Middle Africa Research Articles

Assessment of COVID-19 Treatment Advised in Different Ethnic Populations.

A virus is an infectious agent that can only replicate within a host organism and can infect a variety of living organisms, including bacteria, plants, and animals. Viruses are so small that a microscope is necessary to visualize them, and they have a very simple structure. A coronavirus is a group of viruses that can cause diseases, for instance, the basic cold, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The patients affected with the COVID-19 infection will encounter respiratory sickness and can recuperate without requiring normal therapy. Individuals with clinical issues like cardiovascular problems, diabetes, and respiratory illness will suffer from the ailment. COVID-19 disease spreads through aerosols or the nose when an infected individual hacks or sneezes. In 2019, a new disease, known as novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), was discovered in China, and on March 11, 2020, it was declared a pandemic disease by the World Health Organization (WHO), spreading rapidly across 194 countries in Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa. The best way to stop the spread of the transmission is to be instructed about COVID-19 and how it spreads. In this survey, we are endeavoring to focus on the drugs and vaccines that are used for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19.

E-16 | Contemporary In-Hospital Outcomes of Chronic Total Occlusion Interventions: Update from MENATA (Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and Asia) Chapter of the PROGRESS-CTO Registry

E-16 | Contemporary In-Hospital Outcomes of Chronic Total Occlusion Interventions: Update from MENATA (Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and Asia) Chapter of the PROGRESS-CTO Registry

Seeing Mediterranean

Food columnist Craig Claiborne wrote in 1988 that Mediterranean food had been named the “latest culinary trend,” noting the “flood” of restaurants, cookbooks, and even a diet book that were “riding the Mediterranean wave.” This so-called trend, the culinary Mediterranean that appeared in the American press of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, was of course a constructed geography. One of the things that makes it intriguing today is what it can tell us about historically constructed categories of race, religion, and ethnicity that marked diverse Middle Eastern and North African peoples who made homes for themselves in the United States in the twentieth century. Representations of this newly popular, supposedly unitary, Mediterranean cuisine filtered into the press in ways that noticeably skewed away from the actual Mediterranean peoples who had originated it, and especially away from those Mediterraneans who were Muslim or Arab. To see how the Middle East and North Africa gradually became “Mediterranean” in the American press, I examine how journalists initially distinguished European Mediterranean foodways from what they saw as orientalist cuisines to the south and east. I then trace the growing popularity of these “exotic” cuisines as the boundaries of the Mediterranean expanded to absorb them into a seemingly postcolonial frame whose imperial and Eurocentric legacies nonetheless remained vividly in place. Finally, I point toward tactical choices made by some members of Middle Eastern and North African diasporas to make their voices and agendas heard in rendering their cuisines accessible, and saleable, to American consumers.

Burden of polycystic ovary syndrome in the Middle East and North Africa region, 1990\u20132019

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most important contributing factors to infertility. In this study, we report the burden of PCOS by age and sociodemographic index (SDI) for the 21 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Publicly available data on the point prevalence, incidence and years lived with disability (YLDs), from 1990 to 2019, were retrieved from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 study for the 21 countries in MENA. The results are presented with age-standardised numbers and rates per 100,000 population, along with their corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). In 2019, the age-standardised point prevalence and incidence rate for PCOS in the MENA region were 2079.7 (95% UI: 1392.0 to 2812.3) and 77.2 (95% UI: 51.6 to 105.4) per 100,000, respectively, which represents a 37.9% (95% UI: 31.7 to 45.0) and a 33.7% (95% UI: 27.7 to 40.3) increase since 1990, respectively. Also in 2019, the age-standardised YLD rate of PCOS in this region was 18.7 (95% UI: 7.8 to 37.9) per 100,000 women, which has increased by 36.1% (95% UI: 29.4 to 43.4) since 1990. Kuwait [25.4 (10.7, 51.2)] had the highest age-standardised YLD rate, while Afghanistan [10.8 (10.1, 49.2)] had the lowest. Moreover, the largest increase in the YLD rate, from 1990 to 2019, was seen in Sudan [90.3% (64.1, 120.9)], whereas no country decreased during the measurement period. The total prevalent number and point prevalence of PCOS (per 100,000) were both highest in the 20–24 age group. The prevalence of PCOS was highest among women of reproductive age, but decreased rapidly after 45 years of age. Moreover, at the country level there was a positive association between SDI and the age-standardised YLD rates of PCOS. The growing prevalence and burden of PCOS in the MENA region highlights the need to implement cost-effective preventive programs, especially for women in their third decade of life, and in MENA countries with higher SDI levels.

