Catastrophic impact of 1947 partition of India on people's health

Introduction

The partition of India on the dissolution of British Raj into two dominions is known to have been violent, polarizing and caused large-scale loss of life (about two million) and an unprecedented migration of 14 million people between the two dominions, India and Pakistan. It is not known how well the then scientific community covered this man-made disaster, and the response of the international community with aid.

Methodology

A systematic review was conducted using different electronic databases of PubMed, Econlit, United Nations resolutions, Government of India websites, and Google Scholar for the period January 1947 to December 1951 on the impact of the partition of the Indian sub-continent, and to identify the international response toward this humanitarian crisis.

Result

We could locate only twenty-four publications. Partition not only caused monumental humanitarian suffering, but also contributed to food deficits, adverse impact on trade and industries, national income and harmed public health. In contrast, no significant attention was expressed by the international scientific community or the United Nations, or aid provided during this catastrophic event.

Conclusion

The review demonstrates the apathy by the contemporary international scientific research community on the social as well as economic damage caused by the partition of India. We suggest that the international scientific and research community should play the role of vigilante and fact finder to unearth the facets of mass human tragedy and its long-term consequences so that global consciousness is awakened, and help and aid flows when it is most needed.

Private management costs of Popillia japonica: a study of viticulture in Italy

The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) is classified as a high-priority pest in the European Union and is reported to have caused extensive damage to grapevine leaves in Italy. As there are few studies, which measure the beetle's socio-economic impact, we conduct a first descriptive assessment of grapevine farmers' perception of the beetle's impact and assess the pest's effect on private management costs using a partial budgeting approach. Our sample includes data from 65 producers and 118 vineyard plots. In terms of farmers' perception, we find that farmers anticipate increased management costs and believe a further spread of the beetle will lead to at least moderate yield and quality damages for the majority of plots (58-91%). While farmers do not expect to stop grapevine cultivation for the majority of vineyard plots, affected farmers they believe it is likely to very likely for 29% of plots. We also find that affected farmers rate their vines' resilience higher than unaffected farmers do. Using a partial budgeting approach, we find that a Japanese beetle infestation leads on average to a net income decrease of around €2727 per hectare. This decrease is due to an average increase in labor costs of around €1715. Additionally, an average yield reduction that results in a revenue loss of around €966 and additional control costs of around €47 per infested hectare, further contribute to the net income decrease. Even though the small number of observations does not allow us to make conclusions about the beetle's impact on the Italian viticulture sector as a whole, our findings provide first insights and demonstrate the need for environmentally friendly and effective control products that can replace labor-intensive manual control measures, which are currently applied in Japanese beetle infested vineyards.

Assessment of the Effectiveness, Socio-Economic Impact and Implementation of a Digital Solution for Patients with Advanced Chronic Diseases: The ADLIFE Study Protocol

Due to population ageing and medical advances, people with advanced chronic diseases (ACD) live longer. Such patients are even more likely to face either temporary or permanent reduced functional reserve, which typically further increases their healthcare resource use and the burden of care on their caregiver(s). Accordingly, these patients and their caregiver(s) may benefit from integrated supportive care provided via digitally supported interventions. This approach may either maintain or improve their quality of life, increase their independence, and optimize the healthcare resource use from early stages. ADLIFE is an EU-funded project, aiming to improve the quality of life of older people with ACD by providing integrated personalized care via a digitally enabled toolbox. Indeed, the ADLIFE toolbox is a digital solution which provides patients, caregivers, and health professionals with digitally enabled, integrated, and personalized care, supporting clinical decisions, and encouraging independence and self-management. Here we present the protocol of the ADLIFE study, which is designed to provide robust scientific evidence on the assessment of the effectiveness, socio-economic, implementation, and technology acceptance aspects of the ADLIFE intervention compared to the current standard of care (SoC) when applied in real-life settings of seven different pilot sites across six countries. A quasi-experimental trial following a multicenter, non-randomized, non-concurrent, unblinded, and controlled design will be implemented. Patients in the intervention group will receive the ADLIFE intervention, while patients in the control group will receive SoC. The assessment of the ADLIFE intervention will be conducted using a mixed-methods approach.

