Portable Health Clinic Packages for BoP

The 14th World Congress on Medical and Health Informatics(Medinfo2013), 20-23 August, 2013,Copenhagen, Denmar

Sustainable energy for whom? Governing pro-poor, low-carbon pathways to development: lessons from solar PV in Kenya

Using a combination of insights from innovation studies, sociotechnical transitions theory and the STEPS pathways approach, this paper analyses the evolution of the Kenyan photovoltaics (PV) market. Considered by many to be an exemplar of private sector led development, the Kenyan PV market has witnessed the adoption of more than 300,000 solar home systems and over 100,000 solar portable lights. The notion of an entrepreneurially driven unsubsidised solar market has proved to be a powerful narrative amongst development actors who, paradoxically, have provided millions of dollars of funding to encourage the market’s development. We argue that this donor support has been critical to the success of the market, but not simply by helping to create an enabling environment in which entrepreneurs can flourish. Donor assistance has been critical in supporting a range of actors to build the elements of a PV innovation system by providing active protection for experimentation, network-building, and the construction of shared visions amongst actors throughout supply chains and amongst users.This analysis gives important clues for designing climate and development policies, with implications for the governance of energy access pathways that are inclusive of poor and marginalised groups in low income countries

Horizon Report 2009

El informe anual Horizon investiga, identifica y clasifica las tecnologías emergentes que los expertos que lo elaboran prevén tendrán un impacto en la enseñanza aprendizaje, la investigación y la producción creativa en el contexto educativo de la enseñanza superior. También estudia las tendencias clave que permiten prever el uso que se hará de las mismas y los retos que ellos suponen para las aulas. Cada edición identifica seis tecnologías o prácticas. Dos cuyo uso se prevé emergerá en un futuro inmediato (un año o menos) dos que emergerán a medio plazo (en dos o tres años) y dos previstas a más largo plazo (5 años)

A Process for Extracting Knowledge in Design for the Developing World

The aim of this study was to develop the process necessary to identify design knowledge shared across product classes and contexts in Design for the Developing World. A process for extracting design knowledge in the field of Design for the Developing World was developed based on the Knowledge Discovery in Databases framework. This process was applied to extract knowledge from a sample dataset of 48 products and small-scale technologies. Unsupervised cluster analysis revealed two distinct product groups, cluster X-AA and cluster Z-AC-AD. Unique attributes of cluster XX-AA include local manufacture, local maintenance and service, human-power, distribution by a non-governmental organization, income-generation, and application in water/sanitation or agriculture sectors. The label Locally Oriented Design for the Developing World was assigned to this group based on the dominant features represented. Unique attributes of cluster Z-AC-AD include electric-power, distribution by a private organization, and application in the health or energy/communication sectors. The label Globally Oriented Design for the Developing World was assigned to this group. These findings were corroborated by additional analyses that suggest certain design knowledge is shared across classes and contexts within groups of products. The results suggest that at least two of these groups exist, which can serve as an initial framework for organizing the literature related to inter-context and inter-class design knowledge. Design knowledge was extracted from each group by collecting known approaches, principles, and methods from available literature. This knowledge may be applied as design guidance in future work by identifying a product group corresponding to the design scenario and sourcing the related set of knowledge

ICT Update 74: ICT4Ag - setting the scene

ICT Update is a bimonthly printed and on-line magazine (http://ictupdate.cta.int) and an accompanying e-mail newsletter published by CTA. This issue focuses on CTA international conference ICT4Ag

HMIS Assessment in Mtwara Region and Proposal for Strengthening the MTUHA System

The assessment of the current status of the Health Information System (MTUHA) is a requirement of the Three Regions Health Study in Tanzania. However, because numerous similar assessments and reports have been compiled, this report focuses its attention on the development of a comprehensive plan for strengthening the MTUHA information system. The evaluation component was thus scaled back to provide a quick assessment of the status of the information system in one of the regions (Mtwara). The report briefly describes the methodology (Section 2) utilised in the preparation of the report, and then assesses the key components of an efficient information system (Section 3). Five main areas are assessed, namely the data flow policy, essential data set, human resources for information systems, and access to hardware and software, and then describes the information processing cycle and the steps involved in this cycle. The Recommendations Section (Section 4), while mirroring the structure of the previous section, introduces two new aspects – that of creating a culture of information use, and some detail on the requirements to develop an integrated, long term approach to the development of information systems. This we believe is the main contribution that this report makes to the Tanzanian health sector, The main findings and recommendations are highlighted for the five areas of the assessment. In each section, the findings are briefly described, followed by the\ud recommendations, and comments on the implementation steps\u

