National Poverty Research Articles

Sensitivity analysis and methodological choices on health-related impoverishment estimates in Cambodia, 2009–17

The measurement of health expenditure-related impoverishment as a proxy of financial risk protection is regularly used as an indicator of progress towards universal health coverage. However, the use of this indicator is greatly sensitive to analysts' choices and data sources, making comparisons across time and countries challenging. We report the results of a sensitivity analysis of critical methodological choices in estimating health-related financial impoverishment in Cambodia from 2009 to 2017. We include the following in our analysis: the construction and data sources for consumption aggregates and out-of-pocket health estimates; the use of international and national absolute and relative poverty thresholds (defined by the share of household food consumption); time and regional price adjustment methods and index sources. Marginal changes substantially affected estimates at the national and regional levels among households. In most cases, the choice of poverty thresholds and temporal and regional deflators had a significant effect. An increase of 0.01 USD in the average daily per capita poverty line resulted in relative increases in impoverished incidences of 2.90-2.62% for 2009 and 3.06-2.95% for 2014. From 2013 onwards, estimates for impoverishment in rural areas based on median food consumption were often significantly higher than estimates using official poverty lines. The high sensitivity of the impoverishment indicator cautions against its use in assessing health-related financial hardship and protection, especially with low and absolute poverty lines. In the context of low- and middle-income countries, assessing financial hardship in relative terms by using measures such as catastrophic health expenditure, complemented with research on coping strategies and their socio-economic effects on households, may be more conducive to policymaking goals and progress towards achieving universal health coverage.

Spatial disparities in impoverishing effects of out-of-pocket health payments in Malawi

ABSTRACT Background Out-of-pocket health payments as a means of financing health services are a cause of concern among households in low and middle-income countries. They prevent households from accessing health care services, can disrupt households’ living standards by reducing consumption of other basic needs and push households into poverty. Previous studies have reported geographical variations in impoverishing effects of out-of-pocket health payments. Yet, we know relatively little about spatial effects on impoverishing effects of health payments. Objective This paper assesses the factors associated with impoverishing effects of health payments and quantifies the role of districts spatial effects on impoverishment in Malawi. Methods The paper uses a cross sectional integrated household survey data collected from April 2016 to April 2017 among 12447 households in Malawi. Impoverishing effect of out-of-pocket health payments was calculated as the difference between poverty head count ratio before and after subtracting health payments from total household consumption expenditures. We assessed the factors associated with impoverishment and quantified the role of spatial effects using a spatial multilevel model. Results About 1.6% and 1.2% of the Malawian population were pushed below the national and international poverty line of US$1.90 respectively due health payments. We found significant spatial variations in impoverishment across districts with higher spatial residual effects clustering in central region districts. Higher socio-economic status (AOR=0.34, 95% CI=0.22-0.52) decreased the risk of impoverishment whereas hospitalizations (AOR=3.63, 95% CI 2.54-5.15), chronic illness (AOR=1.56, 95% CI=1.10-1.22), residency in rural area (AOR=2.03, 95% CI=1.07-4.26) increased the risk of impoverishment. Conclusions Our study suggests the need to plan financial protection programs according to district specific needs and target the poor, residents of rural areas and those with chronic illnesses. Policy makers need to pay attention to the importance of spatial and neighborhood effects when designing financial protection programs and policies.

Pro-poorness of rural economic growth and the roles of education in Bhutan, 2007–2017

Among south Asian countries, Bhutan has the second lowest poverty incidence; but, there is a large difference in poverty incidence between urban and rural areas. While urban areas registered a very small poverty incidence, 12.0% of rural population were still below the national poverty line in 2017. Poverty is by and large a rural phenominon in Bhutan. Against this background, this study examines whether Bhutan’s rural economic growth was pro-poor from 2007–2017 by using the Bhutan Living Standard Surveys. It also conducts an IV probit analysis to explore the determinants of poverty. Even in rural areas, growth is necessary for the reduction of poverty. Besides relying on trickle-down effects from hydropower projects and tourism, promotion of agriculture-based small scale industries is essential for the acceleration of rural economic growth, where further development of basic industrial and transportation infrastructure and socioeconomic facilities is imperative. The country also needs to promote and strengthen basic education since education is found to have played an important role in reducing poverty. Many rural households are vulnerable to poverty. To prevent vulnerable households from falling into poverty, more effective social safety net programs may be necessary based on regional differences in factors affecting living conditions.