Strategic Recommendations to Bridge the Gaps in Awareness, Diagnosis and Prevention of Heart Failure in the Middle East Region and Africa.

ObjectiveWith the increasing burden of heart failure (HF) in the Middle East Region and Africa (MEA), it is imperative to shift the focus to prevention and early detection of cardiovascular diseases. We present a broad consensus of the real-world challenges and strategic recommendations for optimising HF care in the MEA region.MethodTo bridge the gaps in awareness, prevention, and diagnosis of HF, an assembly of experts from MEA shared their collective opinions on the urgent unmet needs.ResultsLack of awareness in the community, high prevalence of risk factors, poor accessibility and affordability of care and diagnostics are the major barriers for delayed or missed diagnosis of HF in MEA. Enhancing patient awareness, through digital or social media campaigns, alongside raising knowledge of healthcare providers and policymakers with training programmes, can pave the way for influencing policy decisions and implementation of robust HF programmes. Multicountry registries can foster development of guidelines factoring in local challenges and roadblocks for HF care. Region-specific guidelines including simplified diagnostic algorithms can provide a blueprint of care for early detection of at-risk patients and facilitate efficient referral, thus mitigating clinician “therapeutic inertia.” Multidisciplinary care teams and HF clinics with expanded role of nurses can streamline lifestyle modification and optimum control of dyslipidaemia, blood pressure, and glycaemia through guideline-recommended prevention therapies such as sodiumglucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors—thus supporting pleiotropic effects in high-risk populations.ConclusionDevelopment of regional guidelines, enhancing awareness, leveraging digital technology, and commitment for adequate funding and reimbursement is pivotal for overcoming structural and health system-related barriers in the MEA region.

Desert soilization: Let scientific principles and facts speak

Desert soilization: Let scientific principles and facts speak

Assessment approaches of English language teachers in the Saudi higher education context

Assessment approaches including assessment purposes, assessment processes, fairness, and measurement theory, and English teachers’ professional development needs remain underexplored in the Middle East and North Africa regions. This study provided empirical evidence on English language teachers approaches in the Saudi higher education context. A survey was used to examine the teachers’ current approaches to classroom assessment. A total of 287 subjects (191 women and 94 men) participated in the survey. The results revealed that both the male and female participants valued and endorsed assessments alike. However, female participants were found to value assessment purposes more than their male counterparts. Fairness in assessment approaches was the least valued item in teachers’ identified assessment approaches. Experienced teachers who identified themselves as competent in their role valued assessment fairness and measurement theory more than novice teachers. The present work broadens our knowledge on teachers’ assessment approaches in relation to gender, career stage, and academic position, which support interested researchers and policy-makers in decision-making regarding designing professional development programs.

Sovereign risk spillovers: A network approach

Understanding the global financial network for sovereign debt, particularly with a focus on interaction and spillover effects of sovereign risk, has become important for policy makers as they look to protect the stability of their economies. Using high dimensional Vector Autoregression techniques and network simulation on Sovereign Credit Default Swaps (CDS)’ data of 57 countries, we identify that the global sovereign CDS network is fully integrated as there is virtually no country without any connection to at least one specific node in the system. However, each country has a unique attribute in the network, as a risk exporter or importer and/or risk transmitter. Among developed countries, the US (unsurprisingly) holds the dominant position as a risk exporter while Germany is identified as a connecting country that transmits shocks. The most connected countries in the sovereign CDS network belong to the new European Union members. We examine possible drivers of the network relationships observed, in order to better understand the risk transmission process, and find that connections in the sovereign risk network are stronger within regional groups and countries with the same level of economic development. Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East and Africa have more interactive networks than Northern Western Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. We also identify that financial volatility and economic policy uncertainty increase the interactions in market-based default risk assessment.

