Ethical Issues and Indigenous Knowledge Production and Use in Sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st Century

This paper addresses the ethical issues which relate to the sharing, use, access, research and personal as well as social benefit of indigenous knowledge produced in sub-Saharan Africa. Close to two decades into the 21st century, which supposedly ushered in the “knowledge/information society,” communities in sub-Saharan Africa still depend on indigenous knowledge to have access to information which they use for making crucial decisions and solve day-to-day critical problems. In the information age, indigenous knowledge may be the only source of information that communities and individuals in sub-Saharan Africa have control over and are comfortably familiar with. Indigenous knowledge is recognized as having relevance to sub-Saharan Africa’s people’s daily life, economic development, cultural preservation and political transformation which may lead to poverty reduction in the region that is categorized as one of the least developed, if not the least developed in the world. Important as indigenous knowledge is to communities in sub-Saharan Africa, the issues of ethics relating to access and use of the knowledge do not feature prominently. The broad objectives of this paper include examining the ethics that should be observed when producing indigenous knowledge in sub-Saharan Africa; how the knowledge is shared ethically; who should have access to the knowledge; find out the extent to which research findings in indigenous knowledge may be used to address local concerns such as projects in health, agriculture and education in sub-Saharan Africa; establish how ethical use of the knowledge may lead to sustainable social, economic, technical, cultural and political development in sub-Saharan Africa; and suggest ways of formulating policies which may promote and encourage ethical exploitation and use of indigenous knowledge in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods for collecting data for the paper will include a review of available relevant literature review, seeking views of a few indigenous knowledge practitioners, which will be supplemented by the author’s knowledge of indigenous knowledge systems in sub-Saharan Africa. Findings of the study would add value to the existing body knowledge on the ethical issues relating to the management of indigenous knowledge produced in the sub-Saharan Africa region. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p238

Evaluation of the Bacillus cereus Strain 1-p Protease for the Unhairing of Goatskins during Leather Production

The unhairing stage of leather processing is associated with the production of significant amounts of solid and liquid wastes. The use of enzymes to replace the polluting sulphides currently used for unhairing is a viable alternative. Various proteases from different Bacillus cereus strains as well as many other bacterial strains have been used successfully for the unhairing of skins. However, no previous work has assessed the use of the crude alkaline protease extract from Bacillus cereus strain 1-p, a novel Bacillus cereus strain obtained from the shores of Lake Bogoria - a soda lake in Kenya – in the unhairing of goatskins. This study, therefore, evaluates the potential of the protease extract from the Bacillus cereus strain 1-p to unhair goatskins. Optimum variables for unhairing using the protease were investigated. Complete unhairing was achieved within 12 hours at 27°C and pH 12 using the crude enzyme. The period and temperature required for complete unhairing were significantly lower than that of other enzymatic unhairing techniques. Compared to the leather unhaired with sulphide, the leather unhaired with the enzyme did not only show superior organoleptic properties but also recorded comparable or superior physical properties, namely tensile strength (26.94 N/mm2), percentage elongation (76.29%), tear strength (43.59 N/mm), and distension at grain crack and burst (7.9 mm and 8.2 mm respectively). The wastewater from the enzymatic unhairing process recorded a significant reduction in biochemical oxygen demand (78%), chemical oxygen demand (83%), and the wastewater volume (50%) compared to the process that uses sulphide. It was concluded that the use of the crude protease extract from the Bacillus cereus strain 1-p in unhairing goatskins is feasible

The genomic epidemiology of multi-drug resistant invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella in selected sub-Saharan African countries

