State Priorities Research Articles

The EU as a Political Determinant of Global Health: The Case of Research and Development Incentives for Orphan Medicines and Biotechnology

Context: The European Union (EU) governs global health through its constituent laws, institutions, actors, and policies. However, it is unclear whether or how these political factors interact to position the EU as a political determinant of global health. Methods: The authors conduct a case study of the political factors influencing the adoption of the EU's Biotechnology Directive 98/44/EC and Orphan Medicines Regulation 141/2000. Findings: The European Commission (EC) generally framed both of its proposals around economical and biomedical paradigms aligned with the needs of the EU's industry and patients, whereas the European Parliament (EP) contested some of these frames and proposed amendments supporting global access to medical products. The political factors influencing the adoption (in the Biotechnology Directive) or rejection (in the Orphan Regulation) of the EP's amendments include the complementarity between the EP and EC proposals, the EP's power in the intra- and interinstitutional negotiating process, the existence and support of civil society, and the alignment with member state priorities in the Council. Conclusions: In the late 1990s, the EU was an internally fragmented and politicized player concerning global health matters. These political factors should be considered for a coherent post-2022 EU strategy on global health.

Effectiveness to the Emergency Management in Public Organizations: A Paradigm from a European Civil Protection Mechanism

Every state's priority is public safety. In the modern world, that often needs them to work with other States. This study assesses the role of civil protection mechanisms in effective emergency management operations in public organizations based on the European perspective. Data was collected from 392 different technocrats from government civil protection agencies in Greece using an online questionnaire. The study revealed that civil protection experts positively influence effective emergency management operations in public organizations. The results revealed that early warning systems have an influence on effective emergency management operations in public organizations. Disaster risk forecasting has a positive influence on effective emergency management operations in public organizations. According to the study, crises and catastrophes have compelled the EU to improve civil protection coordination throughout the continent and its ability to conduct operations both inside and outside of Europe. It's not clear whether these cooperative EU agreements are going to succeed because national civil defense organizations aren't always similar and there isn't always enough trust between the organizations involved. This is especially true in light of recent global crises in the EU, such as the refugee crisis, terrorist attacks, and natural. It is important for public organizations across Europe to focus on enhancing early disaster warning systems, the enhancing of civil protection experts and improving disaster planning to promote effective management of emergencies.

The 2023 State of Nebraska Families: State Priorities and Key Areas of Promise

Nebraska is often referred to as “the good life” by state residents. In 2022, Nebraska was comprised of over 800,000 family households and had a population nearing two million. Nebraska is the only state in the U.S. with a unicameral legislature and is comprised of both rural and urban contexts over a diverse geography. Like other states, in the past decade, there have been changes in the demographic makeup of the population, due in part to immigration, an aging population, and out migration. Given this context, we focus our review of Nebraska families on state priorities identified in a Nebraska Cooperative Extension needs assessment that include attracting and retaining a skilled workforce, and enhancing economic vitality, health, and wellbeing. We describe the state geography, demographics, and government contexts. We then describe where current policy programming, and resources stand in addressing relevant family-focused needs and issues of the key working age population. We end with recommendations focused on the strengths of Nebraska, given its relatively small population and community-oriented nature that can be leveraged to support innovations in policies and programs to create a healthy environment for families, that ultimately enhance the economic vitality of the state.

Iowa’s Integrated Data System for Decision-Making (I2D2): a collaborative approach for responsible and relevant use of population data

