Comparing the Effects of Unsustainable Production and Consumption of Food on Health and Policy Across Developed and Less Developed Countries

Author(s):  
Josue Mbonigaba

The unsustainable food consumption across high-income countries (HICs) and low-income countries (LICs) is expected to differ in nature and extent, although no formal evidence in this respect has been documented. Documenting this evidence is the aim of this chapter. Specifically, the chapter seeks to answer the following questions: 1) Do the contexts in less developed countries (LDCs) and developed countries (DCs) make the nature and extent of unsustainability in food consumption different? 2) Do the mechanisms of the linkage between unsustainability of food consumption and health outcomes independent of countries' contexts? 3) Are current policies against unsustainable food consumption equally effective in DCs and LDCs? These questions are answered by means of a systematic review of the literature for the period 2000-2017. The findings are that the nature and extent of unsustainability is quite different across contexts of LICs and HICs.

Author(s):  
Josue Mbonigaba

The unsustainable food consumption across high-income countries (HICs) and low-income countries (LICs) is expected to differ in nature and extent, although no formal evidence in this respect has been documented. Documenting this evidence is the aim of this chapter. Specifically, the chapter seeks to answer the following questions: 1) Do the contexts in less developed countries (LDCs) and developed countries (DCs) make the nature and extent of unsustainability in food consumption different? 2) Do the mechanisms of the linkage between unsustainability of food consumption and health outcomes independent of countries' contexts? 3) Are current policies against unsustainable food consumption equally effective in DCs and LDCs? These questions are answered by means of a systematic review of the literature for the period 2000-2017. The findings are that the nature and extent of unsustainability is quite different across contexts of LICs and HICs.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Peter Silberberg ◽  
Stephen Aston ◽  
Selda Boztepe ◽  
Jamie Rylance

Abstract Background Sepsis guidelines are widely used in High Income Countries and intravenous fluids are an important supportive treatment modality. However, fluids have been harmful in intervention trials in Low-Income Countries, most notably in sub-Saharan Africa. We assessed the relevance, quality and applicability of available guidelines for the fluid management of adult patients with sepsis in this region. Methods We identified sepsis guidelines by systematic review with broad search terms, duplicate screening and data extraction. We included peer-reviewed publications with explicit relevance to sepsis and fluid therapy. We excluded those designed for specific medical conditions, for limited geographic locations, or for non-adult populations. We used the AGREE II tool to assess the quality of guideline development, performed a narrative synthesis and using theoretical case scenarios to assess practical applicability to everyday clinical practice in resource-constrained settings. Results Published sepsis guidelines are heterogeneous in sepsis definition and in quality: 8/10 guidelines had significant deficits in applicability, particularly with reference to resource considerations in low-income settings. Indications for intravenous fluid were: hypotension (8/10); clinical markers of hypoperfusion (6/10); lactataemia (3/10). Crystalloids were overwhelmingly recommended (9/10). Suggested volumes varied; 5/10 explicitly recommended “fluid challenges” with reassessment, totalling between 1L and 4L during initial resuscitation. Fluid balance, including later de-escalation of therapy was not specifically described in any. Norepinephrine was the preferred initial vasopressor (5/10), specifically targeted to MAP >65mmHg (3/10), with higher values suggested in pre-existing hypertension (1/10). Recommendations for guidelines were almost universally derived from evidence in High Income Countries. None of the guidelines suggested any refinement for patients with malnutrition. Conclusions Widely used international guidelines contain disparate recommendations on intravenous fluid use, lack specificity and are largely unattainable in Low-Income Countries given available resources. A relative lack of high-quality evidence from sub-Saharan Africa increases reliance on recommendations which may not be relevant or implementable.


2013 ◽  
pp. 241-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Kwon

Conventional economic wisdom maintains that the reduction of domestic import restrictions assists in the development of less developed countries. But far from being a settled debate, the empirical research on tariffs and economic growth is much more controversial than is commonly recognized. In fact, so contentious and unsettled is this mode of inquiry that the research of some scholars directly contradicts the findings of others. In light of this difficulty encountered by researchers, the current study argues that the tariff~growth link is best analyzed by exploring the conditional effect of import restrictions on the development of low-income countries. Utilizing a panel dataset with information for 69 less developed countries, the results of this investigation show that tariff interactions with domestic investment and labor participation, respectively, augments the growth-generating impact of these variables. In addition, the constituent terms reveal that domestic investment and labor-force participation produces robust negative associations with economic growth when removing their tariff contingent effects. Taken as a whole, the evidence illustrates the value of exploring the indirect relationship between tariffs and economic growth as well as the potential usefulness of restrictive import policies for development in the periphery.


