93 research outputs found

    Ongoing development of guidelines for biosimilar medicines assessment in Uganda: Critical evaluation and recommendations for inclusion

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    >Magister Scientiae - MScA Biosimilar is defined as a biologic product that is similar but not identical to the reference/originator biologic product. Biologic products have raised hopes of improving the quality of life especially in the treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Of all the major health threats to emerge since the start of this century, none has challenged the very foundations of public health as profoundly as the rise of NCDs. However, the increasing cost of treatment of biologic products has raised many questions regarding its access in the context of multiple inequalities. The arrival of the patent cliff in this sector has given rise to biosimilars. The emergence of biosimilars is expected to go a long way in reducing the cost of care of NCDs. The use of biosimilars is based on the assumption that they are of assured quality and of the same pharmaceutical standard as the reference biologicals. Their quality should therefore be rigorously controlled and assured. Uganda has had biologicals on its market that are claimed to be copies of the originator biologicals also known as biosimilars. Most of these products have not been approved through a biosimilar approval procedure, but have instead been licensed (by the Uganda National Drug Authority (NDA)) using the same requirements as generics or small molecule medicines. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines on the Evaluation of Similar Biotherapeutic Products, a biosimilar that has not been demonstrated to be similar to a reference product through head-to-head comparisons should not be described as similar or be called a biosimilar. Although these products are on the Ugandan market, based on the above, they cannot be referred to as biosimilars. In November 2017 however, NDA embarked on the process of developing guidelines for assessment of biologics, and a specific guideline for assessment of biosimilars

    The relationship between self- esteem and perceived academic competence : a survey of deaf learners in special schools in Uganda

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    The research problem focused on Deaf learners’ self esteem and perceived academic competences, the relationship between self esteem and perceived academic competence of Deaf learners in special schools triggered by the fact that Deaf learners in special schools in Uganda have had relatively low academic competences. The Cultural Nature of Human Development theory formed the basis of the present study was among the minority community (Deaf people) and therefore, issues of culture, practices and routines may have been a basis for the learners’ self esteem and A quantitative study survey 162 Deaf learners, 82 girls and 80 boys from primary six and primary seven out of 175 expected, in four Schools for the Deaf using a questionnaire. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 14.0 for windows to test the internal consistency of the two standardized tools (Rosenberg 1965 Global self esteem, Gresham & Elliott 1990 academic competence), t-test and F-test (ONE-WAY ANOVA) and Spearman rho correlation coefficient were used to investigate the research question given in chapter one. The findings revealed that Deaf learners’ self esteem was relatively high with insignificant differences across various demographic characteristics of Deaf learners. Perceived academic competence of Deaf learners remained largely average with a significant number with relatively high perceived academic competence compared to the least number of Deaf learners with low perceived academic competence. Perceived academic competence varied significantly across some of the demographic variables. The relationship between self esteem and perceived academic competence of Deaf learners was significant with a relatively strong correlation. Across the demographic characteristics, the relationship remained relatively moderate. Based on the findings, the present study recommends the need to investigate other possible factors that may be responsible for low academic competence of Deaf learners in special schools. These may include among others teaching and learning strategies, academic assessment and curriculum design. Policy makers and teachers of the Deaf should take advantage of the high self esteem and perceived academic competence of Deaf learners modify their teaching methods, influence the national curriculum and the examination content to inclusively respond to Deaf learners’ cultural differences. Standardized instruments should be modified in response to cultural differences and experiences of the Deaf respondents. A combination of methods to supplement the quantitative data may give deeper understand into the Deaf respondent views and may limit misinterpretation of the research tool

    Towards a multilateral agreement on investment (MAI): implications for developing African countries

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    Magister Legum - LLMIn most African countries the private sector provides the main impetus for economic growth, especially since countries started opening up their economics for foreign investment. Foreign investments have played an important role in the economic growth and development process. Consequently, the purpose of this work was to analyse the consequences of having a MAI in light of the proposed OECD Agreement, the implications it may have for developing countries in Africa, and the way forward towards a balanced multilateral Agreement.South Afric

    The effect of viscoelastic deformation in pipe cracks on leakage response to variations in pressure

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    Includes bibliographical references.Water is an important and increasingly scarce resource in the world today. Unfortunately, a lot of water is lost through leakage since most distribution systems are deteriorating. Therefore research in leakage management is necessary in order to improve the utilization of water resources. Leakage may be reduced by managing the water pressure in water distribution systems. One of the important factors affecting the pressure-leakage relationship is pipe material behaviour (Van Zyl & Clayton 2007; Greyvenstein & Van Zyl 2007). The pressure – leakage relationship has been described by several relationships such as the Torricelli equation, the Fixed and Variable Area Discharge (FAVAD) concept and the conventional equation. Pipe material behaviour affects leakage parameters in the pressure-leakage relationship such as the leak area and the leak exponent (Cassa et al. 2010). For this project, the pressure-leakage relationships in High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Polyvinylchloride (PVC) pipes are investigated. HDPE and PVC are polymeric materials and therefore exhibit a viscoelastic response to applied stress and applied strain. Viscoelastic responses include creep, relaxation, hysteresis and time dependency. When these pipes experience stresses due to water pressures, failure and fracture may occur as leaks. The viscoelastic properties of these materials therefore affect how the leaks respond to pressure change. The effect of viscoelastic deformations in leaks was investigated using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software, Abaqus. Round holes and longitudinal cracks were represented as individual leaks in HDPE and PVC pipes in Abaqus. Pressure was applied to each pipe model for different time periods, and the deformed leak areas were obtained. Further analysis was carried out to determine the effects of pressure on leak parameters such as the gradient of the leak area-pressure relationship, leak exponent and the leakage number. The analysis shows that viscoelastic deformations have an effect on the pressure-leakage relationship. A linear relationship exists between the leak area and pressure for all time periods investigated and therefore gradients could be obtained. Deformed leak areas, gradients and leak exponents all increased with time and therefore confirmed that the time dependency of viscoelastic materials affected the pressure-leakage relationship. The leakage exponents for both materials were found to vary between 0.5 and 1.5 for both HDPE and PVC. HDPE also exhibited higher leak exponents, gradients and larger deformed leak areas than PVC for the same leaks. It was also found that leakage in viscoelastic materials may be analysed using the leakage number, developed for elastically deforming materials by Van Zyl & Cassa (2013)

    Evaluating the Impact of Weather and Climate Information Utilization on Adoption of Climate-Smart Technologies Among Smallholder Farmers in Tambacounda and Kolda Regions, (Senegal)

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    Senegal is subjected to climate change and unstable weather conditions of the Sahel zone causing adverse negative effects on the agricultural sector and biodiversity. Weather and climate information is one of the requirements for effective adoption of climate-smart agriculture in Senegal, where Agriculture employs approximately 65% of the total population. This study evaluated the impact of weather information utilization on adoption of climate-smart technologies among smallholder farmers using a case study of Tambacounda and Kolda regions in Senegal. The study aimed at establishing the level of accessibility, understandability, usability of weather information and examined the extent to which utilization of weather information impacts the adoption of Climate-smart agriculture technologies among smallholder farmers in Tambacounda and Kolda. For this study, questionnaires were administered to 341 purposively sampled households with the help of department extension workers and local leaders. The study findings show that while smallholder farmers accessed weather information through traditional and modern media sources like radio, television, and telephone, understandability and usability of the weather and climate information received were low. Overall utilization of weather and climate information was low. Also, the overall adoption rate of climate-smart agriculture technologies was low. Utilization of weather and climate information was constrained by language problems, failure to comprehend the information, difficulty in understanding forecast terminology, inability to respond to weather and climate information in terms of farming equipment and other inputs, poor packaging of information, and user unfriendliness of weather and climate information in the study area. The regression model results (F = 22.203, P=.028) were within the significant level (p<0.05), which means that accessibility, understandability, and usability of weather forecasts were appropriate predictors of adoption of climate smart technologies among smallholder farmers. A new and effective weather information delivery system is proposed and provision of weather-based advisory services to the farming communities. Keywords: Adoption, Climate/weather information, Climate-smart technologies, Smallholder farmers, Senegal DOI: 10.7176/JEES/11-2-05 Publication date: February 28th 2021

