Interviews with Members of Touching Hands

Touching Hands
Touching Hands is a nonprofit that provides free hand surgery to those in need around the world. The organization serves international and domestic communities, such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, the United States and Nepal. These interviews detail the intricacies of the organization Touching Hands and its international impact.

Dr. Scott Kozin, M.D., Founder of Touching Hands and Chief of Staff for Shriners Hospitals for Children in Philadelphia, PA.

Q: What was the process of becoming the founder of Touching Hands?

A: “In 2014, I was President of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, and I wanted to make outreach a pillar of the organization. At that point, there were only four pillars: education, research, organizational excellence, and patient care. During my presidential year, I had a singular goal to have one international outreach mission, which was based in Haiti, the poorest country in the hemisphere. My presidential speech passionately pleaded with doctors and surgeons, stating, ‘We have been so lucky—just look at everything we as an organization have accomplished. Now is the right time to give back.’ The membership responded with their hearts, souls, expertise, and money. The mission to Haiti was a success and a turning point for Touching Hands, which has blossomed over the last six years. We currently have an outreach director who sits on the 13 member Hand Society council and provides a ‘seat and a voice at the table.’ We accomplished our goal and established outreach as a pillar of the organization.”

Q: Can you describe the outreach missions and how you organize the teams for the missions?

A: “Teams vary in size per each mission. There could be a handful of people to 40 people on any given mission. The team members include hand surgeons, nurses, and anesthesiologists. Many of the doctors and nurses who attend the missions cannot afford a week away from their practice, so we subsidize members with a $1,500 stipend that usually covers the cost of their travel and accommodations. We also try to include a community element to each trip, such as visiting an orphanage, building a school or constructing stoves.

“What really resonates with me about Touching Hands and participating on missions is the Carpe Diem principle. When you are in another country with a team of people whom you love and whom you love working with, there is a common goal. There is no competition; we are all just working towards the same objective. The principle goal is to help the people in need as much as we can. It’s a great thing to do—going on outreach missions—but there are more missions to do and more patients to care for across the globe. There’s always more to do.”

Dr. Rick Gardner, M.D., Orthopedic Surgeon and Medical Director for CURE Ethiopia

Q: Why do you do what you do?

A: “Oh, why do I do what I do? Well, I think for me I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to do. I’m helping children in a developing world setting and giving them care that we take for granted in the Western World. It gives me deep satisfaction and fills my life with purpose–helping these children.”

Q: Can you explain the relationship between Touching Hands and your practice in Ethiopia? What impact have you seen?

 A: “When I started working for Cure International in Ethiopia, I wanted to help children and train the local surgeons. Here in Ethiopia, there is a population of over 109 million people, and when I started working here seven years ago, there were just 60 orthopedic surgeons. Government healthcare resources were predominantly focused on trauma care with little resources or expertise to care for children with musculoskeletal disability. We care for children throughout Ethiopia, some having to travel for five days to come to our hospital.

[So,] when I heard of Touching Hands, I immediately got into contact with Dr. Scott Kozin. I had a patient called Rahel, born with a mirror hand [Ullnar Dimelia], a very rare congenital condition where the child has eight fingers. He had cared for many similar children and came to visit our hospital for the first time six years ago. He did incredible work, reconstructing her hand, restoring function and appearance. He and Dr. Duretti Fufa have made annual trips since then, caring for children with brachial plexus palsy, congenital hand pathology, Volkmann contractures, chronic burns and many others. They have revolutionized the breadth and quality of our upper limb service and we pass on these techniques to our Ethiopian residents and fellows. 

“Touching Hands transformed our level of care here in Ethiopia. Dr. Kozin and Dr. Fufa have taught us how to take care of these children and restore their lives. They have provided world-class care to these children and have enabled us to continue that level of care throughout the year. Dr. Kozin and Dr. Fufa continue to visit us each year. They have been a huge blessing to us.”

Dr. Fraser Leversedge, M.D., Chief Section fo Hand Surgery at the University of Colorado, Touching Hand’s Team Leader

Q: Can you describe the impact you have seen on your missions to Honduras?

