Social Protection System Research Articles

ACCES A LA DIALYSE ET LETALITE DES PATIENTS INSCRITS SUR LA LISTE D’ATTENTE D’HEMODIALYSE DU CENTRE HOSPITALIER UNIVERSITAIRE ARISTIDE LE DANTEC

SummaryIntroduction: The aims of this study were to evaluate the lethality and access to dialysis of patients registered on the hemodialysis waiting list of the Aristide Le Dantec University Hospital Center and to identify their associated factors at the time of registration.Patients and methods: A retrospective, descriptive and analytical study used the register on the hemodialysis waiting list over a period from January 2014 to December 2018. Lethality and access to dialysis were calculated and socio-demographic and economic factors were considered as potential associated factors.Results: Seven hundred and fifty-one (751) files were included. Dakar was the region of origin in 67.93%. The average age was 48.15±15.21 years with a sex ratio of 1.02. The socio-economic level was low in 85.41%. Ten patients had joined a social protection system (1.64%). Patients were reachable in 83.36%, case fatality was 49.66% and access to dialysis was 16.24%. Registration before January 2016 was associated with access to dialysis (OR=10.8 [5.03-23.18]). Registration before January 2016 (OR=1.90[1.29-2.80]), age over 65 (OR=2.35[1.31-4.21]) and low level socio-economic (OR=1.81[1.10-3.19]) were associated with lethality.Conclusion: Access to dialysis in a public structure in Senegal remains low and lethality before access to dialysis is associated with low socio-economic level and advanced age. The decentralization of dialysis centers has made it possible to improve these proportions.. Keywords: dialysis, accessibility, public hospital, limited resources, Senegal

Prevalence and assessment of child malnutrition in South Asia

Abstract Background: Child malnutrition has been a major social problem in South Asia. Throughout the twentieth century, with aid from international food and health-related agencies and through government interventions, there has been a reduction in child malnutrition in this region. However, South Asia is burdened with a high prevalence of malnourished children in the world. About one hundred million children suffer from malnutrition-related issues. The present study has attempted to assess the conditions of child malnutrition in South Asia. Materials and Methods: The present study is based on secondary data from various sources such as the World Bank, WHO, and UNICEF databases. The study is categorized into three sections. The first section lays out the malnutrition trends in South Asia. It highlights the data on how the Stunting, Wasting, and obesity problems are changing in South Asia from 2000 to the present. The second section outlines the causes of child malnutrition in South Asia. It will focus on determinants of child malnutrition, mother’s literacy, family income, and social inequities. The third section elaborates on the United Nations (UN) system interventions. Results: There has been a consistent reduction in the prevalence of child malnutrition from the twentieth century to the twenty-first century; however, there is still a significant number of children and women under malnutrition; there is a demand for optimal nutrition at every stage of life. The effects of malnutrition are associated with less development physical and psychological; there is a risk even to the life of the child; it is also associated with the socio-economic development of the child. Thus, it affects the child’s future and the nation’s future. Conclusion: Finally, the paper concludes by recommending greater synergy among the food system, water and sanitation system, health system, education system, and social protection system.

Climate Crisis and Social Protection - From Worker Protection to Post-growth Transformation?

The article discusses five literature strands’ approaches towards social protection systems in the context of climate crisis: Adaptive Social Protection, Just Transition, Green New Deal, Post-growth, and Eco-feminism. As we argue, these five strands are located on a spectrum between a green growth orientation and a green anti-capitalist orientation. Furthermore, they differ in terms of their problematisation of the climate crisis and have different perspectives on relevant actors, on world regions, and – most relevant in the context of social welfare – their conceptualisation of social protection. While Adaptive Social Protection emphasizes cash transfers and insurances, Green New Deal and Just Transition approaches focus more on redistribution and labour market policies, and Post-growth and Eco-feminist approaches more on universalist policies and systems. We argue that these literatures each have their weaknesses, but also offer urgent questions, concepts, and insights for further social policy research.