Author(s):  
Helena Barnard ◽  
Theresa Onaji-Benson

The categories “emerging” and “advanced” multinationals gloss over the “middleness” of multinationals from and even in middle-income countries. Middle-income countries face weaker institutions and smaller markets than high-income countries, but conditions are better than in low-income, typically least developed countries. Similarly, skills levels and wages are higher than in low-income countries, but lower than in high-income countries. We argue that this “middleness” matters. Emerging multinationals leverage their position in the global economic hierarchy as brokers working with lead firms, local optimizers operating only downstream, specialist niche providers working only upstream, and sometimes global consolidators operating across the hierarchy. Advanced multinationals use the global economic hierarchy to expand as lead firms in global value chains or pecking order exploiters that enter low-income countries through middle-income countries. Our research, using evidence from South African multinationals, expands our understanding of multinationals’ operations, especially in Africa.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Lee Smith ◽  
Yvonne Barnett ◽  
Guillermo F. López-Sánchez ◽  
Jae Il Shin ◽  
Louis Jacob ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Food insecurity has been shown to be associated with fast-food consumption. However, to date, studies on this specific topic are scarce. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association between food insecurity and fast-food consumption in adolescents aged 12-15 years from 68 countries (7 low-income, 27 lower middle-income, 20 upper middle-income, 14 high-income countries). Cross-sectional, school-based data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey were analyzed. Data on past 30-day food insecurity (hunger) and fast-food consumption in the past 7 days were collected. Multivariable logistic regression and meta-analysis were conducted to assess associations. Models were adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index. There were 180,164 adolescents aged 12-15 years [mean (SD) age 13.8 (1.0) years; 50.8% boys] included in the analysis. Overall, severe food insecurity (i.e., hungry because there was not enough food in home most of the time or always) was associated with 1.17 (95%CI=1.08-1.26) times higher odds for fast-food consumption. The estimates pooled by country-income levels were significant in low-income countries (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=1.30; 95%CI=1.05-1.60), lower middle-income countries (aOR=1.15; 95%CI=1.02-1.29), and upper middle-income countries (aOR=1.26; 95%CI=1.07-1.49), but not in high-income countries (aOR=1.04; 95%CI=0.88-1.23). The mere co-occurrence of food insecurity and fast-food consumption is of public health importance. To tackle this issue, a strong governmental and societal approach is required to utilize effective methods as demonstrated in some high-income countries such as the implementation of food banks and the adoption of free school meals.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isotta Triulzi ◽  
Ilaria Palla ◽  
Fausto Ciccacci ◽  
Stefano Orlando ◽  
Leonardo Palombi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Male involvement (MI) along the continuum of HIV healthcare services has been promoted as a critical intervention in low-income countries and represents one of the reasons for dropout and low retention of women along the cascade of care. The present review aims to identify interventions adopted to improve MI across Antenatal Clinics (ANCs). Methods For this systematic review, we searched electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science (from 2008 to 2018) in English language. We included all interventions explicitly aimed at involving partners in pregnant women’s HIV continuum of care and we excluded studies performed in developed countries, not involving pregnant women. We followed the PRISMA checklist. Results We identified a total of 1694 records and excluded 1651 after duplicates were removed and abstract eligibility assessments were performed. Forty-three full-text articles were screened, but only 12 studies were included. Recurrent intermediate outcomes were antenatal partner attendance rate and male HIV testing. We subdivided articles according to the type of intervention: single intervention (7) and multiple interventions (5). Among single interventions, two studies evaluated the use of an invitation letter sent via women to encourage male attendance to the ANC. Four Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) compared the invitation card (standard of care, SC) to word of mouth, information letter, home visit and invitation card plus partner tracing. The partner attendance rate was lower in SC than in the intervention arm in three RCTs: information letter (14.2% vs 16.2%), home-visit (39% vs 87%) and invitation card plus partner tracing (52% vs 74%). Home visit strategies seemed the most effective. One study evaluated words of encouragement adopted to trigger women to invite their partners. Among multiple interventions, the most effective strategies in terms of male attendance included health promotion through education and healthcare worker development. These interventions were more likely to be effective in promoting MI than single interventions. Conclusions From the review emerges the importance of male involvement in HIV cascade for pregnant women in countries with a significant HIV incidence and the need to define more precise indicators for measuring MI.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-24
Author(s):  
Halil Dincer Kaya