A: “Since 2014, I have traveled twice a year to the Ruth Paz Hospital in San Pedro Sula, Honduras with Touching Hands. In Honduras, our medical teams – made up of members from all over North America – are given the opportunity to witness the impact of helping those who were previously unable to work, care for their families, or contribute to society. By restoring hand function, we are impacting their lives tremendously—not only helping the patient, but influencing the lives of his or her family, coworkers, and community. We [also] do not just help for a week and then leave. We believe in the importance of ‘teaching them how to fish [rather than giving them a fish].’ [Through Touching Hands,] we teach the local surgeons and trainees how to perform procedures that they may not have been taught beforehand. We are passing along our educational expertise to allow them to increase the services they provide to their patients and communities.”

Q: Why do you think it is important for doctors to consider outreach as part of their practice?

A: “I think certainly in the United States or other countries who are fortunate enough to have well-educated, funded and safe medical practices, outreach allows doctors to reset and remember why we do what we do. It also gives healthcare providers [surgeons, anesthesia providers, nurses, and therapists] and all the volunteers a sense of appreciation for what we have.”

The website for Touching Hands provides multiple options for those interested in getting involved with the cause, including volunteering, information regarding outreach missions and donating directly towards Touching Hands’ efforts.

– Kacie Frederick
Photo: Dr. Scott Kozin, M.D.

5 Facts about Poverty in Finland

Facts About Poverty in Finland
Many know Finland as one of the happiest countries in the world. Not only do people know Finland for the iconic Northern Lights, but they also consider it to be one of the least poverty-stricken countries in all of Europe. Finland has the fourth-lowest poverty rate in OCED countries and a Gini coefficient of .27, which is lower than the United States. Here are five facts about poverty in Finland.

5 Facts About Poverty in Finland

  1. Finland has a high quality of life. In fact, Finland has one of the highest quality of life scores in Europe. Its score of 8.2 out of 10 is higher than the average 7.4 rate in the European Union as of 2016. People are generally happier in Finland and the number has stayed consistent since 2003.
  2. Finland’s unemployment rate was approximately 7% as of 2018. This is a huge improvement over the last couple of years, where the unemployment rate was close to 10% in 2014. Since then, the unemployment rate has dropped to a little more than 6% as of January 2020. This number is significantly lower than Finland’s youth unemployment rate which was close to 17% in 2017, but it is a huge improvement from its 2016 youth unemployment rate of nearly 20%.
  3. Finland’s GDP per capita has been steadily increasing over the years. Finland’s GDP per capita has increased by more than 8% from 2017 to 2018. Finland ranks as having one of the highest GDP per capita with numbers higher than countries including Canada, France and the United Kingdom.
  4. Finland’s education system has been improving since the 1970s. Finland ranks first out of all OCED countries on the PISA test. The PISA is an academic test in language, math and science that 15-year-old kids take internationally. Many attribute Finland’s successful education system to its investment in teachers’ education. More than half of Finland’s adult population finish some form of education which could be due to the fact that Finland’s government pays for close to 100% of the cost of education.
  5. Finland’s child poverty rate is one of the lowest in OCED countries. Finland has a child poverty rate of 4%, compared to the U.S. child poverty rate of 20%. This is due to Finland shifting welfare policies from local government to big government by providing mothers with public daycare and allowances for children under the age of 17. Finland’s child poverty rate is not only lower than the United States but also Germany, Sweden and Australia.

Concluding Thoughts

The probability of someone becoming poor in Finland is actually lower than the probability of them becoming poor in all of Europe. In 2016, the chance of someone in Finland being at risk of poverty was approximately 16% compared to 22% in the European Union as of 2019. Finland also has one of the highest Human Development Indexes (HDI) with a placement of number 12 out of 189 countries. Its HDI has been increasing for nearly two decades now and sits at a .925 as of 2018. One can attribute Finland’s success as a country to an increased life expectancy at birth since 1990, an increased number of expected and mean schooling since 1990 and an increase in its Gross National Income (GNP) per capita since 1990. These five facts about poverty in Finland show that overall, Finland is one of the most prosperous countries in Europe due to the exceptional education system, low poverty rate and expanding economy.

– Hena Pejdah
Photo: Flickr

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Analyzing the US Space Force Budget

U.S. Space Force Budget
The U.S. Space Force (USSF) emerged as the newest branch of the Armed Forces in December 2019. It lies within the Department of the Air Force, which means the Secretary of the Air Force is responsible for its overall operations. While the USSF is a pioneering endeavor meant to expand U.S. capabilities to protect Americans, the $15.4 billion proposed U.S. Space Force budget for the fiscal year 2021 is a sum that would prove transformative in fighting global poverty. The following are examples of what $15.4 billion could do in this fight, as well as a comparison to U.S. funding allocated to foreign aid in general.

