Drivers of sustainable waste management are defined as groups of related factors that influence the development (or lack thereof) of industry. There has been no attempt to reasonably list the drivers that influence sustainable waste management in Asia. In this review, four groups of drivers of sustainable waste management, specifically of Asia, are explained. The four groups of drivers consist of three human elements (human, economic and institutional) and the environment as a single driving group. Typically, the first three groups have been very influential, with the environment driver, noticeably, only considered when preceded by other groups of drivers. The interconnectedness of the drivers and neglect of the environment driver is discussed. It is concluded that while the essence of the four groups of drivers can be found all over Asia, each driving group must be investigated in a local context and all information combined to devise sustainable waste management policies or strategies.
Decades of research have produced overwhelming evidence that tobacco taxes reduce tobacco use and increase government tax revenue. The magnitude and effectiveness of taxes in reducing tobacco use provide an incentive for tobacco users, manufacturers and others, most notably criminal networks, to devise ways to avoid or evade tobacco taxes. Consequently, tobacco tax avoidance and tax evasion can reduce the public health and fiscal benefit of tobacco taxes.
Over the last decade the number of negligence cases brought against doctors, dentists and other healthcare professional has increased significantly in many countries around the world. In addition, the proliferation of the pathways of accountability in many countries means that doctors are feeling undervalued and vulnerable and are therefore seeking assistance and protection more than ever. The effect of a claim or complaint on a doctor can be devastating both personally and professionally. The relationship with the patient is damaged and an increase in defensive practice ultimately causes an increase in healthcare costs. Patient expectations have increased. Patients are more knowledgeable than they were five years ago and the demands on the professions are increasing daily. Unfortunately because of the long delays that are seen between an incident and a claim it is very difficult to predict what reserves are required in the future. We have seen a number of organisations pull out of the business over the last year and it highlights the importance of having an understanding of the needs of the professions and the ability to track trends in litigation in order to set appropriate subscription rates. Doctors and other healthcare professionals require more than just financial protection. They need support from their colleagues and assistance from experienced lawyers in order to help restore their confidence and ensure that they can continue to practice for the benefit of their patients in the future.
Information from the national drug abuse monitoring system was analysed to determine the trends in extent and pattern of drug dependence in Malaysia over the period 1970 to 1986. The annual incidence and prevalence rates of reported drug dependents increased by many folds when compared to the early seventies. Generally, the profile of drug dependents identified has remained relatively stable throughout the years. A stable pattern of drug abuse was also noted over this period. Factors influencing the trend patterns are discussed, as well as the implications of these findings for policy purposes.
"This article provides some empirical information pertaining to the benefits and costs of foreign labor to Singapore and subjects to critical analysis some of Pang and Lim's hypotheses concerning the costs of labor importation presented in a previous article.... The article concludes with a discussion of the real cost to Malaysia of Singapore's labor importation policies and its potential for disruption of Malaysia's development plans."
PIP: In Thailand "granny" midwives are being tested and trained to take part in modern family planning and public health programs. In Malaysia a survey of conditions relating to an increase in induced early termination or abortion of pregnancies is in progress. The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) supports these projects as well as others in Asia. Local paramedical workers, like the "barefoot doctors" in China, are being trained. In Thailand a growth plan is attempting to reduce the annual rate of population increase from about 3.3% to 2.5%. Many granny midwives have been contacted. Several methods of incentive and training are being tried and will be evaluated. Eventually granny midwives in all of Thailand's 60,000 villages will be enlisted in the national planning program. Of Thailand's 6 million married women of reproductive age less than half use modern birth control methods. Abortion is illegal in Thailand which is a predominantly Buddhist country. The project in Malaysia is being carried out by the University of Malaysia and the Federation of Family Planning Associations. Abortion is also illegal in Islamic Malaysia, although there are illegal abortion clinics. Trends so far reported to IDRC indicate that 1) lower class women are more cooperative interviewees than others, 2) most couples use some method of birth control, 3) many wish to interrupt their pregnancies, 4) poorer families have more children than wealthier ones, 5) the Chinese and Indian people show a greater tendency to limit families than do the Malays, and 6) most couples want 3 or 4 children.
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) became well known in Malaysia after the birth of the first Malaysian 'designer baby', Yau Tak in 2004. Two years later, the Malaysian Medical Council implemented the first and only regulation on the use of Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis in this country. The birth of Yau Tak triggered a public outcry because PGD was used for non-medical sex selection thus, raising concerns about PGD and its implications for the society. This study aims to explore participants' perceptions of the future implications of PGD for the Malaysian society. We conducted in-depth interviews with 21 participants over a period of one year, using a semi-structured questionnaire. Findings reveal that responses varied substantially among the participants; there was a broad acceptance as well as rejection of PGD. Contentious ethical, legal and social issues of PGD were raised during the discussions, including intolerance to and discrimination against people with genetic disabilities; societal pressure and the 'slippery slope' of PGD were raised during the discussions. This study also highlights participants' legal standpoint, and major issues regarding PGD in relation to the accuracy of diagnosis. At the social policy level, considerations are given to access as well as the impact of this technology on families, women and physicians. Given these different perceptions of the use of PGD, and its implications and conflicts, policies and regulations of the use of PGD have to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis while taking into consideration of the risk-benefit balance, since its application will impact the lives of so many people in the society.
Australian Academy of Sciences, Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Sciences and the Arts, Brazilian Academy of Sciences, Royal Society of Canada, Caribbean Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, et al.
This article seeks to review the Australian healthcare system and compare it to similar systems in other countries to highlight the main issues and problems. A literature search for articles relating to the Australian and other developed countries' healthcare systems was conducted by using Google and the library of Victoria University, Melbourne. Data from the websites of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the Australian Productivity Commission, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Bank have also been used. Although care within the Australian healthcare system is among the best in the world, there is a need to change the paradigm currently being used to measure the outcomes and allocate resources. The Australian healthcare system is potentially dealing with two main problems: (a) resource allocation, and (b) performance and patient outcomes improvements. An interdisciplinary research approach in the areas of performance measurement, quality and patient outcomes improvement could be adopted to discover new insights, by using the policy implementation error/efficiency and bureaucratic capacity. Hospital managers, executives and healthcare management practitioners could use an interdisciplinary approach to design new performance measurement models, in which financial performance, quality, healthcare and patient outcomes are blended in, for resource allocation and performance improvement. This article recommends that public policy implementation error and the bureaucratic capacity models be applied to healthcare to optimise the outcomes for the healthcare system in Australia. In addition, it highlights the need for evaluation of the current reimbursement method, freedom of choice to patients and a regular scrutiny of the appropriateness of care.