Building Information Modelling in Cameroon

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. H. Abanda ◽  
M. B. Manjia ◽  
C. Pettang ◽  
Joseph H. M. Tah ◽  
G. E. Nkeng
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Building Information Modelling ◽  
Francophone Africa ◽  
Building Information ◽  
The Cost

BIM has recently gained ground in developed countries. However, the use of BIM in developing countries including Cameroon is not well-known. In this study, BIM implementation in Cameroon is explored. The research methods used are a pilot study, electronic email surveys and in-depth phone interviews. Altogether, 179 professionals having at least a Master's Degree in Civil Engineering from the National Advanced School of Engineering Yaoundé I - Cameroon, a leading engineering institution in Francophone Africa, were sampled. Forty six provided feedback yielding a response rate of 25.7%. It emerged that some BIM software are already being used in Cameroon. However, major barriers hindering BIM uptake are high license fee and lack of huge projects that can pay off the cost of investment in BIM. Perhaps, partly because the respondents were highly skilled, it emerged that the lack of expertise was/is not a major problem to use BIM in projects. Although this study is limited to Cameroon, many recommendations could be relevant to other African countries.

scholarly journals Building Information Modelling in Cameroon

2016 ◽  
pp. 145-172
Author(s):  
F. H. Abanda ◽  
M. B. Manjia ◽  
C. Pettang ◽  
Joseph H. M. Tah ◽  
G. E. Nkeng
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Building Information Modelling ◽  
Francophone Africa ◽  
Information Modelling ◽  
Building Information ◽  
The Cost

BIM has recently gained ground in developed countries. However, the use of BIM in developing countries including Cameroon is not well-known. In this study, BIM implementation in Cameroon is explored. The research methods used are a pilot study, electronic email surveys and in-depth phone interviews. Altogether, 179 professionals having at least a Master's Degree in Civil Engineering from the National Advanced School of Engineering Yaoundé I - Cameroon, a leading engineering institution in Francophone Africa, were sampled. Forty six provided feedback yielding a response rate of 25.7%. It emerged that some BIM software are already being used in Cameroon. However, major barriers hindering BIM uptake are high license fee and lack of huge projects that can pay off the cost of investment in BIM. Perhaps, partly because the respondents were highly skilled, it emerged that the lack of expertise was/is not a major problem to use BIM in projects. Although this study is limited to Cameroon, many recommendations could be relevant to other African countries.

PP02 Cost Effectiveness Of Tamoxifen For Breast Cancer Treatment In Ghana

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (S1) ◽  
pp. 66-66
Author(s):  
Rebecca Addo ◽  
Stephen Goodall ◽  
Jane Hall Marion Haas
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Adjuvant Treatment ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Treatment Protocols ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
Menopausal Women ◽  
The Cost

Introduction:In recent years, unlike developing countries, developed countries have seen an increase in the survival of women diagnosed with breast cancer and this has been attributed to early detection through screening and best treatments such as adjuvant systemic therapies with medications like Tamoxifen. The burden of breast cancer in Africa, including Ghana, lies among premenopausal women, with mean age of diagnosis being 46 years. However, survival among these women is low due to reasons such as inability to afford treatment including Tamoxifen, an older but cheaper and effective adjuvant therapy. This study therefore sought to assess the cost effectiveness of Tamoxifen compared to nothing for the adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer among pre- and peri-menopausal women in Ghana to inform funding decisions.Methods:A Markov model was developed using TreeAge pro to incorporate effectiveness, costs and utility data. Effectiveness of Tamoxifen, rate of events and utility weights were derived from published literature. Resource utilization and costs were estimated from Ghanaian clinical expert, national health insurance scheme tariffs and medicines. The analysis was conducted from the perspective of the payer.Results:Patients on Tamoxifen incurred additional costs compared to those who received nothing. The key driver of costs was the cost of Tamoxifen. However, these costs were offset by the QALY gained: 3.51. The incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) was GHC 666.15 (USD 150) per QALY gained. In line with the effective measure commonly used in developing countries, the ICER per DALYs averted was GHC 219.96 (USD 50). The results were sensitive to variations in the utility weights and the cost of Tamoxifen. There were no significant differences between the ICERs of premenopausal and peri-menopausal women in a subgroup analysis.Conclusions:Compared to no treatment, Tamoxifen therapy is highly cost-effective for the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer among pre- and peri-menopausal women in Ghana. The results can be applied to other African countries with similar resource use and treatment protocols

The cost implication of primary prevention in the HOPE 3 trial

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-271
Author(s):  
Andre Lamy ◽  
Eva Lonn ◽  
Wesley Tong ◽  
Balakumar Swaminathan ◽  
Hyejung Jung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Primary Prevention ◽  
Cost Saving ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Clinical Trial Registration ◽  
Pressure Lowering ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Care Costs ◽  
Country Specific

