Marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing - Case Study Example Being the member of G8 and OECD, Canadian economy is mostly a service based economy however, due to large natural resources; Canada is also an economy with established manufacturing base. Canadian firms working in electricity manufacturing have been slow in responding to the global changes and as a result of this also lost their share in global market. Such lack of quick responsiveness to the changing customer needs therefore have been taking its toll on firms as despite having enormous natural resources this sector is still lacking behind in terms of productivity and efficient production. (Negru 1990) Traditionally, Canada’s electronics manufacturing sector has relied heavily on exports from US however; it has now shifted to the developing countries.1 Firms like Nortel, RIM and other manufacturers have been successfully operating in the electronics manufacturing sector. However, due to global shifts in the overall dynamics of the sector, this industry in Canada is losing its ground despite the fact that it is 6% of the manufacturing GDP of Canada. Consumers are becoming aware of the overall impact of traditional sources of energy have on the environment and there is now growing concern for producing and procuring green electricity resources. Such awareness of consumers therefore forces many Electronics manufacturing firms to look for ways which can actually reduce the damage to the environment. Since supply chain management forms one of the essential strategic operations for manufacturing and even service oriented firms, its greener management is one of the key industrial market issues for the firms. (Kim and Min 2011) One of the key concerns for the Canadian electronics manufactures is the high cost of energy and the need to become competitive are the key drivers which are actually causing Canadian manufacturers to go for greener supply chain management practices. What is critical to understand however, is the fact that the same may not be feasible for the suppliers to such manufacturing firms as compliance with greener supply chain practices can increase the cost for the suppliers.2 Large firms in industry however, are also focusing on rewarding their suppliers if they adapt to the green supply chain management practices. By rewarding the suppliers, Canadian manufactures are actually providing a pricing advantage to their suppliers so that the overall marketing relationships remain competitive. There is also a greater marketing challenge for firms in Canada because green supply chain management requires firm to make a transition towards greener marketing and hence towards green organization. More industrial buyers are now actually demanding to purchase green electricity as most buyers are now focusing on reducing their carbon footprint. Such emphasis towards green electricity usage therefore may further create challenges for firms. Such inter-linkages therefore suggest that the firms must strategically take all the steps require d to achieve strategic objectives of the firm. The difficulty to integrate all the aspects of industrial marketing therefore forces firms to not to go for green supply chain management practices. Since green energy sector is also heavily regulated therefore suppliers as well as buyers will have to comply with different regulatory requirements. Compliance with

Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Infection Essay

Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Infection - Essay Example This method of prevention involves education about HIV in the society, safe-sex practices, avoiding sharing of contaminated needles for intravenous drugs. Proper moral behavior is necessary to follow these norms (Kapoor, p.248). 3. Prevention of transmission of HIV infection from infected mothers to their babies by anti-retroviral therapy. This therapy is instituted both to the pregnant mother and also to the baby after delivery. Transmission of infection is also prevented by avoiding breast feeding (Kapoor, p.248). All pregnant women attending antenatal clinics during pregnancy should be counseled about HIV infection. They should be educated about the disease and the modes of transmission. The women should be encouraged to take up HIV test voluntarily. They should be informed about the importance and implications of the test and also the course of management if found positive. Women with high-risk behavior should be advised about window period and repetition of the test after 3-6 months if the HIV test is negative (Kapoor, p.248). Any woman who is found to be HIV positive should be taken into confidentiality and counseled appropriately. She should be motivated, be taught 'positive thinking' and informed that 'HIV is not AIDS'. She should also be warned against transmission of the disease to others and how to prevent it by following simple steps like using condoms. The option of termination or continuation of pregnancy should be left to her, but she must be advised about antiretroviral therapy for the baby if she decides to continue the pregnancy (Kapoor, p.248). Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ARV) Administration of ARV to the HIV positive pregnant mother decreases the risk of MTCT by reducing the viral load in the mother and also by preventing fixing of the virus in the baby (Kapoor, p.248). Monotherapy with zidovudine causes only suboptimal suppression. Hence it is recommended to use optimal combination of anti-retroviral drugs as is used in non-pregnant women (Chen, p.1616). The treatment currently used in the treatment of adults with HIV infection is 'highly active antiretroviral therapy' (HAART) (Chen, p.1616). It consists of a protease inhibitor or a nonnucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) such as efavirenz and two nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). However, this treatment should be instituted only after 10-12 weeks of gestation to prevent teratogenic effects. All infants born to HIV positive mothers and having received ARV should be followed up long-term irrespective of their HIV status (Chen, p.1616). Nevirapine (NVP) for Prevention of MTCT NVP is a NNRTI. It directly binds to the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, inhibits the synthesis of viral DNA and thus inhibits the viral replication. After a single dose of 200 mg to the mother, it crosses the placenta efficiently. Added to this advantage, it has a long half-life of 40 hours (Kapoor, p.249). In neonates and infants, the dose is 2mg/kg (Kapoor, p.249). The advantage of NVP therapy is that the administration is a simple two-dose regimen to be taken by mouth. Also, it is inexpensive, easier to maintain confidentiality, does not