Leaving no one behind: A case for inclusive social protection for displaced children

AbstractThe United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) outlines the rights for every child, including the right to benefit from social security and the right to a standard of living adequate for their physical, mental, spiritual, moral, and social development. The UNCRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty to date. However, millions of children continue to be denied their rights and face poverty, vulnerability and social exclusion, merely because they are displaced – internally or across borders. Children bear the heaviest burden of displacement, despite not being responsible for its triggers. This reality underlines that a significant population is being “left behind”, threatening progress to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals as part of international efforts to end poverty and ensure all people enjoy peace and prosperity. This article advocates for inclusive social protection systems for displaced children by highlighting the difficulties they encounter, emphasizing the potential benefits of social protection, and assessing the current status of inclusive social protection for this vulnerable group. Drawing on emerging lessons from UNICEF’s experience across several refugee and internal displacement contexts, such as Brazil, Ethiopia, Slovakia, and Türkiye, the article also offers recommendations to strengthen inclusive social protection systems specifically tailored to meet the humanitarian and development needs of displaced children.

Trends in socioeconomic inequalities in incidence of severe mental illness - A population-based linkage study using primary and secondary care routinely collected data between 2000 and 2017.

In 2008, the UK entered a period of economic recession followed by sustained austerity measures. We investigate changes in inequalities by area deprivation and urbanicity in incidence of severe mental illness (SMI, including schizophrenia-related disorders and bipolar disorder) between 2000 and 2017. We analysed 4.4 million individuals from primary and secondary care routinely collected datasets (2000-2017) in Wales and estimated the incidence of SMI by deprivation and urbanicity measured by the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) and urban/rural indicator respectively. Using linear modelling and joinpoint regression approaches, we examined time trends of the incidence and incidence rate ratios (IRR) of SMI by the WIMD and urban/rural indicator adjusted for available confounders. We observed a turning point of time trends of incidence of SMI at 2008/2009 where slope changes of time trends were significantly increasing. IRRs by deprivation/urbanicity remained stable or significantly decreased over the study period except for those with bipolar disorder sourced from secondary care settings, with increasing trend of IRRs (increase in IRR by deprivation after 2010: 1.6% per year, 95% CI: 1.0%-2.2%; increase in IRR by urbanicity 1.0% per year, 95% CI: 0.6%-1.3%). There was an association between recession/austerity and an increase in the incidence of SMI over time. There were variations in the effects of deprivation/urbanicity on incidence of SMI associated with short- and long-term socioeconomic change. These findings may support targeted interventions and social protection systems to reduce incidence of SMI.

Семей полигоны: тарихы, ядролық сынақтар және оның зардаптары

Семей ядролық полигоны — бұл әлемдегі ядролық қаруды сынаудың ең ірі полигондарының бірі. Семей полигонының 40 жылдай уақыт аралығындағы қызметі Кеңес Одағының қару жарақ жарысы тарихының бір кезеңі саналады. Өкінішке орай, Семей полигонының тарихы отандық тарихнамада тарихи тұрғыдан жан-жақты қарастырылмаған, ғылыми жұмыстар жоқтың қасы. Мұның негізгі себептерінің бірі — архив құжаттарына деген қолжетімділіктің болмауы және олардың қатаң құпия түрінде сақталуы. Сондықтан, қазіргі уақытта Семей ядролық полигонына қатысты жаңа архивқұжаттарын қолдану арқылы ғылыми жұмыстарды басып шығарудың қажеттілігі туындап отыр. Екінші жағынан, Семейдегі ядролық сынақтар су және жер ресурстарының зақымдануына алып келді, экономика масштабының қысқаруына, әлеуметтік құрылымдардың әлсіреуіне ықпал еткені белгілі. Сондықтан, қазіргі уақытта халықтық өмірлік қуатын және аймақтың өмірлік кеңістігін сауықтыру үшін әлеуметтік қорғау жүйесін құру өзекті саналады. Осы себептен, мақалада Семей полигонының құрылу тарихы және 1949–1989 жылдар аралығындағы ядролық қаруды сынаудың салдарықарастырылған.