In this study, our objective is to find whether high-income countries have a more efficient financial system when compared to middle- and low-income countries. We expect high-income countries to have a better, more efficient financial system when compared to other countries. Our second objective is to find whether high-income OECD countries have a more efficient financial system when compared to high-income non-OECD countries. Most OECD countries are seen as developed nations with a very high Human Development Index, while the same cannot be said for some other high-income countries that are not members of OECD (i.e. Saudi Arabia for example). Do these developed nations have a better, more efficient financial system compared to the other high-income nations that are not classified as developed? We expect to find developed nations to have a better, more efficient financial system when compared to non-OECD countries. We examine eight measures of efficiency. These are “net interest margin”, lending-deposit spread”, non-interest income to total income”, “overhead costs to total assets”, “return on assets”, “cost to income ratio”, “credit to government and state-owned enterprises to GDP”, and “stock market turnover ratio”. When we compare the high-income countries to the “middle-income” and “low-income” countries, we find that with respect to six measures, the high-income countries have better “efficiency” values than the other countries. With regard to the “cost to income ratio”, the two groups are not significantly different. Interestingly, with respect to “credit to government and state-owned enterprises to GDP (%)”, we find unexpected results. Contrary to our expectation, we find that, in the high-income countries, financial institutions lend more money to the government and state-owned enterprises when compared to the low- and middle-income countries. When we compare the high-income OECD-member countries to the high-income Non-OECD-member countries, we find that with respect to five measures, the high-income OECD countries have better “efficiency” values than the high-income Non-OECD countries. With respect to three measures, the two groups are not significantly different. Overall, our results indicate that although high-income countries generally have a more efficient financial system, in terms of certain measures (i.e. cost to income ratio and credit to government and state-owned enterprises), they are not doing well. Keywords: efficiency, financial system, OECD, developed countries.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Novillo-Ortiz ◽  
Elsy Maria Dumit ◽  
Marcelo D’Agostino ◽  
Francisco Becerra-Posada ◽  
Edward Talbott Kelley ◽  
...  

In 2005, all WHO Member States pledged to fight for universal health coverage (UHC). The availability of financial, human and technological resources seems to be necessary to develop efficient health policies and also to offer UHC. One of the main challenges facing the health sector comes from the need to innovate efficiently. The intense use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the health field evidences a notable improvement in results obtained by institutions, health professionals and patients, principally in developed countries. In the Americas, the relationship between economic development and health innovation is not particularly evident. Data from 19 of 35 countries surveyed in the 2015 Third Global Survey on eHealth for the region of the Americas were analysed. 52.6% of the countries of the Americas have a national policy or strategy for UHC. 57.9% of the countries in the sample indicate that they have a national eHealth policy or strategy, but only 26.3% have an entity that supervises the quality, safety and reliability regulations for mobile health applications. The survey data indicate that high-income and low-income to middle-income countries show higher percentages in relation to the existence of entities that promote innovation. These countries also exceed 60%—compared with 40% and 50% in lower-income countries—in all cases regarding the use of eHealth practices, such as mobile health, remote patient monitoring or telehealth. 100% of low-income countries report offering ICT training to healthcare professionals, compared with 83% of wealthy countries and 81% of middle-income to high-income countries.


2021 ◽  
pp. 105991
Author(s):  
Michael Gregorio Ortega-Sierra ◽  
María del Carmen Castillo-Montalvo ◽  
Jesús Alberto Manotas-Berdugo ◽  
Jonhatan Guillermo Jiménez-Chimá ◽  
Maria Paz Bolaño-Romero

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