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.

scholarly journals The Point-of-Care Laboratory in Clinical Microbiology

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 429-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Drancourt ◽  
Audrey Michel-Lepage ◽  
Sylvie Boyer ◽  
Didier Raoult
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Clinical Microbiology ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Rapid Diagnosis ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Internet Connections ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Test Operations ◽  
Developing And Developed Countries

SUMMARYPoint-of-care (POC) laboratories that deliver rapid diagnoses of infectious diseases were invented to balance the centralization of core laboratories. POC laboratories operate 24 h a day and 7 days a week to provide diagnoses within 2 h, largely based on immunochromatography and real-time PCR tests. In our experience, these tests are conveniently combined into syndrome-based kits that facilitate sampling, including self-sampling and test operations, as POC laboratories can be operated by trained operators who are not necessarily biologists. POC laboratories are a way of easily providing clinical microbiology testing for populations distant from laboratories in developing and developed countries and on ships. Modern Internet connections enable support from core laboratories. The cost-effectiveness of POC laboratories has been established for the rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis and sexually transmitted infections in both developed and developing countries.

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.

scholarly journals Spatial Approach to Diseases of Affluence Epidemiology and Regional Economic Development

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-218
Author(s):  
Alicja Olejnik ◽  
Agata Żółtaszek
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Economic Resources ◽  
The Other ◽  
Financial Resources ◽  
Highly Qualified ◽  
Spatial Approach

Abstract Diseases of affluence (of the 21st c.) by definition should have higher prevalence and/or mortality rates in richer and more developed countries than in poorer, underdeveloped states (where diseases of poverty are more common). Therefore, it has been indicated that it is civilizational progress that makes us sick. On the other hand, substantial financial resources, highly qualified medical personnel, and the cutting-edge technology of richer states, should allow for effective preventions, diagnostics, and treatment of diseases of poverty and of affluence. Therefore, a dilemma arises: is progress making us sick or curing us? To evaluate the influence of country socioeconomic and technological development on population health, a spatial analysis of the epidemiology of diseases of affluence and distribution of economic resources for European NUTS 2 has been performed. The main aim of this paper is to assess, how regional diversity in the prevalence of diseases of affluence is related to the regional development of regions.

scholarly journals Industry 4.0 and Developing Countries: Innovation Perspective of Ethiopia, India and Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 62-70
Author(s):  
Amrut Rao ◽  
Ravindra Pathak ◽  
Ashraf Mahmud Rayed
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Intelligent Manufacturing ◽  
Smart Manufacturing ◽  
Efficient Production

Ethiopia, India and Bangladesh are raising economic power, but have not yet integrated very much with the global economy and still have not achieved their potential in context of technology, globalization, and international competitiveness like developed countries. These countries have much strength, but at the same time , are facing many challenges in the increasingly competitive and fast changing global economy. The main key strengths of these courtiers are their large domestic market, young and growing population, a strong private sector with experience in market institutions, and a well developed legal and financial system. In today’s environment of global competition, technological development and innovation; companies, especially manufacturing, are forced to reconfigure their manufacturing and management processes. Industry 4.0 and intelligent manufacturing are part of a transformation, in which manufacturing and information technologies have been integrated to create innovative systems of manufacturing, management and ways of doing business. This system allows optimizing manufacturing, to achieve greater flexibility, efficient production processes and generate a value added proposal for their customers, as well as to provide a timely response to their market needs. The objective of this work is to explore the Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing, environment requirement and relation of innovation in perspective of developing countries.

Learning from Technologically Successful Peers: The Convergence of Asian Laggards to the Technology Frontier

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuzhe Miao ◽  
Robert M. Salomon ◽  
Jaeyong Song
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Reference Group ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Technological Gap ◽  
Technological Improvement ◽  
Closing The Gap ◽  
Marginal Returns

This paper investigates whether firms from developing countries that lag the global technological frontier can learn from technologically successful peers as a means of closing the technological gap with leaders from developed countries. We define technologically successful peers as those that hail from similar home countries, operate in the same industry, and have achieved a certain degree of success in closing the gap with the global technological frontier. We argue that technologically successful peers represent an important reference group for lagging firms and, as such, offer opportunities for lagging firms from developing countries to hasten technological development. We find that lagging firms from developing countries that build upon the knowledge of technologically successful peers achieve higher rates of technological improvement. Moreover, learning from technologically proximal successful peers helps even further with technological improvement. However, there are limits to such learning, with diminishing marginal returns to lagging firms that over rely on successful peers.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Five International HBV Treatment Guidelines: Recommendation for Resource-Limited Developing Countries Based on the National Study in Nepal

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-13
Author(s):  
Sundar Khadka ◽  
Roshan Pandit ◽  
Subhash Dhital ◽  
Jagat Bahadur Baniya ◽  
Surendra Tiwari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Viral Load ◽  
Treatment Guidelines ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
World Health ◽  
National Study ◽  
Viral Loads ◽  
Resource Limited ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Who Guideline

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infects the liver, causing cirrhosis and cancer. In developed countries, five international guidelines have been used to make a decision for the management of patients with chronic HBV infection. In this review, since the guidelines were established by clinical and epidemiological data of developed countries, we aimed to evaluate whether (1) HBV patient profiles of developing countries are similar to developed countries, and (2) which guideline can be applicable to resource-limited developing countries. First, as an example of the most recent data of HBV infections among developing countries, we evaluated the national HBV viral load study in Nepal, which were compared with the data from other developing countries. In Nepal, the highest number of patients had viral loads of 20–2000 IU/mL (36.7%) and belonged to the age group of 21–30 years; HBV epidemiology in Nepal, based on the viral loads, gender, and age groups was similar to those of not only other developing countries but also developed countries. Next, we reviewed five international HBV treatment guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), and Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL). All guidelines require the viral load and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels for decision making. Although four guidelines recommend elastography to assess liver cirrhosis, the WHO guideline alternatively recommends using the aspartate aminotransferase (AST)-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), which is inexpensive and conducted routinely in most hospitals. Therefore, in resource-limited developing countries like Nepal, we recommend the WHO guideline for HBV treatment based on the viral load, ALT, and APRI information.

