Technology In sub-Saharan Africa Research Articles

Women in engineering, science and technology in sub-Saharan Africa: cultural attitudes, challenges, and gaps affecting clinical engineering and medical devices maintenance practices

Abstract Purpose From previous studies, we had observed that the number of biomedical engineers and technicians (BMETs) skilled in the maintenance of medical devices (MDs) were limited in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and that a likely parallelism existed between BME maintenance-related tasks and house chores mainly carried out by women in daily life. Our objective in carrying out this study was to understand underlying local cultural and social factors and domestic traditions interfering with the inclusion of women in the field of clinical and biomedical engineering (BME), and to identify existing gaps in opportunities for women in Engineering, Science and Technology (EST) in this region. Methods We carried out an online survey involving 51 respondents (70.6% women, 29.4% men), to investigate gender-biased and cultural perceptions of maintenance-related tasks among engineers/technologists/technicians in BME and other allied professions in SSA​. The survey was refined through focus groups and pilot tests to assess its validity, and then shared among specific associations of women in engineering and other bodies in EST, as well as some hospital communities and institutions. Results The survey brought to light evidence of prejudices against women in the society and workplace and showed that the adoption of our parallelism hypothesis has potential for increasing medical device maintenance practices in SSA hospitals. Conclusions There is an apparent need to further study the possible effects of this sociological model through leveraging local culture and domestic traditions in ways that could ultimately increase the leadership and numbers of women BMETs in SSA.

Animal Manure as an Alternative Bioenergy Resource in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa: Present Insights, Challenges, and Prospects for Future Advancements

Energy availability is a pivotal driver in fostering sustainable socio-economic development. However, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) grapples with paradoxes headlined by abundant energy resources but with the world’s lowest access to clean energy index per capita. Faced with a lack of access to clean energy sources like electricity, rural areas in the majority of SSA countries almost exclusively depend on biomass-fuels, mostly fuelwood, leading to heightened respiratory health risks as well as environmental degradation and accelerated climate change. As an alternative, this review investigates the potential of animal manure as a sustainable energy resource for rural SSA households, emphasising its utilisation as a feedstock for biogas production using anaerobic digestor technology. Results show that despite the abundance of literature that reports on successes in lab-scale bioreactor optimisation, as well as successes in the initial rollout of biogas biodigester technology in SSA with the help of international collaborators, the actual uptake of biogas bioreactor technology by rural communities remains low, while installed bioreactors are experiencing high failure rates. Resultantly, rural SSA still lags significantly behind in the adoption of sustainable clean energy systems in comparison to rural communities in other regions. Among some of the hurdles identified as driving low technology assimilation are onerous policy requirements, low-level government involvement, high bioreactor-instalment costs, the lack of training and awareness, and water scarcity. Prospects for success lie in innovative technologies like the low-cost portable FlexiBiogas system and private–public partnerships, as well as flexible energy policy frameworks. Bridging the knowledge-implementation gap requires a holistic approach considering cultural, technological, and policy aspects.

Unlocking the Technology Potential for Universal Access to Clean Energy in Developing Countries

Access to clean energy remains a major issue in developing countries, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa, despite successive policies and the assistance of international institutions or organizations. The United Nations (UN) launched some of the most ambitious initiatives with the Millennium Development Goals and, more recently, the Sustainable Development Goals and Power Africa, a United States (US) government initiative. Sub-Saharan Africa has an important potential in renewable energy for both biogas and solar photovoltaic energy, but they remain underexploited. This paper presents the challenges of access to clean energy in developing countries and the failure of remedial policies mostly based on public–private partnerships (PPPs) in the context of endemic poverty of rural populations. In addition, the development of modern energy technologies remains very limited. Appropriate reforms should be carried out to change the paradigm and allow universal access to clean energy. This paper also addresses the different structural barriers that hinder access to technology in Sub-Saharan Africa and the consequences of access to clean energy in the context of poverty.

