Browsing by Subject "SSA"

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    Open Access
    A new systemic model for the implementation of sustainable space science and technology investment for Sub-Saharan African economies: an implementation process derived from a case study of MeerKAT and the Square Kilometre Array projects
    (2025) Mitchell, Carla; Nicolls, Frederick; Martinez, Peter
    This research develops a sustainable implementation model for African developing nations undertaking space science and technology (SST) programmes, using the MeerKAT project and the forthcoming Square Kilometre Array (SKA) as central case studies. Econometric analysis of Sub Saharan African (SSA) economies reveals that standard economic inputs namely labour, capital, and technology, are insufficient to plan for or predict growth in this context. Instead, a broader set of socio-economic variables, often overlooked in conventional models, must be considered. Panel data from 48 SSA countries informed the construction of four composite variables—access to finance, employment, education, and technology efficiency—which more accurately reflect the region's structural and cultural conditions. Findings indicate that SST investments have an inconsistent impact on labour productivity, largely due to inefficiencies in technology absorption and local capacity utilisation. In response, this research proposes a three-phase Space Science and Technology Framework (SSTIF) made up of the Impact Causality Cycle (ICC) which establishes causal links between SST investments and socio-economic outcomes, emphasising effective technology deployment. The Political Decision Matrix (PDM) which guides sustainability-oriented investment planning by evaluating socio economic benefits, as demonstrated through the MeerKAT project. A result of the PDM case study is that socio economic investment reduces project risk and improves sustainability. The Science-Driven Economic Benefit (SDEB) which model translates these insights into a practical implementation cycle, tested through a detailed application to the MeerKAT case. Together, these phases form an integrated pathway from theory to decision-making to implementation. The SKA project, as an expansion of MeerKAT, validates the framework's scalability and relevance, reinforcing the case for strategic SST investment in SSA. Ultimately, this thesis contributes a practical roadmap for policymakers—linking science infrastructure to inclusive economic development and long-term investment sustainability.
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    Open Access
    The Burden of Hepatitis B Among People Living with HIV in East Africa: Evidence from 2016?2019 Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment Surveys
    (2025) Genamo, Mitiku Tamre; Madlala, Hlengiwe; Myer, Landon
    Background: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) co-infection remains a critical public health challenge among people living with HIV (PLWH), particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Africa, which is second to Asia in chronic HBV prevalence, globally it was reported approximately 60 million cases in 2017, with nearly 74% of global HBV/HIV co-infections occurring in the SSA region. In East Africa, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) prevalence rates are as follows: Ethiopia (6.03%), Uganda (9.19%), Kenya (5.16%), Rwanda (6.67%), and Tanzania (7.17%). In countries like Kenya, the infection rates surpass 5%, and Africa accounts for 70% of all new cases of HBV infections globally. Despite extensive research on the HIV epidemic, data on HBV co-infections among PLWH remain limited. Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of HBV co-infection among PLWH in East Africa and identify related sociodemographic and clinical factors. Methods: Part A of this Minor dissertation details the research protocol, covering the rationale for the study in the introduction, objectives, methodology, statistical analysis plan, and ethical considerations. Part B provides a comprehensive literature review of studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), exploring the available research on the burden of Hepatitis B and its risk factors among people living with HIV (PLWH). Part C presents the study findings in a journal-formatted manuscript, including results, discussions, limitations, and recommendations. Part D covers the materials used in Parts A, B, and C as appendices, followed by the PLOS ONE journal's instructions to authors. Finally, Part E is the policy brief to inform decision-making. The entire thesis follows the Vancouver referencing style, in line with the requirements of the selected journal for manuscript formatting. A cross-sectional analysis of secondary data from the PHIA surveys conducted in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda from 2016 to 2019 by Colombia university. Data for secondary analysis was extracted from the PHIA dataset between April 2024 – August 2024. The study ii employed stratified multistage probability sampling to select households and participants aged 15– 64 years living with HIV. Data collection, conducted via mobile tablets, covered demographic, clinical, and HIV-related variables. HBV status was assessed through rapid diagnostic tests. Ethical approval was obtained for both primary data collection and secondary analysis per the Helsinki Declaration guidelines. Statistical analysis was performed in R, including descriptive measures, logistic regression, and significance testing (P < 0.05). Results: A total of 4,944 PLWH were included in this analysis, of the total 4,944 PLWH screened for HBV 248 (5.02%) were HBV-positive. The median age of PLWH participants was 36.5 years (IQR: 30– 45), while HBV-negative participants had a median age of 38 years (IQR: 30–47). Males accounted for 42% of HBV-positive cases, compared to 29% among HBV-negative individuals. The overall HBV prevalence among PLWH was 5.02% (95% [CI]: 4.42% – 5.66%), with different country-specific prevalence: Rwanda 3.49% (95% CI: 2.40% – 4.89%), Tanzania 4.29% (95% CI: 0.89% – 12.02%), Kenya (4.99%), Ethiopia 5.54% (95% CI: 3.86% – 7.65%), and Uganda 5.67% (95% CI: 4.65% – 6.84%). Females had higher odds of HBV infection than males (aOR 1.78, P=0.003). Additionally, those who are HBV positive exhibited higher HIV viral loads (≥1,000 copies/mL; 39% vs. 31%) and lower median CD4 counts (455 vs. 488.5 cells/μL). Participants with viral suppression had 1.4 times higher odds of HBV infection than those without viral suppression (OR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.08–1.82; P = 0.01). Active syphilis infections were more common among HBV-positive individuals (5%) than HBV-negative participants (3%). Conclusion: HBV co-infection remains a significant concern among PLWH in East Africa, with notable country-level variations. It remains a burden that poses an additional challenge to the national health system, which is already battling various infectious and non-infectious diseases. The findings underscore the importance of enhanced HBV screening, vaccination, and integrated treatment approaches to reduce the dual burden of HIV and HBV.
