154 research outputs found
Natural-Resource Wealth: Elbow Grease or Fuel for Poverty?
No full textWe consider the effect of natural resources on growth using a two-sector model (resource and nonresource). Government taxes the nonresource sector and chooses institutional quality, which determines productivity in the nonresource sector and the government's ability to appropriate resource rents. We find that resource booms harm institutions. Their effect on growth depends on relative sector sizes: when rents are more substantial, governments are likelier to corrupt institutions to secure larger shares of rents. Cross-country panel data substantiate the results: countries in the bottom tercile of value added in manufacturing and services divided by GDP are cursed by resources; others are blessed. © 2011 Mohr Siebeck
The relationship between relative deprivation and self-rated health among Palestinian women in refugee camps in Lebanon
No full textAbstractBackgroundRelative deprivation (RD) has been advanced as a theory to explain the relationship between income inequality and health in high-income countries. In this study, we tested the theory in a low-income protracted refugee setting in a middle-income country.MethodsUsing data from the 2010 Socioeconomic Survey of Palestine Refugees in Lebanon, we examined the relationship between RD and health among a representative sample of Palestinian refugee women (N=1047). Data were gathered utilizing a household questionnaire with information on socio-demographics and an individual-level questionnaire with information on the health of each respondent. We examined self-rated health (SRH) as the main health measure but also checked the sensitivity of our results using self-reported chronic conditions. We used two measures for absolute SES: total household monthly expenditures on non-food goods and services and total household monthly expenditures on non-health goods and services. With refugee camp as a reference group, we measured a household’s RD as a household’s rank of absolute SES within the reference group, multiplied by the distance between its absolute SES and the average absolute SES of all households ranked above it. We investigated the robustness of the RD–SRH relationship using these two alternative measures of absolute SES.ResultsOur findings show that, controlling for absolute SES and other possible confounders, women report significantly poorer health when they live in households with a higher score on our RD measure (because of either lower relative rank or lower relative SES compared to households better off in the reference group which we take to be the refugee camp). While RD is always significant as a determinant of SRH under a variety of specifications, absolute SES is not consistently significant. These findings persist when we use self-reported chronic conditions as our measure of health instead of SRH, suggesting that the relationship between health and RD may be operating through a psychosocial mechanism.DiscussionOur findings underscore the importance of examining RD under conditions of poverty and in diverse socio-cultural contexts. They also highlight that public health approaches should be concerned with reducing social inequalities in low-income settings in addition to alleviating poverty
Income inequality and the composition of public debt
No full textPurpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the redistributive effect of domestic public debt: lenders to the government lie on the higher end of the income distribution, but the burden of debt financing falls on the entire tax base, to the extent that taxes are used to service debt. Because domestic debt is typically held by domestic lenders, this involves a redistribution of resources. Design/methodology/approach – The author uses cross-country panel data on debt composition, and run regressions of income inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient, using various specifications, controlling for a variety of macroeconomic, fiscal and political variables. Findings – The author finds that the composition of public debt is consistently a significant determinant of income inequality: the domestic share of public debt is regressive and significant across all specifications, even controlling for total and external debt servicing, political conflict, corruption and a variety of government spending variables. Research limitations/implications – The data span 18 years (1990-2007) which means that long-run effects are hard to track. While the author has a good mix in the sample of observations from low-, middle- and high-income countries, the author is constrained in the choice of countries by the availability of data on inequality and on the composition of public debt. Originality/value – This is the first paper to examine the composition of public debt in terms of domestic and external debt, and any bearing it may have on income inequality. The finding is also new for both the public debt and income inequality literatures: cross-country panel data are consistent with the belief that domestic debt redistributes resources from the entire tax base to wealthy holders of government debt in a way that external debt does not. © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Health equity in Lebanon: a microeconomic analysis
