scholarly journals Modelling Fiscal Sustainability in the Middle East and North African Region

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2017) ◽  
pp. 61-79
Author(s):  
George Tweneboah ◽  
Daniel Agyapong
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Fiscal Sustainability ◽  
Fiscal Policies ◽  
North African ◽  
African Region ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Integration Techniques ◽  
Short Run ◽  
North African Countries

This paper assesses the sustainability of fiscal policies in a panel of eight Middle East and North African countries over the period 1990 – 2010. Employing recent panel unit root and co-integration techniques, we find that fiscal policies are consistent with inter-temporal budget balance in accordance with the present value approach. The Pooled Mean Group estimator shows that there was no significant causality between government revenues and expenditures in the short-run. However, there is a long-run fiscal synchronization which demonstrates that fiscal sustainability strategies should aim at increasing revenues and cutting spending concurrently to avoid fiscal deficits and its attending problems such as high taxation, reduced savings and investments.

scholarly journals Prediabetes management in the Middle East, Africa and Russia: Current status and call for action

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samir Helmy Assaad Khalil ◽  
Sulaf Ibrahim Abdelaziz ◽  
Affaf Al Shammary ◽  
Ali Al Zahrani ◽  
Ashraf Amir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
National Level ◽  
Limited Resource ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Current Status ◽  
North African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
North African Countries

Most data on the burden of diabetes and prediabetes are from countries where local infrastructure can support reliable estimates of the burden of non-communicable diseases. Countries in the Middle East and Africa, together with Russia, have a total population of almost 2 billion, but have been relatively overlooked by authors in this field. We reviewed the prevalence and drivers of prediabetes and diabetes across this large region. A large, and variable, burden of dysglycaemia exists, especially in Middle Eastern and North African countries, associated with high levels of obesity and sedentariness, with a generally lower prevalence in most other parts of Africa. The design and size of studies are highly variable, and more research to quantify the scale of the problem is needed. Local barriers to care relating to issues concerned with gender, consanguinity, lack of understanding of diabetes, lack of understanding of obesity as a health issue, and limited resource at a national level for tracking and intervention for diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. Lifestyle interventions with proven local cost-effectiveness, enhanced access to pharmacologic intervention, and societal interventions to promote better diet and more activity will be an important element in strategies to combat these adverse trends.

scholarly journals Dietary trends in the Middle East and North Africa: an ecological study (1961 to 2007)

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 1835-1844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdieh Golzarand ◽  
Parvin Mirmiran ◽  
Mahsa Jessri ◽  
Karamollah Toolabi ◽  
Mehdi Mojarrad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Dietary Patterns ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Alcoholic Beverages ◽  
North African ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Study Results ◽  
North African Countries

AbstractObjectiveMiddle Eastern and North African countries are undergoing nutrition transition, a transition which is associated with an increased burden of non-communicable diseases. This necessitates the evaluation of dietary patterns in these regions. The present study aimed to assess changes in dietary patterns in Middle Eastern and North African countries between 1961 and 2007.DesignAvailability of energy and fifteen main food items during 1961–2007 was examined using FAO food balance sheets from the FAOSTAT database.SettingFifteen countries including nine in the Middle East and six in North Africa were selected and the average availability of total energy and different food items in these regions were compared.ResultsOver the 47 years studied, energy and food availability (apart from animal fats and alcoholic beverages) has increased in the Middle East and North Africa. In both regions the proportion of energy derived from meat and vegetable oils has increased significantly while that from cereals decreased significantly. In addition, the proportion of energy from milk and dairy products and vegetables has shown an ascending trend in North Africa while the proportion of energy from fruits has shown a descending trend in the Middle East.ConclusionsThe study results reveal an unfavourable trend towards a Westernized diet in the Middle East and, to a certain extent, in North Africa. Tailored nutritional education encouraging healthy eating for prevention of the burden of chronic diseases in these countries seems essential.

scholarly journals Electricity Consumption, Corruption and Economic Growth

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 193-214
Author(s):  
Busrat Abidemi Agbaje ◽  
Ekele Idachaba
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Causal Relationship ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Electricity Price ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Causality Test ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Integration Techniques ◽  
Short Run ◽  
Electricity Infrastructure

An important prerequisite for reducing poverty, sustainable development and achievement of the millennium development goal has to some extent been tied to access to electricity. However, the subject matter; 'electricity consumption causing economic growth' has seen conflicting results from the theoretical and empirical front, if indeed a relationship exist at all. The study tests, within a panel context the long-run relationship between electricity consumption and economic growth for 13 African Countries from 2006 to 2017 by employing recently developed panel co-integration techniques. Implementing a three stage approach made up of panel unit root, panel co-integration and Granger causality test to examine the causal relationship between electricity consumption, electricity price, corruption, employment and growth. The study provides empirical evidence that a bidirectional causal relationship between electricity consumption and economic growth exist in the short run, suggesting that lack of electricity could hamper economic growth as well as an investment in electricity infrastructure would in turn improve economic growth. Also reveals that corruption causes the level of electricity consumption and GDP in the short run. On the long-run front electricity consumption and electricity price granger causes GDP and GDP causes electricity consumption.

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