Low Development Countries Research Articles

Effects of screening coverage and screening quality assurance on cervical cancer mortality: Implication for integrated framework to monitor global implementation of cervical cancer screening programmes.

Cervical cancer is a global health threat and a manifestation of inequality, and screening is an effective intervention. However, little is known about how screening coverage and quality assurance, influence cervical cancer mortality. We aimed to investigate the association between screening coverage, screening quality assurance and cervical cancer mortality among women from countries at different developmental levels. We obtained data on age-standardised mortality from cervical cancer from the GLOBOCAN 2020 database; coverage of cervical cancer screening from World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Observatory; and cervical screening programme settings and quality assurance from the Cancer Screening in Five Continents (CanScreen5) database. We assessed the dependency of cervical cancer age-standardised mortality on screening coverage and quality assurance by simple and multiple regression models. We also used linear regression models to identify factors that improved the screening coverage. The study included data from 53 countries. Reduced mortality was associated with increased screening programme quality assurance in 22 high-development countries. In 31 low-development countries, screening coverage in women aged 30-49 years was inversely associated with cervical cancer mortality. Political commitment (documentation of the cervical cancer screening policy as law) and financial support (treatment services provided free of charge) positively associated with screening coverage. Screening programmes need strengthening commensurate with local resources and context. Priority should be given to improving screening coverage through stronger political commitment and financial support in low-development countries, and to ensuring good performance at all levels in high-development countries.

Nonlinear impact of financial inclusion on tax revenue: evidence from the Monte-Carlo simulation algorithm under the Bayesian approach

PurposeThis article aims to study the nonlinear effect of financial inclusion on tax revenue of 21 low financial development countries (LFDCs) and 22 high financial development countries (HFDCs) from 2004 to 2020.Design/methodology/approachThe study calculates the world average financial development index (FD̅) for all countries using data from the IMF. The average FD of HFDCs is higher than (FD̅). On the other hand, the average FD of LFDCs is lower than (FD̅). Data of 21 LFDCs and 22 HFDCs cover the period 2004–2020. With the small sample problem, we applied the Bayesian method to examine the nonlinear effect of financial inclusion on the tax revenue of the two groups of countries.FindingsUsing the Bayesian method, the results show that financial inclusion negatively impacts tax revenue with an absolute probability of 100% in LFDCs and a lower probability of 92.45% in HFDCs. Additionally, the financial inclusion threshold at LFDCs is 18.90. Below this threshold, financial inclusion promotes tax revenue with a 100% probability. On the contrary, when financial inclusion exceeds the threshold, it will have a negative effect on tax revenue. Similarly, the financial inclusion threshold at HFDCs is 20.14, with a probability of 92.45%.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to examine the nonlinear impact of financial inclusion on tax revenue in high and low financial development countries.

MACROECONOMIC FACTORS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IN LOW DEVELOPING COUNTRIES FOR EXAMPLE ZAMBIA

Currently, the issue of the influence of economic growth factors in low-development countries on the policy of improving economic well-being is widely discussed. The study showed that to the extent that government spending and rents on natural resources have a beneficial effect on GDP growth per capita, private direct investment affects economic growth significantly more than public investment. On the contrary, the increase in labor resources and inflation are holding back economic growth in these countries. This article examines the dynamics of Zambia's economic development, which has historically faced various problems, including dependence on copper exports, severe economic fluctuations and a low level of human capital quality. The authors emphasize the importance of diversification beyond the copper industry, as well as initiatives that promote agriculture, tourism, cultural development and renewable energy sources become potential paths for sustainable growth. The article also reviews the role of technology and innovation in moving Zambia towards a knowledge-based economy, contributing to increased competitiveness on the global stage. The Government should focus on improving infrastructure, especially in the fields of education and health, which play a key role in building up the country's human capital and export potential.

The role of intellectual and social capital in funding businesses: a cross-country analysis