Sustainable development goals: Attaining sustainable living through financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa

This study examines the effect of financial inclusion on sustainable living in 20 sub-Saharan African countries using the panel Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) model. The findings indicate that FII, the numbers of borrowers, depositors, bank branches and automated teller machines exert a significant effect on GDP per capita in sub-Saharan Africa. The Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimates further indicate that FII (which captured the combined effect of financial access and usage) exerts a negative effect on gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, the results of the individual measures of financial inclusion, that is, the numbers of borrowers, depositors and banking penetration exert a positive effect on gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the long run in sub-Saharan Africa. This portends that financial inclusion is a significant contributor that can improve sustainable living conditions in sub-Saharan Africa. Based on these, the study recommends the need to improve access to and usage of financial products and services through user-friendly and service-fluent financial technologies in sub-Saharan Africa. This will help increase the number of households, smallholder farmers and businesses to access the formal financial system to meet their reoccurring and precautionary funding needs in sub-Saharan African countries.

Innovative German technology in sub-Saharan Africa: Where is it used?

Germany is the largest economy in Europe, and currently the fourth largest in the world. It is also the most innovative country as measured by patent registrations. Technology transfers originating in Germany are therefore highly innovative and have a great potential to positively impact the economic situation in other countries as well. As the patents are generally held by businesses, it is commonly assumed that the logic of transferring technologies across borders also follows an economic motive. Here, this motive is questioned in a quantitative analysis, showing what determines the selection of destination country for German businesses looking to transfer their technology. It is shown that, contrary to common perception, the primary motivation is developmental, not economic. This is in line with international political declarations and calls for more (and more effective) international technology transfer. Furthermore, the best way to support international technology transfer is through the presence of German experts providing support in manifold ways to those businesses interested in international transfers.

Bridging the gap in agricultural innovation research: a systematic review of push–pull biocontrol technology in sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACTBiological control for sustainable plant protection in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is gaining attention due to low crop productivity caused by pests, increasing costs of agrochemicals, and their harmful impact on health and the environment. A valuable case is the Push–pull technology (PPT) developed by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE). However, evidence for the success of PPT in reducing pest prevalence has not translated from experimentation and demonstration to wider-scale on-farm uptake. A systematic review was conducted to explore the research gaps, benefits of PPT, adoption determinants, barriers to uptake, and how farmers choose to adopt and adapt the technology. The study found a large body of evidence on the biophysical benefits of PPT, which comes from a relatively narrow set of ICIPE-led or managed experiments in Western Kenya. Besides, evidence of its social and economic benefits is less robust. Documented barriers to adoption include initial establishment costs, labour intensiveness, risk averseness of farmers, socio-cultural rigidity, and inadequate access to information and inputs. The review highlights the need for qualitative research, an in-depth examination of the social dynamics of innovation and decision-making processes on farms, and institutions’ role in shaping innovation for sustainable agricultural development.

Synthesis of end-user research to inform future multipurpose prevention technologies in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review.

