How can public enterprises be made more efficient? Where should the line between public and private production be drawn? What can countries do to minimize the losses sustained by public enterprises? What is the current perception of the role of the state in production in Southeast Asia, and particularly in ASEAN? What are the political, legal and administrative constraints pertaining to the divestment and/or marketization of public enterprises? Is the situation in Southeast Asia different from that in Europe? These are some of the questions this volume tackles
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In: Ho, A. and Joolaee, S. and Jameson, K. and Ng, C. (2021) The Seismic Shift in End-of-Life Care: Palliative Care Challenges in the Era of Medical Assistance in Dying. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 24 (2). pp. 189-194.
In: Ho, A. and Joolaee, S. and Jameson, K. and Ng, C. (2021) The Seismic Shift in End-of-Life Care: Palliative Care Challenges in the Era of Medical Assistance in Dying. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 24 (2). pp. 189-194.
This work is the result of collaborative research between ASEAN and Japanese scholars. It consists of two parts. The first focuses on the experiences and technology development efforts in ASEAN by ASEAN researchers. The second focuses on Japanese researchers' perceptions on ASEAN needs and performances in technology development; and Japan's historical experience as a recipient of international technology transfer
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Background: Osteoporosis has significant impact on healthcare costs and quality of life. Amongst the models for collaborative disease state management services published internationally, there is sparse evidence regarding the role of community pharmacists in the provision of osteoporosis care. Hence, the aim of our study was to explore community pharmacists' opinions (including the barriers and facilitators) and scope of osteoporosis disease state management services by community pharmacists in Malaysia, informing a vision for developing these services. Methods: Semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups discussions were conducted with community pharmacists from October 2013 to July 2014. Three trained researchers interviewed the participants. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed thematically using an interpretative description approach. Results: Nineteen community pharmacists with 1-23 years of experience were recruited (in depth interviews: n = 9; focus group discussions: n = 10). These participants reflected on their experience with osteoporosis-related enquiries, which included medication counseling, bone density screening and referral of at-risk patients. Key barriers were the lack of numerous factors: public awareness of osteoporosis, accurate osteoporosis screening tools for community pharmacists, pharmacists' knowledge on osteoporosis disease and medications, time to counsel patients about bone health, collaboration between pharmacists and doctors, and support from the government and professional body. The pharmacists wanted more continuing education on osteoporosis, osteoporosis awareness campaigns, a simple, unbiased osteoporosis education material, and inter-professional collaboration practices with doctors, and pharmacists' reimbursement for osteoporosis care. Conclusions: The involvement of community pharmacists in the provision of osteoporosis disease state management was minimal. Only ad-hoc counseling on osteoporosis prevention was performed by community pharmacists. Development and trial of collaborative osteoporosis disease state management services in community pharmacy could be facilitated by training, support and remuneration.
Advocacy programmes targeting street-connected children involve changing public and policy makers' perceptions about this group of often stigmatised children. Increasingly, such programmes centre leisure activities, sports, and sporting events as potential platforms for sharing messages aimed at effecting social change. For effective impact, such advocacy goals require that safe spaces are developed for emerging children's political messages and managing media narratives to centralise their individual challenges and, more importantly, the root-causes of their street-connectedness. In part influenced by an Ecological Framework for Human Development, we explore how the media engage meaningfully with Street Child United (SCU) events and how they represent street-connected children. Thematically analysing this media coverage, we explore SCU partners' relationships with the media and whether advocacy messages are communicated coherently and consistently. We found that messages of advocacy and children's rights are present, but inconsistently framed, reinforcing a binary between pity and inspiration, and limiting opportunities of challenging public perceptions and effecting change. For SCU, similar sports event organisers, and civil society organisations to successfully determine media narratives, they need to develop strategies to manage relationships and more continuous engagement with the media and other stakeholders to sustain interest and leverage impact
This study is a collaborative effort between officials and researchers from the transitional economy of Vietnam and researchers from the market economies of Japan and ASEAN. The first section covers aspects of the reform process undertaken in Vietnam as perceived by Vietnamese officials and scholars, and includes rare data and statistics. Section two deals with relevant aspects of the process of deregulation, liberalization and privatization experienced in Japan and the ASEAN countries. The final section provides recommendations for consideration by Vietnam's economic reform planners. Vietnam became a member of ASEAN on 1 July 1995. This study can possibly contribute to Vietnam's integration into the ASEAN economies.Contributors include• Phan Van Tiem • Nguyen Van Thanh • Nguyen Ngoc Tuan • Ngo Tri Long • Ho Phuong • Nguyen Van Huy • Tran Van Nghia • Le Dang Doanh • Kiyoshi Nakamura • Faisal R. Harahap • Mukul G. Asher • Ian Thynne
