Diseases and illnesses remain common problems in Azerbaijan. With the exception of residents of Baku (Azerbaijan’s capital), many Azerbaijanis lack access to healthcare services in rural areas. Common diseases in Azerbaijan affect many residents due to these conditions. However, efforts are being made to control the country’s disease outbreaks.
Digestive, nervous and circulatory system complications were among Azerbaijan’s top diseases in 2016. Syphilis, chickenpox, and other intestinal infections have become a growing problem in the country as well. Azerbaijan is also taking measures to reduce tuberculosis, diabetes, and other diseases in order to provide patients with better medical services.
Socioeconomic conditions and agricultural changes are factors that contribute to malaria outbreaks in Azerbaijan. In 2013, the country succeeded in preventing malaria transmissions and fulfilled Azerbaijan’s strategic plan for 2008-2013. Azerbaijan also adopted a national strategy to prevent malaria from re-entering the country.
Fifteen years ago in Azerbaijan, seven in every 1,000 residents were infected with tuberculosis. By 2016, the infection rate had dropped to one in every 1,000 residents. However, Azerbaijan is still working to end the tuberculosis epidemic that is especially prevalent in the country’s prisons.
Since Azerbaijan’s prisons are poorly ventilated and frequently crowded, the prisoners often lack prevention methods for tuberculosis. Azerbaijani prisoners are tested yearly for the disease. Prisoners who test positive are sent to a prison hospital for treatment and support. Theater groups are performing plays in the prisons to teach officers about tuberculosis risk factors as well.
Diabetic Azerbaijanis often face more challenges than the disease itself. In Azerbaijan, a diabetic person cannot qualify for welfare assistance unless the disease has physically disabled them. Also, many diabetic Azerbaijanis do not know what glycemic indexes are, and often buy foods that raise their blood sugar and insulin levels.
The Azerbaijan Diabetes Society (ADS), a branch of the International Diabetes Federation (IDC), is working to improve the lives of diabetic Azerbaijanis. ADS helped Azerbaijan establish seven schools with trained doctors and nurses. ADS also holds conferences with U.N. agencies on World Diabetes Day, acting as advocates for Azerbaijan’s diabetics.
Obesity is becoming highly prevalent in Azerbaijan’s adolescents. In 2015, 586 children registered as overweight–a rate of 23 children per every 100,000. The rate increased to 51 per 100,000 children in 2016. Azerbaijani children who live stationary lifestyles while consuming unhealthy foods and beverages are most at risk.
The country’s state services plan to utilize strategies for countering obesity and other common diseases in Azerbaijan. The state will also take practical measures to create opportunities and conditions that promote healthier lifestyles among the country’s people. Educational work to boost Azerbaijanis’ interest in responsible health practices will be implemented as well.
Educating Azerbaijan’s population on health risk factors could help more Azerbaijanis avoid diseases. Educating prisoners on health risks shows that the country is taking disease control seriously for all residents. With work in place to lower health risks among the country’s people, common diseases in Azerbaijan can continue to be countered.
– Rhondjé Singh Tanwar
Photo: Flickr
Common Diseases in Georgia
Ischemic Heart Disease
A condition characterized by narrowed heart arteries which reduce blood flow to the heart, ischemic heart disease can ultimately result in untimely heart attack. Also known as coronary artery disease, ischemic heart disease was assessed to be the most fatal of the common diseases in Georgia in 2005. By 2015, it was still the most fatal, and the prevalence of deaths by the disease had actually increased by 1.4 percent.
Cerebrovascular Disease
Cerebrovascular disease refers to disorders affecting blood flow to the brain. Such disorders often result in aneurysms, carotid stenosis, intracranial stenosis, vertebral stenosis, stroke and vascular malformations. In 2015, cerebrovascular disease was the second most fatal common disease in Georgia, and had been for the past decade. However, the disease had fortunately decreased in prevalence by 0.9 percent within those 10 years.
Hypertensive Heart Disease
Hypertensive heart disease is a disease of the heart that results from elevated blood pressure. In Georgia, hypertensive heart disease was the third most fatal disease in 2015. This is a drastic change from 2005, when it was only the fifth most common cause of death. The decade unfortunately saw a staggering 145.6 percent increase in prevalence of the disease.
As heart disease has been a consistently growing problem in the country, the Georgia Department of Public Health has decided to participate in the national public health initiative called Million Hearts. The organization’s primary goal is to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes.
