scholarly journals The Impact of New Drug Launches on Longevity Growth in Nine Middle Eastern and African Countries, 2007–2015

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank R Lichtenberg
Keyword(s):  
Average Rate ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Relative Number ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Econometric Evidence ◽  
Relative Decline ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This study provides econometric evidence about the impact that new chemical entity (NCE) launches had on premature mortality from 17 diseases in 9 Middle Eastern and African countries during the period 2007–2015. The greater the relative number of NCEs for a disease launched in a country, the greater the subsequent relative decline in premature mortality from that disease, controlling for the average rate of mortality decline in each country and from each disease. An 8-year increase in the number of post-1992 NCEs ever launched is estimated to have reduced the number of years of potential life lost before age 75 (YPLL75) in 2015 by 9.5 %. This is approximately half of the 18.9 % reduction in YPLL75, and about one-third of the 29.7 % reduction in the premature mortality rate. In the absence of 8 previous years of NCE launches, 2.80 million additional YPLL before age 75 would have been lost in 2015. Expenditure on new drugs per life-year below age 75 gained in 2015 from the drugs was $US 834. According to the standards of the WHO’s Choosing Interventions that are cost–effective project, new drugs launched in the nine ME&A countries were very cost–effective overall.

scholarly journals Environmental Performance and Economic Growth in Middle East and North Africa Countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (24) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hichem Dkhili
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Middle East ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Smooth Transition ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Mena Countries ◽  
The Impact

Background. Studies on environmental performance/quality and economic growth show inconclusive results. Objective. The aim of the present study is to assess the non-linear relationship between environmental performance and economic growth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region from 2002–2018. Methods. A sample of fourteen (14) MENA countries was used in the present analysis. However, due to important differences between countries in this region, the whole sample was divided into two sub-samples; nine Middle Eastern countries (MEAS) and five North African countries (NAF). We performed the panel smooth transition regression model as an econometric approach. Discussion. Empirical results indicate a threshold effect in the environmental performance and economic growth relationship. The threshold value differs from one group of countries to another. More specifically, we found that the impact of environmental performance and economic growth is positive and significant only if a certain threshold level has been attained. Until then, the effect remains negative. Conclusions. The findings of the present study are of great importance for policymakers since they determine the optimal level of environmental performance required to act positively on the level of economic growth. MENA countries should seek to improve their environmental performance index in order to grow output. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests.

scholarly journals The Global Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Premature Mortality and Health in 2016

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 3145
Author(s):  
Ivneet Sohi ◽  
Ari Franklin ◽  
Bethany Chrystoja ◽  
Ashley Wettlaufer ◽  
Jürgen Rehm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Alcohol Use ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Premature Deaths ◽  
Life Years ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Impact

This study aimed to estimate the impact of alcohol use on mortality and health among people 69 years of age and younger in 2016. A comparative risk assessment approach was utilized, with population-attributable fractions being estimated by combining alcohol use data from the Global Information System on Alcohol and Health with corresponding relative risk estimates from meta-analyses. The mortality and health data were obtained from the Global Health Observatory. Among people 69 years of age and younger in 2016, 2.0 million deaths and 117.2 million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) lost were attributable to alcohol consumption, representing 7.1% and 5.5% of all deaths and DALYs lost in that year, respectively. The leading causes of the burden of alcohol-attributable deaths were cirrhosis of the liver (457,000 deaths), road injuries (338,000 deaths), and tuberculosis (190,000 deaths). The numbers of premature deaths per 100,000 people were highest in Eastern Europe (155.8 deaths per 100,000), Central Europe (52.3 deaths per 100,000 people), and Western sub-Saharan Africa (48.7 deaths per 100,000). A large portion of the burden of disease caused by alcohol among people 69 years of age and younger is preventable through the implementation of cost-effective alcohol policies such as increases in taxation.