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    Open Access
    The impact of domestic savings, financial depth, and financial innovation on economic growth in sub-Saharan African countries
    (2025) Macauley, Rachel; Abraham, Haim
    This thesis empirically examines issues related to the impact of the financial sector on economic growth. Specifically, the three papers of this thesis presented in separate chapters are: 1) domestic savings and economic growth, 2) financial depth and economic growth, and 3) financial innovation and economic growth. The first paper: ‘Domestic savings and economic growth' investigates the threshold effect of domestic savings on economic growth in the Sub Saharan African (SSA) countries. This paper examines at what point do excessive domestic savings have detrimental effects on economic growth and in which cases can domestic savings be classified as excessive domestic savings. The dynamic panel threshold model is employed to empirically examine the threshold effect of domestic savings on economic growth. Using data from 35 SSA countries between the period of 1980 and 2022, this study concludes that there is a threshold effect in the relationship between domestic savings and economic growth. This means that domestic savings promote economic growth if domestic savings are below the threshold. Conversely, domestic savings may have positive but insignificant effects on economic growth if they are above the threshold. However, the threshold effects on economic growth are dynamic, it should be revised as countries move from one income level to another, for instance low-income countries may move to a middle-income or upper-income category, which may increase the countries' domestic saving rates and may require higher thresholds. The second paper: ‘Financial depth and economic growth' examines the impact of financial depth on economic growth in Ebola-affected SSA countries, namely Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. This paper examines the impact of financial depth on economic growth before-during-and-after a public health crisis. To get a clear picture on whether the Ebola period resulted in different dynamics in the relationship between financial depth and economic growth, this study examines two samples: the full sample (spanning from 1980 to 2022 comprises of the pre-and-post Ebola and COVID-19 eras) and the pre-Ebola era (1980 – 2014 which excludes the public health crisis period). The results show that the positive relationship between financial depth and economic growth in the pre-Ebola period is stronger than in the full sample. This difference means that financial depth significantly promoted economic growth before the public health crisis, and that the Ebola crisis did not only claim lives but also impacted the financial depth–economic growth relationship. Therefore, the main finding of this study is that financial depth positively impacts economic growth; however, infectious diseases such as Ebola can disrupt the relationship. The Granger causality results depict that a unidirectional causality from financial depth to economic growth is found in Guinea and Liberia while a bidirectional relationship exists between financial depth and economic growth in Sierra Leone. The third paper: ‘Financial innovation and economic growth' considers the symmetric (same magnitude) and asymmetric (different magnitude) impacts of financial innovation on economic growth in SSA countries. The asymmetric impact, unlike the symmetric impact, decomposes financial innovation into positive and negative components to examine how economic growth reacts to these components of financial innovation. This study employs the linear autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model to test for the symmetric relationship between financial innovation and economic growth. The non-linear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model tests for the asymmetric relationship between the two variables. Using data from 20 SSA countries between the period of 1990 and 2020, this study concludes that financial innovation has a symmetric impact on economic growth in SSA, the relationship is positive and statistically significant in the long-run. The result of the asymmetric impacts of the two variables shows that an increase in financial innovation has a positive and significant impact on economic growth in both the short-run and long-run. In the long-run, a decrease in financial innovation has a negative asymmetric relationship with economic growth.