Through partnerships with community organizations, local health departments and hospitals, the Georgia Department of Public Health is addressing heart disease and aiming to reach ambitious goals for improvement. If the Department of Public Health addresses ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease as well, surely these common diseases can also begin to see improvement in Georgia.
– Shannon Golden
Photo: Flickr
What Makes Effective Foreign Aid Policy?
1. Is this policy collaborative?
Effective foreign aid policy is always based around collaboration. Aid organizations and donor governments should constantly be in conversation with aid recipients. Recipients should be able to give feedback on which parts of the aid are working and which parts are not. Most importantly, the people receiving aid should be actively involved in making decisions about the distribution of aid. Collaborating with the people you are trying to help is common sense. People on the ground know better than anyone what will help them succeed and thrive. By making aid collaboration focused, recipients have a bigger stake in the outcomes of aid. They will fight to achieve whatever outcomes the NGO or donor government are working towards.
Aid policies are too often structured to the recipients of aid as passive objects, not active participants. But, as the American Enterprise Institute puts it, “collaboration seems virtually essential for a sustained engagement that brings benefits valued by all.”
2. Is this policy sustainable?
In recent years, many NGOs have adopted ‘band-aid’ policies when it comes to foreign aid. This type of policy includes things like giving out food and medicine to countries affected by disaster.
In the short term, this kind of aid is vital. But in the long term, it can be crippling. For example, after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, NGOs and governments mobilized to provide disaster relief. For the first few months after the earthquake, this aid saved thousands of lives. But now, seven years after the earthquake, many NGOs and governments are still providing disaster relief. For example, instead of helping the Haitian government build hospitals, NGOs treat people themselves. These ‘band-aid’ policies do not allow Haiti to become self-reliant. They focus too much on the present and lack vision for the future. The result is a Haitian economy that relies heavily on foreign aid.
The most effective foreign aid policy is top-down. Aid policies that focuses on broad, structural changes have the greatest impact. When deciding which foreign aid policy to subscribe to, consider its sustainability. Ask: will whatever service this policy provides be able to continue without support from the NGO or donor government? Is it focused on building sustainable structures of government, or just helping individual people? These questions will help you ascertain the sustainability of whatever policy you’re considering.
3. Is this policy transparent?
Transparency is a must for both NGOs and donor governments. They should always disclose the money put towards certain aid policies and how that money was spent. The NGOs and donor government initiatives you support should have clear benchmarks that are easily measurable and updated regularly. These acts of transparency put the power in the hands of both the recipients and supporters of aid policies. It assures accountability and maximizes the impact of the aid.
Did you answer yes to all these questions? If so, the policy you’re considering supporting is probably an effective foreign aid policy. So support it! Being an advocate for the global poor is both gratifying and deeply important work. Asking these questions ensures that the policies you end up advocating for do a world of good.
– Adesuwa Agbonile
Photo: Flickr
Common Diseases in Namibia
The leading cause of death in Namibia is HIV/AIDS, which killed about 4,300 people in 2016. With over 230,000 individuals living with HIV/AIDS, it is also the most common disease in Namibia. However, there has been a significant drop in HIV/AIDS deaths in Namibia since 2000, decreasing from 403 deaths (per 100,000) in 2000 to 159.1 (per 100,000) in 2012.
With a dispersed population of 2.4 million, most of Namibia’s inhabitants are rural dwellers, which means they have limited access to clean drinking water and sanitation. This puts the population at high risk for major infectious diseases. These are diseases such as malaria, bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever, which account for about 8.5 percent of deaths in Namibia.
Namibia is also struggling with cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, with heart disease accounting for 8.1 percent of deaths and diabetes accounting for 4.3 percent of deaths. In Namibia, obesity is also a problem, with the adult prevalence rate rising to 16.8 percent in 2016. These health complications are continuing to rise on the list of causes of death.
Fortunately, Namibia has shown significant progress in its health status. From 2000-2012, the life expectancy for both sexes increased by 9 years. Also, lower respiratory infections, preterm birth complications, and diarrheal diseases have significantly decreased as causes of death.
These common diseases in Namibia are wide-ranging, but improving over time with the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. Although HIV/AIDS is still a major problem in Namibia, many of the infected are able to manage and live with the disease. The progress made in the population’s health is remarkable and continues to improve.
– Kelly Hayes
Photo: Flickr
Common Diseases in Brunei
Ischemic Heart Disease
Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the most common disease in Brunei. When last measured in 2015, about 31.2 percent of people in Brunei suffered from this illness. IHD is a disease which decreases the flow of blood to the heart as a result of restricted arteries leading to the organ. This disease can cause severe chest pain and eventually heart attack if left untreated for an extended period.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
COPD is the fourth most common disease in Brunei. COPD is an umbrella term used to describe lung diseases including persistent bronchitis, asthma and emphysema. This disease is described by people who suffer from it as an increased feeling of breathlessness, wheezing and tightness in the chest.
