scholarly journals Rotavirus, Vaccine and Unanswered Questions: A Perspective from a Least Developed Country

2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (191) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sher Bahadur Pun

Two rotavirus vaccines, RotaTeq (Merck) and Rotarix (GlaxoSmithKline) have been developedto neutralize the most common rotavirus serotypes, and are now available in the global market.These vaccines are primarily aimed at reducing rotavirus gastroenteritis in children in the leastdeveloped countries, where rotavirus mortality rate is believed to be greatest. Thus, the WorldHealth Organization (WHO) has recommended rotavirus vaccination be included in all nationalimmunization programs, while the least developed countries have so far not come up with clearvision and long term strategy on vaccine implementation, and several questions, in addition to this,remain unanswered._______________________________________________________________________________________Keywords: least developed country; rotavirus; vaccines.

2010 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 30-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Imran ◽  
Shirley Gregor

Bangladesh, in common with many least developed countries, has been struggling to find a workable strategy to adopt information and communication technology (ICT) and e-government in its public sector organizations. There has been no satisfactory progress in this area despite a number of high-level initiatives. As a result, the country is failing to keep pace in e-government advances compared with other developing countries. This paper reports a study that involved focus groups and interviews with key stakeholders in Bangladesh. A process model is developed to show the interrelationships amongst the major barriers in the adoption of ICT in Bangladesh public sector. A lack of knowledge and entrenched attitudes and mindsets are seen as the key underlying contributors to the lack of progress. The paper introduces important directions for the formulation of long-term strategies for the successful adoption of ICT in the Bangladesh public sector and provides a basis for further theoretical development.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0240714
Author(s):  
Katayi Mwila Kazimbaya ◽  
Caroline C. Chisenga ◽  
Michelo Simuyandi ◽  
Cynthia Mubanga Phiri ◽  
Natasha Makabilo Laban ◽  
...  

Background Despite contributing to a significant reduction in rotavirus associated diarrhoea in highly burdened low- and middle-income countries, live attenuated, oral rotavirus vaccines have lower immunogenicity and efficacy in these settings in comparison to more developed countries. Breastmilk has been implicated among factors contributing to this lowered oral vaccine efficacy. We conducted in-vitro experiments to investigate the inhibitory effects of maternal antibody and other non-antibody components in breastmilk on rotavirus vaccine strain (Rotarix) multiplication in MA104 cell culture system and assessed associations with in-vivo vaccine seroconversion in vaccinated infants. Methods Breastmilk samples were collected from mothers before routine rotavirus vaccination of their infant at 6 weeks of age. For each sample, whole breastmilk, purified IgA, purified IgG and IgG and IgA depleted breastmilk samples were prepared as exposure preparations. A 96 well microtitre plate was set up for each sample including a control in which only MA104 cells were grown as well as a virus control with MA104 cells and virus only. The outcome of interest was 50% inhibition dilution of each of the exposure preparations calculated as the titer at which 50% of virus dilution was achieved. Samples from 30 women were tested and correlated to vaccine seroconversion status of the infant. HIV status was also correlated to antiviral breastmilk proteins. Results The mean 50% inhibitory dilution titer when whole breastmilk was added to virus infected MA104 cells was 14.3 (95% CI: 7.1, 22.7). Incubation with purified IgG resulted in a mean 50% inhibitory dilution of 5 (95%CI -1.6, 11.6). Incubating with purified IgA resulted in a mean 50% inhibitory dilution of 6.5 (95% CI -0.7, 13.7) and IgG and IgA depleted breastmilk did not yield any inhibition with a titer of 1.06 (95%CI 0.9, 1.2). Higher milk IgA levels contributed to a failure of infants to seroconvert. HIV was also not associated with any antiviral breastmilk proteins. Discussion and conclusion Whole breastmilk and breastmilk purified IgG and IgA fractions showed inhibitory activity against the rotavirus vaccine Rotarix™ whilst IgA and IgG depleted breastmilk with non-antibody breastmilk fraction failed to show any inhibition activity in-vitro. These findings suggest that IgA and IgG may have functional inhibitory properties and indicates a possible mechanism of how mothers in rotavirus endemic areas with high titres of IgA and IgG may inhibit viral multiplication in the infant gut and would potentially contribute to the failure of their infants to serocovert. There was not association of HIV with either lactoferrin, lactadherin or tenascin-C concentrations.


Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 263
Author(s):  
Dong Hyun Kim ◽  
Dong Jun Ha ◽  
Yeong Seok Lee ◽  
Min Jun Chun ◽  
Young Se Kwon

There have been no large-scale studies on the epidemiology of benign convulsions with mild gastroenteritis (CwG) since the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine in South Korea in 2007. This study aimed to analyze the trends in rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) and rotavirus-associated CwG (RaCwG) after rotavirus vaccination. Further, we aimed to analyze changes in norovirus gastroenteritis (NVGE) and norovirus-associated CwG (NaCwG) using nationwide data from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. Between 2007 and 2019, this study analyzed children aged <6 years who were diagnosed with RVGE, NVGE, RaCwG and NaCwG. The changes in the prevalence of each disease and the ratio of CwG to enteritis were analyzed and the effects of age, sex and season were also analyzed. RVGE, RaCwG, NVGE and NaCwG were diagnosed in 273,898, 4246, 35,593 and 337 patients, respectively. The prevalence of RVGE was on a decreasing trend every year, but the prevalence of NaCwG and NVGE was on an increasing trend. There was a significant annual increase in the ratio of CwG to enteritis in both viruses. In order to control the prevalence of RaCwG, measures other than the rotavirus vaccine are required and measures to prevent norovirus are necessary.