Strategic decisions in healthcare: Impact on goals and enhancing service quality for organizational success

This study underscores the crucial imperatives of governments aiming to establish effective social protection systems: prioritizing human capital development, reinforcing social protection mechanisms, and improving the populace's standard of living. The primary objective is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of central healthcare issues and propose strategic solutions for the advancement of healthcare services. The methodology involves a detailed examination and segmentation of the healthcare sector, tailoring enhancements to specific segments. The article critically examines strategic management nuances within the healthcare sector, offering detailed segmentations and proposals for potential improvements. It extends its focus to advanced healthcare systems worldwide, providing valuable insights for assimilating foreign experiences. The study systematically explores the intricacies of strategic action planning and management in both public and corporate healthcare sectors, including transnational corporations. Findings underscore the imperative of continual development and improvement in healthcare service quality, emphasizing the necessity for judicious strategic decisions to sustain the healthcare market's functionality and vitality. This study is relevant for administrative institutions, organizations, governmental bodies, and corporate entities aiming to enhance decision-making processes and operational aspects while prioritizing healthcare quality.

Ensuring organisational and legal conditions for financing the social sector of Ukraine

The legal aspects of regulation of budgetary financing of social services have been analysed, and the main directions of improving the efficiency of the system of budgetary financing of social protection and social security of the population of Ukraine in modern conditions have been identified. Based on the analysis of scientific views, theoretical approaches to building a budget system in the context of social protection have been considered. The shortcomings of legal regulation of mechanisms for financing the provision of social protection services have been identified, and the main factors for improving the efficiency of budget financing and the inclusiveness of social protection have been described.
 The main task of the State in the context of social protection of the population is to fully and timely fill the relevant budgets and to finance social protection measures within the limits established by the budget. It has been noted that today the State system of budgetary funds management for financing social benefits remains one of the main components of the general and comprehensive social protection system of Ukraine. However, the practice of organising the budget process in Ukraine in the current socio-political conditions is characterised by an imbalance in the state and regional programmes of economic and social development. The main factors of disruptions in the functioning of the system of financing the social protection sector in Ukraine have been considered. There is a gradual reduction in the share of expenditures on social protection and social security from 30 % to 15 % of the consolidated budget in 2016–2022, while social spending is actually growing in monetary terms. It has been determined that although the Budget Code of Ukraine regulates the financial independence of local budgets by assigning to them the relevant sources of budget revenues, the actual level of revenue formation does not allow them to properly fulfil their own powers in the field of social protection of the population.
 It has been noted that in the context of decentralisation, amendments to the budget legislation should take into account the provision of real rights to pursue an independent socio-economic policy at the local level and at the same time ensure the effective exercise of their own and delegated powers. Provision of local and regional authorities with revenues sufficient to finance their powers should be done through decentralisation of budgetary funds, which will help to achieve a balance of regional and local budgets.

Social reproduction in crisis: Gendered labour regimes in agro‐export sectors in Ecuador and Chile

AbstractThe pandemic lays bare the centrality of social reproduction in upholding global commodity networks. Capitalism's reliance on gendered and racialized systems of social reproduction has deepened structural contradictions and socio‐economic divides across agro‐export sectors and agrarian communities. We analyse how COVID‐19 policies and responses in Ecuador and Chile are reshaping systems of social and labour protection in feminized agro‐export sectors. We integrate labour regime and gender regime frameworks, showing how they are (1) co‐constituted via global forces, national policies, institutional pressures and local practices; (2) intertwined in neoliberal and social‐democratic development models; and (3) forged through control, consent and resistance. We analyse national legal frameworks and policy responses to COVID‐19, as well as industry, union and worker reactions, illustrating how ‘neutral’ policies have gendered outcomes, (re)creating false binaries between production and reproduction and paid and unpaid work. We find that the pandemic has reshaped gendered labour regimes in agro‐exports: in Ecuador, undermining the fragile commitment to a social‐democratic gendered labour regime and in Chile, strengthening social‐democratic supports and promises of a more equitable gendered labour regime. In both cases, states and firms have neglected to include social reproduction in the ‘costs’ of development, thus threatening national development models grounded in the exploitation of cheap female labour in agro‐export sectors.

