ESPN Thematic Report on Inequalities in Access to Healthcare

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

ESPN Thematic Report on Inequalities in Access to Healthcare ESPN Thematic Report on Inequalities in access to healthcare Serbia 2018 Ljiljana Pejin Stokic June 2018 EUROPEAN COMMISSION Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Directorate C — Social Affairs Unit C.2 — Modernisation of social protection systems Contact: Giulia Pagliani E-mail: [email protected] European Commission B-1049 Brussels EUROPEAN COMMISSION European Social Policy Network (ESPN) ESPN Thematic Report on Inequalities in access to healthcare Serbia 2018 Ljiljana Pejin Stokic, Economics Institute, Belgrade Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion 2018 The European Social Policy Network (ESPN) was established in July 2014 on the initiative of the European Commission to provide high-quality and timely independent information, advice, analysis and expertise on social policy issues in the European Union and neighbouring countries. The ESPN brings together into a single network the work that used to be carried out by the European Network of Independent Experts on Social Inclusion, the Network for the Analytical Support on the Socio-Economic Impact of Social Protection Reforms (ASISP) and the MISSOC (Mutual Information Systems on Social Protection) secretariat. The ESPN is managed by the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) and APPLICA, together with the European Social Observatory (OSE). For more information on the ESPN, see: http:ec.europa.eusocialmain.jsp?catId=1135&langId=en Europe Direct is a service to help you find answers to your questions about the European Union. Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) The information given is free, as are most calls (though some operators, phone boxes or hotels may charge you). LEGAL NOTICE This document has been prepared for the European Commission, however it reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http:www.europa.eu). © European Union, 2018 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged Inequalities in access to healthcare Serbia Contents SUMMARY/HIGHLIGHTS ................................................................................................. 4 1 DESCRIPTION OF THE FUNCTIONING OF THE COUNTRY’S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM FOR ACCESS ................................................................................................................... 5 2 ANALYSIS OF THE CHALLENGES IN INEQUALITIES IN ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IN THE COUNTRY AND THE WAY THEY ARE TACKLED ............................................................... 8 3 DISCUSSION OF THE MEASUREMENT OF INEQUALITIES IN ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE IN THE COUNTRY ........................................................................................................ 10 REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 11 ANNEX ....................................................................................................................... 12 3 Inequalities in access to healthcare Serbia Summary/Highlights Serbia has a compulsory healthcare insurance scheme which in 2016 covered 97.5% of the population; this high rate of coverage has been maintained for several decades. The following categories are included under the compulsory insurance scheme: employed persons with fixed or temporary contracts, farmers and pensioners. There are two insurance funds, the army fund and the republic health insurance fund (HIF), the latter being the main public entity for managing the provision of healthcare. Serbia does not have a national system of health accounts, and for that reason the only available official data on healthcare expenditure come from HIF financial reports. Data on out-of-pocket payments (outside the state healthcare system) are not available, since the private healthcare sector does not provide this information and there are no official records on over-the-counter spending for pharmaceuticals. Due to the economic crisis and ongoing austerity measures, HIF revenues have been constantly decreasing since 2008. In real terms, revenues in 2017 were equal to half those in 2008. The reduction of resources has had a negative effect on the maintenance of the healthcare infrastructure and conditions of work. Drainage of the healthcare workforce is becoming a serious obstacle to improving the availability of healthcare services in public institutions. The network of state healthcare institutions is evenly distributed across the country, where primary healthcare centres are the first point of contact. Private healthcare is developing rather randomly, with minimal cooperation with the state healthcare system. Private health insurance is underdeveloped: in 2017 only about 0.02% of the population had private insurance. Within the compulsory healthcare insurance system, special support is given to vulnerable population groups to ensure proper access to healthcare. For individuals who are not regularly insured, their contribution payments are covered from the state budget. The Health insurance Law sets out a wide range of eligibility criteria for inclusion on the list of vulnerable groups, relating to: financial status, age, gender, ethnicity and medical condition. The majority of the vulnerable population groups are exempted from any co- payments, which are also subject by law to a maximum annual amount. The proportion of persons who have ‘self-reported unmet need for medical care’ has been decreasing since 2013, and reached 4.5% in 2016, while healthcare comprised 