One of the reasons for this disease being so common in Brunei is due to some people who smoke tobacco products on a regular basis in the nation. When last measured in 1988, around 20 percent of individuals over the age of 16 smoked tobacco products regularly. Even though this common disease in Brunei is preventable, many inhabitants of the nation choose to continue to smoke tobacco, making it difficult to decrease the prevalence of COPD.
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
CKD is the seventh most common disease in Brunei, and between 2005 and 2015 its prevalence increased a shocking 30.6 percent. CKD is a blanket term for a variety of illnesses that damage a person’s kidneys and decreases their ability to filter toxins from the blood. Without toxins being eliminated from the blood properly, people who suffer from CKD often develop complications like high blood pressure, anemia and nerve damage. If left untreated, this disease can lead to premature death.
The Takeaway
Highly developed nations often suffer from high rates of preventable disease. IHD, COPD and CKD are all common diseases in Brunei, which are all avoidable given an individual takes the proper steps to live an active and healthy lifestyle. With more information about these diseases being released on a daily basis, these common diseases in Brunei are sure to see a fall in the number of people they kill.
– Nicholas Beauchamp
Photo: Flickr
RANA: Improving Literacy Rates in Northern Nigeria
Northern Nigeria also lacks well-trained teachers and teaching materials, making it difficult to improve this problem. There is little parent involvement in schools, and the attendance at schools in the north each day is much lower than schools in the south.
The Nigeria Reading and Numeracy Activity (RANA) is working to change that. Their goal is to improve the literacy rates in northern Nigeria by providing long-term and far-reaching support for 200 schools.
RANA is working with schools to teach students to read in Hausa, a commonly spoken language in the northwest area of Nigeria. In its first year, 2016, RANA helped more than 500 teachers learn how to teach “an evidence-based reading methodology for Hausa.” Teachers also had check-ups each month with RANA’s trainers and got local support from their communities to help them improve literacy rates in northern Nigeria.
There are four main goals that RANA is focused on: “Aims to break every barrier to education access and quality; Invests in every teacher; Measures every outcome; and Connects every classroom.” Using Hausa as the primary teaching language makes it much easier for parents to engage, and teachers receive classroom materials written in Hausa to promote learning. Teachers can see their impact on students through the data that RANA collects, and they can share that success with other teachers through WhatsApp.
Local leaders, royalty and those in charge of the education system in northern Nigeria were encouraged to get involved in the movement as well. RANA’s goal was to promote “an environment conducive to reading that extends beyond the schools in which the project is being implemented.” With the support and understanding of leaders and the local communities, the mission to improve literacy rates in northern Nigeria became easier to accomplish.
The impact and success of RANA’s work have led to similar projects springing up in the area. Parents are encouraging their children to learn to read in Hausa by using RANA materials, and one community has even been photocopying the materials for use in their own schools.
RANA’s program has proven that improved literacy rates are possible in northern Nigeria, especially once communities come together and pay attention to the needs of their current students.
– Mackenzie Fielder
Common Diseases in Azerbaijan
Digestive, nervous and circulatory system complications were among Azerbaijan’s top diseases in 2016. Syphilis, chickenpox, and other intestinal infections have become a growing problem in the country as well. Azerbaijan is also taking measures to reduce tuberculosis, diabetes, and other diseases in order to provide patients with better medical services.
Socioeconomic conditions and agricultural changes are factors that contribute to malaria outbreaks in Azerbaijan. In 2013, the country succeeded in preventing malaria transmissions and fulfilled Azerbaijan’s strategic plan for 2008-2013. Azerbaijan also adopted a national strategy to prevent malaria from re-entering the country.
Fifteen years ago in Azerbaijan, seven in every 1,000 residents were infected with tuberculosis. By 2016, the infection rate had dropped to one in every 1,000 residents. However, Azerbaijan is still working to end the tuberculosis epidemic that is especially prevalent in the country’s prisons.
Since Azerbaijan’s prisons are poorly ventilated and frequently crowded, the prisoners often lack prevention methods for tuberculosis. Azerbaijani prisoners are tested yearly for the disease. Prisoners who test positive are sent to a prison hospital for treatment and support. Theater groups are performing plays in the prisons to teach officers about tuberculosis risk factors as well.
