DEMOCRATIC VALUES AND INEQUALITY, OR DEMOCRATIC INEQUALITY? A CASE OF THE FORMER SOCIALIST COUNTRIES

There is a lot of research on the relation between political democracy and income distribution and the correlation between economic growth and presence of a democratic regime based of cross country data but it has failed to fi nd any robust relationship between inequality and democracy (Bollen and Jackman, 1985; Li et al, 1998). Or, to be precise, Milanovich and Gradstein came to the conclusion that -- there is a relatively weak effect of democracy on inequality (seldom statistically signifi cant when controlled for other factors); the effect is particular weak for presidential systems (parlamentary systems are more pro-equality). Relations between economic growth and inequality remains unclear. Bigsten and Levin (2001) argue that countries that have been successful in terms of economic growth are also more likely to have been successful in reducing poverty. There is no constant relationship between growth and changes in inequality. On the contrary, Clarke (2001) stressed that inequality is negatively correlated with growth. However, the correlation between inequality and growth is not dependent upon whether the government is a democracy or a non-democracy. Boix (2000) suggested that the positive impact of economic growth in introduction of democracy is conditional upon the presence of organisations that allow for credible commitments among the poor. The situation becomes even more complicated if the experience of transitional economies are taken into account-- Milanovich and Gradstein state that while democracy and inequality increased practically in all transitional economies, higher increases in democracy were associated with lower increases in inequality. In other parts of the world the conclusion drawn from the studies is just the opposite-- the increase in democracy corresponds to decrease in inequality. This phenomenon gave rise to a number of studies. The analysis of the relevant literature made Gradstein et al (2001) to suggest that democratization affects inequality indirectly. The aim of this paper is to have a closer look at that such indirect factors might be and how they are likely to form links between democracy and inequality. This is not to say that there is no link between democracy and inequality at all rather that such relationship is by no way simple

Occupational welfare in Russia with special reference to health care.

Relying on new empirical data, derived from a survey, and supplemented by an extensive study of available secondary material, this thesis represents the first attempt systematically to explore key issues regarding occupational welfare in Russia, with special reference to health care. The thesis is divided into three parts: a discussion of the problematic; an investigation of the evolution of policy; and an examination of primary and secondary empirical data. The fundamental theoretical problems of occupational welfare are approached in the light of research in the West, in the Soviet Union and in post-Soviet Russia with emphasis both on divergences and commonalities. It is argued that any endeavour to separate Soviet and Western experiences is artificial and ultimately unproductive. Rather, the analytical penetration of ideological barriers renders possible an examination of their fruitful interaction. On the basis of existing knowledge two perspectives of occupational welfare -- social policy and organisation -- are introduced. An attempt to formulate a general definition of the notion of occupational welfare is also made. The evolution of occupational welfare and in particular its health care component are examined in their context, from the Tsarist era, during the Soviet Union and through to post-Soviet times, with a concrete aim of elucidating any continuities in policy pathways. Contemporary issues are associated with the initial outcomes of health reforms in the 1990s that are indispensable for projecting the future prospects of occupational welfare. The empirical component of the thesis reports the results of fieldwork carried out in Moscow between 1995 and 1997. The brief was to explore the contemporary status of occupational welfare in Russia in the context of changing social policy aims and methods evolving in the course of the transformation. The attitudes of senior managers of industrial enterprises providing in-kind health services for their employees were investigated, as were employers' actual health responsibilities in the light of the introduction of compulsory health insurance legislation. It is argued that occupational welfare has a distinct sphere of operation and offers potential, not only for the survival of the service area but also for its further development in the evolving socio-political environment. The thesis is a first step towards a deeper analysis of occupational welfare in Russia: an audit of outstanding issues, although not exhaustive, completes the account as an aid to further discussion and research

Социально-экономические детерминанты болезни Паркинсона для развитых и развивающихся стран

