Nasal Spray May Save Snakebite Victims

Researchers are working on a new nasal spray that could save thousands of people from severe snakebites in India. The nasal spray is the first attempt of its kind to save victims from one of the most unrecognized killers in the world.

Snakebites kill up to 84,000 people worldwide every year. They are most prevalent in South and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. However, India has the highest number of venomous bites and deaths, with more than 75 percent of snakebite victims dying before they can reach a hospital.

Currently, the most popular treatment for snakebites is an injection of antivenom, but this method has proved to be unreliable. Antivenom can vary in effectiveness depending on the snake species, the snake’s diet, geographical location and the time of year.

The nasal spray is an attempt to standardize treatment for snakebites. If administered soon after the attack, the spray–which is extremely cheap compared to antivenom–could prevent paralysis that is caused by the bite. It is easy to use and can be self-administered, unlike the injection of antivenom.

The two researchers leading the development have high hopes for the nasal spray. Matthew Lewin from the California Academy of Sciences and Stephen Samuel from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland have worked tirelessly to test the spray on mice. The mice were injected with fatal doses of Indian cobra venom, and then some were treated with the spray while others were not. The study proved that mice given the spray outlived the control group. In many cases, they survived.

“It would be one ingredient primarily directed against rapid onset paralysis – one of the causes of fast death following snakebite,” Lewin explained. “It is inexpensive and available everywhere in the world.”

In general, snakebites are often an ignored health problem around the world. The numbers, however, indicate that some research should be going toward developing a treatment. If the nasal spray proves to be an effective treatment, then people around the world will have a much higher chance of surviving these attacks.

- Hannah Cleveland

Sources: The Guardian, Science Development
Photo: The Guardian

Mexican Auto Industry Speeds Past Brazil

Brazil’s rule as Latin America’s auto king is coming to an end as Mexico positions itself for a dramatic increase in factory output over the next 10 years. Brazil has enjoyed its decade at the top of the auto industry in Latin America but is currently experiencing a slump in domestic consumer demand. A simultaneous boom in U.S. demand–the primary export market for the Mexican auto industry–has paved the way for Mexico to speed past Brazil in auto production.

Brazilian-made cars are typically not shipped abroad due to high labor costs and taxes, meaning that the South American giant’s auto market is driven mostly by domestic buyers. Output in Brazilian auto factories has fallen 17 percent this year already, and light-vehicle exports have fallen 52 percent since June 2013. Brazil’s exports to its top trading partner Argentina plummeted nearly 30 percent in May, according to Anfavea, Brazil’s automaker association. Additionally, a weakened economy and tight credit are dissuading Brazilians from purchasing new vehicles.

On the other hand, Mexico’s promising growth in the auto sector is due in large part to its proximity to the United States. New and prospective plants in Mexico are predicted to add 1.5 million units of vehicle capacity through 2019, increasing vehicle production from nearly 3 million units in 2013 to almost 4.5 million units by 2019. Much of this 50 percent increase will be oriented toward U.S. consumers.

Auto companies Nissan, Mazda, Toyota, Honda, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Infiniti and BMW are all expanding into Mexico, drawn by cheap labor and available capacity for compact and subcompact car production. European companies are particularly lured by free trade agreements with Mexico that create favorable climates for export to Europe.

The real drive behind the Mexican boost in auto production, however, comes from across the northern border. Car makers in Mexico earn 20 cents for every dollar made by U.S. laborers.

Joe Langley, the chief analyst for North America vehicle production forecasting at IHS Automotive observes, “Because these new models are lower-priced vehicles, the factories need to be in a market where labor is inexpensive, which Mexico’s certainly is. But they still need to be very close to the main market, which is the United States.”

The surge in auto production in Mexico, fueled by U.S. demand for cheap labor and small cars, involves significant foreign investment and has the potential to boost Mexico’s economy tremendously. However, Mexican factories, known as maquiladoras, have a reputation for dropping the ball on worker’s rights. The debate continues on whether more jobs with meager pay, harsh hours and poor working conditions are better than no jobs.