Abstract Aims The Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation-3 (HOPE-3) found that rosuvastatin alone or with candesartan and hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) (in a subgroup with hypertension) significantly lowered cardiovascular events compared with placebo in 12 705 individuals from 21 countries at intermediate risk and without cardiovascular disease. We assessed the costs implications of implementation in primary prevention in countries at different economic levels. Methods and results Hospitalizations, procedures, study and non-study medications were documented. We applied country-specific costs to the healthcare resources consumed for each patient. We calculated the average cost per patient in US dollars for the duration of the study (5.6 years). Sensitivity analyses were also performed with cheapest equivalent substitutes. The combination of rosuvastatin with candesartan/HCT reduced total costs and was a cost-saving strategy in United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. In contrast, the treatments were more expensive in developing countries even when cheapest equivalent substitutes were used. After adjustment for gross domestic product (GDP), the costs of cheapest equivalent substitutes in proportion to the health care costs were higher in developing countries in comparison to developed countries. Conclusion Rosuvastatin and candesartan/HCT in primary prevention is a cost-saving approach in developed countries, but not in developing countries as both drugs and their cheapest equivalent substitutes are relatively more expensive despite adjustment by GDP. Reductions in costs of these drugs in developing countries are essential to make statins and blood pressure lowering drugs affordable and ensure their use. Clinical trial registration HOPE-3 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00468923.

Revisiting African States Participation in the WTO Dispute Settlement through Intra-Africa RTA Dispute Settlement

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malebakeng Forere
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Dispute Settlement ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Dispute Settlement Mechanism ◽  
East African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Trade Disputes ◽  
East African Community ◽  
Wto Dispute Settlement ◽  
Southern Africa Development Community

AbstractWhereas developed countries were the main players in the GATT dispute settlement mechanism, the era of the WTO saw a sharp increase in the developing countries’ participation in trade disputes. Thus, developing countries are active complainants and defendants in the WTO dispute settlement processes. Nevertheless, African states are still marginalised, and this situation has attracted attention of many scholars. As a result, scholars in the field have come up with many reasons to explain why African states do not appear as either complainants or respondents. The reasons for Africa’s non-participation have been argued to include cost of WTO litigation relative to the gains, low trade volumes, legal knowledge and non-integration of African countries in the WTO system. This article seeks to contribute to the existing literature on Africa’s non-participation in the WTO dispute settlement. The goal in this article is to confirm or dispel assumptions that African states have interests that they need to safeguard through dispute settlement but are inhibited from doing so because of the reasons mentioned above. Unlike other studies, the determination on Africa’s non-participation in the WTO dispute settlement will be approached from African states’ participation in intra-Africa RTA dispute settlement mechanisms. While there are six intra-Africa RTAs notified to the WTO, this work focuses on only two – East African Community and Southern Africa Development Community.

scholarly journals Embedding Work Culture in Building Information Modelling (BIM) for Enhancing Collaboration in Global Projects

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maszura Abdul Ghafar ◽  
Rahinah Ibrahim ◽  
Zalina Shari ◽  
Farzad Pour Rahimian
Keyword(s):  
Developed Countries ◽  
Knowledge Flows ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Work Culture ◽  
Building Information Modelling ◽  
Information Modelling ◽  
Building Information ◽  
Global Projects ◽  
Building Project ◽  
Local Work

Building Information Modelling is further globalising Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) professional partnerships. However, little is known on the effect of cultural and human factors on BIM enabled visualisation applications. This desktop study examined the extant literature on factors relating to application of BIM enabled visualisation technologies as a process that can improve, leverage and conduct visual communication for coordination during implementation of global projects. It identifies BIM enabled visualisation having the capability in facilitating knowledge flows in complex discontinuous working environment of a property development’s life cycle, and supports designers’ understanding in its early working phases. This paper presents the development of a theoretical proposition for embedding local work culture etiquette in BIM enabled visualisation application for augmenting dynamic knowledge transfer among discontinuous members in a building project. The result is expected to benefit rapidly developing countries, e.g. Malaysia, in enabling successful partnerships with counterparts from developed countries.

scholarly journals Next Generation Architect

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Terian Le Compte
Keyword(s):  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Design Quality ◽  
Building Information Modelling ◽  
Building Information ◽  
Cost Implications ◽  
The Cost

<p>The stereotype of an architect is expensive, with minimal consideration and awareness towards cost and budget. This is damaging the reputation of the profession. This thesis will look at the Next Generation Architect who combines both design and construction to understand the cost implications from the start to the completion of the project. A Next Generation Architect works with an innovative approach that is more affordable to how they currently practice. They design houses that are both economical and retain a strong design quality, through the value of the aesthetics, materials, and living conditions. An effective architect should be able to design, mindful of costs, along with the implications involved and actively manage the costs, based on design decisions made.  This research will commence by exploring tactics of affordability, housing economics, and costing and design tactics, to portray exemplars of affordable housing. Elements will be costed with data from QV costbuilder implemented through the use of Building information modelling (BIM) through Revit. The architectural value will explore the use of materials, living conditions, economics, and lifecycle to optimise the design. A series of precedents will be analysed to gain an understanding of the techniques of affordable methods used within New Zealand’s construction industry.  This thesis aims to provide architecturally designed and preliminarily costed affordable architectural products. Through a series of architecturally designed standalone houses that explore affordability, and tested through the use of architecture as a product across four sites, displaying different site conditions of the Wellington region.  This thesis will portray efficient, economic building and design techniques and cost monitoring while retaining a strong architectural quality.  The aim is to convey the contemporary role of a Next Generation Architect who works accurately with value. Who is mindful of costs and designs economically, without compromising the quality of an architecturally designed product.</p>

