GMM Analyses of the Effects of Digital Services Trade on Economic Growth of Low, Middle and High Income Countries

Implementation science and breast cancer control: A Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) perspective from the 2010 Global Summit

This study identifies the relative impact of “good” governance on comparative economic growth performance for a large sample of countries classified based on their relative income distributions, namely; low income countries, middle income countries, and high income countries. The data set covers 100 countries throughout the period for 1996 to 2018. The empirical model is estimated with econometric pooled Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), random effects, fixed effects techniques and using the Hausman Test. According to the appropriate fixed effects estimated model, findings suggest that “good” governance generally has a positive and statistically significant effect on economic growth across all countries in the sample. However, results confirm that the impact of “good” governance differs according to conditional income distributions among countries. Indicators of “good” governance for low income countries are more likely to affect economic growth than those for middle and high income countries. Specifically, findings show that the dominant governance indicators for economic growth in low income countries include government effectiveness, political stability, regulatory quality, rule of law, and voice and accountability. Findings also show that control of corruption seems not to influence economic growth for high and low income countries. There are some policy implications that can be drawn for countries to develop a variety of policies toward the role of governance in the economy according to their income distributions.

BackgroundSepsis causes death and morbidity in young infants. Globally, an estimated 1.3 – 3.9 million young infants experience sepsis and 400,000 – 700,000 die from sepsis-related conditions annually. Even though...

Prior researchers have explored the role of FDI and economic growth or financial development and economic growth in a particular sample of countries or region while no collective studies on the effect of FDI, banks and stock market on economic growth in region or income-based groups have been conducted yet. Using a balanced panel data set of the globe of 193 upper middle income (UMI), lower middle income (LMI) and high income (HMI) countries for the period of 1998 to 2018, the study ever the first time explore the role of FDI, banks and stock markets financial development on economic growth by employing static methods and Dynamic approaches which contributes to the scarce literature on the collective and across income-based groups of countries. All model findings for the global panel indicates that FDI affect economic growth significantly and positively in the global panel, lower middle income (LMI) and upper middle income (UMI) countries where it’s not true for high income (HI) countries. Banking sector development also affect economic growth significantly but negatively in the global panel, high income and upper middle-income countries while not significant for the lower middle income (LMI) countries. Stock market development also affects economic growth significantly but negatively in the global panel. Furthermore, the result concludes that FDI have a larger effect on economic growth than does banks or stock market financial development. This study suggest high income countries regards improving FDI attraction, lower middle income (LMI) countries in regards improve banking sector and collectively suggest to improve major driver and functioning of banking sector and stock markets to spur economic growth. This study is beneficial for the government channels and financial sector of the study countries to make further decision.

Beyond Neglect: Long-term Care Research in Low and Middle Income Countries

Background: The most common health planning theories described by literature reviews are rationalism, incrementalism, and mixed- scanning. The application of planning theories in health planning is essential to give planners a broader perspective and to ensure the aims of their programmes are achievable. Tobacco control programme is among the health programmes that has been well established at an international level whereby The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and MPOWER package have served as a guide to the WHO member countries. However, the planning process of tobacco control programmes of each country are made based on further justifications and current situations of the respective countries. Marked differences in health planning theory approaches can be seen among low, middle and high income countries during the planning of tobacco programmes. Materials and Methods: A scoping review was done using online databases by choosing the most common health planning theories used and mentioned in literature reviews. With the exception of Antarctica, several low, middle and high income countries with comprehensive information on tobacco control programmes were taken as representatives. Search for articles were conducted via four major databases including Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and PubMed with additional information from guidelines and expert reports from official websites. Result: The three most common theories used in health planning are rationalism, incrementalism, and mix scanning. Differences in the application of these theories are seen among low, middle and high income countries. Rationalism and mixed scanning theory were mostly applicable in high and middle income countries whereas incrementalism is mostly being used in LIC. Conclusion: The application of health planning theories in tobacco control program may differ depending on factors that influence the planning process mainly the economic and political factors as well as support from key players. Keywords: planning theories, planning characteristics, tobacco control program planning

