Spatial feature analysis of rural basic public service supply based on TOPSIS model and Data aggregation algorithm

BackgroundThe critical shortage of human resources in health is a critical public health problem affecting most low- and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to the shortage of health professionals, attracting and retaining them in rural areas is a challenge. The objective of the study was to understand the factors that influence the attraction and retention of health professionals working in rural areas in Niger.MethodsA mixed-method study was conducted in Tillabery region, Niger. A conceptual framework was used that included five dimensions. Three data collection methods were employed: in-depth interviews, documentary analysis, and concept mapping. In-depth interviews were conducted with three main actor groups: policy-makers and Ministry of Health officials (n = 15), health professionals (n = 102), and local health managers (n = 46). Concept mapping was conducted with midwifery students (n = 29). Multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis were performed to analyse the data from the concept mapping method. A content analysis was conducted for the qualitative data.ResultsThe results of the study showed that the local environment, which includes living conditions (no electricity, lack of availability of schools), social factors (isolation, national and local insecurity), working conditions (workload), the lack of financial compensation, and individual factors (marital status, gender), influences the attraction and retention of health professionals to work in rural areas. Human resources policies do not adequately take into account the factors influencing the retention of rural health professionals.ConclusionIntersectoral policies are needed to improve living conditions and public services in rural areas. The government should also take into account the feminization of the medical profession and the social and cultural norms related to marital status and population mobility when formulating human resources management policies.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the E-Pak Ladi Kiosk as an innovation in civil administration services in Karang Ploso Village, Pasuruan Regency. The main focus of the study is to assess the extent to which this service is able to meet the needs of the community in processing civil documents quickly, easily, and efficiently. Method: This study uses a qualitative method with data collection techniques through interviews, observations, and documentation. Data analysis was carried out using Miles and Huberman's interactive model with four stages: data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. Results: The results showed that the E-Pak Ladi Kiosk in Karang Ploso Village was quite effective in improving access to population administration services, especially for people who live far from service centers and vulnerable groups such as the elderly. This program can reduce residents' dependence on broker services. However, several obstacles were found, such as a lack of socialization, limited facilities and infrastructure, and technical glitches that still need to be addressed. Novelty: The novelty of this research lies in the evaluation focus on the implementation of digital service innovation at the village level using the effectiveness indicators of Budiani (2007), as well as in providing community-based and digital literacy approach-based recommendations as solutions to strengthen the implementation of technology-based public services in rural areas.

As skilled talent is the core element in optimizing the industrial structure, clarifying the factors that influence the lack of skilled talent in the agricultural industry is essential. The lack of skilled talent in the agricultural industry is a complex problem. The author based this study on the push–pull theory and used the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (FSQCA) research method to explore the “joint effect” of the factors that affect the lack of skilled talents in the agricultural industry in 14 cities of Hunan Province. This paper found that indicators such as the rural industry status, rural medical level, agricultural and forestry financial investment, urbanization construction, regional economic development level, and local government officials were all presented under sufficient conditions. These influencing factors have a “combined effect” on the agricultural industry’s lack of skilled talent. The rural industry status indicator was the core condition, appearing in all the configurations. This article’s main marginal contribution is that it defined three conditional configurations for the lack of “present” agricultural skilled talents, and dependent configurations are consistent. Among the three conditional configurations, the “rural industry + economic construction and financial investment” configuration is the most powerful way to retain skilled agricultural talents. In addition, the causal relationship between the lack of “present” agricultural industry skilled talents and the lack of “absent” agricultural industry skilled talents are asymmetric. The primary task is to develop rural industries to solve the problem of the shortage of skilled talent in the agricultural industry. Additionally, then implement the ‘industry+‘ combination policy. So the government must create related policies in the following areas: the supply of essential public services in rural areas, the economic construction of prefectures, the development of county urbanization, and the financial investment in agriculture, forestry, and water conservancy.

