Ko Jeremy, Leung Chun Kai, Lee Harry Fung, Ming Wai Kit
Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
Global Sustainability and Society Lab, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
SSM Popul Health. 2024 Oct 30;28:101723. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2024.101723. eCollection 2024 Dec.
International sanctions are often imposed with the aim of influencing the political behavior of target states, but they may have unintended consequences on public health. This study empirically examines the impact of international sanctions on child immunization rates in developing countries. Utilizing panel data from 76 developing countries between 2000 and 2019, the analysis explores how different types of sanctions, including those from the US, EU, and UN, as well as economic and unilateral sanctions, affect the immunization rates for DPT, Hepatitis B, and Measles vaccines. The findings indicate that sanctions, particularly those imposed by the US and EU, significantly reduce vaccination rates, with economic and unilateral sanctions showing the most substantial negative impact. Additionally, the study highlights the moderating role of health spending, revealing that increased healthcare investment can mitigate some of the adverse effects of sanctions. Poorer developing countries are disproportionately affected compared to their more affluent counterparts. The results underscore the need for policymakers to consider the broader public health implications of sanctions and for international efforts to ensure that essential medical resources remain accessible in sanctioned countries. This study contributes to the literature by providing comprehensive empirical evidence on the detrimental effects of international sanctions on child immunization, advocating for a balanced approach that protects public health while achieving geopolitical objectives.
国际制裁的实施往往旨在影响目标国家的政治行为，但它们可能会对公共卫生产生意想不到的后果。本研究实证检验了国际制裁对发展中国家儿童免疫接种率的影响。利用2000年至2019年间76个发展中国家的面板数据，该分析探讨了不同类型的制裁，包括来自美国、欧盟和联合国的制裁，以及经济制裁和单边制裁，如何影响白喉、百日咳、破伤风三联疫苗（DPT）、乙型肝炎疫苗和麻疹疫苗的接种率。研究结果表明，制裁，尤其是美国和欧盟实施的制裁，显著降低了疫苗接种率，经济制裁和单边制裁的负面影响最为显著。此外，该研究强调了卫生支出的调节作用，表明增加医疗保健投资可以减轻制裁的一些不利影响。与较富裕的发展中国家相比，较贫穷的发展中国家受到的影响更大。研究结果强调，政策制定者需要考虑制裁对更广泛公共卫生的影响，国际社会应努力确保受制裁国家仍能获得基本医疗资源。本研究通过提供关于国际制裁对儿童免疫接种有害影响的全面实证证据，为文献做出了贡献，倡导在实现地缘政治目标的同时保护公共卫生的平衡方法。
