Despite its position as both the largest country in the world in terms of landmass and a superpower within the global community both economically and militarily, since the 1991 demise of the Soviet Union, and even prior to that, drastic increases of common diseases in Russia have continued to occur. The causes for this are numerous and diverse, and the types of diseases being identified are often extremely contagious.
Common Diseases
There is no disputing that Russia, comparatively, is a very sick country, and the most common diseases in Russia are generally speaking, either preventable or curable. According to data from a 2014 World Health Organization report, the number of deaths in Russia caused by illnesses exceeded that of the U.S. by 54 percent.
Though coronary heart disease, strokes and HIV/AIDS claimed the most Russian lives in 2014, other common diseases in Russia include lung cancer, lung disease, liver disease, colon and rectum cancers, stomach cancer, pneumonia and different forms of influenza.
The country is also not estranged to seeing infectious diseases. As of 2017, some of the infectious diseases most affecting Russian citizens include typhoid fever, yellow fever, dengue fever, malaria, Rift Valley Fever as well as both hepatitis A and hepatitis E.
Causes and Analysis
Though the country has a socialized health care system that provides medical care to the majority of the population free of cost, it is highly underfunded, which has led to what is considered low-quality medical care by many developed nations and western societies. When attempting to understand the reasons behind the increase of common diseases in Russia, it is important to understand how changes in Russian politics slowly created a public health crisis. These changes took place before the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and only became increasingly worse following this event.
In the first four years following the fall of the Soviet Union, infant and maternal mortality rates increased substantially, life expectancy and fertility rates notably decreased and contagious diseases became widespread. According to a 1996 report published by the National Library of Congress, common diseases in Russia can be described as the result of the combination of environmental destruction through means including water and air pollution that were caused by the contamination of water and food products, specifically by mishaps involving nuclear development and improperly disposing radioactive material.
Among other things, the population is overcrowded, particularly in urban areas, which often produces substandard living conditions. There is generally widespread malnutrition due to an extremely disproportionate distribution of wealth in the Russian economy and high rates of alcoholism and tobacco usage. To make matters worse, there is a considerable lack of access to modern medical equipment and resources.
Long-Term Impacts
Although its effects may not be visible to the global community yet, public health in Russia is arguably one of the biggest threats to the country’s future survival as a population. The threat is creating a concern among many that, if the current trajectory is maintained, there will inevitably be noticeable population decreases, as such decreases have already begun.
Between 1993 and 2015, the Russian population saw a decrease from 149 million to 144 million; unfortunately considering the current health crisis, experts have estimated that, if trends continue, the population could be as low as 107 million by 2050.
– Hunter McFerrin
Photo: Flickr
Virtual Reality Field Trips to Pakistan
Schools from around the world are giving their students the opportunity to take virtual reality field trips to Pakistan.
Two Austin-based companies, PenPal Schools and Chocolate Milk & Donuts, partnered together to create global interactions through virtual reality. PenPal Schools connects over 100,000 students in 170 countries. Its Pakistan virtual field trip program has connected 2,000 students from 17 different countries.
PenPal School organized participating students into small groups, often made of one Pakistani student and three students from different countries. Through virtual reality, Pakistani students acted as local guides to the other students. The groups then worked on assignments and projects that showcased what they learned about the country.
The virtual reality field trips to Pakistan mainly take place in the city of Lahore. Using a virtual reality headset and videos with 360-degree views, students learn about the history and culture of Pakistan. Pakistani history, sports, education and rising artists are some of areas students get to explore.
The virtual reality field trips to Pakistan aim to provide connections with Pakistani people that were not available before. They are intended to give children from around the world the opportunity to gain a clearer understanding of the country and its people.
The program hopes these connections will dispel misconceptions about the people of Pakistan, especially following the 2017 U.S. travel ban of citizens from some Muslim countries. “It’s more important than ever to build understanding and eliminate fear,” says Founder of PenPal Schools, Joe Troyen.
The field trips illustrate a perspective of Pakistan that is not often shown. Pakistan is routinely portrayed in the media as dangerous and unstable. PenPal Schools personalizes Pakistan, giving voice to its citizens and showing the country’s beauty.
Following the success of the virtual reality field trips to Pakistan, PenPal Schools is hoping to develop other virtual reality field trips. The company want to create even more opportunities for students to experience meaningful connections with people from all corners of the global community.