Making European performance and impact assessment frameworks for research infrastructures glocal

Sustainability of research infrastructures (RIs) is a big challenge for funders, stakeholders and operators, and the development and adoption of adequate management tools is a major concern, namely tools for monitoring and evaluating their performance and impact. BioData.pt is the Portuguese Infrastructure of Biological data and the Portuguese node of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures "Landmark" ELIXIR. The foundations of this national research infrastructure were laid under the "Building BioData.pt" project, for four years. During this period, performance and impact indicators were collected and analysed under the light of international guidelines for assessing the performance and impact of European research infrastructures produced by the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the EU-funded RI-PATHS project. The exercise shared herein showed that these frameworks can be adopted by national RIs, with the necessary adaptations, namely to reflect the national landscape and specificity of activities, and can be powerful tools in supporting the management of RIs. "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted, counts". (Attributed to William Bruce Cameron).

Making European performance and impact assessment frameworks glocal

Sustainability of research infrastructures (RIs) is a big challenge for funders, stakeholders and operators, and the development and adoption of adequate management tools is a major concern, namely tools for monitoring and evaluating their performance and impact. BioData.pt is the Portuguese Infrastructure of Biological and Portuguese node of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures "Landmark" ELIXIR. The foundations of this national research infrastructure were laid under the "Building BioData.pt" project, for four years. During this period, performance and impact indicators were collected and analysed under the light of international guidelines for assessing the performance and impact of European research infrastructures produced by the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the EU-funded RI-PATHS project. The exercise shared herein showed that these frameworks can be adopted by national RIs, with the necessary adaptations, namely to reflect the national landscape and specificity of activities, and can be powerful tools in supporting the management of RIs. "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted, counts". Albert Einstein, Theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner.

Mortality Trends by Causes of Death and Healthcare during a Period of Global Uncertainty (1990-2017)

In this study we aim to highlight the spatial differences, intensity and frequency of causes of death associated with a range of diseases and the implications of the socio-economic impact on healthcare worldwide between 1990 and 2017: (1) Background: At the same time, an attempt was made to find regional spatial patterns that may be typical for a given geographical area, based on the assumption that global health care is in a permanent state of uncertainty as developed countries have a different morbidity profile than emerging or developing countries. (2) Methods: Using information provided by Global Burden of Disease Collaborative Network, Our World in Data and the World Bank, a multidimensional analysis was carried out, comprising four types of statistical models: grouping analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) Bravais–Pearson linear correlation and multivariate regression. (3) Results: The results confirm the hypothesis of significant correlations between the frequency of causes of death, quality of health care and quality of public health infrastructure, validated by incidence with socio-economic indicators. The study contributes to the literature by analysing trends in the spatial distribution of causes of death worldwide, detecting regional differentiations and testing how socio-economic factors may limit the incidence of morbidity.

The Covid-19 pandemic in low- and middle-income countries, who carries the burden? Review of mass media and publications from six countries

During the Covid-19 pandemic, rich countries employed lockdown and physical distancing policies for transmission control. However, the question still remains whether these measures are also suitable in countries with a fragile economy, which rests mainly on the informal sector. The impacts of lockdown measures in disadvantaged population strata in six low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) were reviewed using i) 93 media reports and ii) 17 published scientific papers. This review showed that those who suffered the most from the lockdown were migrants, workers in the large informal sector, small businesses, slum dwellers, women and elderly, revealing the social, cultural and economic inequalities of societies. Financial and food support for the poor was inadequate and sometimes mismanaged. In the better organized societies, the resilience was stronger (South Korea, Kerala/India) but here also the poor had to suffer the most. It is strongly recommended that outbreak response strategies should particularly focus on the poor and vulnerable population.

