Flattening the World and Colonizing Space

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joe Carlen
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Direct Consequence ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Foreign Markets ◽  
Playing Field ◽  
Space Tourism ◽  
The World ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Entrepreneurial Efforts

Thomas Friedman’s 2005 bestseller The World is Flat described how a number of momentous technological and geopolitical developments converged to “flatten” the world. According to Friedman, this analogy represents how these changes have helped level the economic playing field, enabling remote and economically stagnant regions of the world to participate more equally in an interconnected global economy. As this chapter explains, although this “flattening” was instigated by American entrepreneurs eager for quicker access to foreign markets and labor, it has since accelerated through the efforts of a widening circle of entrepreneurs throughout the developing world. Rising living standards in several sub-Saharan African countries, for example, are a direct consequence of these entrepreneurial efforts, as are less positive changes in other regions. Beyond the current transformation of our own planet, the chapter also describes how, through the nascent space tourism industry, modern entrepreneurs may be leading humanity towards our most significant transformation yet.

scholarly journals The Competitiveness of Travel and Tourism Industry of Sub-Saharan African Countries in the World Market

2021 ◽  
Vol 10(1) (10(1)) ◽  
pp. 131-144
Author(s):  
Mekonnen Bogale ◽  
Muluken Ayalew ◽  
Wubishet Mengesha
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Comparative Advantage ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
World Market ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Travel And Tourism ◽  
The World ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Ssa Countries

The purpose of this study was to investigate competitiveness of Travel and Tourism industry of Sub-Saharan African countries in the world market. The study used Normalized Revealed Comparative Advantage (NRCA) and Relative Trade Advantage (RTA) indexes as a measure of competitiveness based on secondary data from ITC trade database covering between 2000 and 2019. The findings of the study revealed that SSA countries like Mauritius, South Africa, Seychelles and Namibia have competitive T&T industry consistently in the years between 2000 and 2019. However, SSA countries such as Botswana, Tanzania, Senegal, Kenya and Rwanda have competitiveness vary by years. Moreover, South Africa has highest comparative advantage followed by Tanzania and Mauritius. The study provided valuable information to industry leaders, policy makers, business owners and international organizations such as UN and UNESCO to design appropriate strategies and systems aiming to sustain and improve travel and tourism industry competitiveness in SSA countries. It is the first study in applying NRCA and RTA indexes to investigate the competitiveness of T&T Industry in SSA countries. Keywords: Competitiveness; export; import; performance; tourism; travel

Crowdsourcing Covid-19 signals in sub-Saharan Africa: Leveraging digital contributor networks for participatory surveillance of Covid-19 symptoms and deaths (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ngozi A Erondu ◽  
Sagal A Ali ◽  
Mohamed Ali ◽  
Schadrac C Agbla
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Local Networks ◽  
The World ◽  
Sub Saharan

BACKGROUND In sub-Saharan Africa, underreporting of cases and deaths has been attributed to various factors including, weak disease surveillance, low health-seeking behaviour of flu like symptoms, and stigma of Covid-19. There is evidence that SARS-CoV-2 spread mimics transmission patterns of other countries across the world. Since the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way research can be conducted and in light of restrictions on travel and risks to in-person data collection, innovative approaches to collecting data must be considered. Nearly 50% of Africa’s population is a unique mobile subscriber and it is one of the fastest growing smart-phone marketplaces in the world; hence, mobile phone platforms should be considered to monitor Covid-19 trends in the community. OBJECTIVE We demonstrate the use of digital contributor platforms to survey individuals about cases of flu-like symptoms and instances of unexplained deaths in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. METHODS Rapid cross-sectional survey of individuals with severe flu and pneumonia symptoms and unexplained deaths in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia and Zimbabwe RESULTS Using a non-health specific information platform, we found COVID-19 signals in five African countries, specifically: •Across countries, nearly half of the respondents (n=739) knew someone who had severe flu or pneumonia symptoms in recent months. •One in three respondents from Somalia and one in five from Zimbabwe respondents said they knew more than five people recently displaying flu and/or pneumonia symptoms. •In Somalia there were signals that a large number of people might be dying outside of health facilities, specifically in their homes or in IDP or refugee camps. CONCLUSIONS Existing digital contributor platforms with local networks are a non-traditional data source that can provide information from the community to supplement traditional government surveillance systems and academic surveys. We demonstrate that using these distributor networks to for community surveys can provide periodic information on rumours but could also be used to capture local sentiment to inform public health decision-making; for example, these insights could be useful to inform strategies to increase confidence in Covid19 vaccine. As Covid-19 continues to spread somewhat silently across sub-Saharan Africa, regional and national public health entities should consider expanding event-based surveillance sources to include these systems.

