Trends in life expectancy and the macroeconomy in Malawi

The purpose of this paper was to study trends in life expectancy in Malawi since independence and offer possible explanations regarding its inter-temporal variations. Descriptive analysis has shown that life expectancy in Malawi has trailed below Sub Saharan Africa’s average. From the 1960s through early 1980s, life expectancy improved due to rising incomes and absence of HIV/AIDS. After early 1980s life expectancy declined tremendously and never improved due to the spread of HIV/AIDS, the economic slump that followed the World Bank’s Structural Adjustment programmes (SAP) and the widespread corruption and poor governance in the era of democracy. It is found that at the turn of the new millennium, Malawians were no healthier than their ancestors at the dawn of independence, though such a trend somehow started changing for the better after 2004. In order to meet her health Millennium Development Goals by 2015, Malawi needs to put good governance, agricultural performance and increases in health expenditure at the heart of development policies.life expectancy; GDP; HIV/AIDS; Malawi

Does size of operated area matter? Evidence from Malawi's agricultural production

The objective of this paper was to examine the relationship between farm size and agricultural productivity using data from Malawi. This paper has examined the relationship using ordinary least squares regression with heteroskedasticity consistent covariance matrix (HC3) standard errors having confirmed absence of endogeneity of farm size. The major finding is that, contrary to the findings of earlier studies which reported a positive relationship, there is strong evidence that probably the post market liberalization period (1990s) became characterized by an inverse farm size productivity relationship. This finding suggests that well-thought-after land and credit market interventions or land redistribution from the rich to the land poor households would possibly raise total output thorough productivity gains.Farm size; Productivity; Inverse Relationship; Malawi

Does size of operated area matter? Evidence from Malawi's agricultural production

The objective of this paper was to examine the relationship between farm size and agricultural productivity using data from Malawi. This paper has examined the relationship using ordinary least squares regression with heteroskedasticity consistent covariance matrix (HC3) standard errors having confirmed absence of endogeneity of farm size. The major finding is that, contrary to the findings of earlier studies which reported a positive relationship, there is strong evidence that probably the post market liberalization period (1990s) became characterized by an inverse farm size productivity relationship. This finding suggests that well-thought-after land and credit market interventions or land redistribution from the rich to the land poor households would possibly raise total output thorough productivity gains

Survival analysis of cereal crop variety innovations in the UK

This paper explores the changing survival patterns of cereal crop variety innovations in the UK since the introduction of plant breeders’ rights in the mid-1960s. Using non-parametric, semi-parametric and parametric approaches, we examine the determinants of the survival of wheat variety innovations, focusing on the impacts of changes to Plant Variety Protection (PVP) regime over the last four decades. We find that the period since the introduction of the PVP regime has been characterised by the accelerated development of new varieties and increased private sector participation in the breeding of cereal crop varieties. However, the increased flow of varieties has been accompanied by a sharp decline in the longevity of innovations. These trends may have contributed to a reduction in the returns appropriated by plant breeders from protected variety innovations and may explain the decline of conventional plant breeding in the UK. It may also explain the persistent demand from the seed industry for stronger protection. The strengthening of the PVP regime in conformity with the UPOV Convention of 1991, the introduction of EU-wide protection through the Community Plant Variety Office and the introduction of royalties on farm-saved seed have had a positive effect on the longevity of protected variety innovations, but have not been adequate to offset the long term decline in survival durations

Trends in life expectancy and the macroeconomy in Malawi

The purpose of this paper was to study trends in life expectancy in Malawi since independence and offer possible explanations regarding its inter-temporal variations. Descriptive analysis has shown that life expectancy in Malawi has trailed below Sub Saharan Africa’s average. From the 1960s through early 1980s, life expectancy improved due to rising incomes and absence of HIV/AIDS. After early 1980s life expectancy declined tremendously and never improved due to the spread of HIV/AIDS, the economic slump that followed the World Bank’s Structural Adjustment programmes (SAP) and the widespread corruption and poor governance in the era of democracy. It is found that at the turn of the new millennium, Malawians were no healthier than their ancestors at the dawn of independence, though such a trend somehow started changing for the better after 2004. In order to meet her health Millennium Development Goals by 2015, Malawi needs to put good governance, agricultural performance and increases in health expenditure at the heart of development policies

International Trade and Income in Malawi: A Co-integration and Causality Approach