3% of household spending. Inequalities in access to healthcare are mostly caused by issues which originate outside the healthcare sector. The evasion of compulsory health insurance contributions by employers leaves employees without healthcare protection. The most prominent arrears for contribution payments are those accumulated by public companies and farmers. Efforts to enhance healthcare accessibility are hindered by the lack of a proper information system to educate patients about their rights. Available research results show that a majority of patients are not well informed about their rights. Another relevant issue is the unlawful practice of ‘under-the-table’ payments; in 2017 the Ministry of Health established a commission for fighting corruption. Overall it can be concluded that there is no significant evidence for the presence of inequalities in access to healthcare in Serbia. At the same time, the high coverage of the population with a very broad basic package of healthcare services, when combined with very constrained resources, is affecting the quality of healthcare services. Demographic projections are for a further increase in demand for healthcare, due to population ageing. Under the present conditions it is essential to initiate a reform of the healthcare sector in order to prevent its further deterioration and preserve its sustainability. 4 Inequalities in access to healthcare Serbia 1 Description of the functioning of the country’s healthcare system for access Serbia has a compulsory healthcare insurance scheme which in 2016 covered 97.5% of the population.1 There are two public health insurance funds: the army fund and the republic health insurance fund (HIF). Compulsory healthcare insurance covers every person who is employed under a permanent or temporary work contract, farmers and pensioners. Dependent family members (children, spouses and parents) who live in the same household as the insured person are also covered, if not covered otherwise. The Health Insurance Law regulates the rights and obligations of insured persons.2 Those persons and their family members covered by compulsory health insurance are entitled to the full range of healthcare protection services. The insured person attains all rights after three months of continuous payment of contributions, or after six months of contributions payments with interruptions during an 18-month period. Specific support is given to the healthcare protection of vulnerable population groups. Under article 22 of the Health Insurance Law, “an additional consideration is given for persons who are at higher risk of ill-health, for socially vulnerable persons and for treatments of diseases which have social or medical significance”. If these persons are not regularly insured the state supports their coverage and inclusion in the compulsory health insurance scheme (Annex, Table 1). Payment of insurance contributions for these persons is provided by the state budget; in 2016 20% of all insured persons were covered by this provision. Registered beneficiaries of financial social assistance are among those vulnerable population groups included on this list, as well as registered unemployed persons. All persons on this list are also exempted from co-payments for healthcare services or pharmaceuticals. The HIF adopts ‘rules on the contents and volume of rights for healthcare from compulsory health insurance and on participation payments’ (the rules) for each calendar year. Insured persons are entitled to the following: (1) healthcare protection; (2) sick and maternity leave payments; and (3) reimbursements of travel costs related to healthcare. The HIF is a public entity which operates through 31 regional branches and their local offices. Its main responsibilities are: (i) collection of compulsory contributions and other revenues; (ii) contracting of healthcare institutions
Recommended publications
  • Medical Practice in Transition: the Case of Serbian Maternity Care Services and Their Users
    Biljana Stanković University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy Serbia MEDICAL PRACTICE IN TRANSITION: THE CASE OF SERBIAN MATERNITY CARE SERVICES AND THEIR USERS Resources of Danubian Region: the Possibility of Cooperation and Utilization Editors Luka Č. Popović Melita Vidaković Djordje S. Kostić Belgrade Humboldt-Club Serbien 2013 ISBN 978-86-916771-1-4 BILJANA ST A N K O V I ć 306 MEDICAL PRACTICE IN TRAN S ITION : THE CA S E OF S ER B IAN M ATERNITY CARE S ERVICE S AND THEIR U S ER S Abstract. Drawing on the evidence from everyday medical practice and experiences of women, users of Serbian maternity care services, this paper will tend to point to some of the important conflicts and inconsistencies that are being reproduced in Serbian health care system that is going through transition. Analysis will mainly focus on the gap between the creation of new policies and clinical guidelines and their actual implementation in practice, as well as on the unsynchronized transformation of different actors involved in medical practice that leads to tensions between sources of knowledge/models of practice in medical care. Key words: healthcare system, health policy, clinical guidelines, medical practice, process of transition Introduction: complex and incoherent character of medical practice When we think or talk about medicine, we usually have in mind something that has been written in medical books or scholarly journals. There we find a broad range of medical knowledge – from reports about research results in different areas of biomedical science, to guidelines for best medical practice and information about new developments in medical technology.
