Using satellites and artificial intelligence to measure health and material-living standards in India

The application of deep learning methods to survey human development in remote areas with satellite imagery at high temporal frequency can significantly enhance our understanding of spatial and temporal patterns in human development. Current applications have focused their efforts in predicting a narrow set of asset-based measurements of human well-being within a limited group of African countries. Here, we leverage georeferenced village-level census data from across 30 percent of the landmass of India to train a deep-neural network that predicts 16 variables representing material conditions from annual composites of Landsat 7 imagery. The census-based model is used as a feature extractor to train another network that predicts an even larger set of developmental variables (over 90 variables) included in two rounds of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) survey. The census-based model outperforms the current standard in the literature, night-time-luminosity-based models, as a feature extractor for several of these large set of variables. To extend the temporal scope of the models, we suggest a distribution-transformation procedure to estimate outcomes over time and space in India. Our procedure achieves levels of accuracy in the R-square of 0.92 to 0.60 for 21 development outcomes, 0.59 to 0.30 for 25 outcomes, and 0.29 to 0.00 for 28 outcomes, and 19 outcomes had negative R-square. Overall, the results show that combining satellite data with Indian Census data unlocks rich information for training deep learning models that track human development at an unprecedented geographical and temporal definition.

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Historical and legal aspects of medical human development

Legal horizons ◽

10.21272/legalhorizons.2019.i17.p:23 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 23-34

Author(s):

Yu.V. Harust ◽

B.O. Pavlenko

Keyword(s):

Medical Education ◽

Human Development ◽

Well Being ◽

Ancient Egypt ◽

The State ◽

Large Set ◽

Medical Systems ◽

Ancient Egyptian ◽

History Of ◽

Ancient Egyptian Medicine

The history of medicine and the history of mankind have a common long-standing past. In this article, based on our thorough and thorough research, we highlight the historical and legal foundations of the development of medicine and humanity. We began our research precisely from the earliest times (the Neanderthals, who lived about 350-35 thousand years ago), that is, from the time of human birth. Based on the analysis of the results of archaeological, anthropological studies and historical sources, we have legally proved that, from the earliest stages of human development, medicine existed alongside the primordial person. Humanity has evolved, and so has medicine. Quite meaningfully, we have explored ancient Egyptian medicine, which is the oldest of the officially documented medical systems that existed from the XXXIII century BC. BC to 525 BC It was the most advanced for its time and even included simple non-invasive surgery, fracture treatments and a large set of pharmacopoeia. Ancient Egyptian medicine influenced many of the following medical systems of the Ancient World, including the Greek. Researching the state of medicine in Ancient Egypt, we came to the conclusion that treatment not only helped people, but sometimes, on the contrary, greatly harmed the health of patients. For example, many recipes include the mandatory use of manure, which contains fermentation products and mold, which is very dangerous for the body. However, despite these negative results, we can say that medical practice in ancient Egypt was quite advanced. The Egyptians understood that the disease needed to be treated with pharmaceuticals, and sometimes to undergo surgery. The study of this period has made it possible to conclude that medicine develops inseparably in connection with human development, and society uses the acquired medical knowledge for its own well-being. The study of the development of medicine and humanity of ancient India, gives reason to argue that due to advanced medical education, society has come to the conclusion that medicine is a component of human life and the key to its development and continuation. It was during this period that humanity moved to a new stage of health care when control of medicine by the state came to light. It is in India that public institutions have begun to consider the medical sector one of the main tools for ensuring the well-being of citizens. And in ancient China, medicine gained state support and became the basis for the development of society on a par with religion. Medical education received a tremendous boost. The knowledge given to the world of medicine by the doctors of Ancient Greece, led by Hippocrates, became the basis of all modern practical medicine. The results obtained in our study, based on historical facts, prove that medicine originated with the appearance of man and subsequently existed and evolved with the development of man. Keywords: history, humanity, medicine, medical activities, medical education.