Meta-transcriptomic analysis reveals an isolate of aphid lethal paralysis virus from Wisteria sinensis in Iran

Viral metagenomic analysis of wisteria leaf sample in Iran detected one dicistrovirus: aphid lethal paralysis virus (ALPV). The complete genome sequence of ALPV-Ir-Wi was 9824 nucleotides (nt) in length (excluding the 3′-poly(A) tail), and contained two ORFs, an intergenic untranslated region of 197 nt flanked by a 538 nt 5′ UTR and a 576 nt 3′ UTR. Comparison with 21 other ALPV genomic sequences from different parts of the world revealed that it most closely resembled the Turkish and Israeli isolates. Pairwise identity analysis showed significant variability in genome sequences among ALPV isolates with genomic nucleotide identities of 78.35–99.15%. In addition to codon mutations, insertions/deletions and recombination also contributed to genetic variability. To explore the genetic variation and molecular evolution of ALPV, ORF2 gene sequences of 18 non-recombinant isolates were analyzed. The isolates belonged to two principal clades (FST=0.614) and showed a considerable genetic diversity (0.140±0.01). Most populations were polyphyletic, indicating that they had not been isolated long enough to reach reciprocal monophyly. There was no significant correlation between genetic and geographical distances or host origins. Pairwise FST and Nm values showed a meaningful differentiation and relatively infrequent gene flow between two compared populations (the Middle East vs. East Asia, the Middle East vs. Africa), and moderate gene flow for East Asian and African populations. Genes in the ALPV genome were subject to strong purifying selection during evolution, and most codons were under negative selection or neutral evolution. The results indicated a relatively stable and conserved genomic composition with a low codon usage bias in all of the assayed ALPV coding sequences. Recombination, natural selection, gene flow, and founder effects were found to be the main evolutionary factors that can affect the genetic structure of ALPV populations.

Attacks on Educational Institutions.

Educational institutions around the world have long been targets of terrorist attacks. Schools, colleges, and universities often lack security measures against intentional threats and may be viewed as relatively easy, soft targets with high potential for mass casualties. The long-term psychosocial impact on children, youth, and survivors of terrorist attacks are significant and recovery remains a challenge. Deliberate attacks on students and children, in particular, can also often gain mass-media attention, provoke significant community unrest, and place a spotlight on the local government's inability to protect the vulnerable. This study is an epidemiological examination of all terrorism-related events targeting educational institutions from 1970-2019. Data collection was performed using a retrospective search through the Global Terrorism Database (GTD). The database was searched using the internal search functions for all events that occurred from January 1, 1970 - December 31, 2019. "Educational institutions" as a primary target type was selected for the purpose of this study and events were further sub-classified by country and attack type. All classifications were pre-determined by the GTD. The GTD listed 4,520 attacks against educational institutions, recording 3,732 deaths and 9,920 wounded. This accounted for 2.7% of all terrorist attacks (total 168,003 attacks against all target types). There has been a downtrend in attacks since the 2014 peak when 344 attacks were recorded that year. Pakistan recorded the most attacks with 969 events, followed by Afghanistan (369), India (311), and Iraq (279). The most common attack types included bombing/explosions (2290), facility/infrastructure attacks (636), armed assaults (628), hostage takings (kidnappings [415]), assassinations (357), unarmed assaults (72), unknown (67), hostage takings (barricade incidents [46]), and hijackings (9).Eight hundred seventy-three of the 4,520 attacks were recorded against teachers, professors, and instructors and 486 attacks were recorded against "other personnel" such as security and non-teaching staff. Terrorist attacks on educational institutions are rare but significant target types. In total, 41.2% of attacks on educational institutions occurred in South Asia, followed by 18.9% in the Middle East and North Africa. Western Europe and North America accounted for 3.9% and 3.6%, respectively. Educational institutions around the world should evaluate their risks and put in place appropriate hardening measures as well as preparedness and recovery plans to intentional threats.