    [Show full text]
  • Under the Radar
    Under the radar Documenting violence against trans people Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) This is a human-readable summary of (and not a substitute for) the license. You are free to: • Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format. • Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material. Suggested citation Boglarka Fedorko and Sanjar Kurmanov (2021) Under the radar: documenting violence against trans people. TGEU. Download the report at tgeu.org or contact [email protected]. Under the radar: documenting violence against trans people Authors | Boglarka Fedorko and Sanjar Kurmanov Editor | Masen Davis Proofread and cover design | Lukas Berredo Layout | Yves Sanglante Date of publication | April 2021 Acknowledgements TGEU would like to thank our partners and members in Central-Eastern Europe and Central Asia for their engagement with the implementation of the ProTrans project at its different stages. TGEU is a member-based organisation working to strengthen the rights and wellbeing of trans people in Europe and Central Asia. This document has been developed in the framework of the ProTrans project, financed by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. CONTENTS Executive summary ............................................................................................................................................. 04 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Legal Status and Regulation of CAM in Europe
    A pan-European research network for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Final report of CAMbrella Work Package 2 (leader: Vinjar Fønnebø) Legal status and regulation of CAM in Europe Part I - CAM regulations in the European countries Solveig Wiesener, Torkel Falkenberg, Gabriella Hegyi, Johanna Hök, Paolo Roberti di Sarsina, Vinjar Fønnebø This report is part of a collection of reports created as deliverables of the project CAMbrella funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission (FP7-HEALTH-2009-3.1-3, Coordination and support action, Grant-Agreement No. 241951, Jan 1, 2010 – Dec 31, 2012); Coordinator: Wolfgang Weidenhammer, Competence Centre for Complementary Medicine and Naturopathy (head: Dieter Melchart), Klinikum rechts der Isar, Techn. Univ. Munich, Germany CAMbrella - Work Package 2 Report Part I Page 2 Solveig Wiesener1, Torkel Falkenberg2,3, Gabriella Hegyi4, Johanna Hök2,3, Paolo Roberti di Sarsina5, Vinjar Fønnebø1: Legal status and regulation of CAM in Europe. Part I - CAM regulations in the European countries Final report of CAMbrella Work Package 2 (leader: Vinjar Fønnebø) 1 National Research Center in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NAFKAM), University of Tromsø, Norway 2 Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, Unit for Studies of Integrative Care, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden 3 IC – The Integrative Care Science Center, Järna, Sweden 4 Department for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Pecsi Tudomanyegyetem – Medical School / University
    [Show full text]
  • Legal Status and Regulation of CAM in Europe
    A pan-European research network for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Final report of CAMbrella Work Package 2 (leader: Vinjar Fønnebø) Legal status and regulation of CAM in Europe Part I - CAM regulations in the European countries Solveig Wiesener, Torkel Falkenberg, Gabriella Hegyi, Johanna Hök, Paolo Roberti di Sarsina, Vinjar Fønnebø This report is part of a collection of reports created as deliverables of the project CAMbrella funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission (FP7-HEALTH-2009-3.1-3, Coordination and support action, Grant-Agreement No. 241951, Jan 1, 2010 – Dec 31, 2012); Coordinator: Wolfgang Weidenhammer, Competence Centre for Complementary Medicine and Naturopathy (head: Dieter Melchart), Klinikum rechts der Isar, Techn. Univ. Munich, Germany CAMbrella - Work Package 2 Report Part I Page 2 Solveig Wiesener1, Torkel Falkenberg2,3, Gabriella Hegyi4, Johanna Hök2,3, Paolo Roberti di Sarsina5, Vinjar Fønnebø1: Legal status and regulation of CAM in Europe. Part I - CAM regulations in the European countries Final report of CAMbrella Work Package 2 (leader: Vinjar Fønnebø) 1 National Research Center in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NAFKAM), University of Tromsø, Norway 2 Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, Unit for Studies of Integrative Care, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden 3 IC – The Integrative Care Science Center, Järna, Sweden 4 Department for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Pecsi Tudomanyegyetem – Medical School / University
    [Show full text]
  • EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 12.10.2011 SEC(2011) 1208 Final
    EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 12.10.2011 SEC(2011) 1208 final COMMISSION STAFF WORKING PAPER ANALYTICAL REPORT Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Commission Opinion on Serbia's application for membership of the European Union {COM(2011) 668 final} TABLE OF CONTENTS A. Introduction.................................................................................................................. 3 a) Application for membership ........................................................................................ 3 b) Relations between the EU and Serbia .......................................................................... 4 c) Contents of the Analytical Report................................................................................ 7 B. Criteria for membership ............................................................................................... 8 1. Political criteria............................................................................................................ 8 1.1. Democracy and the rule of law .................................................................................... 8 1.1.1. Parliament .................................................................................................................... 9 1.1.2. The executive............................................................................................................. 11 1.1.3. Public administration ................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Journal Affiliated to International Psychiatry
    26 Volume 7 Number 1 January 2010 ISSN 1749-3676 Forthcoming international events 10–14 January 2010 10–13 March 2010 18–20 March 2010 International Preparedness and Response to 25th International Conference: Dementia – World Congress for Psychiatric Nurses Emergencies and Disasters – IPRED 2010 Making a Difference Vancouver, Canada Tel Aviv, Israel Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece Organiser: Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Contact: Dr Bruria Adini Organiser: Alzheimer’s Disease International Canada International Emai: [email protected] (ADI) Contact: Jacqollyne Keath Website: http://www.ipred.co.il/English/ Contact: Ben Stanley Website: http://www.worldcongress.ca Email: [email protected] 21–23 January 2010 Website: http://www.adi2010.org 18–20 March 2010 WPA Regional Meeting International Congress on Epilepsy, Brain Dhaka, Bangladesh and Mind Bangladesh Association of Psychiatry 17–20 March 2010 Prague, Czech Republic Psychiatry Contact: Prof. A. H. Mohammad Firoz 4th Biennial Meeting of the International Organiser: International League Against Email: [email protected] Society for Bipolar Disorders (ISBD) Epilepsy São Paulo, Brazil Contact: Professor Ivan Rektor 24–29 January 2010 Organiser: ISBD Email: [email protected] International Conference on Child and Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.epilepsy-brain- Family Maltreatment Website: http://www.isbd2010.org mind2010.eu San Diego, USA Organiser: The Chadwick Center for Children 19–20 March 2010 Guest editorial and Families 17–20 March 2010 Self, Selves and Sexualities:
    [Show full text]
  • Food Safety and Public Health Situation in Serbia
    F DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR INTERNAL POLICIES POLICY DEPARTMENT A: ECONOMIC AND SCIENTIFIC POLICY FOOD SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH SITUATION IN SERBIA NOTE Abstract This note is composed of two parts. Part one reviews the Serbian food and drink industry, the organisations and controls involved in food safety, food safety concerns, the risk management and risk communication of animal diseases and finally the status of preparation of Serbia against the acquis in the area of food safety. Part two provides an overview of the public health situation in Serbia. It presents the health status of the population and its determinants, and describes the Serbian health care system. It also provides information on the status of, and challenges with regard to, the implementation of the EU acquis. IP/A/ENVI/NT/2013-16&17 October 2013 PE 507.487 EN Policy Department A: Economic and Scientific Policy This document was requested by the European Parliament's Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) AUTHORS Food Safety Situation in Serbia Mrs S Keenan, Campden BRI Mr John Hammond, Campden BRI Public Health Situation in Serbia Prof. Vesna Bjegović-Mikanović MD, MSc, PhD Ms Jennifer McGuinn, Milieu Ltd. Mr Damir Petrović, Milieu Ltd. RESPONSIBLE ADMINISTRATORS Food Safety Situation in Serbia Mr Lorenzo VICARIO Public Health Situation in Serbia Ms Purificacion TEJEDOR DEL REAL Policy Department Economic and Scientific Policy European Parliament B-1047 Brussels E-mail: [email protected] LINGUISTIC VERSIONS Original: EN ABOUT THE EDITOR To contact the Policy Department or to subscribe to its newsletter please write to: [email protected] Manuscript completed in October 2013.
