1,721,040 research outputs found
La malattia e la cura in Bénin. Tra particolarismo tradizionale e universalismo dei diritti umani: una prospettiva di bioetica interculturale
Full text linkIl lavoro condotto ha avuto come obiettivo quello di proporre un quadro approfondito della semantica della cura così come è intesa secondo la tradizione culturale del Bénin, paese dell’Africa subsahariana occidentale, esaminata attraverso la lente ermeneutica della bioetica interculturale.
La natura costitutivamente interdisciplinare della bioetica ha consentito di indagare la questione da angolazioni diverse e di avvalersi di metodologie plurime: alla descrizione socioantropologica ed etnologica della cultura terapeutica tradizionale beninese (cd. folk health care system) si accompagna, infatti, la problematizzazione di argomenti di etica medica che chiamano in causa questioni religiose, giuridiche, economiche, politiche e filosofiche (in particolare vengono prese in considerazione le posizioni di A. Sen, M. Nussbaum, S. Benhabib), ricostruite prestando attenzione particolare all’apparato bibliografico, corroborato da un nutrito numero di interviste (allegato in Appendice alla tesi), risultato dei due soggiorni di studio ed approfondimento in Bénin.
L’interculturalità, invece, non risiede solo nella scelta di volgersi ad una tradizione culturale altra rispetto a quella occidentale con cui si istituisce un confronto, ma è, piuttosto, un proponimento metodologico per la comprensione della narrazione identitaria beninese, non chiusa nella sua datità, come vorrebbe un certo multiculturalismo, ma posta in un contesto culturale e storico che ne intende la disponibilità all’apertura ad orizzonti plurimi ed ibridi, progettando e “immaginando” la tensione all’universalità dei diritti umani, da contestualizzare nel rispetto della tradizione precipua
COVID-19 preparedness and social dynamics in a Sub-Saharan Africa country, Benin
Full text linkThis project aims to assess and analyse the perception and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Benin. The applied research methodology was interdisciplinary and combined field studies that used ethnographic and social research methods with coding and data analysis, leading to theoretical dilemmas, which were analysed from the viewpoint of bioethical reflection. Furthermore, biomedical engineering approaches were used to assess the preparedness to COVID-19. Despite the preparedness to COVID-19 due to the promoted governmental measures, a peculiar management of the pandemic emerged. The latter, although noteworthy, did not overcome the typical challenges of medical locations in low-resource settings. This, together with the controversial spread of information and local beliefs, caused significant economic and social consequences, exceeding the benefits related to the containment of the virus. This research highlights how the emotion of fear, in this specific situation, was herald of dramatic consequences, rather than having a heuristic and empowering effect
The role of ethics in science: a systematic literature review from the first wave of COVID-19
Full text linkThis paper proposes a systematic literature review on ethics and CoviD-19, aiming to understand the impact and the perception of the pandemic during the first wave (January-June 2020) and the consequences one year later. PubMed was systematically searched up May 2020 to identify studies that took into consideration various ethical issues that have been arising from the Covid-19 outbreak. The eligibility of the papers was determined by two authors, who screened the results mediated by a third author. In order to facilitate the screening, the titles were divided into five sub-thematic macro-areas, namely allocation, policy, specialist, clinical trials, and technology and, when possible, per geographical area. Specifically, a posteriori, we decided to focus on the papers referring to policies and technology, as they highlighted ethical issues that are not overused and worthy of particular attention. Thus, 38 studies out of 233 met our inclusion criteria and were fully analysed. Accordingly, this review touches on themes such as fairness, equity, transparency of information, the duty of care, racial disparities, the marginalisation of the poor, and privacy and ethical concerns. Overall, it was found that despite the increased awareness of interdisciplinarity and the essential reference to ethics, many scientific articles use it with little competence, considering it only a "humanitarian" enrichment. In fact, as we understand, reflecting a year after the outbreak of the pandemic, although Covid-19 is leading scientists to increasingly recognise the importance of ethical issues, there is still a lot of confusion that could be helped by establishing international guidelines to act as a moral compass in times of crisis.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12553-021-00570-6
Mental illness in some Sub Saharan African communities : the perspective of bioethics and transcultural nursing
Full text linkIn this paper, transcultural nursing is reviewed in light of bioethical issues arising from the interpretation of mental illness in some Western Sub-Saharan African communities. Four field studies were carried out by the authors of this paper in Sub-Saharan Africa (from 2016 to 2019), during which the traditional “treatment” of enchaining people considered “crazy” by local cultures was explored. These inhuman practices raise the attention of bioethics, which investigate ways to overcome this traditional practice not violating the cultural identity of the peoples who practice it. The model of Gregoire Ahongbonon and of his Association, “Saint Camille de Lellis”, is reported as an example of negotiation between the respect for traditions and the guarantee of human rights. The care practice in force in the Saint Camille is related to transcultural nursing as an adequate form of treatment and strategy for restoring patients’ dignity and rights
