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on Health Economics |
| By: | Adelina Comas-Herrera (London School of Economics); Ruth Hancock (University of Essex); Ariadna Juarez-Garcia (University of Birmingham); Derek King (London School of Economics); Juliette Malley (London School of Economics); Linda Pickard (London School of Economics); Raphael Wittenberg (London School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | Using two linked simulation models, we examine the public expenditure costs and distributional effects of potential reforms to long-term care funding in the UK. Changes to the means tests for user contributions to care costs are compared with options for abolition of these means tests (‘free’ personal care). The latter generally cost more than the former and benefit higher income groups more than those on lower incomes (measuring income in relation to the age-specific income distribution). Reforms to the means tests target benefits towards those on lower incomes. However the highest income group are net losers if free personal care is financed by a higher tax rate on higher incomes and the effect on the whole population considered. |
| Date: | 2006–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ese:iserwp:2006-43&r=hea |
| By: | Brian S. Armour; M. Melinda Pitts |
| Abstract: | While the health risks associated with smoking are well known, the impact on income distributions is not. This paper extends the literature by examining the distributional effects of a behavioral choice, in this case smoking, on net marginal Social Security tax rates (NMSSTR). The results show that smokers, as a result of shorter life expectancies, incur a higher NMSSTR than nonsmokers. In addition, as low-earnings workers have a higher smoking prevalence than high-earnings workers, smoking works to widen the income distribution. This higher tax rate could have implications for both labor supply behavior and Social Security system funding. |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedawp:2006-12&r=hea |
| By: | Soiliou Namoro; Olivier Armantier |
| Date: | 2006–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pit:wpaper:253&r=hea |
| By: | James Feigenbaum |
| Date: | 2006–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pit:wpaper:228&r=hea |
| By: | Alexis Leon |
| Date: | 2006–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pit:wpaper:199&r=hea |
| By: | Lokshin, Michael; Beegle, Kathleen |
| Abstract: | The authors estimate the economic losses related to the negative effect of smoking on wages in a context of a developing country. Using data from the 2005 Albania Living Standards Monitoring Survey, they jointly estimate a system of three equations: the smoking decision and two separate wage equations for smokers and nonsmokers. The results show that, after controlling for observed characteristics and taking into account unobserved heterogeneity in personal characteristics, smoking has a substantial negative impact on wages. On average smokers ' wages are 20 percent lower than the wages of similar nonsmokers, providing strong evidence for the potential policy relevance of tobacco control initiatives for developing countries. |
| Keywords: | Health Monitoring & Evaluation,Tobacco Use and Control,Alcohol and Substance Abuse,Adolescent Health,Disease Control & Prevention |
| Date: | 2006–10–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:4018&r=hea |
| By: | J. David Hacker; Michael R. Haines |
| Abstract: | Under the urging of late nineteenth-century humanitarian reformers, U.S. policy toward American Indians shifted from removal and relocation efforts to state-sponsored attempts to "civilize" Indians through allotment of tribal lands, citizenship, and forced education. There is little consensus, however, whether and to what extent federal assimilation efforts played a role in the stabilization and recovery of the American Indian population in the twentieth century. In this paper, we rely on a new IPUMS sample of the 1900 census of American Indians and census-based estimation methods to investigate the impact of federal assimilation policies on childhood mortality. We use children ever born and children surviving data included in the censuses to estimate childhood mortality and [responses to] several questions unique to the Indian enumeration [including tribal affiliation, degree of "white blood", type of dwelling, ability to speak English, and whether a citizen by allotment] to construct multivariate models of child mortality. The results suggest that mortality among American Indians in the late nineteenth century was very high - approximately 62% [standardize as % or percent throughout] higher than that for the white population. The impact of assimilation policies was mixed. Increased ability to speak English was associated with lower child mortality, while allotment of land in severalty was associated with higher mortality. The combined effect was a very modest four percent [as above] decline in mortality. As of 1900, the government campaign to assimilate Indians had yet to result in a significant decline in Indian mortality while incurring substantial economic and cultural costs. |