2012 ◽  
pp. 341-369
Author(s):  
Ahmed Imran ◽  
Shirley Gregor

Least developed countries (LDCs), have been struggling to find a workable strategy to adopt information and communication technology (ICT) and e-government in their public sector organizations. Despite a number of high-level initiatives at national and international levels, the progress is still unsatisfactory in this area. Consequently, the countries are failing to keep pace in the global e-government race, further increasing the digital divide. This chapter reports on an exploratory study in a least developed country, Bangladesh, involving a series of focus groups and interviews with key stakeholders. A lack of knowledge and entrenched attitudes and mindsets are seen as the key underlying contributors to the lack of progress. The analysis of the relationships among the major barriers to progress led to a process model, which suggests a pathway for e-government adoption in an LDC such as Bangladesh. The chapter introduces important directions for the formulation of long-term strategies for the successful adoption of ICT in the public sector of LDCs and provides a basis for further theoretical development.


2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 911-954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farhad Uddin Ahmed ◽  
Louis Brennan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the differential effects of national export promotion policies (EPPs) on firms’ early internationalization using the institution-based view (IBV) as our theoretical foundation. Early or speedy internationalization is an important topic for academics, executives and policy makers. However, the effect of the regulatory dimension of institutions incorporating governmental policies on firms’ early internationalization remains unexplored in the literature. Design/methodology/approach The study was survey-based and the authors engaged in quantitative analysis using data drawn from the apparel industry in a least-developed country (LDC), i.e. Bangladesh. The authors employed 174 valid questionnaires in the analysis. To test the proposed hypotheses, an ordered-logistic regression modeling technique was used. Findings The findings reveal a positive effect of those national policies focusing on market development, guarantee-related and technical support schemes. Two individual elements of direct finance-related assistance, namely, bank loans and cash subsidy are also found to be influential. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature and extends the IBV by establishing that the industry-specific regulatory policies designed by home country governments can play a critical role in international expansion of new ventures from an LDC. In particular, the study established the critical role of national EPPs in driving firms’ early internationalization and thereby, contributing to the international marketing and international entrepreneurship (IE) literature. Least-developed countries provide different institutional environments for entrepreneurship. They thus provide an atypical context within the field of IE. By incorporating sample firms from an LDC, the authors address the knowledge gap related to those countries. The implications of the authors’ findings for national and enterprise development policies are also considered.


1985 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Vossberg

The constant reminder of ever-increasing costs and problems in regard to medical care in industrialized countries highlights the need for simplified, low cost, orthopaedic appliances for use in the non-industrialized areas of the world. Those who are engaged in the field of Orthopaedic Technology should withstand the temptation to propagate unreservedly the technologies of industrialized nations. Nowadays the so-called “non-appropriate technologies” have become the target of frequent criticism. The transfer of technology may offer visible progress in selected areas to a limited number of people but it conceals the danger of ignoring fundamental socio-economic conditions that affect the majority of people. During the United Nations Year of the Disabled, a group of international experts unanimously came to the conclusion that the current cooperation between industrialized and Third World countries requires revision leading to a new order. The consensus demanded a new emphasis on the development of technical orthopaedic services which would take into account the unique economic, social, cultural and environmental factors of each region. This paper examines the practices of technical orthopaedics in a “least developed country” and lays down principles and practical applications which could serve as a foundation for a more appropriate approach in this field.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasanuzzaman Zaman

Abstract Despite recording high-levels of corruption persistently, some governments in least developed countries have recently achieved impressive online transformation level, through electronic or e-Governance implementation. What explains the digital transformation of these governments? In particular, how did such governments with little or no knowledge on digital governance policies, embark upon the e-Governance path? The article analyzes how Bangladesh, a least developed country, is experimenting with design thinking policies for e-Governance implementation. It combines survey data from a design thinking led empathy training program with secondary literature and interviews with top-level bureaucrats and representatives from international donor agencies. The results support the thesis regarding the importance of design thinking policies and strategies in motivating public sector managers to engage in digital transformation efforts. We discuss the policy implications for practitioners and scholars working in the area of designing policies such as capacity building training programs, for public sector managers to implement citizen-centric innovations.


1991 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-116
Author(s):  
W. Grierson

Under most circumstances, some type of storage, from ephemeral to long-term, is an asset in the marketing of horticultural products. However, attempts to transfer developed country (DC) storage technology to the less-developed countries (LDCs) can be futile unless two conditions are met: 1) There must be a prior extension program to introduce the concept of what produce storage involves and what benefits can be expected from its proper use; and 2) the storage techniques introduced must be appropriate for the area. In many circumstances it may be necessary to start with very simple “old-fashioned” methods. Stages of development in LDCs are described, together with suggestions as to appropriate storage methods for each stage and how to prepare for them.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harun Bal ◽  
Berk Palandökenlier

Whether the Dutch Disease thesis, which is one of the best-known economic explanations on this subject, which puts forward the thesis that countries rich in natural resources can have negative effects on long-term economic growth, directly or indirectly, depending on the way they are used, is valid or not. tried to be demonstrated. The Dutch disease thesis is one of the main explanations for resource misfortune, emphasizing the negative effects of resource abundance on the national economy in countries with rich resource endowments and pointing to a paradox that economic conditions will be better in countries that do not have relatively little (or scarce) natural resources. is happening. Therefore, in our study, it is aimed to investigate whether resource richness causes an economic recession or not, especially for developed countries by considering indirect transmission channels. In this context, 11 developed countries such as Netherlands, Norway, Ireland, Germany, New Zealand, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Denmark, between 1990 and 2019, are based on the experiences of developed countries, which are especially rich in different sources of Dutch Disease syndrome. The country has been researched with static and dynamic panel analysis methods. As a result of the estimation, findings were found that the Dutch Disease was partially valid in terms of developed country samples throughout the sample period considered.


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