Women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) experience disproportionately high rates of HIV infection and unintended pregnancy compared to their age-matched counterparts in other regions of the world. Multipurpose prevention technologies (MPTs) that offer protection against HIV and unintended pregnancy in a single product stand to address these dual sexual and reproductive health needs simultaneously. The aim of this scoping review is to identify factors that are important for optimizing the likelihood of MPT adoption by end users in SSA. Study inclusion criteria included MPT research (HIV and pregnancy prevention dual indication) published or presented in English from 2000 to 2022 and conducted in SSA amongst end-users (women aged 15-44), male partners, health care providers, and community stakeholders. References were identified by searching peer reviewed literature, grey literature, conference presentations (2015-2022), grant databases, and outreach to MPT subject matter experts. Of 115 references identified, 37 references met inclusion criteria and were extracted for analysis. A narrative synthesis approach was used to summarize findings within and across MPT products. Studies were identified from six countries in SSA and a substantial proportion included a South African (n = 27) and/or Kenyan (n = 16) study site. Most studies utilized a qualitative study design (n = 22) and evaluated MPT acceptability and preferences by presenting hypothetical products through images or a list of product attributes (n = 21). The vaginal ring (n = 20), oral tablet (n = 20), and injection (n = 15) were examined most frequently. Across studies, there was high acceptability and demand for an HIV and pregnancy prevention MPT. End users valued choice in prevention product type as well as discreetness and long-acting options. Provider counseling and community sensitization were reported as essential for future introduction of novel MPT delivery forms. Recognizing the heterogeneity of women's preferences and changing reproductive and sexual health needs over the life course, choice is important in the delivery of pregnancy and HIV prevention products as well as amongst MPT products with distinct product profiles. End user research with active MPTs, vs. hypothetical or placebo MPTs, is necessary to advance understanding of end-user preferences and acceptability of future products.

Governance, credit access and clean cooking technologies in Sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for energy transition

There is a global effort toward reducing or eliminating dirty fuels and technologies for cooking due to their severe health, environmental and economic implications. Reducing dirty energy usage requires an effective transition toward clean fuels and technologies for cooking. Effective governance and financial systems are needed to hasten the transition toward clean fuels and technologies for cooking. However, not much is known empirically about the role of access to credit and governance in the transition towards clean cooking technologies, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study, therefore, utilizes the two-step-dynamic system generalized method of moment estimator to investigate the effect of access to credit and governance on the adoption of clean cooking technologies in SSA. The findings indicate that access to credit and governance variables do not facilitate clean cooking technologies usage. The conditional analysis also reveals that the governance variables moderate the effect of access to credit to impede the adoption of clean fuels and technologies for cooking. The findings indicate that economic growth, education, and rural population drive the adoption of clean cooking technologies. Sensitivity checks show that the effect of access to credit and governance on clean fuels and cooking technologies usage differs among income and regional groups within SSA. We, therefore, argue that better financial and governance systems are required to hasten the transition toward clean fuels and technologies for cooking in SSA.

Embracing e-health systems in managing the COVID 19 pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa

The COVID-19 pandemic and the policy responses adopted to curtail it have drastically altered how health services are delivered around the globe. To enable the public to continue accessing health care, e-health innovations have become the most viable tool to provide convenient, timely, effective and safe care, while reducing the spread of the virus. This paper utilized data from existing literature to explore the benefits and challenges of implementing e-health technologies in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) amid this pandemic. Evidence suggests that these technologies have the potential to strengthen public health systems in SSA as they have in First World countries. However, there are a number of challenges that need to be addressed first in order to realize the full promises of e-health on the continent. The paper proposes that African governments should come together and implement similar e-health policies, share software, expertise and other critical ICT infrastructure as it can result in the successful implementation of e-health innovations, while reducing the financial burden associated with their set up.

The political economy of energy transition: The role of globalization and governance in the adoption of clean cooking fuels and technologies

The need for substantial economic, political, and social integration among economies and an effective domestic governance system to create a more inclusive and clean energy economy cannot be underestimated. Overreliance on biomass and other dirty fuels for cooking in developing countries has contributed to the global climate change challenge. In this study, we examine the impact of globalization and governance on adopting clean fuels and cooking technologies in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Regarding analytical approaches, we deploy econometric techniques such as Driscoll-Kraay and instrumental variable generalized method of moment techniques to control econometric issues such as autocorrelation, heteroskedasticity, cross-sectional dependence, and endogeneity. The findings indicate that globalization (economic, social, and political) and governance (government effectiveness, control of corruption, political stability, and the rule of law) drive the adoption of clean fuels and technologies for cooking. The results further reveal that right-wing political leaders contribute significantly to adopting clean cooking fuels and technologies in SSA, while left-wing and center-wing political leaders do not. These findings differ among the sub-regions in SSA. Furthermore, interaction and marginal effect analyses suggest that improving governance system enhances the effect of globalization on access to clean cooking fuels and technologies. Hence, improving the efficacy of the domestic governance system could enable globalization to speed up the adoption of clean fuels and technologies for cooking in SSA.