Integrated data systems (IDS) bring together people, processes, and priorities in a disciplined approach to generate evidence about child and family needs and service system gaps. In response to pressure for more efficiently coordinated early childhood services, Iowa built an IDS as a collaborative effort between university researchers and government leaders. Iowa’s Integrated Data System for Decision-Making (I2D2) includes an engaged governance approach that has received national attention as a model for ensuring federal and state priorities direct the work, rigorous scientific standards are used, and community engaged users have access to the information they need when they need it. This presentation will describe I2D2’s governance and technology solutions and provide examples of cyclical, community-engaged projects that have informed program improvement. Multi-stage integration protocols ensure individual records from disparate systems in health, education, child welfare, and workforce are accurately matched within a process that attends to equity. Dissemination processes within communities of practitioners, executive leaders, and researchers ensure findings are relevant and used to drive strategic planning. Public facing dashboards and interactive applications display prioritized indicators and support improved data literacy and common language across partner groups. Examples of use will be discussed including the evolution of a statewide strategic planning process using integrated data indicators, evidence-based expansion of home visiting programming to meet the needs of underserved families, and support for sustainable childcare businesses through the availability of real-time vacancy, supply, and demand data and easy to access applications for families to find available care when they need it.

Trends and Growth Patterns in Public Expenditure on Education: An Analytical Study in Telangana

As India's economy flourishes, the way the country allocates its resources is becoming increasingly crucial. One vital aspect is public spending on education, which is essential for nurturing human capital and driving economic growth. This study examines the trends and growth rates of public expenditure on education in Telangana from 2014 to 2021, shedding light on the financial priorities and efficiency of educational funding. The analysis reveals a mixed bag of trends and growth rates. While some states have made significant strides in increasing their educational expenditure, others have seen a decline. The data shows that the total budget allocation for education has grown steadily over the years, with some fluctuations. However, the percentage of expenditure relative to Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has been declining in many states. To better understand the relationship between total budget allocation and educational spending, regression analysis was employed. The results indicate a positive correlation between the two variables, suggesting that an increase in overall budget allocation is linked to increased spending on education. However, the relationship is not straightforward, with some states exhibiting high levels of expenditure despite lower budgets. The findings of this study have significant implications for policymakers and educators. They highlight the need for a more nuanced approach to educational funding, one that takes into account the diverse needs and priorities of different states. It also underscores the importance of monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of educational programs and policies to ensure that resources are being used efficiently. In other words, India's policymakers must adopt a more targeted approach to educational funding, recognizing that every state has unique challenges and opportunities. By doing so, they can ensure that limited resources are allocated effectively to address the most pressing educational needs and drive long-term economic growth.

Mental Health Agency Officials' Perceived Priorities for Youth Mental Health and Factors That Influence Priorities.

This study aimed to characterize the perceived priorities of state and county policy makers for youth mental health services and the factors that influence those priorities. Mental health agency officials (N=338; N=221 state officials, N=117 county officials) representing 49 states completed a Web-based survey in 2019-2020. On 5-point scales, respondents rated the extent to which 15 issues were priorities for their agency in providing youth mental health services and the extent to which nine factors influenced those priorities. Suicide was identified as the highest priority (mean±SD rating=4.38±0.94), followed by adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma and then increasing access to evidence-based treatments. Budget issues (mean=4.27±0.92) and state legislative priorities (mean=4.01±0.99) were perceived as having the greatest influence on setting priorities. These findings provide insights into youth mental health policy priorities and can be used to guide implementation and dissemination strategies for research and program development within state and county systems.

Priority conservation areas for protected saproxylic beetles in Romania under current and future climate scenarios

Climate change threatens species and ecosystems globally, including forest ecosystems that support rich invertebrate diversity. Saproxylic beetles, that depend on old-growth trees and deadwood, are facing increasing pressure. Consequently, conserving these beetles has become a priority for EU Member States. We developed ensemble species distribution models for five saproxylic beetles for current and three future time horizons under two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways and two Global Circulation Models. We used a systematic conservation planning approach to assess the effectiveness and resilience to climate change of the Romanian Natura 2000 network for saproxylic beetles while identifying areas for prospective protected area expansion to meet EU conservation targets. Our study revealed that under all scenarios and time horizons, the saproxylic beetles may lose over 80% of their suitable habitat and restrict their distribution to higher elevations. According to the conservation prioritization analysis, we found that, when considering 30% of the landscape as being protected, an average of 85% of species distribution is retained within priority areas overlapping the Carpathian Mountains, while for the current protected area coverage (18% of Romania’s terrestrial area), the existing Natura 2000 network does not perform satisfactorily, with only ~ 30% of the saproxylic species distributions falling within the network. Our results corroborate previous findings on saproxylic beetle range shifts and contractions due to climate change. Furthermore, our findings question the effectiveness of the current Natura 2000 network, as it is currently inadequate for protecting these species. To achieve the goals of the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 of protecting at least 30% of the EU’s territory, we advocate the expansion of the Natura 2000 sites to future suitable saproxylic beetle habitats.

