Political gridlock will cripple Haiti's healthcare

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Health System ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
Content Type

Subject Challenges facing the healthcare system. Significance A doctors' strike in Haiti has highlighted the parlous state of the country's health system, which is struggling to cope with successive medical crises. The health system requires a large funding injection to restore and improve medical provisions to the population, but the current political crisis looks set to prevent the development of a long-term strategy. Impacts Deteriorating healthcare may lead to an increase in migration to the Dominican Republic. Washington's decision not to fund October's election raises the risk of further delays, distracting political focus from healthcare. Electoral problems may deter some aid agencies from increasing funding, undermining healthcare assistance.

Earthquake complicates Haiti's long-term challenges

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Black Market ◽  
Crime Rates ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Assistance ◽  
Political Turmoil ◽  
Socioeconomic Challenges

Significance The 7.2-magnitude earthquake caused widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure. The disaster comes amid political turmoil, following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise last month, and threatens to compound pre-existing socioeconomic challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, surging crime rates, and fuel shortages in some areas. Impacts The Dominican Republic is sending aid, but will also increase security along its border to prevent increased migration. Gangs will seek to extort humanitarian groups or siphon off relief supplies to sell on the black market. Henry’s increased reliance on external assistance could affect trust in his administration, especially if elections are delayed too long.

US move to topple Kosovo government may backfire

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Political Instability ◽  
Poor Health ◽  
Election Campaign ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us

Subject US role in fall of Kurti government. Significance The White House’s push for a quick resolution of the Serbia-Kosovo dispute, part of the Trump pre-election campaign, has toppled the Kosovo government as it was struggling to handle the COVID-19 pandemic. For the time being, Albin Kurti heads a caretaker government that may be undermined by continued political infighting or further US involvement. Impacts Political instability will combine with a poor health system to hamper efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. US involvement threatens Kosovo’s fragile democracy by backing old and corrupt forces against the new, from which much was expected. The US-EU rift regarding the region’s long-term perspective will widen.

Risk of Greek euro exit has risen but is still small

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Euro Area ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Structural Problems ◽  
Current Contribution ◽  
Greek Economy ◽  
Greek Banks ◽  
Of Greece

Subject The prospects for Greek departure from the euro-area. Significance Since the political crisis of 2012, when the term 'Grexit' -- Greek exit from the euro -- was coined, the risk of such an eventuality has increased. The Greek economy would suffer enormous damage, while the euro-area would incur significant political and economic blows, including a contraction estimated at 1.5% of euro-area GDP, at the very least -- greater than the current contribution of the Greek economy. For Greece, a 20% contraction and a 50% erosion of average per capita income in euro terms are forecast. The new currency would be unlikely to promote exports, because of the high cost of imported machinery and intermediate goods, and the tourism industry would also be exposed to high inputs. Impacts Grexit would profoundly alter the economic and political profile of Greece, isolating it and shutting out external investment. Grexit would highlight persistent structural problems of Europe's monetary union, throwing doubt on its long-term soundness and viability. Membership reversibility implicitly reintroduces the notion of currency risk for the euro-area's most vulnerable peripheral countries. It would also destabilise such neighbours as Albania, Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia, where Greek banks have significant presence.

Dominican Republic growth to slow but remain robust

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Public Investment ◽  
Western Hemisphere ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Fiscal Sustainability ◽  
Average Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Debt Dynamics ◽  
External Conditions

Subject The Dominican Republic economy. Significance With average growth of 6.5% over the last five years, the Dominican Republic is one of the most dynamic economies in the Western Hemisphere. Favourable external conditions and strong domestic demand, fuelled by a timely monetary impulse after the 2017 slowdown, explain last year’s pick-up. Fiscal consolidation is the major challenge facing the country amid persistent structural public deficits. The upward public debt dynamics will have to be reversed to ensure fiscal sustainability in the medium-to-long term. Impacts A less supportive external environment and pre-election uncertainty will weigh on growth this year. Tourism will remain a major driver of growth in the medium term thanks to government support and public investment. Current account deficits will be financed largely by FDI attracted by free zones, buoyant construction and tourism. A new coal-fired power plant will boost power supplies and facilitate a scaling-back of public energy subsidies, easing fiscal pressures.

Caribbean tourism will struggle to recover from crisis

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Economic Diversification ◽  
Fiscal Deficits ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cruise Tourism ◽  
Caribbean Tourism

Significance While some of the larger tourism markets in the region such as the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Puerto Rico are attempting to follow suit, they face the risk that returning visitors could also drive increased transmission of COVID-19. Impacts A US maritime ‘no sail’ order, in place until at least October 31, will compound the already bleak prospects of cruise tourism this year. Caribbean economies will build up large fiscal deficits in the absence of tourism revenues. In the long term, the crisis will provide a further incentive for economic diversification beyond tourism.

