scholarly journals The Impact of Residential Combustion Emissions on Health Expenditures: Empirical Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

Atmosphere ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aboubacar Badamassi ◽  
Deyi Xu ◽  
Boubacar Leyla
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Health Expenditures ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
So2 Emissions ◽  
Residential Combustion ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

Residential combustion of fuels, especially solid, for cooking, heating and other activities generates high level emissions that considerably contribute to indoor and outdoor air pollutants concentrations, which adversely affect human health and are likely to influence heath expenditures. We used the system General Method of Moments (GMM) technique to examine the role of residential combustion (proxied by: particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions) in determining health expenditures while controlling for ambient air pollutants emissions from the other categories such as transportation, manufacturing industries and construction, and others. We employed data covering the period 1995–2010 in 44 countries of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Health expenditures are categorized into per capita, public and private out-of-pocket; and we run three separate regressions according to the categories. The findings indicate that residential sector combustion was significantly associated with higher health expenditures, especially the out-of-pocket compared with other categories. Moreover, PM2.5 is found to have the highest impact on health expenditures. The implementation of effective public health and environmental health policies that encourage the access and use of cleaner fuels or improved cook stoves in SSA would be associated with not only a reduction in healthcare expenditures but also with other health and socio-economic benefits.

scholarly journals Selected air pollutants in urban and rural areas, under the influence of power plants

2018 ◽  
pp. 41-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Cichowicz ◽  
Artur Stelegowski
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
So2 Emissions ◽  
Large Power ◽  
Power Stations ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
The Impact

The operation of large power plants, including power stations, and combined heat and power stations, causes the emission of significant amounts of gaseous pollutants into the environment. As a result, in the urban and agricultural areas occurs a pollution of undesirable gaseous substances, such as nitrogen and sulfur oxides. This is especially dangerous for living organisms, soil and water, because, in combination with water vapor, these pollutants are the cause of acid rain. In addition, nitrogen oxides participate in the formation of ground-level ozone, which affects both human health and the condition of existing vegetation. Therefore, the distribution of air pollutants (NO2, SO2 and O3) in the selected urban and rural areas, under the influence of power plants, located in the Lodz Voivodeship, in Poland, in Central-Eastern Europe, was analyzed for a 10-year period (2007–2016). As a result, it was possible to evaluate the impact of the entry into force of Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 “on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe” on the changes in emissions and concentrations of pollutants in selected locations. As a result of the analysis, a significant decrease in the concentration of SO2 (by 75% in the urban area and by 59% in the rural area), and small changes (from - 8% to + 12%) in NO2 and O3 concentrations in ambient air were found. This indicates the effectiveness of actions aimed at reducing SO2 emissions, however the influence of the power plants on the concentration of air pollutants in these areas is not clear. At the same time, considering the criterion of permissible concentration of ozone and nitrogen dioxide, although the air quality did not improve, the air quality index can be considered as being in the category of "good".

scholarly journals Is the road to good health paved in gold? HIV and mining in Sub-Saharan Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Hansen ◽  
M Miraldo ◽  
K Hauck ◽  
J Ohrnberger
Keyword(s):  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Reverse Causality ◽  
Gold Production ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background This paper measures the impact of HIV prevalence on gold production in Sub-Saharan Africa. Gold mining adds billions of gross value to the African economy, however remains a highly-prevalent industry for HIV. Some of the largest global gold producers in South Africa estimate 30% of their workforce to be HIV-positive. In comparison, the current prevalence rate in the country is 3.7% in working-aged males. Methods There is a reverse causality between HIV and mining. HIV exerts a direct causal influence on mining production. The mining industry creates working and living environments which accelerate the spread of HIV. Using 22 years of panel data and an external instrumental variable, overseas development assistance, supported by an Arellano-Bond estimator, we measure the causal impact of HIV on gold mining. Results We estimate a 1% increase in HIV leads to a decrease in gold production of 9.866 tonnes, valued at over $402 million, nearly 3% of total African gold production, significant at the 10% level. These results are robust to the findings of the Arellano-Bond estimator, which are significant at the 5% level. Conclusions International aid foundations and donors have made great strides in funding for HIV treatment, and it is critical for multinational corporations to take necessary action to protect the progress that has been made so far, promoting health and economic outcomes. Understanding macroeconomic impacts will raise the cost-effectiveness of public health interventions, and increase the associated economic benefits to many individual sectors, as well as overall local and country-wide economies. Key messages In addition to saving lives and extending the quality of HIV-positive lives, there are economic gains to be had in investing in the prevention of HIV, as demonstrated in the gold mining industry. HIV-related productivity losses readily extend to a variety of industries across Africa and abroad. Policies that minimise these losses, and maximise health gains, can only be mutually beneficial.