Funder: Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)Funder: Government of Republic of KoreaFunder: US Centers for Disease Control and PreventionBackground: Invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (iNTS) is one of the leading causes of bacteraemia in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to provide a better understanding of the genetic characteristics and transmission patterns associated with multi-drug resistant (MDR) iNTS serovars across the continent. Methods: A total of 166 iNTS isolates collected from a multi-centre surveillance in 10 African countries (2010–2014) and a fever study in Ghana (2007–2009) were genome sequenced to investigate the geographical distribution, antimicrobial genetic determinants and population structure of iNTS serotypes–genotypes. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted in the context of the existing genomic frameworks for various iNTS serovars. Population-based incidence of MDR-iNTS disease was estimated in each study site. Results: Salmonella Typhimurium sequence-type (ST) 313 and Salmonella Enteritidis ST11 were predominant, and both exhibited high frequencies of MDR; Salmonella Dublin ST10 was identified in West Africa only. Mutations in the gyrA gene (fluoroquinolone resistance) were identified in S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium in Ghana; an ST313 isolate carrying blaCTX-M-15 was found in Kenya. International transmission of MDR ST313 (lineage II) and MDR ST11 (West African clade) was observed between Ghana and neighbouring West African countries. The incidence of MDR-iNTS disease exceeded 100/100 000 person-years-of-observation in children aged <5 years in several West African countries. Conclusions: We identified the circulation of multiple MDR iNTS serovar STs in the sampled sub-Saharan African countries. Investment in the development and deployment of iNTS vaccines coupled with intensified antimicrobial resistance surveillance are essential to limit the impact of these pathogens in Africa

Knowledge production and distribution by institutions of higher education in sub-Saharan Africa: Opportunities and challenges

This article focuses on available opportunities and challenges which institutions of higher education in sub-Saharan Africa face in producing and distributing knowledge. Institutions of higher education are also expected to produce knowledge workers for the knowledge economy. Knowledge production falls into Mode 1, in which problems are set and solved in a context governed by the largely academic interest of a specific community, and Mode 2, considered more socially accountable, accessible and reflexive. Knowledge produced by universities falls more into Mode 1. Objectives of the article are: to find out the potential role of sub-Saharan Africa-based institutions of higher education in producing and distributing knowledge; to explore ways of supplementing Mode 1 knowledge with Mode 2 knowledge, which has more social relevance; identify challenges faced by sub-Saharan Africa-based institutions of higher education in producing and distributing knowledge; find out how information technology may enhance knowledge production and distribution by institutions of higher education in sub-Saharan Africa; establish how the environments in which institutions of higher education in sub-Saharan Africa operate impact on knowledge production and distribution abilities of the institutions. A literature review was conducted to establish the state of knowledge production and distribution by institutions of higher education in sub-Saharan Africa. It was found out that institutions of higher education in sub-Saharan Africa face numerous challenges in producing knowledge. Challenges include poor infrastructure, declining budgetary allocations, brain drain and competition in knowledge production. Universities in sub-Saharan Africa can play a major role in producing knowledge and contributing to economic development in the region

Knowledge production and distribution by institutions of higher education in sub-Saharan Africa: Opportunities and challenges

This article focuses on available opportunities and challenges which institutions of higher education in sub-Saharan Africa face in producing and distributing knowledge. Institutions of higher education are also expected to produce knowledge workers for the knowledge economy. Knowledge production falls into Mode 1, in which problems are set and solved in a context governed by the largely academic interest of a specific community, and Mode 2, considered more socially accountable, accessible andreflexive. Knowledge produced by universities falls more into Mode 1. Objectives of the article are: to find out the potential role of sub-Saharan Africa-based institutions of higher education in producing and distributing knowledge; to explore ways of supplementing Mode 1 knowledge with Mode 2 knowledge, which has more social relevance; identify challenges faced by sub-Saharan Africa-based institutions of higher education in producing and distributing knowledge; find out how information technology may enhance knowledge production and distribution by institutions of higher education in sub-Saharan Africa; establish how the environments in which institutions of higher education in sub-Saharan Africa operate impact on knowledge production and distribution abilities of the institutions. A literature review was conducted to establish the state of knowledge production and distribution by institutions of higher education in sub-Saharan Africa. It was found out that institutions of higher education in sub-Saharan Africa face numerous challenges in producing knowledge. Challenges include poor infrastructure, declining budgetary allocations, brain drain and competition in knowledge production. Universities in sub-Saharan Africa can play a major role in producing knowledge and contributing to economic development in the region

Indexes and Abstracts: INF 212

Indexes and Abstracts: INF 212, degree examination June 2011

Collection Development: INF 111

Collection Development: INF 111, degree examination June 2011

Financial and Human Resources Management: LIB 322

Financial and Human Resources Management: LIB 322, supplementary examination January 2012

Financial and Human Resources Management: LIB 322

Financial and Human Resources Management: LIB 322, supplementary examination Jan/Feb 2010

Computerized Cataloguing: INF 323

Computerized Cataloguing: INF 323, supplementary degree examination January 2012