Foreign practice of global trends in higher education services

The article considers the best practices of trend development in higher education services. Education reform is among the country's priorities and has been in a permanent state for almost a third of a century, yet despite massive reform efforts, the quality of educational services and corps faculty at all levels of the education market has improved little, if at all, over the past decades. The quarantine related to Covid-19 in Kazakhstan became the lens that clearly revealed these shortcomings of education and showed the fallacy of the trajectory of previously implemented reforms, which often took so much time, budget funds combined with their inefficient use. The pandemic revealed the weakest points in the educational system, the unwillingness of most teachers to work in an online format and confirmed that we are definitely not ready for the transition of digitalization in the era of globalization 2.0 and has already become a catalyst for unprecedented large-scale changes in this area. Highlighting the prospects for further development of the educational market in the context of social distancing and the post-pandemic period is very relevant. In the conditions of modernity, requirements of international education market of Kazakhstan higher education has acquired many actual directions and prospects of development, but still today many methods, forms, mechanisms, tools, organizational and structural transformations require their improvement and adjustment taking into account the state priorities in the field of education with national peculiarities and scientific researches of scientists, demand of consumers, main employers of RHEs and proposals from universities, which often do not coincide with the equilibrium supply and demand, so this study is relevant today and requires further research and problem solving on the implementation of educational trends in Kazakhstan.

SPATIO-TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS TRANSMISSION IN A HIGHLY ENDEMIC REGION OF BRAZIL

Background: Brazil concentrates 96% of visceral leishmaniasis cases occurred in Americas, and Maranhão is the Brazilian state with the highest number of registered cases. We aimed to analyze the spatio-temporal dynamics of visceral leishmaniasis transmission in a Brazilian region with high endemicity between 2009 to 2017. Methods: We carried out an ecological and time series study using spatio-temporal analysis techniques. A time-trend analysis was performed by the segmented linear regression. High-risk clusters were identified through spatial autocorrelation (Moran’s global and local indexes) and space-time scan statistics. Results: There were 5,128 visceral leishmaniasis cases, and it was observed increasing trends of new cases in the general population, among men, adults ≥20 years old, especially ≥60 years old. VL-HIV coinfection, mortality and lethality were crescent. Spatial analysis revealed intense visceral leishmaniasis transmission in almost the entire state and high-risk priority areas. Implications: Visceral leishmaniasis is in a substantial geographical expansion, demonstrating that the surveillance policies need to be reformulated.

Facilitators of and barriers to County Behavioral Health System Transformation and Innovation: an interview study