ABSTRACT: Several studies have used various datasets and methodologies to analyze the relationship between bilateral trade and income convergence among trading partners. However, most studies have not paid attention to the effect that income levels and nature of bilateral trade have on the speed of income convergence. In this paper, we argue that the income levels of trading partners and the nature of bilateral trade play important role in the relationship between bilateral trade and international income convergence. To account for the effect of income levels of trading partners, this paper presents an approach that explicitly accounts for bilateral trade among high-income (OECD) countries, bilateral trade between high-income and low-income (SSA) countries, and bilateral trade among low-income (SSA) countries. We also used total trade data for 25 OECD countries and 30 Sub-Saharan African countries over the period 1980-2018 to avoid the potential bias for selecting certain countries based on arbitrary percentage of trade relationship. We used the 2SLS estimations technique to avoid endogeneity problems due to the nature of the dataset. The paper finds that the bilateral trade-income convergence relationship for OECD to SSA is the strongest. This result throws light on the claim that the nature of bilateral trade between high-income and low-income countries promotes one directional knowledge spillover from high-income to low-income countries which enables low-income countries to adopt new technologies and grow faster than their high-income counterparts. Also, bilateral trade among OECD countries, which mostly comprises of differentiated products, promotes descent income convergence among them. However, bilateral trade among SSA countries has the least effect on income convergence. Findings of the study have important implications for bilateral trade among low-income countries and between low income and high income countries. First, if SSA countries want to develop and catch up with their rich counterparts, they should continue to promote free trade with high income countries by dismantling remaining protection policies. Second, the African Continental Free Trade Area's (AfCFTA) efforts to boost the manufacturing sector through industrialization is in the right direction to promote the production of more differentiated products in Africa which will create growth in income for member countries as they trade more. Finally, there is the need for SSA countries to increase investment rates and improve human capital accumulation to enable them to accelerate the adoption of new technologies and grow faster than their high-income counterparts, while bridging the income gap between them through trade.

Background. The increased number of publication of time series studies of the short term effects of weather on daily mortality facilitates a more detailed comparison of temperature- (and rainfall) mortality functions across populations. There is a lack of evidence regarding weather effects in tropical and sub-tropical climates. Aims. To review published studies on weather effects on daily mortality in low, middle and high income countries, and describe important differences in response functions between populations. Methods. Review published studies that quantify the impact of temperature and rainfall on daily mortality outcomes in populations in high, middle and low income countries. Results: Published studies from low income countries or in tropical climates include several from the CLIMIMO collaboration that used demographic surveillance data from the inDEPTH network. Both high and low temperatures increase the risk of acute mortality in most populations in low and middle-income countries, with cold effects dominating in some populations. The heat and cold effect estimates (slopes) and thresholds are quite heterogeneous. Differences in effects in adults, children and the elderly reflect the underlying disease profiles, particularly where mortality from infectious diseases is high. Rainfall effects are particularly important in rural populations where malaria mortality is high. Conclusions: Population specific weather-health relationships are determined by climate and non-climate factors. Urban and rural populations in low and middle income settings have different health profiles and socio-economic determinants of health status which make them more susceptible to weather effects, particularly in children. Epidemiological analyses can provide limited information on the causal mechanisms by which environmental temperature and rainfall affect acute mortality. Lack of long-term and daily time series data on health outcomes in low income settings remains a limitation to research on short-term health effects.

BackgroundThe role of socio-cultural factors in influencing access to HIV/AIDS treatment, care and support is increasingly recognized by researchers, international donors and policy makers. Although many of them have been identified through qualitative studies, the evidence gathered by quantitative studies has not been systematically analysed. To fill this knowledge gap, we did a systematic review of quantitative studies comparing surveys done in high and low income countries to assess the extent to which socio-cultural determinants of access, identified through qualitative studies, have been addressed in epidemiological survey studies.MethodsTen electronic databases were searched (Cinahl, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, IBSS, JSTOR, MedLine, Psyinfo, Psyindex and Cochrane). Two independent reviewers selected eligible publications based on the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was used to synthesize data comparing studies between low and high income countries.ResultsThirty-four studies were included in the final review, 21 (62%) done in high income countries and 13 (38%) in low income countries. In low income settings, epidemiological research on access to HIV/AIDS services focused on socio-economic and health system factors while in high income countries the focus was on medical and psychosocial factors. These differences depict the perceived different barriers in the two regions. Common factors between the two regions were also found to affect HIV testing, including stigma, high risk sexual behaviours such as multiple sexual partners and not using condoms, and alcohol abuse. On the other hand, having experienced previous illness or other health conditions and good family communication was associated with adherence to ART uptake. Due to insufficient consistent data, a meta-analysis was only possible on adherence to treatment.ConclusionsThis review offers evidence of the current challenges for interdisciplinary work in epidemiology and public health. Quantitative studies did not systematically address in their surveys important factors identified in qualitative studies as playing a critical role on the access to HIV/AIDS services. The evidences suggest that the problem lies in the exclusion of the qualitative information during the questionnaire design. With the changing face of the epidemic, we need a new and improved research strategy that integrates the results of qualitative studies into quantitative surveys.