Global Perspectives: Exploring Disruptive Technology Challenges for Consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Base of Pyramid markets in Sub-Saharan Africa face challenges such as poverty, poor infrastructure, illiteracy, and government corruption. This paper examines and presents an analytical review of the difficulties among consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa using academic institutions in Kenya to illustrate disruptive technology. Sub-Saharan Africa is faced with practical challenges with disruptive technology. Qualitative analysis is conducted among a sample from Kenya to assess the validity of challenges faced in academia. The authors use stratified sampling to select the local population and reach higher precision with a response rate of 85%. The qualitative analysis findings confirm a positive relationship between smart devices and network reliability, online teaching, online grade book, and virtual learning. The authors conclude that network reliability is the most challenging, especially for higher education institutions moving forward with adopting mobile learning. There exists a research gap in the literature on the Sub-Saharan Context. The challenges of disruptive technology and academia within Sub-Saharan Africa were limited to Kenya. Further research by practitioners and scholars can explore the challenges of disruptive technology in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Medicine Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: Improving Access to Drugs Via Utilization of Novel Technologies

Background: Providing all citizens with fair and equitable access to healthcare remains one of the most challenging issues facing most African countries today. The health indices of the Sub-Saharan Africa show how much it is lacking in managing and properly funding its health sector. The rates of maternal and newborn mortality continue to be the highest and the lowest life expectancy on a global scale. Millions of Africans continue to perish from diseases that are treatable and avoidable, including such as viral diarrhea and malaria. In the last few decades, novel drug delivery technologies have emerged and evolved into various drug delivery systems with various drug release mechanisms. This has altered the way individuals now access medications. Presently, several creative approaches, based on partnerships, intellectual property, and technology are used to stimulate innovation, promote healthcare delivery, and reduce global health disparities. The purpose of this study is to review the Medicine Security in Sub-Saharan Africa and proffer recommendations on how access to drugs can be improved via utilization of novel technologies. Method: A review of the Medicine Security in Sub-Saharan Africa was focused on underlining novel technologies that will improve access to drug. Result: Recommendations were suggested to improve drug access via novel technologies in SubSaharanAfrica. Conclusion: Making sure that patients have timely and affordable access to safe and effective medicines, stimulating innovation by providing incentives for research that will lead to innovative medicines that effectively target real therapeutic needs, and safeguarding sustainability by developing the mechanisms to purchase these medicines at affordable prices in order to protect the sustainability of pharmaceutical budgets are essential to improving access to drugs within SubSaharan Africa.

Impact of market constraints on the development of small-scale biogas technology in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.

The sustainable production and use of small-scale biogas energy are required to ensure clean household energy access in developing countries, including the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. This is influenced by market risks, which can be identified as political, economic, social, technical, legal, and environmental (PESTLE). This study examines peer-reviewed and grey literature for the period from 2000 to 2020 to identify the PESTLE constraints and assess their impact on the sustainable development of the technology in the SSA region. The production of biogas with small-scale plants is commonly done by rural and peri-urban households. Results show that economic constraints are the most dominant and reducing at a slow pace. This is followed by political constraints, which have received much attention in the last two decades. Despite the policy improvements, broader national bioenergy policies and interventions are still to make significant gains, especially in the Central African region. In order of significance, the Southern, East, and West Africa regions have made greater progress in reducing the constraints. To achieve the sustainable development of the technology, there is a need to further address the PESTLE constraints at national and regional levels. This study partly deduces that the unsustainable production, use, and inadequate regulation of the small-scale biogas sector are delaying its transition in the SSA region.