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ABSTRACTSurvey research is often deployed in the study of situational issues facing organizations and functions within organizations. One particular survey research approach can be described as follows: (1) survey questionnaires involving perceptual questions about a situational issue are administered to key informants, one key informant per unit of analysis; (2) key informants vary in a transparent manner across units of analysis such that groups of these key informants are discernible; and (3) perceptual responses, after data collection, are then pooled to create a single larger data set for subsequent statistical manipulations. In this methodological note, we draw attention to this particular survey research approach and ask the question: When is it appropriate to pool data provided by key informants with transparently different demographics across units of analysis so as to create a single larger data set for statistical manipulations? We use a simple example and data from a published study to motivate the relevance and gravity of this methodological question. Offering the concept and empirical assessment of measurement equivalence as the answer to this methodological question of data pooling, we prescribe and demonstrate, with the total quality management→customer satisfaction relationship, the procedural steps for evaluating the seven subdimensions of measurement equivalence. In conclusion, we highlight methods that should be adopted, before data collection, to minimize the risk of violating measurement equivalence. After data collection and for the instances when the empirical assessment for measurement equivalence advises against pooling of such data, we also offer suggestions for analyzing such data and presenting associated statistical results.
Background: As research on HIV vaccines continues to advance, studies exploring the feasibility of this intervention are necessary to inform uptake and dissemination strategies with key populations, including people who use drugs (PWUD). Methods: We conducted 25 in-depth qualitative interviews examining HIV vaccine acceptability among PWUD in Vancouver, Canada. Participants were recruited from an ongoing prospective cohort of HIV-negative PWUD. Data were coded using NVivo, and analyzed thematically. Results: Acceptability was framed by practical considerations such as cost and side effects, and was influenced by broader trust of government bodies and health care professionals. While an HIV vaccine was perceived as an important prevention tool, willingness to be vaccinated was low. Results suggest that future vaccine implementation must consider how to minimize the burden an HIV vaccine may place on PWUD. Centering the role of health care providers in information dissemination and delivery may assist with uptake. Conclusions: Our findings suggest improvements in care and improved patient-provider relationships would increase the acceptability of a potential HIV vaccine among this population.
This study is the result of collaborative research by ASEAN and Japanese scholars. By means of cross analyses, the study attempts to understand the problems faced by both Japan and the ASEAN countries with the aim of generating effective joint mechanisms that would facilitate the relocation of certain industries from Japan to the ASEAN countries
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Objective: To investigate gender differences in energy expenditure during walking with backpack and double-pack loads. Background: Studies have reported that energy expenditure during walking with double-pack loads is lower compared with backpack carriage. However, the effect of gender on energy expenditure while walking with these two load distribution systems has not been investigated. Method: Thirty healthy young adults (15 female and 15 male participants) walked on a treadmill with backpack and double-pack loads weighing 30% of their body weight at a speed of 0.89 m/s for 10 min. The energy expenditure in terms of oxygen consumption (VO2) and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were continuously monitored using a portable gas analyzer throughout each walking exercise. A mixed-design analysis of variance model was adopted to test the effects of gender, pack, and time on VO2 and RER. Results: No time effect was observed on VO2. However, significant gender, pack, and interaction effects were observed. The lowest VO2 was found in female participants under double-pack carriage. No significant gender or pack differences existed in RER. However, RER significantly and incrementally increased in time from the 4th through 6th, 8th, and 10th min. Conclusion: This study revealed that heavy double-pack load carriage for healthy young female participants had significantly lower energy expenditure (normalized by the entire system weight, i.e., the participant's weight plus the weight of the pack) than that of the male participants in a 10-min walking exercise. Application: The findings of this study indicated that healthy young female participants carried a heavy double-pack with less energy cost (normalized by the entire system weight, i.e., the participant's weight plus the weight of the pack) compared with their male counterparts during a 10-min walking exercise.