– Cortney Rowe
Photo: Flickr
The NIFTY Cup: A Lifesaving Alternative to Breastfeeding
Millions of newborn babies in developing countries face death due to the inability to feed properly. These infants may be born prematurely, have facial abnormalities or other special needs that impacts their ability to effectively suckle and nurse.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), newborn deaths account for 45% of all deaths among children under five, the majority in developing countries. It is estimated that two-thirds of newborn deaths can be prevented, if effective measures are implemented within the first week of life. One such effective measure to prevent neonatal deaths is to ensure that babies receive adequate nourishment.
Michael Cunningham, who leads craniofacial medicine at Seattle Children’s Hospital, experienced firsthand children dying from the inability to receive nutrition within their first few days of life. He came up with the idea for the NIFTY cup to solve this issue, and partnered with PATH, a nonprofit organization specializing in global health technologies, to design it.
The NIFTY part of this nifty solution stands for Neonatal Intuitive Feeding Technology. This cup is a simple, yet brilliant device that can have major impacts on children worldwide.
The cup is designed to replace the act of breastfeeding while allowing infants to receive adequate nutrition. It is a soft, plastic cup that has a unique reservoir for holding milk. Mothers collect their breastmilk in the 40- milliliter cup and then feed it to their baby. The cup allows the baby to eat at its own pace, with minimal spilling.
“We just knew that there had to be a simple intervention that could be life-changing for this population,”Cunningham said.
The NIFTY cup would not be truly impactful if it was expensive and unavailable. The NIFTY cup resolves this, too. The cup only costs one dollar. They have been used successfully in India, and are becoming accessible in many African birthing institutions.
This creation has the potential to save millions of babies from the effects of malnutrition at birth. It may even save their lives.
– Sydney Missigman
Photo: Flickr
Human Rights in Timor-Leste: Where Do Women Stand?
Most nations balance violations and successes in achieving justice for females. Human rights in Timor-Leste are no exception to this.
For the country’s 2016/2017 report, Amnesty International highlighted a few key issues which are being dealt with by Timor-Leste. Among these brief descriptions, the topic of gender-based violence was very relevant.
The nongovernmental organization cited a statistic for the category that found that approximately 60 percent of women who had experience with a relationship (aged 15 to 49) reported violence—sexual or otherwise.
A 2016 human rights report included the same statistic and expanded upon this issue, emphasizing that slightly less than 15 percent of females experienced rape perpetrated by individuals who were not their significant others.
Furthermore, rates of domestic violence in the nation reportedly only fell behind assault for “commonly charged crimes in the criminal justice system.”
Issues for women in the country involve matters such as:
In spite of these hurdles, improvements are consistently made for the sake of women and their human rights in Timor-Leste.
The country’s legislation to combat domestic violence (mentioned above) receives praise despite impediments to its usage—seen as a method that enables individuals to feel comfortable going to law enforcement and reporting their experiences.
Amnesty International noted that the nation joined other countries in southeast Asia by taking on a National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security, spanning from 2016 to 2020.
Other successes for women in the country (according to the 2016 report) include:
Although Timor-Leste must still address many issues relating to the disproportionate difficulties females face in its country, it continues to make improvements to the lives of those subjected to brutalities and violence.
– Maleeha Syed
Photo: Flickr
How to Help People in Namibia
Located in Southwestern Africa, adjacent to Botswana, Zambia, Angola and South Africa, the Republic of Namibia is an arid and sparsely-populated nation of 2 million people. The country faces one of the highest HIV/AIDS rates in the world of approximately 13 percent, a chronic malnourishment rate of 20 percent and fluctuating levels of water supply.
Needless to say, the situation begs the question of how to help people in Namibia.
Firstly, and perhaps the most obvious, many charities based in Namibia work to improve the situation of the country’s population. For example, Books for Africa is a non-profit that provides books and educational materials to 48 countries across the continent. “Books for Africa is a simple idea, but its impact is transformative. For us, literacy is quite simply the bridge from misery to hope.” says former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Another method useful in answering the question of how to help people in Namibia is to support DAPP (Development Aid from People to People) Namibia, a not-for-profit organization based in Namibia that empowers local communities in a variety of ways. Some of DAPP’s initiatives include agricultural training networks and camps, creating programs responsible for combatting HIV/AIDS and increasing the availability of contraceptives across the nation. As an organization based in Namibia, DAPP is in a unique position to understand, identify and tackle national issues on a first-hand basis.