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 Grass Is Greener on the Other Side: Return Migration of Indian Engineers and Scientists in Academia

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghna Sabharwal ◽  
Roli Varma
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Return Migration ◽  
National Science Foundation ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
The United States ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Ability To Work ◽  
Birth Data ◽  
Globalized World

Studies on skilled return migration from developed to developing countries have focused on the industrial sector. This article focuses on why academic engineers and scientists from developing countries leave developed countries to return to their countries of birth. Data for this study comes from a National Science Foundation funded study with 83 engineers and scientists who returned to India after study and work in U.S. universities. Better career prospects in India namely ample funding available for research, less competition for grants, ability to work on theoretical topics, and freedom in research objectives emerged as the key factors that prompted return. These findings, therefore, differ with return migration of industrial engineers and scientists who moved back primarily to start companies in India and immigration challenges in the United States. With very little scholarly work on return migration of academic engineers and scientists, this study expands the understanding of high skilled migration in a globalized world.

scholarly journals Human Capital Spending: A Review on the Developments and the Results in Turkey

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haşim Akça
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Capital Spending ◽  
Knowledge Capability ◽  
Factors Of Production ◽  
The Developed Countries

Human capital is defined as values like knowledge, capability, experiment and dynamism that labour contributed to production holds and enables more productive usage of other factors of production. According to this definition that includes properties of individuals in the production process like knowledge, capability, experiment and dynamism, with the definition of human capital, all capabilities devoted to the increasing production is incorporated. Developing and efficient usage of human capital and is very crucial especially in less developed and developing countries. In this countries, not only selecting the optimal combination but also acquisition and the way to use these factors of production in order to increase production exhibits an important dimension. However, this will not be sufficient to catch the developed countries. In order to achieve this goal, beyond transmitting new technologies, constructing knowledge and technology that fosters this technological development is required. Developing and efficient usage of human capital, one of the important dynamics of the economic growth is very crucial in less developed and developing countries comparing to developed countries. In order to develop human capital educated and healthy society is needed. Efficient assessment of the associated capital requires satisfaction of individuals by the means of tangible facilities social relations. In this study, the evolution of human capital will be investigated under human capital indicators and findings will be revealed. Therewithal, several suggestions will be powered for developing human capital.

scholarly journals Cost-Effective Smartphone-Based Articulable Endoscope Systems for Developing Countries: Instrument Validation Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youngjin Moon ◽  
Jeongmin Oh ◽  
Jaeho Hyun ◽  
Youngkyu Kim ◽  
Jaesoon Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Minimally Invasive ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Less Developed Countries ◽  
Internal Organs ◽  
Human Organ ◽  
Motor Module ◽  
Endoscope System

BACKGROUND Endoscopes are widely used for visualizing the respiratory tract, urinary tract, uterus, and gastrointestinal tracts. Despite high demand, people in underdeveloped and developing countries cannot obtain proper access to endoscopy. Moreover, commercially available endoscopes are mostly nonarticulable as well as not actively controlled, limiting their use. Articulating endoscopes are required for some diagnosis procedures, due to their ability to image wide areas of internal organs. Furthermore, actively controlled articulating endoscopes are less likely to harm the lumen than rigid endoscopes because they can avoid contact with endothelial tissues. OBJECTIVE The study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of smartphone-based wide-field articulable endoscope system for minimally invasive clinical applications in developing and less developed countries. METHODS A thin articulable endoscope system that can be attached to and actively controlled by a smartphone was designed and constructed. The system consists of a flexible endoscopic probe with a continuum mechanism, 4 motor modules for articulation, a microprocessor for controlling the motor with a smartphone, and a homebuilt app for streaming, capturing, adjusting images and video, and controlling the motor module with a joystick-like user interface. The smartphone and motor module are connected via an integrated C-type On-The-Go (OTG) USB hub. RESULTS We tested the device in several human-organ phantoms to evaluate the usability and utility of the smartphone-based articulating endoscope system. The resolution (960 × 720 pixels) of the device was found to be acceptable for medical diagnosis. The maximum bending angle of 110° was designed. The distance from the base of the articulating module to the tip of the endoscope was 45 mm. The angle of the virtual arc was 40.0°, for a curvature of 0.013. The finest articulation resolution was 8.9°. The articulating module succeeded in imaging all 8 octants of a spherical target, as well as all 4 quadrants of the indices marked in human phantoms. CONCLUSIONS The portable wide-field endoscope was successfully controlled using a smartphone, yielding clear images with a resolution of 960 × 720 pixels at realistic focal distances. Actively and precisely controlled articulating movements have resulted in minimally invasive monitoring in the narrow space of internal organs providing a wide-area view. We found our smartphone-based active articulated endoscope to be suitable for point-of-care applications in developing and less developed countries.

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