Regional differences in annual prevalence of sustainable working life in Swedish twin cohort

The global rise in life expectancy transforms age structure consequently having impact to the sustainability of social protection systems and working life. This descriptive study aimed to illustrate the annual prevalence of sustainable working life across Swedish residential regions, and investigate differences between age groups, sex, or being identical or fraternal twin. The study sample included 81,231 twins with linkage to national register data on sickness absence, disability pension, unemployment, and residential regions. Regions were classified by Swedish municipalities into nine groups. Sustainable working life were then followed in 1998, 2003, 2008, and 2013. Annual prevalence and Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) with log linear models for interaction test were used. Medium to large size municipalities (15–24%) had higher annual prevalence of sustainable working life than smaller municipalities (1–7%). Young adults in medium to large size municipalities had high annual prevalence of sustainable working life. We found no differences for sexes or being identical or fraternal twin. To conclude, annual prevalence of sustainable working life in 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013 differed by region being highest in medium to large size municipalities which may have importance for targeting policies, regulations, and practices in a region-specific way. Further studies on residential regions and sustainable working life would be merited to confirm associations and other influential factors.

Dimensions and Socio-Economic and Environmental Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Health and Well-Being: A Scoping Review

Background: In addition to being responsible for the death and infection of millions of people around the world, COVID-19 also created a range of social, economic, environmental, and mental health challenges. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating various dimensions, challenges, and effects of the pandemic in the aforementioned areas.
 Methods: The present scoping review was conducted in 2022. All published articles in the field of aforementioned dimensions were searched from the beginning of 2020 to the end of April 2022. Searches were made in English language databases including Medline through PubMed, Scopus, Web of Sciences and also manual search in Persian language databases including SID and Magiran. After reviewing gray and manual texts, finally 84 final articles were selected. The data were analyzed and classified using the content analysis method using the "framework of structural and intermediate determinants of health" of the World Health Organization.
 Results: Cases such as the reduction of the gross national product, the imbalance of supply and demand, the urgent need to strengthen social protection systems, the increase in inequality, the reduction of the social rights of women and children, and the reduction of access to health services are among structural factors and cases such as tourism damages, decrease in mental well-being, increase in irritability, anger and tension, fear of COVID-19 in the elderly and exposure to the spectrum of mental problems were among the intermediate determinant factors that have led to direct and indirect effects on the justice, health, and well-being of societies.
 Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent actions of the governments, such as nationwide quarantines and the creation of numerous restrictions, have led to a wide range of social, economic and environmental effects on societies. Countries need effective and extensive measures in determinant factors to get rid of the negative effects of the spread of this disease on the health and well-being of people in the long run.

The Pluralist Economy in Africa: A Study of the Relationship between Economic Complexity and the Life Ladder

This study finds a significant correlation between economic complexity and the life ladder in Africa, using data from the World Development Indicators (2022), World Happiness Report (2023) and Observatory of Economic Complexity (2023) over the period 2000 to 2021. The FGLS estimation method shows that economic complexity has a positive impact on the life ladder of African populations. These findings underscore the importance of governments implementing economic policies that prioritise the strengthening of economic complexity, thereby promoting the life ladder of individuals in Africa. Key measures to achieve this goal include promoting economic diversification, investing in education and training, encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation, promoting regional integration, improving infrastructure and technological accessibility, and establishing robust social protection systems. The adoption and implementation of these policies will be critical to increasing the overall life ladder of Africa's population while promoting sustainable economic development.

Deinstitutionalization of children in residential care facilities: Experiences and perceptions of professionals in Ghana

AbstractAccording to the literature, the success of deinstitutionalization (DI) practices in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) is dependent on key factors including, a well‐functioning family‐based alternative care and social protection system, adequate funding and resources, and professional and other stakeholders' engagement and support. Following a practice research qualitative method, the study explored practitioner's experiences and perceptions on the status of Ghana's ongoing DI efforts and their recommendations for improving implementation. The study's main themes were establishing the need for residential homes for children (RHCs), RHCs not being an ideal family environment and RHCs as respite. Family marital problems, poor financial situation, stigma attached to some children in care, abusive parents and a lack of suitable alternatives when families have a crisis were identified as key factors that impede DI implementation in Ghana. The findings suggest the need for a progressive approach towards DI implementation in LMICs, with the first step being the re‐positioning of RHCs as respite care centres while progressively developing other alternative family‐based care options (such as kinship care) for children.