BackgroundInadequate and inequitable access to quality behavioral health services and high costs within the mental health systems are long-standing problems. System-level (e.g., fee-for-service payment model, lack of a universal payor) and individual factors (e.g., lack of knowledge of existing resources) contribute to difficulties in accessing resources and services. Patients are underserved in County behavioral health systems in the United States. Orange County’s (California) Behavioral Health System Transformation project sought to improve access by addressing two parts of their system: developing a template for value-based contracts that promote payor-agnostic care (Part 1); developing a digital platform to support resource navigation (Part 2). Our aim was to evaluate facilitators of and barriers to each of these system changes.MethodsWe collected interview data from County or health care agency leaders, contracted partners, and community stakeholders. Themes were informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.ResultsFive themes were identified related to behavioral health system transformation, including 1) aligning goals and values, 2) addressing fit, 3) fostering engagement and partnership, 4) being aware of implementation contexts, and 5) promoting communication. A lack of fit into incentive structures and changing state guidelines and priorities were barriers to contract development. Involving diverse communities to inform design and content facilitated the process of developing digital tools.ConclusionsThe study highlights the multifaceted factors that help facilitate or hinder behavioral health system transformation, such as the need for addressing systematic and process behaviors, leveraging the knowledge of leadership and community stakeholders, fostering collaboration, and adapting to implementation contexts.

Climate Change and Implications for National Security and International Law in the Arctic

Climate change threatens national security due to the potential it carries to destabilize fragile regions, damage military installations, and exacerbate existing tensions between countries. While these effects will be global, the Arctic region represents a microcosm of a future where climate change affects the strategic priorities of states and renders existing governing institutions inadequate. Moreover, climate change will challenge the collage of “soft” international law that governs the Arctic, administered primarily through the Arctic Council’s collaborative forum. While this system has been effective, the opening of the Far North to increased sea passage, commercial exploitation, and great powers’ interests necessitates a more robust integration of binding law and should spur the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (“NATO”) to better prepare for confrontations and contingencies that may arise as the ice recedes.

О юридическом приоритете традиционных духовно-нравственных ценностей

In this article the authors based on the positions of the normative approach to understanding law, come to the conclusion that there is a dialectical connection between traditional Russian spiritual and moral values in law and legal priority. On the one hand, the protection of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values is one of the strategic national priorities of the Russian state. On the other hand, values can act as a criterion for setting priorities for state legal regulation, defining, both formal and legal conditions for the dominant position of any spheres, as well as moral and ethical guidelines. In some cases, it may be necessary to establish priorities in the value system itself. The named dialectical unity is investigated by the authors on the basis of modern domestic legal protection of traditional spiritual and moral values.

Examining the Role and Perception of Nepali Peacekeepers in Nepal’s Foreign Policy Narratives

In the mid of July, a few Members of the Parliament proposed the idea of downsizing the Nepali Army as one of the measures to decrease public spending. But this is not the first time that such debate has stirred in the Nepalese political stratum. The topic of downsizing the Nepalese Army has been reiterated from time to time in the higher echelons of the Nepali government, most notably following the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA). At the national level, The Nepal Army as an institution has been deployed since centuries for to accomplish a wide array of functions. On the international front, the Nepbat has been deployed in UN Peacekeeping missions since 1958 in war-prone regions and is largely regarded as a highly competent battalion of proven caliber. Nepal Army's global exposure and experience as such have also refined the institution's conflict resolution and crisis management skills. But despite such positive global acknowledgment and the rich experience that the Nepal Army has garnered, the deliberations regarding the utilization of their insights and experiences in Nepal’s foreign policy discourse seem to have been kept at an arm's length. To identify the role of the Nepali Army in promoting the value of world peace as enshrined in the Nepalese Constitution, this article has intended to investigate the level of recognition and influence of their insights in Nepal's foreign policy discourse. This qualitative study based on both primary and secondary data and process tracing and interview methods, identified that the imbalances in the state's priorities have led to the skills of Nepali peacekeepers from their global exposure being kept under the radar. The study has then suggested some of the possibilities for incorporating military expertise into Nepal's foreign policy discourse.