IDF21-0174 Prevalence and Risk Factors of Vascular Complications in Type 2 Diabetes: DISCOVER Study-Middle East and Africa Cohort

Background: Vascular complications predominantly contribute to the burden in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), with nearly a third of adults worldwide affected with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Therefore the assessment of CVD and risk factors is key in T2DM management. Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of vascular complications and associated risk factors in people with T2DM initiating second-line glucose-lowering therapy in Middle East and Africa (MEA) cohort of the global DISCOVER study (NCT02322762; NCT02226822), a 3-year prospective observational study involving 15 992 patients in 38 countries. Method: Baseline cross-sectional analysis of MEA cohort (Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey and United Arab Emirates), describing microvascular and macrovascular complications prevalence and associated factors in T2DM patients recruited from primary and specialist healthcare settings. Prevalence was assessed as crude and standardized for age and sex. Multivariable analysis assessed factors associated with these complications. Results: 3525 patients were enrolled, mean age was 54.3±10.8 years, 52.5% were males and mean time since T2DM diagnosis was 74.6±64.4 months. Clinical characteristics (mean±SD) revealed HbA1c 8.7±1.7%, BMI 31.1±5.9 kg/m2, total cholesterol 191.3±47.1 mg/dL, LDL-C 116.7±40.8 mg/dL, HDL-C 43.5±12.5 mg/dL and triglycerides 188.3±142.0 mg/dL. 43.2% and 40.1% had history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia, respectively. Metformin monotherapy was the first-line therapy in 56.5% of cases, and metformin + sulphonylurea dual in 20.3%. Concomitant therapies included statins (42.2%), acetylsalicylic acid (22.4%), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (33.6%), and beta-blockers (12.1%). Crude and standardized prevalence of microvascular diseases were 17.7% and 16.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 16.8 - 17.0) and that of macrovascular complications were 10.7% and 8.7% (95% CI 8.6 - 8.8), respectively. Common vascular complications included coronary artery disease (8.5%), peripheral neuropathy (8.2%), erectile dysfunction (4.6%). Age, T2DM duration, male gender, history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia were significantly associated with microvascular and macrovascular complications (Table 1).Table 1Multivariate analysis for factors associated with microvascular and macrovascular complicationsFactorsMicrovascularMacrovascularOR (95% CI)P-valueOR (95% CI)P-valueAge (per 10-year increment)1.24 (1.12 – 1.39)<0.0011.58 (1.35 – 1.84)<0.001Sex (Male)1.33 (1.04 – 1.70)0.0211.71 (1.22 – 2.40)0.002Smoking StatusEx-smoker vs non-smoker1.27 (0.93 – 1.72)0.1352.50 (1.72 – 3.61)<0.001Current smoker vs non-smoker1.17 (0.87 – 1.56)0.3001.52 (1.01 – 2.26)0.042BMI (per 5 kg/m2 increment)1.03 (0.94 – 1.13)0.5141.12 (0.99 – 1.27)0.069HbA1C (per 1% increment)1.02 (0.96 – 1.09)0.4651.04 (0.95 – 1.13)0.372T2DM duration (per 1-year increment)1.00 (1.00 – 1.01)<0.0011.00 (1.00 – 1.01)<0.001Hyperlipidemia (Yes vs No)1.33 (1.07 – 1.65)0.0101.96 (1.46 – 2.63)<0.001Hypertension (Yes vs No)1.75 (1.40 – 2.19)<0.0012.84 (2.07 – 3.92)<0.001*OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval. Open table in a new tab *OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval. Discussion: Despite an early stage of T2DM progression, there was a substantial vascular complications burden confirmed by causal association with prominent risk factors, in patients mainly treated with metformin and metformin + sulphonylurea. Early cardiovascular preventive decisions are important as reflected in the guidelines.