| JEL: | J1 J15 N11 N3 |
| Date: | 2006–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:12572&r=hea |
| By: | Neeraj Sood; Melinda Beeuwkes Buntin; Jose J. Escarce |
| Abstract: | We use the implementation of a new prospective payment system (PPS) for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) to investigate the effect of changes in marginal and average reimbursement on costs. The results show that the IRF PPS led to a significant decline in costs and length of stay. Changes in marginal reimbursement associated with the move from a cost based system to a PPS led to a 7 to 11% reduction in costs. The elasticity of costs with respect average reimbursement ranged from 0.26 to 0.34. Finally, the IRF PPS had little or no impact on costs in other sites of care, mortality, or the rate of return to community residence. |
| JEL: | I1 I18 |
| Date: | 2006–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:12556&r=hea |
| By: | Mariacristina De Nardi; Eric French; John Bailey Jones |
| Abstract: | People have heterogenous life expectancies: women live longer than men, rich people live longer than poor people, and healthy people live longer than sick people. People are also subject to heterogenous out-of-pocket medical expense risk. We construct a rich structural model of saving behavior for retired single households that accounts for this heterogeneity, and we estimate the model using AHEAD data and the method of simulated moments. We find that the risk of living long and facing high medical expenses goes a long way toward explaining the elderly's savings decisions. Specifically, medical expenses that rise quickly with both age and permanent income can explain why the elderly singles, and especially the richest ones, run down their assets so slowly. We also find that social insurance has a big impact on the elderly's savings. |
| JEL: | D1 D31 E2 H31 H51 I1 |
| Date: | 2006–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:12554&r=hea |
| By: | Yamauchi, Futoshi; Buthelezi, Thabani; Velia, Myriam |
| Abstract: | "This paper assesses the impact of prime-age mortality on human capital formation and labor markets by examining, first, the impact on adolescents, who may leave school in order to enter the labor market, and second, the impact on adult females who, upon the loss of a breadwinner, may decide to seek a job outside of the home." Authors' Abstract |
| Keywords: | South Africa, Gender, Labor supply, Schooling, Prime-age adult mortality, Human capital, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:fcndbr:208&r=hea |
| By: | Hawkes, Corinna; Ruel, Marie T. |
| Abstract: | "Good health and productive agriculture are both essential in the fight against poverty. In a rapidly changing world, agriculture faces many challenges, both old (natural resource constraints, extreme weather conditions, and agricultural pests) and new (globalization, environmental degradation, problems of maintaining production in conflict situations). At the same time, new global health threats emerge, such as HIV/AIDS, SARS, and avian influenza, while old ones persist. Not only do malaria, tuberculosis, diarrheal diseases, respiratory infection, and malnutrition continue to take a heavy toll, but the health sector is faced with increasing problems of chronic disease, drug and insecticide resistance, and a diminishing arsenal of effective interventions. And as the world becomes more integrated, so do the agricultural and health problems the world faces... The briefs in this series aim to communicate what is known about the linkages between agriculture and health in science and policy, thereby stimulating interest in and dialogue on agriculture and health. With a focus on the poor in developing countries, the briefs deal with the relationship between agricultural producers, systems, and outputs and the world's leading causes of death and disease. They examine the various trade-offs involved and set out some of the approaches needed to create improved synergies between the agricultural and health sectors." From text |
| Keywords: | Agriculture, Agroforestry, Health and nutrition, Agricultural technology, Food safety, Diseases, Sustainability, Biodiversity, Agrobiodiversity, Environmental management, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(1)&r=hea |
| By: | Roos, Nanna; Wahab, Md. Abdul; Chamnan, Chhoun; Haraksingh Thilsted, Shakuntala |