On the powers of the National Police of Ukraine under martial law

In this article, the author analyzes the legislative acts which currently regulate the activities of the National Police of Ukraine. It is stated that the activities of the National Police of Ukraine are very multifaceted, and therefore they are regulated by the rules of various branches of law.
 However, the bulk of these norms are still administrative and legal, since most of the police tasks are performed in the course of public administration, provision of police services in the areas of public safety and order, protection of human rights and freedoms, as well as the interests of society and the state, provision of services to assist persons who need such assistance for personal, economic, social reasons or as a result of emergencies, within the limits established by law.
 The author notes that main idea of the Constitution of Ukraine during wartime, as well as in peacetime, remains unchanged and consists in establishing limits for public authorities to prevent arbitrariness and guarantee human rights and freedoms. At the same time, the constitutional goals and priorities of the entire state during wartime have significant specifics.
 It is noted that with the introduction of martial law in Ukraine, the powers of many government agencies have undergone significant changes. Due to the adoption of amendments to the current legislation in the field of public security and order, the powers of the National Police of Ukraine have also changed to some extent.
 The author of the article emphasizes that the priority among such changes is to guarantee the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, as well as further development of a democratic state in which the rule of law is strictly enforced.
 The author concludes that during the martial law in Ukraine, the powers of the National Police have been significantly expanded by introducing appropriate amendments to the Law of Ukraine «On the National Police».
 At the same time, when expanding the powers of law enforcement agencies, including the police during martial law, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine should take into account that the actual circumstances of war or martial law do not automatically constitute grounds for restricting the constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens.

Public health priorities for the Gulf states.

The newly established Gulf Center for Disease Prevention and Control (Gulf CDC) has to identify priorities to tackle in the first 2years of operation. A rapid situational assessment involving a selected sample of national stakeholders, an objective study of the strengths and gaps in the national public health programmes and a study estimating the burden of the main disease/risk factors were carried out. The findings of an objective ranking survey, followed by consensus discussion in an in-person meeting for senior Gulf states' experts, were combined with the evidence available from the previous three studies to result in a short list of the most pressing priority topics for the Gulf CDC to tackle. Both communicable (lead priorities: antimicrobial resistance and immunisation) and non-communicable diseases (leads: cardiovascular disease, then cancer, diabetes, and mental health) are the consensus priorities. Also, the risks associated with non-communicable diseases (high BMI, blood sugar, high blood pressure) and unhealthy lifestyle (poor diet, low physical activity and tobacco use) were also highlighted as top priorities to tackle.

Cercetarea științifică în profesionalizarea cadrelor didactice: relevanță, performanță, excelență și valori

The text is conceptualized in the context of the government’s strategic policies in the field of education. In this sense, the State Program 2020-2023 was developed in the field of research and innovation of certain state priorities. The author, together with the members of the research team, carried out the scientific-methodological and praxiological activity within the Project „Foundation of the professionalization paradigm of teachers in the context of societal challenges”, focused on the fourth strategic priority „Societal challenges”. However, the text of the article reveals the relevance, performance, excellence and values of the scientific research results obtained within the project in the period 2020-2023.

National Security Priorities for a Sustainable Energy Transition

Relevance. Problems of the sustainability of national economic systems continue to remain relevant for a long time. States continue to interact on climate agendas and environmental topics in a tense geopolitical situation. Expanding the implementation of carbon footprint reduction technologies is becoming a prerequisite for partnerships and entry into new international markets for the supply of products and services. National priorities of states today are moving closer together due to the growing climate crisis, which dictates the need to intensify work on the implementation of ESG projects. The purpose of the study was to analyze the current state of the movement to reduce the carbon footprint and the results of the implementation of declared initiatives within the framework of international agreements. Objectives. The article set and consistently solved the following tasks: a review of the current state of climate change in the environment and the impact of declining environmental quality on the health and longevity of the population was carried out, an assessment was made of the sectoral contribution of various sectors of the economy to the formation and accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, an assessment of modern compensation carbon impact tools. Methodology. The work used methods of logical analysis, content analysis, statistical analysis of data on emissions and inputs, graphical and horizontal analysis, generalization and systematization of data. Results. An assessment of the current state of this problem made it possible to summarize the conclusions and results of research on this topic and to identify the main national priorities related to the implementation of strategies for switching to renewable energy sources. Conclusions. The article provides an overview of the level of implementation of resource-saving technologies in various sectors of the Russian national economy. Conclusions are drawn about the need to continue the environmental modernization of the national economic system and expand interstate cooperation on climate change issues and a sustainable energy transition to resource-saving technologies.

