Health Tourism Prevalence among Western Balkans Citizens During the COVID-19 Pandemic Period

Background: This study seeks to evaluate the prevalence of and the association between receiving medical care abroad and the level of trust that citizens from the Western Balkans-Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Montenegro-have in their healthcare systems. Method(s): The study is cross-sectional and was carried out during three months (July 25-October 30, 2021) through a self-reported questionnaire administered through the Google Forms platform. The study included approximately two-thousand citizens (N=2,356) aged eighteen (18) to seventy (70). Result(s): More than one-third (37.2%) of respondents stated that they or a relative had received healthcare services abroad during the last twelve (12) months. Citizens of Montenegro had the highest prevalence of receiving healthcare services abroad at 43.8%, followed by those from Bosnia and Herzegovina at 39%. No statistically significant difference was found in the level of trust in the healthcare system in the country between those who received healthcare services abroad (4.41+/-2.88) (out of 10) and those who did not (4.48+/-2.81) (t=-0.587, p=0.557). Conclusion(s): We ultimately conclude that more than one-third of the participants in our study have traveled abroad for healthcare purposes, with females, those living in urban areas, and those who have previously had a negative healthcare experience in their home country all being more likely to rely on health tourism.Copyright © 2023 Maljichi et al.

The Attitudes and Practices Regarding COVID-19 among General Practitioners from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Attitudes toward COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) prevention and control may have influenced general practitioners' (GPs') work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aimed to investigate the attitudes and practices of GPs from Croatia and Bosna and Herzegovina regarding COVID-19 prevention and control as well as the factors which may have influenced them. A cross-sectional study using a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was conducted between February and May of 2022 on 200 Croatian and Bosnian GPs. The study revealed that the attitudes and practices of the surveyed GPs regarding COVID-19 prevention and control were satisfactory. The Croatian GPs reported a larger number of positive attitudes toward COVID-19 prevention and control (p = 0.014), while no significant differences in practices were established. Among the Croatian GPs, more positive attitudes toward COVID-19 prevention and control were reported by participants who had finished a formal education on the prevention of infectious diseases and occupational safety (p = 0.018), while among the Bosnian GPs, more positive attitudes were reported by older GPs (p = 0.007), males (p = 0.026), GPs with a longer length of service (p = 0.005), GPs who had finished a formal education on the prevention of infectious diseases and occupational safety (p < 0.001), GPs who had finished a formal education on adequate hand hygiene (p < 0.001), and GPs who had finished a formal education on COVID-19 prevention for GPs (p = 0.001). Considering GPs' practices regarding COVID-19 prevention and control, among the Croatian GPs, more positive practices were reported by older GPs (p = 0.008), females (p = 0.002), GPs who had a partner (p = 0.021), GPs who were specialists in family medicine (p = 0.014), GPs with a longer length of service (p = 0.007), and GPs who had finished a formal education on the prevention of infectious diseases and occupational safety (p = 0.046), while among the Bosnian GPs, no significant correlations were determined. The general practitioners' sociodemographic and employment characteristics strongly influenced their attitudes and practices regarding the prevention and control of COVID-19. The cultural differences between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the organizational specificities of their healthcare systems, probably modified the observed differences in the individual patterns of associations between the outcome and explanatory variables in the surveyed neighboring countries.

Fiscal policies in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina: are spending or revenue measures more effective?

