Is the energy crisis creating a transition hesitancy? Towards an energy transition acceptance and governance model

The energy crisis of high wholesale gas prices with supply crunch due to efforts to decarbonise, lack of capital to natural gas drillers and an unexpectedly low output from Russia (worsened by the invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions in February 2022), along with anecdotal evidence of hesitancy from countries, banks and compaines mean that the COP26 targets are already slipping. The aim of this study is to use the technology acceptance model (TAM) as the building block for a Transition Acceptance and Governance Model (TrAGM)

Gas monetisation intricacies:evidence from Indonesia

Indonesia's geographical spread as an archipelago results in a unique and sophisticated electricity distribution. Consequently, PLN, Indonesia's state-owned electricity company, faces several challenges in implementing a robust gas monetisation scheme given these peculiar features of Indonesia's electricity sector. We identify and evaluate the risks and critical issues regarding Indonesia's gas monetisation policy formulation and implementation, particularly the changing regulation and reforms of the past three decades. We surmise that a sound energy policy of gas investment and utilisation by PLN and other energy stakeholders is fundamental. This will manifest in sound business strategies, especially in addressing contractual difficulties and infrastructural deficiencies in securing long-term gas supplies for gas power plants. Some positive approaches are already being adopted by the Indonesian electricity sector stakeholders to tackle the challenges in gas transportation like small scale LNG, marine LNG and CNG but these efforts need to be consistently pursued over the planning horizon

Post-COVID-19 and African agenda for a green recovery: lessons from the European Union and the United States of America.

The concept of a ‘green new deal’ for Africa will provide a joined-up approach to managing the impact of extreme climatic events. In this regard, the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) green deal arrangements offer Africa lessons to consider in a green agenda. By recourse to green theory, which is a critique of existing power structures and nationalistic and political positions concerning climate change, we explore mechanisms for fostering collective action and collaboration through an African green deal. Building on the African Union’s existing agencies and arms, this chapter argues that an African Union Green Deal post–COVID-19 is crucial to achieving sustainable economic growth and development within the continent’s Agenda 2063. The African continent should take advantage of collaboration opportunities within the continent and the European Union, thereby strengthening its financing and governance structures

Depression among Patients with Parkinson's Disease in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

Background There is increasing evidence that Parkinson's disease (PD) can cause depression. This dimension has not been sufficiently studied particularly among Nigerian Africans. Our aim was to  determine the frequency and severity of depression among patients with PD and to compare this with their healthy counterparts.Methods 36 conservative patients with a clinical diagnosis of PD had the Beck Depression Inventory-Il administered to them. A structured questionnaire interview and a neurological examination including the Hoehn and Yahr stage of illness scale and the motor section of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale were performed. An equal number of age and sex matched controls were also recruited for the study.Results Of the 36 PD patients, 83.3% had persistently low mood. Based on their Beck Depression Inventory score, 25% had mild depression, 18% had moderate depression and 16.7% had severe depression. Depression was worse with disease severity.Conclusion Patients with PD had a higher frequency of depression compared to their healthy counterparts. A multidisciplinary approach to the management of PD that includes depression-reducing interventions is required for this population of patients.Keywords: Depression, Parkinson's disease, BDI-I

Can green infrastructure development in cities be equitable? An eclectic review of Dundee City’s electric vehicles strategy.

Dundee City has been successful in installing green infrastructure for charging electric vehicles (EVs). This intervention apparently matches the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of affordable clean energy (7), sustainable cities and communities (11) and climate action (13). Local authorities can align interventions with SDGs according to needs. Thus, we undertake an eclectic examination of the elements of the plan against the city’s peculiar socio-economic environment, questioning whether the EV plan is equitable for the city’s residents. Equitability may be either the complementarity and benefits of the strategy from the obvious lenses of SDGs 7, 11 and 13 or the alignment or otherwise of the EV strategy with the other SDGs. We note that the EV strategy achieves some equitability but does not fully address all inequalities. Although this approach could be adopted by smaller, similar or bigger cities, we recommend that local priorities should be ranked to improve alignment with SDGs

Pattern of heart failure in a Nigerian teaching hospital

Arthur C Onwuchekwa, Godspower E AsekomehDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, NigeriaBackground: Congestive cardiac failure (CCF) has emerged as a major public health problem worldwide and imposes an escalating burden on the health care system. Objective: To determine the causes and mortality rate of CCF in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), south Nigeria, over a five-year period from January 2001 to December 2005.Methods: A retrospective study of CCF cases were identified from the admission and discharge register of the medical wards of UPTH and the case notes were retrieved from the medical records department and analyzed.Results: There were 423 patients: 242 males and 181 females. Their ages ranged from 18 to 100 years with a mean of 54.4 ± 17.3. The commonest causes of CCF were hypertension (56.3%) and cardiomyopathy (12.3%). Chronic renal failure, rheumatic heart disease, and ischemic heart disease accounted for 7.8%, 4.3%, and 0.2% of CCF, respectively. Peripartum heart disease was rare despite being commonly reported in northern Nigerian females. Eighteen patients died from various complications with a mortality rate of 4.3%.Conclusion: The burden of CCF in the Niger Delta is mainly attributed to hypertension. Efforts should be geared towards hypertension awareness, detection, treatment, and prevention in the region.Keywords: pattern, cardiac failure, Nigeria, etiological factor

