Promoting Universal Social Policy in MICs

2020 ◽  
pp. 158-182
Author(s):  
Juliana Martínez Franzoni ◽  
Diego Sánchez-Ancochea

Most middle-income countries have the financial and institutional resources to reduce poverty and inequality and improve social capabilities. But what is the right policy approach to secure these goals? We argue that to be effective and successful, social policies should be universal, providing the whole population with similar, generous transfers and services. To explore how universal policies can be implemented, we distinguish between the desired policy outputs (coverage, generosity, and equity) and the specific ways to secure them. We then introduce the concept of the policy architecture and analyze its influence on long-term trajectories. The chapter considers the impact of different trajectories on universalism in the long run, distinguishing between a bottom-up strategy that starts from the poor or other alternatives that involve the non-poor from the onset. We conclude the chapter with a call for more research on the interactions between policy design and political struggles.

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Mingjie Lim ◽  
Shweta Rajkumar Singh ◽  
Minh Cam Duong ◽  
Helena Legido-Quigley ◽  
Li Yang Hsu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Global recognition of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as an urgent public health problem has galvanized national and international efforts. Chief among these are interventions to curb the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. However, the impact of these initiatives is not fully understood, making it difficult to assess the expected effectiveness and sustainability of further policy interventions. We conducted a systematic review to summarize existing evidence for the impact of nationally enforced interventions to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use in humans. Methods We searched seven databases and examined reference lists of retrieved articles. To be included, articles had to evaluate the impact of national responsible use initiatives. We excluded studies that only described policy implementations. Results We identified 34 articles detailing interventions in 21 high- and upper-middle-income countries. Interventions addressing inappropriate antibiotic access included antibiotic committees, clinical guidelines and prescribing restrictions. There was consistent evidence that these were effective at reducing antibiotic consumption and prescription. Interventions targeting inappropriate antibiotic demand consisted of education campaigns for healthcare professionals and the general public. Evidence for this was mixed, with several studies showing no impact on overall antibiotic consumption. Conclusions National-level interventions to reduce inappropriate access to antibiotics can be effective. However, evidence is limited to high- and upper-middle-income countries, and more evidence is needed on the long-term sustained impact of interventions. There should also be a simultaneous push towards standardized outcome measures to enable comparisons of interventions in different settings.


Parasitology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 138 (12) ◽  
pp. 1508-1518 ◽  
Author(s):  
YENNY DJUARDI ◽  
LINDA J. WAMMES ◽  
TANIAWATI SUPALI ◽  
ERLIYANI SARTONO ◽  
MARIA YAZDANBAKHSH

SUMMARYThe shaping of a child's immune system starts in utero, with possible long-term consequences in later life. This review highlights the studies conducted on the development of the immune system in early childhood up to school-age, discussing the impact that environmental factors may have. Emphasis has been put on studies conducted in geographical regions where exposure to micro-organisms and parasites are particularly high, and the effect that maternal exposures to these may have on an infant's immune responses to third-party antigens. In this respect we discuss the effect on responses to vaccines, co-infections and on the development of allergic disorders. In addition, studies of the impact that such environmental factors may have on slightly older (school) children are highlighted emphasizing the need for large studies in low to middle income countries, that are sufficiently powered and have longitudinal follow-up components to understand the immunological footprint of a child and the consequences throughout life.


2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. 33-33
Author(s):  
Clarissa Giebel ◽  
Bwire Ivan ◽  
Maria Isabel Zuluaga ◽  
Suresh Kumar ◽  
Mark Gabbay ◽  
...  

Background:The pandemic has put a huge strain on people’s mental health, with varying restrictions affecting people’s lives. Little is known how the pandemic affects older adults’ mental health, particularly those living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where restrictions are affecting people’s access to basic necessities. Thus, the aim of this 3-country study was to understand the long- term impacts of the pandemic on the mental well-being of older adults with and without dementia in LMICs.Methods:We are collecting 30 baseline and 15 follow-up interviews with older adults (aged 60+), people with dementia, and family carers in Colombia, India, and Uganda, as well as a baseline and follow-up focus group with health and social are professionals in each country. Interviews are conducted remotely over the phone due to pandemic restrictions, with data collection taking place between March and July 2021. Transcripts are translated into English before being analysed using thematic analysis.Results:To date, we have completed close to 90 baseline interviews and 3 focus groups with health and social care professionals. Analysis is ongoing, but findings are capturing the detrimental second wave in India and follow-up interviews will capture the longitudinal impacts on mental health.Conclusions:Whilst vaccines are starting to be rolled out in LMICs, albeit at different rates, the virus will likely take much longer to be somewhat managed in LMICs. This leaves more room for people’s physical as well as mental health to be impacted by the restrictions, and with often limited mental health service coverage, it is all the more important o understand the impact of the pandemic on older people’s mental health.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 136
Author(s):  
Maha Elhini ◽  
Rasha Hammam

This paper employs structural growth perspective to the analysis of income inequality in 43 countries over the period 2003-2017.The study utilizes two different panel estimation techniques. First, the panel least squares regression examines the relevance of Kuznets effect of the different economic sectors; agriculture, manufacturing and services on income inequality. Second, the pooled mean group (PMG) estimation of dynamic heterogeneous panels gauges the long run impact of the change in sectoral value added as a proxy for structural change on inequality. PMG presents short run adjustments to be country-specific due to the widely different impacts of macroeconomic conditions and vulnerability of each country to income inequality. Empirical findings show that across all countries, sector growth had no to negligible impact on inequality indicating that no signs are evident of Kuznets effect. However, both inflation and unemployment have mixed impacts on inequality in Lower and Middle-Income countries. Results further reveal that unemployment has a relatively stronger influence on inequality than inflation for Upper-middle income countries, unlike in Lower-middle income countries, where unemployment shows a weaker correlation with inequality than inflation. Results for High-income countries show that the influence between inflation and unemployment are not as big as in Upper middle-income countries.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Lloyd-Sherlock ◽  
João Bastos Freire ◽  
Meirelayne Duarte ◽  
Monica Frank ◽  
Karla Giacomin ◽  
...  