Optimism in Times of Crisis

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Germano
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
Economic Conditions ◽  
North African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Developing Regions ◽  
National Economic ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Using a variety of survey datasets, this chapter explores the impact of remittances in fifty Latin American, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, North African, and sub-Saharan African countries. The first part of this chapter provides an overview of trends in the flow of migrants and remittances throughout these developing regions. The remainder of the chapter uses survey data to analyze the effects of remittances on economic grievances during the global food and financial crises that struck many economies between 2008 and 2011. The results indicate that remittances are strongly associated with feelings of economic security and optimism. Remittance recipients are less likely to describe their personal economic circumstances or national economic conditions negatively. They are furthermore less likely to predict that their personal economic circumstances or the national economic conditions will deteriorate in the future.

Demographic characteristics of survivors of torture presenting for treatment to a national centre for survivors of torture in Ireland (2001–2012)

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-116
Author(s):  
R. M. Duffy ◽  
S. O’Sullivan ◽  
G. Straton ◽  
B. Singleton ◽  
B. D. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Barriers To Access ◽  
Treatment Centre ◽  
Survivors Of Torture ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesThe asylum process has received a lot of recent media attention but little has been said about the psychological needs of those seeking or granted asylum. Many asylum seekers have experienced trauma and torture, which is associated with substantial psychiatric and psychological morbidity. The Spiritan Asylum Services Initiative (Spirasi) is Ireland’s national treatment centre for survivors of torture. The aim of this study was to examine the demographic profile of those attending Spirasi and to consider potential clinical implications of this.MethodsWe retrospectively analysed demographic data relating to the 2590 individuals who attended Spirasi over a 12-year period (2001–2012 inclusive).ResultsThe majority of attenders were asylum seekers (88%), male (71%) and from African countries. The mean age was 31.9 years. The rate of new referrals, as a percentage of Ireland’s asylum-seeking population, has stabilised at ~6% since 2008. Women are underrepresented among those who attend.ConclusionsThe number of new referrals to Spirasi is lower than expected given international estimates of torture prevalence and the impact this has on mental health. Clinicians working with populations of asylum seekers and refugees should sensitively enquire about such events and be aware of the available services. Female refugees and asylum seekers are underrepresented, especially from Asian and Middle Eastern regions. Psychiatric, psychological and general practice services need to respond flexibly to evolving patterns of migration and address potential barriers to access, especially among female refugees and asylum seekers.

scholarly journals The impact of pharmaceutical innovation on the burden of disease in Ireland, 2000–2015

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 816-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank R Lichtenberg
Keyword(s):  
Burden Of Disease ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Pharmaceutical Expenditure ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Pharmaceutical Innovation ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Behavioral Risk ◽  
Life Years ◽  
New Chemical Entities ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background We perform an econometric assessment of the impact that pharmaceutical innovation had on the burden of disease in Ireland. Methods We use a difference-in-differences (or two-way fixed effects) research design: we investigate whether diseases for which more new drugs were launched had larger subsequent reductions in mortality. This design controls for the effects of general economic and societal factors (e.g. income, education, and behavioral risk factors), to the extent that those effects are similar across diseases. Results New Chemical Entities launched during 1983–1997 are estimated to have reduced the total number of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost in 2015 by about 234 600. Conclusions Pharmaceutical expenditure per DALY gained in 2015 from drugs launched during 1983–1997 was €1137, which indicates that the new drugs launched during 1983–1997 were very cost–effective, overall.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and frontline health workers in West Africa: a scoping review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kingsley K. A. Pereko ◽  
Edward Kwabena Ameyaw ◽  
Shaibu Bukari ◽  
Victoria Acquaye ◽  
Alfred Dickson Dai-Kosi
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
West African ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Frontline Health Workers ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIntroductionThe novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has become a severe global health threat since its emergence. Overcoming the virus is partly dependent on the holistic wellbeing of frontline health workers. Implications of COVID-19 on frontline health workers in West Africa could be substantial given the limited resources and logistics. This scoping review maps available literature on the impact of COVID-19 on frontline health workers in West Africa.Materials and methodsLiterature on the impact of COVID-19 on frontline health workers in West Africa were searched in six databases namely Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Africa Journals Online (AJOL) and CINAHL. Further search was done across websites of the ministries of health of West African countries and notable organisations. We conducted a narrative synthesis of the findings taking cognisance of the overarching purpose of the study and the research question.ResultsOf the 67 studies identified, 19 were included in the final synthesis. Three main themes emerged and these are impact of COVID-19 on frontline health workers, drivers of susceptibility to COVID-19 and government/donor support. A greater number of the studies originated from Nigeria. Each study reported at least one impact of COVID-19 on frontline health workers in West Africa. The impacts included death, fear, unwillingness to attend to COVID-19 patients and stigmatisation. Some health workers were not adhering to the safety protocols coupled with periodic shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and thereby had an increased susceptibility.ConclusionBeing the first scoping review on the impact of COVID-19 on frontline health workers in West Africa, the study has illustrated the urgent need for West African governments to enact laws/rules that would compel all frontline health workers to adhere to all the COVID-19 protocols at the workplace. To end intermittent shortage or issue of inadequate PPEs, governments ought to liaise with local industries by empowering them, providing financial support and creating a conducive atmosphere for them to produce cost effective PPEs using available local resources.Scoping review registrationDOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/B9NXZ (Open Science Framework)

