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10 Facts About Beninese Refugees

10 Facts About Benin Refugees
Benin is a French-speaking West African nation, home to the Vodun (Voodoo) religion, established in 1960. Benin is a country in which Beninese have fled their own country to seek asylum in other countries, while also accepting refugees from neighboring countries. Here are 10 facts about Beninese refugees:

  1. The Beninese government cooperates with the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other humanitarian organizations in assisting refugees and asylum seekers on their rights and basic needs within Benin.
  2. U.N. agencies in Benin joined efforts with the Beninese government to provide refugee-hosting families with assistance and to reinforce social infrastructures such as schools and health facilities for the new arrivals.
  3. In 2016, 710 people fled Benin and applied for asylum in other countries. This corresponds to approximately 0.007 percent of all residents of Benin.
  4. The most desired destination countries for Beninese refugees to flee have been Italy, Germany and the United States. The most successful refugees from Benin have been in Canada and in Italy.
  5. Refugees have put in applications for asylum in Italy, Germany, the United States, France, Belgium, Brazil, South Africa, Canada, Austria, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Egypt, Spain and Morocco. However, overall, 96 percent of these asylum applications have been rejected.

While many Beninese people left Benin, many people have also sought out Benin to seek asylum from their own countries.

  1. More than 200,000 Togolese (from Togo in West Africa) have gone into exile, while most reached neighboring countries such as Ghana and Benin seeking asylum.
  2. After the recent election in Togo, a total of 26,154 people left Togo and sought asylum in Ghana and Benin, according to the United Nations.
  3. Due to the influx of Togolese refugees into Benin, the country urged the international community to send $6.5 million in aid.
  4. According to the United Nations, most of the refugees in Benin are “living with family and friends, with UNHCR providing transport for new arrivals who wish to stay with relatives.”
  5. In 2015, there were 530 refugees in Benin, which was a drastic drop from prior years.

The mid-2000s brought a surge of Togolese refugees into Benin, while at the same time some Beninese sought asylum in other countries. As of 2016, the number of refugees in Benin had drastically dropped and continues to stay at a low amount. These 10 facts about Beninese refugees show how political situations affect a number of asylum seekers.

– Stefanie Podosek

Photo: Flickr

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Common Diseases in Luxembourg

Common Diseases in Luxembourg

Sandwiched between France and Germany, the small nation of Luxembourg is home to nearly 600,000 citizens. Health for the Luxembourgish people is mostly moderate, straying from the norms of Europe very little. However, common diseases in Luxembourg still take their toll on the population, and are more than attention-worthy.

A World Health Organization (WHO) report from 2004 begins by asserting that boys and girls born in Luxembourg can expect to live as long as any other child in Europe. In other words, the life-expectancy averages are very close. The report also notes that Luxembourg’s first-year-of-life mortality rate is among the lowest in Europe.

Common diseases in Luxembourg, as of the 2004 report, include noncommunicable diseases like heart disease, cancer, and cerebrovascular disease.

According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, cerebrovascular disease refers to diseases in which part of the brain is affected by irregular blood flow (“cerebro” meaning “of the large part of the brain” and “vascular” meaning “of the arteries and veins”).

Of these diseases, ischemic stroke is the most common, and occurs when a blockage prevents blood flow to the brain. Victims of this type of attack can usually expect to feel dizzy or nauseated, can feel confused, have abnormal speech, loss of vision, and even experience unusually severe headaches.

Women in particular struggle the most with cerebrovascular diseases in Luxembourg; in fact, women “die from this cause twice as often between 25 and 64 years as women in [the rest of Europe].”

Contributors to cerebrovascular disease include unpreventable circumstances, like age, as well as things that can at least be somewhat controlled, like high blood pressure and smoking. One-third of Luxembourg men and one-fourth of women smoke, one of the highest rates in Europe.

However, cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in Luxembourg.

The American Heart Association states that the most common effect of cardiovascular disease is a heart attack. This occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to part of the heart. If this obstruction blocks blood flow completely, the part of the heart muscle which the artery connects to will begin to die.

Other types of cardiovascular disease include arrhythmia (irregular rhythm of the heart) and heart failure (when the heart cannot pump enough blood).

The current numbers show signs of improvement against the common diseases in Luxembourg. As of 2015, more than ten years later, health has improved in the small European nation. Life expectancy has jumped up to 80 in men and 84 in women, an increase of a few years each.