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Ghana: the State of Agriculture and Prospects for Food Security in the Context of Achieving SDGs

10.31132/2412-5717-2018-45-4-16-31 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 16-31

Author(s):

Tatyana Denisova

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Socioeconomic Development ◽

Agricultural Sector ◽

Well Being ◽

The State ◽

Successful Implementation ◽

Careful Study ◽

African Countries ◽

Development Goals ◽

The Government

For the first time in Russian African studies, the author examines the current state of agriculture, challenges and prospects for food security in Ghana, which belongs to the group of African countries that have made the most progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a collection of 17 global goals adopted by UN member states in 2015 with a view of achieving them by 2030. The SDGs include: ending poverty in all its forms everywhere (Goal 1); ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture (2); ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages (3), etc. These goals are considered fundamental because the achievement of a number of other SDGs – for example, ensuring quality education (4), achieving gender equality (5), ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns (12), etc. – largely depends on their implementation. Ghana was commended by the world community for the significant reduction in poverty, hunger and malnutrition between 2000 and 2014, i.e. for the relatively successful implementation of the first of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs, 2000–2015) – the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. However, SDGs require more careful study and planning of implementation measures. In order to achieve the SDGs, the Government of Ghana has adopted a number of programs, plans and projects, the successful implementation of which often stumbles upon the lack of funding and lack of coordination between state bodies, private and public organizations, foreign partners – donors and creditors, etc., which are involved in the processes of socioeconomic development of Ghana. The author determines the reasons for the lack of food security in Ghana, gives an assessment of the state of the agricultural sector, the effective development of which is a prerequisite for the reduction of poverty and hunger, primarily due to the engagement of a significant share (45%) of the economically active population in this sector. The study shows that the limited growth in food production is largely due to the absence of domestic markets and necessary roads, means of transportation, irrigation and storage infrastructure, as well as insufficient investment in the agricultural sector, rather than to a shortage of fertile land or labor.

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Human potential in the system of social and economic development: problems and prospects of Vinnytsia region

Regional Economy ◽

10.36818/1562-0905-2020-3-8 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 71-80

Author(s):

Olesya Tomchuk

Keyword(s):

Economic Development ◽

Human Development ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Structural Changes ◽

Agricultural Sector ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Human Potential ◽

High Tech ◽

Social And Economic Development

The article highlights the problems and prospects of human development, which is the basis for the long-term strategies of social and economic growth of different countries and regions at the present stage. Submitting strategies of this type provides an opportunity to focus on individual empowerment and to build a favorable environment for effective management decisions in the field of forming, maintaining, and restoring human potential. The analysis of the Vinnytsia region human potential dynamics in the regional system of social and economic development factors was carried out. Application of generalized assessment of the regional human development index components allowed the identification of the main trends that characterize the formation of human potential of the territory, including the reproduction of the population, social environment, comfort and quality of life, well-being, decent work, and education. The article emphasizes that despite some positive changes in the social and economic situation of the region and in assessing the parameters of its human development level relative to other regions of Ukraine, Vinnytsia region is now losing its human potential due to negative demographic situation and migration to other regions and countries. The main reason for such dynamics is proven to be related to the outdated structure of the region's economy, the predominance of the agricultural sector, the lack of progressive transformations in the development of high-tech fields of the economy. An important factor is the low level of urbanization of the region, which leads to the spread of less attractive working conditions and less comfortable living conditions. The key factors that cause the growth of urbanization in the region have been identified, including the significant positive impact of the transport and social infrastructure expansion, the lack of which in rural areas leads to a decrease in the level and comfort of life. Without progressive structural changes in the economy and the resettlement system, the loss of human potential will continue.

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High prevalence of non-dipping patterns among Black Africans with uncontrolled hypertension: a secondary analysis of the CREOLE trial

BMC Cardiovascular Disorders ◽

10.1186/s12872-021-02074-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Prossie Merab Ingabire ◽

◽

Dike B. Ojji ◽

Brian Rayner ◽

Elijah Ogola ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Blood Pressure Monitoring ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Uncontrolled Hypertension ◽

African Countries ◽

Night Time ◽

Black Africans ◽

Long Term Outcome ◽

Black African ◽

High Prevalence

Abstract Background Dipping of blood pressure (BP) at night is a normal physiological phenomenon. However, a non-dipping pattern is associated with hypertension mediated organ damage, secondary forms of hypertension and poorer long-term outcome. Identifying a non-dipping pattern may be useful in assessing risk, aiding the decision to investigate for secondary causes, initiating treatment, assisting decisions on choice and timing of antihypertensive therapy, and intensifying salt restriction. Objectives To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with non-dipping pattern and determine the effect of 6 months of three antihypertensive regimens on the dipping pattern among Black African hypertensive patients. Methods This was a secondary analysis of the CREOLE Study which was a randomized, single blind, three-group trial conducted in 10 sites in 6 Sub-Saharan African countries. The participants were 721 Black African patients, aged between 30 and 79 years, with uncontrolled hypertension and a baseline 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Dipping was calculated from the average day and average night systolic blood pressure measures. Results The prevalence of non-dipping pattern was 78% (564 of 721). Factors that were independently associated with non-dipping were: serum sodium > 140 mmol/l (OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.17–2.51, p-value 0.005), a higher office systolic BP (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05, p-value 0.003) and a lower office diastolic BP (OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.95–0.99, p-value 0.03). Treatment allocation did not change dipping status at 6 months (McNemar’s Chi2 0.71, p-value 0.40). Conclusion There was a high prevalence of non-dipping among Black Africans with uncontrolled hypertension. ABPM should be considered more routinely in Black Africans with uncontrolled hypertension, if resources permit, to help personalise therapy. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms and causes of non-dipping pattern and if targeting night-time BP improves clinical outcomes. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02742467).