    Scaling up agricultural carbon activities in Mbale Region, Uganda

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    Agriculture is central to the economy of Uganda; it employs about 82% of the national workforce and is responsible for generating over 20% of Uganda’s GDP (Oling, Rwabizambuga, and Warren- rodriguez 2014). Over 800,000 smallholder farmers in the Mbale, Manafwa and Bududa Districts (Mbale region, total area 137,128 ha) depend on agriculture as their main source of livelihood (Mbogga 2013). Farmers in these districts mainly produce bananas and maize, which are consumed locally and exported to neighbor- ing countries like Kenya, as well as annual horticultural crops, such as carrots, Irish potatoes, onions, passion fruit and tomatoes. The Mbale region is also among the major coffee growing areas in Uganda, which is a major source of income for many farmers in the region. Additionally, most farmers also own livestock, which are usually kept in zero grazing systems or in combination with partial grazing (The Republic of Uganda 2013). However, the fertile land has also resulted in a high rate of pop- ulation growth and land fragmentation. The Mbale region has a high population density of about 1000 people per square kilome- ter, which means that the average size of land holding is small, between about 1 and 2 acres, forcing farmers to till the land intensively throughout the year (The Republic of Uganda 2013). In addition to making the soils less fertile and productive, these unsustainable farming practices also contribute to soil erosion. Furthermore, there has been significant forest degradation in the Mbale region (Banana et al. 2014). Because the region is moun- tainous, these unsustainable practices can easily lead to mud- slides when the soil is exposed to large amounts of rainfall. For these reasons, the Mt. Elgon region is one of the most vulnerable areas in Uganda to climate change, which was exemplified in the tragic landslide in Bududa and Manafwa Districts in March 2010 (Masiga 2013)

    Implementing smallholder carbon projects: building local institutional capacity through participatory action research

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    Two smallholder agricultural carbon projects in East Africa engaged in a participatory action research process to identify ways local actors could take on larger management roles within the projects. Key lessons from this process were: * Community-based intermediaries can play a leading role in land- management trainings and supportive roles in carbon measurement and marketing. * Local government participation is critical to project success. * Local NGOs and private-sector actors can play central roles in training, providing agricultural inputs and linking farmers to markets. * Standardized training and curricula are important for scaling up. * Women’s roles in projects can grow if project benefits are aligned with their needs and trainings are made more accessible. * Agricultural benefits are more important than carbon payments for participating farmers. * Strengthened local and national policies in support of sustainable agricultural land management are needed to scale up project benefits

    Variability in body weight and morphology of Uganda’s indigenous goat breeds across agroecological zones

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    A research article was published by PLoS ONE volume 19,2024Indigenous goat breeds in Uganda are classified based on average body size parameters and coat color. However, variations in the body size of animals may be influenced by several factors, including management and the environment. To understand the effect of the agro- ecological zone on the physical characteristics and live weight of Uganda’s indigenous goats, this study evaluated the body size characteristics of the three indigenous goat breeds of Uganda across ten agroecological zones. The cross-sectional survey was conducted in 323 households from the ten zones, where 1020 goats composed of three breeds (Mubende, Kigezi, and Small East African) were sampled and measured for body weight, lin- ear body size, and age. We confirmed that Mubende and Kigezi goats from the original homeland had a higher mean body weight than reported in FAO reports. In addition, Mubende appeared to perform better in pastoral rangelands, with a higher mean body weight (38.1 kg) and body size being significantly higher (P < 0.0001) compared to other zones. The mean body weight for the Kigezi breed in the original homeland (34 kg) was com- parable to those from Western Savannah grasslands and pastoral rangelands and less than that initially reported by FAO (30 kg). Similarly, there was no significant difference in the lin- ear body size characteristics of Kigezi goats in the home zone of highland ranges relative to those found in other agroecological zones (P > 0.05). Although the Small East African goats were originally found in Northwestern Savannah grassland and Northeastern dryland zones, they performed poorly regarding mean body weight and body size characteristics in the for- mer zone. In the Northwestern Savannah grasslands, the mean body weight (23.8 kg) was even less than that reported by FAO, which ranged between 25 and 30 kg. Finally, we con- firmed that Mubende and Kigezi goats are significantly heavier than small East African goats (p � 0.0001). The results of this study can be useful in designing precise management strat- egies to improve indigenous goat productivity in different environments in Uganda
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