Cerebrovascular disease has also fallen off, dropping below Alzheimer’s disease, seeing a 25.4 percent decrease between 2005 and 2015. Ischemic heart disease has also seen an improvement, dropping by 22.5 percent in the same time frame.

– Stephen Praytor

Photo: Google

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Tourism Holds Hope for Dominica Poverty Rate

Dominica Poverty Rate

The Dominica poverty rate has always been high, but in recent years with changes in the banana industry, the poverty rate has increased. There are very few wealthy Dominicans and there are no huge income gaps making Dominica one of the poorest countries of the Eastern Caribbean. But tourism to the country may be one solution that can decrease the poverty rate.

The area that is most affected by poverty in Dominica is the northern rural areas where agriculture is the main source of income. In these rural areas, one in every two households is poor. There is also a small urban class of people, which is made up of professionals and civil servants, who are considered middle class while the rest are working class. For the island as a whole, the unemployment rate has reached an estimated 20 percent.

This increase of unemployed people has to do with the decline of banana production. The decrease in banana production partly has to do with large agricultural businesses choosing suppliers in South American countries and getting bananas for a cheaper price. At the height of the banana industry, banana farmers in Dominica were producing 72,000 tons. That number has since dwindled to 12,000 tons of bananas being produced, with banana farmers barely able to cover costs.

With banana production so low, the Dominican government has been looking at other ways to boost the country’s economy. Tourism is being touted as a new solution since the island has beautiful views of waterfalls, rainforests, coral reefs and volcanic sites. Today, tourism contributes more than 30 percent of the country’s foreign exchange earnings while banana production only contributes 10 percent.

But Dominica has a long way to go to increase its economy and decrease the poverty rate. The government needs to protect the island’s ecosystem since that is the draw for tourists. Protection of the island’s ecosystem includes creating and supporting sustainable development and energy systems, having water quality management and deforestation prevention. With these plans set in place, the Dominica poverty rate will be able to decrease once the economy improves.

– Deanna Wetmore

Photo: Flickr

8 Facts About the Poverty Rate in Norway

Poverty Rate in Norway
Norway, officially known as the Kingdom of Norway, is located between Finland, Russia, Skagerrak and Denmark. With a population of over 5.2 million people, Norway is a member of the European Economic Area. Norway is the world’s fifth-largest oil exporter and is considered to be one of the richest countries in Europe. Below are eight facts about the poverty rate in Norway.

8 Facts About the Poverty Rate in Norway

  1. Norway had an unemployment rate of 4.4 percent in 2016 and was ranked 48th on a list of worldwide unemployment rates. The rate dropped 0.2 percent from 2015 to 2016.
  2. Although Norway is considered to be a wealthy country, 7.5 percent of the population still lives below the poverty line.
  3. The richest 10 percent of the population in Norway controls 21.2 percent of the entire nation’s wealth. The poorest 10 percent of the population controls only 3.8 percent of the whole country’s wealth.
  4. Norway lowered its oil prices in 2015, which caused an increase in the country’s unemployment rate and slowed down the growth of its GDP in 2016.
  5. Many immigrants in Norway live in poverty. According to recent research, 36 percent of immigrant children live in poverty in Norway, while only five percent of children with Norwegian parents do.
  6. The main cause of poverty among immigrants is that many immigrants are unable to apply their education and work experience they gain from their home country to their new careers in Norway.
  7. The poverty among children is a direct cause of lower education rates. Most immigrant children end up failing at the workplace and struggling with the same poverty problem.
  8. Norway’s government has expressed a willingness to increase public spending from the sovereign wealth fund to help prevent a recession.

Although Norway is considered to be one of the wealthiest countries in Europe, poverty is still a problem in the country, especially among immigrants. The Norwegian government will need to pay more attention to immigrants’ living conditions in the future in order to make changes and reduce the poverty rate in Norway.

– Mike Liu

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Supporting Development Through Economic Stability

Development Through Economic StabilityThe U.S. currently sends more than half of its exports to developing countries. Supporting development through economic stability in these nations, as well as at home, has become crucial.  With more of these exports going to developing countries, supporting economic development in these struggling areas is symbiotic, as reducing poverty creates opportunities for all.

Fostering development and reducing poverty in these countries can go hand-in-hand with supporting business domestically. Thus, the action both in the U.S. business and political communities has begun.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce staunchly supports an international affairs budget known as the “Function 150” account. This account, representing less than 1 percent of the U.S. federal budget, funds diplomatic advocacy for policies that open markets to foreign and U.S. business.