The digital transformation of public services in rural areas represents a pivotal effort in bridging the urban-rural divide, yet its implementation faces unique challenges at the micro level. This study examines the policy implementation of the Village Management and Service Information System (Simpeldesa) in Kajowair Village, Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), highlighting its distinct approaches compared to other villages. Employing a qualitative descriptive method, this research engaged 15 key participants, including village leaders, administrative officials, and community members. Data collection encompassed in-depth interviews, direct observations of Simpeldesa operations, document analysis, and literature reviews. Findings reveal that Simpeldesa implementation demonstrates a commitment to digital transformation, with strong disposition from village officials and strategic bureaucratic structures fostering effective coordination. However, challenges remain, particularly in communication and infrastructure. Limited program socialization and reliance on orbit-based internet coverage impede broader community engagement and optimal service delivery. Despite these obstacles, the allocation of substantial resources and the program’s initial success—evidenced by 50% progress in administrative data integration—underscore the potential of Simpeldesa to improve rural governance. This study contributes to the theoretical development of policy implementation by emphasizing the role of communication, resource allocation, disposition, and simplified bureaucratic structures in the success of digital transformation at the village level. Practical recommendations include enhancing community outreach and expanding infrastructure support to ensure inclusive and sustainable digitalization. The findings provide a framework for other rural areas seeking to adopt similar innovations, advancing both theoretical and practical discourse in social and human sciences.

The urban-rural public service gap will not only affect the income gap between urban and rural residents, but also counteract many policies that have been put in place to reduce the income gap. This paper makes a detailed analysis of the mechanism of urban-rural public service gap on urban-rural income gap, and uses static and dynamic panel regression models to examine the impact of urban-rural basic public service gap on urban-rural income gap from multiple dimensions. The results are as follows: The widening gap of education, health care and social security services between urban and rural areas will significantly aggravate the income gap between urban and rural areas. Based on cross-period research, the impact of basic public service gap on urban-rural income gap is more significant at this stage; based on regional heterogeneity, the impact of urban-rural education gap and social security gap on urban-rural income gap in the western region is the most significant, and the impact of western transportation construction on alleviating urban-rural income gap is the most significant. In view of the research conclusions, this paper argues that governments at all levels must change their development concepts from urban development to coordinated urban and rural development, and make use of the poverty alleviation strategy” and the rural revitalization strategy” to increase investment in rural education, medical care, social security and transportation infrastructure, so as to narrow the gap between urban and rural basic public services. At the same time, governments at all levels should increase the investment in rural talents and capital, make up for the shortcomings of rural development, encourage rural economic organizations and leading enterprises to play a leading role in demonstration, strengthen the training of rural labor force, and so on, so as to increase farmers’ income.

The objective of this article is to estimate the fiscal costs, using income and expenditure surveys, of the provision of basic public services (electricity, water, telephone and internet) for the 40% of the population with the lowest incomes, the provision of a subsidy of 50% of actual food expenditure for the 40% of the population with the lowest incomes and the provision of a basic income per household equivalent to the value of the poverty line for households under the poverty line in Costa Rica, Guatemala and El Salvador during the COVID-19 pandemic. These fiscal options are a fundamental component of any public health strategy against the COVID-19 considering they give economic viability to the population during the isolation and mobility restrictions period and financial support during the economic and social emergency. The results show that the fiscal costs of the provision of basic public services to 40% of the population with the lowest incomes or other fiscal measures considering less ambitious targets are heterogeneous between these Central American countries because of previous conditions and public policies but are reasonable and possible to cover under the actual circumstances.

The objective of this article is to estimate the fiscal costs, using income and expenditure surveys, of the provision of basic public services (electricity, water, telephone and internet) for the 40% of the population with the lowest incomes, the provision of a subsidy of 50% of actual food expenditure for the 40% of the population with the lowest incomes and the provision of a basic income per household equivalent to the value of the poverty line for households under the poverty line in Costa Rica, Guatemala and El Salvador during the COVID-19 pandemic. These fiscal options are a fundamental component of any public health strategy against the COVID-19 considering they give economic viability to the population during the isolation and mobility restrictions period and financial support during the economic and social emergency. The results show that the fiscal costs of the provision of basic public services to 40% of the population with the lowest incomes or other fiscal measures considering less ambitious targets are heterogeneous between these Central American countries because of previous conditions and public policies but are reasonable and possible to cover under the actual circumstances.