Biomedical engineering and ethics : reflections on medical devices and PPE during the first wave of COVID-19
Full text linkIn March 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that humanity was entering a global pandemic phase. This unforeseen situation caught everyone unprepared and had a major impact on several professional categories that found themselves facing important ethical dilemmas. The article revolves around the category of biomedical and clinical engineers, which were among those most involved in dealing with and finding solutions to the pandemic. In hindsight, the major issues brought to the attention of biomedical engineers have raised important ethical implications, such as the allocation of resources, the responsibilities of science and the inadequacy and non-universality of the norms and regulations on biomedical devices and personal protective equipment. These issues, analyzed one year after the first wave of the pandemic, come together in the appeal for responsibility for thought, action and, sometimes, even silence. This highlights the importance of interdisciplinarity and the definitive collapse of the Cartesian fragmentation of knowledge, calling for the creation of more fora, where this kind of discussions can be promoted
The inadequacy of regulatory frameworks in time of crisis and in low-resource settings : personal protective equipment and COVID-19
Full text linkCOVID-19 pandemic is plaguing the world and representing the most significant stress test for many national healthcare systems and services, since their foundation. The supply-chain disruption and the unprecedented request for intensive care unit (ICU) beds have created in Europe conditions typical of low-resources settings. This generated a remarkable race to find solutions for the prevention, treatment and management of this disease which is involving a large amount of people. Every day, new Do-It-Yourself (DIY) solutions regarding personal protective equipment and medical devices populate social media feeds. Many companies (e.g., automotive or textile) are converting their traditional production to manufacture the most needed equipment (e.g., respirators, face shields, ventilators etc.). In this chaotic scenario, policy makers, international and national standards bodies, along with the World Health Organization (WHO) and scientific societies are making a joint effort to increase global awareness and knowledge about the importance of respecting the relevant requirements to guarantee appropriate quality and safety for patients and healthcare workers. Nonetheless, ordinary procedures for testing and certification are currently questioned and empowered with fast-track pathways in order to speed-up the deployment of new solutions for COVID-19. This paper shares critical reflections on the current regulatory framework for the certification of personal protective equipment. We hope that these reflections may help readers in navigating the framework of regulations, norms and international standards relevant for key personal protective equipment, sharing a subset of tests that should be deemed essential even in a period of crisis
Social engagement in the fight Against COVID-19 in the urban and peri-urban areas of Cotonou (Benin, Sub-saharan Africa) : acceptability of the vaccination and tracking program
Full text linkIntroduction: This article aims at investigating social engagement in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in low-resource settings (LRSs). In particular, it focuses on Benin (Sub-Saharan Africa), and reports the results of a field study that investigated the local people's acceptance of the vaccine and the tracking program.
Methods: This project is the product of a collaboration between the ABSPIE (Applied Biomedical and Signal Processing E-Health) Lab of the University of Warwick (UK) and the LAMA (Laboratoire d'Antropologie Medical Appliqué) of the University of Abomey Calavi (Benin). This international multidisciplinary collaboration brought together engineers, sociologists, anthropologists, and bioethicists. In light of the aims of the project, a qualitative methodology was deemed appropriate. The research team prepared two questionnaires that provided the basis for semi-structured interviews that took place between June and August 2021.
Results: The research team interviewed 34 Beninese respondents, comprising people aged 60+ (with multiple comorbidities), who were primarily healthcare workers and/or traditional therapists. The results of this work highlight the fact that there is widespread reticence about the vaccination program in Benin, both due to local beliefs and uncertainty about governmental management. In this study, we uncovered several local reasons interfering with the involvement of the population in the vaccination campaign against COVID-19, e.g., the existence of traditional medical practices considered as valid alternatives to vaccines, and many beliefs showing a fear of neo-colonialism hidden in the pandemic threat. Yet, another hindrance can be traced to shortcomings in the management of the vaccination campaign which resulted in obstacles to the implementation of the program.
Conclusions: This work does not intend to denounce any governmental effort or foster a regressive mindset, but shows how the overall confusion (defined by the World Health Organization as infodemic) linked to the pandemic and its management has caused even more dramatic consequences in LRSs. In addition, the paper proposes a specific framework for the interpretation and management of bioethical and biomedical issues in LRSs that the authors are validating in their current research
Women in engineering, science and technology in sub-Saharan Africa : cultural attitudes, challenges, and gaps affecting clinical engineering and medical devices maintenance practices
Full text linkPurpose:
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
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