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1 – 7 of 7Joses M Kirigia, Germano M Mwabu, Juliet N Orem and Rosenabi Karimi Muthuri
The purpose of this paper is to estimate discounted value of potential non-health gross domestic product (GDP) losses attributable to the 167,913 maternal deaths that occurred…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to estimate discounted value of potential non-health gross domestic product (GDP) losses attributable to the 167,913 maternal deaths that occurred among 45 countries in the WHO African Region in 2013.
Design/methodology/approach
A cost-of-illness method was used to estimate non-health GDP losses related to maternal deaths. Future non-health GDP losses were discounted at 3 per cent. The analysis was undertaken for countries categorized under three income groups.
Findings
The discounted value of future non-health GDP loss due to maternal deaths in 2013 is in the order of Int$5.53 billion. About 17.6 per cent of that occurred in countries in the high and upper income group, 45.7 per cent in the middle income group and 36.7 per cent in the lower middle income group, and the average non-health GDP loss per maternal death was Int$136,799, Int$43,304 and Int$19,822, respectively.
Research limitations/implications
This study omitted costs related to direct health care, direct non-health care treatment, patient time for treatment, informal caregivers’ time, intangible costs such as pain and grief, lost output due to morbidity, and negative externalities on the family and community.
Social implications
The study demonstrated that maternal deaths have a sizable negative effect on non-health GDP of the region, implying that maternal mortality is not only a human rights concern but also an economic issue and that universal coverage of maternal health interventions ought to be an imperative goal in all countries.
Originality/value
This paper provides new evidence on the impact of maternal deaths on non-health GDP of 45 countries in the WHO African Region.
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Beatriz González López-Valcárcel and Laura Vallejo-Torres
This paper aims to provide an estimation of the costs of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic with a special focus on Spain. Costs include macroeconomic costs of foregone gross…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide an estimation of the costs of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic with a special focus on Spain. Costs include macroeconomic costs of foregone gross domestic product (GDP) attributable to the pandemic and the direct and indirect costs of prevention, treatment and lost productivity. This study also analyzes the cost-effectiveness of the test-tracking-quarantine (TTQ) strategy in Spain.
Design/methodology/approach
The macroeconomic costs of foregone GDP attributable to the pandemic are estimated for different countries and areas by comparing the present GDP forecasts for 2020 and 2021 with counterfactuals estimated before the COVID-19 crisis aftermath. The total cost of the COVID-19 for Spain in 2020 was obtained using the cost of illness approach with a bottom-up process. A cost-effectiveness analysis of the TTQ strategy in Spain is based on the estimation of the total costs of TTQ and the health gains and avoided health-care costs associated with the TTQ strategy. A sensitivity analysis explores the consequences of uncertainty in key parameters.
Findings
The GDP cost of the COVID-19 is by far larger than all the other components of the cost. The global cost of the Covid-19 crisis in 2020–2021 is estimated at 14% of 2019 GDP (around 12,206 mm$). In the specific case of Spain, it amounts to 24% of the 2019 GDP; which is 397.3 m €. Spain is and will be by far the European country most economically affected by the pandemic. In Spain 2020, the GDP cost accounts for 94.7% of the total cost of the COVID-19 and health-care direct costs are only 2.14%. TTQ is a dominant strategy in Spain. For each euro spent on it, 7 euros will be recovered only in terms of saved health-care resources.
Research limitations/implications
Given the large degree of uncertainty and the fast-evolving nature of the epidemic, a number of assumptions are required to arrive at the estimates provided in this study. The results were found to be robust to the assumptions applied.
Practical implications
TTQ is a key strategy for the contention of the epidemy and it is justified from the economic perspective.
Originality/value
This is the first estimation of the cost of the COVID-19 and the cost-effectiveness of the TTQ strategy for Spain.
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Hoang Thai Pham and Hyangsook Lee
A boom in e-commerce in Korea has sparked off high daily-volume demand for small-sized home delivery services, which poses a great challenge to distribution networks, especially…
Abstract
A boom in e-commerce in Korea has sparked off high daily-volume demand for small-sized home delivery services, which poses a great challenge to distribution networks, especially in urban areas where traffic congestion, accessibility, and pollution are serious problems. In addition, security issues for people who live in small townhouses and detached houses without security systems and guards have received increasing attention from the government and society. Thus, the introduction of a new alternative for home delivery services, unmanned parcel lockers, is urgent for residents living in these areas. This paper examines and compares potential socio-economic impacts in terms of costs and benefits when such lockers are installed at selected locations in residential areas. The results show that this policy is worthy of adoption, with several undeniable benefits to local communities. In addition, sensitivity analyses estimate the economic performance of this project at different social discount rates, and they check the sensitivity of economic performance based on variations in the variables. The value of travel time savings was identified as a critical and dominating factor directly affecting economic performance.