The US Space Force Budget and Foreign Aid

  1. Starvation in Africa: According to Save the Children, a box of nutritious peanut paste, which could treat one child with severe acute malnutrition in Africa for 10 weeks, costs $40. Meanwhile, $100 could cover medication, transportation and all other costs that one associates with treating a single child with severe acute malnutrition. In addition, $210 could pay for a household to feed and protect livestock, ensuring stable food supply and potential income for that family. With the $15.4 billion that makes up the U.S. Space Force budget, the U.S. or world community could provide 385 million children 10 weeks worth of peanut paste. In fact, $15.4 billion is sufficient funding to help 154 million children with severe acute malnutrition or enable over 73 million households in Africa to have livestock. These are only a few examples of aid that organizations provide to a continent suffering from intense poverty, but they clearly illustrate the fact that these policies are feasible with more funding.
  2. Syrian Refugees: UNICEF requested $864.1 million and $852.5 million for the 2020 and 2021 portions, respectively, of its Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan 2020-2021. This funding would go toward humanitarian assistance for Syrian refugees and other vulnerable children in the region, including education access for refugees in Turkey, clean water supply for refugees in Lebanon and mental health support for refugees in Egypt. To complement the funding for Syrian refugees outside Syria, UNICEF requested $294.8 million to meet the needs of families and children in Syria in 2020. This intention of this funding was to provide things like vaccinations against polio, education support and improved water supply. The total for the two years of the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan and the 2020 support for those inside Syria is just over $2 billion. The U.S. Space Force budget of $15.4 billion would be enough to increase the scale of these operations about sevenfold, illustrating the clear scope of what aid groups could do with that quantity of funding.
  3. Foreign Aid: Many Americans believe that foreign aid takes up as much as 25% of the U.S. federal budget. In fact, the U.S. spent about $39.2 billion in the fiscal year 2019 on foreign aid, making up less than 1% of the federal budget. For the fiscal year 2021, the U.S. is requesting about $29.1 billion for foreign aid. The $15.4 billion for the USSF would be just over half the amount requested for the entirety of U.S. foreign aid funding. The gap between public perception and the reality surrounding foreign aid is startling, which demonstrates why this comparison is especially important.

Contextualizing Funding

While the idea is not necessarily that spending on poverty eradication should come at the expense of the U.S. Space Force Budget, these examples simply show what this level of funding could do if the U.S. or global community directed a similar amount elsewhere. Military funding is important — the U.S. cannot expect to be a dominant power without it. However, people must see this funding in the context of overall aid to countries that are struggling with humanitarian crises.

Foreign aid not only helps millions of suffering people all over the world but also addresses the root causes of many violent issues. As such, increasing funding for poverty eradication would serve U.S. security well. The U.S. Space Force budget is just one case that shows how effective a larger amount of foreign aid spending could be. In the long term, this would not only increase U.S. security but international security as well, lowering the risk of violent conflict involving the U.S. in the future while alleviating the suffering so many find themselves enduring.

– Connor Bradbury
Photo: Flickr
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Poverty in Switzerland

poverty in switzerland
The media often refers to Switzerland as one of the wealthiest countries. It is a country that others view as a model for a liberal-market economy. Its human development index (HDI) ranking is second in the world.  Despite this, it still requires aid to support hundreds of thousands of residents struggling to make ends meet. In fact, the poverty rate grew from 7.5% in 2016 to 8.2% in 2017. Here is some information about poverty in Switzerland.

Poverty and Welfare in Switzerland

In 2020 (income 2019) about 8.5% of the Swiss population or 772,000 were poor. The Swiss poverty rate had decreased from 9.3% to 5.9%  from 2007 to 2013, but since 2014, it has been trending upward. People most affected include households in which no adult is working, single-family households with children and people who have no education beyond compulsory education. Age also factors into poverty in Switzerland. Those 18 and younger along with those who are 64 and older are more likely to struggle with poverty .

