Popular cleaning systems of bottles reused for traditional food packaging in the city of Yaoundé (Cameroon) and study of their prospective effectiveness on biofilms

This study was focused on the collecting and recycling systems of bottles reused for traditional food packaging in the city of Yaoundé and the presence of biofilms in these bottles. A cross-sectional study approved by the Institutional Review Board was conducted in 43 quarters randomly selected in Yaoundé using a semi-structured questionnaire. The target population was producers and street sellers of traditional foods who used recovered bottles for food packaging and had freely signed the informed consent clearance. Then, the recovered bottles cleaned by the participants and ready to be reused as traditional food packaging were sampled and screened for the presence of biofilms. The results showed that 84% of the 162 participants were women. Bottles reused for traditional food packaging were mainly collected from garbage (70.4%). A total of six different cleaning processes were identified from manufacturers of traditional food products. The cleaning processes were significantly (p < 0.05) dependent on the education level and varied from one manufacturer to another. Amongst the identified cleaning processes, those which included soaking and disinfection unit operations were more efficient in biofilms’ removal. Bottles cleaned according to these processes scored the lowest biofilms’ contents. Independently of the cleaning processes, biofilms were detected in all recovered bottles. This might suggest a potential health risk for consumers

COMPENSATING THE POOR OUT OF TRADITIONAL HEALING IN CAMEROON: A NESTED LOGIT ANALYSIS

The current paper sought to (i) identify the determinants of the choice of health care providers in Cameroon, and (ii) determine the compensation to the poor to get them away from traditional/self healing. The core is a nested Logit model, accounting for the poor’s decision in terms of a Spline function of consumption. Overall, the majority of the determinants had the expected sign with a significant effect. The compensation to the poor is at least 46.20% of the lower poverty line, while the intermediate group receives a compensation of at least 14.47% of the upper poverty line.Health care providers, indirect demand, compensation, poverty, Spline function, nested Logit model

GROWTH INTENSITY OF EMPLOYMENT IN AFRICA: A PANEL DATA APPROACH

The incidence of poverty has increased in the majority of African countries over the 1990, while a pro-employment growth is strongly believed to be an efficient means for fighting against poverty. Thus a quantitative analysis of the growth-employment nexus in Africa appeared necessary. More specifically, the growth intensity of employment is assessed based on some panel data models of employment, using annual data of 39 African countries, over the period 1995-2000. In the specific case of the dynamic panel model, a Fixed Effects estimation suggests that economic growth affects employment but with lags (up to 2 years). However GMM estimations indicate that the short run effects of GDP remain weak while credit to the private sector and FDI bear some substitution relationship with each other.Growth intensity; employment persistence; Panel model; Fixed Effects; GMM estimations.

Etude des marges dans les circuits de commercialisation du porc au Cameroun

Study of Marketing Margins in Pig Marketing Channels in Cameroon. In order to provide a better knowledge of the influence of middlemen on livestock and meat prices in Cameroon, pig marketing margins were valued and compared in Yaounde, Douala and Dschang markets between September 1999 and August 2000. The main results showed that the marketing margins generated by the sale of fresh (31.97%) and roasted (31.67%) meats were significantly higher (p< 0.05), compared to pig (27.09%). The mean values of marketing margins in the different markets were higher at Yaounde (53.31%), followed by Douala (46.92%) and lastly by Dschang (33.76%). Transaction costs analysis revealed significant variations (p< 0.05) between Yaounde (115.07 ± 49.74) and the other 2 markets, Douala (51.94 ± 19.48) and Dschang (39.10 ± 18.76), while the mean values of that parameter were 119.01 ± 78.40; 53.16 ± 14.95 and 61.51 ± 21.01 respectively for fresh and roasted meats and pig. However, in linking marketing margins to transaction costs, the study revealed that, while the sale of fresh and roasted meats allows a higher (p< 0.05) trader's profit in Douala and Dschang markets, compared to pig, the profitability for the three products seems to be the same (p> 0.05) in Yaounde market

DataSheet1_Popular cleaning systems of bottles reused for traditional food packaging in the city of Yaoundé (Cameroon) and study of their prospective effectiveness on biofilms.PDF

This study was focused on the collecting and recycling systems of bottles reused for traditional food packaging in the city of Yaoundé and the presence of biofilms in these bottles. A cross-sectional study approved by the Institutional Review Board was conducted in 43 quarters randomly selected in Yaoundé using a semi-structured questionnaire. The target population was producers and street sellers of traditional foods who used recovered bottles for food packaging and had freely signed the informed consent clearance. Then, the recovered bottles cleaned by the participants and ready to be reused as traditional food packaging were sampled and screened for the presence of biofilms. The results showed that 84% of the 162 participants were women. Bottles reused for traditional food packaging were mainly collected from garbage (70.4%). A total of six different cleaning processes were identified from manufacturers of traditional food products. The cleaning processes were significantly (p < 0.05) dependent on the education level and varied from one manufacturer to another. Amongst the identified cleaning processes, those which included soaking and disinfection unit operations were more efficient in biofilms’ removal. Bottles cleaned according to these processes scored the lowest biofilms’ contents. Independently of the cleaning processes, biofilms were detected in all recovered bottles. This might suggest a potential health risk for consumers.</p