| Abstract: | "Fish production is an important source of livelihoods among the world's poor, and fish consumption has long been known to have nutritional benefits. The dynamics of the world's fisheries—and fish consumption—are changing, bringing health-related challenges. This brief describes the various links and the challenges they present... The importance of fish for the health of consumers and producers demands policy attention. For poor riparian and coastal populations, national and local fisheries management policies need to incorporate the need for access to fish, especially nutrient-dense small fish species, and fisheries by these groups. Thus, it is critical to develop and disseminate sustainable aquaculture technologies that are suitable for adoption by the rural poor, such as making use of rice paddies, irrigation canals, and seasonal ponds to produce fish both for sale and for consumption. In addition, aquaculture in these water bodies can promote human health by controlling mosquitoes, and thereby malaria, as well as snails that bear schistosomiasis parasites. For growing urban populations, measures are needed to increase fish intake as a means of curbing the rise of chronic diseases. To cope with urban demand, intensification of aquaculture is thought to be the way forward. This entails the use of technologies (breeding, management, and biotechnology) to raise productivity and requires large private and public sector investments... [T]he overexploitation of fish and fisheries to satisfy demand for fish consumption, fish meal, and fish oil and to generate economic and income growth has resulted in serious risks to the health and well-being of the poor, the environment, wild fish stocks, the quality of fish, and the viability and sustainability of the fisheries sector. |
| Keywords: | Agriculture-health linkages, Health and nutrition, Food safety, Sustainability, Environmental management, Technology adoption, Chronic diseases, Urban population, productivity, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(10)&r=hea |
| By: | Swallow, Brent; Ochola, Sophie |
| Abstract: | "For the practice of agroforestry to yield its full potential, it needs to bring health and nutrition to the fore. The figure presents a simple conceptual framework of agroforestry, health, and nutrition linkages that focuses on five pathways between agroforestry and health, dubbed the MINER pathways: M—medicinal plant conservation, domestication, and propagation; I—income earned and inputs saved through improvements in the farm resource base and products for sale; N—nutritious agroforestry foods, including fruits and leaves; E—changes in ecosystem structure and function that affect disease risk and transmission; and R—responses of agroforestry priorities and program design to changes in farmers' circumstances resulting from health and nutrition problems. The rest of this brief briefly discusses the five MINER pathways." From text |
| Keywords: | Agriculture-health linkages, Agroforestry, Health and nutrition, Diseases, Farm produce, farm income, Ecosystem management, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(11)&r=hea |
| By: | Johns, Timothy; Smith, Ifeyironwa Francisca; Eyzaguirre, Pablo B. |
| Abstract: | "Biodiversity provides essential components of healthy environments and sustainable livelihoods. One key component of biodiversity is agrobiodiversity—that is, the cultivated plants and animals that form the raw material of agriculture, the wild foods and other products gathered by rural populations within traditional subsistence systems, and organisms such as pollinators and soil biota... Agrobiodiversity used and conserved in a livelihood context can directly contribute to nutrition, health, and income generation... Efforts to encourage farmers to grow a greater range of agrobiodiversity have had success when they simultaneously increase demand through promotion to consumers, provide technical and management support to farmers, and help create market opportunities." From text |
| Keywords: | Agrobiodiversity, Health and nutrition, Sustainable livelihoods, Biodiversity, income generation, Market reforms, Technical assistance, Agriculture-health linkages, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(12)&r=hea |
| By: | Lee-Smith, Diana; Prain, Gordon |
| Abstract: | "With half the world's population living in cities and towns, many poor urban dwellers face problems gaining access to adequate supplies of nutritionally balanced food. For many urban populations, an important source of food is urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA). Production and processing of crops—particularly horticultural crops—and livestock is frequently part of urban and peri-urban livelihood strategies, and the food produced forms a large part of informal sector economic activity. This brief examines the benefits and problems of UPA for the nutrition and health of poor urban and peri-urban populations... An adequate health-impact assessment of urban agriculture is still incomplete.Research questions remain concerning the level of chronic disease risk posed by contamination of urban food from air pollution, as well from industrial effluents. Further assessment is needed of the health risks of using biological wastes as fertilizer. Research questions also remain regarding the infectious disease risks posed by urban livestock keeping... Adequate waste treatment systems and sanitation need to be provided to poor countries' urban areas, but the technologies should be designed to capture the nutrients in waste for increased food production. Control of discharges into soil, air, and water by industries, whether large factories or small kiosks, is likewise essential. Existing environmental legislation needs to be made effective by proper implementation through both community action and government support in urban neighborhoods." From text |