Finally, wildlife conservation is a key factor in understanding how to help people in Namibia. Preserving the country’s wildlife is indispensable to maintaining a steady tourism industry as many people come to the country to visit its wildlife and safari parks. Naankuse is a nonprofit based in Namibia that works to preserve the country’s rich and colorful variety of not only wildlife but indigenous cultures and people as well. Naankuse specifically focuses on three key areas: wildlife conservation, the preservation of national landscapes and support of rural communities. Supporting Naankuse will enable the country to protect its most valuable assets to one of the economy’s most valuable industries.
These are just a few examples of ways to get involved in helping to boost development and reduce poverty in Namibia.
– Brad Tait
Photo: Flickr
Causes of Poverty in the Czech Republic
In the wake of its post-communist economy, the Czech Republic is working to revitalize its financial strategy and to become a commercial powerhouse in Eastern Europe. However, obstacles preventing the country from improving its economical state are due to the nature of its communist past.
The absence of labor markets forced the communist government to impoverish its citizens in order to sustain the state. Causes of poverty in the Czech Republic stem from the country’s political and economic background during the late 20th century and are exhibited through its complex economic struggles, faulty environmental policies and societal differences.
The Czech government enforces strict fiscal restrictions, which inhibit its economy from reaching its potential. Czechoslovakia strategizes its economy towards export-based trade to maximize external growth. This plan compromises economic security and further perpetuates causes of poverty in the Czech Republic. In order to strengthen its fiscal prospects, the Czech government must invest in its domestic demand for the sake of creating a more sustainable economy.
Instead of resourcing its environment responsibly by taking into consideration long-term consequences of pollution and resource obsolescence, the Czech Ministry of the Environment approves of policies that allow systematic ruin to the environment. This, combined with the issuing of permits without charge to large corporations (which wastes 47.5 billion Czech Korunas), deprives the Czech economy of state revenue it could utilize to fund public sectors that are desperate for financial aid.
With unemployment at 10 percent and various instances of political corruption, Czech society (which is exhaustively compromised of its middle and lower class) is distrusting of governmental figures and industry elites that dominate its politics. While the labor market of the Czech Republic is currently strong and wage increases are on the rise, causes of poverty in the Czech Republic are also contributing to fracturing the coexistence between social classes. For example, the Czech Republic’s reliance on its pension system is not ideal for economic longevity due to increasingly falling replacement rates.
If the Czech Republic is to preserve its strong labor market and to extend pensions to its citizens, it should focus on domestic market growth to meet the demands of its country from the inside out. In addition, the Czech government should focus on lessening the severity of its fiscal restrictions in hopes of liberating its economic prospects and combatting the causes of poverty in the Czech Republic.
– Kaitlin Hocker
Photo: Flickr
App Boosts African Informal Economy
The informal economy in sub-Saharan Africa is booming. Comprised of jobs ranging from independent manufacturers to food vendors, the informal economy is responsible for nearly 70 percent of employment in the sub-Saharan. Additionally, it’s estimated that on average, the African informal economy accounts for nearly two-fifths of national GDP.
Working in the informal economy does come with certain challenges. Access to communication technology and money transfers is particularly difficult. Additionally, access to loans for ready liquid capital is slim. Most could be addressed with banking infrastructure and all are necessary services that businesses operating in the formal economy enjoy.
However, from the bank’s perspective, it is not in their financial interest to service many in the informal economy. Many unbanked Sub-saharan Africans, nearly 500 million of them, consistently make small transactions—usually less than $5 a day. For this reason and the cost of opening and maintaining banking branches, banks don’t consider these individuals serviceable.
That’s where companies like Nomanini step in.
Nomanini, meaning “Anytime” in saSwiti, is just one of several tech companies investing in the African informal economy. With the use of mobile point-of-sale (PoS) devices, individuals can become walking, talking ATMs.
Nomanini’s physical PoS terminal is no bigger than perhaps two smartphones put together and is fully wireless. The Google cloud also hosts the system, giving clients more stability.
Armed with the PoS device, vendors can sell pre-paid mobile airtime, electricity, facilitate banking transactions, and help others pay their bills. In some cases, clients are even granted micro-loans, allowing them access to working capital and the opportunity to build credit.