No full textAbstract Background The health sector in Lebanon suffers from high levels of spending and is acknowledged to be a source of fiscal waste. Lebanon initiated a series of health sector reforms which aim at containing the fiscal waste caused by high and inefficient public health expenditures. Yet these reforms do not address the issues of health equity in use and coverage of healthcare services, which appear to be acute. This paper takes a closer look at the micro-level inequities in the use of healthcare, in access, in ability to pay, and in some health outcomes. Methods We use data from the 2004/2005 Multi Purpose Survey of Households in Lebanon to conduct health equity analysis, including equity in need, access and outcomes. We briefly describe the data and explain some of its limitations. We examine, in turn, and using standardization techniques, the equity in health care utilization, the impact of catastrophic health payments on household wellbeing, the effect of health payment on household impoverishment, the equity implications of existing health financing methods, and health characteristics by geographical region. Results We find that the incidence of disability decreases steadily across expenditure quintiles, whereas the incidence of chronic disease shows the opposite pattern, which may be an indication of better diagnostics for higher quintiles. The presence of any health-related expenditure is regressive while the magnitude of out-of-pocket expenditures on health is progressive. Spending on health is found to be "normal" and income-elastic. Catastrophic health payments are likelier among disadvantaged groups (in terms of income, geography and gender). However, the cash amounts of catastrophic payments are progressive. Poverty is associated with lower insurance coverage for both private and public insurance. While the insured seem to spend an average of almost LL93,000 ($62) on health a year in excess of the uninsured, they devote a smaller proportion of their expenditures to health. Conclusions The lowest quintiles of expenditures per adult have less of an ability to pay out-of-pocket for healthcare, and yet incur healthcare expenditures more often than the wealthy. They have lower rates of insurance coverage, causing them to spend a larger proportion of their expenditures on health, and further confirming our results on the vulnerability of the bottom quintiles.</p
Efficacy and safety of insulin glargine and glimepiride in subjects with Type 2 diabetes before, during and after the period of fasting in Ramadan
No full textAims To determine the safety and efficacy of insulin glargine and glimepiride in patients with Type 2 diabetes before and after Ramadan and during fasting for Ramadan. Methods In this open, descriptive, multi-centre, prospective study, insulin-naïve (n = 100) or previously insulin-treated (n = 249) patients with Type 2 diabetes received insulin glargine [titrated from 10 U daily according to fasting blood glucose (FBG)] and glimepiride (4 mg daily). The number and type of hypoglycaemic episodes and glycaemic control were assessed before, during and after Ramadan. Bivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors which predicted hypoglycaemia during Ramadan. Results Only one episode of severe hypoglycaemia occurred in each time period before, during and after Ramadan. Mild hypoglycaemic episodes increased from 156 pre-Ramadan to 346 during Ramadan (P 0.001) and decreased to 153 post-Ramadan (P = 0.0002).The increase during Ramadan was mainly attributed to increased symptomatic hypoglycaemic episodes. FBG and glycated haemoglobin improved during the titration period and did not change during the rest of the study. Risk of hypoglycaemic events during Ramadan was higher in countries where fasting is strict [odds ratio (OR) 3.69 (2.06-6.63), P 0.0001]. Lower weight [ 70.0 kg; OR 2.56 (1.46-4.48), P = 0.001] and waist circumference [ 90 cm; OR 3.06 (1.62-5.78), P = 0.001] increased the risk of hypoglycaemia during Ramadan whilst FBG 6.7 mmol-l [OR 0.3 (0.17-0.54), P 0.0001] had a protective effect. Conclusions Combination of insulin glargine and glimepiride may be used during Ramadan in patients with Type 2 diabetes who wish to fast, provided glimepiride is given at the time of breaking the fast and