| Keywords: | Health and nutrition, Urban population, Nutritional status, Urban agriculture, Peri-urban areas, Crop production, Horticultural crops, livestock, Livelihoods, Informal sector (Economics), Chronic diseases, Fertilizers, Agriculture-health linkages, Sanitation, environmental policies, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(13)&r=hea |
| By: | Nugent, Rachel; Drescher, Axel |
| Abstract: | "Agricultural production relies on environmental services to transform raw inputs into the nutritious and diverse food that humans rely on for survival. Although the practice of agriculture is essential for human health, careless and inappropriate agricultural practices can degrade and contaminate natural resources and in so doing, harm human health. Modified agricultural practices can help mitigate these problems. This brief provides an overview of the linkages between agriculture, environment, and health, some of which are dealt with in more detail in other briefs in this series." From text |
| Keywords: | Agricultural production, Environmental services, Food crops, Nutrition security, Nutritional status, plant breeding, pesticides, Fertilizers, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(14)&r=hea |
| By: | Benson, Todd |
| Abstract: | "Earlier briefs in this series make the case that there is added value for the agricultural and health sectors in working more closely together to address problems of human well-being that fall at the intersection of the two sectors. Yet the divisions between the two sectors are wide and difficult to bridge. Building the space and providing sufficient incentives and resources for collaborative activities between them will require changes in government policy—itself not a straightforward endeavor. Moreover, the sharp human and financial resource constraints in developing countries compound the challenge. This brief describes some of the important barriers to effective collaboration between the two sectors and suggests ways to overcome them. First, though, why does policy matter in this context? Policy states how government intends to prioritize the allocation of resources under its control for what is perceived to be the best interest of society. Poor health and stagnant or declining agricultural productivity are among the most fundamental challenges to improved human welfare and economic growth. Government has the responsibility for providing many of the institutions, infrastructure, and resources — key public goods — without which many farmers, in particular, will remain unhealthy, unproductive, and mired in poverty. Thus the policies and actions of government are a critical component in enabling individuals, particularly in rural areas, to live healthier and more productive lives." From text |
| Keywords: | agricultural sector, Health services, Quality of life, Government policy, Government spending policy, economic growth, Public goods, Public health, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(15)&r=hea |
| By: | Bos, Robert |
| Abstract: | "...At the moment, a lack of integration and coordination characterizes the relationship between the agriculture and health sectors. Traditionally, agricultural and health policies address specific goals within those sectors. Agricultural policies address conservation of the natural resource base, protection of farmers' livelihoods, basic needs of the poor including food security, and the context for regulations on, among other things, food safety and the sound use of pesticides. National public health policies are also sectorally driven and reflect the dichotomy in the health sector between preventive action and curative care... [A] conducive policy framework is essential for effective agriculture-health collaboration. This framework should be comprehensive, focus on strategic issues, be periodically reviewed and updated, and maintain criteria that recognize the bidirectional nature of the links. Not only are these policies important at the national level, but they should also be introduced at the level of international organizations and bilateral and multilateral development agencies." From text |
| Keywords: | Livelihoods, food security, Food safety, pesticides, Public health, Agriculture-health linkages, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(16)&r=hea |
| By: | Lang, Tim |