Socio-Economic Implications of COVID-19 Pandemic in South Asia: Emerging Risks and Growing Challenges

The dramatic spread of COVID-19 has threatened human lives, disrupted livelihoods, and affected trade, economy and businesses across the globe. The global economy has begun to show major disruptions and is heading toward a severe recession with an unprecedented economic crisis. As the global economy is highly integrated and interdependent through the global supply chains, it has been profoundly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Although all countries have faced difficulties due to Covid-19, South Asian countries in particular have had to deal with a more challenging situation due to their large population, weak health facilities, high poverty rates, low socio-economic conditions, poor social protection systems, limited access to water and sanitation, and inadequate living space, necessary to maintain physical distancing and take other required measures to contain this pandemic. To contain the spread of the virus, South Asian countries have imposed stringent lockdowns, which have consequently affected the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in the region, where a third of world's poor live. Against this backdrop, this paper examines the existing and prospective impacts, risks and challenges of Covid-19 on key social and economic sectors including migration, tourism, informal sector, agriculture and rural livelihoods. The analysis revealed that COVID-19 is likely to affect economic growth, increase fiscal deficit and monetary burden, increase the risks of macroeconomic instability, decrease migration and remittance, reduce income from travel and tourism, and result in dwindling micro-small and medium industries and informal businesses. This is likely to deepen poverty and increase unemployment and the risks of hunger and food insecurity. If not addressed properly, this may reinforce existing inequalities, break social harmony, and increase tension and turbulence. The economic and social costs of the COVID-19 outbreak are therefore likely to be significant and long-lasting in South Asia.

The COVID-19 crisis in the EU: the resilience of healthcare systems, government responses and their socio-economic effects

The global outbreak of COVID-19 forced EU governments to implement drastic confinement measures to contain the spread of the Coronavirus. These measures, however, come at a high economic cost. In this work, we analyze the resilience/preparedness of public health systems, the confinement measures introduced by governments, and their socio-economic effects. We also investigate the relationships between these elements by focusing on the EU Member States. We conduct an after-action review (AAR) study based on three indices. The first index indicates the preparedness of the countries’ health systems to deal with a potential health shock resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. The second index shows the strictness of confinement measures taken per Member State in spring 2020. Finally, the third index captures the expected socio-economic effects of such measures on each country for the year 2020. Our findings show that on average, countries with less prepared health systems implemented stricter confinement measures and that higher levels of stringency in the confinement measures are associated with stronger, negative, socio-economic impacts. However, the results differ across countries in the case of each index. Overall, the results call for health systems to be better prepared to handle public health crises and for a more coordinated EU approach to overcome divergences across countries.

System Dynamics Model for Evaluating Socio-Economic Impacts of Different Water Diversion Quantity from Transboundary River Basins-A Case Study of Xinjiang

With the rapid development of social economy and global climate warming, scarce transboundary water resources, as one of the basic resources for socio-economic development, have increasingly become the focus of basin countries. To investigate the socio-economic impacts of different water diversion quantity from transboundary river basins, we used a system dynamics (SD) model to reflect interactions between population, water resources, and socio-economic development, and applied it to a case study in Xinjiang to simulate its change tendency from 2011 to 2030 from the temporal dimension. Then, four water diversion quantity of transboundary river basins and four alternative socio-economic development patterns were designed to comprehensively evaluate these impacts of water diversion quantity change on the socio-economy of the region along the river under different socio-economic development patterns. The results indicate that (1) there was a positive correlation between water diversion quantity and the economic output value of the region along transboundary river basins, and the marginal benefit of transboundary water resources would decrease gradually; (2) considering the difficulty of water diversion from transboundary river basins and the protection of downstream water use and ecological health of transboundary river basins, we believe that increasing the transboundary water resources by 20% was more conducive to the sustainable development of Xinjiang’s socio-economy; (3) through the comparison of dynamic evolutions of socio-economic development and water impacts under four socio-economic development patterns, it is best for Xinjiang to plan its future development in the coordinated development of economic-resource scenario. Following this scenario, not only would the total output value of the socio-economy be better than other scenarios, but this also helps to alleviate the contradiction between the water supply and demand, which expected there would be a water shortage of 1.04 billion m³ in 2029 under 20% increase in water diversion quantity. Therefore, appropriate water diversion quantity, reasonable adjustment of industrial production growth rate, reduction of water consumption quotas of different industries and domestic water quota, and improvement of collection and treatment rate for sewage should be given priority in water resources management decision-making in Xinjiang or other arid regions along transboundary river basins.