We examine the effectiveness of different fiscal policies in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH). For this purpose, we use a structural macroeconomic model for the FBiH. In this model, GDP in the Federation is influenced by world demand and by domestic demand in the Federation. Domestic demand comprises consumption of private households, public consumption, and gross fixed capital formation. Employment depends positively on GDP and negatively on the tax wedge, i.e., the net wage plus social security contribution rates (including the unemployment insurance), and the personal income tax rate in the Federation. The latter allows the analysis of the impact of changes in social security contribution rates or in the income tax rate in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The following Federation-specific policy instruments are implemented in the model for the FBiH: Pension funds contribution rate in FBiH; contribution rate for health insurance in FBiH; contribution rate for the unemployment insurance in FBiH; benefits from social security; direct tax rates (income tax rate, corporate tax rate); public consumption in FBiH. Our results show that policy measures that reduce the tax wedge on labour income are highly effective in stimulating employment. Due to the large elasticity of imports with respect to demand, pure demand-side measures have little impact on real variables, indicating that a small open economy like the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has only little scope for influencing macroeconomic developments with pure demand management policies. Our results confirm earlier theoretical and empirical studies showing that the labour market can best be influenced positively by reducing the tax wedge. The multipliers of income tax reductions are larger and oscillate more than the effects of the other fiscal policy measures.

From Bosnia and Herzegovina to China in the 21st Century: A Case Study of Personal Migration Histories

This study is the first to examine recent migration from Bosnia and Herzegovina to China in the 21(st) century. It gives an overview of new Chinese geopolitical and economic circumstances, a historical analysis of migration flows between China and the rest of the world from the 19th to the 21st century, and a survey of recent emigration flows from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The second part presents the results of an empirical study of labour migration from Bosnia and Herzegovina to China and the experiences of 25 migrants, which was conducted using structured interviews The research results show that most in the group plan to stay in China permanently. Some would like to move to North America or Australia. It is characteristic that there are no gender gaps in terms of qualifications or career ambitions. The measures to combat COVID-19 implemented by the Chinese government affected the respondents in different ways.

Food waste perceptions and reported behaviours during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

An increasing corpus of data demonstrated the disruptive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food consumption habits, particularly food waste, but the Balkan area is often overlooked. Accordingly, this study investigates the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer knowledge and reported behaviours linked to food waste in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The research was based on an online survey with 2425 participants using the Google forms platform from 10 April to 10 May 2020. This period coincided with the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Consumers' behaviours regarding where and how often they buy food, their attitude towards food labels, food provision and particularly the amounts and values of food waste and how they handle it were investigated. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics methods, and the significance of the association between variables was determined using nonparametric and multivariate statistical tests. The study's findings revealed that (i) Bosnia has a low rate of household food waste and a favourable attitude towards food waste prevention, (ii) the majority of the respondents are familiar with the most common expiry labels, notably 'use by' and 'best before' and (iii) consumers adjusted their buying and consumption patterns due to the pandemic. The findings of this research are essential for developing evidence-based policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the post-pandemic recovery period since they are unique to that country. Indeed, the crisis' lessons and insights may be used to help move towards more sustainable consumption habits.

Satisfaction with Health Care Services in the Adult Population of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background and Objectives: Patient satisfaction with health care can influence health care-seeking behavior in relation to both minor or major health problems or influence communication and compliance with medical advice, which is especially important in emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is important to continually monitor patient satisfaction with provided care and their dynamics. The aim of this study was to assess patient satisfaction with health care during the COVID-19 pandemic in the adult population of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FB&H) and compare it with levels of satisfaction in the same population before the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: A representative, population-based survey was implemented in the adult population of the FB&H using the EUROPEP instrument, which measures satisfaction with health care using 23 items. The sample included 740 respondents who were 18 years or older residing in the FB&H and was implemented in December 2020. All data were collected using a system of online panels. The survey questions targeted the nine months from the beginning of the pandemic to the time of data collection, i.e., the period of March to December 2020. Results: The mean composite satisfaction score across all 23 items of the EUROPEP tool was 3.2 points in all age groups; the ceiling effect was 22% for the youngest respondents (18-34 years old), 23% for 35-54 years old, and 26% for the oldest group (55+), showing increasing satisfaction by age. The overall composite score for both females and males was 3.2. The ceiling effect was higher in those with chronic disease (29% vs. 23% in those without chronic disease). The composite mean score for respondents residing in rural vs. urban areas was 3.2 with a ceiling effect of 22% in rural and 24% in urban residents. When comparing mean composite scores surveyed at various points in time in the FB&H, it was found that the score increased from 3.3 to 3.5 between 2011 and 2017 and dropped again to 3.3 in this study. Despite these observations in the overall trends of satisfaction scores, we note that no statistically significant differences were observed between most of the single-item scores in the stratified analysis, pointing to the relative uniformity of satisfaction among the analyzed population subgroups. Conclusions: The rate of satisfaction with health care services in the FB&H was lower during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to 2011 and 2017. Furthermore, while an increasing trend in satisfaction with health care was observed in the FB&H during the years prior to 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to the reversal of this trend. It is important to further monitor the dynamics of patient satisfaction with health care, which could serve as a basis for planning, delivering, and maintaining quality services during the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies.