| Abstract: | "Agriculture produces food fundamental for human health. It therefore seems obvious that agriculture, food, and health are related! Agriculture affects whether people have enough food to eat, whether it is of sufficient nutritional value, and whether it is safe, all of which affect human health. But it is not so simple: history has taught that there are different ways of looking at the relationships between agriculture, food, and health. Agricultural connections to food and health are mediated by the natural environment, human culture, and technological change. The challenge today of how to achieve equitable food production that delivers optimum nutrition for health requires an ever better understanding of the interplay between agriculture and environment, culture, and technical capacity, and how it has changed over time... there is growing recognition among all stakeholders that: current institutions do not yet adequately link policy demands across levels of governance: global, regional, national, and local; the coincidence of over-, under-, and malconsumption within societies is likely to remain and possibly grow, particularly if current global economic trends continue; nutrition will have to play a more direct part in framing farm policy and practice; agriculture will face renewed pressure to deliver, via sustainable methods, not just more food, but better-quality and health-enhancing foods; and market mechanisms need a stronger push to link health, environment, and food systems in ways that are equitable, both within and between nations, while prioritizing public health." From text |
| Keywords: | Agriculture, Health and nutrition, Agricultural technology, Food safety, Food supply, Environmental management, human nutrition, Nutrients, Agriculture-health linkages, Environmental policy, Technical efficiency, Public health, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(2)&r=hea |
| By: | Lipton, Michael; Sinha, Saurabh; Blackman, Rachel |
| Abstract: | "Research, invention, and adoption of agrotechnology have played an important role in improving human nutrition and health. Agrotechnology has introduced more effective plant breeds (such as high-yielding varieties), enhanced land management techniques (such as terracing), and improved water management tools (such as irrigation). The adoption of these techniques has benefited nutrition, largely through boosting crop productivity, thereby providing employment and income to rural populations and increasing local and global food supplies... for the health needs of small farmers and laborers—as well as poor consumers—to influence research decisions, governments need to develop (1) institutions and incentives to promote such people's participation and communication with the formal research community; (2) competition among private research providers; and (3) public research in activities that respond to farmers' needs but are unlikely to attract formal private research." From text |
| Keywords: | Agriculture, Health and nutrition, Agricultural technology, Environmental management, Plant breeding Technological innovations, Community participation, public research, Private sector, Agriculture-health linkages, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(3)&r=hea |
| By: | Hawkes, Corinna; Ruel, Marie T. |
| Abstract: | "Agriculture is fundamental to achieving nutrition goals: it produces the food, energy, and nutrients essential for human health and well-being. Gains in food production have played a key role in feeding growing and malnourished populations. Yet they have not translated into a hunger-free world nor prevented the development of further nutritional challenges. Micronutrient deficiencies (for example, of vitamin A, iron, iodine, and zinc) are now recognized as being even more limiting for human growth, development, health, and productivity than energy deficits. Hunger among the poor also increasingly manifests itself through excessive consumption of energy-rich but nutrient-poor foods. The result is a double burden of undernutrition (deficiencies of energy, micronutrients, or both) and “overnutrition” (poor diet quality leading to obesity and other diet-related chronic illnesses)." From text |
| Keywords: | Agriculture, Health and nutrition, Agricultural technology, Nutrients, Food production, Micronutrients, Vitamin A deficiency, Zinc deficiency, Iron deficiency, Iodine deficiency, Obesity, Diet-related diseases, Hunger, Agriculture-health linkages, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(4)&r=hea |
| By: | Todd, Ewen C. D.; Narrod, Clare |