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COVID-19: From health crises to food security anxiety and policy implications

AMBIO ◽

10.1007/s13280-020-01481-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 50 (4) ◽

pp. 794-811 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Linley Chiwona-Karltun ◽

Franklin Amuakwa-Mensah ◽

Caroline Wamala-Larsson ◽

Salome Amuakwa-Mensah ◽

Assem Abu Hatab ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Economic ◽

Food Security ◽

Economic Impact ◽

Probit Model ◽

Recovery Process ◽

Well Being ◽

Policy Implications ◽

African Countries ◽

Use Of Data ◽

Local Spread

AbstractLike the rest of the world, African countries are reeling from the health, economic and social effects of COVID-19. The continent’s governments have responded by imposing rigorous lockdowns to limit the spread of the virus. The various lockdown measures are undermining food security, because stay at home orders have among others, threatened food production for a continent that relies heavily on agriculture as the bedrock of the economy. This article draws on quantitative data collected by the GeoPoll, and, from these data, assesses the effect of concern about the local spread and economic impact of COVID-19 on food worries. Qualitative data comprising 12 countries south of the Sahara reveal that lockdowns have created anxiety over food security as a health, economic and human rights/well-being issue. By applying a probit model, we find that concern about the local spread of COVID-19 and economic impact of the virus increases the probability of food worries. Governments have responded with various efforts to support the neediest. By evaluating the various policies rolled out we advocate for a feminist economics approach that necessitates greater use of data analytics to predict the likely impacts of intended regulatory relief responses during the recovery process and post-COVID-19.

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Understanding Natural Disaster Scenes from Mobile Images Using Deep Learning

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11093952 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 3952

Author(s):

Shimin Tang ◽

Zhiqiang Chen

Keyword(s):

Deep Learning ◽

Natural Disaster ◽

Scene Understanding ◽

Computing Methods ◽

Classification Model ◽

Learning Approach ◽

Learning Models ◽

Damage Level ◽

Feature Extractor ◽

Mobile Imaging

With the ubiquitous use of mobile imaging devices, the collection of perishable disaster-scene data has become unprecedentedly easy. However, computing methods are unable to understand these images with significant complexity and uncertainties. In this paper, the authors investigate the problem of disaster-scene understanding through a deep-learning approach. Two attributes of images are concerned, including hazard types and damage levels. Three deep-learning models are trained, and their performance is assessed. Specifically, the best model for hazard-type prediction has an overall accuracy (OA) of 90.1%, and the best damage-level classification model has an explainable OA of 62.6%, upon which both models adopt the Faster R-CNN architecture with a ResNet50 network as a feature extractor. It is concluded that hazard types are more identifiable than damage levels in disaster-scene images. Insights are revealed, including that damage-level recognition suffers more from inter- and intra-class variations, and the treatment of hazard-agnostic damage leveling further contributes to the underlying uncertainties.

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Economic Complexity and Human Development: Moderated by Logistics and International Migration

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13041867 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1867

Author(s):

Emilie Sophie Le Caous ◽

Fenghueih Huarng

Keyword(s):

Human Development ◽

International Migration ◽

Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽

Human Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Linear Modeling ◽

Statistical Tool ◽

Economic Wealth ◽

Economic Complexity ◽

The Relationship

Living in a world where we can expand our economic wealth and the richness of human life is the core of the human development concept. Greater well-being for all can be achieved by improving people’s capabilities and more importantly, by giving individuals the ability to use their knowledge and skills. The economic complexity index (i.e., ECI) is a new indicator that defines a country’s complexity. Through a vast network, citizens can transfer an enormous quantity of relevant knowledge, leading to the creation of diversified and complex products. However, the relationship between economic complexity and human development is not that simple. Thus, this paper aimed to understand it deeper—international migration and logistics performance are used as moderators. Hierarchical linear modeling was the statistical tool used to analyze two groups of countries from 1990 to 2017. For robustness and to deal with possible endogeneity issues, different year lags were also included. The results show that international migration and logistics performance are decisive moderators as they change the relationship between economic complexity and human development.