Most poor people qualify for Swiss welfare. Known as the “basket of goods,”  it is a monthly payment to provide for basic necessities. Basic needs include food and clothes, for which individuals will receive CHF1,000 ($961.70), as well as CHF1,000 for housing and CHF200 ($192.34) for health insurance as of 2020. Welfare recipients must find the cheapest housing and those 25 and under must live with their families. Welfare pays only for public transportation, not for a car. Persons who receive welfare may also have to meet with a budget advisor to help improve financial stability. As people earn more money, the government lowers their payments.  About half of the people on welfare stay on it for less than a year, 20% need one to years to get off welfare and eight percent need up to six years.

NGOs Fighting Poverty in Switzerland

Beyond the Swiss government, there are a number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) providing assistance in Switzerland. Caritas Switzerland is one of the oldest, and is working to “reduce poverty in half.” Caritas is a global organization, with the goal to reduce poverty globally as well as provide emergency relief and post-natural disaster reconstruction. Caritas emerged in Switzerland in 1901, working to provide aid for those who experience financial disadvantages such as single mothers, retirees and refugees. The NGO’s services in Switzerland include Caritas groceries for the poor, a Caritas “Culture Card” so poor people can attend cultural events and a debt advisory service.

A second major NGO supporting Switzerland’s poor is HEKS/EPER which, in 2019, ran 162 projects in 32 countries, including Switzerland. In Switzerland, HEKS/EPER is focusing on supporting asylum seekers, job integration and legal services. HEKS/EPER also created the project HEKS Wohnen, a program to assist those who may be socially disadvantaged, including those with addiction problems and mental illness, to find living quarters and successfully integrate into society.

Despite the uptick in Switzerland’s poverty rate, the support of NGOs such as HEKS/EPER, Caritas Switzerland and the government welfare reform programs provide aid and assistance to those living in the country. With these support systems in place, Switzerland should have the ability to reverse its higher poverty projections.

– Allison Lloyd
Photo: Flickr

4 Facts About Healthcare in Yemen

Healthcare in YemenMany consider Yemen, a country located in the Middle East, to currently be undergoing the worst humanitarian disaster in the present time. Before the start of the war, which broke out in 2015, Yemen was already struggling to control the health crises that were plaguing the country. Violence and other aspects of war resulted in an emergence of even greater needs for healthcare in Yemen. An estimated 100,000 Yemeni people died due to war violence alone. Conflict and war have killed 100,00 people in Yemen while “indirect causes such as starvation and disease” have resulted in the deaths of an additional 131,000. Here are four facts about healthcare in Yemen.

4 Facts About Healthcare in Yemen

  1. Civil War: Yemen’s healthcare system was already in a fragile state before the civil war and ultimately collapsed as a result of the war. The collapse of the healthcare system left the country in a state of desperation for humanitarian aid. There are an estimated 24 million people out of a population of 29 million that are in need of some sort of medical aid. Another 14.4 million people are in an acute need for aid. The failed system resulted in a major decline in the number of operable facilities for healthcare in Yemen, with less than half of the previously functioning facilities still operating. This, in combination with extensive damage to the country’s infrastructure, has left 80% of the Yemen population without sufficient access to healthcare services.
  2. Malnourishment: Yemen’s already existing struggle to fight malnourishment became an even greater challenge due to the war, which has worsened the food insecurity crisis. About 56% of Yemen’s population is currently experiencing crisis-level food insecurity. Thus, malnourishment is one of the biggest health issues plaguing the country, creating an even greater need for access to healthcare in Yemen. Children are by far the most vulnerable to suffering from malnourishment. In fact, 2 million Yemeni children, all less than 5 years old, suffer from acute malnourishment.
  3. Disease: In 2017, Yemen experienced the largest cholera outbreak in recent history. Cholera is a bacterial infection that emerges from people ingesting water or food that the feces of an infected person has contaminated. The spread of this disease occurs more rapidly in areas without access to adequate sewage systems and sources of clean drinking water. Since 18 million people in Yemen are unable to access clean water and sanitization services, they face an increased vulnerability to contracting and spreading cholera. As a result of this heightened risk, reports estimated that there were one million cases of the disease in the country in 2017 alone. An additional estimated 991,000 cases occurred between January 2018 and September 2019. The lack of access to healthcare in Yemen further exacerbated the outbreak, resulting in thousands of deaths, despite cholera being an infection that is easy to treat. On top of the cholera outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic has become another threat to healthcare in Yemen with a reported 260 cases and 54 deaths.
  4. Outreach: Due to the government’s inability to support the system, healthcare in Yemen relies on outside aid. The International Organization for Migration is working to reopen and restore 86 healthcare facilities people initially deemed inoperable. The IOM also manages “nine mobile health teams” to provide healthcare to those unable to get to operable facilities, with four of those teams providing emergency health services to migrants arriving on the coast of Yemen. Another organization, The International Committee of the Red Cross, provided medical facilities with medication and emergency supplies, resulting in medical relief of 500,000 people in the first half of 2018 alone. The International Medical Corps is another organization contributing to aid by providing health professionals with training and supplies, in addition to supporting 56 health centers across Yemen. Through that support, the organization provides adequate outpatient care to malnourished children, in addition to mental health services such as counseling. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and already at-risk population, the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan received an extension from June to December 2020. The U.N. and its partners are seeking $2.41 billion solely for fighting COVID-19 while continuing to provide aid for those that the country’s ongoing humanitarian emergency has affected.