The Effect Of International Aid

This form of aid works to stabilize foreign economies through trade. It allows the U.S. to provide not only funding for global development, but also an incorporation of these developing countries into the U.S. market.

By relying more on the U.N. and NGOs for health, education and humanitarian programs, USAID can focus on multilateral development banks to foster structural economic programs. Diplomatic support for these programs in developing nations, which consume more than 50 percent of U.S. exports, will help sustain the U.S. economy as well as stabilize struggling foreign economies.

Economic stability is a vital piece of the development and sustainability agenda that Congress has been putting into place for years now. Although it is not the only solution, funding international economic stability can reduce poverty by promoting business and providing jobs both internationally and domestically.

The Plan For The Future

On March 13, 2017, an executive order for a Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing gave the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 360 days to present a plan to the president.

By June 30, all federal agencies were to submit a drafted plan to the OMB and by the fall to include such plans in their 2019 budget submissions.

A reorganization of the national budget allows for the creation of an independent cabinet-level department for the international budget that would emphasize multilateral development banks as one of the vital aspects of international sustainable development. This department would allow funding to be allocated in whatever direction the donor wanted.

By supporting development through domestic and international reform and reorganization can not only promote global economic and trade opportunities, but also reduce poverty through economic business trade. It is the promotion of development through economic stability.

– Tucker Hallowell
Photo: Flickr

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Growing Issue of Sepsis in Poor Countries

SepsisSepsis is a growing global threat according to the World Health Organization. While it is receiving more and more attention since it is the leading cause of death in intensive care units in high-income countries, sepsis in poor countries has the most severe impact.

Sepsis is a life-threatening illness that results from infection and causes the body’s organs to shut down. Some common symptoms are a high temperature, high heart rate and trouble breathing, on top of an infection.

The incidence of sepsis is on the rise in high-income countries. The United States experiences 750,000 cases of sepsis a year, and in Germany, sepsis is the third-leading cause of death and results in 60,000 deaths a year.

Although these numbers are concerning and certainly deserve attention, sepsis in poor countries is actually a greater problem. Poor living conditions, malnutrition and a high prevalence of infections exacerbate the problem of sepsis in poor countries.

Experts have limited data exploring sepsis in poor countries, but reports show that the standard of care differs greatly across lower and middle-income countries compared to high-income countries. One example looks at the tropical infection meliodosis, which often presents with sepsis and is endemic in an area with both low and high-income countries. The fatality rate for meliodosis with severe sepsis was 50 percent in Singapore versus 90 percent in a Thai clinical trial.

One way international experts are attempting to deal with sepsis is through the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) guidelines, which include recommendations on measures to both prevent and treat sepsis. However, implementing the recommendations requires certain resources that may be found in high-income countries but are often missing in middle and low-income countries.

Sepsis is a growing problem overall. Experts estimate the financial burden to be more than $24 billion, and it is even higher in developing countries. Another way that global health experts are tackling sepsis is through organizations like the Sepsis Alliance, a nonprofit that seeks to understand and treat sepsis better.

The presence of organizations like the Sepsis Alliance is an important step forward, but officials must especially focus on reducing the problem of sepsis in lower-income countries, which account for most of the problem and currently are receiving the least help.

– Lauren Mcbride
Photo: Flickr

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7 Ways the FAO is Tackling Hunger in Palau

Hunger in PalauFor 18 years, the Republic of Palau, an island country in Micronesia, has worked with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to improve the lives of families living below the poverty line. Together, the government and the FAO are combatting hunger in Palau in the following ways.

7 Ways the FAO is Tackling Hunger in Palau

Palau first partnered with the FAO in 1999. The cooperation between the country and the FAO to reduce hunger has helped increase the production and productivity of farming systems and contributes primarily to supporting local food production.