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Intersectional stigma and its impact on HIV prevention and care among MSM and WSW in sub-Saharan African countries: a protocol for a scoping review

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047280 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. e047280

Author(s):

Gamji M’Rabiu Abubakari ◽

Debbie Dada ◽

Jemal Nur ◽

DeAnne Turner ◽

Amma Otchere ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hiv Prevention ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Secondary Data ◽

Well Being ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

African Countries ◽

Scoping Reviews ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Meta Analyses

IntroductionResearch has established that various forms of stigma (HIV stigma, gender non-conforming stigma and same-gender sex stigma) exist across Sub-Saharan Africa and have consequences for the utilisation of HIV prevention and care services. Stigmas are typically investigated in HIV literature individually or through investigating individual populations and the various stigmas they may face. The concept of intersectionality highlights the interconnected nature of social categorisations and their ability to create interdependent systems of discrimination based on gender, race, sexuality and so on. Drawing from perspectives on intersectionality, intersectional stigma denotes the convergence of multiple marginalised identities within an individual or a group, the experiences of stigma associated with these identities as well as the synergistic impact of these experiences on health and well-being. With respect to HIV, public health scholars can examine the impacts of intersectional stigmas on HIV prevention and care utilisation.Methods and analysisReviewers will search systematically through MEDLINE, Global Health, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection and Africa Index Medicus and citations for quantitative studies, qualitative studies and grey literature that include data on stigma and HIV among men who have sex with men and women who have sex with women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Eligible studies will include primary or secondary data on stigma related to HIV risk factors experienced by this population. Studies will be written in French or English and be published between January 1991 and November 2020. All screening and data extraction will be performed in duplicate, and if discrepancies arise, they will be settled by GM’RA, LEN, DD or AO. Findings from this study will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval is not required as there will be no human participants and no protected data will be used in this study. We will disseminate findings through peer-reviewed manuscripts, conferences and webinars.

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Disclosure and health-related outcomes among children living with HIV and their caregivers

AIDS Research and Therapy ◽

10.1186/s12981-021-00337-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Margaret Amankwah-Poku ◽

Delight Abla Klutsey ◽

Kwaku Oppong Asante

Keyword(s):

Medication Adherence ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Demographic Variables ◽

Hiv Status ◽

African Countries ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Adherence To Medication ◽

Living With Hiv

Abstract Background The prevalence of disclosure of status to children living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is low in most sub-Saharan African countries, leading to poor compliance and adverse psychological outcomes in these children. This study examined the influence of disclosure on health outcomes in children living with HIV and their caregivers. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, 155 HIV-positive children between age 6–15 years and their caregivers were administered standardized questionnaires measuring adherence to medication, children's psychological well-being, caregiver burden, and caregivers’ psychological health. Results Results indicated that only 33.5% of the children sampled knew their status. Disclosure of HIV status was significantly related to medication adherence, psychological wellbeing, the burden of caregiving, and the length of the disclosure. A child’s age and level of education were the only demographic variables that significantly predicted disclosure of HIV status. In a hierarchical analysis, after controlling for all demographic variables medication adherence, psychological well-being and burden of caregiving were found to be significant predictors of disclosure of status in children living with HIV. Conclusions Findings suggest the need for disclosure of status among children living with HIV for a positive impact on their medication adherence and psychological health. These findings underscore the need for the development of context-specific interventions that will guide and encourage disclosure of status by caregivers to children living with HIV.

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A Poset-Generalizability Method for Human Development Indicators

Social Indicators Research ◽

10.1007/s11205-021-02737-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Flavio Comim

Keyword(s):

Human Development ◽

Capability Approach ◽

Generalizability Theory ◽

Well Being ◽

New Method ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Development Indicators ◽

Development Policies ◽

Development Analysis ◽

The Capability Approach

AbstractThe paper introduces a poset-generalizability perspective for analysing human development indicators. It suggests a new method for identifying admissibility of different informational spaces and criteria in human development analysis. From its inception, the Capability Approach has argued for informational pluralism in normative evaluations. But in practice, it has turned its back to other (non-capability) informational spaces for being imperfect, biased or incomplete and providing a mere evidential role in normative evaluations. This paper offers the construction of a proper method to overcome this shortcoming. It combines tools from poset analysis and generalizability theory to put forward a systematic categorization of cases with different informational spaces. It provides illustrations by using key informational spaces, namely, resources, rights, subjective well-being and capabilities. The offered method is simpler and more concrete than mere human development guidelines and at the same time it avoids results based on automatic calculations. The paper concludes with implications for human development policies and an agenda for further work.

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