Biological, material and socio-cultural constraints to effective menstrual hygiene management among secondary school students in Tanzania.

Menstrual hygiene management is an important determinant for girls' educational outcomes. We develop a method of cross-sectional analysis that quantifies the relative importance of four distinct mechanisms: material, biological, social and informational constraints and consider four main schooling outcomes: absenteeism, early departure, concentration and participation. We use survey data from 524 female students enrolled in four co-educational secondary schools in Northern Tanzania. Average age at first period is 14.2 years (standard deviation = 1.1, range 9-19). Information is the least binding constraint: 90-95% of girls report they received information about menstruation and how to manage it. In contrast, biological constraints are hindering: (i) the distribution of menstrual cramps and pain is bifurcated: most girls report very light or very strong pain (rather than moderate) with considerable educational impacts for girls in the latter group, (ii) irregular cycles (62%) and difficulty predicting the cycle (60%) lead to stress and uncertainty. Socio-cultural constraints are binding as 84% would feel shame if male peers knew their menstrual status, and 58% fear being teased over periods. Material constraints include prohibitive costs: girls spending between 12-70% of the daily national poverty line (6,247 TSH per day) on pads during their period. However, we discern no statistically significant relationship between access to pads and absenteeism. In contrast, biological and socio-cultural constraints as well as lack of sanitary infrastructure have significant effects on absenteeism. The results have several implications. First, sanitary pad interventions should consider participation and concentration as main outcomes, in addition to absenteeism. Second, biological (menstrual cramps and pain) and socio-cultural (fear, stigma) constraints are drivers of menstruation-related absenteeism and participation in the classroom and need to be evaluated in trials. We suggest exploring analgesic use, alternative pain-management techniques, menstrual cycle tracking technologies, and social programming in future trials.

Sustainable Development Goals and Problems of Measuring Poverty and Extreme Poverty

The article presents the results of the study on improving the methodology for measuring poverty and extreme poverty in accordance with the fundamental UN document – the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The author argues his position that when assessing the achievement of targets for the eradication of extreme poverty within the framework of achieving Goal 1 (SDG 1) at the national level, one should not be guided by the average threshold value of extreme poverty for all countries. It is necessary to focus on the gross national income (GNI) per capita, an indicator developed by the World Bank (according to the Atlas method). For the first time, a comparative analysis of the interpretations of SDG 1 by Russian and European researchers, as well as experts of international organizations is carried out, and threshold values of global poverty for groups of countries with different levels of GNI per capita are analyzed. It allows us to identify the main problem of monitoring the eradication of extreme poverty in Russia: the low information content of data on socio-demographic groups experiencing extreme poverty, which, in turn, hinders the formation of effective public policy measures to reduce poverty and eradicate extreme poverty. The paper shows that ignoring the indicator of extreme poverty, calculated depending on the size of GNI per capita using the Atlas method, can lead to erroneous conclusions in the Voluntary National Review of the Russian Federation on achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The author proposes to select indicators of global extreme poverty in accordance with the level of socio-economic development of Russia and to assess the eradication of extreme poverty, taking them into account on a par with the national poverty line. In this context, the author draws attention to inaccuracies in domestic publications related to the interpretation of the concept of «extreme poverty», which can lead to distortion of estimates.

Abstract P3-14-17: Exploring racial disparities in BRCA testing for triple negative breast cancer patients: A real-world data analysis

