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Affected Populations (affected + population)
Selected AbstractsRestoring sanitation services after an earthquake: field experience in Bam, IranDISASTERS, Issue 3 2005Jean-François Pinera Abstract A powerful earthquake hit the city of Bam in southeast Iran on 26 December 2003. In its aftermath, a number of international relief agencies, including Oxfam, assisted in providing emergency sanitation services. Oxfam's programme consisted of constructing and repairing toilets and showers in villages located outside of the city. In contrast with other organisations, Oxfam opted for brickwork structures, using local materials and human resources rather than prefabricated cubicles. The choice illustrates the dilemmas faced by agencies involved in emergency sanitation: responding to needs in a manner consistent with international standards and offering assistance in a timely fashion while involving beneficiaries. Following a preliminary survey, Oxfam concluded that the provision of showers and latrines, in addition to utilisation of local materials and human resources, was essential for ensuring well-being, empowerment and dignity among members of the affected population, thereby maximising the benefits. [source] Valuing avoided morbidity using meta-regression analysis: what can health status measures and QALYs tell us about WTP?HEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 8 2006George Van Houtven Abstract Many economists argue that willingness-to-pay (WTP) measures are most appropriate for assessing the welfare effects of health changes. Nevertheless, the health evaluation literature is still dominated by studies estimating nonmonetary health status measures (HSMs), which are often used to assess changes in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Using meta-regression analysis, this paper combines results from both WTP and HSM studies applied to acute morbidity, and it tests whether a systematic relationship exists between HSM and WTP estimates. We analyze over 230 WTP estimates from 17 different studies and find evidence that QALY-based estimates of illness severity , as measured by the Quality of Well-Being (QWB) Scale , are significant factors in explaining variation in WTP, as are changes in the duration of illness and the average income and age of the study populations. In addition, we test and reject the assumption of a constant WTP per QALY gain. We also demonstrate how the estimated meta-regression equations can serve as benefit transfer functions for policy analysis. By specifying the change in duration and severity of the acute illness and the characteristics of the affected population, we apply the regression functions to predict average WTP per case avoided. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Developmental states, civil society, and public health: Patent regulation for HIV/AIDS pharmaceuticals in India and BrazilREGULATION & GOVERNANCE, Issue 2 2010Thomas Eimer Abstract While both India and Brazil are seriously affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, each country has chosen a different approach to providing affordable pharmaceutical treatment. Whereas the Indian government has paved the way for market-driven solutions, Brazilian public authorities are strongly involved in the research and production of HIV/AIDS medication. Brazilian regulations permit comprehensive and free provision of HIV/AIDS drugs, whereas the majority of the affected population in India does not receive adequate pharmaceutical treatment. To explain the different policy outputs, we draw on the developmental state literature. Efficient decisionmaking structures, a devoted bureaucracy, and effective policy instruments enable public authorities to provide public goods even in the context of relative scarcity. We show that the assumptions of developmental state theory have to be complemented by the assessment of civil society actors' potential to trigger governmental interventions in the market. [source] Food Security in Protracted Crises: Building More Effective Policy FrameworksDISASTERS, Issue 2005Margarita Flores This paper considers the principal elements that underpin policy frameworks for supporting food security in protracted crisis contexts. It argues that maintaining the food entitlements of crisis-affected populations must extend beyond interventions to ensure immediate human survival. A ,policy gap' exists in that capacities for formulating policy responses to tackle the different dimensions of food insecurity in complex, fluid crisis situations tend to be weak. As a result, standardised, short-term intervention designs are created that fall short of meeting the priority needs of affected populations in the short and long term and only partially exploit the range of policy options available. The paper discusses key attributes of agency frameworks that could support more effective policy processes to address longer term as well as immediate food security needs. Additionally, it points to some main challenges likely to be encountered in developing such frameworks and, with the participation of beneficiaries, translating them into effective action. [source] Diagnosed and undiagnosed HIV-infected populations in EuropeHIV MEDICINE, Issue 2008FF Hamers This article aims to build a picture of HIV epidemiology in Europe by combining existing surveillance data to mathematical modelling to achieve observations closer to the dynamic reality of HIV infections across different parts of Europe. In the European Union (EU), where it is estimated that 30% of HIV-infected persons have not been diagnosed, the number of new HIV diagnoses has risen in recent years. However, trends must be interpreted with some caution around the differences and variations in surveillance systems and testing rates among affected populations and regions. By introducing mathematical models, we can build an overall picture from the pieces of information available. We present a mathematical model of the course of infection and the effect of ART which has been developed to fit as closely as possible to observed data from HIV cohorts. The preliminary estimates for the entire WHO European Region are that around 2.3 million people were living with HIV in Europe at the end of 2006, of whom around 50% have not been diagnosed. The model can also be used to assess the potential impact of earlier diagnoses. Observations show how a combination of surveillance data and modelling allows an estimation of the current state of the epidemic in Europe, though further developments in both areas are needed. [source] Save the Children's approach to emergency evaluation and learning: Evolution in policy and practiceNEW DIRECTIONS FOR EVALUATION, Issue 126 2010Megan Steinke-Chase The humanitarian assistance sector has developed globally from a state of spontaneous and disjointed approaches, and is striving to be more deliberate, coordinated, and accountable. Save the Children's experience has paralleled that evolution. This chapter explores advances in emergency evaluation approaches, utilization, and learning that have driven systematic improvements in Save the Children's policy and practice as it responds to major emergencies. It discusses challenges and successful efforts to internalize sector standards, ensure participation of affected populations, strengthen coordination across the sector, and increase impact measurement of emergency response. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association [source] Viewing Spatial Consequences of Budgetary Policy ChangesPUBLIC BUDGETING AND FINANCE, Issue 2 2005Robert T. Greenbaum While the research community is often very concerned with the distributional effect of public policy decisions, the geographic distribution of the affected populations is often overlooked. This paper argues that seemingly geographically neutral policies have spatial consequences and that the choice of how to measure them is important. We suggest that maps provide a powerful tool for communicating these ideas to policy makers and that geographical information systems supplemented by spatial statistics yield information that assist policy debates. We develop metrics to illustrate how geographic information provides insights into the spatial consequences of Medicaid expenditure changes in Ohio. [source] | |||||||||||||