    [Show full text]
  • Needs and Vulnerability in the Balkans: the Case of Serbia
    Overseas Development Institute HPGHPG Background Paper The Humanitarian Policy Group at Needs andHUMANITARIAN vulnerability in the the Overseas Development BalkansPOLICYInstitute GROUP is Europe’s leading team of independent policy researchers The case of Serbdedicatedia to improving humanitarian policy and practice in response to conflict, instability and disasters. Charles-Antoine Hofmann Background research for HPG Report 15 September 2003 HPG Background Paper _____________________________________________ List of acronyms CRS Catholic Relief Services ECHO European Community Humanitarian Office EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation FRY Federal Republic of Yugoslavia HRA Humanitarian Risk Analysis ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross ICVA International Council of Voluntary Agencies IDP Internally displaced person IFI International financial institution IFRC International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent IRC International Rescue Committee MIER/DACU Ministry of International Economic Relations/Development and Aid Coordination Unit NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NGO Non-governmental organisation OCHA Office for the Co-ordination for Humanitarian Affairs UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund WFP World Food Programme WHO World Health Organisation YRC Yugoslav Red Cross 1 HPG Background Paper _____________________________________________ 1. Introduction This study reviews needs assessment practice and its influence on resource allocation in Serbia (excluding Kosovo and Montenegro).1 It is part of a wider research project by the Humanitarian Policy Group at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). It covers the period from the end of NATO’s air campaign in June 1999 to March 2003. The fall of Slobodan Milosevic’s regime in October 2000 led to significant changes in the international aid architecture in Serbia, from one of restricted humanitarian aid to a massive foreign recovery and economic development programme.
    [Show full text]
  • Asisp ANR12 SERBIA
    Annual National Report 2012 Pensions, Health Care and Long-term Care Republic of Serbia March 2012 Authors: Drenka Vuković and Natalija Perišić Disclaimer: This report reflects the views of its authors and these are not necessarily those of either the European Commission or the Member States. On behalf of the European Commission DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion asisp Annual Report 2012 Serbia Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary ..............................................................................................................3 2 Current Status, Reforms and the Political and Scientific Discourse during the previous Year (2011 until February 2012) .........................................................................4 2.1 Overarching developments .................................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Pensions ................................................................................................................................................... 5 2.2.1 The system’s characteristics and reforms ................................................................................................. 5 2.2.2 Debates and political discourse ................................................................................................................ 9 2.2.3 Impact of EU social policies on the national level.................................................................................. 11 2.2.4 Impact assessment .................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Zbornik Rezimea 50. Dana Preventivne Medicine.Pdf
    2 PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE NIŠ ИНСТИТУТ ЗА ЈАВНО ЗДРАВЉЕ НИШ FACULTY OF MEDICINE NIŠ МЕДИЦИНСКИ ФАКУЛТЕТ НИШ SERBIAN MEDICAL SOCIETY OF NIŠ СРПСКО ЛЕКАРСКО ДРУШТВО ПОДРУЖНИЦА НИШ 50. DAYS OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE 50. ДАНИ ПРЕВЕНТИВНЕ МЕДИЦИНЕ INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS МЕЂУНАРОДНИ КОНГРЕС BOOK OF ABSTRACTS ЗБОРНИК РЕЗИМЕА НИШ, 2016. Editor in Chief Уредник Prof. dr Maja Nikolić Technical Editor Технички уредник dipl. ing. Stefan Bogdanović Publisher Издавач Public Health Institute Niš - Институт за јавно здравље Ниш Faculty of Medicine Niš, University of Niš - Медицински факултет у Нишу, Универзитет у Нишу Serbian Medical Society of Niš - Српско лекарско друштво подружница Ниш For publisher За издавача Asst. Prof. dr Miodrag Stojanović Printed in Штампарија и место штампања Public Health Institute Niš, Niš, Serbia - Институт за јавно здравље Ниш, Ниш, Србија Number of copies Тираж 500 Under the patronage of Под покровитељством Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia Министарства просвeтe, наукe и тeхнолошког развоjа Рeпубликe Србиje Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia Министарства здравља Рeпубликe Србиje All abstracts are published in the book of abstracts in the form in which they were submitted by the authors, who are responsible for their content. Сви сажеци су публиковани у зборнику резимеа у облику у коме су достављени од стране аутора, који су одговорни за њихов садржај. The content of this publication is available online at www.izjz-nis.org.rs Садржај ове публикације је доступан на Интернет адреси www.izjz-nis.org.rs The continuing education program number A-1-387/16 was accredited by the decision of the Health Council of the Republic of Serbia No.