| Abstract: | "To improve the ability of farmers in developing countries to reduce the burden of foodborne illness, government agencies need to take the following steps: (1) Implement a farm-to-table approach to agricultural health by focusing efforts on the prevention of potential food safety and agricultural health threats at all stages of the supply chain including production, processing, marketing, and retailing. (2) Raise awareness among decisionmakers, public servants, producers, traders, and consumers about the potential sources of food safety problems and ways to protect against such problems. (3) Encourage a multi-stakeholder approach to improving public health. (4) Strengthen surveillance and diagnostic capacity in all countries to improve measurement of prevalence and detection of outbreaks. (5) Strengthen risk analysis capacity to help decisionmakers in all countries to set strategies and priorities, to consider the many needs of the supply chain, and to increase their focus on the preharvest stage. (6) Switch from command-control policies to performance-based standards to meet national and international food safety goals. Command-control policies are often less flexible and have higher fixed costs, which may result in the displacement of poor producers from the market. (7) Improve infrastructure and access to cold storage facilities to ensure the delivery of highly perishable foods to distant markets. (8) Support efforts to improve supply chain management to improve food safety along the whole supply chain." From text |
| Keywords: | Agriculture-health linkages, Agriculture, Health and nutrition, Agricultural technology, Food safety, Diseases, Education, Supply chain management, Risk analysis, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(5)&r=hea |
| By: | Mutero, Clifford M.; McCartney, Matthew; Boelee, Eline |
| Abstract: | "Malaria, schistosomiasis (bilharzia), and Japanese encephalitis are the major vector-borne diseases whose increase or decrease can be attributed to agricultural water development (see table). Others include dengue fever, yellow fever, and filariasis. Young children in poor communities are particularly affected: malaria is among the top five causes of death among under-fives in Sub-Saharan Africa; schistosomiasis among children affects growth, nutritional status, and cognitive development; and encephalitis occurs mainly in young children... Water development projects bring important benefits locally and globally. Yet it is often assumed that irrigation will bring health benefits to all, regardless of their socioeconomic standing within a community. In reality, the economic and social impacts of irrigation are diverse and widespread, and neither costs nor benefits are evenly distributed among community members. In Sub-Saharan Africa, as elsewhere in the world, there is increasing recognition of the need to reduce the negative impacts of agricultural development on ecosystems and peoples' health. Unless well-targeted interventions are made, the most vulnerable—notably poor children and their mothers—will continue to benefit least from the promise of irrigation and suffer most from the adverse health impacts." From text |
| Keywords: | Health and nutrition, Agricultural technology, Food safety, Malaria, Diseases, HIV/AIDS, Irrigation, Children, Nutritional status, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(6)&r=hea |
| By: | Gillespie, Stuart |
| Abstract: | "Agriculture is the main source of livelihood of the majority of people affected by HIV and AIDS globally, and it is being progressively undermined by the disease. In Sub-Saharan Africa AIDS is affecting the rural landscape in ways that demand a rethinking of development policy and practice, and parts of South Asia may soon face a similar situation.... There is clearly tremendous scope for agricultural policy to become more HIV-responsive, both to further AIDS-related objectives and to help achieve agricultural objectives. Yet there are no magic bullets. Land-labor ratios and the relative degree of substitutability between household resources, among other factors, will determine the possible responses to HIV/AIDS. If policy becomes more HIV- responsive, it will stay relevant and effective. By mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into the policy process and carefully monitoring the results, policymakers will help build up evidence of what works in different contexts, enhance learning, and ultimately leave people better equipped to address the multiple threats of the pandemic." From text |
| Keywords: | Agriculture, Health and nutrition, HIV/AIDS, Livelihoods, rural areas, Agricultural policy, Household resource allocation, Agriculture-health linkages, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(7)&r=hea |
| By: | Cole, Donald |
| Abstract: | "According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the agricultural sector is one of the most hazardous to health worldwide. Agricultural work possesses several characteristics that are risky for health: exposure to the weather, close contact with animals and plants, extensive use of chemical and biological products, difficult working postures and lengthy hours, and use of hazardous agricultural tools and machinery. This brief outlines the occupational health hazards of agriculture, presents a case study on the trade-offs between their health and economic impacts, and proposes responses... To effect change, the agriculture and health sectors should work together more closely. The agricultural sector should develop and build on ways of working with farmers to grow crops that promote healthier cultivation practices and reduce exposure to hazards. Health-sector staff, meanwhile, should document health problems and identify the greatest hazards, help explain the health reasons for such changes, and monitor changes in health with improved production methods." From text |
