Willingness to pay/use for water supply and sanitation

This paper is a sociocultural case study of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, on the willingness to pay/use for water supply and sanitation. “Willingness to use” is a relatively new concept which can be defined as the maximum amount of desire one can willingly express for a certain commodity or service. Many technical, institutional, financial and legal factors determine the willingness to use. Affordability combined with willingness to use leads to willingness to pay. The low “willingness to pay/use” is one of the reasons behind the unproportional success rate of much of the national and international efforts undertaken for safe water supply and sanitation. However safe water supply and sanitation is an urgent need in Bangladesh where the number of water borne diseases cases per 100,000 persons is 51,000, much higher than other developing countries (WHO, 1992). One of the causes behind this alarming situation is low willingness to pay/use. Along with a brief description of the present situation in Dhaka city, efforts are taken to identify the problems behind the low willingness to pay/use for water supply and sanitation in light of the sociocultural aspects. This may provide useful information for other developing countries. Some improvement strategies are also proposed

Outcome of tetanus patients admitted in Rangpur Medical College Hospital

Background: Tetanus remains one of the major public health hazards of the developing world. Mortality is much lower in the developed world because of the availability of facilities, unlike in most developing countries' Objectives: This study was aimed to determine the outcome of tetanus patients admitted in infectious disease unit of Rangpur Medical College Hospital. Methods: A total of 91 cases of tetanus patients were seen in the 18 month period with a mean of 5 cases per month; they are diagnosed and managed for tetanus in the medical wards from January 2011 to June 2012. The data were retrieved from their case records and analyzed. Results: There were thirty one deaths, accounting for an overall mortality of 34.16o.Total fifty six patients were cured among which sixteen (17.67%) were cured with complication and four (4.4%) patient were absconded. Mortality was high 45.84% (11 patients out of 24) ?40 years age, whereas low 29.85 (20 patient out of 87) in <40 yea15 age (45.84% vs 29.85%). Mortality rate was also higher among female than male patients (34.66% vs 33.85%). Farmers experienced more death than non-farmer (4l.l8% vs 29-82%, P<0.05). Mortality was higher in patients who had not received any medical treatment for their wound than in patients who had received it for their wound (52.78% vs 21.81%, p<0.05). Patients with short incubation period of less than one week had higher mortality in comparison with those who had incubation period more than one week (53.33% vs 23.25%, P<0'05). Of the 91 patients, fifty six (64.34%) were alive, though four remained in a persistent vegetative state due to tetanus toxin-induced brain damage and another two required a below knee amputation of the left leg. Hence, 40 were discharged well and 16 were discharged with permanent disabilities. Conclusion: The case fatality rate of tetanus has remained consistently high in the medical college. Factors that were significantly associated with high mortality included older age, and incubation period of less than 7 days. It is recommended that preventive immunization against tetanus be given to all Bangladeshis with secondary vaccination at adulthood

Strengthening union level facility for providing normal delivery and newborn care services: Facility assessment report

In Bangladesh, first-level fixed-facility services—provided at the union level through Health and Family Welfare Centers (HFWCs)—are designed to improve maternal and child health by making services available in rural areas. However, most HFWCs do not have the capacity to provide normal delivery services. HFWCs could help women receive free normal delivery services within a convenient distance from their home, if they were strengthened with necessary human resources, infrastructure, and equipment. The Population Council, with financial assistance from the UK Department for International Development (DFID), carried out a policy and research systems study to strengthen union HFWC’s provision of normal delivery and newborn care services in rural areas of Bangladesh. Policy advocacy and situation analysis activities were undertaken. The main objective was to assess the present conditions of HFWCs regarding infrastructure, human resources, and equipment and supplies, and to identify what is needed to be able to provide normal delivery services. As described in this facilities assessment report, data were collected through a health facility assessment and in-depth interviews with managers and service providers

Enhancing genetic gain through the application of genomic selection in developing irrigated rice for the favorable ecosystem in Bangladesh

Increasing selection differential and decreasing cycle time, the rate of genetic improvement can be accelerated. Creating and capturing higher genetic with higher accuracy within the shortest possible time is the prerequisite for enhancing genetic gain for any trait. Comprehensive yield testing at multi-locations at early generations together with the shortest line fixation time can expedite the rapid recycling of parents in the breeding program through recurrent selection. Genomic selection is efficient in capturing high breeding value individuals taking additive genetic effects of all genes into account with and without extensive field testing, thus reducing breeding cycle time enhances genetic gain. In the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, GS technology together with the trait-specific marker-assisted selection at the early generation of RGA-derived breeding lines showed a prediction accuracy of 0.454–0.701 with 0.989–2.623 relative efficiency over the four consecutive years of exercise. This study reports that the application of GS together with trait-specific MAS has expedited the yield improvement by 117 kg ha−1·year−1, which is around seven-fold larger than the baseline annual genetic gain and shortened the breeding cycle by around 1.5 years from the existing 4.5 years