With the help of Nomanini’s digital PoS app, the African informal economy is exploding. Some vendors have seen their monthly incomes grow 20-30 percent.
Since launch in 2010, Nomanini has facilitated more than 16 million transactions. With the help of Nomanini, the African informal economy, armed with only smartphones and a wireless connection has shown its viability, It has also proven that its large number of unbanked shouldn’t be ignored by institutions just because of the size of their transactions.
– Thomas James Anania
Photo: Flickr
How to Help People in Malawi
Malawi is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa. With a population of over 18 million people, 50 percent live below national poverty lines. Malawi’s poverty rates are widespread, with rural poverty continuing to grow. Fortunately, there are three nongovernment organizations working to decrease poverty inside the region. How to help people in Malawi is a question that three establishments below have started to answer.
CARE works to provide food, health, education and social empowerment to Malawians. A special emphasis is placed on women, with CARE referring to them as, “The faces of poverty.” One specific project – CARE’s Pathways Program – has helped Malawi women substantially improve their lives through agricultural farming. If you are wondering how you can support this organization, they offer both volunteer and fundraising opportunities. CARE also hosts learning tours so others can experience the impact they have on reducing poverty.
One of Malawi’s main challenges exists in addressing its food security needs. Malawi is prone to flooding and droughts, which make those living in rural areas susceptible to extreme hunger. The Hunger Project is helping by distributing food security programs, such as agricultural training and food banks, to Malawi communities. The organization asks for most of its support in the form of funding and donations. They also host many events, including an annual Fall Gala, where the proceeds go toward multiple food programs.
HIV/AIDS has left more than one million children orphaned in Malawi. Established by Madonna, Raising Malawi has created many programs to assist with eliminating this epidemic. The most recent project is the Mercy James Centre for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care. Childrens’ lives are now being saved with the country’s first pediatric hospital to offer surgery and an intensive care unit. You can help this organization by donating to stock the new unit with supplies.
How to help people in Malawi ranges from volunteer work and donations to a simple conversation about what is going on in order to get more people involved. These three organizations are helping to alleviate poverty in Malawi, but they cannot function alone. It takes new individuals constantly getting involved for substantial development to be seen. When more people begin to stand up for the country’s fundamental human needs, Malawi will be on the right track to seeing improvement.
– Emilee Wessel
Photo: Flickr
How to Help Rohingya Refugees
Myanmar’s treatment of their Rohingya population is under investigation for human rights violations. Approximately 1.1 million Rohingya, an Muslim ethnic minority, live in the Myanmar (also known as Burma), a predominantly Buddhist country. Many in Myanmar view Rohingya as intruders from Bangladesh. Though Bangladesh does host many Rohingya refugees, they do not recognize them as citizens. The Rohingya are a stateless people.
Almost all of Rohingya live in Rakhine state in northern Myanmar. With rising violence in Rakhine in 2016, Myanmar’s government increased its military presence. The UN recorded details of alleged abuses by security forces in Rakhine, which included mass gang rape, killings, beatings and disappearances. Some UN officials have characterized the abuses as ethnic cleansing. With recent increases in military deployment, thousands of Rohingya have fled across the border into Bangladesh.
The Rohingya people, who historically lack allies, are experiencing extreme abuses. This can change. Here are some ways to help Rohingya refugees.
There are also larger organizations like UNICEF, Save the Children and World Vision working to help refugees worldwide.
To draw attention to the current crisis, people who want to help Rohingya refugees can speak up about the situation in Myanmar when discussing refugee rights. Ways to help Rohingya refugees include sharing links on social media, staying informed on current events and getting involved with migrant advocacy.
It is possible to help end the years of persecution face by the Rohingya people. The international community has the power to hold the government of Mynmar accountable and provide resources for refugees.
Domestically, we can protect and advocate for our refugee programs. From 2008-2014, more than 117,000 refugees from Myanmar were resettled in the United States. As a country, we have the ability to provide shelter for vulnerable and abused people the world over.
– Hannah Seitz
Photo: Flickr
Why is Jamaica Poor?
Considered an upper middle-income country as stated by the World Bank, Jamaica has much to improve upon within its economy to decrease poverty rates in the country. Jamaica is considered to be one of the slowest and most unstable economies in the world, weakened by high debt rates. As for today, Jamaica’s poverty rate has improved, with a 1.7 percent growth of GDP during 2016 and an expected 2 percent for 2017. Many reforms have been instituted to reduce the country’s debt. However, Jamaica still has a lot to improve on in order to eliminate poverty. So, what are the answers to the question why is Jamaica poor? High crime, unemployment and inflation are a few of the answers to this question.
