scholarly journals Changes in mobility and socioeconomic conditions during the COVID-19 outbreak

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Dueñas ◽  
Mercedes Campi ◽  
Luis E. Olmos
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Socioeconomic Conditions ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The City

AbstractSince the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, governments have been implementing containment measures aimed at mitigating the spread of the virus, including restrictions to human mobility. The ability to adapt to the pandemic and respond to containment measures can be bound by socioeconomic conditions, which are heterogeneous in large urban areas of low-income and middle-income countries. In this paper, we analyse mobility changes following the implementation of containment measures in Bogotá, Colombia. We characterise the mobility network before and during the pandemic and analyse its evolution and changes between January and July 2020. We observe a general reduction in mobility trends, but the overall connectivity between different areas of the city remains after the lockdown, reflecting the resilience of the mobility network. Then, we estimate a gravity model to assess the effect of socioeconomic conditions on mobility flows. We find that the responses to lockdown policies depend on the socioeconomic conditions of the population. Before the pandemic, the population with better socioeconomic conditions shows higher mobility flows. Since the lockdown, mobility presents a general decrease, but the population with worse socioeconomic conditions shows lower reductions in mobility flows. We conclude by deriving policy implications.

scholarly journals Modelling the COVID-19 pandemic in context: an international participatory approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
pp. e003126
Author(s):  
Ricardo Aguas ◽  
Lisa White ◽  
Nathaniel Hupert ◽  
Rima Shretta ◽  
Wirichada Pan-Ngum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Models ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Participatory Approach ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
History Of ◽  
High Degree ◽  
The Mathematical Model

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on multiple levels of society. Not only has the pandemic completely overwhelmed some health systems but it has also changed how scientific evidence is shared and increased the pace at which such evidence is published and consumed, by scientists, policymakers and the wider public. More significantly, the pandemic has created tremendous challenges for decision-makers, who have had to implement highly disruptive containment measures with very little empirical scientific evidence to support their decision-making process. Given this lack of data, predictive mathematical models have played an increasingly prominent role. In high-income countries, there is a long-standing history of established research groups advising policymakers, whereas a general lack of translational capacity has meant that mathematical models frequently remain inaccessible to policymakers in low-income and middle-income countries. Here, we describe a participatory approach to modelling that aims to circumvent this gap. Our approach involved the creation of an international group of infectious disease modellers and other public health experts, which culminated in the establishment of the COVID-19 Modelling (CoMo) Consortium. Here, we describe how the consortium was formed, the way it functions, the mathematical model used and, crucially, the high degree of engagement fostered between CoMo Consortium members and their respective local policymakers and ministries of health.

The Evolution of the Digital Divide across Developing Countries

2013 ◽  
pp. 1554-1570
Author(s):  
Nicoletta Corrocher ◽  
Anna Raineri
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Competition Policy ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Effective Strategy ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Emerging Patterns

This chapter aims at investigating the evolution of the digital divide within a set of developing countries between the years 2000 and 2005. In doing so, it moves away from the traditional analysis of the digital divide, which compares developed countries and developing countries, and examines the existing gap within a relatively homogeneous group of countries. On the basis of the theoretical and empirical contributions from scholars in different disciplines, we select a series of socioeconomic and technological indicators and provide an empirical assessment of the digitalization patterns in a set of 51 low income and lower-middle income countries. By means of cluster analysis techniques, we identify three emerging patterns of the digital divide and derive a series of policy implications, related to the implementation of an effective strategy to reduce digital backwardness. The characteristics of each pattern of digitalization can be also usefully employed to understand whether past interventions, especially in the area of competition policy, have been successful in addressing country-specific issues.

Strategies used to establish palliative care in rural low- and middle-income countries: an integrative review

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 1110-1129
Author(s):  
Atsede Aregay ◽  
Margaret O’Connor ◽  
Jill Stow ◽  
Nicola Ayers ◽  
Susan Lee
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Integrative Review ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Abstract Globally, 40 million people need palliative care; about 69% are people over 60 years of age. The highest proportion (78%) of adults are from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where palliative care still developing and is primarily limited to urban areas. This integrative review describes strategies used by LMICs to establish palliative care in rural areas. A rigorous integrative review methodology was utilized using four electronic databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Emcare, Embase classic+Embase and CINAHL). The search terms were: ‘palliative care’, ‘hospice care’, ‘end of life care’, ‘home-based care’, ‘volunteer’, ‘rural’, ‘regional’, ‘remote’ and ‘developing countries’ identified by the United Nations (UN) as ‘Africa’, ‘Sub-Saharan Africa’, ‘low-income’ and ‘middle- income countries’. Thirty papers published in English from 1990 to 2019 were included. Papers were appraised for quality and extracted data subjected to analysis using a public health model (policy, drug availability, education and implementation) as a framework to describe strategies for establishing palliative care in rural areas. The methodological quality of the reviewed papers was low, with 7 of the 30 being simple programme descriptions. Despite the inclusion of palliative care in national health policy in some countries, implementation in the community was often reliant on advocacy and financial support from non-government organizations. Networking to coordinate care and medication availability near-patient homes were essential features of implementation. Training, role play, education and mentorship were strategies used to support health providers and volunteers. Home- and community-based palliative care services for rural LMICs communities may best be delivered using a networked service among health professionals, community volunteers, religious leaders and technology.