From Bosnia and Herzegovina to China in the 21st Century: A Case Study of Personal Migration Histories

This study is the first to examine recent migration from Bosnia and Herzegovina to China in the 21st century. It gives an overview of new Chinese geopolitical and economic circumstances, a historical analysis of migration flows between China and the rest of the world from the 19th to the 21st century, and a survey of recent emigration flows from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The second part presents the results of an empirical study of labour migration from Bosnia and Herzegovina to China and the experiences of 25 migrants, which was conducted using structured interviews The research results show that most in the group plan to stay in China permanently. Some would like to move to North America or Australia. It is characteristic that there are no gender gaps in terms of qualifications or career ambitions. The measures to combat COVID-19 implemented by the Chinese government affected the respondents in different ways. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Compulsory Licensing System in Bosnia and Herzegovina: How Pandemic-Proof Is It?

The article examines the relevant provision of the Patent law of Bosnia and Herzegovina governing the conditions and procedures for granting a compulsory licence in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. In the course of this critical analysis, the insufficiencies of the regulatory framework for the application of this mechanism are detected, and improvements to the system proposed. Furthermore, the article also discusses other legislative (e.g., Law on Medicines and Medical Devices) and regulatory obstacles for the production and marketing of generic medicines on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Finally, it presents a short overview of the pharmaceutical industry in the country and identifies a potential compulsory licensing event. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE TOURISM SECTOR IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

In this study, we examine the degree of persistence in tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on it. The series investigated are foreign arrivals and overnight stays for the time period from January 2008 to December 2021. The methodology used is based on fractional integration. The results indicate that the impact of COVID-19 has been strong on the series, removing the significance of the time trend, increasing the level of persistence and reducing significantly the seasonality factor in both arrivals and overnight stay series. © 2022 Editura Universitatii din Oradea. All rights reserved.

Surveillance of the Second Wave of COVID-19 in Europe: Longitudinal Trend Analyses.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted Europe, resulting in a high caseload and deaths that varied by country. The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has breached the borders of Europe. Public health surveillance is necessary to inform policy and guide leaders. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide advanced surveillance metrics for COVID-19 transmission that account for weekly shifts in the pandemic, speed, acceleration, jerk, and persistence, to better understand countries at risk for explosive growth and those that are managing the pandemic effectively. METHODS: We performed a longitudinal trend analysis and extracted 62 days of COVID-19 data from public health registries. We used an empirical difference equation to measure the daily number of cases in Europe as a function of the prior number of cases, the level of testing, and weekly shift variables based on a dynamic panel model that was estimated using the generalized method of moments approach by implementing the Arellano-Bond estimator in R. RESULTS: New COVID-19 cases slightly decreased from 158,741 (week 1, January 4-10, 2021) to 152,064 (week 2, January 11-17, 2021), and cumulative cases increased from 22,507,271 (week 1) to 23,890,761 (week 2), with a weekly increase of 1,383,490 between January 10 and January 17. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom had the largest 7-day moving averages for new cases during week 1. During week 2, the 7-day moving average for France and Spain increased. From week 1 to week 2, the speed decreased (37.72 to 33.02 per 100,000), acceleration decreased (0.39 to -0.16 per 100,000), and jerk increased (-1.30 to 1.37 per 100,000). CONCLUSIONS: The United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal, in particular, are at risk for a rapid expansion in COVID-19 transmission. An examination of the European region suggests that there was a decrease in the COVID-19 caseload between January 4 and January 17, 2021. Unfortunately, the rates of jerk, which were negative for Europe at the beginning of the month, reversed course and became positive, despite decreases in speed and acceleration. Finally, the 7-day persistence rate was higher during week 2 than during week 1. These measures indicate that the second wave of the pandemic may be subsiding, but some countries remain at risk for new outbreaks and increased transmission in the absence of rapid policy responses.