ObjetivoEl estudio tiene como objetivo examinar el impacto del capital intelectual y social en la financiación de las empresas.Diseño/metodología/enfoqueUtilizamos modelos de datos de panel de efectos fijos con una muestra de 142 países de los cinco continentes durante el periodo 1998-2018.ResultadosEncontramos que el capital humano (CH), el capital relacional, el capital estructural y el capital social juegan un papel en las decisiones de los inversionistas para financiar un negocio. Encontramos que las decisiones de financiamiento de los inversionistas en los países con bajo índice de desarrollo humano se basan principalmente en la educación, mientras que las de los países con alto índice de desarrollo humano se basan principalmente en el componente de creatividad del CH y en el capital relacional, estructural y social.Limitaciones/implicaciones de la investigaciónSugerimos replicar el estudio utilizando datos a nivel de empresa dentro de cada país. Por otra parte, la búsqueda de nuevos indicadores de capital intelectual y social (aunque nuestra lista de variables es exhaustiva) tanto a nivel de país como de empresa, constituye una vía interesante para futuras investigaciones.Implicaciones prácticasLos países deben prestar atención al capital intelectual y social para fomentar la actividad empresarial. En particular, los países con bajo desarrollo humano deberían fortalecer el CH, como la tasa de matriculación escolar, con una formación empresarial temprana y aumentar las inversiones en investigación y desarrollo, mientras que los países con un alto nivel de desarrollo humano deberían seguir fomentando las alianzas estratégicas, proteger la propiedad intelectual y mantener o aumentar el nivel de confianza en el país.Originalidad/valorEl estudio contribuye a la literatura al ser el primero en explorar tal variedad de variables de capital intelectual y social desde una perspectiva a nivel de país.

Digital financial inclusion in the context of financial development: Environmental destruction or the driving force for technological advancement

This study employs the panel vector autoregression model to investigate how digital financial inclusion (DFI), technological advancement, environmental conditions, and economic growth are interconnected in 16 low financial development countries (LFDCs) and 29 high financial development countries (HFDCs) from 2015 to 2020. The results of the impulse response function reveal that in LFDCs, DFI enhances environmental quality while promoting technological progress. However, this improvement in environmental quality results in a decline in economic growth in these countries. In HFDCs, the promotion of DFI results in economic growth; however, it is accompanied by a decrease in environmental quality. Furthermore, the results of variance decomposition demonstrate that the interconnection among DFI, economic growth, environmental quality, and technological progress is more closely related in LFDCs than in HFDCs. Based on the findings, we recommend relevant policy implications for the respective country groups.

Sustainable development: Driving force from the relationship between finance inclusion, green finance and green growth

AbstractThis paper studies sustainable development and its driving force—the linkage between financial inclusion, green finance and green growth in 14 low financial development countries (LFDCs) and 11 high financial development countries (HFDCs) from 2005 to 2019. Bayesian regression results show that when green finance is not taken into account, the probabilities that green GDP growth positively impacts sustainable development in HFDCs and LFDCs are 58.31% and 61.06%, respectively. The probability that financial inclusion positively impacts sustainable development in HFDCs is 88.34% and it is 100% in LFDCs. The interaction between green finance and financial inclusion positively impacts sustainable development in both groups of countries. In addition, this article also provides evidence that the rate of urbanization and trade openness positively affect sustainable development. In contrast, the rate of inflation and the population growth rate impact sustainable development negatively.

Relationship between financial inclusion, monetary policy and financial stability: An analysis in high financial development and low financial development countries

This article studies the linkage between financial inclusion, monetary policy and financial stability in 58 countries including 31 high financial development countries (HFDCs) and 27 low financial development countries (LFDCs) from 2004 to 2020 using the PVAR method. Results of impulse – response function suggest that in LFDCs, while financial inclusion and financial stability are positively correlated, they are negatively correlated with the inflation rate and the money supply growth rate. In HFDCs, financial inclusion is positively corelated with inflation rate and money supply growth rate, while financial stability is negatively correlated with financial inclusion, inflation rate and money supply growth rate. These findings imply that in LFDCs, financial inclusion increases financial stability and reduces inflation. In HFDCs, on the contrary, financial inclusion increases financial instability, leading to long-term inflation. The results of the variance decomposition confirm the above outcomes, specifically, this relationship is clearer in HFDCs. From the above findings, we propose some policy recommendations on financial inclusion and monetary policy for financial stability for each group of countries.

Let the data speak about the cut-off values for multidimensional index: Classification of human development index with machine learning

The Human Development Index (HDI) classification is essential as it relates to international aid policies and business strategies. Although the existing literature has criticized the arbitrariness of cut-off values of the HDI, few proposed an ideal approach to overcome this drawback. This paper first employs the unsupervised machine learning techniques, the K-means clustering and Partitioning Around Medoids algorithms, to cluster the HDI and offers more reasonable cut-off values for classifying countries in combination with the current HDI calculation method. The results indicate that we can group the countries worldwide into three clusters, given the 2018 HDI dataset. We suggest cut-off values of 0.65 and 0.85 to classify low, medium, and high human development countries. This paper provides a new perspective to classifying the HDI based on the similarity of countries’ development but not subjective judgments.

The agricultural futures market in low development countries: a policy to respond to the volatility of prices?