Diabetic Azerbaijanis often face more challenges than the disease itself. In Azerbaijan, a diabetic person cannot qualify for welfare assistance unless the disease has physically disabled them. Also, many diabetic Azerbaijanis do not know what glycemic indexes are, and often buy foods that raise their blood sugar and insulin levels.
The Azerbaijan Diabetes Society (ADS), a branch of the International Diabetes Federation (IDC), is working to improve the lives of diabetic Azerbaijanis. ADS helped Azerbaijan establish seven schools with trained doctors and nurses. ADS also holds conferences with U.N. agencies on World Diabetes Day, acting as advocates for Azerbaijan’s diabetics.
Obesity is becoming highly prevalent in Azerbaijan’s adolescents. In 2015, 586 children registered as overweight–a rate of 23 children per every 100,000. The rate increased to 51 per 100,000 children in 2016. Azerbaijani children who live stationary lifestyles while consuming unhealthy foods and beverages are most at risk.
The country’s state services plan to utilize strategies for countering obesity and other common diseases in Azerbaijan. The state will also take practical measures to create opportunities and conditions that promote healthier lifestyles among the country’s people. Educational work to boost Azerbaijanis’ interest in responsible health practices will be implemented as well.
Educating Azerbaijan’s population on health risk factors could help more Azerbaijanis avoid diseases. Educating prisoners on health risks shows that the country is taking disease control seriously for all residents. With work in place to lower health risks among the country’s people, common diseases in Azerbaijan can continue to be countered.
– Rhondjé Singh Tanwar
Photo: Flickr
Human Rights in Angola
Human rights in Angola suffered during 2016 due to government repression and the largest economic crisis since the civil war ended. The drop in oil prices was a primary factor in the crisis, which slowed growth for a decade, alongside exposing government corruption that had been present for years. Here are a few of the most prevalent human rights issues needing attention in Angora.
Freedom Of Media
Human rights in Angola continue to suffer due to the government’s control of the media. The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) is the ruling party in Angola, and the state run-media has proved itself to be highly biased toward portraying this party in a favorable way.
In 2016, a state television channel named TPA attempted to cover a story on civil society groups and opposition parties. However, government intervention switched the new tone of TPA back to a pro-MPLA bias. Blogs, social media and privately owned websites continue to be the central space for any ideas which oppose those of the ruling party.
The Justice System
Human rights in Angola continue to be held back due to an inadequate justice system. Often there are politically-influenced trials, new national security laws and slander charges which suppress human rights defenders in Angola. The Constitution of Angola states that these actions are illegal; however, due to the corruption of the MPLA, many fighting for human rights in Angola often become imprisoned.
Abuses By Security Forces
Human rights in Angola remain unimproved, in part because of abuses by the nation’s security forces. Use of excessive force is commonplace for citizens who oppose the government. On top of this, the corrupt justice system makes bringing these security forces to trial nearly impossible.
In April of 2016, police in the Huíla Province fired at a student demonstration taking place at Caluquembe. Due to the actions of these officers, three people were wounded and many others threatened with further violence. The police initially denied these actions, but when later pushed to confess, they still did not get charged with any crimes.
The Takeaway
Human rights in Angola are in an unfortunate state of affairs and have been ever since the 2016 economic crisis. This economic crisis exposes the government corruption taking place, further making the situation in the nation more volatile. However, continued action from human rights defenders and online groups may improve the situation for human rights in Angola.
– Nicholas Beauchamp
Photo: Flickr
The End of Lymphatic Filariasis in Tonga
Lymphatic filariasis is caused by a parasitic infection when filarial parasites are transmitted to humans and can become infectious through the bite of a mosquito. Most lymphatic filariasis cases are asymptomatic. While there are no external signs of infection, the parasites can damage the lymphatic system, kidneys and immune system. Eventually, the disease can become chronic and cause tissue swelling and skin or tissue thickening. This affects the limbs and genitalia.
Chronic infections of lymphatic filariasis cause severe disfigurement, pain and disability. This can cause people to lose their jobs and income. In addition, the social stigma associated with the disfigurement can lead to depression and anxiety.
Lymphatic filariasis has been prevalent in Tonga since the 20th century, and it has taken decades of work to eliminate the disease. In the 1950s the prevalence rate of lymphatic filariasis in Tonga was close to 50 percent. The disease incidence steadily decreased in the 1970s and 1980s as the Ministry of Health administered mass drugs throughout the country. Doctors administered two doses of medicine annually to the at-risk population. This drug reduces the amount of parasite in the bloodstream of an infected person, which prevents the spread of the parasite by mosquitoes. For these drugs to be successful in eliminating a disease they must be administered to the same population every year or four to six years. These treatments reached a coverage ranging between 81 percent and 92 percent.