- Kayla Strickland

Sources: BusinessWeek 1, BusinessWeek 2, Automotive News
Photo: The Detroit Bureau

Alpha Kappa Alpha Fights Global Hunger

Carrying on a legacy that extends over a century, Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) joined forces with Stop Hunger Now on July 12 to do their part in the fight against global hunger. Gathering at the Charlotte Convention Center in North Carolina, over 2,000 volunteers gave their day to put together packages of food to be sent to West Africa.

AKA is the oldest sorority in the nation, comprised mainly of African American women, and was established at a time when the workforce was male dominated and segregation was the norm. The sorority served as a network of support for women at the time and has gone on to make a difference in civil rights movements and philanthropic efforts since it was established in 1908.

Carolyn House Stewart, the international president for the sorority, remarked on the generosity and strength of these women, explaining, “All of them helped change the landscape. All helped humanity.”

The sorority stands by the theme “Global Leadership Through Timeless Service,” and the event on Saturday was the epitome of these words, as the women worked tirelessly to make a difference.

Over the course the day, the women worked in one-hour shifts in teams of six to package 100,000 meals that will be sent to West Africa. The packages contain “highly nutritious dehydrated meals comprised of rice, soy, vegetables, flavoring and 21 essential vitamins and minerals.” At the end of the day, the volunteers had handled 7.5 tons of food, food that will go on to help thousands of starving people.

The sorority was joined by Stop Hunger Now, an organization that has been helping the world for 15 years now. Since its establishment, Stop Hunger Now has distributed 140,000,000 meals and other aid to 65 countries around the world. It has been very successful as an organization, working hard to mobilize necessary resources to assist those most desperate for help.

Rod Brooks, the president and CEO of Stop Hunger Now, explained the logic behind the organization, saying, “Hunger is solvable and is the common thread among the world’s most challenging issues. When hunger is targeted, you give leverage and hope to every other cause including poverty, disease, education and the welfare of women and children.”

Both organizations came together to honor Nelson Mandela for this event, and he will be internationally celebrated on July 18. Based on the success of their community service efforts, AKA and Stop Hunger Now suitably paid homage to Mandela’s memory.

Worldwide, almost 870 million people lack access to the food and other resources they need to survive on a daily basis, and every day, 25,000 people die as a result. These conditions are fueled by extreme poverty and are also difficult to overcome while poverty still exists. Organizations like Alpha Kappa Alpha and Stop Hunger Now are able to bring some relief to this vicious cycle. They have recognized a need for international support for those suffering around the world, and for the time being, their efforts will help keep thousands of people alive in West Africa.

- Magdalen Wagner

Sources: Q City Metro, Lake Wylie Pilot, News West 9
Photo: Q City Metro

Flooding in Paraguay Displaces Thousands

Rivers of trash flooding the streets. Cats, dogs, chickens and hogs stranded on rooftops. Over 15,000 people displaced. The rains keep adding to the flooding in Paraguay and water levels keep rising, pushing people out of their homes and into improvised campsites in plazas and parks. The Red Cross estimates that over 200,000 people have been affected by the heavy flooding. The persistent deluge is destroying crops, hindering transportation and compromising homes.

The areas most affected are those that border the Paraguay and Paraná Rivers, specifically the departments of Ñeembucú, Alto Parana, Presidente Hayes and Alto Paraguay. Officials report that water levels have risen almost seven feet above normal. If the rivers continue to rise and overflow the surrounding areas, Paraguay will be face to face with an environmental disaster.

The waters have already overwhelmed the Cateura trash dump-slum, which is home to the famous Landfill Harmonic Orchestra, whose characteristic instruments are crafted from salvaged materials found in the garbage dump. The floodwaters are carrying waste throughout the already polluted streets of Paraguay.

Residents of the Chacarita, an impoverished barrio nestled between Asunción’s commercial center and the Paraguay River, have had to leave their homes and relocate to tent camps on higher ground. Many families had to leave their pets behind, representing an emotional and economic loss. Not only cats and dogs but also chickens, ducks, hogs and horses are left to fend for themselves amid the rising waters.

Paraguayan officials have issued an environmental alert over floodwaters approaching a dumpsite for toxic waste. The Congress and Senate are working on allocating $1 million to contamination prevention, and the Paraguayan government has already provided $3 million in food aid to assist displaced families.