In: Mann , C , Ng , C , Akseer , N , Bhutta , Z A , Borghi , J , Colbourn , T , Hernández-Peña , P , Huicho , L , Malik , M A , Martinez-Alvarez , M , Munthali , S , Salehi , A S , Tadesse , M , Yassin , M & Berman , P 2016 , ' Countdown to 2015 country case studies: what can analysis of national health financing contribute to understanding MDG 4 and 5 progress? ' , BMC Public Health , vol. 16 , no. Suppl 2 . https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3403-4
Background Countdown to 2015 (Countdown) supported countries to produce case studies that examine how and why progress was made toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5. Analysing how health-financing data explains improvements in RMNCH outcomes was one of the components to the case studies. Methods This paper presents a descriptive analysis on health financing from six Countdown case studies (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Malawi, Pakistan, Peru, and Tanzania), supplemented by additional data from global databases and country reports on macroeconomic, health financing, demographic, and RMNCH outcome data as needed. It also examines the effect of other contextual factors presented in the case studies to help interpret health-financing data. Results Dramatic increases in health funding occurred since 2000, where the MDG agenda encouraged countries and donors to invest more resources on health. Most low-income countries relied on external support to increase health spending, with an average 20–64 % of total health spending from 2000 onwards. Middle-income countries relied more on government and household spending. RMNCH funding also increased since 2000, with an average increase of 119 % (2005–2010) for RMNH expenditures (2005–2010) and 165 % for CH expenditures (2005–2011). Progress was made, especially achieving MDG 4, even with low per capita spending; ranging from US$16 to US$44 per child under 5 years among low-income countries. Improvements in distal factors were noted during the time frame of the analysis, including rapid economic growth in Ethiopia, Peru, and Tanzania and improvements in female literacy as documented in Malawi, which are also likely to have contributed to MDG progress and achievements. Conclusions Increases in health and RMNCH funding accompanied improvements in outcomes, though low-income countries are still very reliant on external financing, and out-of-pocket comprising a growing share of funds in middle-income settings. Enhancements in tracking RMNCH expenditures across countries are still needed to better understand whether domestic and global health financing initiatives lead to improved outcomes as RMNCH continues to be a priority under the Sustainable Development Goals.
In: Mann , C , Ng , C , Akseer , N , Bhutta , Z A , Borghi , J , Colbourn , T , Hernández-Peña , P , Huicho , L , Malik , M A , Martinez-Alvarez , M , Munthali , S , Salehi , A S , Tadesse , M , Yassin , M & Berman , P 2016 , ' Countdown to 2015 country case studies: what can analysis of national health financing contribute to understanding MDG 4 and 5 progress? ' , BMC Public Health , vol. 16 , no. Suppl 2 . https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3403-4 ; ISSN:1471-2458
BackgroundCountdown to 2015 (Countdown) supported countries to produce case studies that examine how and why progress was made toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5. Analysing how health-financing data explains improvements in RMNCH outcomes was one of the components to the case studies.MethodsThis paper presents a descriptive analysis on health financing from six Countdown case studies (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Malawi, Pakistan, Peru, and Tanzania), supplemented by additional data from global databases and country reports on macroeconomic, health financing, demographic, and RMNCH outcome data as needed. It also examines the effect of other contextual factors presented in the case studies to help interpret health-financing data.ResultsDramatic increases in health funding occurred since 2000, where the MDG agenda encouraged countries and donors to invest more resources on health. Most low-income countries relied on external support to increase health spending, with an average 20–64 % of total health spending from 2000 onwards. Middle-income countries relied more on government and household spending. RMNCH funding also increased since 2000, with an average increase of 119 % (2005–2010) for RMNH expenditures (2005–2010) and 165 % for CH expenditures (2005–2011). Progress was made, especially achieving MDG 4, even with low per capita spending; ranging from US$16 to US$44 per child under 5 years among low-income countries.Improvements in distal factors were noted during the time frame of the analysis, including rapid economic growth in Ethiopia, Peru, and Tanzania and improvements in female literacy as documented in Malawi, which are also likely to have contributed to MDG progress and achievements.ConclusionsIncreases in health and RMNCH funding accompanied improvements in outcomes, though low-income countries are still very reliant on external financing, and out-of-pocket comprising a growing share of funds in middle-income settings. Enhancements in tracking RMNCH expenditures across countries are ...
