LIRNEasia » healthcare

More household spending on “free” education than on “not-free” communication?

Rohan Samarajiva — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:14:19 +0000

The summary results of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2006/07 conducted by the Sri Lanka Department of Census and Statistics make interesting reading.

According to the latest HIES, an average household spends LKR 539 per month on communication (2.35 per cent of the total). We know that there are no subsidies here. In contrast, the monthly spend on education, which is free from kindergarten to undergraduate degree and beyond costs an average household LKR 632 per month (2.75 per cent of the total). How come?

For us at LIRNEasia, obviously the 2.35% is the more interesting number, especially because we have seen that people seem to be spending quite a bit more than that on communication. But I am sure most thinking Sri Lankans will have to wonder why people are spending so much on a so-called free service? Is it that the free service stinks?

One more item to ponder: personal care and health takes up 4.27% of monthly expenditure (LKR 980). Even if we leave out half of that for beauty care, seems like healthcare is taking over 2 per cent of expenditure. This too is a free service provided by the government.

Mobiles for the ‘world’s poorest’

Tahani Iqbal — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:45:02 +0000

BBC News | Technology

As part of a UN programme to tackle poverty in rural Africa, 79 villages across 10 African countries will be hooked up to cellular networks.

It is hoped that the connections will help improve healthcare and education, as well as boosting the local economy.

A 2005 study showed that an increase of 10 mobile phones per 100 people could increase GDP growth by 0.6%.

“This is a technology that is remarkably empowering, especially for remote areas where the ability to communicate is vital,” Dr Jeffery Sachs, Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General, told the BBC News website.

ICT for Development Workshop at IIM, Calcutta Dec 3-4

Divakar Goswami — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 08:36:05 +0000

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for Development, December 03-04, 2005
This workshop at IIM Calcutta will equip managers with the perceived benefits of ICT in the development sector in India, along with the roles that the government, corporate sector, non-governmental organizations, and people themselves can play. Bringing together faculty members from various functional groups of IIM Calcutta including Management Information Systems, Regional Development, and Business Environment, the lectures and discussions will focus on the managerial reforms and institutional aspects to make ICTs an integral component of development.
Topics to be covered will include the information infrastructure, the policy issues related to ICTs, with special attention to the legal and regulatory frameworks, ICT and effective public management, public-private partnership in service delivery, especially in e-governance, pro-poor market development through ICTs, ICT and healthcare, ICT and disaster management, and the way ICT could be used for better governance through coordination between various stakeholders.

More details available here.