    1. Country Programming Framework- The FAO (CPF) for Palau focuses on improving food security and developing sustainable agricultural and fisheries systems.  It emphasizes empowering the farmers, promoting agritourism and building resilience to climate change. 
    2. Local Crops- The FAO focuses on cultivating traditional crops like taro, cassava, sweet potato, banana and coconut to support local food production. Most of the harvest feeds the families and the country’s small commercial sub-sector in local markets and farms.
    3. Fishery Systems- The FAO is promoting the development of fishery systems through the Fish Aggregating Device program. It provides training on fishery techniques and safety. It also helps research yellow tuna fishing and thus helps strengthen local communities. 
    4. Training- The FAO regularly holds training events in Palau to target agriculture and domestic farming practices. Participants receive training in fundamental farm financial analysis and recordkeeping. They are also trained to be able to advise smaller local farmers in terms of marketing. 
    5. Agrotouristry- The FAO incorporates traditional agricultural practices with tourism and promotes local food heritage. This helps preserve the cultural traditions and improve the economic conditions of the local farmers. 
    6. Formation of Farmers Association– The FAO has helped establish the Farmers’ Association, which has increased cooperation among the local farmers. It also facilitates partnerships between the farmers and other stakeholders and creates new opportunities for the farmers. 
    7. Climate Resilience- The FAO promotes a sustainable land use system- agroforestry, in Palau. The initiative aims to restore degraded lands and improve soil quality.  Hence, it builds climate resilience in the community. 

Through its partnership with the FAO, the government and local agricultural workers are making strides towards improving livelihoods in Palau. The progress achieved so far has led to enhanced food security in the country, contributing to reduced hunger in Palau. 

– Olivia Cyr and Maria Waleed

Photo: Unsplash

Updated: July 10, 2024

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The 5 Deadliest Common Diseases in Dominica

Common Diseases in Dominica
Home to a smoking lake and built atop an underwater volcano, Dominica is a small island to the southeast of Puerto Rico. The island is in relatively good health compared to its Caribbean neighbors, but that does not mean that disease is not prevalent on the island. Below are five of the deadliest common diseases in Dominica.

The 5 Deadliest Common Diseases in Dominica

  1. Cardiovascular Disease
    Cardiovascular disease covers many different diseases. Coronary artery disease, strokes and hypertensive heart disease all fall under this umbrella. While not communicable, heart disease is still the number one cause of death globally. In Dominica the main contributors to cardiovascular disease are smoking, poor diet and high stress levels.
  2. Diabetes
    Diabetes is a condition that can be either hereditary (Type I) or contracted (Type II). It’s the body losing its ability to create insulin to keep up with high levels of glucose in the bloodstream. Type II Diabetes, the most common form, is usually more prevalent in more developed nations due to diets high in sugars and carbohydrates.
  3. Lower Respiratory Infections
    Just like cardiovascular disease, lower respiratory infections are prevalent worldwide, accounting for more than 3 percent of all deaths globally in 2012. Luckily, in Dominica, lower respiratory infection mortality has decreased by 3 percent in the last decade.
  4. Prostate Cancer
    Prostate cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in Dominica. It’s estimated that one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his life. It’s one of the leading causes of death among men worldwide. It’s also one of the fastest-growing diseases. From 1990 to 2013, Dominica experienced a 105 percent increase in prostate cancer deaths.
  5. Chronic Kidney Disease
    Also known as kidney failure is the gradual shut down of the kidneys. As the kidneys stop working, fluids and excess salts build up in the body and as a last resort, patients are put on dialysis to filter out said salts. Diabetes and kidney disease are closely related, and both are related to diet. In the last decade, there’s been an 80 percent spike in deaths associated with kidney disease.

While this list isn’t exhaustive, it does run very nearly parallel to the most deadly diseases worldwide. What does that mean for Dominica? Nearly all of the most common diseases in Dominica are related in some way to diet and therefore preventable. Until breakthroughs are made in food science and medicine, these diseases will continue to plague Dominica and the world.

– Thomas James Anania

Photo: Flickr

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Common Diseases in Sudan

Common Diseases in Sudan
Sudan is an East African country that has been embroiled in civil wars for several decades, leading to its split with South Sudan in 2011. The long period of instability in the country has contributed to conditions that encourage the spread of communicable diseases, which are some of the most common diseases in Sudan.

