Showing papers in "The Asian Journal of Public Administration in 1988"

Toward a General Theory of Official Corruption

Abstract: (1988). Toward a General Theory of Official Corruption. Asian Journal of Public Administration: Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 3-26.

Corruption in Asia with Special Reference to Singapore: Patterns and Consequences

Abstract: (1988). Corruption in Asia with Special Reference to Singapore: Patterns and Consequences. Asian Journal of Public Administration: Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 80-98.

Private choices and public health: a case of policy intervention in singapore

Abstract: It appears that money has increasingly become a fundamental part of any discussion on health policy. Most articles or books on health policy planning and implementation appearing in the 1980s deal with the cost of health care as one of the major determinants of health policy, both in industrialized as well as in developing countries.1 In their 1982 analysis of the political economy of health care policy, T.R. Marmor, a health policy consultant and former policy-maker in the United States, and J.B. Christianson, an American economist and professor of public policy, concluded that "the outcomes" of health policy "are likely to depend primarily on the number of gainers and losers associated with a given policy proposal, the relative magnitudes of the gains and fosses, and the ability of the affected groups to organize and participate in the political process."2 Marmor and Christianson were referring to monetary costs in the open market of sellers and buyers of health services. I agree with their three determinants of the outcomes of health policy but would like to shift their focus from the supply and demand of health services (most of which are curative) to the aspect of prevention. One way to increase the number of gainers and the magnitude of their gain is to emphasize disease prevention as a key aspect of health policy. The cost of preventive health programmes, such as immunizations , screening services and health campaigns, is lower than the cost of providing curative services. Yet, there are at least two main hurdles before preventive programmes can reach health policy agendas. One hurdle is that the inclusion of disease prevention in health policy requires the commitment of policymakers to involve the community and to overcome pressures from certain interest groups who profit from the market of curative services. The other main obstacle is to motivate the healthy population to take preventive action. In this article, I will present the case of Singapore as an illustration of the government's commitment to the inclusion of prevention in health policy and the efforts made to motivate the population towards disease prevention.

The Quality of Life of Tuen Mun Inhabitants

Abstract: (1988). The Quality of Life of Tuen Mun Inhabitants. Asian Journal of Public Administration: Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 194-206.