Dispensador automático de medicação inovador e orientado para o futuro para adultos sénior

The population is getting older due to higher life expectancy and lower birth rates. Medication is becoming a bigger part of older adults’ lives. However, as all people do, it is easy to forget to take medication. This forgetfulness can bring a lot of consequences, specially in older adults. This is because of their more fragile health and the complexities in their medication, resulting in lower quality of life and higher number of hospital visits. Non adherence to medication is cause by 3 main factors: patient factors, medication factors and health care providers factors. These intertwine adding to the complexity of the problem, however they can be fixed. Technological solutions were developed along the years, some academically and some are available in the current market. Nevertheless, as all solution, there is always room for improvement. This document sets out to collect the needs of older adults regarding their medication and review current developed systems, in order to idealize an innovative system capable of meeting the needs of older adults while improving current systems. This took a systematic approach, mixing adequate product development methodologies, linear and more traditional, State-Gate, and cyclical and more innovative, Lean. This resulted in a idealization of a future proof system that tries to tackle the non adherence problem as whole. From this idealization it was possible to develop and build a prototype that demonstrates its main functionalities.A população está a envelhecer devido a um acréscimo na esperança de vida e a um decréscimo nas taxas de natalidade. Assim, a medicação está a tornar-se uma parte cada vez mais prevalente em adultos sénior. No entanto, como acontece com a população em geral, é fácil esquecer-se de tomar a medicação. Este esquecimento pode trazer muitas consequências, especialmente em adultos sénior. Isso se deve à sua saúde fragilizada e às complexidades inerente à sua medicação, resultando numa menor qualidade de vida e um maior número de visitas hospitalares. A não adesão à terapêutica é o resultado de 3 fatores principais: fatores do paciente, fatores da medicação e fatores dos prestadores de cuidados de saúde. Estes entrelaçam-se adicionando à complexidade do problema, porém podem ser corrigidos. Soluções tecnológicas foram desenvolvidas ao longo dos anos, algumas academicamente e outras estão disponíveis no mercado atual. No entanto, como todas as soluções, há sempre margem para melhorias. Este documento recolhe as necessidades dos adultos sérnio, em relação à sua medicação, e revê os sistemas desenvolvidos até ao momento,com o objetivo de idealizar um sistema inovador capaz de reponder às necessidades dos adultos sénior, construindo sobre os sistemas atuais. Para isso tomou-se uma abordagem sistemática, adaptando metodologias adequadas de desenvolvimento de produto, lineares e mais tradicionais, State-Gate, e cíclicas e mais inovadoras, Lean. Isto resultou na idealização de um sistema orientado para o futuro que tenta abordar o problema da não adesão à terapêutica como um todo. A partir desta idealização foi possível desenvolver e construir um protótipo que demonstrasse suas principais funcionalidadesMestrado em Engenharia Mecânic

The NEBLINE, April 1994

Contents: Horticulture Rural $ense Human Resources 4-H & Youth Environmental Focus Community & Leadership Development Extension Calendar Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Nebraska Association for Family and Community Education News and other extension news and event

Frugal innovation for healthcare: strategies and tools for the identification and evaluation of frugal and reverse innovations in healthcare

Global healthcare systems are united by their desire to widen patient access to safe and effective clinical services in the face of increasing demand and financial constraints. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), a variety of ingenious product and process solutions, termed frugal innovations, have been able to deliver services at a fraction of the cost. It is the broad proposition of this work that such ideas could be applicable to high-income countries (HICs), a concept labeled reverse innovation. Using a conceptual model of innovation scouting derived from the causal mechanism of critical realism, this work examined the development and testing of a tool to deductively identify frugal innovations in healthcare (FIH-ID tool) and then evaluated methodology to assess the reversibility of potential of frugal innovations. The FIH-ID tool demonstrated consistently acceptable inter-rater reliability scores using different methods of application and different raters, moreover, construct validity was shown by its ability to identify well-known frugal innovations. With respect to the assessment of the reversibility potential, the results of the present study highlighted the challenges of undertaking such a complex evaluation process using a simple scoring system. Raters achieved poor levels of inter-rater reliability and only 2 innovations were thought likely to reverse to a HIC. This study presents the first application of a critical realist approach to innovation scouting. It has identified a cohort of 76 potential frugal innovations in healthcare suggesting that the FIH-ID tool is likely to be a valuable asset for similar studies in the future. It has highlighted the challenges of assessing the reversibility potential of innovations from LMICs. It has documented the emergence of the global innovation curator, entities that seek to identify, curate and promote innovations from LMICs, and it proposes a conceptual model for the role of global innovation curators in the diffusion of innovation.Open Acces