BackgroundPrevious meta-analyses regarding the performance of interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) for tuberculosis diagnosis in children yielded contrasting results, probably due to different inclusion/exclusion criteria.MethodsWe systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane databases and calculated pooled estimates of sensitivities and specificities of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In Tube (QFT-G-IT), T-SPOT.TB, and tuberculin skin test (TST). Several sub-analysis were performed: stratification by background (low income vs. high income countries); including only microbiological confirmed TB cases; including only studies performing a simultaneous three-way comparison of the three tests, and including immunocompromised children.ResultsOverall, 31 studies (6183 children) for QFT-G-IT, 14 studies (2518 children) for T-SPOT.TB and 34 studies (6439 children) for TST were included in the analyses. In high income countries QFT-G-IT sensitivity was 0.79 (95%IC: 0.75-0.82) considering all the studies, 0.78 (95%CI:0.70-0.84) including only studies performing a simultaneous three-way comparison and 0.86 (95%IC 0.81-0.90) considering only microbiologically confirmed studies. In the same analyses T-SPOT.TB sensitivity was 0.67 (95%IC 0.62-0.73); 0.76 (95%CI: 0.68 to 0.83); and 0.79 (95%IC 0.69-0.87), respectively. In low income countries QFT-G-IT pooled sensitivity was significantly lower: 0.57 (95%IC:0.52-0.61), considering all the studies, and 0.66 (95%IC 0.55-0.76) considering only microbiologically confirmed cases; while T-SPOT.TB sensitivity was 0.61 (95%IC 0.57-0.65) overall, but reached 0.80 (95%IC 0.73-0.86) in microbiologically confirmed cases. In microbiologically confirmed cases TST sensitivity was similar: 0.86 (95%IC 0.79-0.91) in high income countries, and 0.74 (95%IC 0.68-0.80) in low income countries. Higher IGRAs specificity with respect to TST was observed in high income countries (97-98% vs. 92%) but not in low income countries (85-93% vs. 90%).ConclusionsBoth IGRAs showed no better performance than TST in low income countries.

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has transitioned to a third phase and many variants have been originated. There has been millions of lives loss as well as billions in economic loss. The morbidity and mortality for COVID-19 varies by country. There were different preventive approaches and public restrictions policies have been applied to control the COVID-19 impacts and usually measured by Stringency Index. This study aimed to explore the COVID-19 trend, public restriction policies and vaccination status with economic ranking of countries.MethodsWe received open access data from Our World in Data. Data from 210 countries were available. Countries (n = 110) data related to testing, which is a key variable in the present study, were included for the analysis and remaining 100 countries were excluded due to incomplete data. The analysis period was set between January 22, 2020 (when COVID-19 was first officially reported) and December 28, 2021. All analyses were stratified by year and the World Bank income group. To analyze the associations among the major variables, we used a longitudinal fixed-effects model.ResultsOut of the 110 countries included in our analysis, there were 9 (8.18%), 25 (22.72%), 31 (28.18%), and 45 (40.90%) countries from low income countries (LIC), low and middle income countries (LMIC), upper middle income countries (UMIC) and high income countries (HIC) respectively. New case per million was similar in LMIC, UMIC and HIC but lower in LIC. The number of new COVID-19 test were reduced in HIC and LMIC but similar in UMIC and LIC. Stringency Index was negligible in LIC and similar in LMIC, UMIC and HIC. New positivity rate increased in LMIC and UMIC. The daily incidence rate was positively correlated with the daily mortality rate in both 2020 and 2021. In 2020, Stringency Index was positive in LIC and HIC but a negative association in LMIC and in 2021 there was a positive association between UMIC and HIC. Vaccination coverage did not appear to change with mortality in 2021.ConclusionNew COVID-19 cases, tests, vaccinations, positivity rates, and Stringency indices were low in LIC and highest in UMIC. Our findings suggest that the available resources of COVID-19 pandemic would be allocated by need of countries; LIC and UMIC.

Telecommunications industry efficiency: A comparative analysis of high and middle income countries

This paper summarizes the findings for the European Region of the WPA Task Force on Steps, Obstacles and Mistakes to Avoid in the Implementation of Community Mental Health Care. The article presents a description of the region, an overview of mental health policies and legislation, a summary of relevant research in the region, a precis of community mental health services, a discussion of the key lessons learned, and some recommendations for the future.

Global priorities of civil society for mental health services: findings from a 53 country survey.

To determine the avoidable causes of childhood blindness in Malaysia and to compare this to other middle income countries, low income countries and high income countries. Data were obtained from a school of the blind study by Patel et al. and analysed for avoidable causes of childhood blindness. Six other studies with previously published data on childhood blindness in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Indonesia, China and the United Kingdom were reviewed for avoidable causes. Comparisons of data and limitations of the studies are described. Prevalence of avoidable causes of childhood blindness in Malaysia is 50.5% of all the cases of childhood blindness, whilst in the poor income countries such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Indonesia, the prevalence was in excess of 60%. China had a low prevalence, but this is largely due to the fact that most schools were urban, and thus did not represent the situation of the country. High income countries had the lowest prevalence of avoidable childhood blindness. In middle income countries, such as Malaysia, cataract and retinopathy of prematurity are the main causes of avoidable childhood blindness. Low income countries continue to struggle with infections such as measles and nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin A, both of which are the main contributors to childhood blindness. In high income countries, such as the United Kingdom, these problems are almost non-existent.