7,967 research outputs found
LâAsie du Sud-Est 2023 : bilan, enjeux et perspectives
Chaque annĂ©e, lâInstitut de recherche sur lâAsie du Sud-Est contemporaine (IRASEC), basĂ© Ă Bangkok, mobilise une vingtaine de chercheurs et dâexperts pour mieux comprendre lâactualitĂ© rĂ©gionale de ce carrefour Ă©conomique, culturel et religieux, au cĆur de lâIndo-Pacifique. Cette collection permet de suivre au fil des ans lâĂ©volution des grands enjeux contemporains de cette rĂ©gion continentale et archipĂ©lagique de plus de 680 millions dâhabitants, et dâen comprendre les dynamiques dâintĂ©gration rĂ©gionale et de connectivitĂ©s avec le reste du monde. LâAsie du Sud-Est 2023 propose une analyse synthĂ©tique et dĂ©taillĂ©e des principaux Ă©vĂ©nements politiques et diplomatiques, ainsi que des Ă©volutions Ă©conomiques, sociales et environnementales de lâannĂ©e 2022 dans chacun des onze pays de la rĂ©gion. Ce dĂ©cryptage est complĂ©tĂ© pour chaque pays par un focus sur deux personnalitĂ©s de lâannĂ©e et une actualitĂ© marquante en image. Lâouvrage propose Ă©galement cinq dossiers thĂ©matiques qui abordent des sujets traitĂ©s Ă lâĂ©chelle rĂ©gionale sud-est asiatique : les ressorts institutionnels de lâapproche de santĂ© intĂ©grĂ©e One Health, le vieillissement de la population et sa prise en compte par les politiques publiques, les cĂąbles sous-marins au cĆur de la connectivitĂ© sud-est asiatique, lâamĂ©nagement du bassin du MĂ©kong et ses multiples acteurs, et les enjeux politiques et linguistiques des langues transnationales. Des outils pratiques sont Ă©galement disponibles : une fiche et une chronologie par pays et un cahier des principaux indicateurs dĂ©mographiques, sociaux, Ă©conomiques et environnementaux
Improving the estimation of Cost-of-Illness in rheumatoid arthritis
Cost-of-illness (COI) studies measure the economic burden of a disease and estimate the maximum amount that could potentially be saved or gained if a disease were to be eradicated. Estimates of the COI can help appropriately target specific problems and policies on a disease in policy agenda setting. COI studies are particularly useful for chronic diseases that impact heavily on health expenditures and productivity loss for the whole society. It is essential for policymakers to know where costs are incurred.
Consequently, appropriate interventions can be implemented and prioritised. Over the past two decades, the accumulation of coexisting long-term conditions within an individual has been confirmed as the best predictor of sustained high costs. It is now an established priority for both research and clinical practice owing to the high prevalence of coexisting diseases among patients, particularly with ageing populations. Because of this shift in how we approach chronic diseases in medical research, it is pertinent that we also think about how this impacts the way we look at COI.
On the other hand, inconsistencies in the designs and methodologies that COI studies are conducted and a lack of transparency in reporting have made interpretation and comparison difficult and have limited the usefulness of results in health decision making. Variations include data sources, perspectives, cost components, and costing approaches. On the other hand, while standardisation of methodology through the implementation of guidelines is becoming increasingly important, some flexibility may be required for diseases or different contexts with unique characteristics to be adequately described.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as one of the most common chronic diseases, is a leading cause of work disability worldwide. Although numerous COI studies have attempted to quantify the economic burden of RA, the cost estimates vary substantially due to different methodological approaches, perspectives and settings. This thesis aims to improve the estimation of COI. To explore the differences in estimating COI, two case studies were developed in diverse contexts: Scotland and Tanzania. Both studies were complementary to each other in terms of different approaches and contexts to estimating COI. The former was in a high-income country, using secondary data analysis from a RA inception cohort linked to routinely collected health records to estimate the COI. In contrast, the latter was in a low- and middle-income country with limited treatment options. Due to the absence of routinely collected health data and the availability of screening tools for RA, a widening criterion of musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders was adopted. A context-specific questionnaire was developed to collect primary data to estimate the COI of MSK in Tanzania.