scholarly journals Individual, community and societal correlates of insecticide treated net use among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa: a multi-level analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Kwabena Ameyaw
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Maternal And Newborn Health ◽  
African Countries ◽  
The World ◽  
Itn Use ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract Background Malaria in pregnancy is a crucial public health concern due to the enormous risk it poses to maternal and newborn health. The World Health Organisation therefore recommends insecticide-treated net (ITN) for pregnant women. The world over, sub-Saharan Africa bears the highest prevalence of malaria and its associated complications. This study investigated the individual, community and society level factors associated with ITN use among pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods The study was conducted with Demographic and Health Survey data of 21 sub-Saharan African countries. A total of 17,731 pregnant women who possessed ITN participated in the study. Descriptive computation of ITN use by survey country and socio-demographic characteristics was conducted. Further, five multi-level binary logistic regression models were fitted with MLwiN 3.05 package in STATA. The Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimation procedure was used in estimating the parameters whilst the Bayesian Deviance Information Criterion was used for the model fitness test. Results On average, 74.2% pregnant women in SSA used ITN. The highest prevalence of ITN use occurred in Mali (83.7%) whilst the least usage occurred in Namibia (7%). Women aged 30–34 were more likely to use ITN compared with those aged 45–49 [aOR = 1.14; Crl = 1.07–1.50]. Poorest women were less probable to use ITN relative to richest women [aOR = 0.79; Crl = 0.70–0.89]. Compared to women who did not want their pregnancies at all, women who wanted their pregnancies [aOR = 1.06; Crl = 1.04–1.19] were more probable to use ITN. Women in male-headed households had higher likelihood of ITN use compared to those from female-headed households [aOR = 1.28; Crl = 1.19–1.39]. On the whole, 38.1% variation in ITN use was attributable to societal level factors whilst 20.9% variation was attributable to community level factors. Conclusion The study has revealed that in addition to individual level factors, community and society level factors affect ITN use in SSA. In as much as the study points towards the need to incorporate community and societal variations in ITN interventions, active involvement of men can yield better outcome for ITN utilisation interventions in SSA.

scholarly journals The Current Trends in Marketing Research in the Tourism Industry

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (513) ◽  
pp. 450-459
Author(s):  
N. I. Yurchenko ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Marketing Research ◽  
World Market ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Situational Analysis ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Travel Agents ◽  
The World

Currently, the tourism industry continues to outpace the global economy despite deteriorating global economic prospects, tensions in international trade, social worries, geopolitical uncertainty, instability and the COVID-19 pandemic. The article is aimed at identifying modern trends of marketing research as part of the complex of marketing instruments in the tourism sphere. To achieve this aim, the article uses the following research methods: abstract-logical; situational analysis; mean, absolute and relative values; comparison, graphic, sociological; statistical analysis; economic-mathematical; expert surveys and estimations. Based on the data of the World Tourism Organization, the indicators of development of the world market of tourist services are analyzed. Performed were the following: analysis of the dynamics of the number of subjects of tourism activity (tour operators and travel agents) in Ukraine; total average number of full-time employees; income from the provision of tourist services; operating expenses for the provision of tourist services; number of tourists served by tour operators and travel agents in Ukraine. The content of marketing research is disclosed as a multi-stage process, which should include the collection, registration and analysis of data in the sphere of tourism business. Marketing researches should be conducted according to 8 stages: determining the problem; development of the concept of research; cabinet marketing research; field market research; analysis of market conditions (supply and demand); research of foreign markets; simulation modeling; formation of a marketing information system. In order to determine the rating of tour operators of the mass segment of the tourism market in 2020, a questionnaire containing 16 questions is specified. Its results can be used when evaluating tour operators in terms of customer comfort and cooperation with travel agents. It is proved that marketing research in the tourism industry is advisable to be carried out systematically. This will provide for substantiating and elaborating managerial solutions in order to maximize the satisfaction of the needs of consumers of tourist services and solve the problems of significant seasonal fluctuations in demand.

scholarly journals The consequences of China's impending economic crisis on global economy

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 24-41
Author(s):  
Mavhungu Abel Mafukata
Keyword(s):  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Chinese Economy ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Economic Practice ◽  
Specific Objective ◽  
The World ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Sub Saharan

The main objective of this paper is to predict the consequences of China's impending economic crisis on global economy – with reference to Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in particular. The specific objective of this paper is to investigate and explore the increasing dominance of economic practice of China in SSA. China is a critical principal player in the economy of SSA. China's influence and dominance of the SSA economy might have negative effect on SSA in case of any implosion of the Chinese economy. Data were collected from print and electronic sources extracted from the vast body of empirical scholarship of different disciplines on China in SSA.  The results of this paper revealed that China is indeed dominating the economy in SSA. Pointers are that China's economic implosion would have consequences for SSA in the same way as the 2008-2009 global economic recession had around the world. This  paper positively predicts that China's economic and financial implosion remains a possibility, and would impact on SSA.