Despite barriers to outreach, such as inadequate funding, there is an ongoing effort to stabilize and improve the state of healthcare in Yemen amid the violence of civil war. Efforts by the United Nations and numerous other humanitarian organizations are occurring to combat health issues related to circumstances of war, malnutrition and disease, while also providing Yemeni people with tools and training to treat and prevent further health complications.

– Emily Butler
Photo: Flickr

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5 Facts About Poverty in Thailand

Facts About Poverty in Thailand

With the second-largest economy in Southeast Asia, Thailand is a relatively wealthy country. Its vibrant culture, delicious food and beautiful scenery attract millions of visitors a year, greatly contributing to its economy. In addition to the tourism industry, Thailand exports many commodities like rice, rubber and coconuts. The country also produces goods like textiles, cement and plastics.

Though Thailand’s poverty rate has decreased by 65% since 1988, impoverished living conditions are still a pressing issue in the country. Here are five facts about poverty in Thailand.

  1. Poverty is decreasing in Thailand: In 2015, the poverty rate was 7.2%, but this figure decreased to 5.4% in 2022. However, more than 3.7 million of its population still live below the national poverty line.
  2. Income-based inequality exists in Thailand: With a 2.6% gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in 2022 (one of the lowest in the region), Thailand’s lack of economic progression greatly affects its citizens. Additionally, Thailand has one of the highest income-based inequality rates in the world, at 43.3%, meaning there is a huge disparity between the richest and most impoverished people in the country. Without economic development and wealth equality, cycles of impoverishment will continue to trap the people of the nation.
  3. Environmental disasters have pushed more Thai people into poverty: Agriculturists (who make up 31.8% of the workforce) are already an impoverished group in the country. However, the recent droughts in the past year have impoverished them even more. This combination of economic and environmental factors pushes farmers into even more poverty. Droughts are not the only natural disaster devastating the country. The floods and tsunamis that hit the country throughout the 2000s perpetuated even more poverty in Thailand. These natural disasters are inevitable, yet the lack of safety nets in the country is damaging the livelihoods of farmers.
  4. One of the demographics that poverty affects the most in Thailand is children: As of 2012, 7% of children weighed in as underweight and 16% experienced stunting (impaired physical or psychological development due to a lack of nourishment during adolescence). The severe lack of resources could greatly impair future generations in the country. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is quite active in Thailand, working to alleviate child mortality and malnourishment. Due to its work, the child mortality rate has decreased four-fold, yet there is still more the country requires
  5. An increase in social safety nets is one solution to the country’s poverty crisis: Considering that environmental disasters and economic factors contribute to the rise in poverty, government-sanctioned programs to protect the Thai people are one of the easiest solutions to this problem. Suppose Thailand can pinpoint which demographics are most susceptible to poverty. In that case, the government can create specific jobs and policies to protect its most vulnerable people.

Despite these five facts about poverty in Thailand, the country has many success stories in terms of poverty alleviation. Everyone in the country has access to electricity, water sanitation is excellent and education rates are high. However, to ensure every single citizen of Thailand is free from poverty, the government’s efforts are crucial in economic development and producing innovative jobs for vulnerable populations. 

– Borgen Team

Photo: Pixabay.

