Incorporating perceptions and experiences of violence into livelihood decision-making

This paper analyses the influence of perceived violence on livelihood decisionmaking of indigenous households in post conflict Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh following a formal peace treaty in 1997. The study results suggest that households perceiving high risk of violence spend less on consumption expenditure and are sending children to school more, cultivating more land and engaged more in producing mixed subsistence and cash crops. Using both quantitative and qualitative data this study finds decreasing emphasis on present consumption, long term investment in human capital, using land more intensively to earn more cash and move towards creating surplus instead of producing for subsistence, which suggests perceived violence is producing decisions which are similar to those advocated in a classical ‘modernization process’. Findings of this paper are similar to the argument of ‘post traumatic growth theory’ and indicates a post-conflict ‘phoenix’ factor may be in operation at the household level in which some income raising livelihood decisions are made as a consequence of fear of renewed violence. In the short run, the ‘phoenix’ factor appears to operate through both increased land use and cash crop cultivation and in the long run through increased human capital

Child school enrollment decisions, perceptions and experiences of conflict in the chittagong hill tracts of Bangladesh

AbstractWe analyze rural household children’s school enrollment decisions in a post-conflict setting in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh. The innovation of the paper lies in the fact that we employ information about current subjective perceptions regarding the possibility of violence in the future and past actual experiences of violence to explain household economic decision-making. Preferences are endogenous in line with behavioral economics. Regression results show that heightened subjective perceptions of future violence and past actual experiences of conflict can increase child enrollment.</jats:p

Livelihood decisions under the shadow of conflict in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh

We analyse rural household livelihood and children’s school enrolment decisions in a postconflict setting in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh. The innovation of the paper lies in the fact that we employ information about current subjective perceptions regarding the possibility of violence in the future and past actual experiences of violence to explain household economic decision-making. Preferences are endogenous in line with behavioural economics. Regression results show that heightened subjective perceptions of future violence and past actual experiences of conflict influences current consumption increases child enrolment, and encourages risky mixed crop cultivation. The trauma emanating from past experiences combined with current high perceptions of risk of violence may induce bolder and riskier behaviour in line with prospect theories of risk. Furthermore, a, post-conflict household-level Phoenix or economic revival factor may be in operation, based in part on greater within group trust

Clinical and Biochemical Evaluation of Subacute (De Ouervain's) Thyroiditis

Background: Subacute thyroiditis is an important cause of thyrotoxicosis, often misdiagnosed as Graves&rsquo; disease and given anti-thyroid drugs. Etiological diagnosis can yield proper guideline of management and a good result. Objectives: To see the clinical, biochemical and isotope profile of subacute thyroiditis. Methods: A total of 45 cases [36 females, 9 males; age (mean &plusmn; SD): 33&plusmn; 4.7 yr] were recruited from Endocrine outpatient department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) to see thyroid hormones and isotope scan. Results: Most of the patients had a history of sore throat (84.4%). All had painful thyroid gland with or without dysphagia, palpitation (93%), fever (91%), sweating and heat intolerance (80%) and IBS like symptoms was 46%. Among 36 females, 16 patients (44.4%) presented with oligomenorrhea/amenorrhea. Clinically palpable thyromegaly was present in 33 cases (73%), which was diffuse in 24 patients (73%), resting tachycardia in 35(78%) while anaemia in 23(51%). A few cases (13/45) had raised blood pressure. Elevation of thyroid hormone was found in 44(97.7%), but in most cases it was mild; little reduction of TSH (0.1-0.3mIU) was present in 43 (95%). Characteristically, low radio-iodine uptake (&lt; 5%) in 2 hours and 24 hours was found in 100% and thyroid scan revealed uniform uptake in all cases. ESR was raised in 100% cases and leucocytosis was present in 9(20%). Conclusion: It is concluded that subacute thyroiditis can be diagnosed on careful clinical examination. As it is a self limiting disease and does not usually need any anti-thyroid medication, subacute thyroiditis should be excluded in thyrotoxic patients before initiating anti-thyroid drugs. Key words: Subacute thyroiditis; clinical and biochemical profile DOI: 10.3329/bsmmuj.v3i2.7057BSMMU J 2010; 3(2): 82-8

Revisiting the role of the resource curse in shaping institutions and growth

This paper examines the effect of natural resource dependence on growth in a cross-country setting during 1970 to 2010, first accounting for the effect of resource export dependence on institutional development. We employ several political and governance indicators, numerous econometric techniques on two separate panels, including one post-cold war. Our findings suggest there is a resource curse adversely effecting growth via institutional deterioration in the longer term (1970-2010), but recently (1995-2012) there is a reversal of this adverse effect on some institutions. Moreover, certain institutions matter more for growth, including governance and constraints on the executive relative to democracy

Food Insecurity and Conflict Events in Africa

The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between food insecurity and conflict events short of war in Africa, taking account of a host of mediating factors, including the degree of inequality, the level of development, democratic quality, quality of governance and the degree of government expenditure, which we incorporate into our analysis. Our results suggest that food price volatility does contribute significantly to conflict events measured by political events in Africa (ACLED). Greater democracy can engender more conflict, but in a non-linear fashion. The broader V-DEM participatory index of democracy also encourages more protest. Our governance variables are significant, emphasising the salience of state capacity in this regard. An innovation of our study is the inclusion of inequality. We deploy two metrics of vertical inequality: the GINI coefficient and the broader V-DEM egalitarian index. The GINI index of income inequality has a counter-intuitive statistically insignificant sign, suggesting that greater income equality or middle-class share of income results in greater political unrest. We also utilise political measures of inter-group horizontal inequality which significantly engender conflict risk

May Measurement Month (MMM) 2017: an analysis of blood pressure screening results in Bangladesh-South Asia

Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a growing burden worldwide, leading to over 10 million deaths each year. Based on the findings of the non-communicable disease Risk Factors Survey Bangladesh 2010, the prevalence of hypertension in adults 25 years or older in Bangladesh is 20.1%. The Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey, 2011 showed that approximately 50% of those affected are unaware of their hypertensive condition. The May Measurement Month 2017 (MMM17) is a global initiative of the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) aimed at raising awareness of high BP. We participated in MMM17 to raise awareness of hypertension screening and identify those with elevated BP who were unaware, and those on treatment with still uncontrolled hypertension. Following the standard protocol designed by the ISH, we participated in MMM17, an opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18. It was carried out in May 2017. BP measurement, the definition of hypertension and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. Data were collected from 35 screening sites in 33 districts in Bangladesh. Personnel from several government and non-government organizations volunteered in this huge event. A total of 11 418 individuals were screened during MMM17, of which 5401 (47.3%) were found to have hypertension. Of 8365 individuals not receiving anti-hypertensive medication, 2348 (28.1%) were hypertensive. Of 3053 individuals receiving anti-hypertensive medication, 1594 (52.2%) had uncontrolled BP. MMM17 was the largest BP screening campaign undertaken in Bangladesh. This study suggests that opportunistic screening can identify significant numbers of people with raised BP. A periodic public health programme at a national level needs to be initiated to increase hypertension detection and control rate and thus for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases