Assessing the performance of the public sector in North African and Middle East countries

Purpose. To highlight the prevalence of selected ophthalmic diseases accidentally discovered at first-time screening of a large sample of patients from the Middle East and North Africa visiting a large referral university hospital checkup unit based in Cairo. Material and Methods. A cross-sectional study of two thousand and thirteen subjects coming for routine ophthalmic medical checkups from different Middle East countries (mainly Egypt, Sudan, and Yemen). Patients were evaluated for prevalence of diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, ocular hypertension, cataract, and amblyopia. Patients’ demographic data and medical history were collected. Complete ophthalmic examination was performed. Investigations were done when needed to confirm suspected conditions. Results. The study included 1149 males and 864 females. 652 Sudanese patients, 568 Yemeni patients, 713 Egyptian patients, and 63 patients from different Gulf and North African countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Libya, and Jordan. Sudanese patients showed a higher percentage of glaucoma (13.3%) and ocular hypertension (8.3%). Yemeni patients showed the highest prevalence of amblyopia (6.7%), diabetic retinopathy (8.6%), and cataract (4.2%). The group of relatively higher economic classification seemed to show fewer prevalences of these ophthalmic conditions. Yemeni patients tended to have a high percentage of persistent myelinated nerve fibers. Conclusion. Different ophthalmic conditions were discovered for the first time at the general checkup clinic. Certain conditions were more common than others in certain countries. The lack of regular checkups and the unavailability of medical services due to low to moderate socioeconomic status as well as political turbulence may account for the delay in initial diagnosis of many treatable conditions.

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Penumbangan Rezim melalui Gerakan Masyarakat Dunia Maya (Media Sosial) di Timur Tengah

Indonesian Journal of International Relations ◽

10.32787/ijir.v2i2.55 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 20-29

Author(s):

Taufik Taufik

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Middle East ◽

Public Sphere ◽

Middle Eastern ◽

The Public ◽

Middle East Countries ◽

Community Movements ◽

The Government ◽

The Public Sphere ◽

The Revolution

Social media has become a new alternative in the field of communication in the circle of people's lives in the Middle East which offers freedom especially in terms of self-expression, something that has been hindered by the censorship of anti-critic dictatorial regimes. Unpredictably, the expression of disappointment expressed by Middle Eastern society towards the government through social media can be a lighter revolution that hit the Middle East countries in 2011. The purpose of this research is to know, explore, and describe some of the links between the revolution, the public sphere, and the movement of society through social media in the Middle East. A revolution in Tunisia in 2011 has been a generator of community movements in overthrowing the muscle rigid regimes in some Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt and Libya.

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Government spending and economic growth in the Middle East and North Africa region

International Review of Administrative Sciences ◽

10.1177/0020852320969802 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 002085232096980

Author(s):

Bassam Abdullah Albassam

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Public Sector ◽

Middle East ◽

Public Participation ◽

North Africa ◽

Government Spending ◽

Arab Countries ◽

The Public ◽

Vision 2030 ◽

The Relationship

In 2011, during the Arab Spring, citizens in some Arab countries marched in the streets, demanding decreased corruption, increased public participation in running state affairs, and provision of jobs for citizens. In response, governments in the Middle East and North Africa region initiated strategic plans to meet the people’s demands (e.g. Morocco Vision 2030, Saudi Vision 2030). One of the main parts of these plans is related to reforming the public finance sector. Recently, in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, most Middle East and North Africa countries have taken loans or withdrawn from reserves (both considered sources of funding for government expenditures) to support the economy and fund the healthcare plans to fight the disease. Thus, the efficiency and effectiveness of government spending is very important in utilizing the available resources at all times. Using data for the Middle East and North Africa region from 1990 to 2019, and utilizing a scatterplot technique and the general linear modeling procedure, this article explores the relationship between public expenditures and economic growth. The results show that the current public expenditure system is inefficient and that efficient public spending has to be combined with other factors that influence the economy (e.g. enhancing public participation in running state affairs, controlling corruption, and supporting good governance practices in the public sector). Points for practitioners Government spending is one of the most important elements in managing state affairs toward achieving advanced levels of development and providing high-quality services to beneficiaries. This research explores the relationship between government spending and economic growth; the result of this study confirms that non-financial factors, such as fighting corruption, promoting democracy and freedom, enhancing public institutions’ quality, and supporting the productivity and accountability of the public sector, are important dimensions in promoting economic growth, especially in developing countries.

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