Doctors' Perceptions of Rare Bone Disorders and X-Linked Hypophosphatemia: A Survey from Africa and the Middle East

Objectives To assess the perceptions of genetic and metabolic bone disorders with a focus on X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) in the Middle East and Africa. Materials and Methods An online survey of a convenience sample of physicians from relevant disciplines. The questions covered respondents' profiles, awareness of rare bone diseases, and XLH's burden, symptoms, and management. Results A total of 139 respondents were included in the analysis. Responses came from the Arabian Gulf (41.7%), Middle East (20.1%), North Africa (17.3%), and Sub-Saharan Africa (20.9%). The largest single specialty was endocrinology (41%). When asked, 16 (11.5%) could not know about any metabolic/genetic bone diseases, and 123 respondents (88.5%) stated that they could think/were aware of some metabolic/genetic bone diseases, 111 enumerated various genetic and metabolic disorders. When they were presented with a typical case scenario of XLH, 18.0% of the respondents admitted ignorance of any possibility. However, 82.0% indicated having some idea of the condition. Of the latter group, 109 provided suggestions for possible diagnosis; the top single diagnosis was XLH. A smaller proportion of adult physicians had patients with symptoms attributed to XLH. Around three-quarters of respondents were aware of conventional therapy for XLH with vitamin D and phosphate supplementation. However, 89.8% of respondents welcomed specific biological therapy. Conclusions Physicians are reasonably aware of XLH but have variable knowledge. They are unsatisfied with its conventional treatment. More in-depth knowledge of recognizing and modern management of bone metabolic and genetic conditions should be enhanced, particularly among adult physicians.

Challenges and recommendations for the management of asthma in the Middle East and Africa.

Clinical presentation of asthma is variable, and its diagnosis can be a major challenge in routine health-care practice, especially in low-and-middle-income countries. The aim of asthma management is to achieve optimal asthma control and to reduce the risk of asthma exacerbations and mortality. In the Middle East and in Africa (MEA), several patient- and physician-related factors lead to misdiagnosis and suboptimal management of asthma. A panel of experts comprising of specialists as well as general health-care professionals met to identify challenges and provide recommendations for the management of asthma in MEA. The major challenges identified for diagnosis of asthma were lack of adequate knowledge about the disease, lack of specialized diagnostic facilities, limited access to spirometry, and social stigma associated with asthma. The prime challenges for management of asthma in MEA were identified as overreliance on short-acting β-agonists (SABAs), underprescription of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), nonadherence to prescribed medications, and inadequate insurance coverage for its treatment. The experts endorsed adapting the Global Initiative for Asthma guidelines at country and regional levels for effective management of asthma and to alleviate the overuse of SABAs as reliever medications. Stringent control over SABA use, discouraging over-the-counter availability of SABA, and using as-needed low-dose ICS and formoterol as rescue medications in mild cases were suggested to reduce the overreliance on SABAs. Encouraging SABA alone-free clinical practice in both outpatient and emergency department settings is also imperative. We present the recommendations for the management of asthma along with proposed regional adaptations of international guidelines for MEA.

