Rising CO₂ emission constitute a great threat to the world environment and public health. This study examines the major determinants of CO₂ emissions in Far East countries in the period of 1980 to 2017. We adopt a panel data-fixed effect model that accounts for time-invariant country-specific characteristics that may create omitted-variable bias. We also additionally take care of the time trend by applying an annual fixed effect into our model. The study finds that urbanization, economic growth and trade openness significantly determine CO₂ emission in the selected countries. Thus, the main policy suggestions are (a) to encourage green and sustainable urbanization, as it helps in economic progress but not at the expense of environmental deterioration; (b) to strategically regulate and improve industrial structure; and (c) enhance sharing of renewable energy in total energy consumption.

Introduction: The consistent increase in health expenditures is an integral part of health policy. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of health expenditures on health outcomes in the OECD countries.Method: We used the system generalized method of moments (GMM) for thirty eight OECD countries using panel data from 1996 to 2020.Results and discussion: The findings show that health expenditures have a negative impact on infant mortality while positive on life expectancy. The results further verify that the income measured as GDP, number of doctors, and air pollution has a negative effect on infant mortality, while these variables have a positive effect on life expectancy in the studied countries. The outcome of the study suggests that health expenditures need to be properly utilized and improvements can be made in the health policies to increase the investment in health technology. The government should also focus on measures like economic and environmental to have long-lasting health outcomes.

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the mediating role of environmental concern in the relationship of green purchase awareness and purchasing behavior of fast food consumers keeping in view the theory of planned behavior. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative, cross-sectional design is used by collecting primary responses through a validated questionnaire. In all, 1,008 male and female buyers of fast food were sampled. Structural equation modeling is applied. Findings: The results revealed that green purchase awareness has a positive relationship with green purchase behavior, and environmental concern has no mediation in the relationship. Upon having awareness, the respondents adopted green or pro-environmental behavior, but at the same time, they were found having least concern for the protection of environment. Research limitations/implications: This is a cross-sectional study with questionnaire. Multiple sources of data collection results in weakening self-reporting bias. Practical implications: Implications count toward individuals, enterprises and society at general. Originality/value: The study highlights the issue of not having concern for the protection of the environment even after having green purchase awareness. This is the first time the environmental concern is examined as a mediator in the selected relationship. The contradictory results of having no environmental concern differentiate this study from others.

Background: Climate change is an alarming challenge for humanity at large due to its mediating role in emergence and spread of infectious diseases like cholera and malaria. This study was conducted to examine the effect of climate change and some socio-economic factors on incidence of infectious diseases. Methods: We used country level panel data over the 1990-2017 period using panel ARDL-PMG technique on highly affected countries from climate change. Results: There is a long run co-integrating relationship among climate change, socio-economic factors and prevalence of infectious diseases. Climate change, as measured by the temperature, is contributing to the spread of infectious diseases. Conclusion: This is the first study giving evidence of the impact of climate change on incidence of infectious diseases as can be seen from highly vulnerable countries to climate change. It is recommended to improve the level of education along with public health and town planning to reduce the incidence of infectious diseases.

Air pollution in Asian countries represents one of the biggest health threats given the varied levels of economic and population growth in the recent past. The quantification of air pollution (PM_2.5) vis à vis health problems has important policy implications in tackling its health effects. This paper investigates the relationship between air pollution (PM_2.5) and child mortality in sixteen Asian countries using panel data from 2000 to 2017. We adopt a two-stage least squares approach that exploits variations in PM_2.5 attributable to economic growth in estimating the effect on child mortality. We find that a one-unit annual increase in PM_2.5 leads to a nearly 14.5% increase in the number of children dying before the age of five, suggesting the severity of the effects of particulate matter (PM_2.5) on health outcomes in sixteen Asian countries considered in this study. The results of this study suggest the need for strict policy interventions by governments in Asian countries to reduce PM_2.5 concentration alongside environment-friendly policies for economic growth.

The rapid economic growth in Asian countries has witnessed a persistent increase in air pollution complementing adverse health challenges for children in these countries. Quantification of health effects attributable to air pollution (PM_2.5) is important in policy implications to tackle air pollution and associated health problems. This study aims to explore the nexus between air pollution and neonates’ deaths embedded in acute respiratory infection. We collected panel data from the 12 most vulnerable Asian countries over the period of 2000–2017 and analyzed through the fixed-effect model. Empirical results show a positive relation between air pollution, temperature, and neonates’ deaths in the studied Asian countries. The results have attested negative impacts of income and education while positive effect of population density on neonates’ deaths due to acute respiratory infection. Diagnostic and prognostic measures have checked the pace of the respiratory diseases caused by PM_2.5 and resultant deaths in Asian countries; yet alarming factors, like mounting industrial air pollution and rapid expansion of industrial zones in urban areas, need to be addressed in policy implications for long term sustainable solutions.