Based on the quasi-natural experiment in the National Poverty Alleviation and Reform Pilot Zone in Lishui, Zhejiang Province in 2013, and the panel data of 58 counties in Zhejiang Province from 2007 to 2020, we mainly use the Difference-in-Differences fixed effect identification method to observe, understand and evaluate the effect and mechanism of the Pilot Zone on the supply level of local basic public services. The results show that the Pilot Zone has promoted the local per capita expenditure on basic public services to increase by about 750 yuan, and the conclusions are still valid after a series of robustness tests in different form. From the perspective of dynamic effect, the Pilot Zone has a significant long-term impact on improving the supply level of local basic public services. Further analysis of the mechanism shows that the establishment of the Pilot Zone has prompted local governments to bear greater pressure on fiscal revenue and expenditure, and to make use of tax efforts, at the same time, through the adjustment of the financial budget structure, it can achieve the goal of improving the supply level of basic public services. In addition, the different characteristics of different areas within the Pilot Zone have a certain impact on the different types of basic public service supply. Lishui is a microcosm of a Pilot Zone for anti-poverty reform. This paper will helpful to provide a feedback perspective for policy makers, and it is also helpful for us to find a new way to construct the moderate social welfare system in China.

Thechallengefacingurban policymakersis how to tackle the long-standing differences in social welfareand basic public services provision for migrant and incumbent workers arising from the dual-household registration system. In this chapter, we quantify inequalities in access to basic public services between migrant workers and the local urban population across different regions of China. We consider both inequalities within urban areas, and inequalities that exist between urban and rural areas. For urban areas, we find large inequalities in access to basic public services between the indigenous urban population and migrant workers. There are also significant differences between urban and rural areas. The level of basic public services in the West of China lags behind other regions. Across China as a whole, the gap within regions is greater than the gap between regions. Internal variations within a region arise mainly from inequality in access to basic public services between urban and rural populations and across urban neighbourhoods. Chinese public services are characterised by ‘dualisation’ in urban–rural provision and ‘fragmentation’ across regions in terms of the level and quality of service. These two features constitute a formidable obstacle for the ‘citizenisation’ of migrant workers. We provide detailed examples from across China of countermeasures and strategies currently being implemented to reduce inequalities in public service provision.

BackgroundInternal migrants in China have long been at a disadvantage in terms of access to publicly financed services, as well as the utilization of public health services. The aim of the study was to examine inequities in the use of basic public health services between internal migrants and the local population and estimate the factors that contributed to inequity in use.MethodsThe data for this study was derived from the 2017 wave of the China Migrants Dynamic Survey. Basic public health services utilization was measured by the establishment of health records, health education and chronic disease management. We performed multivariable logistic regressions to examine inequities in the utilization of basic public health services between locals and internal migrants, and Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition was used to explore possible explanations for such inequities between the two groups.ResultsA total of 27,998 cases were included in the analysis. We found that the utilization rates for establishment of health records, health education and chronic disease management among internal migrants were 71.3%, 49.2% and 65.7% lower than their local counterparts, respectively. The decomposition results indicated that the inequities in the establishment of health records between locals and internal migrants were mainly explained by whether people had heard of the National Basic Public Health Services Program (NBPHSP) (17.67%) and by health insurance (5.99%). The contributors to the inequities in health education between locals and internal migrants were community involvement (14.71%) and whether people had heard of the NBPHSP (13.89%). The main factors contributing to the difference in utilization of chronic disease management between the two groups were whether people had heard of the NBPHSP (14.49%) and community involvement (8.43%).ConclusionsTo reduce inequities in the utilization of basic public health services between locals and internal migrants, measures need to be taken to improve knowledge about the basic public health services and to help migrants integrate into the local community.