A meta-analysis of the adoption of agricultural technology in Sub-Saharan Africa

Both global poverty and hunger have increased in recent years, endangering progress towards accomplishing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2. The regression has been most pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Meeting the SDG targets requires achieving resilient farm productivity. Although many farm management technologies exist to improve yields, farmers in SSA largely have not adopted these approaches. A long-standing literature about technology adoption identifies multiple hypotheses as to why farmers may or may not adopt new agricultural technologies, culminating in numerous micro-econometric studies. We analyse a metadata set capturing the findings of 164 published studies specifically focusing on SSA and show that 20 out of 38, or 53%, of the determinants commonly believed to influence technology adoption lack empirical support. Eighteen determinants—primarily related to information access, wealth, group membership and social capital, and land tenure—consistently influence adoption across studies. Wealth remains a significant determinant of fertilizer adoption, despite long-running subsidies in most countries, although it is decoupled from the adoption of improved seeds and alternative crop and nutrient management technologies. We highlight the foundational determinants of adoption and offer guidance to design effective interventions that can decrease poverty and hunger towards 2030.

Use of technology to prevent, detect, manage and control hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.

ObjectiveTo identify and assess the use of technologies, including mobile health technology, internet of things (IoT) devices and artificial intelligence (AI) in hypertension healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).DesignSystematic review.Data sourcesMedline, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science.Eligibility criteriaStudies addressing outcomes related to the use of technologies for hypertension healthcare (all points in the healthcare cascade) in SSA.MethodsDatabases were searched from inception to 2 August 2021. Screening, data extraction and risk of bias assessment were done in duplicate. Data were extracted on study design, setting, technology(s) employed and outcomes. Blood pressure (BP) reduction due to intervention was extracted from a subset of randomised controlled trials. Methodological quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.Results1717 hits were retrieved, 1206 deduplicated studies were screened and 67 full texts were assessed for eligibility. 22 studies were included, all reported on clinical investigations. Two studies were observational, and 20 evaluated technology-based interventions. Outcomes included BP reduction/control, treatment adherence, retention in care, awareness/knowledge of hypertension and completeness of medical records. All studies used mobile technology, three linked with IoT devices. Short Message Service (SMS) was the most popular method of targeting patients (n=6). Moderate BP reduction was achieved in three randomised controlled trials. Patients and healthcare providers reported positive perceptions towards the technologies. No studies using AI were identified.ConclusionsThere are a range of successful applications of key enabling technologies in SSA, including BP reduction, increased health knowledge and treatment adherence following targeted mobile technology interventions. There is evidence to support use of mobile technology for hypertension management in SSA. However, current application of technologies is highly heterogeneous and key barriers exist, limiting efficacy and uptake in SSA. More research is needed, addressing objective measures such as BP reduction in robust randomised studies.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020223043.

Heterogenous Factors of Adoption of Agricultural Technologies in West and East Africa Countries: A Review

This review brings to light, extensive body of research on the evolvement of agricultural technology in Sub-Saharan Africa with focus on adoption studies in West and East Africa countries. The review highlights historical green revolution events and the heterogeneity in the determinants of the adoption of agricultural technology. Three key popular indicators in adoption studies were reviewed for their heterogeneity; this includes land, extension & social institutions, and gender in light of comparison of studies in West and East Africa. The review shows that there is so much to be gained from enhancing the understanding of the heterogeneity that exists in key popular indicators in adoption studies considering the importance of adoption of agricultural technology in reducing poverty and food insecurity and the evolving impact of climate change and other human attributes that has defined the modification of various agricultural technology. Also, the review highlights the need to tailor extension and social learning toward existing heterogeneity to aid in promoting the adoption of agricultural technology. An important highlight includes the need to be wary of the downsides of the earlier green revolution while driving the efforts of new green revolution in West and East Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa in general.