This paper investigates causal relationships between exports, imports, and economic growth in Malawi over the period 1961-2010. These relationships are examined using the Johansen frameworks for co-integration whereas the Vector Error Correction (VECM) framework is further used to provide estimates for both short-run and long-run dynamics in the series under study. The empirical results, including the impulse responses support the export-led economic growth and export driven imports hypotheses in the long run, but they provide no evidence of any economic growth-driven exports. These results strongly support the role of international trade in Malawi's economic development and hence policies that seek to facilitate Malawi's trade within and outside the SADC regional would be worthwhile to pursue

Provider diversity in the NHS: impact on quality and innovation

The overall objective of the research project has been to assess the impact of provider diversity on quality and innovation in the NHS. The specific research aims were to identify the differences in performance between non-profit Third Sector organisations, for-profit private enterprises, and incumbent public sector institutions within the NHS as providers of health care services, as well as the factors that affect the entry and growth of new private and Third Sector providers. The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods based on case studies of four Local Health Economies (LHEs). Qualitative methods included documentary analysis and interviews with key informants and managers of both commissioning and provider organisations. To provide a focus to the study, two tracer conditions were followed: orthopaedic surgery and home health care for frail older people. In the case of hospital inpatient care, data on patient characteristics were also collected from the HES database. The analysis of this data provided preliminary estimates of the effects of provider type on quality, controlling for client characteristics and case mix. In addition, a survey of patient experience in diverse provider organisations was analysed to compare the different dimensions of quality of provision of acute services between incumbent NHS organisations and new independent sector treatment centres. The research has shown that, in respect of inpatient hospital services, diverse providers supply health services of at least as good quality as traditional NHS providers, and that there is ample opportunity to expand their scale and scope as providers of services commissioned by the NHS. The research used patient experience survey data to investigate whether hospital ownership affects the quality of services reported by NHS patients in areas other than clinical quality. The raw survey data appear to show that private hospitals provide higher quality services than the public hospitals. However, further empirical analysis leads to a more nuanced understanding of the performance differences. Firstly, the analysis shows that each sector offers greater quality in certain specialties. Secondly, the analysis shows that differences in the quality of patients’ reported experience are mainly attributable to patient characteristics, the selection of patients into each type of hospital, and the characteristics of individual hospitals, rather than to hospital ownership as such. Controlling for such differences, NHS patients are on average likely to experience a similar quality of care in a public or privately-run hospital. Nevertheless, for specific groups of patients and for specific types of treatments, especially the more straightforward ones, the private sector provides an improved patient experience compared to the public sector. Elsewhere, the NHS continues to provide a high quality service and outperforms the private sector in a range of services and for a range of clients

Africa agriculture transformation scorecard performance and lessons for Malawi

In line with the continental commitment on mutual accountability, Malawi implemented the BR process to track progress in the implementation of the CAADP agenda, particularly the 2014 Malabo commitments. The process provided a platform for stakeholders in the agriculture sector (the public sector, private sector, development partners, civil society organizations, academia, and research institutions) to hold each other mutually accountable on both the financial and nonfinancial commitments they made on common development goals for the agriculture sector. The BR process also helped provide a platform for agriculture sector stakeholders to learn from each other (peer learning). The objective of this brief is to present Malawi’s performance and discuss lessons from the implementation of the inaugural CAADP BR mechanism

Economic Efficiency, Allen / Uzama and Morishima Elasticities of Smallholder Agriculture In Dedza District, Malawi

This paper is an attempt to measure the economic efficiency of Dedza smallholder Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum) farmers in Malawi using a translog cost frontier, inefficiency effect model and input Elasticities from Seeming Unrelated Regression Model for asystem of cost share equations for labour, fertilizer, seed and land. A sample of 200 farmers has been considered from Dedza district in Malawi. Results indicate that the mean economic efficiency of Irish potato production in Dedza District is 0.61 with scores ranging between 0.12 and 0.94. The economic efficiency differences are significantly explained by non-farm employment, education, credit access, farm experience, degree of specialization, household size and frequency of weeding. The highest input substitution existed between labour and fertilizer, followed by seedfertilizer

THE NATURE OF PUBLIC AGRICULTURAL SPENDING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

This paper sets out to analyses and present trends in investments in agriculture in the SADC region. In pursuing this goal the paper empirically highlights the importance of disaggregating expenditure data when examining its links to measures of productivity and poverty. This is important because not all types of expenditure have the potential to positively impact on productivity and poverty. In order to pursue the goals set out in this paper, analysis focused mainly on data on agricultural public expenditure for Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  Trend analysis leads to the following main findings:  Various countries have tended to invest in their agricultural sectors differently across time, but investments have been limited and volatile, while the quality of spending has also gone down.  There is also public agricultural expenditure bias towards crops at the expense of other sectors.  The major implication is that there is need for more concerted efforts in the SADC to ensure  more and better-targeted agricultural growth enhancing investment