This work discusses the possibility, or rather the effectiveness, of the use of agricultural futures as a means of hedging to minimize exposure to price risk. In particular, the analysis refers to "low-development countries" (LDCs), countries in which agricultural products play a prominent role and in which the process of market liberalization, which took place following the removal of state intervention, is determining an increasing exposure to price volatility. Knight's uncertainty is said to make both producers and speculators more risk averse, hence more conservative. In particular, when the futures price is well above the expected spot price (adjusted for the Knightian uncertainty), the optimal position for the producer is a total hedge of his production, while the optimal position for the speculator consists in not operating at all in the market. We can limit ourselves to observing that if a single producer and a single speculator operate in the market, the equilibria that can be reached are three: of complete exchange, of non-exchange and of partial exchange. The possibility of obtaining one of the three equilibria depends on the degree of risk aversion and the degree of Knightian uncertainty possessed by each of the two different subjects. Access to the capital market is a crucial element for the development of agriculture, both in the start-up phase and in the improvement phase. The search for new capital and new tools to facilitate market access requires a high degree of trust on the part of financial market operators, a trust that is often compromised by the low profitability of loans and the high risk associated with them. The exposure to risk of agricultural activities limits, in fact, the interest of traditional finance, reducing the availability of capital to the few remaining resources within the sector itself after the flight to more attractive alternative uses. Hence the need to introduce new financial and insurance techniques and services, such as to guarantee the agricultural sector the capital necessary for growth and, at the same time, attractive return opportunities for investors. Specifically, it is stated that one of the most profitable paths to follow in this regard is implementation within all EU member states of particular agricultural reforms that introduce risk management techniques in agriculture already successfully implemented by the U.S.A.1

Foreign ownership and productivity

This study examines the impact of foreign ownership on firm productivity in private firms, employing the World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES) dataset, which includes over 120, 000 firms from 139 countries. We find strong and robust evidence that foreign ownership is positively related to firm productivity. We then explore possible channels through which foreign ownership could impact firm productivity. Firms with foreign ownership are more likely to engage in innovation, telecommunication, and labor cost reduction, and less likely to face financial constraints. Moreover, the foreign-productivity relationship is more pronounced in medium/large firms than in small firms. Countries with medium institutional development or collectivistic countries stand to benefit more from foreign investment than countries with either low or high institutional development or individualistic countries do.

Natural resource effect on child health outcomes in a multifactor health production model in developing countries

PurposeThis study investigates if wealth from natural resources impacts child health in developing countries.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology includes testing the effect of rents from natural resources on under-five mortality rates using a multifactor health production model for 57 developing nations. The panel estimation procedure was applied to data covering 2002 to 2017, disaggregated by non-renewable and renewable resources and low and medium human development countries.FindingsThe results provide strong evidence that wealth from total natural resources has not been associated with reductions in under-five mortality rates. However, disaggregation of the sample countries by natural resource constituents revealed that only the wealth of non-renewable is strongly inversely associated with under-five mortality rates. Further disaggregation of countries by the low and medium human development constituents revealed a statistically insignificant negative correlation of non-renewable resources wealth and under-five mortality in the low human development countries. In contrast, the results of the medium human development countries revealed that wealth from natural resources (both non-renewable and renewable) had not been associated with any reductions in under-five mortality rates. The results also confirm that immunization levels, nutrition, private spending on health care, air quality, urban living and countries closer to the equator are other strong correlates of under-five mortality rates in low human development countries.Social implicationsThe findings here have implications for the timely achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (to reduce under-five deaths to around 25 per 1,000 live births by 2030). Governments ought to ensure that incomes from the extractive sector are aligned in forms that promote and feed into improving child health wellbeing.Originality/valueThis research creates a shift from aggregate health wellbeing research agenda to investigate how specific aspects of human development can be linked to wealth from non-renewable and renewable natural resources in developing nations. It adds new knowledge and provides health and natural resources policymakers opportunities to combine their policies and synergize efforts to improve child health outcomes.

The extent and distribution of joint conservation-development funding in the tropics