Abstract Background and Objective: BRCA testing for patients (pts) with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is important because it has secondary prevention implications for patients and multigenerational implications allowing for earlier detection of BRCA gene carriers in the family and enabling primary prevention. And with the advent of PARP inhibitors it also has treatment implications. The NCCN guidelines recommended in January 2015 that BRCA testing be performed for all pts with TNBC diagnosed at age 60 or younger regardless of race, ethnicity or family history. To understand disparities in BRCA testing among TNBC pts we analyzed the proportion tested, explored barriers to testing, and made comparisons by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES). Methods: Adult pts with TNBC diagnosed at or under age 60 between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2020 were identified in the Syapse Learning Health Network, a real-world database with clinical and genomic data from community health systems. Study end was June 1, 2021, allowing for a minimum follow up of 5 months. Electronic health records were reviewed to calculate proportion tested and barriers to testing. SES was estimated using zip code level median household income from the 2010 census and stratified based on the national poverty level (low <150%, middle 150-299%, high 300%+). χ;2 statistics were used to assess differences between groups. Results: 577 pts with a median age at TNBC of 50 and median follow up of 18 months were included. 65.2% self-identified as white, 27.9% as Black or African American (AA), 1.4% Asian, 1.4% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 4.2% other. 8% identified as Hispanic/Latino. Due to relative size of racial/ethnic groups, the stratified analyses focused on comparisons between white and AA pts. Overall, 459 (79.5%) pts received a test, but with 83% of white pts receiving tests as compared to 72.7% of AA pts (p=0.009). 71.4% of pts with low SES received a test vs. 81.8% for middle and 79.4% with high SES (p=0.068). Among the 118 pts with no test, 48 (40.7%) did not have documentation of a test referral or evidence of testing offered in clinician notes. This differed by race with white pts less likely to have test offer documented vs. AA pts (53.1% vs. 72.7%, p=0.064). Among the 48 pts with no evidence of test offer, additional details were often not documented. However some clinician notes cited a perceived ineligibility due to lack of family history, transferring out or move to hospice, and pt refusal. Among the 70 (59.3%) pts who were offered a test but did not receive it, reasons included 37.1% choosing not to be tested, 11.4% due to early death, loss to follow up or transferring away, and 7.1% lacked adequate health insurance. These reasons varied by race, with 59.4% of AA pts choosing not to be tested vs. 20.6% of white pts (p=0.003) (Table 1). Conclusions: Real-world data provides insight into BRCA testing patterns in routine clinical practice where racial disparities are well documented and persistent. While the overall proportion of pts who received BRCA testing was high, AA pts experienced more barriers. Despite AA pts having greater evidence of a test offer vs. white pts, there was a significant gap in testing favoring white pts, with the most notable reason for lack of testing being pt choice. The clinical significance of BRCA testing in TNBC indicates a need to create targeted strategies to close gaps in education, confidence and access among patients and providers to improve testing levels. Table 1.BRCA testing barriers among patients who were offered a test but did not receive it (N=70)Total (n=70)White (n=34)Black or African American (n=32)Low SES (n=19)Middle SES (n=43)High SES (n=8)Lack of adequate health insurance, n (%)5 (7.1)3 (8.8)1 (3.1)3 (15.8)1 (2.3)1 (12.5)Patient chose not to be tested, n (%)26 (37.1)7 (20.6)19 (59.4)8 (42.1)14 (32.6)4 (50.0)Deceased before testing occurred, n (%)5 (7.1)3 (8.8)2 (6.3)1 (5.3)4 (9.3)0 (0)LTFU/Transferred, n (%)3 (4.3)2 (5.9)1 (3.1)1 (5.3)1 (2.3)1 (12.5)Other, n (%)7 (10.0)6 (17.6)1 (3.1)1 (5.3)6 (14.0)0 (0)Unknown, n (%)24 (34.3)13 (38.2)8 (25.0)5(26.3)17 (39.5)2 (25.0) Citation Format: Jeanna Wallenta Law, Hanadi BuAli, Sherri Costa, Michael P. Mullane, Mohamed Hendawi, Michael McPhee, Bryanne Collini, Mahder Teka, Francesca Coutinho, Ronda Broome, Frank M. Wolf, Liz Toland, Trista Weber, Anna Berry, Thomas D. Brown, Haythem Ali. Exploring racial disparities in BRCA testing for triple negative breast cancer patients: A real-world data analysis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-14-17.