Updated: June 16, 2024

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7 Facts About Tuberculosis in Zambia

tuberculosis in ZambiaThe South African country of Zambia has a population of around 17 million. Over the last 30 years, it has experienced a rise in tuberculosis cases, an infectious bacterial disease in the lungs. Estimates show the mortality of the disease as approximately 30 deaths due to tuberculosis per 100,000 people. Below are seven important facts about tuberculosis in Zambia.

7 Facts About Tuberculosis in Zambia

  1. Co-infection: HIV patients have a high risk of contracting tuberculosis. In Zambia, 59% of tuberculosis patients have also tested positive for HIV. Though there are healthcare systems for the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis among patients with HIV, overpopulation, poverty, cultural beliefs and sanitation conditions can make a diagnosis of both HIV and tuberculosis a challenge.
  2. Limited Access to Treatment: There is a greater prevalence of tuberculosis mortality in rural areas of Zambia. The commute to a clinic is often greater than a two-hour walk for a person living in a rural home, which puts a strain on those with the disease and on the family or friends who need to take time off of work to travel with their loved one.
  3. Economic Burden: Tuberculosis is extremely costly for individuals and for Zambia as a nation. Medications and other services like x-rays can be expensive for individual families. Furthermore, the overall loss of a workforce can impact the greater economy. This can be seen in mining communities, where tuberculosis is especially prevalent. Because the mining industry plays an important role in Zambia’s economy, there have been negative economic impacts in losing a percentage of the workforce due to tuberculosis. A 2016 study on tuberculosis in Zambian mines advocates for greater regulatory legislation for mining conditions and better health systems to create a healthier population and a more stable economy.
  4. Improving the Cure Rate: Tuberculosis is a serious disease and can be fatal. The Ministry of Health finds that 62,000 Zambians contract tuberculosis and 16,000 people die each year from the disease. Though there are still many fatalities, there has been great progress in treating the disease. Today, around 88% of people treated are cured, exceeding the WHO recommended cure rate of 85%, and the pooled cure rate of between 55% and 73% for Africa.
  5. Better Management: World Tuberculosis Day, observed each year on March 24, commemorates the discovery of the bacteria that causes tuberculosis in 1882. During the 2019 World Tuberculosis Day, the Ministry of Health Announced the new guidelines for “Management of Latent Tuberculosis Infection.” This was the launch of greater efforts towards the elimination of tuberculosis and emphasizes early detection.
  6. Improved Surveillance: Though tuberculosis is a severe health issue, there have been limited health surveys to find an accurate prevalence of the disease. In 2013, the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) through the Ministry of Health (MoH) and USAID conducted a survey on the tuberculosis rate in Zambian regions. The surveys showed a higher prevalence of tuberculosis than estimated. They also revealed improved techniques for tuberculosis detection. For example, the use of digital systems and the integration of HIV testing in tuberculosis surveys (HIV is common comorbidity) can help estimate the rate of incidence and help improve the efficiency of tuberculosis healthcare.
  7. More Accurate Diagnoses: Founded in 2006, the Center For Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ) has provided many services for combating tuberculosis in Zambia including research on diagnostic techniques. CIDRZ tested some novel techniques of tuberculosis diagnosis such as LED fluorescence microscopes and computer-assisted digital x-ray interpretation technology. CIDRZ helps mobilize these techniques and train community members in the identification of tuberculosis.

These facts show that the health crisis of tuberculosis in Zambia exposes a dire need for increased accessibility of healthcare and better methods of diagnosis and treatment. The recent efforts in management and care of tuberculosis show promise of effective tuberculosis management and an overall healthier population.

– Jennifer Long
Photo: Flickr

4 Facts about Poverty in Slovakia

Poverty in SlovakiaThe country of Slovakia is located in central Europe and borders The Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine and Austria. Slovakia has a deep-rooted history in Europe. Slovakia was originally a part of Czechia and had the name Czechoslovakia. While allying with Nazi Germany, the Slovakian government became independent. After the war, however, Czechia and Slovakia became one country once again until the Velvet Revolution in 1989. In 1993, the two countries peacefully agreed to separate and become two independent countries.

The current population of Slovakia is 5.4 million and 80.7% is Slovik. Slovakia does not have a high percentage of migrants, with only 0.2 migrants per 1,000 persons. Also, less than one-eighth of the population lives in poverty. Although poverty is not as severe in Slovakia as in other countries, poverty affects certain demographics more heavily. Here are four facts about poverty in Slovakia.