ЮНВТО Всемирная туристская Барометр, и статистическое приложение Обновленная информация, Март 2022 года

Перевод охватывает основные главы публикации. Отдельные главы публикуются на языке оригинала (Английский). Tourism enjoys strong start in 2022 while facing new uncertainties International tourism continued its recovery in January 2022, with much better performance compared to the weak start of 2021. World arrivals more than doubled (+130%) compared to January 2021, an increase of 18 million. This is the same increase as in the whole of 2021 compared to 2020. Despite the robust results, the pace of recovery in January was impacted by the Omicron variant and the re-introduction of travel restrictions in several destinations. Arrivals were at -67% in January 2022 compared to 2019, after reaching -60% in Q4 2021. All world regions enjoyed a significant rebound in January 2022 compared to the low levels of January 2021. Europe (+199%) and the Americas (+97%) continued to post the strongest results, though international arrivals were still around half of pre-pandemic levels (-53% and -52% respectively). The Middle East (+89%) and Africa (+51%) also saw growth in January 2022 over 2021, but these regions saw a drop of 63% and 69% respectively compared to 2019. While Asia and the Pacific recorded a 44% year-on-year increase, several destinations remained closed to non-essential travel resulting in the largest decrease in international arrivals over 2019 (-93%). By subregions, the best results were recorded in Western Europe which saw four times more arrivals in January 2022 than in 2021, but 58% less than in 2019. Additionally, the Caribbean (-38%) and Southern and Mediterranean Europe (-41%) showed the fastest rates of recovery towards 2019 levels. After the unprecedented growth of 2022 and 2021, international tourism is expected to continue its gradual recovery in 2022. As of 24 March, 12 destinations had no COVID-19 related restrictions in place and an increasing number of destinations were easing or lifting travel restrictions, which is helping to unleash pent-up demand. However, high uncertainty derived from the military offensive of the Russian Federation on Ukraine coupled with a challenging economic environment and the travel restrictions still in place due to the ongoing pandemic, could affect overall confidence and disrupt the upward trend seen in tourism in 2021.

Baromètre OMT du tourisme mondial et annexe statistique, mars 2022

Seuls les principaux chapitres de la publication ont été traduits. Le reste de la publication figure dans la langue originale (Anglais). Tourism enjoys strong start in 2022 while facing new uncertainties International tourism continued its recovery in January 2022, with much better performance compared to the weak start of 2021. World arrivals more than doubled (+130%) compared to January 2021, an increase of 18 million. This is the same increase as in the whole of 2021 compared to 2020. Despite the robust results, the pace of recovery in January was impacted by the Omicron variant and the re-introduction of travel restrictions in several destinations. Arrivals were at -67% in January 2022 compared to 2019, after reaching -60% in Q4 2021. All world regions enjoyed a significant rebound in January 2022 compared to the low levels of January 2021. Europe (+199%) and the Americas (+97%) continued to post the strongest results, though international arrivals were still around half of pre-pandemic levels (-53% and -52% respectively). The Middle East (+89%) and Africa (+51%) also saw growth in January 2022 over 2021, but these regions saw a drop of 63% and 69% respectively compared to 2019. While Asia and the Pacific recorded a 44% year-on-year increase, several destinations remained closed to non-essential travel resulting in the largest decrease in international arrivals over 2019 (-93%). By subregions, the best results were recorded in Western Europe which saw four times more arrivals in January 2022 than in 2021, but 58% less than in 2019. Additionally, the Caribbean (-38%) and Southern and Mediterranean Europe (-41%) showed the fastest rates of recovery towards 2019 levels. After the unprecedented growth of 2022 and 2021, international tourism is expected to continue its gradual recovery in 2022. As of 24 March, 12 destinations had no COVID-19 related restrictions in place and an increasing number of destinations were easing or lifting travel restrictions, which is helping to unleash pent-up demand. However, high uncertainty derived from the military offensive of the Russian Federation on Ukraine coupled with a challenging economic environment and the travel restrictions still in place due to the ongoing pandemic, could affect overall confidence and disrupt the upward trend seen in tourism in 2021.