insulin glargine titrated to provide FBG 6.7 mmol-l. © 2009 Diabetes UK.Akram J, 1999, DIABETIC MED, V16, P861; Al-Arouj M, 2005, DIABETES CARE, V28, P2305, DOI 10.2337-diacare.28.9.2305; Mafauzy M, 1990, Med J Malaysia, V45, P14; Anwar A, 2006, Med J Malaysia, V61, P28; Bolli GB, 2002, INT J CLIN PRACT, P65; Cesur M, 2007, DIABETES RES CLIN PR, V75, P141, DOI 10.1016-j.diabres.2006.05.012; Chandalia HB, 1987, PRACTICAL DIABETES, V4, P287, DOI 10.1002-pdi.1960040610; Duckworth W, 2009, NEW ENGL J MED, V360, P129, DOI 10.1056-NEJMoa0808431; Gerstein HC, 2008, NEW ENGL J MED, V358, P2545; ISMAIL MMA, 2003, DIABETES RES CLIN PR, V50, P71; Kadiri A, 2001, DIABETES METAB, V27, P482; Kassem HS, 2005, J ENDOCRINOL INVEST, V28, P802; Kodiri A, 1998, PRACT DIABET S1, V15, pS5, DOI DOI 10.1002-PDI.1960150906; LAAJAM MA, 1990, E AFR MED J, V67, P732; Mafauzy M, 2002, DIABETES RES CLIN PR, V58, P45, DOI 10.1016-S0168-8227(02)00104-3; Mattoo V, 2003, DIABETES RES CLIN PR, V59, P137, DOI 10.1016-S0168-8227(02)00202-4; Mucha GT, 2004, DIABETES CARE, V27, P1209, DOI 10.2337-diacare.27.5.1209; Riddle MC, 2003, DIABETES CARE, V26, P3080, DOI 10.2337-diacare.26.11.3080; Salti I, 2004, DIABETES CARE, V27, P2306, DOI 10.2337-diacare.27.10.2306; Skyler JS, 2009, CIRCULATION, V119, P351, DOI 10.1161-CIRCULATIONAHA.108.191305; Uysal AR, 1998, DIABETES CARE, V21, P2033, DOI 10.2337-diacare.21.11.2033; Wild S, 2004, DIABETES CARE, V27, P1047, DOI 10.2337-diacare.27.5.104724
The determinants of public spending allocation the case of Lebanon - by Hratch Sarkis Hasserjian
No full textProject (M.A.F.E.)--American University of Beirut, Dept. of Economics, 2009.;"First Reader : Dr. Isabella Ruble, Assistant Professor , Economics--Second Reader : Dr. Nisreen Salti, Assistant Professor , Economics."Bibliography : leaves 89-97.Post-civil war Lebanon is marked by large central executive authority, governed by confessional consensus, and by intensive public spending justified for the co untry's reconstruction. However, this growth in public expenditures has failed t o yield thei
Lebanon, a fertile ground for demand side management - by Magda Selim Tueni.
No full textThesis (M.A.)--American University of Beirut, Department of Economics, 2011.;"Advisor : Dr. Isabella Ruble, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics--Members of Committee: Dr. Nisreen Salti, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics Dr. Sami KarakIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 112-113)For about 15 years, Lebanon suffered from a civil war. Consequences and repercussions of such war were tremendous from an economic, environmental and development point of view. Thus all infrastructures needed rehabilitation and reconstruction, especiall
Testing the effectiveness of trade policy on Lebanese bilateral exports a three-way error component model with unbalanced panel data - by Wael Soheil Moussa
No full textThesis (M.A.)--American University of Beirut, Dept. of Economics, 2008.;"Advisor : Dr. Jad Chaaban, Assistant Professor, Economics--Member of Committee : Dr. Nisreen Salti, Assistant Professor ,Economics--Member of Committee : Dr. Isabella Ruble, AssistanBibliography : leaves 107-114.In view of Lebanon's recent trade activity and attempt to accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Lebanon has been following less restrictive trade pol icies. This is done via the reduction in import tariff rates in addition to the removal of no
The effect of education on the participation of women in Arab labor force - by Dina Osman Khattab.
No full textProject (M.A.F.E.)--American University of Beirut, Department of Economics, 2011.;"First Reader : Dr. Darius Daniel Martin, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics Second Reader : Dr. Nisreen Salti, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics."Includes bibliographical references (leaves 52-53)Over the past few decades, the labor force participation rate of Arab women has increased slightly, accompanied by improvements in education. In 1980, only 21.3percent of women aged 15 and above were in the Arab labor force, whereas in 2009 it’s around 2
The optimal exchange rate regime for Lebanon - by Rima Khalil Nehme
No full textProject (M.A.F.E.)--American University of Beirut, Dept. of Economics, 2007.;"First Reader : Dr. Jad Chaaban, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics--Second Reader : Dr. Nisreen Salti, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics."Bibliography : leaves 64-65.With the increasing frequency and incidence of international financial crises, a nd in light of the volatile economic and political situation in Lebanon and the region, the choice of exchange rate regime has become critical. The study review s the histor
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