The right to health is vital. Therefore, its promotion should be in the best interest of all governments. Yet, not all health provision is the same, even amongst similar countries. Senegal and...Show moreThe right to health is vital. Therefore, its promotion should be in the best interest of all governments. Yet, not all health provision is the same, even amongst similar countries. Senegal and Sierra Leone are two West African countries with low levels of Human Development, and high levels of poverty. Nevertheless, Senegal has, according to the World Health Organisation’s Ranking of Health Systems, the 58th best health system worldwide, while Sierra Leone has the worst, at 191st. By asking the following question: Why did Senegal Perform Better than Sierra Leone in the World Health Organisation’s Latest Health Systems Rankings? This thesis aims to discover the factors leading to two countries with several similarities between them having such a stark difference in terms of their health systems. Through a review of theory and literature, this research explores the long-term effects of direct and indirect colonial rule. The goal here is to discover if the institutions built by the colonial powers affect the way modern-day states operate. The results indicate that indirect rule has led to Sierra Leone’s state fragmentation and institutional inefficiencies, while direct rule established ties between France and Senegal which undermine Senegal’s sovereignty. As a result, this thesis concludes that colonial institutions are a factor in the operations of modern-day governments and could therefore explain the difference in the results of Senegal and Sierra Leone’s positions in the WHO Rankings of Health Systems.Show less
This study provides a critical analysis to the issue of malnutrition in Guatemala by looking at the constraints of national food security policy. Even though there are a number of programs and...Show moreThis study provides a critical analysis to the issue of malnutrition in Guatemala by looking at the constraints of national food security policy. Even though there are a number of programs and strategies designed to tackle malnutrition, it is found that they are often not implemented nor executed. This thesis suggests that this can be attributed to weak institutionalism, such as a lack of capacity, coherence and strength, present throughout multiple levels of the national food security and nutrition system (SINASAN). This research first analyses this problem from a historical perspective by examining the high levels of poverty and inequality which are deeply rooted into Guatemalan history and society. A state of food insecurity, a state in which malnutrition is more likely to emerge, is worsened when there is a lack of accessibility and availability to food resulting from income poverty and inequality. This directly implies that levels of malnutrition can only be reduced if poverty and inequality are also tackled. This complexity to the issue of malnutrition is, and will stay, an enormous obstacle for political institutions in creating sustainable and efficient food security programs and policies. Noticeably, weak institutionalism in Guatemala increases this barrier. Namely, a lack of continuity in government administrations leads to temporary and inconsistent food security strategies and excessive bureaucracy, a lack of coordination and structure withhold the proper implementation of food security projects from national level to local level. In other words, this study exposes that Guatemala finds itself in a vicious cycle which delays the reduction of malnutrition.Show less