    [Show full text]
  • Factors Associated with Utilization of Primary and Specialist Healthcare
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Article Factors Associated with Utilization of Primary and Specialist Healthcare Services by Elderly Cardiovascular Patients in the Republic of Serbia: A Cross-Sectional Study from the National Health Survey 2013 Andrija Grustam 1,2,* , Aleksandra Jovic Vranes 2,3, Ivan Soldatovic 4, Predrag Stojicic 5,6 and Zorana Jovanovic Andersen 7,8 1 Contract Research Organization for Medical Devices & Services, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland 2 School of Public Health and Health Management, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; [email protected] 3 Institute of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia 4 Institute of Medical Statistics and Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; [email protected] 5 The Rippel Foundation, Morristown, NJ 07960, USA; [email protected] 6 ReThink Health, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA 7 Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1014 Copenhagen, Denmark; [email protected] 8 Nykøbing F Hospital, Centre for Epidemiological Research, 4800 Nykøbing F, Denmark * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 23 February 2020; Accepted: 6 April 2020; Published: 10 April 2020 Abstract: The European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) is run every 5 years to examine how people experience and rank their health, how they care about their health, and to what extent they use the healthcare services. We identified the sub-population of special interest, i.e., cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients older than 65 years, in this cross-sectional study from the Serbian national survey of population health (2568 persons from a total of 15,999 subjects surveyed).
    [Show full text]
  • National Strategy for an Information Society in Serbia
    Republic of Serbia Serbia and Ministry of Science and Montenegro Environmental Protection National Strategy for an Information Society in Serbia Draft 1 Belgrade, September 2005 FOREWORD Given the profound promises and pervasive impacts of ICT on national economies and global competition, Serbia needs to embed ICT into their overall development strategies. National Strategy for Information Society development is key pre-request for this having in mind that managing the benefits, risks, and impacts of ICT is a challenging task in view of the complexity and uncertainty of the interaction between ICT, economic growth, and poverty reduction. Serbia's National Strategy for Information Society Development (NSISD) will serve several roles: ° Raise awareness, resources and commitment to action. ° Build coalitions for policy and institutional reforms. ° Clarify roles, build public-private partnerships, and facilitate participation by all stakeholders, including NGOs. ° Focus scarce resources on exploiting ICT for national priorities, help sequence, and phase complementary investments. ° Complement market forces, promote societal applications, enable bottom up efforts, and ensure shared learning and scaling up. ° Address the special needs and dynamics of promising segments of the ICT industry for export and economy-wide competitiveness. ° Re-orient the national innovation system to meet the substantial and cumulative technological learning requirements of ICT (as a general-purpose technology). ° Address coordination failures, exploit network effects, and secure complementary investments to use ICT as empowerment and service delivery infrastructure. The process of creation of this strategic document is supported by UNDP and Fund for Open Society in Serbia through implementation of the Project for Formulation of the National Strategy on Information Technologies for Development.
    [Show full text]