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Background: COBRA-BPS (Control of Blood Pressure and Risk Attenuation-Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka), a multicomponent, community health-worker (CHW)-led hypertension management program, has been shown to be effective in rural communities in South Asia. This paper presents the acceptability of COBRA-BPS multicomponent intervention among the key stakeholders. Methods: We conducted post-implementation interviews of 87 stakeholder including 23 community health workers (CHWs), 19 physicians and 45 patients in 15 rural communities randomized to COBRA-BPS multicomponent intervention in in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. We used Theoretical Framework for Acceptability framework (TFA) with a focus on affective attitude, burden, ethicality, intervention coherence, opportunity cost, perceived effectiveness and self-efficacy. Results: COBRA-BPS multicomponent intervention was acceptable to most stakeholders. Despite some concerns about workload, most CHWs were enthusiastic and felt empowered. Physicians appreciated the training sessions and felt trusted by their patients. Patients were grateful to receive the intervention and valued it. However, patients in Pakistan and Bangladesh expressed the need for supplies of free medicines from the primary health facilities, while those in Sri Lanka were concerned about supplies' irregularities. All stakeholders favoured scaling-up COBRA-BPS at a national level. Conclusions: COBRA-BPS multicomponent intervention is acceptable to the key stakeholders in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Community engagement for national scale-up of COBRA-BPS is likely to be successful in all three countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This specific research initiative aims to intricately examine the intricate dynamics connecting terrorism, corruption, and capital flight within the context of South Asian economies, encompassing countries including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The principal objectives of this study entail a comprehensive investigation into the synergistic impacts of terrorism and corruption on the prevalence of capital flight. To realize these objectives, the study employs longitudinal data from 1990 to 2019, adopting the portfolio choice framework as its theoretical underpinning. In terms of methodology, the empirical inquiry uses the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimation technique. The empirical findings derived from this analysis distinctly establish a statistically noteworthy and positive correlation between terrorism, corruption, and the occurrence of capital flight across multiple South Asian nations. In light of these discerning outcomes, it is strongly recommended that the governments of South Asian countries prioritize and actively pursue the fortification of their institutional governance mechanisms. This strategic approach is deemed crucial in efficaciously counteracting the escalation of capital flight. Specifically, a targeted focus on augmenting institutional governance practices, fostering transparency, fortifying anti-corruption measures, and intensifying counterterrorism efforts could collectively contribute to reducing capital flight tendencies. By undertaking these recommendations, South Asian governments can foster an environment of enhanced economic stability, attractiveness for investment, and sustainable growth, thereby deterring the adverse impact of capital flight while concurrently combatting the underlying challenges posed by terrorism and corruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Asia primarily consists of developing economies with diverse financial systems. The commercial banking industry plays a crucial role in each country's financial development in the region. This research aims to evaluate commercial banking industries' efficiency and productivity growth in the South Asian (SA) region over 6 years (2013–2018). In addition, the technology gap among the banking industries of all countries is also explored. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) Meta-frontier is employed to measure the technical efficiency (TE) and technology gap ratio (TGR) among the countries. Further Malmquist productivity index (MPI) is used for productivity change estimation. Results indicate that, on average, 147 commercial banks (CBs) have a technical efficiency score of 0.6208, while CBs in Nepal are the most efficient in the region with an average score of 0.7153. The Meta frontier analysis also confirms the presence of different production technologies in CBs. Nepal's CBs group frontier is closer to meta-frontier (technology gap ratio, TGR = 0.9361) While, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka rank second, third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. The results of productivity contend that the total factor productivity change of all 147 CBs decreases by 0.8 percent on average over the study period. CBs have enhanced their productivity growth in Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan, but declining trends have been witnessed in Indian and Bangladesh's commercial banking industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]