An indicator-based evaluation of sustainability in a coastal region of southern Mexico transitioning from traditional activities to tourism

Implementation of measures favouring sustainability is often a low priority in poorly developed countries and regions where resources are more often focused on subsistence. Assessing sustainability at a regional scale is vital to evaluating and implementing affordable processes using local data and diagnosis. A comprehensive evaluation of sustainability status was done in three small coastal towns on the south-east coast of the Gulf of Mexico. These towns are transitioning from traditional fishing to tourism as their primary economic activity and are in or near a high-biodiversity natural protected area. Data were collected via questionnaires, field surveys, official data and documentary research. Based on these, nineteen social, economic and environmental indicators were selected based on established United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) guidelines and methodologies. Information on perceptions of tourism was collected from residents and visitors using United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) forms. The results showed that social indicators exhibited relatively positive values, except for income, since half of those sampled lived below the national poverty line. This result consequently affects some other social and economic indicators. The environmental indicators reflected a relatively good condition. Residents perceived that tourism provides more positive than negative outcomes, highlighting the relevance of healthy natural environments. Most visitors perceived tourism activities as a promising option for regional development. The results suggest tourism is a potential principal economic activity for the study region and can take advantage of the core value offered by the natural protected area. Approaches like that used here, which integrate tourism into sustainability assessments and regional planning while prioritising social participation and ecological integrity, hold promise for creating development plans in coastal regions with similar conditions.

Analysis of rural household food and non‐food poverty status in Ethiopia: The Case Study from Meskan District

AbstractPoverty is the lack of ability to reach the least possible level of standard of living. Both food and non‐food poverty remain the foremost concern in many developing countries in general and Ethiopia in particular. The proportions of rural households living below poverty line in Ethiopia have been increasing over the past decades. The causes of poverty are enormous and multifaceted. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the status and determinants of poverty among rural households in Meskan District. Cross‐sectional survey data were collected from 360 rural households randomly. The costs of basic needs approach, Foster, Greer, and Thorbecke methods (FGT index), and logit model were used to determine poverty line and identify determinants of poverty status among rural households, respectively. Moreover, for the analysis of the data, the respective statistical and econometric tests were employed. The findings show that poverty line/absolute poverty status was found about birr 6305 per year per adult equivalent consumption in District. Besides, the annual mean food and non‐food consumption expenditure poverty lines were birr 4157.7 and birr 2147.6 per year, respectively. The incidence, depth, and severity of poverty measures and its status were found to be 0.333, 0.051, and 0.013 values, while compared poverty measures and its status with national poverty incidence status; there was highest poverty incidence among rural households due to low human, physical, financial, and natural capitals as well as weak institutional arrangements. Logit model result similarly shows that factors affecting poverty level among rural households are highly associated with age of households, dependency ratio, marital status of household, education level household, farm size, distance from nearest market, access to food aid, oxen and livestock possession in study District. Our results suggest that the poverty reduction plans and policies should target specific localities and households livelihood situations because poverty by its nature is individual concentrated rather than aggregate national as whole.

Analysis of the Effect of Rural Tourism in Promoting Farmers’ Income and Its Influencing Factors–Based on Survey Data from Hanzhong in Southern Shaanxi

Five years after the implementation of the tourism precision poverty alleviation strategy, how effective it has been in alleviating poverty remains to be tested. This study, through a study of 241 farm households in 10 national tourism poverty alleviation key villages in the Qinba Mountain region of Hanzhong, southern Shaanxi, finds that rural tourism has contributed to a general increase in farm household income, but the effect of income increase varies significantly between households that have escaped poverty and non-poor households, and there is no significant difference in income between those who participate in tourism and those who do not. The study concludes that the poverty-reducing effects of tourism are conditional, with the poor quality of human capital being the main obstacle to farm households’ income growth, the institutional mechanism for tourism participation is inadequate, effective farm household tourism participation is significantly low, and non-farm work constitutes a substitute for farm households’ tourism livelihood options. The primary stage tourism scenic spots have a limited role in driving the income of farming households, and the geographical location limits the effective participation of farming households. Accordingly, the following countermeasures are proposed: (1) in terms of strategic decision-making options, establish a screening mechanism for tourism participation in poverty alleviation and implement diversified poverty governance; (2) in terms of tourism development strategies, encourage the integration of multiple industries and synergistic development, realize the two-way interaction of “+ tourism” and “tourism +”; (3) in terms of development methods, adhere to the participatory development path, improve the institutional mechanism for tourism participation, stimulate the endogenous motivation of farmers, and explore the dynamic participation path of “bottom-up”. (4) In the development of endogenous power, strengthen skills training, improve the comprehensive quality of farmers and their participation level and ability; (5) In the coordination and protection, play the coordinating and leading role of grass-roots party building, and continuously cultivate and strengthen tourism cooperative organizations.