Impact of seedling age on the survival and productivity of Atriplex halimus shrubs in drought-affected rangelands of Jordan

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yahya Al-Satari ◽  
Ezz Al-Dein Al-Ramamneh ◽  
Jamal Ayad ◽  
Mohamad Abu Dalbouh ◽  
Ibrahim Amayreh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Root Length Density ◽  
Average Rate ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Atriplex Halimus ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Survival Percentage ◽  
Plastic Bags ◽  
Different Ages ◽  
The Impact

Rangelands in Jordan are part of arid areas of the Mediterranean Basin. Stress-tolerant plants such as Atriplex halimus L. have been used to rehabilitate such degraded areas. Seeds of A. halimus were sown in plastic bags in mid-March, mid-August and mid-September of 2012 and placed on the ground in a nursery at Khaldiah Station. Seedlings that were 4, 5 and 10 months old were transplanted on 20 January 2013 to the Khanasri Range Reserve and monitored for their survival over the growing seasons of 2013, 2014 and 2015. At the time of transplanting, the height, weight, stem thickness and root length density of 10-month-old seedlings were greater than of 4- and 5-month-old seedlings. Analyses of leaf tissues indicated high crude protein content in seedlings of different ages (22−26%). The 10-month-old plants showed 15–40-fold higher stem dry weight and more convoluted roots than the 4- and 5-month-old seedlings. The average rate of survival of transplanted seedlings over the three growing seasons was 77.0%, 92.3% and 94.3% for 10-, 5- and 4-month-old seedlings, respectively. Thus, higher growth of the 10-month-old seedlings than of 4- and 5-month-old seedlings at transplanting was compromised by their lower survival percentage throughout the 2013, 2014 and 2015 growing seasons. The dry yield of fodder shrubs was comparable across different-aged seedlings after 2 years of growth in permanent pastures (380, 364 and 354 kg dry yield ha–1 for 10-, 5- and 4-month-old seedlings, respectively). Taken together, these data suggest that 4–5-month-old seedlings of A. halimus are more appropriate for transplanting than 10-month-old seedlings because of cost-effective establishment of seedlings in the nursery, because no significant differences in shrub productivity were observed among plants derived from seedlings of different ages in the permanent rangeland. The impact of the introduced shrubs on different native plants in the range can be addressed in future studies.

scholarly journals Remittances, Remittance Concentration, and Volatility: Is Africa Different from the Middle East?