Barómetro OMT del Turismo Mundial y anexo estadístico, marzo 2022

La traducción sólo cubre el anexo estadístico. Los otros capítulos se publican en el idioma original (inglés). Tourism enjoys strong start in 2022 while facing new uncertainties International tourism continued its recovery in January 2022, with much better performance compared to the weak start of 2021. World arrivals more than doubled (+130%) compared to January 2021, an increase of 18 million. This is the same increase as in the whole of 2021 compared to 2020. Despite the robust results, the pace of recovery in January was impacted by the Omicron variant and the re-introduction of travel restrictions in several destinations. Arrivals were at -67% in January 2022 compared to 2019, after reaching -60% in Q4 2021. All world regions enjoyed a significant rebound in January 2022 compared to the low levels of January 2021. Europe (+199%) and the Americas (+97%) continued to post the strongest results, though international arrivals were still around half of pre-pandemic levels (-53% and -52% respectively). The Middle East (+89%) and Africa (+51%) also saw growth in January 2022 over 2021, but these regions saw a drop of 63% and 69% respectively compared to 2019. While Asia and the Pacific recorded a 44% year-on-year increase, several destinations remained closed to non-essential travel resulting in the largest decrease in international arrivals over 2019 (-93%). By subregions, the best results were recorded in Western Europe which saw four times more arrivals in January 2022 than in 2021, but 58% less than in 2019. Additionally, the Caribbean (-38%) and Southern and Mediterranean Europe (-41%) showed the fastest rates of recovery towards 2019 levels. After the unprecedented growth of 2022 and 2021, international tourism is expected to continue its gradual recovery in 2022. As of 24 March, 12 destinations had no COVID-19 related restrictions in place and an increasing number of destinations were easing or lifting travel restrictions, which is helping to unleash pent-up demand. However, high uncertainty derived from the military offensive of the Russian Federation on Ukraine coupled with a challenging economic environment and the travel restrictions still in place due to the ongoing pandemic, could affect overall confidence and disrupt the upward trend seen in tourism in 2021.

UNWTO World Tourism Barometer and Statistical Annex, March 2022

Tourism enjoys strong start in 2022 while facing new uncertainties International tourism continued its recovery in January 2022, with much better performance compared to the weak start of 2021. World arrivals more than doubled (+130%) compared to January 2021, an increase of 18 million. This is the same increase as in the whole of 2021 compared to 2020. Despite the robust results, the pace of recovery in January was impacted by the Omicron variant and the re-introduction of travel restrictions in several destinations. Arrivals were at -67% in January 2022 compared to 2019, after reaching -60% in Q4 2021. All world regions enjoyed a significant rebound in January 2022 compared to the low levels of January 2021. Europe (+199%) and the Americas (+97%) continued to post the strongest results, though international arrivals were still around half of pre-pandemic levels (-53% and -52% respectively). The Middle East (+89%) and Africa (+51%) also saw growth in January 2022 over 2021, but these regions saw a drop of 63% and 69% respectively compared to 2019. While Asia and the Pacific recorded a 44% year-on-year increase, several destinations remained closed to non-essential travel resulting in the largest decrease in international arrivals over 2019 (-93%). By subregions, the best results were recorded in Western Europe which saw four times more arrivals in January 2022 than in 2021, but 58% less than in 2019. Additionally, the Caribbean (-38%) and Southern and Mediterranean Europe (-41%) showed the fastest rates of recovery towards 2019 levels. After the unprecedented growth of 2022 and 2021, international tourism is expected to continue its gradual recovery in 2022. As of 24 March, 12 destinations had no COVID-19 related restrictions in place and an increasing number of destinations were easing or lifting travel restrictions, which is helping to unleash pent-up demand. However, high uncertainty derived from the military offensive of the Russian Federation on Ukraine coupled with a challenging economic environment and the travel restrictions still in place due to the ongoing pandemic, could affect overall confidence and disrupt the upward trend seen in tourism in 2021.

