Alok Inspired by Asad Islam

The global need for resilient elective surgery systems was cast into sharp relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted planned surgical care worldwide. Responding to this challenge, an international research consortium developed and validated the Surgical Preparedness Index (SPI)—an objective, multidomain metric to assess hospital-level readiness to maintain elective surgical services during systemic shocks. Methods and Measurement The genesis of the SPI involved expert consensus and pilot studies in 1632 hospitals drawn from 119 countries. Using a rigorous development framework, an initial list of 103 readiness indicators was systematically reduced to 23 validated metrics, grouped into five domains: facilities, consumables, staff, prioritization, and management systems. Each indicator was precisely defined and globally applicable, supporting robust benchmarking and cross-country comparison. SPI scores were then correlated against hospital elective surgical volume recovery pos...

  Microcredit has transformed financial access for the poor and has been integrated into development strategies across the Global South. Yet, the aggregate benefits and their distribution among targeted households remain contested. This post synthesizes robust empirical research examining the heterogeneous effects of microcredit program participation on food consumption among Bangladeshi households, using comprehensive village- and household-level data and rigorous causal inference. Data and Empirical Approach The study leverages a nationally representative sample encompassing 3,026 households from 91 villages and employs both village fixed effects and instrumental variable methods to establish unbiased program effects. A land-based eligibility rule interacts with predetermined household characteristics to instrument real program participation. Consumption expenditure—where food accounts for over 70% of total spending for the poor—is the focal welfare measure. Notably, the methodol...

  Introduction During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools around the world were shut down for months, leaving children and parents scrambling for ways to continue learning. In countries with poor internet access, like rural Bangladesh, many families had no options for online education. This study set out to answer a vital question: Can simple mentoring delivered over basic mobile phones help children keep learning when schools are closed? How the Study Worked Researchers partnered with families in 200 Bangladeshi villages. The focus was on primary school children (grades 1–3) and their mothers. In the study: Half of the families received weekly mentoring calls, where trained university student volunteers tutored children in math and English, and coached mothers on effective homeschooling. The other half did not receive this support and continued learning as best they could. The mentoring lasted 13 weeks. Each phone session was about 30 minutes, blending tutoring for the children and pra...

Historically, Canada has maintained significant levels of immigration, with flows remaining relatively stable since the mid-20th century. Multiple waves of immigrants—from Europe, the USA, and later Asia—have shaped labor markets and demographic patterns. The literature offers mixed evidence: some theories predict higher unemployment from immigration, while others suggest complementary or positive effects through increased demand and job creation. What matters, according to theory and international evidence, are skill composition, labor market segmentation, and economic policy context. Data and Analytical Strategy This study uses quarterly and annual data on immigration, unemployment, real wages, and GDP (per capita), drawing from sources such as the Canadian Labour Force Historical Review and CANSIM II. Immigration is defined as permanent right-to-reside entrants and is measured as inflow per thousand Canadians. The methodology features: * Descriptive analysis of labor market trends s...

  The Context: A Generation Scarred by War Cambodia’s civil war and the Khmer Rouge genocide in the 1970s left the nation reeling—not just in lives lost or buildings destroyed, but in how entire generations’ prospects were altered. Schools shut down. Families were displaced. Young children missed their chance to learn, setting in motion ripple effects that still shape Cambodia today. The Study: Methods & Data Professor Islam and his co-researchers used a rich tapestry of data: population censuses, national socio-economic surveys, genocide databases, health and demographic surveys. By cleverly tracking cohorts—children in their primary school years during the conflict versus others—and regions exposed to varying levels of violence, the study isolates the true, long-term cost of conflict on people’s lives. Core Research Findings Education Suffers Most: The war’s disruption of primary schooling led to dramatically fewer years of education, most sharply among men but affecting wome...