Refugees in Middle East could face forced repatriation

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Local Level ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Refugee Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Donors ◽  
The One ◽  
Syrian Conflict

Subject Middle Eastern response to EU Syrian refugee policy. Significance Stricter EU migration policies have triggered mixed responses from Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, where most of the 5 million refugees who have fled the Syrian conflict now live. On the one hand, they have tightened border control and are seeking opportunities for repatriation. On the other, there are opportunities for lucrative agreements with international donors aimed at managing the refugee crisis within the region. Impacts Local-level agreements in Syria will pave the way for repatriation. A political crisis in Lebanon could undermine the government's ability to facilitate the transfer of Syrian refugees. More Syrian refugees are likely to be displaced in the long term, causing tensions in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon.

Access to a quality healthcare among prisoners – perspectives of health providers of a prison infirmary, Ghana

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-365
Author(s):  
Terrylyna Baffoe-Bonnie ◽  
Samuel Kojo Ntow ◽  
Kwasi Awuah-Werekoh ◽  
Augustine Adomah-Afari
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quality Healthcare ◽  
System Factors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of health system factors on access to a quality healthcare among prisoners in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered using different qualitative methods (interviews and participant observation) with staff of the James Camp Prison, Accra. Findings were analyzed using a framework method for the thematic analysis of the semi-structured interview data; and interpreted with the theoretical perspective of health systems thinking and innovation. Findings The study concludes that health system factors such as inadequate funding for health services, lack of skilled personnel and a paucity of essential medical supplies and drugs negatively affected the quality of healthcare provided to inmates. Research limitations/implications The limited facilities available and the sample size (healthcare workers and prison administrators) impeded the achievement of varied views on the topic. Practical implications The paper recommends the need for health policy makers and authorities of the Ghana Prison Service to collaborate and coordinate in a unified way to undertake policy analysis in an effort to reform the prisons healthcare system. Social implications The national health insurance scheme was found to be the financing option for prisoners’ access to free healthcare with supplementation from the Ghana Prison Service. The study recommends that policy makers and healthcare stakeholders should understand and appreciate the reality that the provision of a quality healthcare for prisoners is part of the entire system of healthcare service delivery in Ghana and as such should be given the needed attention. Originality/value This is one of few studies conducted on male only prisoners/prison in the context of Ghana. It recommends the need for an integrated approach to ensure that the entire healthcare system achieves set objectives in response to the primary healthcare concept.

Does the healthcare system help or hinder our health?

2020 ◽  
pp. 99-118
Author(s):  
Davies and
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Death Toll ◽  
Set Up ◽  
System Today ◽  
Excess Deaths

This chapter examines the problems inherent in the healthcare system today, and explores what a health system that copes with illness and also helps us to live well for longer might look like. Whether the healthcare system helps or hinders our health may seem a silly question. After all, the NHS has been crucial in saving the lives of tens of thousands of people during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic; without it the death toll would have been many times higher. But is our healthcare system helping us to be and remain healthy in the long term? Despite the efforts of the health and care workforce, there were more than 60,000 excess deaths in England and Wales in the three months from March to May 2020. The NHS was not set up, nor was it resilient enough, to cope with normal care and COVID-19 together.

Ethiopia’s political crisis may enter new phase

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
National Security ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
National Security Council ◽  
Council Meeting ◽  
Municipal Elections ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Profile ◽  
New Phase

Significance High-profile resignations from the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) have added to the uncertainty, while an ongoing drought and slowing economic growth have accentuated the government’s troubles. The significance of these developments was attested to by a leaked document from a November 10 National Security Council meeting, which painted an alarming picture of deep political, social and economic crisis. Impacts Internal party dissonance will be a greater risk than opposition competition for local and municipal elections in 2018. Political stability will be critical for the fruition of long-term investments in grand economic projects. Domestic tensions will distract Ethiopia’s foreign policy focus, especially in Eritrea, Somalia and South Sudan.

Dominican power struggles will not impact policy

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Western Hemisphere ◽  
Primary Elections ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
Social Spending ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Revolutionary Party ◽  
General Elections ◽  
The Government ◽  
Run Up

Subject Dominican Republic election outlook. Significance The Dominican Republic on October 6 held primary elections to select candidates for all levels of government, including the presidency, ahead of general elections in May next year. In the ruling Partido de la Liberacion Dominicana (Dominican Liberation Party, PLD), Gonzalo Castillo -- backed by current President Danilo Medina -- defeated former President Leonel Fernandez by just 1.4 percentage points (pp). Fernandez refused to recognise the result, alleging fraud before abandoning the party to run as a candidate for a grouping of smaller parties. The primaries of the opposition Partido Revolucionario Moderno (Modern Revolutionary Party, PRM) were less eventful, with former presidential hopeful Luis Abinader taking 74% of the vote. Impacts Despite the political crisis, the Dominican Republic will remain one of the fastest growing economies in the Western Hemisphere. Pressure to expand social spending will intensify in the run-up to the elections as the government tries to support its preferred candidate. Dominican political instability could exacerbate tensions at the border with Haiti -- a country severely affected by social unrest. The PLD may lose its majority in Congress and the Senate.

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