GENDER ANALYSIS AND COVID-19: A CASE STUDY OF ECONOMIC (IN)EQUALITY

This paper provides an overview and critical review of the question of whether and to what extent has the coronavirus pandemic affected the economic situation of women. The case study in Bosnia and Herzegovina identified the key concepts that will guide our analysis and interpretation. Based on our experiences, we examine and investigate the economic and social status of women in general, and then monitor economic and social parameters during the coronavirus pandemic, to answer the key question-whether the pandemic caused more damage to men or women in economic terms, did it emphasize and deepen the existing gender gap in economic and social terms, or did it improve the position of women, which we consider less likely. This is a predominantly quantitative approach, given that we collected, compared, and analyzed various statistical data from the census, statistics from labor and employment agencies on the labor market, and similar. Using the compilation method we collected all relevant statistical data for research, and then relied on content analysis and comparison to draw key conclusions. Also, using the compilation method we collected various media reports related to the topic. Where there was a need for additional sources we used the interview as a qualitative method, where we relied on the experience of employment agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations dealing with gender equality issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even though numerous studies have shown that the Covid-19 pandemic had a disproportionate impact on women, our research confirms that official statistics in Bosnia and Herzegovina do not reveal that women are significantly more economically affected than men. The expressiveness of women affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the impact on their economic status was also given through regression analysis and its results. Taking into account only R Square and its indicator of 48%, which is not negligible, it shows the economic position of women before the coronavirus, but certainly during the pandemic. However, given that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic risk improving existing gender inequalities, we also seek to remind the relevant institutions of their commitment to addressing gender inequalities in all aspects of society and achieving these goals more quickly through a gender-sensitive approach. This, therefore, further opens up opportunities for gender equality, the effectiveness of sustainable development goals, and the empowerment of women in all aspects of social, political, cultural, and economic life. © 2022, Institute for Human Rehabilitation. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 Impact on Public Dental Healthcare in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Current Situation and Ongoing Perspectives.

BACKGROUND: As the pandemic time went by in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), various patterns toward COVID-19 itself and its impacts, implementation of prescribed preventive measures among the team members, and those of their patients, including immunization process, have been revealed. These patterns were of both empirical and evidence-based kind and consequently formed dental personnel behavior. The aim was to evaluate and compare the COVID-19 status of dentists in B&H, implementation of prescribed preventive measures, and usage of various kinds of PPE, at the beginning of the pandemics and now, 2.5 years later, including dentists' current vaccination status, and their opinions and attitudes toward the national COVID-19 economic impact on dental practice. METHODOLOGY: Study research was in a form of a cross-sectional longitudinally designed online survey and was conducted in two parts. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Dental professionals in B&H had a high frequency of COVID-19 symptoms in the second pandemic year. The vaccination status of dentists in B&H was in line with the global average values of vaccinated professionals. Dentists used patient management preventive measures and PPE recommended by WHO, but some preventive measures have been changed and prioritized recently. The economic impact of pandemics on dentistry was predominantly negative.