Despite ongoing debates about the viability of sustaining economic growth while maintaining environmental integrity, international sustainability agendas increasingly propose reconciling socio-economic development and global environmental goals. Achieving these goals is impeded by limited funding and a lack of information on where financial flows to integrate environment and development are targeted. We analyze World Bank and Global Environment Facility data to investigate the extent and distribution of such funding across the tropics. We find a misalignment between funding flows and need with highly biodiverse, low development (HBLD) countries receiving no more funding than non-HBLD countries. Countries with low biodiversity receive more funding than highly biodiverse countries and there was no statistical association between a country's development status and funds received. Rather than environment-development need, funding appears to be driven by governance and political-economic factors. Future research should investigate how such factors and funding flows are associated with conservation and development outcomes. This study analyzes 381 projects of the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) concluded between 1995 and 2013 to show how much money is spent on joint conservation and development in the tropics, where the money is directed, whether it is directed to areas of greatest environmental and development need, and finally what factors drive funding allocation decisions. The total extent of funding was US$16.5 billion across 75 countries, representing approximately US$870 million per year. Countries with high biodiversity and low human development receive no more funding for integrated conservation and development than other countries. Notably, countries with a low biodiversity status receive relatively more funding than highly biodiverse countries and there was no association between development need and funds received. Therefore, we find that neither biodiversity nor human development status explain funding allocation, but rather that governance and political-economic factors are most likely more influential. This study analyzes the extent and distribution of World Bank and GEF funding for joint conservation and development in the tropics, whether it is directed to areas of greatest environmental and development need, and finally what factors drive funding allocation decisions. Total spending was US$16.5 billion across 75 countries. We find that neither biodiversity nor HDI status are driving funding allocation, but rather that governance and political-economic factors are most likely more influential. © 2020 The Authors

Educational expectations of professionals who teach in primary health care in Chile

ABSTRACTWith more emphasis on primary health care (PHC) both in the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum, there is an increasing demand for high quality teaching in PHC centres. Professionals in low- and middle-income countries often have little training in teaching. Countries where family medicine is more highly developed may play an important role in supporting training the trainers in low and mid development countries. However, the needs of these PHC teachers may differ. We explored the needs of professionals who teach in PHC in Chile through an online survey and focus groups.All the domains of competence of a clinical educator were considered to be important for training by >83% of the questionnaire respondents. Ninety percent of the respondents agreed that PHC professionals should be permitted to attend courses about teaching; 79% preferred blended learning: a combination of face-to-face training and online education.Three themes emerged in the focus groups. 1) The specific role of the teacher in PHC. 2) The challenges faced by teachers in PHC. 3) Intuitive teaching. This was an unexpected emergent theme that reflected the desire of the teachers to analyse and reflect on their teaching.There are enthusiastic and dedicated professionals in PHC in Chile with a strong felt-need for teacher training.

An Analysis of Inter-relationship between Maternal Mortality and Development in Low Human Development Countries

This paper is an attempt to examine the inter-relationship between Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) with human and economic development in 15 Low Human Development (LHD) countries. The study is purely based on secondary sources of data. The correlation, regression, normality test and factor analysis have been used to interpret the data. It has found from the bi-variate correlation that in LHD countries, only Life Expectancy at Birth (LEB) has significant relationship with Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), and none of other parameters have significant association with MMR. It has found from the factor and regression analysis that GDP per capita and gender inequality have significantly determined the level of MMR. Accordingly, in LHD countries still income has major role in determination of MMR and gender issues also play considerable role in determination of MMR. As it has been identified, income is a necessary condition for reduction of MMR. Therefore, in LHD countries, there is a need to increase income at foster rate in order to fight against high level of MMR. And there is also need to reduce the gender inequality to reduce the MMR.

Empirical Research on Decent Work: A Literature Review

Decent work is the sum of people’s aspirations in their working lives. This article aims to report the results of a systematically conducted literature review of empirical research concerning decent work. Electronic databases B-On and EBESCO host, using the keywords ‘decent work’ in the ‘title’ and ‘abstract’, yielded 689 citations. After a two-stage application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 38 articles were retained for analysis. All studies were conducted between 2003 and 2017. The studies focused on work conditions in the case of decent work deficit, those workers not benefiting from decent work conditions, and what is necessary for the existence of decent work. Study samples consisted typically of workers from different sectors and countries. Data collection was mainly by interview or institutional statistical databases and most studies were descriptive and cross-sectional. The results of this review show that empirical research on decent work is grounded in various disciplines and is still in its early stages. Additionally, most studies report decent work deficit and do not cover the whole decent work concept. Medium, low, and very low development countries are under-researched.