Tonga’s efforts were so successful due to the continuous and focused work of their Ministry of Health. In addition, there was strong financial support from other donors and partners who contributed drugs and educational resources. Tongan communities also played a significant role in the reduction of the disease; they were willing to take the drugs and work through different treatment programs for disabilities.
The incidence of lymphatic filariasis in Tonga is now less than one percent. Over the last five years, several independent experts analyzed the incidence of the disease through three transmission assessment surveys. Tonga must continue these surveys for the next five to ten years to ensure that the disease is not reintroduced.
– Sarah Denning
Photo: Flickr
Business Ideas to Help Alleviate Global Poverty
The Unreasonable Group brings together for-profit enterprises seeking social change and connects investors to their initiatives. The Group’s main goals in this endeavor are clearly stated, they are: to increase the flow of investment dollars to these initiatives, to accelerate the rapid-growth of effective entrepreneurial solutions, to establish public-private relationships between the world’s largest institutions and the most impactful entrepreneurs and to see a short and long term measurable impact for millions of people’s lives through these companies. The group’s goals are all framed around helping achieve the U.N’s Global Goals, signed two years ago, and which have a concrete deadline of 2030.
In 2015, 193 countries signed onto a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals at the United Nations which strive to achieve several ends. These include ending global poverty and global hunger, ensuring good health and wellbeing for all, fighting inequality and tackling climate change. Under these 17 goals, the U.N. outlines 169 concrete targets for the 193 signatories to be achieved by 2030; they are also actively keeping track of work done so far and further outlining what is still needed.
At the first Unreasonable Goals Global Event Summit this year, there were several presentations of business ideas to help alleviate poverty that ranged from mobile health applications to clean water start-ups. One notable pitch was that of CEO Emily Stone of Uncommon Cacao. In her presentation, she claimed that 90 percent of cacao farmers are locked in poverty, earning a mere $2 per day; the mass consumption of cheap chocolate bars across the world, especially developed nations, perpetuates this situation. Her company, then, seeks to combat the commodification of the cacao supply chain by paying more directly to the farmers for better quality chocolate and thus helping lift them out of poverty.
The Unreasonable Group is demonstrating how achieving the U.N’s goals and constructing a better world is not solely in the hands of governments. By empowering entrepreneurs with business ideas to help alleviate global poverty they are softening the burden on centralized authorities and helping to catalyze the achievement of the sustainable development goals.
– Alan Garcia-Ramos
Photo: Flickr
Altering Cognitive Dissonance About Global Poverty
According to Merriam Webster, cognitive dissonance is defined as a “psychological conflict resulting from incongruous beliefs and attitudes held simultaneously.” An individual who experiences cognitive dissonance often feels discomfort and the need to restore a sense of balance to oneself when experiencing this inner conflict, often resulting in compromising either one’s attitude or behavior. This is often demonstrated in the context of ending global poverty; many people have the means to allot portions of their income toward helping the world’s poor but instead use it for personal use such as luxurious commodities.
Have humans psychologically evolved in a way that makes it impossible to be holistically altruistic? While deciding on how one’s money is spent comes down to a conscious choice, the way one’s brain ciphers through priorities to make that choice is a fairly complex process called “psychic numbing.” Ultimately, this process makes humans prioritize resources based on immediacy and the gravity of a need. While some may feel compelled to contribute to local issues of poverty such as homelessness or poor school systems, purifying the drinking water of children overseas surely is not a top priority for most when deciding on how to spend money.
Another psychological obstacle many experience associated with cognitive dissonance about global poverty is the intimidation the problem poses; the threat of global poverty is so expansive many feel that not much can be done to tackle such a substantial issue. In reality, sacrificing nonessential goods and services can save lives.
Although global issues do not carry much weight for individuals on an everyday basis, there are strategies to counter cognitive dissonance about global poverty. For example, using personal anecdotes from those who live in poverty-stricken countries is an effective way to compel people to donate. Real world examples make it harder for people to use denial to rationalize spending $200 on a luxurious evening versus using it toward healing a sick infant from a preventable disease. If one’s attitude towards downsizing global poverty aligns with the behavior of giving, the cognitive dissonance about global poverty one may feel ceases.
– Kaitlin Hocker
Photo: Flickr