Recent advances in silica glass optical fiber for dosimetry applications

In this paper, we review the highly promising silica glass, fabricated as doped and undoped optical fiber for intended use in radiation dosimetry. The dosimetry techniques reviewed here, underpinned by intrinsic and extrinsic defects in silica glass, focus on Thermoluminescence (TL), Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and Radioluminescence (RL), with occasional references to the much more established Radiation Induced Attenuation (RIA). The other focus in this review is on the various materials that have been reported earlier as dopants and modifiers used in silica glass optical fiber radiation dosimeters. This article also elaborates on recently reported optical fiber structures, namely, cylindrical fibers, photonic crystal fibers and flat fibers, as well as dimensions and shapes used for optimization of dosimeter performance. The various types of optical fiber radiation dosimeters are subsequently reviewed for various applications ranging from medical dosimetry such as in external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy and diagnostic imaging, as well as in industrial processing and space dosimetry covering a dynamic dose range from μGy to kGy. Investigated dosimetric characteristics include reproducibility, fading, dose response, reciprocity between luminescence yield to dose-rate and energy dependence. The review is completed by a brief discussion on limitations and future developments in optical fiber radiation dosimetry

Trends in Use of Referral Hospital Services for Care of Sick Newborns in a Community-based Intervention in Tangail District, Bangladesh

The Projahnmo-II Project in Mirzapur upazila (sub-district), Tangail district, Bangladesh, is promot\uading care-seeking for sick newborns through health education of families, identification and referral of sick newborns in the community by community health workers (CHWs), and strengthening of neo\uadnatal care in Kumudini Hospital, Mirzapur. Data were drawn from records maintained by the CHWs, referral hospital registers, a baseline household survey of recently-delivered women conducted from March to June 2003, and two interim household surveys in January and September 2005. Increases were observed in self-referral of sick newborns for care, compliance after referral by the CHWs, and care-seeking from qualified providers and from the Kumudini Hospital, and decreases were observed in care-seeking from unqualified providers in the intervention arm. An active surveillance for illness by the CHWs in the home, education of families by them on recognition of danger signs and counsel\uadling to seek immediate care for serious illness, and improved linkages between the community and the hospital can produce substantial increases in care-seeking for sick newborns

Development of protein enriched shrimp croquette from shrimp industry wastes

Protein fortified and tasty shrimp croquette was developed from different component parts of shrimp wastes by using a combination of vegetables (potato, Colocasia, green banana, green papaya and spinach), spices (green chili, onion, garlic, turmeric, red pepper and ginger) and other ingredients (salt, wheat flour, egg, sugar and milk powder). The ingredients were mixed with variable quantities of shrimp shell powder (3, 5 and 10%), shaped and covered with egg and bread crumb. Proximate composition of shrimp shell powder (SSP) and shrimp croquette was determined as crude protein, crude lipid, ash and moisture. It was observed that the SSP contained 47.48±0.74% crude protein indicating its potentiality as a good protein source for the food industry. The lipid content of SSP was 10.50±0.71% and 19.61±0.64%. When SSP was used in the croquette, protein content increased with the higher levels of SSP. The final protein content found were 7.22±0.66, 9.39±0.37 and 11.73±0.61% in the croquettes added with 3, 5 and 10% SSP, respectively. The suggested recipes containing 5% SSP were preferred by the panelists on the basis of their overall quality. Sensory, chemical and microbiological quality changes of shrimp croquette were determined to evaluate the shelf life and storage stability under different storage conditions. At room temperature shelf life of shrimp croquette was very short, in fact not more than 24 hours. On the other hand, at refrigeration temperature it remained in good condition up to 10 days. At frozen storage it remained in good condition for 1 month. The research reveals that good quality protein fortified shrimp croquette could be manufactured from shrimp shell wastes

MONTHLY AND DIURNAL VARIATIONS OF LIMNOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF TWO PONDSR

A study on monthly and diurnal changes of limnological conditions of two ponds was conducted in the Bangladesh Agricultural University campus, Mymensingh. The research work was performed by studying the limnological parameters such as transparency, temperature, dissolved oxygen, free carbon dioxide, pH, total alkalinity, nitrate-nitrogen, phosphate-phosphorus and plankton. Diurnal variations of physico-chemical factors were studied fortnightly at 6 hrs intervals at 6 a.m., 12 noon, 6 p.m. and 12 midnight. The amounts of transparency, dissolved oxygen and pH were higher during winter months than in summer months in both the ponds. Transparency, water temperature, total alkalinity, NO3-N and PO4-P were higher during summer months than in winter months in both the ponds. But the amount of free carbon dioxide was higher during winter months than in summer months in pond 1 while in pond 2 the amount of free carbon dioxide was higher during summer months than in winter months. Qualitative and quantitative monthly variations of phytoplankton and zooplankton were observed in both the ponds during the study period. The highest amount of dissolved oxygen, pH and total alkalinity were recorded at 6 p.m. and the lowest amounts of those at 6 a.m. in both the ponds. The highest temperature was recorded at 12 noon and the lowest at 12 midnight. But the highest amount of free carbon dioxide was recorded at 6 a.m. and the lowest at 6 p.m. in both the ponds. All the factors showed appreciable diel variations throughout the study period, which indicate that the ponds are productive