| Keywords: | Agriculture, Diseases, Sustainability, Environmental management, Agricultural technology, Agriculture-health linkages, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(8)&r=hea |
| By: | Catelo, Maria Angeles O. |
| Abstract: | "The linkages between livestock and health are significant, particularly for the poor, whether as livestock raisers or as consumers of meat and milk, or even as users of the environment. The processes of livestock production and consumption bring both benefits and problems for human health... Livestock production and consumption can lead to four main types of human health risks: (1) diseases transmitted from livestock to humans; (2) environmental pollution; (3) foodborne diseases and risks; and (4) diet-related chronic diseases. Zoonoses are diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans via bacteria, parasites, viruses, and unconventional agents. The more common and serious zoonoses caused by infectious agents include salmonellosis, swineherds' disease caused by Leptospira species, brucellosis, the hepatitis E virus (HEV), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), Rift Valley fever (RVF), adult meningitis caused by Streptococcus suis, and the influenza virus... In developing countries, smallholders have only rudimentary methods of protecting themselves from diseases and preventing their spread to neighboring farms and communities. There may be a need to rethink the trends toward wholesale privatization of animal health services and public disinvestment in these services and to look more deeply into public and private partnerships." From text |
| Keywords: | health, Meat consumption, Food safety, Public-private partnerships, Environmental management, Chronic diseases, |
| Date: | 2006 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fpr:2020br:13(9)&r=hea |
| By: | Duflo, Esther; Dupas, Pascaline; Kremer, Michael; Sinei, Samuel |
| Abstract: | The authors report results from a randomized evaluation comparing three school-based HIV/AIDS interventions in Kenya: (1) training teachers in the Kenyan Government ' s HIV/AIDS-education curriculum; (2) encouraging students to debate the role of condoms and to write essays on how to protect themselves against HIV/AIDS; and (3) reducing the cost of education. Their primary measure of the effectiveness of these interventions is teenage childbearing, which is associated with unprotected sex. The authors also collected measures of knowledge, attitudes, and behavior regarding HIV/AIDS. After two years, girls in schools where teachers had been trained were more likely to be married in the event of a pregnancy. The program had little other impact on students ' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior, or on the incidence of teen childbearing. The condom debates and essays increased practical knowledge and self-reported use of condoms without increasing self-reported sexual activity. Reducing the cost of education by paying for school uniforms reduced dropout rates, teen marriage, and childbearing. |
| Keywords: | Tertiary Education,Primary Education,Education For All,Population Policies,Teaching and Learning |
| Date: | 2006–10–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:4024&r=hea |
| By: | Bell, Clive; Bruhns, Ramona; Gersbach, Hans |
| Abstract: | The AIDS epidemic threatens Kenya with a long wave of premature adult mortality, and thus with an enduring setback to the formation of human capital and economic growth. To investigate this possibility, the authors develop a model with three overlapping generations, calibrate it to the demographic and economic series from 1950 until 1990, and then perform simulations for the period ending in 2050 under alternative assumptions about demographic developments, including the counterfactual in which there is no epidemic. Although AIDS does not bring about a catastrophic economic collapse, it does cause large economic costs-and many deaths. Programs that subsidize post-primary education and combat the epidemic are both socially profitable-the latter strikingly so, due to its indirect effects on the expected returns to education-and a combination of the two interventions profits from a modest long-run synergy effect. |
| Keywords: | Population Policies,Primary Education,Education For All,Adolescent Health,Economic Theory & Research |
| Date: | 2006–10–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:4025&r=hea |
| By: | M.Utku Unver; Tayfun Sonmez |
| Date: | 2006–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pit:wpaper:255&r=hea |
| By: | M.Utku Unver; Alvin E. Roth; Tayfun Sonmez |
| Date: | 2005–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pit:wpaper:263&r=hea |