The Paraguay Red Cross is heavily involved with relief efforts and water sanitation, in coordination with the government of Paraguay. The UN has also assisted with disaster assessments.

Red Cross disaster management delegate Omar Robinson states, “Our main concerns are focused on what will happen tomorrow when the population sees the receding waters and realize there are no crops left and the State will have to at some point suspend distribution of food aid. This can cause a serious crisis for the population.”

- Kayla Strickland

Sources: Red Cross, TVNZ, BBC, Latin American Herald Tribune
Photo: BBC

India’s Economy: Need for Foreign Aid

Last spring, 530 million people in the world’s largest democracy voted and elected a candidate, Narendra Modi, who has promised to replace the corruption of the previous coalition government with good governance. Now, the rest of the world is hurrying to discern what “good governance,” or “surajya” in Marathi, means to Prime Minister Modi.

In the United States, a subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing last Wednesday titled “Indispendible Partners – Reenergizing U.S.-India Ties.” As the title suggests, Chairman Tim Kaine and Ranking Member James Risch sought to determine both the import of “good governance” and the course of action that will secure a successful U.S. partnership with the new Indian government. In producing possible answers, many of the hearing’s witnesses agreed on one key point: India must grow economically. This requires foreign aid.

However, the actions of the previous government in India fomented investor skepticism, and this skepticism remains strong today. In the past, the common deterrents to foreign business were all there: political corruption, unwieldy bureaucracy and complex land acquisition procedures. The Economist noted in 2011 that foreign direct investment, which India relied on for capital, was decreasing at an alarming rate.

The problem worsened when the government passed a budget in 2012 that alienated the largest foreign investor in India, Vodafone, by proposing to tax them retroactively. In addition, the government aimed to keep foreign investors from routing money through Mauritius where taxes were low. Outflows shot up as a result with investors selling nearly $1 billion in investments, according to The Economist. The situation rebounded somewhat a few months later, but even today the World Bank ranks India as only 134 out of 189 in its ease of doing business index.

The country needs to become a more attractive environment for foreign investors than it has been. Two years ago, the country’s GDP growth rate was eight percent. Now, it’s below five percent. To reverse this decline, India needs many improvements. Two of the most necessary are infrastructure development and access to capital (for building an industrial base,) as Richard Rossow, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, noted at the subcommittee hearing. Foreign investment can provide both.

The Modi government agrees that India needs more foreign investment, listing the attraction of investors as a key priority. On July 10, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented his federal budget in the Indian Parliament. The reaction of the investing community has been mixed.

On the one hand, the new budget increases the cap on foreign direct investment and emphasizes the need to develop infrastructure. Moreover, some industries are being opened up to more foreign ownership. On the other hand, the FDI cap increase is modest. It is so modest that the former finance minister described the new budget as a “continuation of his policies”— a discouraging statement for investors. And yes, infrastructure was emphasized, but in words rather than resource-allocation.

Some have interpreted the budget as a maintenance of the status quo, but perhaps the budget’s moderation is merely a sign that change will be incremental in India. Every potential investor will require patience then to take advantage of possible reforms in the future.

American investors should look out for one development in particular though. During the past five years, India and the United States have tried and failed again and again to create their Bilateral Investment Treaty. Unlike the previous government, the Modi government seems committed to completing the BIT. If negotiations succeed, American investors would have a green light to invest in infrastructure in India.

Lastly, humanitarians should enthusiastically seek for India to develop through investment. If the country can shore up its middle class, it can alleviate its poverty problem. As we’ve seen, foreign investment is imperative to building the middle class. For example, one of India’s great (tragic) ironies is how much food gets wasted (one-fourth of all food products in 2011) in a country full of starving people. Foreign investment in supermarket chains can provide improved transportation from field to shopping-cart that can reduce that waste to one-tenth of all food products.

- Ryan Yanke

Sources: U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations1, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 2, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 3, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 4, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 5, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 6, The Economist 1, The Economist 2, The Guardian 1
Photo: The Guardian 2