This thesis confirms the need for improved estimation of COI studies. Good quality COI studies are not easy to do. Current evidence shows a lack of consistency in taking into account indirect costs, resulting in underestimating COI in RA. Moreover, indirect costs need more attention, with improvements in terms of data collection and costing approaches. Health conditions are complex and multi-dimensional, especially when the way we look at them have evolved over time. It is becoming clear that context is also an influencing factor in estimating COI. These complexities need to be considered in COI. While many systematic reviews for COI studies have urged the need to increase comparability, it is more crucial to be transparent in reporting contexts and methodological clarity, including identifying, measuring, and valuing COI
Modern Folk Devils
The devilish has long been integral to myths, legends, and folklore, firmly located in the relationships between good and evil, and selves and others. But how are ideas of evil constructed in current times and framed by contemporary social discourses? Modern Folk Devils builds on and works with Stanley Cohenâs theory on folk devils and moral panics to discuss the constructions of evil. The authors present an array of case-studies that illustrate how the notion of folk devils nowadays comes into play and animates ideas of otherness and evil throughout the world. Examining current fears and perceived threats, this volume investigates and analyzes how and why these devils are constructed. The chapters discuss how the devilish may take on many different forms: sometimes they exist only as a potential threat, other times they are a single individual or phenomenon or a visible group, such as refugees, technocrats, Roma, hipsters, LGBT groups, and rightwing politicians. Folk devils themselves are also given a voice to offer an essential complementary perspective on how panics become exaggerated, facts distorted, and problems acutely angled.;Bringing together researchers from anthropology, sociology, political studies, ethnology, and criminology, the contributions examine cases from across the world spanning from Europe to Asia and Oceania
COVID-19 Outbreak and Beyond
The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed our lifestyle when, on 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus disease outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Since then, many governments have introduced unprecedented containment measures, hoping to slow the spread of the virus. International research suggests that both the pandemic and the related protective measures, such as lockdown, curfews, and social distancing, are having a profound impact on the mental health of the population. Among the most commonly observed psychological effects, there are high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic symptoms, along with boredom and frustration. At the same time, the behavioral response of the population is of paramount importance to successfully contain the outbreak, creating a vicious circle in which the psychological distress impacts the willingness to comply with the protective measures, which, in turn, if prolonged, could exacerbate the populationâs distress. This book includes: i) original studies on the worldwide psychological and behavioral impact of COVID-19 on targeted individuals (e.g., parents, social workers, patients affected by physical and mental disorders); ii) studies exploring the effect of COVID-19 using advanced statistical and methodological techniques (e.g., machine learning technologies); iii) research on practical applications that could help identify persons at risk, mitigate the negative effects of this situation, and offer insights to policymakers to manage the pandemic are also highly welcomed
Microfinance as a tool for socio-economic empowerment of rural women in Northern Malawi : a practical theological reflection
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Poverty is a multifaceted, gendered global challenge that affects women significantly more than men. To alleviate poverty and achieve sustainable development, women in the Global South are engaging in microfinance. Microfinance is the provision of financial services to underprivileged people who cannot access credit from commercial banks and is proving to be a tool of socio-economic empowerment of women from rural areas. This study explores the ways in which the church can promote the microfinance model of savings and loans in a holistic and sustainable way.
This study discusses poverty and the feminisation of poverty in the light of the gender and development (GAD) approach and explores the status of women in Malawi in terms of education, health, agriculture, the environment, politics, issues of gender-based violence and socio-economic empowerment. African women theologies and transnational feminism are the theoretical lenses used to explore the advancement of the socio-economic empowerment of rural women in the Global South in the context of economic globalisation. Identified as feminist liberation theologies that seek justice and liberation of all people, African women theologies, are used as the theological lens to analyse the socio-economic empowerment of women in order to explore how women can be liberated from the oppression caused by economic injustice.
As a qualitative empirical study, this research explores the nature and impact of existing savings and loans groups run by rural women in the communities of Bwengu and Bolero in Northern Malawi. With a view to understanding the role of the church in microfinance with regards to rural women, clergy from the Henga and Nyika Presbyteries and church leaders of the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia and the Malawi Council of Churches were also included in the study. The findings from the empirical research indicate that microfinance is beneficial to individual women, their families and communities as the savings and loan model encourages women to save money from their resources. Through the savings and loan groups, it appears that women are empowered socio-economically and they become financially independent. The findings also indicate that women who are involved in savings and loan groups can now participate in decision making at household and community levels. Furthermore, womenâs involvement in such groups assists in reducing incidents of gender-based violence at the household level because women are making a substantial contribution to the household income. The microfinance model of savings and loans is, therefore, deemed to be both holistic as it encourages women to save from what they have and to generate social capital and spiritual inspiration as they work together in solidarity through the groups.
