Digital Commons Network^™

Unconditional Cash Transfers For Reducing Poverty And Vulnerabilities: Effect On Use Of Health Services And Health Outcomes In Low-And Middle-Income Countries, Frank Pega, Sze Yan Liu, Stefan Walter, Roman Pabayo, Ruhi Saith, S L. Lhachimi

Sze Yan Liu

Background

Unconditional cash transfers (UCTs; provided without obligation) for reducing poverty and vulnerabilities (e.g. orphanhood, old age or HIV infection) are a type of social protection intervention that addresses a key social determinant of health (income) in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). The relative effectiveness of UCTs compared with conditional cash transfers (CCTs; provided so long as the recipient engages in prescribed behaviours such as using a health service or attending school) is unknown.

Objectives

To assess the effects of UCTs for improving health services use and health outcomes in vulnerable children and adults in LMICs. Secondary objectives are to …

A Comparison Of Pharmacist Travel-Health Specialists' Versus Primary Care Providers' Recommendations For Travel-Related Medications, Vaccinations, And Patient Compliance In A College Health Setting, Melissa J. Durham, Jeffery A. Goad, Lawrence S. Neinstein, Mimi Lou

Jeff Goad

Background. Pretravel medication and vaccination recommendations and receipt were compared between primary care providers (PCPs) without special training and clinical pharmacists specializing in pretravel health. Methods. A retrospective chart review of patients seen for pretravel health services in a pharmacist-run travel clinic (PTC) compared to PCPs at a University Student Health Center. Vaccine/medication recommendations were assessed for consistency with national/international guidelines. Medical/pharmacy records were queried to determine the receipt of medications/vaccinations. Results. The PTC recommended antibiotics for travelers' diarrhea were given more often when indicated (96% vs 50%, p < 0.0001), and patients seen in the PTC received their medications more …

Patent Protection And The Industrial Composition Of Multinational Activity: Evidence From U.S. Multinational Firms, Olena Ivus, Walter Park, Kamal Saggi

Olena Ivus

Using data on U.S. firms' technology licensing to local agents in developing countries, this paper examines the impact of patent protection on internal and arms-length technology transfer. The effects of protection vary across products according to their complexity. Consistent with theories of internalization, we find that patent reforms enable local firms to attract more arms-length technology transfer, especially of simple products which are relatively easy to imitate. Affiliated licensing also rises among simple products, but falls among complex products. The results withstand several robustness checks, including controlling for endogeneity by using colonial origin as an instrument, and are equally strong …

Idiosyncratic Risk And Development In Developing Countries, Minh Dao

Minh Dao

This paper examines the impact of idiosyncratic risk management on economic development in developing countries. Based on data from the World Bank, we use a sample of twenty-seven developing economies and find that selected indicators related to risk management at the household level do have a statistically significant effect on economic development in these countries. Regression results show that almost four-fifths of cross-developing country variations in purchasing power parity per capita gross national income can be explained by its linear dependency on the percentage of the population aged over 25 who have completed the tertiary level of education, education quality …

Responsive Regulation And Application Of Grading Systems In The Food Safety Regulatory Regimes Of Developing Countries, Abu Noman M. Atahar Ali

Abu Noman Mohammad Atahar Ali

The traditional tit-for-tat philosophy in the food safety regulatory regime in most developing countries has been proven ineffective in most cases. Rather, starting with persuasion, advice, and then escalating to more severe punishments for the continuing non-compliance as suggested in the responsive regulation by Ayres and Braithwaite has been proved more effective in the food safety regulatory regime of some jurisdictions. Responsive regulation aims to increase responsibility among corporations. So, if a corporation shows responsibility, it should be rewarded, and if a corporation shows irresponsibility, it should be reprimanded (if necessary). There is no logic in seeing and treating every …

Intellectual Property, Ag-Biotech And The Right To Adequate Food: A Critical African Perspective, Chidi Oguamanam

Chidi Oguamanam

Recent transformations in agricultural innovations have resulted in the consolidation of intellectual property rights in the agricultural arena resulting in an ongoing struggle for the control of plant genetic resources. For many developing countries, especially in Africa, traditional and communal-based artisanal farmers are the producers of over three quarters of regional food supply. But contemporary techno-legal transformations in agriculture undermine the critical role of these informal actors in a manner that aggravates the state of regional food insecurity in Africa. The aspirations of African countries to implement their obligations in regard to the right to adequate food under the International …

