The right times. Reconfigurations of post Covid-19 social work

The spread of the new Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus marked the start of a long phase of health emergency and quickly led to the adoption of an articulated strategy to contain the contagion. Starting from March 2020, this had important effects on the main areas of individual and collective life also in our country. Priorities of intervention and unprecedented challenges have therefore been imposed on organizations and institutions first of all in the health sector but no less in the economic and social sphere. The aim of the article is to outline an updated profile of the rhythms and professional strategies of social work in Tuscany. Taking advantage of some key concepts and giving voice to the operators through some recent research results, the article analyzes the paths of reorganization of the times and working methods of those who work with the most fragile and vulnerable and question the adequacy of spaces for individual planning and sustainability, with a dedicated attention to the intertwining of individual time and social time.

Scrivere per curare. Un'esperienza di adozione del Diario del Paziente in Terapia Intensiva

This research focuses beyond the doors of an open ICU: a hospital ward with a high degree of complexity and organizational innovation in which the most recent events in the health emergency from COVID-19 pose new difficulties and unprecedented challenges. First of all, the scope of application of the Patient Diary tool is defined starting from the reference literature up to its introduction in the Neuroreanimation department of the AOUC, Florence (Italy). The Di.Te. project's main numbers and the qualitative study's main themes are presented. Finally, a summary reflection on the patient's diary is proposed as a channel for dialogue between all the interacting actors in the ward and as a tool for co-constructing the treatment path. © FrancoAngeli.

The Tax Side of the Pandemic: Shifts in Compliance Attitudes and Perceptions in Rwanda

While much knowledge is being generated on the impact of the pandemic, we still know very little on its implications on taxation in lower-income countries. Yet, tax is crucial to fund crisis response and recovery, in addition to broader development plans and expanded government expenditure. This paper starts addressing this gap using an unique dataset of survey data from Rwanda. We document two significant shifts in taxpayers' views during the pandemic: perceptions about the fairness of the tax system improve by 40 per cent, and their attitudes to compliance become more conditional on the provision of public services of sufficiently good quality. We put these results in the broader context of crisis response. We show that they are not simply linked to individual experiences of the crisis or access to relief, but they are more likely linked to generalised improvements in solidarity and patriotism. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

The Economic Impact of the Pandemic in Rwanda: An Analysis of Firm-Level VAT Data

There are substantial differences in the spread of the covid-19 pandemic and policy responses to it between high- and low-income countries. While evidence on the former is growing, there remain more unanswered questions on the latter. This paper addresses this gap by providing insights on the impact of the pandemic in Rwanda, based on firm-level administrative data from Value Added Tax (VAT) returns. We find that VAT sales in 2020 declined by 11.4 % compared to 2019. These losses are particularly associated with a lockdown imposed around April 2020, after which sales quickly rebounded to pre-crisis levels once restrictions were lifted. In absolute terms, the economic cost is concentrated among the largest firms. However, small firms have been most affected in proportional terms. Disaggregating our results further, we show that firms in accommodation and food, transport services, wholesale and retail trade, as well as those registered in the capital, have been particularly affected by the crisis. Overall, the decline in sales translated to a similarly large percentage loss in VAT revenue for the government.

Covid-19, Innovazione tecnologica e i nuovi scenari dell’assistenza (a distanza)

The advent of the pandemic has renewed the centrality of health equity in healthcare and shown the urgency of reflecting on the factors that affect healthcare accessibility. In particular, there is a need to integrate the analysis on healthcare inequalities with the new disparities induced by the digitalization of healthcare. The article starts by highlighting three critical issues faced by the Italian NHS during the Covid-19 health emergency. After that, an overview of the main attempts made by the Italian Government to stimulate a digital transition of healthcare-delivery is provided. Finally, the interplay of conventional inequalities, digital divides and health literacy is assessed from a critical point of view and the risk of a two-speed right to health is emphasized. © 2021 Franco Angeli Edizioni. All rights reserved.

Governance for building back better

The pandemic is in many ways a crisis of governance. It has created a set of unique challenges that underscore the need for governments to collect revenue more efficiently and equitably;and to spend it more inclusively, transparently, and accountably, especially on the most vulnerable and marginalised populations. In this article, we suggest a set of governance interventions to help create conditions for building effective and inclusive institutions that can support efforts to build back better. We propose that the impact of the pandemic can be dealt with through a mix of some interventions that deal with the immediate impacts of the crisis, and other interventions that can transform development in the longer term. © 2021 The Authors. IDS Bulletin and Institute of Development Studies.