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The idea of relating health, education and other social sector variables with growth and development, or trying to find any convergence among similar countries with respect to such macroeconomic indicators is the basic idea of this chapter, which explores the concept of enhancing welfare through a subjective route, specifically by way of expenditure in health care. By way of testing σ- and β-convergence of current healthcare expenditure per capita of the BRICS countries for the period 2006–2018, it has been found that these countries catch up with significant convergence. It has also been obtained through panel data analysis that such convergence is significantly explained by gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, life expectancy at birth, elderly ratio, CO₂ emissions and prevalence of undernourishment, all of which are in accordance with conventional hypotheses. This chapter claims that, by way of convergence, the BRICS nations may emerge as a new economic power, and expenditure on health care is one of the major areas, among other social sector variables that will play an important role.

The purpose of this research is to identify and study the contextual relationships of the significant lean enablers in the Indian coal mining industry using the application of interpretive structural modeling (ISM), matrice d' impacts croisés-multiplication appliquée á un classement (MICMAC) and structural equation modeling (SEM).

In this study, a conceptual model based on ISM was developed forming a hierarchy and contextual relationships of significant enablers for lean implementation in the Indian coal mining industry using a literature review and eliciting expert opinion, which is followed by MICMAC for grouping of enablers and questionnaire survey to validate the ISM based conceptual model using SEM.

The study modeled and analyzed ten significant enablers of lean implementation in the Indian coal mining industry. The findings suggest that the most important lean enablers in the Indian coal mining industry are employee empowerment, employee motivation and commitment, consistent financial performance measurement and management support.

Judgmental sampling was used for selecting the respondents for conducting the questionnaire survey in this research work as there are a few numbers of coal mines implementing lean principles in India. Although the study was not restricted to a particular part of India with the sample representing the heterogeneous population, the study represents more data from the coal mines in eastern India.

The model on lean enablers would help the researchers, decision-makers and practitioners to anticipate potential lean enablers in the Indian coal mines and rank the enablers for improved and efficient usage of the available resources creating value to customers with lean and to sustenance academic research on lean.

Studies on lean enablers in the mining sector are scarce in the literature, and this study is a novel contribution of exploring lean enablers in the Indian coal mining industry using an integrated approach of ISM–MICMAC and SEM.

This paper aims to provide an in-depth awareness into the research on customised training programme for the indigenous population in India. The central aim is to conduct a systematic review on the available studies to explore its crucial themes interweaving with skill development.

This study uses systematic review method, for which the author uses Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, SPIDER tool and Mendeley to identify relevant articles from 2011 to 2022.

Results show that the customised training programme is useful for the first-generation population to upgrade their skills. It aids in improving scalability, supports job creation and facilitates in mitigating low level of training exposure by meeting the local needs. However, poor approachability on customised training, its oversimplification and lack of research dents the critical insights and prospects.

The novelty of this paper lies on retrieving the essential indicators of customised training from previous studies by systematic review tools. It can aid academicians, educators, local administration and policymakers to understand its benefits for indigenous population to fill the policy gaps.

Domestic abuse or intimate partner violence is a term that describes a pattern of abusive behaviours, often experienced concurrently and linked to gender-based violence. This study aims to explore through the literature the potential to design effective digital services that work for victims, survivors and those who provide domestic abuse support services.

This study is based on a systems or service design thinking methodology which was adopted during a Scottish Government-funded Technology Enabled Care (TEC) pathfinder project on domestic abuse. This methodology is the basis for the Scottish Approach to Service Design which is based on the Design Council Double Diamond. During the first phase, known as the discovery phase, desk-based research is conducted by the service design team to inform their approach to the later phases (the second half of the first diamond is define whilst design and deliver form the second diamond). Time is spent during discovery to unpack the complexity whilst the approach takes a pragmatic worldview.

Technology has yet to be shown to provide an effective solution to any aspect of the victim or survivors’ experience or support services albeit these are often over-stretched and under-funded even without the Covid-19 pandemic. Digital abuse is increasing with perpetrators adapting new technologies. Digital developments should be grounded on ethical design principles.

This study is the result of the desk-based research during a TEC project considering the potential role of technology in tackling domestic abuse. Limitations include only including evidence from the literature; interviews were conducted but are not reported here. Another limitation is the pragmatic rather than academic nature of the approach; it was to be a foundation for service re-design. So hopefully useful for new practitioners to immerse themselves in the topic area but with no claims to be reproducible as would be the case in a formal review.

All the evidence shows the authors need to keep trying different approaches, different forms of engagement and ways to empower survivors. Could technology support health-care practitioners to consistently use sensitive routine enquiry? Perhaps enable independent domestic violence advisors to attend more multidisciplinary team meetings in local community settings? Meanwhile, digital abuse is increasing with perpetrators adapting new technologies. Technology has not yet provided a digital solution which is practical and meets the needs of the broad intersectional population affected by domestic abuse nor those who provide support. If the future is to be based on digital developments it must be grounded on ethical design principles.

This desk-based review collates the current national and international policy and research literature whilst focusing on digital developments which support those affected by domestic abuse.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent public health issue impacting women’s physical and mental health and psychosocial walks of life across cultures and societies. Despite this, many women continue to stay in such relationships. This study aims to examine, from a constructionist perspective, why women stay in abusive marriages and what factors prevent them from taking appropriate actions. Also, women’s experiences of surviving IPV were explored.