scholarly journals Expanding the use of community health workers in urban settings: a potential strategy for progress towards universal health coverage

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Wahl ◽  
Susanna Lehtimaki ◽  
Stefan Germann ◽  
Nina Schwalbe
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Access To Health Services ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Urban Settings ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Access To Health ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Abstract Community health worker (CHW) programmes have been used for decades to improve access to health services in rural settings in low- and middle-income countries. With more than half of the world’s population currently living in urban areas and this population expected to grow, equitable access to health services in urban areas is critically important. To understand the extent to which CHW programmes have been successfully deployed in low-income urban settings, we conducted a review of the literature between 2000 and 2018 to identify studies evaluating and describing CHW programmes implemented fully or partially in urban or peri-urban settings. We identified 32 peer-reviewed articles that met our inclusion criteria. Benefits have been documented in several urban settings in low- and middle-income countries including those to address TB/HIV, child health, maternal health and non-communicable diseases through a variety of study designs.

The Evolution of the Digital Divide across Developing Countries

2010 ◽  
pp. 58-74
Author(s):  
Nicoletta Corrocher ◽  
Anna Raineri
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Competition Policy ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Effective Strategy ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Emerging Patterns

This chapter aims at investigating the evolution of the digital divide within a set of developing countries between the years 2000 and 2005. In doing so, it moves away from the traditional analysis of the digital divide, which compares developed countries and developing countries, and examines the existing gap within a relatively homogeneous group of countries. On the basis of the theoretical and empirical contributions from scholars in different disciplines, we select a series of socioeconomic and technological indicators and provide an empirical assessment of the digitalization patterns in a set of 51 low income and lower-middle income countries. By means of cluster analysis techniques, we identify three emerging patterns of the digital divide and derive a series of policy implications, related to the implementation of an effective strategy to reduce digital backwardness. The characteristics of each pattern of digitalization can be also usefully employed to understand whether past interventions, especially in the area of competition policy, have been successful in addressing country-specific issues.

scholarly journals Household energy requirements in two medium-sized Thai cities with different population densities

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 267-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arkarlat Kunvitaya ◽  
Shobhakar Dhakal
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Urban Forms ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Per Capita

Studies on the implications of population density on energy consumption in small and medium-sized cities in low- and middle-income countries are limited. This paper estimates and analyses energy consumption, using a diverse set of methods, to compare two medium-sized cities in Thailand with similar urban forms and socioeconomic characteristics but different population densities – namely, the less dense city Chaiyaphum and denser city Roi Et. The results reveal that the annual household electricity consumption per capita of these two cities is similar, showing no implications of density. However, private transport energy consumption per capita in Chaiyaphum is 22 per cent higher, supporting the hypothesis that a less dense city will have higher transport energy consumption. The key factor identified is the greater distance travelled by households located in the peri-urban areas in the less dense city. This has important policy implications for urban planning and urban development practices in Thailand.

scholarly journals Current realities versus theoretical optima: quantifying efficiency and sociospatial equity of travel time to hospitals in low-income and middle-income countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. e001552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry LM Wong ◽  
Oliver J Brady ◽  
Oona Maeve Renee Campbell ◽  
Christopher I Jarvis ◽  
Andrea Pembe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Current Efficiency ◽  
Travel Time ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Average Travel Time ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Aid Decision

BackgroundHaving hospitals located in urban areas where people, resources and wealth concentrate is efficient, but leaves long travel times for the rural and often poorer population and goes against the equity objective. We aimed to assess the current efficiency (mean travel time in the whole population) and equity (difference in travel time between the poorest and least poor deciles) of hospital care provision in four sub-Saharan African countries, and to compare them against their theoretical optima.MethodsWe overlaid the locations of 480, 115, 3787 and 256 hospitals in Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Tanzania, respectively, with high-resolution maps of travel time, population and wealth to estimate current efficiency and equity. To identify the potential optima, we simulated 7500 sets of hospitals locations based on various population and wealth weightings and percentage reallocations for each country.ResultsThe average travel time ranged from 38 to 79 min across countries, and the respective optima were mildly shorter (<15%). The observed equity gaps were wider than their optima. Compared with the best case scenarios, differences in the equity gaps varied from 7% in Tanzania to 77% in Nigeria. In Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania, narrower equity gaps without increasing average travel time were seen from simulations that held 75%–90% of hospitals at their current locations.InterpretationsCurrent hospital distribution in the four sub-Saharan African countries could be considered efficient. Simultaneous gains in efficiency and equity do not necessarily require a fundamental redesign of the healthcare system. Our analytical approach is readily extendible to aid decision support in adding and upgrading existing hospitals.