Doing It Different

2014 ◽  
pp. 56-72
Author(s):  
Owais Hassan Shaikh ◽  
Yifat Nahmias
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Intellectual Property ◽  
Knowledge Society ◽  
Direct Consequence ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Least Developed Countries ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Interregional Trade ◽  
Economic Partnership ◽  
The Eu

This chapter highlights the current developments in the area of intellectual property having direct consequence for the prospects of Africa's knowledge society. Even though African countries, especially the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), have not yet faced pressure from the EU, US, and EFTA for higher intellectual property standards, the situation may change soon with the imminent deadline for conclusion of Economic Partnership Agreements in 2014, the lapse of Africa Growth and Opportunities Act in 2015, and the expiry of the Cotonou Agreement in 2020. African countries will be well advised to decouple trade and intellectual property issues by promoting interregional trade or trade with other developing countries that do not demand TRIPS-Plus protection. They must also negotiate intellectual property within the ambit of the WTO.

A Strategic Framework for a Secure Cyberspace in Developing Countries with Special Emphasis on the Risk of Cyber Warfare

2019 ◽  
pp. 368-386
Author(s):  
Victor Jaquire ◽  
Basie von Solms
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Cyber Warfare ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Security Strategy ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Strategic Framework ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
National Security Strategy ◽  
Developed Nations

The objective of this paper is to provide a strategic framework for a secure cyberspace in developing countries, taking cognisance of the realities and constraints within a developing milieu; and to discuss if the risk of cyber warfare and related techniques against developing countries should be addressed within ‘The Framework'. Cybersecurity policies and related strategies are required for developing countries in order to effectively safeguard against cyber related threats (the same as for developed countries). These policies and strategies for developing countries will differ from those of developed countries due to the unique realities within a developing world. Africa in specific is presently seen as a hotbed for cybercrime, and one of the reasons is that many African countries do not have a proper framework, policies and procedures to properly protect cyberspace. Experience has also shown that a pure adoption by developing countries of the cyber frameworks of developed nations will not always be effective, especially due to the unique requirements and realities within developing worlds, such as limited resources, infrastructure, technologies, skills and experience. It is also necessary when talking about a strategic framework to secure cyberspace, to discuss cyber warfare, its general application and its possible utilisation as part of the strategy to protect national critical information infrastructure. This, as part of a developing country's national security strategy in addition to traditional cybersecurity defence measures. The approach taken for the research program, and discussed in this paper, is based on a comprehensive literature study on several existing cybersecurity policies and strategies from both developed and developing countries. From this the drivers / elements for national cybersecurity policies and strategies were identified. These drivers were than adapted to specifically relate to the requirements of developing countries, and then, utilising the identified and adapted drivers, our strategic framework for developing countries to secure their cyberspace was developed. This document will be very useful for those African countries venturing into defining relevant policies and procedures.

scholarly journals Assessing the Potential Deployment of Biosensors for Point-of-Care Diagnostics in Developing Countries: Technological, Economic and Regulatory Aspects

Biosensors ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Migliozzi ◽  
Thomas Guibentif
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Resource Limited ◽  
Point Of Care Diagnostics ◽  
Successful Case ◽  
The Cost

Infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance are major burdens in developing countries, where very specific conditions impede the deployment of established medical infrastructures. Since biosensing devices are nowadays very common in developed countries, particularly in the field of diagnostics, they are at a stage of maturity at which other potential outcomes can be explored, especially on their possibilities for multiplexing and automation to reduce the time-to-results. However, the translation is far from being trivial. In order to understand the factors and barriers that can facilitate or hinder the application of biosensors in resource-limited settings, we analyze the context from several angles. First, the technology of the devices themselves has to be rethought to take into account the specific needs and the available means of these countries. For this, we describe the partition of a biosensor into its functional shells, which define the information flow from the analyte to the end-user, and by following this partition we assess the strengths and weaknesses of biosensing devices in view of their specific technological development and challenging deployment in low-resource environments. Then, we discuss the problem of cost reduction by pointing out transversal factors, such as throughput and cost of mistreatment, that need to be re-considered when analyzing the cost-effectiveness of biosensing devices. Beyond the technical landscape, the compliance with regulations is also a major aspect that is described with its link to the validation of the devices and to the acceptance from the local medical personnel. Finally, to learn from a successful case, we analyze a breakthrough inexpensive biosensor that is showing high potential with respect to many of the described aspects. We conclude by mentioning both some transversal benefits of deploying biosensors in developing countries, and the key factors that can drive such applications.

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