4 Facts About Poverty in Slovakia

  1. The Poverty Rate: In 2016, 3.30% of people in the Slovak Republic were living on less than $5.50 a day, a decline from their highest poverty rate in 2004, when 5.30% of people lived on less than $5.50 a day. The rate fluctuates between a 0.1% and 0.8% increase or decrease each year.
  2. Minorities: The majority of the Slovak ethnic group residing in Slovakia experience the luxuries of living in the country. These luxuries include access to clean water, comfortable living conditions, access to health care and sanitized environments. Although many Slovaks have these luxuries, minority groups such as the Romani people experience higher poverty rates on average. Poverty in Slovakia directly affects the Romani people, the third-largest minority group. The majority of these communities do not have access to running water, electricity or a proper system for waste disposal. The children within this group are more likely to drop out of secondary school, experience trafficking (prostitution or forced labor) and not receive necessary health care.
  3. Access to Clean Water: As of 2017, 99.79% of people had access to clean water. Compared to the rest of the world, Slovakia ranks 17th for clean water access. The fewest amount of people had access to clean water in the year 2000, with 7.82% of the population not having access to clean water. The rate continues to steadily rise every year.
  4. Housing: Habitat for Humanity partnered with the Environmental Training Project and started a program to build housing for poor communities in 2004. So far, this project has served more than 1,000 families in Eastern Slovakia. To begin construction, the program assisted families in taking out microloans and it provided construction training to families to develop skills. In addition to construction skills, families learned how to manage their finances and take out microloans in the future.

Concluding Thoughts

These four facts about poverty in Slovakia show that it has a low poverty rate in comparison to other countries. Access to clean water and other human necessities are available for some; however, poverty in Slovakia disproportionately affects minority groups. These groups do not have the same access to essential human needs and it affects their everyday lives. There is hope, however, because organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity and The Environmental Training Project, are working to provide necessary resources for developing communities.

– Brooke Young
Photo: Flickr

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7 Facts about Homeless Children in Ethiopia

Homeless Children in Ethiopia Ethiopia, especially in its capital city of Addis Ababa, is experiencing a growing homelessness crisis. Young adults and children leave the countryside to try and find work and education in the country’s urban areas, but the cost of living and housing is often unaffordable. Here are seven facts about homeless children in Ethiopia.

7 Facts about Homeless Children in Ethiopia

  1. Forty-two percent of Addis Ababa’s homeless population is under the age of 18. An official survey in 2010 counted 12,000 homeless children in Addis Ababa alone but some NGOs have estimated that the number is much higher.
  2. Family problems are cited as one of the main reasons that children leave their homes and end up living on the streets. Approximately 46% of street children in Ethiopia live with people other than their birth parents because of death, divorce, or separation.
  3. Residential shelters exist for homeless children in Ethiopia, but they must pay their way into them and continue to make money in order to stay there. Shelters are small and fit fewer than 20 children at once. For about 20 birr (57 cents in USD) children can pay to have meals and a bed for a night. One particular shelter, Hold My Hand, has been serving at-risk homeless boys by providing them food at Addis’s largest school, Bole, or by reuniting them with lost family members. Though the shelter’s capacity is small, they have been able to reunite five families with their lost sons and continue to feed children through the Bole Project.
  4. Homeless children in Ethiopia are often exploited. Human trafficking networks have a large presence in the country’s crime rings, and often young girls that are experiencing homelessness in Ethiopia fall victim to these syndicates. Once in Addis Ababa, these girls are forced into slavery-like working conditions in domestic service. Close to 400,000 humans were trapped in slavery in 2016. Retrak Ethiopia helps businesses learn more about the people they employ and then tries to rescue homeless children in Ethiopia from human trafficking.
  5. Many homeless children experience addiction or substance abuse. Glue-sniffing is a popular form of drug abuse among homeless children in Ethiopia because the substance is inexpensive and easy to obtain on the street. Street children sniff glue in order to try and ease the pain of hunger and exposure to the elements.
  6. Ethiopia’s government does not offer any type of public funding for homeless children and has instead relied on a heavy police presence to try and contain the growing crisis in cities. One method used by the police is apprehending children and forcing them back to their hometowns, but this effort has been largely unsuccessful.
  7. Ethiopia’s newest prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has charted a new path for the way the country addresses its growing homeless youth population. His new stance is the “Children on the streets have a right to live” which is a far cry from mottos of the past like the one in 2017 that emphasized “Cleaning Addis Ababa’s streets of children.” Now, Ethiopia’s government involves more conversations with on-the-ground NGOs. Habitat for Humanity has opened an Ethiopian chapter to try and rebuild old housing units and provide new ones for the country’s homeless population. Sanitation services in Ethiopia are unavailable in 80% of urban areas, so Habitat focuses on creating communal points of access for water distribution and hygienic purposes in cities like Addis Ababa.