scholarly journals The State of the World’s Midwifery 2021 report: findings to drive global policy and practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Nove ◽  
Petra ten Hoope-Bender ◽  
Martin Boyce ◽  
Sarah Bar-Zeev ◽  
Luc de Bernis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
National Level ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
South East Asia ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Income Groups

AbstractThe third global State of the World’s Midwifery report (SoWMy 2021) provides an updated evidence base on the sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health (SRMNAH) workforce. For the first time, SoWMy includes high-income countries (HICs) as well as low- and middle-income countries. This paper describes the similarities and differences between regions and income groups, and discusses the policy implications of these variations. SoWMy 2021 estimates a global shortage of 900,000 midwives, which is particularly acute in low-income countries (LICs) and in Africa. The shortage is projected to improve only slightly by 2030 unless additional investments are made. The evidence suggests that these investments would yield important returns, including: more positive birth experiences, improved health outcomes, and inclusive and equitable economic growth. Most HICs have sufficient SRMNAH workers to meet the need for essential interventions, and their education and regulatory environments tend to be strong. Upper-middle-income countries also tend to have strong policy environments. LICs and lower-middle-income countries tend to have a broader scope of practice for midwives, and many also have midwives in leadership positions within national government. Key regional variations include: major midwife shortages in Africa and South-East Asia but more promising signs of growth in South-East Asia than in Africa; a strong focus in Africa on professional midwives (rather than associate professionals: the norm in many South-East Asian countries); heavy reliance on medical doctors rather than midwives in the Americas and Eastern Mediterranean regions and parts of the Western Pacific; and a strong educational and regulatory environment in Europe but a lack of midwife leaders at national level. SoWMy 2021 provides stakeholders with the latest data and information to inform their efforts to build back better and fairer after COVID-19. This paper provides a number of policy responses to SoWMy 2021 that are tailored to different contexts, and suggests a variety of issues to consider in these contexts. These suggestions are supported by the inclusion of all countries in the report, because it is clear which countries have strong SRMNAH workforces and enabling environments and can be viewed as exemplars within regions and income groups.

scholarly journals Weak surveillance and policy attention to cancer in global health: the example of Mozambique

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. e000654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cesaltina Lorenzoni ◽  
Laura Oliveras ◽  
Alba Vilajeliu ◽  
Carla Carrilho ◽  
Mamudo R Ismail ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Cancer Surveillance ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Cancer Burden ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Policy Attention

Cancer is an emerging public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa due to population growth, ageing and westernisation of lifestyles. The increasing burden of cancer calls for urgent policy attention to develop cancer prevention and control programmes. Cancer surveillance is an essential prerequisite. Only one in five low-income and middle-income countries have the necessary data to drive policy and reduce the cancer burden. In this piece, we use data from Mozambique over a 50-year period to illustrate cancer epidemiological trends in low-income and middle-income countries to hypothesise potential circumstances and factors that could explain changes in cancer burden and to discuss surveillance weaknesses and potential improvements. Like many low-income and middle-income countries, Mozambique faces the dual challenge of a still high morbidity and mortality due to infectious diseases in rural areas and increased incidence of cancers associated with westernisation of lifestyles in urban areas, as well as a rise of cancers related to the HIV epidemic. An increase in cancer burden and changes in the cancer profile should be expected in coming years. The Mozambican healthcare and health-information systems, like in many other low-income and middle-income countries, are not prepared to face this epidemiological transition, which deserves increasing policy attention.

scholarly journals Idioms of resilience: Mental health and migration in India

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402110429
Author(s):  
Raghu Raghavan ◽  
Brian Brown ◽  
Jonathan Coope ◽  
Mark Crossley ◽  
Muthusamy Sivakami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Idioms Of Distress ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
And Migration ◽  
The City

Background: Resilience has proved to be a versatile notion to explain why people are not defeated by hardship and adversity, yet so far, we know little of how it might apply to communities and cultures in low to middle income countries. Aim: This paper aims to explore the notion of resilience in cross-cultural context through considering the lived experience of internal migration. Methods: A sample of 30 participants with experience of migration was recruited from a low-income slum dwelling neighbourhood in the city of Pune, India. These individuals participated in biographical narrative interviews in which they were encouraged to talk about their experience of migration, their adaptation to life in their new environment and making new lives for themselves. Results: Participants referred to a variety of intra-individual and external factors that sustained their resilience, including acceptance of their circumstances, the importance of memory, hope for their children’s futures as well as kindness from family friends and community members and aspects of the physical environment which were conducive to an improvement in their lives. Conclusions: By analogy with the widely used term ‘idioms of distress’, we advocate attention to the locally nuanced and culturally inflected ‘idioms of resilience’ or ‘eudaemonic idioms’ which are of crucial importance as migration and movement become ever more prominent in discussions of human problems. The nature and extent of people’s coping abilities, their aspirations and strategies for tackling adversity, their idioms of resilience and eudaemonic repertoires merit attention so that services can genuinely support their adjustment and progress in their new-found circumstances.

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