Health Networks in Action: The experiences of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on Thu, 10/29/2020 - 18:46

Integrated Health Service Delivery Networks (IHSDN) based on primary health care (PHC) are the most promising solution for health systems to satisfy the health needs of the population and to address access, efficiency, quality and equity challenges faced by health systems of the world. PHCs essential attributes (people and family centered care, comprehensiveness, continuity, longitudinality) position this approach as one of the key strategies for countries to meet the aspiration of achieving universal health coverage.

Repatriations and Firm Behavior: Effects of Repatriated Migrants with Large Networks

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on Wed, 10/28/2020 - 15:58

Can repatriation inflows impact firm behavior in origin countries? To the extent that repatriated individuals bring large networks and know-how they can benefit local firms. We examine this question in the context of repatriation inflows from the United States and Mexico to El Salvador. For this purpose, we combine longitudinal firm-level panel data with inflows of repatriations exploiting municipal and annual variation during the period 2010 to 2017.

Venezuelan Research Community Migration: Impacts and Public Policy Implications

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on Wed, 10/28/2020 - 15:46

Venezuela has lost through migration 16% of its research workforce, mostly in the last few years. This paper utilizes BIBLIOS- a database of Venezuelan publications- a survey, and open-ended interviews, to provide evidence on the relationship between migrated researchers and researchers in Venezuela. Several indicators of researchers productivity were used, together with their attitudes towards professional and social ties. Preliminarily, the survey shows that researchers initial decision to migrate is motivated by basic family needs and better opportunities.

The Effects of Mass Migration on The Academic Performance of Native Students: Evidence from Chile

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on Wed, 10/28/2020 - 15:33

Using longitudinal data and a Difference-in-Difference approach, this paper examines how the mass inflow of Venezuelan and Haitian migrants to Chile has influenced the learning outcomes of native students. The evidence shows negative effects on standardized test scores, especially in male students (-0.058SD). Said effects are considerably greater in Reading (-0.084SD) when examining the migration of non-Spanish speakers (mainly Haitians). When the shock is due to Venezuelan students, negative effects in Mathematics are observed equally strongly in male and female students (-0.053SD).

The Long-Term Effects of Job Training on Labor Market and Skills Outcomes in Chile

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on Wed, 10/28/2020 - 15:03

Job training programs can be an eective policy for improving productivity and labor market outcomes in low and middle income countries. We report medium and long-term impacts of a job training program for vulnerable workers in Chile on labor market and skill outcomes using experimental and administrative data. We find that the program fails on improving workers' skills and most labor outcomes but some evidence of a effect on labor income. We also find evidence of heterogeneous effects by course-type, training provider quality, and gender.

The Effect of Venezuelan Migration on Educational Outcomes in Colombia

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on Wed, 10/28/2020 - 14:56

About 1.8 of the 5.2 million Venezuelans who have left their country due to political and economic turmoil have settled in neighboring Colombia. The extent to which the Colombian schooling system can absorb the massive demand for education
of Venezuelan children is key for their future trajectory of human capital accumulation, as well as that of Colombian students in receiving communities. In this paper, we estimate the effect of Venezuelan migration on educational outcomes of children

The Effects of Mass Migration on Natives' Wages: Evidence from Chile

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on Wed, 10/28/2020 - 14:46

Using cross-section data and an instrumental variable approach, this paper examines the mass migration process that occurred in Chile between 2015 and 2017. Evidence indicates that this process reduced wages for less skilled native workers by around 2-3 percent, mostly impacting males. These workers are competing with more educated immigrants, suggesting a downgrading effect. Results are robust to multiple IV tests.

Undocumented Immigration, Regularization and Citizenship in the Southern Cone

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on Wed, 10/28/2020 - 14:33

In 2004 the Argentine government established that immigration is a human right and launched a large regularization program that benefit almost 0.5 million people, mostly from neighboring countries, or 29% of the immigrant population. Despite a substantial normative and legal literature praising the in-form content of the legislation, little empirical research assesses its real effects. This paper exploits variation in treatment intensity across several dimensions and finds mixed results.

The Impact of Migration on Trade: Evidence from Brazil

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on Wed, 10/28/2020 - 14:06

We use 2010-2017 data to explore the impact of migration on trade in Brazil. In order to account for the endogeneity of migrant location within the country and timing of migration, we use an instrument based on linguistic proximity among migrant groups and shocks that led to migration outflows from countries with a strong Brazilian connection, such as Haitis 2010 earthquake. The migrant population of Brazil remains small, but has increased considerably over the last decade.

New Hub on Early Childhood Development: Innovation, research and measurement for children in Latin America and the Caribbean

Submitted by SPH DIGITAL on Mon, 10/26/2020 - 09:55

We have a pending task to ensure a good start for all children in Latin America and the Caribbean: achieving high-quality child development services on a large scale. We can address this challenge through the generation of knowledge, innovating in the design of effective programs, measuring and monitoring child development, articulating the work across the different sectors involved, and strengthening early childhood development networks.