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China put forward the idea of "promoting the equalization of basic public services". The utilization of basic public health services by the floating population is an important indicator to measure the equalization of basic public health services. This study aims to understand the intergenerational differences in the utilization of basic public health services between the older generation and the new generation of floating population, and to analyze the influential factors. We employed the personal questionnaire (A) of the national health and family planning dynamic monitoring survey on floating population in 2017. Pearson Chi-square test, bi-grouping logistic regression, and Poisson regression were applied to analyze the basic situation of the floating population and the intergenerational differences in the use of basic public health services between the new and old generations. The proportions of the new generation and the old generation who had established the residents' health records in the inflow area were 36.42% and 34.96%, respectively, with the significant difference (P<0.01). In the new generation, 74.07% of the floating population received at least one health education, 5.33 percentage higher than that in the old generation. The proportion of the old generation in the health education of chronic disease prevention and control was significantly higher than that of the new generation (P<0.01). The proportions of the other eight kinds of health education were significantly lower than those of the new generation (all P<0.05). Although the coverage of basic public health services for the two generations of floating population is obviously different, the utilization of basic public health services of the floating population is still at a low level both in the new generation and in the old generation. There is an urgent need to improve the utilization of public health services for the whole floating population according to the characteristics of generations.

Health is the foundation of economic and social development, and people's health and longevity is an important symbol of national prosperity and national strength. Since the reform and opening up, our country has made remarkable achievements in the reform and development of health field. A sound medical and health service system is the basis for reducing the occurrence of diseases and ensuring residents' equal access to medical and health services. With the implementation of the "Healthy China 2030" Plan and a series of policies, promoting a healthy lifestyle and improving the level of basic medical and health services have become the fundamental direction of current medical and health development. Under the guidance of this development direction, in view of the inherent problems of basic medical and health services in rural areas of Hebei Province, it is necessary to fully investigate and understand the actual needs of residents in rural areas, increase the supply body of basic medical and health service resources, and solve the problem of insufficient total amount and uneven distribution of basic medical and health resources. Make up for the weak basic medical and health service foundation in rural areas of Hebei Province, strive to build a people-oriented basic medical and health service system that is balanced between urban and rural areas, and consciously transfer human, material and financial resources in urban areas to rural areas, so as to lay a solid foundation for protecting the health level of rural residents.

Most economics literature holds that the disparity in income and health resource allocation between China's urban and rural areas has been increasing since the beginning of the reform period in 1978. This paper argues, contrary to the conventional view, that the real gap in health resources allocation between China's urban and rural areas, as measured by the Gini coefficient, has been shrinking during the reform period. The urban-rural disparity is now smaller than that in the 1970s, when the "barefoot doctor" system provided broad basic medical service in rural areas. The better health resources available in rural China have reduced the urban-rural disparity in health conditions such as infant mortality.

"Go to the People. Live Among Them." Reflections on Anesthetic and Surgical Care in Rural and Remote Regions.

The World Health Organization's equity objective states that there should be equal access to healthcare for equal need, regardless of location. Disparities between health services and challenges to achieving the equity objective have been documented both in Australia and around the world. However, little is known about the extent to which this objective has been met in the field of speech-language pathology in Australia. This study used structured interviews with 74 speech-language pathologists working in rural areas of New South Wales and Victoria. The data obtained were used to develop maps to describe the availability of paediatric speech-language pathology services through consideration of location and frequency. The findings show that 98.60% of localities are unserviced at the ideal frequency of weekly or more often. It is important to note that these percentages include all localities in the represented rural areas of New South Wales and Victoria, some of which are minimally populated. The maps also depict travel and distance as barriers to the accessibility of services and have been used to suggest a critical maximum distance for paediatric outpatient speech-language pathology services in rural New South Wales and Victoria. From the data collected, 50 kilometres was suggested as the critical maximum distance past which consumers become unable or unwilling to travel to access weekly rural speech-language pathology services in rural New South Wales and Victoria. Thus, people living in almost one third of rural localities in rural New South Wales and Victoria lie beyond what is considered by rural speech-language pathologists to be a reasonable travel distance to weekly speech-language pathology services. These results highlight barriers to the achievement of equitable services in rural areas. The results also provide an essential foundation to inform policy development and assist health service planning to meet the needs of rural consumers.