Evaluation of the Clinical and Biochemical Parameters of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective, Single-Center Study from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Background/Aim. For the first time, we evaluated and presented the socio-demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations and laboratory findings of hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients from Canton Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods. This retrospective, single-centre study included 159 RT-PCR verified COVID-19 patients (92 mild/moderate;67 severe/critical) consecutively hospitalized at the General Hospital "Prim. dr Abdulah Nakaš" in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Socio-demographic, clinical, and laboratory data on admission were retrospectively obtained from each patient's electronic medical record and patient files by two experienced physicians. Results. 43.4% of the patients belonged to the age range of 46-65 years;71.1% were men, and 68.6% had comorbidities;hypertension was the most prevalent comorbidity (100%), followed by diabetes (91.7%) and ischemic heart disease (35.8%). The leading clinical symptoms were fever (87.44%), tiredness (77.8%), and body/muscle aches (70.3%). There was significant reduction of blood oxygen saturation (p = 0.005), and significant elevation of D-dimer (p = 0.003), CRP (p = 0.044), and fasting plasma glucose (p = 0.047) in the severe/critical patients group compared to mild/moderate group. Conclusion. Older age, the male gender, confirmed comorbidities, decreased blood oxygen saturation, increased levels of CRP, D-dimer, and fasting plasma glucose, together with symptoms of chest pain/shortness of breath and/or diarrhea occurred more frequently in severe/critical than mild/moderate COVID-19 patients.

STABILITY AND SECURITY OF WESTERN BALKANS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF PANDEMIC CONSEQUENCES

The article analyses influence of the pandemics on economic and political developments as well as on the conflict resolution process in the Western Balkan (WB) region. The unprecedented epidemiological conditions of the years 2020–2021 led to utter deterioration of regional economic rates. Serbia can be named as the only exception with its GDP growth in 2020 (although also negative) higher than the regional and, moreover, European average. Negative political consequences of the two recent years with COVID‑19, observed in the article, range from the rise of “covidocracy”, namely strengthening of executive institutions at the expense of the local parliaments, courts and media freedom, to the landmark changes in political elites of Montenegro and Kosovo as well as deterioration of conflicts in Kosovo and Bosnia. The pandemics has also negatively affected the pace of the European integration process in the region. The slowdown was connected both with turbulences inside the EU given its initial lack of solidarity and with an attempt to address the crisis on the national rather than on the European level, its consequent emphasis on the internal rather than external development. The EU perspective as such has grown more distant from the Western Balkans. Yet, regional cooperation with the introduction of the “Open Balkans” initiative has accelerated, which has been designed to bring the WB countries closer to the European common market. At the same time, the pandemics significantly strengthened Russian and Chinese presence in the region, which provoked the EU into geopolitical race. The author comes to a conclusion, however, that eventually, the European assistance can be characterized as systemic and structural, masterminded within the context of future WB integration in the EU institutions. Nevertheless, European mediation in the situation of stalemate in Belgrade–Pristina negotiations could not prevent serious degradation of the conflict over Kosovo’s status. In Bosnia, former High Representative’s imposition of the Genocide denial ban also sparked off the crisis, which puts the future of a unified Bosnian state into question. These negative developments in conflict management, to some extent triggered by the pandemics, can impair stabilization process and security in the Western Balkans. © 2022, Russian Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 PANDEMIC IMPACT ON RADIOTHERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH HEAD AND NECK CANCER

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of the health system. In a low-middle income countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, ensuring optimal oncology care was challenging even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a warning of the possible impact of worsening mortality and/ or morbidity due to delayed diagnosis and suboptimal treatment.1 The COVID 19 pandemic has impact on reducing the number of patients treated with radiotherapy.2 The aim of our study was to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on radiotherapy in a patient with head and neck cancer who were treated with radiotherapy in a tertiary health care facility. Methods: We analyzed data from the institutional databases for radiotherapy of the Oncology Department at University Clinical Hospital Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. We performed data extraction for patients with head and neck cancer who were treated with primary or adjuvant radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy from January 2018 to December 2021. Results: A total of 114 patients were treated with radiotherapy for head and neck cancer in the pre- COVID-19 period (2018-2019) and COVID-19 period (2020-2021). There were more patients treated with radiotherapy in the preCOVID19 period, 64 (56%) compared to the COVID19 period, 50 (44%). In the COVID 19 period, the number of patients treated with radiotherapy was reduced by 22% compared to the preCOVID19 period. Conclusion: A decline innumber of patients treated with radiotherapy in the COVID 19 period was detected. Health system optimization and education of the general population about the negative indirect impact of COVID 19 on the health system, diagnosis and treatment of cancer is needed.

