Perceptions of the seriousness of major public health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic in seven middle-income countries
EfD Authors:
Abstract
Introduction
Public perception of the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to six other major public health problems (alcoholism and drug use, HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, lung cancer and respiratory diseases caused by air pollution and smoking, and water-borne diseases like diarrhea) is unclear. We designed a survey to examine this issue using YouGov’s internet panels in seven middle-income countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America in early 2022.
The Willingness to Pay for Vaccination against Tick-Borne Encephalitis and Implications for Public Health Policy: Evidence from Sweden
EfD Authors:
The increasing incidence of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in Sweden and several other European countries has sparked a discussion about the need for a public vaccination strategy. However, TBE vaccination coverage is incomplete and there is little knowledge about the factors influencing vaccination behavior. Based on a survey of 1,500 randomly selected respondents in Sweden, we estimate vaccination coverage in areas with different TBE risk levels and analyze the role of vaccine price and other factors influencing the demand for vaccination.
Learning to live with ticks? The role of exposure and risk perceptions in protective behaviour against tick-borne diseases
EfD Authors:
The purpose of this study is to analyse the role of risk perceptions and exposure for protective behaviour against tick bites and the related diseases Lyme borreliosis (LB) and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), both of which are growing health concerns. We use data from a national survey in Sweden with respondents in geographical areas with substantial differences in both abundance of ticks and incidence of LB and TBE.
Overview of known plastic packaging-associated chemicals and their hazards
EfD Authors:
Global plastics production has reached 380 million metric tons in 2015, with around 40% used for packaging. Plastic packaging is diverse and made of multiple polymers and numerous additives, along with other components, such as adhesives or coatings.
Market-Based Instruments for Managing Hazardous Chemicals: A Review of the Literature and Future Research Agenda
EfD Authors:
We take stock of the lessons learned from using market-based instruments in chemicals management and discuss the potential for increased use of risk-based taxation in the management of pesticides and other hazardous chemicals. Many chemical substances cause significant diffuse emissions when emitted over wide areas at individually low concentrations. These emissions are typically very difficult and costly to control. The targeted chemical may exist in many products as well as in a wide variety of end uses.
Valuation when baselines are changing: Tick-borne disease risk and recreational choice
EfD Authors:
Understanding how changes in baseline risk influence preferences for risk reduction is important when valuing the welfare effects of environmental change, including the spread of disease. We conduct a survey-based choice experiment among respondents residing in areas with different prevalence of ticks and incidence of Lyme borreliosis (LB) and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in Sweden. Respondents face a trade-off between risk and travel cost when choosing between visiting recreational areas differing in prevalence of ticks and disease incidence.
Protective practices against tick bites in Denmark, Norway and Sweden: a questionnaire-based study
EfD Authors:
Abstract
Background
Tick-borne infections are of emerging and increasing concern in the Scandinavian countries Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Only few studies have investigated protective practices against tick bites in the general population. The aim of this multi-country study was to assess the use of protective practices and the perception of the efficacy of them.