Most criminal activity in Jamaica is related to gang activity and use of illegal drugs. Police data confirms the occurrence of many murders in 2017, with an increase of 19 percent and a total of 639 people killed from January 2017 to June 2017. This represents an average of four murders per day. This places Jamaica’s homicide rate among the top five highest national homicide rates in the world.
Jamaica also experiences increasingly high unemployment rates within the population. The Statistics Institute of Jamaica reveals a slight decline in unemployment, with a rate of 12.9 per cent as of October 2016 and 12.2 as of April 2017. This clearly shows there was only a slight improvement between 2016 and 2017, but the rates are still high as of today.
Another reason Jamaica is poor is its high inflation rate – averaging 9.54 percent between 2002 and 2017. As of July 2017, Jamaica’s inflation rate had declined to 4.4 percent. Jamaica has been known to spend half of its income on imported good for basic necessities. The country relies mostly on goods such as food, gasoline and clothing. Its high reliance on imported goods creates an increasing deficit, endangering the state of its economy and keeping people below the poverty line.
After asking why Jamaica is poor it is also important to ask what the solutions are to end poverty in Jamaica. By reducing Jamaica’s crime rates and having more employment opportunities, Jamaica would increase its chances to improve its economy and become richer in more ways than one. Seeing Jamaica’s slight improvements in recent years, it offers some hope for eventually ending poverty in the future.
– Sarah Soutoul
Photo: Flickr
Common Diseases in Russia Remain Rampant
Despite its position as both the largest country in the world in terms of landmass and a superpower within the global community both economically and militarily, since the 1991 demise of the Soviet Union, and even prior to that, drastic increases of common diseases in Russia have continued to occur. The causes for this are numerous and diverse, and the types of diseases being identified are often extremely contagious.
Common Diseases
There is no disputing that Russia, comparatively, is a very sick country, and the most common diseases in Russia are generally speaking, either preventable or curable. According to data from a 2014 World Health Organization report, the number of deaths in Russia caused by illnesses exceeded that of the U.S. by 54 percent.
Though coronary heart disease, strokes and HIV/AIDS claimed the most Russian lives in 2014, other common diseases in Russia include lung cancer, lung disease, liver disease, colon and rectum cancers, stomach cancer, pneumonia and different forms of influenza.
The country is also not estranged to seeing infectious diseases. As of 2017, some of the infectious diseases most affecting Russian citizens include typhoid fever, yellow fever, dengue fever, malaria, Rift Valley Fever as well as both hepatitis A and hepatitis E.
Causes and Analysis
Though the country has a socialized health care system that provides medical care to the majority of the population free of cost, it is highly underfunded, which has led to what is considered low-quality medical care by many developed nations and western societies. When attempting to understand the reasons behind the increase of common diseases in Russia, it is important to understand how changes in Russian politics slowly created a public health crisis. These changes took place before the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and only became increasingly worse following this event.
In the first four years following the fall of the Soviet Union, infant and maternal mortality rates increased substantially, life expectancy and fertility rates notably decreased and contagious diseases became widespread. According to a 1996 report published by the National Library of Congress, common diseases in Russia can be described as the result of the combination of environmental destruction through means including water and air pollution that were caused by the contamination of water and food products, specifically by mishaps involving nuclear development and improperly disposing radioactive material.
Among other things, the population is overcrowded, particularly in urban areas, which often produces substandard living conditions. There is generally widespread malnutrition due to an extremely disproportionate distribution of wealth in the Russian economy and high rates of alcoholism and tobacco usage. To make matters worse, there is a considerable lack of access to modern medical equipment and resources.
Long-Term Impacts
Although its effects may not be visible to the global community yet, public health in Russia is arguably one of the biggest threats to the country’s future survival as a population. The threat is creating a concern among many that, if the current trajectory is maintained, there will inevitably be noticeable population decreases, as such decreases have already begun.
Between 1993 and 2015, the Russian population saw a decrease from 149 million to 144 million; unfortunately considering the current health crisis, experts have estimated that, if trends continue, the population could be as low as 107 million by 2050.
– Hunter McFerrin
Photo: Flickr