Values in Social Work and Professional Relationship Towards Users

The paper presents the results of comparative empirical research conducted among social work students (N=146), who were grouped into two subsamples: students from the Australian College of Applied Psychology, Sydney and Melbourne (N= 71), and students from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) from the Universities of Banja Luka, Tuzla and Sarajevo (N=75). The subject of the research was the values in social work that determine the professional attitude and ways of intervening towards the users of the social protection system, among social work students in two different educational, cultural, and social-political environments (Australia and Bosnia and Herzegovina). The goal of the research was to determine whether there are differences in the attitudes and opinions of students about the values of social work, professional attitudes, and actions towards users of the social protection system, about the country of study and residence. The research was carried out using the research method (survey technique), for the needs of which a specially prepared instrument - Questionnaire (ORiSR/April 2020) was created, which examined students' attitudes about the professional relationship and measures of treatment towards users of social work services. The obtained results confirmed the assumed hypothesis that there are significant differences in students' attitudes regarding the place of study, that is, the different cultural and social circumstances in which future social workers are educated. Differences were observed in the evaluation of individual measures and forms of protection for users of social work services. Students from Bosnia and Herzegovina believe that adoption and foster care are preferable forms of protection for children without parental care, while the majority of students from Australia think that the adoption of children in same-sex unions should be allowed. Also, the obtained results showed that, even though the views of students from Australia and Bosnia and Herzegovina differ on some values of social work, essential differences were not observed in the values related to satisfying the primary interest of the user, subordinating personal principles to the values of social work and social activism of social work in the community.

Human social rights in Ukraine: international standards, current state and prospects for development

The article is devoted to the current state of social protection of citizens of Ukraine. The issue of social human rights and standards of regulation, provision and protection of social human rights in Ukraine. The study of existing international standards for the regulation, provision and protection of social human rights, which in connection with the development of society are gaining more and more importance, as they are designed to guarantee people a decent standard of living. The development of human social rights is analyzed, as well as the analysis of international mechanisms and standards for their observance and protection. It is justified that the state should have a wide range of measures aimed at ensuring maximum coverage by the social protection system. The main focus is on the existing gaps in the field of social security, which may hinder the economic recovery of the country. It is proposed to pay more detailed attention in further research to the comprehensive development of mechanisms for ensuring and protecting social human rights and their improvement in connection with the constant challenges of modernity. Key words: social protection, international standards of social rights, human rights activities, human and citizen rights and freedoms, constitutional reform.

FACTORS DETERMINING THE GROWTH OF COSTS IN THE INSURANCE SYSTEM AGAINST INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS IN UKRAINE

The article analyzes the factors determining costs in the system of insurance against accidents at work and their economic and social consequences. The increase in costs in this system increases the burden on employers who pay insurance contributions, as well as the burden on the social insurance system of Ukraine, which negatively affects public finances and the country’s economy in general. This can lead to an increase in the prices of goods and services, as well as a decrease in the country’s attractiveness for investment. Occupational accidents are an unfavorable social phenomenon that primarily negatively affects the life and health of an employee, and at the same time an insured event, the occurrence of which necessitates the payment of insurance compensation to the victim. For this reason, the disability insurance system is an important tool of the social protection system, which protects employees from material losses in the event of a disability. The disability insurance system has been operating in Ukraine since 1998. Over this time, it has undergone significant changes, including an increase in the list of insured events, higher tariffs, and larger benefit amounts. However, despite these changes, the costs of the disability insurance system continue to grow. According to the Social Insurance Fund of Ukraine, the cost of disaster insurance payments in 2022 increased by 15%, reaching UAH 12.2 billion.

The Self-Rated Health of Grandmothers Caring for Grandchildren: Evidence from South Africa

Globally older people are increasingly providing care for their grandchildren. A pertinent question across world regions is the extent to which providing care for grandchildren intersects with the ageing process and the implications for grandparents’ wellbeing. This paper examines the relationship between caring for grandchildren and the self-rated health of older African women (n = 1,397) in South Africa, drawing on data from the National Income Dynamics Study. This is a population which faces significant socio-economic challenges and stresses from the legacy of the HIV epidemic but benefit from a supportive social protection system and strong norms of extended family care. The findings show that prior self-rated health is not associated with assuming primary caregiving responsibilities for grandchildren, suggesting there is no selection effect into caring responsibilities. However, after controlling for prior characteristics, older women who take on primary caring responsibilities for grandchildren have significantly lower odds of reporting poorer self-rated health. Thus, in contrast to the frequent conclusions of negative impacts of custodial grandparenting on grandparent health in the US, this paper indicates that in some cultural contexts grandparents taking on the primary responsibility for grandchildren can be protective for health. Policymakers need to recognise the important caregiving role of grandparents and support them to flourish.