Socio-economic impact of Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreaks and control measures: An analysis of Mongolian outbreaks in 2017

Mongolia is a large landlocked country in Central Asia and has one of the highest per capita livestock ratios in the world. During 2017, reported foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks in Mongolia increased considerably, prompting widespread disease control measures. This study estimates the socio-economic impact of FMD and subsequent control measures on Mongolian herders. The analysis encompassed quantification of the impact on subsistence farmers' livelihoods and food security and estimation of the national-level gross losses due to reaction and expenditure during 2017. Data were collected from 112 herders across eight provinces that reported disease. Seventy of these herders had cases of FMD, while 42 did not have FMD in their animals but were within quarantine zones. Overall, 86/112 herders reported not drinking milk for a period of time and 38/112 reduced their meat consumption. Furthermore, 55 herders (49.1%) had to borrow money to buy food, medicines and/or pay bills or bank loans. Among herders with FMD cases, the median attack rate was 31.7%, 3.8% and 0.59% in cattle, sheep and goats, respectively, with important differences across provinces. Herders with clinical cases before the winter had higher odds of reporting a reduction in their meat consumption. National-level gross losses due to FMD in 2017 were estimated using government data. The estimate of gross economic loss was 18.4 billion Mongolian-tugriks (US$7.35 million) which equates to approximately 0.65% of the Mongolian GDP. The FMD outbreaks combined with current control measures have negatively impacted herders' livelihoods (including herders with and without cases of FMD) which are likely to reduce stakeholder advocacy. Possible strategies that could be employed to ameliorate the negative effects of the current control policy were identified. The findings and approach are relevant to other FMD endemic regions aiming to control the disease.

Environmental Particulate Matter Levels during 2017 Large Forest Fires and Megafires in the Center Region of Portugal: A Public Health Concern?

This work characterizes the dimension and the exceptionality of 2017 large- and mega-fires that occurred in the center region of Portugal through the assessment of their impact on the ambient levels of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), retrieved from local monitoring stations, and the associated public health risks. PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were increased during the occurrence of large fires and megafires, with daily concentrations exceeding the European/national guidelines in 7-14 and 1-12 days of 2017 (up to 704 µg/m3 for PM10 and 46 µg/m3 for PM2.5), respectively. PM10 concentrations were correlated with total burned area (0.500 < r < 0.949; p > 0.05) and with monthly total burned area/distance2 (0.500 < r < 0.667; p > 0.05). The forest fires of 2017 took the life of 112 citizens. A total of 474 cases of hospital admissions due to cardiovascular diseases and 3524 cases of asthma incidence symptoms per 100,000 individuals at risk were assessed due to exposure to 2017 forest fires. Real-time and in situ PM methodologies should be combined with protection action plans to reduce public health risks. Portuguese rural stations should monitor other health-relevant pollutants (e.g., carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds) released from wildfires to allow performing more robust and comprehensive measurements that will allow a better assessment of the potential health risks for the exposed populations.

African swine fever: Update on Eastern, Central and Southern Africa

Control of African swine fever (ASF) in countries in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) is particularly complex owing to the presence of all three known epidemiological cycles of maintenance of the virus, namely an ancient sylvatic cycle involving the natural hosts and vectors of the disease as well as domestic cycles with and without involvement of natural vectors. While the situation is well documented in some of the countries, for others very little information is available. In spite of the unfavourable ASF situation, the pig population in the sub-region has grown exponentially in recent decades and is likely to continue to grow in response to rapid urban growth resulting in increasing demand for animal protein by populations that are no longer engaged in livestock production. Better management of ASF will be essential to permit the pig sector to reach its full potential as a supplier of high quality protein and a source of income to improve livelihoods and create wealth. No vaccine is currently available and it is likely that, in the near future, the sub-region will continue to rely on the implementation of preventive measures, based on the epidemiology of the disease, to avoid both the devastating losses that outbreaks can cause and the risk the sub-region poses to other parts of Africa and the world. The current situation in the ECSA sub-region is reviewed and gaps in knowledge are identified in order to support ongoing strategy development for managing ASF in endemic areas.