We set and solved the problem of identifying socio-economic determinants of Parkinson's disease (PD) by comparing the characteristics of different countries. Econometric analysis of panel data on 117 countries for 2010-2013 showed that the nature of the impact of a number of factors depends on whether a country belongs to the set of developed or developing economies. For both groups, the incidence of Parkinson's disease increases with life expectancy and decreases with the share of smokers. In addition, for developed countries, the incidence drops with increasing per capita consumption of fish and seafood and increases with amounts of fertilizer applied to the soil per hectare of arable land. For developing countries, the share of rural populations and per capita consumption of alcohol and vegetables are significant factors, with the incidence of PD decreasing with the first factor and increases with the last two. There is also reason to believe that in developing countries, the incidence of PD increases with the level of education; this is due to a decrease in physical activity of the representatives of the professions concerned. The findings are compared with the known results based on the study of patient samples for individual countries, and allow improving them. The results of this work can be used in patient selection procedures for early diagnostics of PD and are particularly important for developing countries where evidence-based recommendations has not yet been available

Расчетная модель общего равновесия для оценки экономического эффекта ранней диагностики болезни Паркинсона

This paper presents a new CGE model of the Russian economy with a health block. We estimate effects of Parkinson's disease (PD) on the Russian economy and population. We distinguish two mechanisms transmitting effects of the PD: a change in the quality of life of a representative household and a decrease in labor supply due to early retirement caused by PD. Our main focus is on effects of early diagnosis of PD coupled with the use of neuroprotective therapy at the prodromal stage of PD. Calculations showed that the cumulative economic effect of PD on the Russian economy, taking into account the forecast of an increase in the incidence of PD over 30 years, can lead to a loss of real GDP in the amount of -0.86%, and a decrease in the utility of households over the same period in the amount of -1.11% of the consumption level of the base year. The high efficiency of early diagnosis in combination with neuroprotective therapy was shown: the cumulative effect, taking into account the prognosis of an increase in the incidence of PD over 30 years of using this method, can give a gain of about 0.68% of the base year GDP, which is accompanied by an increase in the welfare of a representative consumer in the amount of 0.88 % of the baseline consumption. We show that the prevailing channel of influence of PD on macroeconomic parameters is the effect of a reduction in the supply of labor due to an increase in the disability of patients with PD

Расчетная модель общего равновесия для оценки экономического эффекта ранней диагностики болезни Паркинсона

This paper presents a new CGE model of the Russian economy with a health block. We estimate effects of Parkinson's disease (PD) on the Russian economy and population. We distinguish two mechanisms transmitting effects of the PD: a change in the quality of life of a representative household and a decrease in labor supply due to early retirement caused by PD. Our main focus is on effects of early diagnosis of PD coupled with the use of neuroprotective therapy at the prodromal stage of PD. Calculations showed that the cumulative economic effect of PD on the Russian economy, taking into account the forecast of an increase in the incidence of PD over 30 years, can lead to a loss of real GDP in the amount of -0.86%, and a decrease in the utility of households over the same period in the amount of -1.11% of the consumption level of the base year. The high efficiency of early diagnosis in combination with neuroprotective therapy was shown: the cumulative effect, taking into account the prognosis of an increase in the incidence of PD over 30 years of using this method, can give a gain of about 0.68% of the base year GDP, which is accompanied by an increase in the welfare of a representative consumer in the amount of 0.88 % of the baseline consumption. We show that the prevailing channel of influence of PD on macroeconomic parameters is the effect of a reduction in the supply of labor due to an increase in the disability of patients with PD

Оценка эффективности доклинической диагностики болезни Паркинсона методом "затраты-полезность"

Neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson disease being an example, set challenges to modern societies both in terms of premature deaths and resources spent on treatment of the diseases. Prevention and early diagnostics in particular, are potential directions towards higher economic efficiency of healthcare interventions in this area. We suggest a way to modify the cost-utility approach to evaluation of economic efficiency of an early diagnostics method of Parkinson disease (PD) at the laboratory stage of the diagnostics method. The lack of detailed understanding of the early testing group selection and composition are the major challenges to economic evaluation here. In particular, we consider the approach to diagnose PD at the prodromal stage suggested by Ugrumov 2020. The early diagnostics at the prodromal stage, accompanied by neuroprotective therapy of those identified at high risk of PD, allows postponing PD development for later years. The innovative approach implies saving both direct and indirect costs of PD treatment in comparison with traditional approach but adds costs of testing for the high risk of PD. The latter component may be non-trivial depending on the rules of selection into the group of tested. We suggest a way to modify the cost-utility evaluation procedure so that to take this uncertainty into account. We formulate the economic efficiency condition of the early diagnostics method in terms of the minimal probability of PD in the tested group and estimate the probability based on the Russian data. The latter sets the important threshold for innovative technology when moving from the laboratory into the clinical stage

Public policy responses to the spread of COVID-19 as a potential factor determining health results: a comparative study of the Czech Republic, the Russian Federation, and the Slovak Republic

The goal of this paper is to identify critical factors in success/failure of public policies focusing on fighting the spread of COVID-19 pandemic using a sample of three countries from Central and Eastern Europe with different results regarding COVID-19 morbidity and mortality rates, namely the Czech Republic, the Russian Federation, and the Slovak Republic. Based on comprehensive literature review, three independent variables were worked out: the scope/scale of public policy anti-pandemic interventions, the timing of public policy interventions, and the success of public policies in motivating compliance with anti-pandemic measures. Taking into account the similarity of measures introduced by national governments, the results suggest that the timing of public policy responses and success in motivating compliance may be critical factors in containing the pandemic

Allergen-specific IgE and IgG4 patterns among patients with different allergic diseases

Abstract Background In addition to allergen-specific IgE (sIgE), allergen-specific IgG4 (sIgG4) antibodies are also involved in the immune response resulting from an allergen exposure. The aim of our study was to analyze sIgE and sIgG4 patterns in the most common allergic disorders: bronchial asthma, upper airway disorders and atopic dermatitis. Methods In this study a screening analysis of blood serum samples from 673 patients aged from 6 months to 17 years with different allergic entities was performed on microarrays. sIgE and sIgG4 levels to the most common allergens were estimated. Results sIgE response to most pollen allergens is more strongly associated with respiratory diseases than with atopic dermatitis, while sIgE responses to cat and dog dander are more strongly associated with bronchial asthma than with atopic dermatitis and upper airway disorders such as rhinosinusitis and allergic rhinitis. A lower prevalence of sIgG4 to pollen allergens in cases of atopic dermatitis is observed compared with that in cases of asthma and upper airway disorders. Analyzing all the allergic disorders, one can see that sIgG4 response to inhalant allergens is strongly associated with sensitization to the corresponding allergen. Conclusion Allergen-specific IgE and IgG4 patterns that are relevant to concrete allergic diseases differ by sIgE and sIgG4 prevalences to defined allergens

Social Policy, Poverty, and Inequality in Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union: Agency and Institutions in Flux

This volume takes stock of the diverse and divergent welfare trajectories of post-socialist countries across Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union. It traces the impacts, in terms of poverty, well-being, and inequality, of over two decades of transformation, addressing both the legacy effects of socialist welfare systems and the installation of new social, political, and economic structures and, in many cases, new independent nation-states. Authors from different disciplines address key aspects of social protection including health care, poverty reduction measures, active labor market policies, pension systems, and child welfare systems

Social Policy, Poverty, and Inequality in Central and Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union: Agency and Institutions in Flux

This volume takes stock of the diverse and divergent welfare trajectories of post-socialist countries across Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union. It traces the impacts, in terms of poverty, well-being, and inequality, of over two decades of transformation, addressing both the legacy effects of socialist welfare systems and the installation of new social, political, and economic structures and, in many cases, new independent nation-states. Authors from different disciplines address key aspects of social protection including health care, poverty reduction measures, active labor market policies, pension systems, and child welfare systems