These findings call the church to engage with such models of economic development as they highlight the fact that the churches are aware of microfinance initiatives but the churches have not engaged in the initiatives. However, there is need for the churches to engage in such initiatives because they empower the communities. In order to promote holistic and sustainable microfinance, the church has to advocate for economic justice and build the capacities of its members concerning microfinance. The church should, therefore, seek to encourage all including men, women and youth to engage in microfinance so that the entire community is lifted and empowered socio-economically.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Armoede is 'n veelvlakkige globale uitdaging waarby gender ook 'n rol speel; dit raak vroue beduidend meer as mans. Vroue in die Globale Suide maak gebruik van mikrofinansiering om armoede te verlig en volhoubare ontwikkeling te bewerkstellig. Mikrofinansiering is die voorsiening van finansiële dienste aan minderbevoorregtes wat nie toegang tot krediet van kommersiële banke het nie en blyk 'n instrument van sosio-ekonomiese bemagtiging van vroue in landelike gebiede te wees. Hierdie studie ondersoek maniere waarop die kerk die mikrofinansieringsmodel van spaar-en-leen op 'n holistiese en volhoubare manier kan bevorder.
Die studie bespreek armoede en die feminisering van armoede volgens die gender en ontwikkeling (GAD) benadering, en ondersoek die status van vroue in Malawi wat betref onderwys, gesondheid, landbou, die omgewing, politiek, gender-gebaseerde geweld, en sosio-ekonomiese bemagtiging. Die teoretiese lense van Afrika-vroue-teologieë en transnasionale feminisme word gebruik om die bevordering van die sosio-ekonomiese bemagtiging van landelike vroue in die Globale Suide in die konteks van ekonomiese globalisering te ondersoek. Afrika-vroue-teologieë, wat geïdentifiseer word as feministiese bevrydingsteologieë wat geregtigheid en bevryding van alle mense nastreef, word gebruik as die teologiese lens om die sosio-ekonomiese bemagtiging van vroue te analiseer ten einde te ondersoek hoe vroue bevry kan word van die onderdrukking wat deur ekonomiese onreg veroorsaak word.
Hierdie kwalitatiewe empiriese studie ondersoek die aard en impak van bestaande spaar-en-leningsgroepe wat deur landelike vroue in die gemeenskappe van Bwengu en Bolero in Noord-Malawi bestuur word. Predikante en kerkleiers van die Henga- en Nyika-sinodes, die Livingstonia-sinode van die Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) en die Malawi Raad van Kerke is ook by die studie betrek met die oog daarop om die rol van die kerk in mikrofinansiering met betrekking tot landelike vroue te verstaan. Die bevindings van die empiriese navorsing dui daarop dat mikrofinansiering voordelig is vir individuele vroue, hul gesinne en gemeenskappe, aangesien die spaar-en-leningsmodel vroue aanmoedig om van hul middele te spaar. Dit blyk dat spaar-en-leningsgroepe bydra tot die sosio-ekonomiese bemagtiging en finansiële onafhanklikheid van vroue. Die bevindinge dui ook daarop dat vroue wat by spaar-en-leningsgroepe betrokke is, betrek word by besluitneming op huishoudelike en gemeenskapsvlakke. Verder dra vroue se betrokkenheid by sulke groepe by om voorvalle van gender-gebaseerde geweld op huishoudelike vlak te verminder omdat vroue 'n beduidende bydrae tot die huishoudelike inkomste lewer. Die mikrofinansieringsmodel van spaar-en-lenings word dus as holisties beskou, aangesien vroue van die middele tot hul beskikking spaar; dit genereer ook sosiale kapitaal en geestelike inspirasie aangesien die vroue in solidariteit in die groepe saamwerk.
Hierdie bevindinge roep die kerk op om met sulke modelle van ekonomiese ontwikkeling in gesprek te tree, aangesien dit beklemtoon dat kerke bewus is van mikrofinansierings-inisiatiewe, maar nie aan die inisiatiewe deelneem nie. Daar is egter 'n behoefte daaraan dat kerke aan sulke inisiatiewe deelneem omdat dit gemeenskappe bemagtig. Ten einde holistiese en volhoubare mikrofinansiering te bevorder, moet die kerk pleit vir ekonomiese geregtigheid, en lidmate se vermoëns rakende mikrofinansiering opbou. Die kerk moet dus poog om almal, insluitend mans, vroue en jongmense, aan te moedig om mikrofinansiering te beoefen sodat die hele gemeenskap sosio-ekonomies opgehef en bemagtig word.Doctora
Covid-19 and Capitalism
This open access book provides a comprehensive analysis of the socioeconomic determinants of Covid-19. From the end of 2019 until presently, the world has been ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic. Although the cause of this is (obviously) a virus, the extent to which this virus spread, and therefore the number of infections and deaths, was largely determined by socio-economic factors. From this, it follows that the course of the pandemic varies greatly from one country to another. This observation applies both to countriesâ resilience to such a pandemic (which is mainly rooted in the period preceding the outbreak of the virus) and to the way in which countries have reacted to the virus (including the political choices on how to respond). Meanwhile, research has made it clear that the nature of this response (e.g., elimination policy, mitigation policy, and proceeding herd immunity) was, on the one hand, strongly determined by political and ideological factors and, on the other hand, was highly influential in the factors of success or failure in combating the pandemic. The book focuses on the situation in a number of Western regions (notably the USA, the UK, and the EU and its Member States). The author addresses the reasons why in many Western countries both pandemic prevention and response policies to Covid-19 have failed. The book concludes with recommendations concerning the rearrangement of the socio-economic order that could increase the resilience of (Western) societies against such pandemics
Mother Earth, Mother Africa and Theology
The theological role of African women and men in sustainable development and environmental justice strongly emerges in this book. Picking up the theme and metaphor of the fifth pan-African conference of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians (hereafter âCircleâ), âMother Earth and Mother Africaâ, this book titled Mother Earth, Mother Africa and Theology presents original and innovative research by scholarly members and friends of the Circle. The main contribution of the volume is its multi- and trans-disciplinary exploration and reimagining of human relationships to Earth from an African ecofeminist and ecowomanist theological perspective. It engages in critical conversations of re-interpreting and re-imagining African cultural, religious, theological, and philosophical perspectives on gender and the Earth. The aim is to construct Earth-friendly relationships in the face of the growing global environmental crisis. Scholarly voices of African women and men from fields such as Theology, Environmental Law and Policy, Tourism, Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, and Economics are reflected in this book, which consists of three parts: Creation, the Trinity, and Mother Africa; Caring for Mother Africa; and Mother Africa and her daughtersâ (in)fertility. Each of the eleven chapters in the volume presents the metaphor of Mother Earth, Mother Africa, and gender relations, with the aim to explore life-affirming, life-enhancing human relationships to Earth from the authorâs particular area of specialisation and context
Child Obesity and Nutrition Promotion Intervention
Childhood obesity continues to be a global problem, with several regions showing increasing rates and others having one in every three children overweight despite an apparent halt or downward trend. Children are exposed to nutritional, social, and obesogenic environmental risks from different settings, and this affects their lifelong health. There is a consensus that high-quality multifaceted smart and cost-effective interventions enable children to grow with a healthy set of habits that have lifelong benefits to their wellbeing. The literature has shown that dietary approaches play key roles in improving childrenâs health, not only on a nutritional level but also in diet quality and patterns. An association between the nutritional strategy and other lifestyle components promotes a more comprehensive approach and should be envisioned in intervention studies. This Special Issue entitled âChild Obesity and Nutrition Promotion Interventionâ combines original research manuscripts or reviews of the scientific literature concerning classic or innovative approaches to tackle this public health issue. It presents several nutritional interventions alongside lifestyle health factors, and outcome indicators of effectiveness and sustainability from traditional to ground-breaking methods to exploit both qualitative and quantitative approaches in tackling child obesity
A Precariat Charter
This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. Guy Standing's immensely influential 2011 book introduced the Precariat as an emerging mass class, characterized by inequality and insecurity. Standing outlined the increasingly global nature of the Precariat as a social phenomenon, especially in the light of the social unrest characterized by the Occupy movements. He outlined the political risks they might pose, and at what might be done to diminish inequality and allow such workers to find a more stable labour identity. His concept and his conclusions have been widely taken up by thinkers from Noam Chomsky to Zygmunt Bauman, by political activists and by policy-makers. This new book takes the debate a stage further, looking in more detail at the kind of progressive politics that might form the vision of a Good Society in which such inequality, and the instability it produces, is reduced. A Precariat Charter discusses how rights - political, civil, social and economic - have been denied to the Precariat, and argues for the importance of redefining our social contract around notions of associational freedom, agency and the commons
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