Incidência e Mortalidade por Câncer entre Crianças e Adolescentes: uma Revisão Narrativa

Introdução: O câncer em crianças e adolescentes com idade entre 0-19 anos configura-se como um problema de saúde pública tanto nos países desenvolvidos como nos países em desenvolvimento. É considerado raro e distinto quando comparado com o câncer em adultos. Apresenta padrões de incidência e mortalidade que variam em todo mundo, sendo que aproximadamente 80% dos cânceres infantis ocorrem nos países com baixo índice de desenvolvimento humano, com acesso aos serviços de cuidado à saúde de baixa qualidade. Objetivo: Apresentar um panorama geral do câncer em crianças e adolescentes com idade entre 0-19 anos com ênfase na descrição dos resultados de estudos de base populacional para incidência e mortalidade nas diferentes regiões geográficas no Mundo e no Brasil. Resultados: As taxas de incidência gerais para o câncer em crianças e adolescentes com idade entre 0-19 variaram entre 50 e 200 casos por milhão por ano em diferentes países e continentes. No Brasil, a mediana das taxas a incidência foi de 154,3 por milhão. A mortalidade apresentou declínio em várias partes do mundo, sendo considerada a segunda causa de morte em países desenvolvidos. Conclusão: As informações dos registros de câncer são indispensáveis no enfrentamento do câncer na população pediátrica, principalmente nos países em desenvolvimento, onde o impacto do câncer é pouco conhecido, ao passo que seu efeito sobre a população está aumentando. Melhorias na adoção de estratégias de tratamento integrado devem ser consideradas para melhorar as taxas de mortalidade por câncer em crianças e adolescentes no Brasil e no Mundo.

Half a degree and rapid socioeconomic development matter for heatwave risk

While every society can be exposed to heatwaves, some people suffer far less harm and recover more quickly than others from their occurrence. Here we project indicators of global heatwave risk associated with global warming of 1.5 and 2 °C, specified by the Paris agreement, for two future pathways of societal development representing low and high vulnerability conditions. Results suggest that at the 1.5 °C warming level, heatwave exposure in 2075 estimated for the population living in low development countries is expected to be greater than exposure at the warming level of 2 °C for the population living in very high development countries. A similar result holds for an illustrative heatwave risk index. However, the projected difference in heatwave exposure and the illustrative risk index for the low and very high development countries will be significantly reduced if global warming is stabilized below 1.5 °C, and in the presence of rapid social development.

Mitigating Fatalities and Damages Due to Natural Disasters: Do Human Development and Corruption Matters?

Studies have shown that natural disasters could pose a spectrum of challenges to human development, especially in developing countries. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP, 2004)) estimates that low human development countries accounted for more than half of reported casualties due to natural disasters for the last two decades. The study also estimates that nearly 85 percent of the people exposed to natural disasters live in either medium or low human development countries. Other related studies have shown that corrupted officials in poor countries would increase the vulnerability of these countries to natural disasters. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to investigate the impact of human development indicators, such as income per capita and human capital development (education level), as well as corruption (a measure of governance) on fatalities and damages due to natural disasters in selected 77 developing countries. By employing the two-step system GMM estimators, we identified several economic variables that are significantly related to fatalities and property damages due to natural disasters, such as flood, storm, earthquake, landslides, drought, extreme temperature, wildfire, and volcanic eruption. By exploring the impact of economic development, population density, unemployment rate, investment, government consumption expenditure, education, openness, and corruption, on disaster preparedness, it would be useful for both government and international disaster risk reduction and mitigation agencies to re-evaluate their approach towards target recipients in the future.

Dietary Patterns of Children and Adolescents from High, Medium and Low Human Development Countries and Associated Socioeconomic Factors: A Systematic Review.

The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the associations among education, income and dietary pattern (DP) in children and adolescents from high, medium and low human development countries (HHDC, MHDC and LHDC, respectively). Observational studies that evaluated the association between family income or education with the DP are obtained through electronic database searches. Forty articles are selected for review. In HHDC, education is inversely associated with “unhealthy” DP and positively associated with “healthy” DP. In cross-sectional studies from HHDC, higher income is negatively associated with “unhealthy” DP. In MHDC, there is no association between the socioeconomic variables (SE) and the DPs, although, in some studies, the unhealthy diet is positively associated with SE. Only one study conducted in LHDC showed an inverse association between income/education with “unhealthy” DP and there is no association between the SE and “healthy” DP. In conclusion, children and adolescents living in HHDC with high parental education tend to have a healthier diet. In MHDC, although an unhealthy diet is found among the high-income and educated population, the associations are not clear. Additional research is needed to clarify the associations between income and education with “unhealthy” and “healthy” DPs in MHDC and LHDC.

Os impactos da abertura comercial e do investimento direto sobre o investimento doméstico

Abstract The aim of this study is to estimate the effects of trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) on domestic investment and test whether these effects depend on the level of income and financial development of countries. For this, the present study modifies the dynamic panel models with threshold effect proposed by Kremer, Bick and Nautz (2013) allowing a greater number of endogenous regressors and uses a data base composed of 95 countries in the period from 1985 to 2013. The results suggest that trade positively affects domestic investment. However, the effect of FDI on domestic investment is negative in both income regimes and in low financial development countries.