Do social protection cash transfers reduce poverty in Rwanda? Evidence from an econometric analysis of Vision Umurenge Program Direct Support

AbstractCountries across the world continue to invest in social protection programs with the goal of ending poverty by 2030. It is important to examine these programs to know whether they are serving the purpose of reducing poverty. In Rwanda, the impact of the Vision Umurenge Program (VUP) regarding poverty‐related outcomes has not been consistently revealed. This leads to uncertainty about the program's effectiveness in achieving the stated goals. This paper intends to fill this gap by estimating the impact of the VUP Direct Support on poverty outcomes. It uses the Propensity Score Matching method to compare the effects of the VUP with a counterfactual outcome. The findings show that the program is benefitting households in response to economic risks. However, the scheme is not lifting them above the national poverty lines. The main contribution of the paper is that it uses a novel method using the latest statistics to evaluate the VUP. In addition, it uses the most recent household data. The study provides a significant contribution to evaluation of the effectiveness of anti‐poverty interventions in Rwanda, as well as the Sub‐Saharan region, where the journey towards achieving the goal of reducing poverty is demanding.

POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: A SUCCESSFUL APPROACH

Microcredit has shown to be an effective tool for fighting poverty in underdeveloped countries. Microcredit may be traced back to the middle of the 1800s, thanks to the great achievements of the Grameen bank, which was created in Bangladesh in 1983. In poor nations, microfinance success stories have a big influence. This study endeavour looks at whether microcredit is an effective technique for poverty alleviation in emerging nations. Microcredit has a favourable link with poverty reduction, according to the study, and is thus an essential instrument for alleviating poverty in several nations, notably Bangladesh, Bolivia, and others. Nevertheless, there really are concerns about its potential to have a large-scale impact. The research also reveals that the impacts of microcredit on poverty reduction are a hotly discussed topic, with the broad consensus being that it is not a panacea. In general, it has fallen short of expectations. When microcredit is skillfully implemented and maintained, and services are tailored to fit the requirements of customers, it has a significant influence not just on clients, but also on their families and the wider society. It is important to stress that greater efforts should be directed toward institutional development, including adequate group strengthening, particularly for self-help groups (SHGs). The development of an efficient managerial improvement system (MIS) to support the stabilization of long-term functional delivery of services via high-performing self-help groups should be prioritised. It will also be significant. Microcredit programmes in underdeveloped nations will benefit from proper monitoring, oversight, and counselling.

Economic Impact of COVID-19 on Different Groups of Peoples in South Asia: Evidence from Bangladesh

Within a couple of months, COVID-19 has evolved as an economic catastrophe beyond health cataclysm that was initially thought. It is already forewarned as to the deepest global recession since World War II. Bangladesh that represents the emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs) has suddenly fallen into a deep economic hole although unprecedented challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic related to health, macroeconomic and social effects are on equal focus. World Bank, in its June 2020 estimation, has revised Bangladesh’s growth downward to 1.6 percent in FY2020 whilst Bangladesh achieved average GDP growth of 6.5% since 2004 and generally, the labor-oriented service sector contributes about 50% to this growth. It is estimated that the national (upper) poverty rate from 24.3 percent in 2016 already increased to 35 percent in 2020. Declining demands, as well as supply disruptions, have weighed significantly on exports, especially exports of textiles and clothing products. Banking sectors are in potential risk due to the increase of Non-Performing Loan (NPL) which are mostly associated with the RMG industry and its backward linkage industries. On the other hand, the RMG sector has started to suffer from both cancellations of order and supply chain interruption alongside hamper in production due to lockdown. Slower loan recovery rate is also a cause of greater headache of the banking sector in this pandemic period. 85% of the total employment of the country belongs to informal sectors. A sharp fall in overall consumption led to decline in overall trade as well decline in production except for foods and medical items. SMEs have seen revenue drop by at least 50%, while 52% of SMEs have locks hung over their businesses generating no revenue at all. These all will create a large spillover effect on the state economy. To build quick resilience, some fiscal measures have been taken by the government of Bangladesh. IMF, ADB, and World Bank promised to support US$730 million, US$ 600 million, and US$100 million respectively to increase social safety net. To build more and sustainable resilience, a number of interventions to be considered such as immediate access to capital and technology by small, medium, and regional clustered enterprises; proper guideline and financial support to forced migrant laborers, utmost attempt to collect the demographic dividend and more. The study stands for composition analyses of secondary data proceedings and literature on the previous pandemic.