Description Of The Methodology Used In An Ongoing Pediatric Care Interventional Study Of Children Born With Cleft Lip And Palate In South America [Nct00097149, G. L. Wehby, E. E. Castilla, N. Goco, M. Rittler, V. Cosentino, L. Javois, Ann Marie Mccarthy, G. Bobashev, S. Litavecz, A. Mariona, G. Dutra, J. S. Lopez-Camelo, I. M. Orioli, J. C. Murray

Ann Marie McCarthy

BACKGROUND: The contribution of birth defects, including cleft lip and palate, to neonatal and infant mortality and morbidity is substantial. As other mortality and morbidity causes including infections, hygiene, prematurity, and nutrition are eradicated in less developed countries, the burden of birth defects will increase proportionally. METHODS/DESIGN: We are using cleft lip and palate as a sentinel birth defect to evaluate its burden on neonatal and infant health and to assess the effectiveness of systematic pediatric care during the first month and first two years of life in decreasing this burden. The neonatal intervention, consisting of weekly pediatric evaluation and …

A Developmental Approach To The Patent-Antitrust Interface, Thomas K. Cheng

Thomas K. Cheng

This Article proposes a set of guiding principles for approaching the patent-antitrust interface in developing countries. Based on the notion that antitrust doctrines need to be adjusted to reflect the local economic circumstances, this Article argues that any credible approach to the patent-antitrust interface in developing countries must incorporate development considerations. It proposes a set of guiding principles that takes into account a wide range of factors, including the need to provide innovation incentives, the need to facilitate domestic imitation, the need to protect domestic consumer welfare, and the need to safeguard access to basic necessities. With the support of …

Description Of The Methodology Used In An Ongoing Pediatric Care Interventional Study Of Children Born With Cleft Lip And Palate In South America [Nct00097149, G. L. Wehby, E. E. Castilla, N. Goco, M. Rittler, V. Cosentino, L. Javois, Ann Marie Mccarthy, G. Bobashev, S. Litavecz, A. Mariona, G. Dutra, J. S. Lopez-Camelo, I. M. Orioli, J. C. Murray

Ann Marie McCarthy

BACKGROUND: The contribution of birth defects, including cleft lip and palate, to neonatal and infant mortality and morbidity is substantial. As other mortality and morbidity causes including infections, hygiene, prematurity, and nutrition are eradicated in less developed countries, the burden of birth defects will increase proportionally. METHODS/DESIGN: We are using cleft lip and palate as a sentinel birth defect to evaluate its burden on neonatal and infant health and to assess the effectiveness of systematic pediatric care during the first month and first two years of life in decreasing this burden. The neonatal intervention, consisting of weekly pediatric evaluation and …

Information Security In The Caribbean Banks, Hongjiang Xu, Pierre Bowrin

Hongjiang Xu

Information security is a crucial issue for organizations, especially for banking and financial institutions. However, not many studies have considered the perspectives of end users in developing countries’ banking industry, for which the challenges of competing globally are greater due to a lack of technical, human and financial resources. Therefore, this study examines how end users of local, regional, and international banks in St. Kitts (a Caribbean country)perceive information security. The study will provide financial institutions in developing countries with more efficient security measures that would facilitate their success in the global community.

Malnutrition, A Global Problem, Shirin Pourafshar, Kurt A. Rosentrater, Padmanaban Krishnan

Kurt A. Rosentrater

Malnutrition is a general term for medical conditions caused by an inadequate diet and poor nutrition. Hunger and malnutrition are among the major difficulties confronting many countries around the world. Malnutrition can be caused by several factors, such as the sharp increase in population (current world population is approximately 6,800,000,000), poor distribution of foods, lack of access to highly nutritious foods, and most important, lack of knowledge about healthy diets. Malnutrition can lead to other problems, such as reduced school attendance, learning capacity, spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, and it can have a negative effect on a nation’s …

Foresight Into The Future Of Wipo’S Development Agenda, Jeremy De Beer, Sara Bannerman

Jeremy de Beer

No abstract provided.