The Slavdom and the West in History and Culture (to the Publication of “Historical Letters about the Relations of the Russian Nation to its Tribesmen” by V.I. Lamansky)

The article serves as the introduction into the publication of the “Historical Letter” by V.I. Lamansky. The authors consider the context of V.I. Lamansky’s discourse concerning the reciprocal relations between the Slavs and the Germans. Considering these relations as inimical, V.I. Lamansky substantiated this idea by references to the opinion of German scholars about the Slavs. He showed the malignancy of the German cultural and political influence on the Slavs, something which leads to the loss of their nationality, based on the example of Czech and, to some extent, Croatian history. It is not a coincidence that the essential part of the second “Historical Letter” is based on the material of the Hussite movement and Thirty Years’ War which caused the germanisation of the Czech people. Lamansky attached great importance to the Hussite movement, as he considered it one of the highest manifestations of the Slavic self-consciousness (or at least of the Western Slavs). Based on the letters of the scholar showing his attitude to the Czech people, F. Palacky and other leaders of the Czech Revival, the authors demonstrate that Lamansky had probably borrowed the notion of “the Greek-Slavic world” as against the German-Roman world from German historiological literature. Being an adherent of Slavophilism, Lamansky considerably contributed to it. Particularly, he tried to more definitely formulate Slavophile’s attitude to the “Slavic question,” on which the attention of the founders of the movement had paid little attention. His interpretation of Slavic history was best realized in his master’s thesis “On the Slavs in Middle Asia, Africa and Spain” (1859). The second “Historical Question” was likely written soon after finishing work on the thesis and was a step on the way to his other serious work, namely his doctoral thesis “On Historical Studies of the Greek-Slavic World in Europe” (1871), as both “Historical Letters” and the dissertation were written from similar historiographical positions.

More than six billion people encountering more exposure to extremes with 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C warming

The Paris Agreement established the aims for global warming in the 21st Century relative to preindustrial times, with 1.5 °C as ideal object and 2.0 °C as upper boundary. Compound population exposure to precipitation and temperature extremes under different warming levels, which is determined both by climate changes and changes in the amount and distribution of population, is not well known. Here, we investigate changes in population exposure to wet, dry, heat and cold extremes with 1.5 and 2.0 °C warming. Results show that population exposure to wet, dry and heat extremes over middle Africa, Arabian Peninsula and South Asia is generally found to increase at 1.5 and 2.0 °C warming levels, whereas that over eastern Asia largely decreases from 1.5 to 2.0 °C warming due to a population reduction by 107 million. Then we adopt a 4-bit binary number as a compound index to represent the size of the exposure increase to different extremes under different warming levels. Total population with exposure increases to wet, dry, heat and cold extremes is 2358, 1900 and 1569 million persons at 1.5 °C warming, 2.0 °C warming and from 1.5 to 2.0 °C warming, respectively. Furthermore, there are 7242, 6574 and 6299 million persons faced with increased exposure to all four extremes but the cold extreme during the above periods, which is more than two-thirds of total population. Thus, we should do more to face possible climate risks under global warming.

European Countries’ Response to the Migration Crisis and Its Implications for Vietnam

Migration is a historical issue that exists along with the evolution of humanity. Since 2015, Europe has witnessed a strong wave of illegal migrant arrivals from the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, creating an economic, political, security, and social crisis in the region. This article is devoted to discussing how the migrant crisis has affected regional security and the reasons why the policy responses of the EU and member states are effective enough to handle this phenomenon. First, the author presents an overview of the migrant crisis in Europe since 2015 by indicating statistical information of the number of migrants coming to Europe each year, and demonstrating the motivations of their choices. Second, four negative impacts of the migrant crisis on the security of Europe are pinpointed. Third, the article seeks to deliver an in-depth analysis of European countries’ policy responses to this problem, which opens up wholly new prospects, raises new questions, and presents new efforts towards the promotion of global and regional integration, cooperation, and unity. On this basis, the author personally comes up with some policy implications for Vietnam in dealing with the migration issue. To achieve these research objectives, the author mainly uses popular research methodologies in social science and international relations in particular to find out answers to the raised questions.