The Influence of Uber on the Tourism Industry in Sub-Saharan Africa

2020 ◽  
pp. 004728752095163
Author(s):  
So Young Park ◽  
JunYun Kim ◽  
Bing Pan
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Successful Development ◽  
Public Transportation System ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Tourism Economy

An unreliable and inefficient public transportation system can be a barrier to the successful development of a destination’s tourism industry. Uber, a convenient ride-hailing service, can complement underdeveloped public transport and play a significant role in stimulating the tourism economy by increasing tourists’ mobility and accessibility to attractions and service facilities. Using the data of 48 sub-Saharan African countries, this study conducted propensity score matching and difference-in-differences analysis to empirically examine the influence of Uber on a country’s tourism industry. The results showed that Uber contributed $20 million annually in total tourist spending—$24 per tourist spending—on average, to a country’s economy between 2013 and 2016. However, it did not have a significant influence on the number of international arrivals. The findings of this study provided insights into the benefits of Uber service in promoting per tourist spending by providing a reliable and efficient means of travel.

African Politics: A Very Short Introduction

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Political Violence ◽  
African State ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Politics ◽  
African Continent ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Short Introduction ◽  
State And Society ◽  
The World ◽  
Sub Saharan

African Politics: A Very Short Introduction explores how politics is practised on the African continent, providing an overview of the different states and their systems. It considers the nature of the state in sub-Saharan Africa and why its state structures are generally weaker than elsewhere in the world. Exploring the historical and contemporary factors that account for Africa’s underdevelopment, it also analyses why some African countries suffer from high levels of political violence while others are spared. Unveiling the ways in which African state and society actually function beyond the formal institutional façade, this VSI discusses how external factors—both inherited and contemporary—act upon the continent.

scholarly journals The Need for the Right Socio-Economic and Cultural Fit in the COVID-19 Response in Sub-Saharan Africa: Examining Demographic, Economic Political, Health, and Socio-Cultural Differentials in COVID-19 Morbidity and Mortality

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 3445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Renzaho
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Morbidity And Mortality ◽  
Peace Building ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Tax Regimes ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Political Health

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread quickly across the globe with devastating effects on the global economy as well as the regional and societies’ socio-economic fabrics and the way of life for vast populations. The nonhomogeneous continent faces local contextual complexities that require locally relevant and culturally appropriate COVID-19 interventions. This paper examines demographic, economic, political, health, and socio-cultural differentials in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. The health systems need to be strengthened through extending the health workforce by mobilizing and engaging the diaspora, and implementing the International Health Regulations (2005) core capacities. In the absence of adequate social protection and welfare programs targeting the poor during the pandemic, sub-Saharan African countries need to put in place flexible but effective policies and legislation approaches that harness and formalise the informal trade and remove supply chain barriers. This could include strengthening cross-border trade facilities such as adequate pro-poor, gender-sensitive, and streamlined cross-border customs, tax regimes, and information flow. The emphasis should be on cross-border infrastructure that not only facilitates trade through efficient border administration but can also effectively manage cross-border health threats. There is an urgent need to strengthen social protection systems to make them responsive to crises, and embed them within human rights-based approaches to better support vulnerable populations and enact health and social security benefits. The COVI-19 response needs to adhere to the well-established ‘do no harm’ principle to prevent further damage or suffering as a result of the pandemic and examined through local lenses to inform peace-building initiatives that may yield long-term gains in the post-COVID-19 recovery efforts.

Does economic freedom improve health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa?

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (12) ◽  
pp. 1633-1649
Author(s):  
Anand Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Economic Freedom ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The World ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the impact of economic freedom on four key health indicators (namely, life expectancy, infant mortality rate, under-five mortality rate and neonatal mortality rate) by using a panel dataset of 34 sub-Saharan African countries from 2005 to 2016.Design/methodology/approachThe study obtains data from the World Development Indicators (WDI) of the World Bank and the Fraser Institute. It uses fixed effects regression to estimate the effect of economic freedom on health outcomes and attempts to resolve the endogeneity problems by using two-stage least squares regression (2SLS).FindingsThe results indicate a favourable impact of economic freedom on health outcomes. That is, higher levels of economic freedom reduce mortality rates and increase life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa. All areas of economic freedom, except government size, have a significant and positive effect on health outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThis study analyses the effect of economic freedom on health at a broad level. Country-specific studies at a disaggregated level may provide additional information about the impact of economic freedom on health outcomes. Also, this study does not control for some important variables such as education, income inequality and foreign aid due to data constraints.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that sub-Saharan African countries should focus on enhancing the quality of economic institutions to improve their health outcomes. This may include policy reforms that support a robust legal system, protect property rights, promote free trade and stabilise the macroeconomic environment. In addition, policies that raise urbanisation, increase immunisation and lower the incidence of HIV are likely to produce a substantial improvement in health outcomes.Originality/valueExtant economic freedom-health literature does not focus on endogeneity problems. This study uses instrumental variables regression to deal with endogeneity. Also, this is one of the first attempts to empirically investigate the relationship between economic freedom and health in the case of sub-Saharan Africa.

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