Turning Trips On Its Head: An “Ip Cross Retaliation” Model, Shamnad Basheer

Shamnad Basheer Mr

The recent World Trade Organization (WTO) mini ministerial negotiations came a cropper: despite intense negotiations over several weeks, India and the United States could not agree on the extent of tariffs to protect poor farmers against import surges. In the wake of this failure, a number of member states are expected to resort to the WTO dispute settlement mechanism to extract concessions out of scofflaw states. Brazil is one such country that had won a case against the US on illegal cotton subsidies several years ago. However, despite WTO Panel and Appellate Body rulings in Brazil’s favour, the US refused …

The American Models Of Technology Transfer: Contextualized Emulation By Developing Countries?, Benton C. Martin

Benton C. Martin

Patents are an essential part of the US economy, sparked by ground-breaking legislation, the Bayh-Dole Act and the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act, which allowed ownership of technology resulting from research funded by the federal government, though it is far from clear whether this same type of legislation would benefit developing countries. Yet because of the legislation’s success in the United States, developing countries are increasingly adopting the same approach. Thus, studying how this legislation might be adopted by developing countries is an important topic. This article emphasized that that these two particular pieces of legislation have been tailored to specific …

Reverse Auctions And Universal Telecommunications Service: Lessons From Global Experience, Scott J. Wallsten

Scott J. Wallsten

The United States now spends around $7 billion on universal service programs—subsidies intended to ensure that the entire country has access to telecommunications services. Most of this money supports telecommunications service in “high cost” (primarily rural) areas, and the High Cost fund is growing quickly. In response to this growth, policymakers are considering using reverse auctions, or bids for the minimum subsidy, as a way to reduce expenditures. While the U.S. has not yet distributed funds for universal service programs using reverse auctions, the method has been used widely. First, reverse auctions are akin to standard government procurement procedures, which …

Striking A Balance Between Competition Law Enforcement And Patent Policy: A Developing Country's Perspective, Thomas K. Cheng

Thomas K. Cheng

This book chapter examines the tension between competition law enforcement and patent policy in developing countries. Based on the framework proposed by Louis Kaplow in an article in the early 1980s, this book chapter suggests how developing countries should balance consumer welfare against the need to provide incentives to innovate. The book chapter argues that the balance depends on the developing country at issue, in particular on that country's capacity to innovate. For those developing countries with little capacity to innovate, this book chapter suggests that the balance should be tilted towards competition law enforcement. The degree of patent protection …

Culture As Property: Intellectual Property, Local Norms And Global Rights, Olufunmilayo B. Arewa

Olufunmilayo B. Arewa

Intellectual property frameworks today reflect an increasing emphasis on framing knowledge and culture within a property rights paradigm. This tendency is evident in all sides of current debates about global intellectual property frameworks. Intellectual property frameworks have historically reflected accommodation and balance between local and global influences as well as private and public interests. An ethos of propertization strains both balances. The imbalance between the local and global and public and private is exemplified in current treatment of local knowledge under global intellectual property frameworks. This article examines the tensions between local and global norms, legal and otherwise, and private …

Digital Divide In The Digital Age, Subhajit Basu, Joseph Mwaura

Subhajit Basu

Hi-tech hypesters claim that the ‘Digital Age’ is vastly improving the lives and opportunities of people around the globe, while public-interest hand-wringers worry that it is creating a Digital Divide - an enormous and growing gap between the "technology-rich" and the "technology poor," threatening social and economic stability and progress. Who is right? In this paper we intend to answer two questions first one being to what extent developing countries are active participants in today’s global information economy? And the second question if there is a worrisome Digital Divide, how can corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts help to bridge it? …

Trips And Traditional Knowledge: Local Communities, Local Knowledge, And Global Intellectual Property Frameworks (Trips Symposium), Olufunmilayo B. Arewa

Olufunmilayo B. Arewa

Intellectual property treatment of traditional or local knowledge is a major issue of contention today, particularly since the implementation of the TRIPs Agreement, which establishes minimum levels of intellectual property protection for members of the World Trade Organization. Discourse surrounding local knowledge is highly charged with accusations of "piracy" from Western countries countered with allegations of "biopiracy" from Third World countries. Flowing beneath the surface of this dialogue are multiple levels of historical experience. Intellectual property frameworks were formed in the nineteenth century during a period when evolutionary views of the development of human societies were paramount. Local knowledge was …

Universal Telecommunications Service In India, Roger G. Noll, Scott J. Wallsten

Scott J. Wallsten

No abstract provided.

Electronic Commerce: A Developing Problem, Richard P. Jones, Subhajit Basu

Subhajit Basu

The rapid growth of e-commerce, especially the sale of goods and services over the Internet, has fueled a debate about the taxation regimes to be used. The shift from a physically–oriented commercial environment to a knowledge- based electronic environment poses serious and substantial issues in relation to taxation and taxation regimes. Tax administrations throughout the world face the formidable task of protecting their revenue base without hindering either the development of new technologies or the involvement of the business community in the evolving and growing e-market place. Concerns, for governments, centre on the impact of e-commerce on the state and …