The Impact of Islamic Social Finance on Sustainable Development Goals to Alleviate Poverty in Muslim Countries: A New Paradigm for Zakat Organizations in Bangladesh

This research focuses on the issue of effect of Islamic social finance in the Muslim countries and especial reference to Bangladesh to alleviate poverty through managing zakat and other forms of social finance in Islam such as, waqf and sadaqah. Islamic social finance in Muslim countries including zakat, was estimated at almost $2tn in 2015 and is expected to exceed $3tn by 2020. Existing zakat management system in Muslim countries is not developed up to the level with the advance technology and innovation to rescue the Muslim nations from poverty. Therefore, this research is planning to recommend a new framework that evaluates the success factors of zakat management and distribution system by using FinTech to establish a clear and trusted system that will help zakat collection and provide transparent distribution channels to alleviate poverty in Bangladesh and establishing social protection system and in achieving SDGs of Bangladesh including Muslim countries.The inductive method was applied to examine data from secondary sources for this qualitative study which focused on how Bangladesh and the Muslim countries could make remarkable progress in the future to develop an Islamic social protection system and FinTech for zakat management system to achieve SDGs with especial focuses to Bangladesh.

The social protection of children and youth in Colombia: interpretive review

Introduction: The rights of social protection policies for children and youth need to be discussed for their strengthening to guarantee universality or to create new forms of that policies. Method: Documentary review supported by content analysis techniques and interpretive analysis of four social protection systems for children and youth: integral social security, family subsidy, social assistance, and the national system of family welfare. For the analysis, theoretical-political references to universal social protection and the doctrine of the protection of the rights of children and young people were considered. Results: The social protection systems analyzed are described in terms of implementation mechanisms, participation of children and youth criteria, financing, and rectory. The life course approach and its universality, institutional appropriation, and participation of children and young people were discussed. Conclusion: The social protection systems analyzed show social protection strategies for children and young people within the framework of the Social Constitutional State, but they are implemented through welfare, compensatory and targeted policies that contrast the perspectives of needs with that of the protection of children’s rights, and provide insufficient support for the principles of equality, participation, and universality.

Transition between social protection systems for workers with long term health problems: A controlled retrospective cohort study

Many nations have established workers' compensation systems as a feature of their social protection system. These systems typically provide time-limited entitlements such as wage replacement benefits and funding for medical treatment. Entitlements may end for workers with long-term health conditions before they have returned to employment. We sought to determine the prevalence of transitions to alternative forms of social protection, specifically social security benefits, among injured workers with long-term disability, when workers' compensation benefits end. We linked Australian workers' compensation and social security data to examine receipt of social security payments one year before and after workers' compensation benefit cessation. Study groups included (1) injured workers whose workers' compensation benefits ceased due to reaching a 260-week limit introduced by legislative reform (N = 2761), (2) a control group of injured workers with at least 104 weeks workers compensation income support (N = 3890), and (3) a matched community control group (N = 10,114). Adjusted binary logistic regression examined the odds of transitions to social security in the injured worker groups relative to the community control group. Within 12 months of workers' compensation benefit cessation, 60% (N = 1669) of the exposed group received social security payments, of which 41% (N = 1120) received the unemployment allowance and 19% (N = 516) the disability pension. Among the work injured control group, 42% (N = 1676) received social security payments after workers compensation benefits ceased. Transitions to social security payments were significantly more common than community levels for both exposed (OR 25.0, 95%CI = 20.7, 30.1) and work injured control groups (OR 4.7, 95%CI = 4.2, 5.3). Many injured workers with long-term health problems transition to social security when their workers’ compensation benefits cease. Transitions were more common among workers whose claims ended due to legislative reform which time-limited benefits. Design and implementation of system level policy reform should consider the social and economic impacts of transitions between separate social protection systems.