Is arsenic a major determinant of health aid disbursement? An evaluation with a Tobit model and challenges in Cambodia

ABSTRACTAlthough arsenic contamination was originally considered an environmental problem, its impact on human beings is now widely deemed a serious health issue. This study examines whether international communities perceive arsenic as a health issue and discusses current challenges regarding arsen...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jinhwan Oh, Seunghee Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2023-12-01
Series:Development Studies Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21665095.2023.2248394
_version_ 1827586071309844480
author Jinhwan Oh
Seunghee Lee
author_facet Jinhwan Oh
Seunghee Lee
author_sort Jinhwan Oh
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACTAlthough arsenic contamination was originally considered an environmental problem, its impact on human beings is now widely deemed a serious health issue. This study examines whether international communities perceive arsenic as a health issue and discusses current challenges regarding arsenic contamination in Cambodia. Using comprehensive panel data covering 122 health aid recipient countries across three-plus decades (1990–2020), the first part of our study finds that the recipients’ health needs caused by major incidences (HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria) are all important factors determining health aid. However, health aid is conditionally effective on countries with high arsenic contamination when they have a better governance level. In this context, we conduct a case study focusing on Cambodia, where arsenic contamination is quite serious but given less attention than in other countries. In Cambodia, both inter-governmental coordination and coordination among international organizations are weak, and no long-term blueprint for arsenic mitigation has yet been developed. To fundamentally and sustainably address this problem, we suggest that Cambodia establish a control tower incorporating government, research institutes, and international agencies.
first_indexed 2024-03-08T23:55:47Z
format Article
id doaj.art-6e5ceb4356c44692a85ec6ff6ace4e13
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2166-5095
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-08T23:55:47Z
publishDate 2023-12-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
record_format Article
series Development Studies Research
spelling doaj.art-6e5ceb4356c44692a85ec6ff6ace4e132023-12-13T04:57:02ZengTaylor & Francis GroupDevelopment Studies Research2166-50952023-12-0110110.1080/21665095.2023.2248394Is arsenic a major determinant of health aid disbursement? An evaluation with a Tobit model and challenges in CambodiaJinhwan Oh0Seunghee Lee1Graduate School of International Studies, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South KoreaGraduate School of Science, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, CambodiaABSTRACTAlthough arsenic contamination was originally considered an environmental problem, its impact on human beings is now widely deemed a serious health issue. This study examines whether international communities perceive arsenic as a health issue and discusses current challenges regarding arsenic contamination in Cambodia. Using comprehensive panel data covering 122 health aid recipient countries across three-plus decades (1990–2020), the first part of our study finds that the recipients’ health needs caused by major incidences (HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria) are all important factors determining health aid. However, health aid is conditionally effective on countries with high arsenic contamination when they have a better governance level. In this context, we conduct a case study focusing on Cambodia, where arsenic contamination is quite serious but given less attention than in other countries. In Cambodia, both inter-governmental coordination and coordination among international organizations are weak, and no long-term blueprint for arsenic mitigation has yet been developed. To fundamentally and sustainably address this problem, we suggest that Cambodia establish a control tower incorporating government, research institutes, and international agencies.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21665095.2023.2248394Health aid; DAHIHMEpanel dataArsenicCambodia
spellingShingle Jinhwan Oh
Seunghee Lee
Is arsenic a major determinant of health aid disbursement? An evaluation with a Tobit model and challenges in Cambodia
Development Studies Research
Health aid; DAH
IHME
panel data
Arsenic
Cambodia
title Is arsenic a major determinant of health aid disbursement? An evaluation with a Tobit model and challenges in Cambodia
title_full Is arsenic a major determinant of health aid disbursement? An evaluation with a Tobit model and challenges in Cambodia
title_fullStr Is arsenic a major determinant of health aid disbursement? An evaluation with a Tobit model and challenges in Cambodia
title_full_unstemmed Is arsenic a major determinant of health aid disbursement? An evaluation with a Tobit model and challenges in Cambodia
title_short Is arsenic a major determinant of health aid disbursement? An evaluation with a Tobit model and challenges in Cambodia
title_sort is arsenic a major determinant of health aid disbursement an evaluation with a tobit model and challenges in cambodia
topic Health aid; DAH
IHME
panel data
Arsenic
Cambodia
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21665095.2023.2248394
work_keys_str_mv AT jinhwanoh isarsenicamajordeterminantofhealthaiddisbursementanevaluationwithatobitmodelandchallengesincambodia
AT seungheelee isarsenicamajordeterminantofhealthaiddisbursementanevaluationwithatobitmodelandchallengesincambodia