Национальная государственность в Центральной Африке: Габон

The article deals with the Gabonese history in the years of postcolonial development. The author also examines the current socio-political situation in Gabon, a former French colony and France’s stronghold in Central Africa. The Gabonese Republic celebrated sixty years of independence in 2020, as 1960 was proclaimed the “Year of Africa”. Given the controversial regional and international context, attention is drawn to Gabon’s peripheral and unequal status in the global economy and politics. Being rich in oil, gas, manganese, uranium, forests, water, other natural resources Gabon demonstrates deep economic and social imbalances. The country’s economy is showing symptoms of the “Dutch disease”: the discovery of significant reserves of natural resources has led to the outpacing development of the extractive industry to the detriment of other sectors, especially agriculture. Gabon occupies a relatively high position in the list of countries by the HDI though about a third of the Gabonese population is below the national poverty line. The article analyzes the problems of decolonization, regional integration, sovereignity, tribalism, nation-building, and the choice of the course towards capitalism, with almost no socialist ideas in Gabonese public discourse and, at the same time, flourishing concepts of “national unity” and “troisième voie”. The text also addresses the issues of statehood, ideology and institutions of power in independent Gabon while the France’s presence in the African and Gabonese economy and politics seems purely neo-colonial. The article examines the process of establishment and functioning of the Bongo family political regime as well as the phenomenon of dynastic rule in a system with formal democracy.

ДИФФЕРЕНЦИАЦИЯ РЕГИОНОВ СТЕПНОЙ ЗОНЫ РОССИИ ПО ИНДИКАТОРАМ УСТОЙЧИВОГО РАЗВИТИЯ

The existing problems of sustainable development of territories, declining living standards, and increasing social inequality necessitated the development by the Government of the Russian Federation of a list of indicators for the analysis, evaluation, and monitoring of the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). It is grouped by 17 goals and used to prepare national reports and publications on the accomplishment of the SDGs in Russia. Our study provides assessment of the SDG indicators in 18 steppe regions of Russia for three years: 2011, 2015, and 2019. The rating assessment was carried out by the sum of rankings method, which made it possible to generalize individual estimates by totaling the rankings of the regions for each SDG indicator for each year. Based on the proposed methodology for calculating the integral sustainability rating, we have identified the leaders among the steppe zone regions (the Krasnodar Territory, Belgorod and Samara regions) as well as the regions with the ‘worst’ indicators of sustainable development (the Republic of Kalmykia, Altai Territory, Kurgan region). The results of the rating assessment are consistent with the results of cluster analysis. The evaluation of the relationship between the SDG indicators made it possible to establish the set of exogenous variables: employment and unemployment levels; the income concentration index; the proportion of the population living below the national poverty line; gross regional product per capita; indicators of the goal ‘Creation of sustainable infrastructure, promotion of extensive and sustainable industrialization and innovation’. The comprehensive assessment of the steppe regions differentiation according to the sustainable development indicators is visualized on a cartographic diagram. The results of the study, as well as the proposed methodology, can be used for monitoring and making optimal management decisions, for achieving the goals of sustainable development of steppe regions in terms of the economic, social, and environmental components.

Big Data Spatio-Temporal Correlation Analysis and LRIM Model Based Targeted Poverty Alleviation through Education

There are many factors affecting poverty, among which education is an important one. Firstly, from the perspective of digital statistics, this research quantitatively analyzes the correlation between average education years (AEY) and Gross Domestic Product per capita (GDP/C), and finds that there is a significant positive correlation between AEY and GDP/C in provinces of China. Furthermore, from the perspective of spatial distribution and geostatistics, this research analyzes the correlation between AEY and the distribution of poor counties, revealing the inherent connection between education and poverty. Based on the data processing of nighttime light remote sensing images, this research adopts the machine learning method of random forest to extract the distribution status of spatio-temporal sequences for poor counties. Through the analysis, it is found that poor counties are characterized by centralized distribution and spatial autocorrelation spatially, and the number of poor counties decreases year by year in temporal evolution. On this basis, we analyze the correlation between education levels and the distribution of poor counties. It is found that, on the spatial scale, AEY in poor counties is relatively low, while AEY in non-poor counties is relatively high, showing a significant negative correlation between the two. On the temporal scale, the number of poor counties gradually decreased from 2000 to 2010, and at the same time, the education levels of poor counties also gradually improved. Finally, from the perspective of improving education levels to promote poverty elimination, we analyze the main factors affecting education using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and other methods and obtain a regression model. This research proposes the Linear and Residual Integration Model (LRIM) to more accurately predict AEY in each province in 2020 based on historical data, and identifies the regions with low AEY as key regions for targeted poverty alleviation through education (TPAE) in the future. This research provides a decision-making basis to achieve TPAE means, helping to achieve the victory of the national education poverty elimination battle.