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The purpose of this paper is to consider the efficiency of US healthcare in an international context. The paper emphasizes the concept of efficiency and explores implications for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to consider the efficiency of US healthcare in an international context. The paper emphasizes the concept of efficiency and explores implications for pharmaceutical marketing.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature review, economic theory, secondary data and bivariate regression were used to describe and evaluate US healthcare spending and pharmaceutical marketing.
Findings
US healthcare spending is inordinately high as a share of gross domestic product within developed countries and this is associated with a relatively high share of private finance. But public sector finance is displacing private payment and this trend is especially pronounced for pharmaceuticals. Public finance combined with fiscal pressure can be expected to curb use of pharmaceutical detailing and other forms of marketing. The limits of affordability are not well assessed and socio‐economic institutions to facilitate decisions about present and future costs have yet to evolve.
Originality/value
This paper provides a macro perspective for healthcare finance and the marketing of pharmaceuticals. It pioneers analysis of economics and international healthcare systems integrated with the foundations of demand for pharmaceutical marketing.
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Kandappan Balasubramanian and Mohd Hafiz Hanafiah
This paper explores the challenges Malaysian tourism and hospitality organisations faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and assesses how they coped and strategized with these…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores the challenges Malaysian tourism and hospitality organisations faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and assesses how they coped and strategized with these challenges. Next, the study explores innovative action and best practices in dealing with the pandemic. Additionally, the study focusses on the efforts of policymakers. The paper also reviews government policy and support programmes made available to the business sector during the pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper identifies the key pandemic-related issues and challenges faced in the tourism and hospitality industry through open-ended questions with senior industry practitioner insights and policymakers.
Findings
The study highlights emerging challenges and issues for Malaysian hospitality and tourism businesses. In addition, it offers specific recommendations and strategies to enable industry stakeholders to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Practical implications
These findings are of interest to Malaysian tourism and hospitality industry stakeholders and policymakers as they highlight challenges and offer possible post-pandemic solutions.
Originality/value
The paper reflects current issues and challenges from the perspective of tourism and hospitality practitioners on managerial and operational issues relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Marta Giovannetti, Arun Sharma, Deva Rangarajan, Silvio Cardinali and Elena Cedrola
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to major sales strategy and process changes as many interactions migrated from face-to-face to virtual environments. The nature of the interactions…
Abstract
Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to major sales strategy and process changes as many interactions migrated from face-to-face to virtual environments. The nature of the interactions changed, and sales firms, the sales function and salespeople created new processes to excel in virtual environments. As sales processes evolve further, this paper aims to focus on understanding the enduring shifts in sales strategy and processes. In addition, this study seeks to understand the characteristics of enduring shifts and how they are distinct from temporary shifts.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the sales organizations and salespeople over the period from the start of the pandemic to early 2022. The authors interviewed 66 sales professionals from different countries and industries to better understand the temporary and enduring shifts in sales strategy and processes, adopting ad inductive and narrative approach.
Findings
There are four major findings. First, four key themes emerged: increased digitalization, resistance to digitalization, sales process changes and sales organization transformation. Second, changes are classified as temporary, permanent and accelerated changes. Third, some proposed changes were not supported. Finally, five findings were found that were not discussed in previous literature.
Originality/value
This paper finds distinctive findings that offer additional valuable insights that connect to and extend existing literature. These include emerging themes, classification shifts, unsupported proposed changes and unique findings.
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The economic phenomenon of “globalization” has broadly affected the health care industry and the medical profession in the late 20th century. Governmental and private sector…
Abstract
The economic phenomenon of “globalization” has broadly affected the health care industry and the medical profession in the late 20th century. Governmental and private sector managed care reach is expanding globally, as patients are “ecuritized” and traded as covered lives. Arbitrage of health care goods and services is creating commoditization effects, including trans‐border parallel markets (i.e. black markets). Consumers and governments are becoming concerned about privacy issues and product standardization, while Third World challenges remain in the public health realm (i.e., infectious pandemics, sanitation, nutrition and overpopulation).
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