Using a descriptive qualitative research method, the authors recruited and interviewed 17 women from northern India. The data were analysed thematically.

The underlying themes that emerged in response to the research questions were the lack of family support, societal ideals, the culture of normalizing violence, fear, love and hope and emotional turmoil. The reason for women not to leave abusive marriages corresponds to the broader social constructions of marriage and women’s perceived positions in family and society.

Research on women’s decision to stay in abusive relationships is limited, especially from the Global South. This study generates fresh evidence on the subject matter, specifically from the Indian context. The study result contributes uniquely by approaching the problem of staying in an abusive relationship from a social constructionist perspective. This study has implications for policy and psychosocial interventions to bring progressive changes in the lives of women experiencing IPV.

This paper aims to explore the mental health impact of domestic violence and abuse within the context of the global pandemic. This paper will explore factors contributing to rising rates of violence and mental health problems exacerbated by stressors related to the global pandemic, including public health measures implemented to prevent the spread of coronovirus disease (COVID-19). It will also explore what can be learnt from the current pandemic situation to prevent domestic violence and abuse in future emergency situations and pandemics and will provide suggestions, for policy, practice and future research.

This paper is informed by discussion between authors as experts in the field, their reflection on the current situation and review of available literature. Synthesising information from best practice guidance across the global literature, this paper proposes a best practice framework using an ecological approach to address intimate partner violence in times of pandemic, crisis or natural disaster.

This paper aimed to explore the mental health impact of domestic violence and abuse within the context of the global pandemic.

This paper provides an analysis of available literature and explains impact of COVID-19 on domestic violence and abuse.

This study sheds light on the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on self-employed women in Mauritius and delves into their coping strategies amid unprecedented circumstances.

The study employs a comprehensive methodology encompassing both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Qualitative analysis is conducted via interviews with self-employed women in Mauritius, capturing their experience with COVID-19. Quantitative analysis uses survey data from 732 firms to investigate factors affecting online sales, a major survival strategy adopted by businesses.

The study finds a notable trend wherein many interviewed women have transitioned their businesses online – a pivot that stands out as a common response within the sample. The quantitative analysis indicates the significance of a strong online presence, particularly on social media and web-based platforms designed for the sale of goods and services. These factors correlate with higher online sales, potentially enhancing resilience during pandemic-induced lockdown periods.

This study stands out for its originality, representing the first study investigating how women entrepreneurs in Mauritius have navigated the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis.

This study aims to explore the effect of mental health in terms of depression, anxiety, stress, fear of COVID-19 and quality of life (QoL) on the reluctance to be vaccinated in a population of Palestinian adults living in occupied Palestinian territories and Israel.

The authors recruited 1,122 Palestinian adults who consented to participate in the study; 722 were females, and the mean age of the sample was 40.83 (SD 8.8). Depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS), World Health Organization QoL-BREF, FCov-19 and reluctance to the vaccine scale were administered; hierarchical regression analysis was applied to test vaccine reluctance as a dependent variable, and mental health, fear of COVID-19 and QoL as independent variables. This study hypothesized influence of such variables on the vaccine choice with differences due to the participants’ geographical locations.

Findings showed an effect of mental health, particularly depression, QoL and fear of COVID on vaccine reluctance, with depression and fear of COVID in the West Bank and Gaza, while in Israel, QoL played a role in vaccination choices.

The future needs to be comprehended more thoroughly to discover mutations and fluctuations over time in vaccine hesitancy and the increasing role of psychological distress, diminished QoL and fear of Covid-19. Online recruitment might not have allowed the study to include the most disadvantaged strips of the Palestinian population.

Human rights perspectives must be considered in public health and public mental health policies to ensure the QoL and well-being for the Palestinian population during and following the pandemic.

The crumbling of the Palestinian health-care system exacerbated the sense of dread among the population and made them less likely to vaccinate. The pandemic-like spread of Covid-19 prompts a plea for the global community to actively advocate for the urgent re-establishment of equity, autonomy and durability of the medical infrastructure in the occupied territories and equal entitlements for the Palestinians in Israel.

The results demonstrated the importance for public mental health to consider the multiple levels implied in the vaccine refusal in Palestine and Israel among the Palestinian population.

Maintenance is a compulsory cost in any asset's operation and requires sufficient budget to be supported. However, insufficient maintenance allocation would lead to maintenance prioritization being practiced as a solution to relief the maintenance demands. The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss the related literature on the factors considered and methods practiced in maintenance prioritization, especially in asset managements.

A thorough literature search related to factors and methods used in maintenance prioritization was conducted through several journal databases. The keywords maintenance priority, maintenance prioritization, priority management and maintenance planning were used. Publications related to maintenance priority from the period of 1990 to 2016 were reviewed and filtered out. Literature focusing on methods and factors related to maintenance prioritization were analyzed and discussed.

This study presented the trend and publications related to maintenance priority throughout 1990 to 2016. Publications related with methods and factors were analyzed. The most used priority-setting methods include analytical hierarchy process; priority criterion; priority matrix; and failure mode and effect analysis. Factors for maintenance priority were categorized into four categories which are technical, financial, social and political category. A discussion on the strategic direction of maintenance prioritization was conducted to highlight future research and possible improvements.

The paper contains a state of the art on publications and discussion related to the factors, methods and suggestions on the strategic aspect of maintenance prioritization. It offers insights and information on the current body of knowledge to academics, researchers, maintenance managers, practitioners and stakeholders concerned with asset management.