Hydrogen technology in Sub-Saharan Africa: Prospects for Power Plants

Hydrogen as an energy vector could be one of the solutions to the crucial energy crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. A technological review is done in this paper as a first attempt to foster research and development on the subject. It shows the hydrogen technology disadvantages and difficulties regarding its usage in Africa, and explores ways to better tackle them. Concepts are also discussed by showing the benefits of hydrogen introduction in sub-Saharan African countries on their economy through the increase of their electrification coverage and the reduction of electricity shortages witnessed in these countries. Ideas of systems hybridization including hydrogen fuel cells are presented, discussed and adapted to the sub-Saharan context. Methods of overcoming possible risks, technologies that could be adopted now and on-going research on the subject are finally performed.

Barriers to scaling health technologies in sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons from Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Rwanda

Given the importance of effectively scaling technologies in the promotion of health and innovation, the objective of our paper was to identify the barriers that can impede the process of scaling up in sub-Saharan Africa. We reviewed the published literature and collected data through semi-structured interviews of six key players in the health technology space in three sub-Saharan African countries: Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Rwanda. We analyzed the interview transcripts in light of the transition theory framework. This informative framework highlights how health technologies are nested in societal contexts, how they could be scaled up, and what factors influence changes in structure, practice, and culture. Our data analyses uncovered six barriers to scaling health technologies. These barriers included inadequate availability and accessibility of health equipment, inadequate policies and gaps in policy effectiveness, lack of financial resources, unavailability of health personnel and expertise, insufficient understanding and infrastructure to scale up effectively, and lack of community and user integration with the technology. Through the results of this study, we have created a narrative on how health technologies can be most effectively scaled in sub-Saharan Africa and provided insights for researchers, policymakers, and programme implementers on the scaling of health technologies in the region.

Aquaponics for Improved Food Security in Africa: A Review

Increasing demand on water resources, reduced land water availability, and concerns over food security have spurred the evolution of many innovative and complex food production. An aquaponic system is a productive, innovative, and sustainable fish and vegetable production system that is revolutionizing agriculture in the face of drought, soil fertility losses, and climate change. Aquaponics, as an advanced aquaculture-agriculture system, is expected to improve food security in developing countries. However, as an emerging technology, there is very limited information on the system in Africa. Questions about the ecological and socio-economic sustainability of aquaponics are answered in this comprehensive review. This review considers aquaponics projects in Africa, categorizes the technology by evidences of their effectiveness, fish and plant yields, and juxtaposes the technology within best-use practices to make recommendations that will inform evidence-based policymaking. It also maps the present spatial adoption of the technology in sub-Saharan Africa and highlights the system's contribution to improving food security on the continent. Egypt and South Africa are countries where aquaponics is emerging and being adopted at faster rates and contributing to food security. In West Africa, significantly lower net-discounted benefit-cost ratios were realized when aquaponics systems were constructed using imported materials compared to using locally available materials. Despite aquaponics systems generally having higher start-up costs currently, its potential to be economically viable when undertaken with local materials is very high.

Agriculture 4.0: Is Sub-Saharan Africa Ready?

A fourth agricultural revolution, termed agriculture 4.0, is gradually gaining ground around the globe. It encompasses the application of smart technologies such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, the internet of things (IoT), big data, and robotics to improve agriculture and the sustainability of food production. To date, narratives around agriculture 4.0 associated technologies have generally focused on their application in the context of higher-income countries (HICs). In contrast, in this perspective, we critically assess the place of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in this new technology trajectory, a region that has received less attention with respect to the application of such technologies. We examine the continent’s readiness based on a number of dimensions such as scale, finance, technology leapfrogging, institutions and governance, education and skills. We critically reviewed the challenges, opportunities, and prospects of adopting agriculture 4.0 technologies in SSA, particularly with regards to how smallholder farmers in the region can be involved through a robust strategy. We find that whilst potential exist for agriculture 4.0 adoption in SSA, there are gaps in knowledge, skills, finance, and infrastructure to ensure successful adoption.