Experiences in Delivering Teaching and Learning Practices in Establishments of Veterinary Education of the Mediterranean Region under COVID-19 Pandemic: From Crisis to Opportunities

In this study, the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic crisis on veterinary education in selected members of the Mediterranean Network of Veterinary Education Establishments (Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Italy, Turkey, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunis) was analyzed. The challenges presented by the pandemic and new approaches and practices adopted by different veterinary education establishments in the Mediterranean region to address the long-term consequences of coronavirus disease 2019 on veterinary education were highlighted. Although countries in this region followed different epidemiological policies, restrictions of access of veterinary students to teaching hospitals, extramural facilities, and laboratories were prolonged over the entire time during 2020 and 2021 in most of the veterinary education establishments. It could be concluded that strengthening the existing networks of veterinary education establishments in the region by sharing experiences, standardization of curricula (regional and international accreditation), and networking are seen as an opportunity for improvement of the quality of teaching and competence in this digital era. Unfortunately, more work is still required to achieve such an ambitious agenda including galvanization of public demands for quality education, political will to implement changes, and securing financial support and other resources to continue program development across the region.

Strategic decision making and influence of economic freedoms on foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Decision making on foreign direct investment (FDI) is a strategic decision for the country, the company, but also the individual, which is strategic. Where to invest, how and when, certainly depends on economic conditions and economic freedoms. Foreign direct investments represent a value of 357 million euros in 2019, representing a significant factor in the overall development of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Expectations of an increase in the level of foreign investment are also based on the level of economic freedoms. The research results show a significant impact and positive correlation of economic freedoms on strategic decisions on foreign direct investment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The role and importance of the impact of economic freedoms on strategic decisions on foreign direct investment became especially important in the conditions of the COVID 19 coronavirus pandemic, when strategic decisions were coupled with even greater risks and sensitivity. The COVID-19 pandemic affected foreign direct investment in the world and expectations regarding the trend of foreign direct investment in BiH. According to preliminary data from the Central Bank of BiH for the first half of 2020, FDI is lower by 46.7% compared to the same period in 2019. Foreign direct investment in less developed countries such as BiH will be under additional pressure in 2020/2021, due to the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic. The decline in global foreign direct investment in 2020 and 2021 is estimated at 30-40% as a result of the pandemic. The results of the research cover the period from 1998 to 2020, and show the existence of a positive correlation between these variables. The analysis used an econometric model of multiple correlation analysis Pearson Correlation.

Mental Health of Teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemics.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic of COVID-19 has affected all spheres of life, including education. Teachers at all levels were faced with numerous challenges during the pandemic. These challenges had an impact on their mental health. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the present study was to examine the depression, anxiety, and stress levels in teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. METHODS: The sample for this study consisted of 559 teachers (471 female teachers and 88 male teachers). We used the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS 21) to measure teachers' emotional states of depression, anxiety, and stress. RESULTS: The findings of this study clearly indicate the high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress in teachers. We also identified that levels of support provided by family members and school administration served as protective factors in the time of crisis. CONCLUSION: Teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina have a high prevalence of elevated depression, anxiety, and stress levels. The article concludes with some recommendations on how to improve the mental health of teachers.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA IN CURRENT SERBIAN AND CROATIAN POLITICAL CONCEPTIONS

