, serious policy changes are necessary to ensure the survival of generic production in the market for anticancer drugs.

scholarly journals Assessing the Potential Deployment of Biosensors for Point-of-Care Diagnostics in Developing Countries: Technological, Economic and Regulatory Aspects

Biosensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Migliozzi ◽  
Thomas Guibentif
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Resource Limited ◽  
Point Of Care Diagnostics ◽  
Successful Case ◽  
The Cost

Infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance are major burdens in developing countries, where very specific conditions impede the deployment of established medical infrastructures. Since biosensing devices are nowadays very common in developed countries, particularly in the field of diagnostics, they are at a stage of maturity at which other potential outcomes can be explored, especially on their possibilities for multiplexing and automation to reduce the time-to-results. However, the translation is far from being trivial. In order to understand the factors and barriers that can facilitate or hinder the application of biosensors in resource-limited settings, we analyze the context from several angles. First, the technology of the devices themselves has to be rethought to take into account the specific needs and the available means of these countries. For this, we describe the partition of a biosensor into its functional shells, which define the information flow from the analyte to the end-user, and by following this partition we assess the strengths and weaknesses of biosensing devices in view of their specific technological development and challenging deployment in low-resource environments. Then, we discuss the problem of cost reduction by pointing out transversal factors, such as throughput and cost of mistreatment, that need to be re-considered when analyzing the cost-effectiveness of biosensing devices. Beyond the technical landscape, the compliance with regulations is also a major aspect that is described with its link to the validation of the devices and to the acceptance from the local medical personnel. Finally, to learn from a successful case, we analyze a breakthrough inexpensive biosensor that is showing high potential with respect to many of the described aspects. We conclude by mentioning both some transversal benefits of deploying biosensors in developing countries, and the key factors that can drive such applications.

My child matters program: A UICC-sanofi-aventis partnership to improve pediatric cancer care in developing countries

2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 9526-9526 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Ribeiro ◽  
T. Eden ◽  
J. Hartford ◽  
J. Lemerle ◽  
I. Magrath ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Access To Care ◽  
Childhood Cancer ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Cancer Care ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Outcome Analysis ◽  
Children With Cancer

9526 Background: Despite dramatic advances in curing childhood cancer in developed countries, most children with cancer live in low-income countries, where misdiagnosis, late diagnosis, lack of access to treatment and abandonment of treatment hinder progress. Methods: In 2004 the International Union against Cancer and sanofi-aventis initiated a campaign to improve childhood cancer care in developing countries through grants for local projects (up to 50,000 euros/year each), a survey of childhood cancer care (conducted by the public health consulting firm Sanisphere), and lobbying to increase political support. The projects focus on professional education, improved access to care, pain management, and psychosocial/educational support. Results: During 2006, 14 pilot projects in Bangladesh, Egypt, Honduras, Morocco, Philippines, Senegal, Tanzania, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Vietnam were selected on the basis of feasibility, expected benefit, sustainability, and potential to serve as models. Only eight countries had pediatric hematology/oncology units, ranging from 20 (Tanzania) to 350 (Egypt) beds. These units manage 100 (Senegal) to 1,000 (Bangladesh) children with cancer per year (a small fraction of actual cases in these countries). One-year outcome analysis showed that various short-term objectives were met, including improved patient care infrastructure, public and professional education, earlier detection, improved access to care, the introduction of psychosocial support, decreased abandonment and better follow up. On the basis of these results, 12 additional projects have been funded in Bolivia, Indonesia, Kenya, Mali, Peru and Romania. Conclusions: Relatively small investments, accompanied by external mentoring, can help build sustainable capacity for the diagnosis and care of children with cancer in selected institutions in developing countries. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

scholarly journals Training of Ultrasound in Neonatology: Global or Local?

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 338-345 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Obstet Gynecol ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Basic Health ◽  
The Developed Countries ◽  
Training Opportunities

ABSTRACT From the beginning of its use in neonatology, ultrasound is used more frequently and for many indications. Number of indications is increasing from year to year, while the training opportunities and curricula are not following the same trend. Nowadays ultrasound has been used for determination of functional hemodynamics in critically sick neonates which increases educational burden on the young neonatologists. This only applies to the developed countries where neonatology is well developed, while in low income so called developing countries some basic health problems of neonates have not been solved and there is substantial lack of health care professionals and equipment as well. How to cite this article Stanojevic M. Training of Ultrasound in Neonatology: Global or Local? Donald School J Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2013;7(3):338-345.

scholarly journals The policy-led sustainability and financial performance linkage in the banking sector: case of Bangladesh

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 89-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samiul Parvez Ahmed ◽  
Sarwar Uddin Ahmed ◽  
Mohammad Fahad Noor ◽  
Zaima Ahmed ◽  
Uttam Karmaker
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Influential Factor ◽  
Political Interference ◽  
Policy Guideline ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Sustainability Initiatives

Researchers in developed countries argue that banks should be free to decide about their sustainability initiatives without the interference from regulators. However, researchers in developing countries tend to think differently. This study aimed to focus on this argument by examining the linkage between sustainability and financial performance (SFP) aided through regulatory policy guidelines. In doing so, a comparative study was conducted between 2012 and 2018 to compare the pre- and post-status of SFP due to implementation of policy measures. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores were calculated and related with financial performance (return on assets) through regression analysis. The sample data includes 30 private commercial banks (PCBs) in Bangladesh. The analysis of the data shows that during these years, the overall sustainability performance, i.e., environmental, social and governance scores of the banks increased by 33 percent. However, the transformation of this performance into better financial performance could not been established even when age and size were taken into account. The current turbulent state of the banking sector due to growing non-performing loan has been identified as the single most influential factor for this neutral result. Research findings suggest that policy guideline initiatives do have a positive impact on bank sustainability. However, exogenous factors, such as political interference, may appease, deviate and prolong its impact on financial performance. This work will enhance the understanding of academics and policy-makers about the feasibility and impact of the policy-led sustainability model in the banking sector, particularly in developing countries.

scholarly journals New International Economic Order (NIEO): Origin, Elements and Criticisms

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Fesseha Mulu Gebremariam
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
International Economic ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
International Economic Order ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Economic Order ◽  
Poor Countries ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
The Cost ◽  
New System

Employing secondary sources of data this paper aims to assess the history, elements, and criticisms against New International Economic Order (NIEO). NIEO is mainly an economic movement happened after WWII with the aim of empowering developing countries politically through economic growth. It also criticizes the existing political and economic system as benefiting developed countries at the cost of developing countries so that a new system is needed that benefits poor countries. However, many criticize NIEO as hypothetical and unorganized movement. Clear division and disagreements among its members is evident. Developing countries failed to form unity, committed to meet the objectives of NIEO, and unable to compete in the market.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document