Conflicts in Biafra, Katanga and Cabinda as a result of the geopolitical legacy of colonialism

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (10-3) ◽  
pp. 238-246
Author(s):  
Olga Dzhenchakova
Keyword(s):  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Economic Factor ◽  
Colonial Period ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Republic ◽  
The Impact

The article considers the impact of the colonial past of some countries in sub-Saharan Africa and its effect on their development during the post-colonial period. The negative consequences of the geopolitical legacy of colonialism are shown on the example of three countries: Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Angola, expressed in the emergence of conflicts in these countries based on ethno-cultural, religious and socio-economic contradictions. At the same time, the focus is made on the economic factor and the consequences of the consumer policy of the former metropolises pursuing their mercantile interests were mixed.

scholarly journals The impact and cost‐effectiveness of community‐basedHIVself‐testing in sub‐Saharan Africa: a health economic and modelling analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (S1) ◽  
pp. e25243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Cambiano ◽  
Cheryl C Johnson ◽  
Karin Hatzold ◽  
Fern Terris‐Prestholt ◽  
Hendy Maheswaran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Economic ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Modelling Analysis ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Financial Inclusion, Income Inequality and Sustainable Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan African Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1780
Author(s):  
Chima M. Menyelim ◽  
Abiola A. Babajide ◽  
Alexander E. Omankhanlen ◽  
Benjamin I. Ehikioya
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Income Inequality ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Kuznets Curve ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Financial Access ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Sustainable Economic Growth ◽  
The Impact

This study evaluates the relevance of inclusive financial access in moderating the effect of income inequality on economic growth in 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) for the period 1995 to 2017. The findings using the Generalised Method of Moments (sys-GMM) technique show that inclusive financial access contributes to reducing inequality in the short run, contrary to the Kuznets curve. The result reveals a negative effect of financial access on the relationship between income inequality and economic growth. There is a positive net effect of inclusive financial access in moderating the impact of income inequality on economic growth. Given the need to achieve the Sustainable Development Targets in the sub-region, policymakers and other stakeholders of the economy must design policies and programmes that would enhance access to financial services as an essential mechanism to reduce income disparity and enhance sustainable economic growth.

scholarly journals Mapping 20 Years of Urban Expansion in 45 Urban Areas of Sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 525
Author(s):  
Yann Forget ◽  
Michal Shimoni ◽  
Marius Gilbert ◽  
Catherine Linard
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Annual Growth Rate ◽  
Urban Dynamics ◽  
Mapping Approach ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

By 2050, half of the net increase in the world’s population is expected to reside in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), driving high urbanization rates and drastic land cover changes. However, the data-scarce environment of SSA limits our understanding of the urban dynamics in the region. In this context, Earth Observation (EO) is an opportunity to gather accurate and up-to-date spatial information on urban extents. During the last decade, the adoption of open-access policies by major EO programs (CBERS, Landsat, Sentinel) has allowed the production of several global high resolution (10–30 m) maps of human settlements. However, mapping accuracies in SSA are usually lower, limited by the lack of reference datasets to support the training and the validation of the classification models. Here we propose a mapping approach based on multi-sensor satellite imagery (Landsat, Sentinel-1, Envisat, ERS) and volunteered geographic information (OpenStreetMap) to solve the challenges of urban remote sensing in SSA. The proposed mapping approach is assessed in 17 case studies for an average F1-score of 0.93, and applied in 45 urban areas of SSA to produce a dataset of urban expansion from 1995 to 2015. Across the case studies, built-up areas averaged a compound annual growth rate of 5.5% between 1995 and 2015. The comparison with local population dynamics reveals the heterogeneity of urban dynamics in SSA. Overall, population densities in built-up areas are decreasing. However, the impact of population growth on urban expansion differs depending on the size of the urban area and its income class.

scholarly journals Mapping of affordability levels for photovoltaic-based electricity generation in the solar belt of sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia and South Asia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sándor Szabó ◽  
Irene Pinedo Pascua ◽  
Daniel Puig ◽  
Magda Moner-Girona ◽  
Mario Negre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
East Asia ◽  
South Asia ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Solar Photovoltaic ◽  
Term Operation ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
High Level ◽  
Do So

AbstractLack of access to modern forms of energy hampers efforts to reduce poverty. The provision of electricity to off-grid communities is therefore a long-standing developmental goal. Yet, many off-grid electrification projects neglect mid- and long-term operation and maintenance costs. When this is the case, electricity services are unlikely to be affordable to the communities that are the project’s primary target. Here we show that, compared with diesel-powered electricity generation systems, solar photovoltaic systems are more affordable to no less than 36% of the unelectrified populations in East Asia, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. We do so by developing geo-referenced estimates of affordability at a high level of resolution (1 km2). The analysis illustrates the differences in affordability that may be found at the subnational level, which underscores that electrification investments should be informed by subnational data.

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