In this article, with some methodological dilemmas, an attempt is made to speak more clearly from a certain historical perspective about the current Serbian and Croatian political conceptions towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, which „ produce" an almost permanent political crisis in this area - from Dayton to today. The continuity and current effects of these policies, which have their roots in some dark historical depths and myths, never changing their essence and their goals, were pointed out. In the current Serbian and Croatian political conceptions, Bosnia and Herzegovina is treated as a „ sphere of interest", which should be mastered as much as possible in peace, if it did not succeed in the war. Serbia and Croatia, in the historical sense, since they have existed as political entities, have been opposed to each other in almost everything. The only thing on which there was a high degree of agreement was the question of the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina, again depending on historical circumstances and other circumstances. (to mention only Tudjman and Milosevic). In the last few years, intensive cooperation and a high degree of „ agreement" between Serbian and Croatian politics have been noticed, again „ regarding" Bosnia and Herzegovina, its status and the definitive post-Dayton division. In this sense, it is not difficult to recognize several common characteristics of both policies. In this article, the author focuses on the following: The first is a declarative and formal public declaration of both to respect the integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina, while in practical politics this sovereignty is continuously violated and „ trampled", acting as its „ rulers". Another common feature is the belittling and labeling of all pro-Bosnian political forces, reducing them to „ political Sarajevo" in the pejorative sense of the word, with multiple offensive and deeper meanings, which, in addition to Milorad Dodik (to make the absurd even greater, as president or member of the Presidency of BiH) from the Serbian one, Zoran Milanović, the current president of Croatia, until yesterday a declared friend of Bosnia and the pro-Bosnian SDP, is increasingly expressing himself in his own way. Obstruction of the process of reforms and rapprochement of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the European Union and NATO membership is the third session of the characteristics of Serbian and Croatian politics (albeit in different versions), while the fourth, denial of decisions and verdicts of the Hague Tribunal for crimes and atrocities is dominant over Bosniaks (again in a different version): Serbs deny genocide verdicts, and Croats deny convictions for the Joint Criminal Enterprise. In addition to common characteristics, this paper highlights some special features of the current Serbian and Croatian policy towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, which, again, boils down to one goal: To strengthen (make independent) the Republika Srpska and cantons with a Croat majority, as well as the position of Croats in Federation with the aim offorming a third entity and at the same time weaken the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina until the question of the meaning of its existence is raised. The state's inability to organize the procurement of coronavirus vaccines is just one of the latest proofs that these destructive political forces have succeeded to a great extent. This article points out the consequences of such a policy and emphasizes the need to stop further degradation and collapse of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state. Such forces exist, they just have to be activated. © 2021, Centar za istrazivanje moderne i savremene historije Tuzla. All rights reserved.

Burnout and its predictors during pandemic in health workers from South-East European countries

Introduction. Workplace factors during COVID-19 pandemic impose significant risk to occupational health in health workers (HWs). This cross-sectional study analyzes associations of burnout with job demands/resources among HWs and compares findings between 12 South-East European (SEE) countries during the pandemic. Methods. The actual on-line survey was conducted during autumn 2020 by SEE Network on Workers' Health (SEENWH) with SEE Health Network. Job demands and burnout were measured by Hospital Experience Scale and Maslach Burnout Inventory. Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture and the English version of the Questionnaire sur les Ressources et Contraintes Professionnelles were used for job resources assessment. Total sample involved 4.621 HWs (78.4% females, aged 43.7±10.7 yrs, tenure 18.8±11.4 yrs) from SEE countries. Ethical issues of the study were approved by SEENWH. Results. Data showed significant differences in emotional exhaustion between SEE countries: Albania 21.7, Bosnia and Herzegovina 21.9, Bulgaria 23.8, Croatia 23.7, Israel 13, Moldova 22.9, Montenegro 22.4, RN Macedonia 24.1, Romania 18.2, Serbia 20.1, Turkey 20.4 (Welch F = 17.98, p<0.001). Cross-country differences were also registered in job demands/resources. Regression models, controlling for gender, age, tenure, working hours/week, night shifts, showed job demands (R2=.37, ΔR2=.35) and job resources (R2=.18, ΔR2=.16) as significant predictors of emotional exhaustion. Conclusion. There is an urgent need for implementation of country-specific preventive measures towards burnout prevention and improvement of work ability in HWs during pandemic.