Basic Income in the Pandemic Era: Another False Start or a New Paradigm of Social Policy?

The article examines the current debate around the concept of an unconditional basic income (UBI) and the prospects for its implementation in the context of heightened social challenges. The growing wealth inequality, the precarization of work, as well as the threat of technological unemployment — all these issues have caused a new wave of interest in universal approaches to the development of social systems. This wave reached its peak during the COVID-19 pandemic, which required emergency measures to support the economy and employment. In a number of countries, the idea of a complete or partial transition from traditional social protection schemes to equal payments for all has gained wide public support and was included in the programs of influential political parties. Many new experiments have been planned or are already under way to assess the UBI’s potential positive and negative effects. The major stumbling block, however, is the problem of funding. Analyzing the proposals put forward in the academic, expert and political communities, the author of the article comes to the conclusion that the transition to a full-fledged UBI even in the most developed countries will be associated with an unacceptable increase in the budget deficit and government debt. A more realistic scenario is the gradual incorporation of certain elements of basic income into existing social systems. Possible approaches here are: the provision of modest benefits, significantly below the national poverty line; payments in favor of particularly vulnerable population groups; implementation of UBI as an emergency measure for a limited period of time.

Financial risks of care seeking for malaria by rural households in Jimma Zone, Oromia Region, Southwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesDespite major progress in the prevention and control of malaria in recent years, the disease remains a major cause of morbidity in Ethiopia. Malaria also imposes substantial socioeconomic costs on...

The sensitivity of poverty trends to dimensionality and distribution sensitivity in poverty measures—District level analysis for Pakistan

AbstractA key feature of recent poverty measurement in many developing countries is the transition from conventional (money metric) approaches to multi‐dimensional approaches. This change in the poverty measurement raises the question of whether the same poverty trends are apparent under the conventional and the multidimensional approaches. To answer this question I used six household‐level surveys for Pakistan fielded between 2004 and 2015. The analysis considers trends at the national, provincial, and district level with a particular focus on the variability in trends due to distribution sensitivity and insensitivity in poverty measures. The district‐level trend analysis leads to the results that the multidimensional measures show a smoother fall in national poverty rates while the conventional measures show rising poverty up until 2008 and then a sharper fall. Almost two‐thirds of all districts show opposite trends in poverty, if conventional rather than multidimensional measures are used, in at least two of the five inter‐survey spells, irrespective of whether distribution‐sensitivity is considered or not. Thus, apparent poverty trends are sensitive to the measurement approach used. Hence, when measurement methods evolve, policy analysts should be cautious in the conclusions they draw from poverty estimates.

The Role of Automatic Stabilizers and Emergency Tax-Benefit Policies During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Ecuador.

By combining household survey data before and during the COVID-19 pandemic with detailed tax-benefit simulations, this paper quantifies the distributional effects of COVID-19 in Ecuador and the role of tax–benefit policies in mitigating the immediate impact of the economic shocks. Our results show a dramatic increase in income poverty and inequality between December 2019 and June 2020, the period when the economy was hit the hardest. The national poverty headcount increases from 25.7 to 58.2%, the extreme poverty headcount from 9.2 to 38.6%, and the Gini coefficient from 0.461 to 0.592. On average, household disposable income drops by 41%. The new Family Protection Grant provides income protection for the poorest income decile. However, overall tax–benefit policies do little to mitigate the losses in household incomes due to the pandemic. Informal workers, in particular, are left unprotected due to the lack of income support in the event of unemployment.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1057/s41287-021-00490-1.

Child Poverty and Health in the United States: Introduction and Executive Summary.

Child Poverty and Health in the United States: Introduction and Executive Summary.