Tourism And the Issue of Sustainability in Morocco: The Case of The Seaside Resort Taghazout

Tourism has long been a crucial activity for the Moroccan economy, making a significant contribution to the country's GDP. As a result, this sector ranks high among the State's priorities, and it receives paramount importance in terms of planning and investment. The objectives of the tourism plans differ. Mainly stemming from the directives of international financial institutions, these objectives will contribute to the boom of mass tourism, disregarding the social and environmental dimensions of "touristified" territories. It was not until the development of Vision 2020 that the concept of sustainable tourism emerged, which "sustainably values territories, populations, heritages, and spreads its beneficial effects in the most remote areas of the Kingdom" (Program Contract 2011-2020, 2010: 5). The concept of sustainable tourism is relatively recent, and the first guide "towards sustainable tourism" was published in 2006 by the UNWTO and UNEP. As for the global criteria for sustainable tourism introduced in December 2019. The aim of this study is to assess the extent to which Moroccan tourism meets the criteria for sustainable tourism in destinations. The criteria to be analyzed are applied to the resort of Taghazout, which is Morocco's foremost coastal resort in terms of development.

Universal international legal framework to support of victims of terrorism

The article describes the provisions of international legal acts on support and protection of the rights of victims of terrorism (UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, UN GA resolutions, Good Practices in Supporting Victims of Terrorism within the Criminal Justice Framework, The Criminal Justice Response to Support Victims of Acts of Terrorism, the Handbook of Good Practices to Support Victims’ Associations in Africa and the Middle East, Model Legislative Provisions to Support the Needs and Protect the Rights of Victims of Terrorism etc.) It is indicated that the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and its attached Action Plan provide for the establishment of national assistance systems on a voluntary basis that will take into account the needs of victims of terrorism and their families and contribute to the normalisation of their lives. It is emphasised that the UN General Assembly reviews the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy every two years, which makes it a living document linked to the priorities of member states in the fight against terrorism. In particular, in the Eighth Review of the Strategy (2023), the UN GA reaffirmed the role that victims of terrorism, including the role in disincentivising terrorism, stressing the need to promote international solidarity in support of victims of terrorism and to ensure their dignified and respectful treatment. It is pointed out that the resolutions adopted by the UN GA (72/165, 73/305) on victims of terrorism made it possible to lay a more solid foundation for intensifying the efforts of Member States to provide assistance to victims. It is emphasised the role of the UNODC in supporting victims of terrorism, under the auspices of which a number of acts have been developed containing strategies for building institutional capacity to involve victims of terrorism in investigations and prosecutions; national experience, programmes and legislation on supporting victims of terrorism are summarised. It is indicated that in 2022, the Model Legislative Provisions to Support the Needs and Protect the Rights of Victims of Terrorism were adopted, which are based on the international legal framework for victims of crimes and grave human rights violations and are intended to assist Member States in protecting the rights and addressing the needs of victims of terrorism in their national legislation.

The effectiveness of punishment and alternative measures of influence in the context of water resources management in the national economy

One of the important strategic goals of the reform of the Criminal justice system (penal enforcement system) the priority of the modern state is the development of institutions that execute punishments without isolation from society. The realization of this goal involves the solution of a complex of legal, organizational, correctional and market-economic tasks. However, it is crucial to change the punitive policy of the state in the direction of its liberalization in relation to persons who have committed minor offenses. The need to humanize the punitive policy of the state is predetermined by the fact that the punishment in the form of imprisonment tit places a heavy burden on the state budget, the economic development of the state and entails the rupture of social ties of convicts, generates criminalization of society and in the field of ecological development.