Medical Mortality in the Accident and Emergency Unit of the University Of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital

Background: The quality of care in the emergency room is an indirect indicator of the standard of healthcare delivery in a given health institution. Mortality in the emergency room may result from various factors including incompetence of the attending junior physicians, delays in presentation and inadequate facilities. The aim of the study is to highlight the causes of mortality, age and sex distribution of the deaths and the duration of admission before death among medical cases in the accident and emergency unit of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Methods: A one year (January to December, 2005) clinical audit of all adult medical admissions in the accident and emergency department of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH). Results: Of the 5304 admitted over the study period, 349 (6.8%) patients died. Two hundred and thirty three (66.8%) of these deaths were due to medical cases only. These medical deaths were made up of 126 males and 107 females giving a male to female ratio of 1.2:1. The presumed causes of deaths were stroke in 56(24.5%), HIV/AIDS in 53 (22.7%), sepsis in 20 (8.6%), while 14 (6.0%) died from meningitis. Ten patients (4.3%) died from diabetic ketoacidosis, and hepatic encephalopathy and tetanus were responsible for 10(4.3%) and 7 (3.0%) deaths respectively. Conclusion: In the period studied, medical mortality was high in the accident and emergency room of UPTH. The major causes of deaths were cerebrovascular accidents and HIV/AIDS. Keywords: accident and emergency, autopsy, death certification, medical mortalityNigerian Journal of Medicine Vol. 17 (2) 2008: pp. 184-18

Profile of Generic and Disease-Specific Health-Related Quality of Life Among Nigerians with Parkinson's Disease

Background There is mounting evidence that Parkinson's disease causes significant disability and  impairs health-related quality of life. However, this dimension has not been fully characterised, particularly among Africans. We examined the generic and diseasespecific health related quality of life profiles of Nigerian Africans with Parkinson's disease in comparison to demographically-matched controls.Methods Thirty-six consecutive Nigerian patients with Parkinson's disease were assessed using a battery comprising of the Parkinson's disease questionnaire-39 (a disease-specific instrument), and the EQ- 5D (a generic instrument whose maximum score of 1.00 indicates best quality of life). A structured questionnaire interview and a complete neurological examination including the Hoehn and Yahr stage of illness scale and the motor section of the Unified Parkinson's  Disease Rating Scale were performed on the same day. Thirtysixages and gender- matched apparently healthy controls were also assessed.Results There was no significant difference in age between the patients (64.3 + 10years) and controls (63. 7 + 9 years). The patients had significantly poorer EQ-5D score (0.31 + 0.23) compared to the  controls (0.84+ 0.12 for the controls, P< 0.001). The Parkinson's disease questionnaire- 39demonstrated poor quality of life in patients with the poorest performances in the mobility, activities of daily living and emotional well-being dimensions. However the social support dimension was not impaired.Conclusion Patients with Parkinson's disease had much poorer generic and specific health related quality of life in comparison to their healthy counterparts. Management should be multi disciplinary in order to holistically improve quality of life in all affected domains.Keywords Parkinson's disease; Health Related Quality of Life; Nigeri

Aligning Local Interventions with the UN Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs)

Dundee City has been successful in installing green infrastructure for charging electric vehicles (EVs). This intervention apparently matches the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of affordable clean energy (7), sustainable cities and communities (11) and climate action (13). Local authorities can align interventions with SDGs according to needs. Thus, we undertake an eclectic examination of the elements of the plan against the city’s peculiar socio-economic environment, questioning whether the EV plan is equitable for the city’s residents. Equitability may be either the complementarity and benefits of the strategy from the obvious lenses of SDGs 7, 11 and 13 or the alignment or otherwise of the EV strategy with the other SDGs. We note that the EV strategy achieves some equitability but does not fully address all inequalities. Although this approach could be adopted by smaller, similar or bigger cities, we recommend that local priorities should be ranked to improve alignment with SDGs

Gas Monetisation Intricacies: Evidence from Indonesia

Indonesia's geographical spread as an archipelago results in a unique and sophisticated electricity distribution. Consequently, PLN, Indonesia's state-owned electricity company, faces several challenges in implementing a robust gas monetisation scheme given these peculiar features of Indonesia's electricity sector. We identify and evaluate the risks and critical issues regarding Indonesia's gas monetisation policy formulation and implementation, particularly the changing regulation and reforms of the past three decades. We surmise that a sound energy policy of gas investment and utilisation by PLN and other energy stakeholders is fundamental. This will manifest in sound business strategies, especially in addressing contractual difficulties and infrastructural deficiencies in securing long-term gas supplies for gas power plants. Some positive approaches are already being adopted by the Indonesian electricity sector stakeholders to tackle the challenges in gas transportation like small scale LNG, marine LNG and CNG but these efforts need to be consistently pursued over the planning horizon. Keywords: gas monetisation; long-term gas supplies; gas transportation JEL Classifications: L95, N7, Q