Disability and socio-economic impact of mental disorders in the state of Punjab, India: Findings from national mental health survey, 2015-2016

BACKGROUND

Mental illness results in a plethora of distressing issues, has tremendous socio-economic impact and causes socio-occupational dysfunction in the individual as well as the caregivers. There is a felt need to explore the disability caused by mental illness and the associated socio-economic impact at the population level in a developing nation like India.

AIMS

To elucidate the disability and socio-economic impact associated with mental illness at the individual and household levels for the state of Punjab in India.

METHOD

This was a multisite cross-sectional study carried out during 2015-2016 (as a part of the National Mental Health Survey of India) in three districts and one urban metro area of Punjab. The sample was selected using multi-stage, stratified, random cluster sampling technique, with random selection based on Probability Proportionate to Size (PPS) at different stages. A validated set of questions was used to assess the socio-economic impact of mental illness and the Sheehan Disability Scale was used to document self-perceived disability among individuals with mental morbidity. Median (IQR) and proportions were used to summarize quantitative and qualitative data, respectively Results: Subjects with any mental morbidity reported disability of varying severities across different domains of life; family life was affected the most (70.1%). One in every six persons reported that their mental illness interfered with their daily activities to a large extent. Economic burden was high and a typical family would spend about INR 1500/month (US$23) towards the treatment of its member with mental morbidity. Family members had to forego their work for at least 7 days in 3 months to take care of their relative with mental illness.

CONCLUSION

Mental illness causes disability in the individual and has tremendous socio-economic impact on the family, incapacitating a family's productivity to a large extent and thus affecting the society.

The Zika Virus Epidemic in Brazil: From Discovery to Future Implications

The first confirmed case of Zika virus infection in the Americas was reported in Northeast Brazil in May 2015, although phylogenetic studies indicate virus introduction as early as 2013. Zika rapidly spread across Brazil and to more than 50 other countries and territories on the American continent. The Aedesaegypti mosquito is thought to be the principal vector responsible for the widespread transmission of the virus. However, sexual transmission has also been reported. The explosively emerging epidemic has had diverse impacts on population health, coinciding with cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome and an unexpected epidemic of newborns with microcephaly and other neurological impairments. This led to Brazil declaring a national public health emergency in November 2015, followed by a similar decision by the World Health Organization three months later. While dengue virus serotypes took several decades to spread across Brazil, the Zika virus epidemic diffused within months, extending beyond the area of permanent dengue transmission, which is bound by a climatic barrier in the south and low population density areas in the north. This rapid spread was probably due to a combination of factors, including a massive susceptible population, climatic conditions conducive for the mosquito vector, alternative non-vector transmission, and a highly mobile population. The epidemic has since subsided, but many unanswered questions remain. In this article, we provide an overview of the discovery of Zika virus in Brazil, including its emergence and spread, epidemiological surveillance, vector and non-vector transmission routes, clinical complications, and socio-economic impacts. We discuss gaps in the knowledge and the challenges ahead to anticipate, prevent, and control emerging and re-emerging epidemics of arboviruses in Brazil and worldwide.

Salmon lice--impact on wild salmonids and salmon aquaculture

Salmon lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, are naturally occurring parasites of salmon in sea water. Intensive salmon farming provides better conditions for parasite growth and transmission compared with natural conditions, creating problems for both the salmon farming industry and, under certain conditions, wild salmonids. Salmon lice originating from farms negatively impact wild stocks of salmonids, although the extent of the impact is a matter of debate. Estimates from Ireland and Norway indicate an odds ratio of 1.1:1-1.2:1 for sea lice treated Atlantic salmon smolt to survive sea migration compared to untreated smolts. This is considered to have a moderate population regulatory effect. The development of resistance against drugs most commonly used to treat salmon lice is a serious concern for both wild and farmed fish. Several large initiatives have been taken to encourage the development of new strategies, such as vaccines and novel drugs, for the treatment or removal of salmon lice from farmed fish. The newly sequenced salmon louse genome will be an important tool in this work. The use of cleaner fish has emerged as a robust method for controlling salmon lice, and aquaculture production of wrasse is important towards this aim. Salmon lice have large economic consequences for the salmon industry, both as direct costs for the prevention and treatment, but also indirectly through negative public opinion.