-Grace May
Photo: Flickr

Understanding Tuberculosis in Pakistan

Tuberculosis in PakistanPakistan is ranked as the fifth-highest nation contracting Tuberculosis (TB) daily in the world. It has an “estimated 510,000 new TB cases emerging each year,” accounting for 61% of TB in the eastern Mediterranean region. According to the Stop TB Partnership, there are 1,540 developing cases and 121 deaths from tuberculosis in Pakistan every day. Pakistan also experiences the fourth-highest rate of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) globally. The abundance of MDR-TB cases largely results from delays in diagnosis, inadequate drug treatment and non-compliance of some patients.

Economic Background and Effects

The average monthly cost to treat Tuberculosis in Pakistan is between 1,500 and 1,800 Pakistani rupees, which equals around $9 to $11 per month. In Pakistan, this is a huge financial burden considering the average monthly income of less than $35, with many TB patients earning even less than that. One study reported 96.7% of Pakastani TB patients were already struggling financially prior to their diagnosis.

After diagnosis, changes in employment status are common for many patients. Roughly 75% of TB patients are unemployed after diagnosis. Those who do not lose their jobs often face cuts in work hours. These economic constraints inadvertently encourage non-compliance and refusal of treatment, which ultimately contributes to the spread of TB in Pakistan.

Stigmatization of Tuberculosis

Beyond employment consequences, tuberculosis in Pakistan is heavily stigmatized by the public. More than three-quarters of Pakistanis believe TB patients should be kept in hospitals or sanitariums during treatment. Some even admit that they would not marry an individual who has had TB. Out of a fear of being ostracized, most TB patients in Pakistan hide their disease and refuse treatment—behavior that contributes to the high rates of MDR-TB in the country.

The stigmatization of TB in Pakistan is mainly a result of a lack of public knowledge and misconceptions about the disease. Recent studies point toward insufficient TB awareness among the public and even patients in Pakistan. One study found that 88.7% of patients questioned did not know the risk factors of TB or the protective measures people with the disease should take. Moreover, less than half of the respondents could accurately identify TB symptoms.

The National TB Control Program (NTP)

Despite the high rates of tuberculosis in Pakistan, the country has made strides in decreasing its numbers. Organizations such as the National TB Control Program (NTP) are actively working to achieve a TB-free Pakistan. NTP re-launched in 2001 after TB became a national emergency in Pakistan. Since then, the organization has worked alongside the National Institute of Health to fight TB in the country. The main objective of NTP is to cut the number of TB cases present in 2012 in half by the year 2025.

The organization has brought more attention to the issue and improved its detection of cases from 11,050 cases in 2000 to 248,115 in 2008. The NTP hopes to increase that number to 420,000 by the end of 2020. Furthermore, the organization was able to bring the treatment success rate up to 91% by 2007 and has been working to maintain that level since.

COVID-19 Impact

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 across the globe has posed a major threat to the state of tuberculosis in Pakistan. With social distancing regulations, it has become difficult for individuals to be diagnosed and treated for the disease. Despite these new challenges, Pakistan and the NTP have remained committed to controlling the TB situation. The National Manager of NTP, for example, announced that follow-up appointments following treatment are to be conducted over the phone. Furthermore, the NTP outlined plans to use methods like the Pakistan Postal Service and Uber to deliver ongoing treatment to patients across the country.

The NTP has also started an online TB case notification pilot program where patients can register and receive treatment notifications and additional assistance from healthcare workers via text. This program will provide the NTP with greater information on TB cases in Pakistan as well as encourage patient compliance with treatment plans.

– Mary Kate Langan
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