Most Common Diseases in Sudan

  1. Yellow Fever – Yellow fever is a common virus found in tropical areas of South America and Africa. Transmitted to an individual through the bite of an infected mosquito, yellow fever ranks as one of the most common diseases in Sudan. Symptoms include influenza-like symptoms such as a fever, chills, severe headache, back pain, general body aches, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and weakness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Severe cases can lead to internal bleeding and failure of major organs. Sudan is listed as one of the thirty countries in Africa with a high risk of yellow fever.
  2. Rift Valley Fever – From 2007 to 2010, a major outbreak of Rift Valley fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease, was recorded in Sudan. Standing water from unusual flooding allowed for infected mosquito eggs to lie dormant. Infected mosquitos also feed on livestock, which can pass the disease to humans through infected blood and meat. The Rift Valley fever outbreak devastated Sudanese agricultural communities, leading to an almost 100 percent mortality rate among young animals and high pregnancy failures among child-bearing livestock. According to the CDC, nearly 75,000 people were infected with the disease over the course of three years. Symptoms include fever and liver irregularities, but severe cases can cause hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis or ocular disease.
  3. Guinea Worm Disease – One of the most geographically specific and common diseases in Sudan is Guinea worm disease. The infection, caused by the parasite Dracunculus medinensis, the Guinea worm, is spread by drinking water containing worm larvae. Guinea worm disease highly affects poor communities in Sudan that have little access to clean drinking water. Once ingested, over the course of a year, larvae grow into full-size adults within a human’s digestive tract. Within 24 to 72 hours after reaching full-size, the infected person develops blisters on their hands or feet, out of which the worm eventually emerges. Based on research by the CDC, there is applicable treatment of Guinea worm disease and no vaccine for prevention.
  4. Meningococcal Meningitis – Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial disease that causes an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. It is a respiratory disease transmitted from person to person by close and prolonged contact resulting from crowded living conditions. Sudan lies in the region of sub-Saharan Africa referred to as the “Meningitis Belt,” where the highest rate of meningococcal meningitis occurs throughout the continent. Symptoms can include a stiff neck, high fever, headaches and vomiting. The CIA World Factbook listed Sudan as a country at very high risk of infection.
  5. Malaria – Transmitted to humans through the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito, malaria ranks as one of the most common diseases in Sudan. With cases recorded in all regions of Sudan, the risk of contracting the disease is extremely high. According to the CDC, symptoms of malaria include fever, chills and flu-like illness. Severe cases can end in death. In 2015, a confirmed 586,827 cases of the disease were treated. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, including unreported cases, there were 1,400,000 total. Estimated deaths total around 3,500.
  6. HIV/AIDS – Based on research conducted by the CDC, human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) affect an estimated 35 million people worldwide, with more than two-thirds of those living in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015, 25 percent of adults in Sudan were living with HIV/AIDS, according to the CIA World Factbook. HIV/AIDS is most often spread through unprotected intercourse but can be contracted by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person. Symptoms are often flu-like and can progress to severe cases that can be fatal. HIV/AIDS ranks as an extremely common disease in Sudan today.

Despite the country’s high risk of contracting an infectious disease, work is being done to combat issues related to health and sanitation. The World Health Organization, in coordination with the Sudanese Ministry of Health, is taking action, such as expanding cholera emergency responses to lower future risk and training health workers in disease detection.

– Riley Bunch

Photo: Flickr

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Water Quality in Grenada is Improving

Water Quality in Grenada
Grenada is a developing island nation that resides in the southeastern Caribbean Sea. The country is made up of six smaller islands in addition to the main island of Grenada. The country depends heavily on the agricultural sector to maintain its economy. It is well known for its nutmeg and mace crops, which are sold all throughout the world. However, limited access to drinking water has made the water quality in Grenada see a decline in recent years.

The Issue of Water Access In Grenada

Growing periods of dry spells and overuse of water in Grenada has led to dropping groundwater levels. This has allowed the salt water surrounding Grenada to permeate the water layers on the island. The effect of this has been the reduction of the water quality in Grenada. Consequently, this pollution from seawater has made much of the water in the nation unusable for agriculture.

In addition to the continued pollution of the nation’s water supply, rising sea levels have resulted in an erosion of the coasts. Worse yet, hurricanes passing through the region disrupt the agricultural sector and destroy critical infrastructure that the country needs to survive.

Because Grenada depends on tourism and agriculture to maintain its economy, polluted water supply has continued to create negative economic consequences.

Possible Solutions

In conjunction with Germany’s Federal Development Agency (GiZ) and the International Climate Initiative (IKI), the water quality in Grenada has begun to improve. These organizations have partnered up with the government of Grenada to teach locals how to deepen wells and construct more sophisticated irrigation systems to ensure they will have water for the future. All of this work happens alongside education of the locals about preserving water in the water-intensive industry of tourism.

Looking Towards The Future

Although pollution continues to impact many around the world, water quality in Grenada should improve in coming years. With the help of the GiZ and IKI, the government of Grenada has a clear path to address the issue of declining levels of water in their nation. As long as they continue the plan they have created, Grenada is sure to get past this matter they are addressing.

– Nick Beauchamp

Photo: Flickr