This paper presents a novel policy framework to support government responses to COVID-19 in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in low and middle-income countries. It focuses on issues that are of specific relevance to Brazilian policy-settings, including examples of its local implementation. The CIAT Framework combines and summarizes broad elements for an emergency strategy to address the potential effects of COVID-19. The 4 steps of the Framework entail policies to coordinate, identify, assess, and target support. Those policies can be applied immediately to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in LTCFs. It is, however, essential to situate these responses within a more comprehensive and permanent strategy. Intersectoral collaboration must evolve into a fully institutionalized system.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Sharma ◽  
Pradeep Kautish

The present study intends to investigate the impact of financial sector development on GDP growth in the four middle-income countries of South Asia over the period of 1990–2016. Using pooled mean group (PMG) estimation, this study tries to examine whether in these developing countries, GDP growth has been influenced by size of market capitalization and size of market turnover in the long run which are used as proxy for stock market development. Similarly, domestic credit to private sector is used as proxy for banking sector development while assessing its long-run impact on GDP growth. Furthermore, by incorporating a dummy variable for the global financial crisis (2007–2008), this study investigates whether these economies are vulnerable to external shocks or not. The outcomes of this study find that relatively, the impact of banking sector on GDP growth has remained low in the region. Nevertheless, the development in both sectors has positively influenced economic growth in the long run. The outcomes of this study suggest that both, i.e. stock market and banking sector, are vital determinants of long-run economic growth in the South Asian countries. Therefore, to achieve the sustainable growth, policymakers need to adopt the global approach which can be ensured by improving the quality and scope of financial services in these countries.


Nova Economia ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-35
Author(s):  
Antonio Soares Martins Neto

Abstract: Within the commodities price boom, Brazil experienced rising dependency on primary exports, along with falling inequality (as a result, among others, of extensive distributive programs). However, productivity growth was meager during the period. Not only this path is unsustainable in the medium run, but may also have harmed the long-run growth consistent with BOP equilibrium. This paper discusses, in a BOP-dominated macrodynamic model based on Ribeiro et al. (2016), the impact of Brazilian distributive policies in the BOP-constrained rate of growth. It is suggested that distributive programs can harm long-term growth due to rising income elasticity of imports and higher technological gap. Lastly, it is argued that the right balance of public investment and distributive programs would allow a virtuous cycle of growth and income distribution to emerge.


2021 ◽  
pp. 001946622110238
Author(s):  
Sukti Dasgupta ◽  
Mauricio Dierckxsens ◽  
Sher Verick

Coming on top of long-term employment challenges, the COVID-19 crisis has severely impacted economies around the world. Due to the nature of their labour markets, middle-income countries (MICs), including India, have experienced greater employment declines than advanced economies. Some sectors have been hit harder than others, while certain groups—including women, youth, migrants and those in the informal economy—have felt the brunt of the crisis even more strongly. The crisis has raised unemployment and, even more, has also pushed many out of the labour force, raising inactivity. Overall, the crisis has exacerbated existing inequalities in countries and across countries. The major challenge for MICs is to finance the continuing efforts to battle the crisis while shifting to a job-rich and inclusive recovery. Key lessons have already emerged, which are relevant for India and other developing countries, including the importance of building a more resilient and inclusive labour market through strong institutions and policies. JEL Codes: E24, E60, G01, J08, J60


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1363
Author(s):  
Isabella Wild ◽  
Amy Gedge ◽  
Jessica Burridge ◽  
John Burford

The COVID-19 pandemic was declared on 11 March 2020. The working equid community includes some of the world’s most marginalised people, who rely on animals for their daily lives and livelihoods. A cross-sectional study investigated the effects of COVID-19 on working equid communities, with the intention of developing methods for replication in future unprecedented events. A multi-language survey was developed, involving 38 predominantly closed questions, and carried out face-to-face, over telephone, or online. There were 1530 respondents from a population of individuals who received support from equid welfare projects across 14 low- or middle-income countries projects during November and December 2020. Overall, at the time of survey completion, 57% (875/1522) of respondents reported that their equids were working less, 76% (1130/1478) reported a decreased monthly income from equids, and 78% (1186/1519) reported a reduction in household income compared to pre-pandemic levels. Costs of equid upkeep remained the same for 58% (886/1519) of respondents and 68% (1034/1518) reported no change in the health of their equid. The potential long-term impacts on human and equid welfare due to reported financial insecurities necessitates monitoring. A One Welfare approach, involving collaboration with governments, humanitarian, and animal welfare non-governmental organisations is required to mitigate deep-rooted issues.


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