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 114
Author(s):  
Amr Hosny
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Nominal Exchange Rate ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Gdp Growth ◽  
High Concentration ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Real Gdp ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Impact

This paper makes a new contribution to the empirical literature on the macroeconomic consequences of remittances using data over 1970-2015 period for 56 African and Middle Eastern countries to study the impact of (i) large remittance inflows and (ii) high concentration of origin of remittance on the volatilities of real GDP growth, exports-to-GDP ratio, nominal exports growth and nominal exchange rate depreciation. We find that (i) large remittances can reduce all types of volatility, especially in African countries, and (ii) high remittance concentration, by itself, has been associated with higher volatilities in African but not Middle Eastern countries, and that having both high remittances, but also high concentration aggravates all types of volatility in both regions, although results for the Middle East are not always conclusive.

The Impact of Pharmaceutical Innovation on Cancer Mortality in Belgium, 2004–2012

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank R. Lichtenberg
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Mortality ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Pharmaceutical Innovation ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Cumulative Number ◽  
Age At Death ◽  
Life Years ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Cancer mortality declined in Belgium during the period 2004–2012, but there was considerable variation in the rate of decline across cancer sites (breast, lung, etc.). I analyze the effect that pharmaceutical innovation had on cancer mortality in Belgium, by investigating whether the cancer sites that experienced more pharmaceutical innovation had larger subsequent declines in mortality, controlling for changes in cancer incidence. The measures of mortality analyzed – premature (before ages 75 and 65) mortality rates and mean age at death – are not subject to lead-time bias. Premature cancer mortality rates are significantly inversely related to the cumulative number of drugs registered 15–23 years earlier. Since mean utilization of drugs that have been marketed for less than 10 years is less than one fourth as great as mean utilization of drugs that have been marketed for at least a decade, it is not surprising that premature mortality is strongly inversely related only to the cumulative number of drugs that had been registered at least 10 years earlier. Drugs registered during the period 1987–1995 are estimated to have reduced the premature cancer mortality rate in 2012 by 20%. Mean age at death from cancer increased by 1.17 years between 2004 and 2012. The estimates indicate that drugs registered during the period 1987–1995 increased mean age at death from cancer in 2012 by 1.52 years. The estimates also suggest that drugs (chemical substances) within the same class (chemical subgroup) are not “therapeutically equivalent,” i.e. they do not have essentially the same effect in the treatment of a disease or condition. The estimates imply that the drugs registered during 1987–1995 reduced the number of life-years lost to cancer at all ages in 2012 by 41,207. The estimated cost per-life-year gained in 2012 from cancer drugs registered in Belgium during the period 1987–1995 was €1311. This estimate is well below even the lowest estimates from other studies of the value of a life-year saved. The largest reductions in premature mortality occur 15–23 years after drugs are registered, when their utilization increases significantly. This suggests that, if Belgium is to obtain substantial additional reductions in premature cancer mortality in the future (15 or more years from now) at a modest cost, pharmaceutical innovation (registration of new drugs) is needed today.

Changes in Public Opinion and the Occurrence of International Terrorism

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 631-653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jitka Malečková ◽  
Dragana Stanišić
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
International Terrorism ◽  
Terrorist Attacks ◽  
North African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Out Of Sample ◽  
Out Of Sample Prediction ◽  
North African Countries ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis paper is a contribution to the study of the impact of public opinion and evolutions in opinion on the occurrence of international terrorism. First, we replicate Krueger and Malečková’s (2009) model of the relationship between attitudes towards world leaders and occurrences of international terrorist incidents, using more recent data-the Gallup Survey data from 2010 on public opinion in Middle Eastern and North African countries and the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) data on international terrorism from 2009 to 2011. The analysis confirms the model of the earlier study, although, due to the distribution of terrorist incidents in the new sample, the evidence of the correlation between terrorist attacks and public opinion weakens. Second, we exercise an out-of-sample prediction of terrorist attacks using the estimated model based on the data from the 2004 to 2008 period to predict the occurrence of attacks in 2009–2011. The findings suggest that Krueger and Malečková’s (2009) model is unstable, either due to the instability of the process or the problematic nature of terrorism data. Further research is necessary to explain and test these results.

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