As the recent host of Expo 2017, Kazakhstan continues to show positive potential for economic development, a concept once thought to be as foreign as independence. Despite its relatively new presence in the global market, the Kazakhstan poverty rate has consistently been improving.
Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country of around 17 million people, is familiar with economic strife. In 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan gained independence from the communist regime. However, independence came with the cost of creating a new system of government, a new economic foundation, and a post-Soviet culture. As a result, the Kazakhstan poverty rate became a severe problem during the transition.
After the Soviet Union’s loss of control over the land, those who had once worked for the Soviets were now without employment. Many others saw opportunities for employment due to the country’s need for leadership and government work, like social services. It was those in agrarian communities that suffered the most during this transition, because they did not have access to the benefits and employment opportunities in the more urbanized regions. The Kazakhstan poverty rate was unstable as the country began establishing its own presence in the international community.
Fortunately for the Kazakhstanis, the tensions of the post-Soviet period did not last. Since the early 1990s, Kazakhstan has been and is continuing to experience notable economic growth, with much of the success being credited to the mineral and oil-rich areas of the country. In the last few decades, the majority of years have seen increased economic activity and consistent rises in the national GDP (gross domestic product). According to some analysts, the poverty rate was cut in half during the late 1990s and early 2000s and the national GDP saw upwards of 500 percent growth.
However, it is equally important to note that while economically the country is experiencing numerically positive transformations as a whole, the rich-poor gap is a real problem, leading to millions of Kazakhstanis still making less than half of those in the capital city, Astana. In 1996, the World Bank estimated a third of Kazakhstanis to have lived on less than the subsistence minimum, or a working minimum wage.
As of 2017, the World Bank is projecting an accelerated economic growth pattern in light of higher oil prices and an increase in production. It is expected that the country will see about a 3 percent growth per year in the over the next three years as the oil industry continues to recover from recent recessions. Now, the Asian Development Bank estimates that only 2.7 percent of Kazakhstanis are living below the national poverty line, one of the lowest rates in Central and West Asia.
Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev and other Kazakh leadership are aware of the current state of poverty and its loosening grasp on Kazakhstan. Since breaking from the Soviets, President Nazarbayev’s concentration has been on stabilizing the country’s economy and composing it in a way that allows future growth to come naturally. Legislation has aided Nazarbayev’s vision by cutting taxes and relaxing trade restrictions to spark international interests.
According to a recent U.N. Development Programme report, unemployment and low income remain the primary causes of poverty in Kazakhstan. The World Bank has reported in the last year that one of the least utilized, but most promising, economic activity generators lies where the most impoverished lie, too – the agricultural industry. It is estimated that about 15 percent of Kazakhstan remains unused arable land. The benefits of engaging this natural resource would directly address the issues of unemployment and would also aid in diversifying the country’s economy. Even though the Siberian climate remains unpredictable and potentially harsh, the agricultural industry still outpaces the rest of the economy.
Other industries, such as tourism, are currently being fostered. Astana and other oil-rich cities are attracting intense focus for urban development. In addition to recently hosting Expo 2017 in September, the cities’ development has been primarily about turning the sparsely populated country into a hotspot for tourists in that area of the world. For example, the Khan Shatyr shopping center was built with an enclosed beach on the property, so users can enjoy the amenity even during the infamous Siberian winter months.
With a perspective considering both the past Soviet control and the hope for a future of market-savvy presence, Kazakhstan is taking steps towards eradicating poverty within its borders. Since gaining independence, the country’s leadership has consistently made strides toward utilizing its available resources as a means to make progress for all Kazakhstanis. As the oil industry continues to grow, and as Kazakhstan earns its place on the map of energy producers, it is likely that poverty’s grasp will continue to loosen.
– Taylor Elkins
Photo: Google
The Kazakhstan Poverty Rate and Its Steady Decline
Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country of around 17 million people, is familiar with economic strife. In 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan gained independence from the communist regime. However, independence came with the cost of creating a new system of government, a new economic foundation, and a post-Soviet culture. As a result, the Kazakhstan poverty rate became a severe problem during the transition.
After the Soviet Union’s loss of control over the land, those who had once worked for the Soviets were now without employment. Many others saw opportunities for employment due to the country’s need for leadership and government work, like social services. It was those in agrarian communities that suffered the most during this transition, because they did not have access to the benefits and employment opportunities in the more urbanized regions. The Kazakhstan poverty rate was unstable as the country began establishing its own presence in the international community.
Fortunately for the Kazakhstanis, the tensions of the post-Soviet period did not last. Since the early 1990s, Kazakhstan has been and is continuing to experience notable economic growth, with much of the success being credited to the mineral and oil-rich areas of the country. In the last few decades, the majority of years have seen increased economic activity and consistent rises in the national GDP (gross domestic product). According to some analysts, the poverty rate was cut in half during the late 1990s and early 2000s and the national GDP saw upwards of 500 percent growth.
However, it is equally important to note that while economically the country is experiencing numerically positive transformations as a whole, the rich-poor gap is a real problem, leading to millions of Kazakhstanis still making less than half of those in the capital city, Astana. In 1996, the World Bank estimated a third of Kazakhstanis to have lived on less than the subsistence minimum, or a working minimum wage.
As of 2017, the World Bank is projecting an accelerated economic growth pattern in light of higher oil prices and an increase in production. It is expected that the country will see about a 3 percent growth per year in the over the next three years as the oil industry continues to recover from recent recessions. Now, the Asian Development Bank estimates that only 2.7 percent of Kazakhstanis are living below the national poverty line, one of the lowest rates in Central and West Asia.
Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev and other Kazakh leadership are aware of the current state of poverty and its loosening grasp on Kazakhstan. Since breaking from the Soviets, President Nazarbayev’s concentration has been on stabilizing the country’s economy and composing it in a way that allows future growth to come naturally. Legislation has aided Nazarbayev’s vision by cutting taxes and relaxing trade restrictions to spark international interests.
According to a recent U.N. Development Programme report, unemployment and low income remain the primary causes of poverty in Kazakhstan. The World Bank has reported in the last year that one of the least utilized, but most promising, economic activity generators lies where the most impoverished lie, too – the agricultural industry. It is estimated that about 15 percent of Kazakhstan remains unused arable land. The benefits of engaging this natural resource would directly address the issues of unemployment and would also aid in diversifying the country’s economy. Even though the Siberian climate remains unpredictable and potentially harsh, the agricultural industry still outpaces the rest of the economy.
Other industries, such as tourism, are currently being fostered. Astana and other oil-rich cities are attracting intense focus for urban development. In addition to recently hosting Expo 2017 in September, the cities’ development has been primarily about turning the sparsely populated country into a hotspot for tourists in that area of the world. For example, the Khan Shatyr shopping center was built with an enclosed beach on the property, so users can enjoy the amenity even during the infamous Siberian winter months.
With a perspective considering both the past Soviet control and the hope for a future of market-savvy presence, Kazakhstan is taking steps towards eradicating poverty within its borders. Since gaining independence, the country’s leadership has consistently made strides toward utilizing its available resources as a means to make progress for all Kazakhstanis. As the oil industry continues to grow, and as Kazakhstan earns its place on the map of energy producers, it is likely that poverty’s grasp will continue to loosen.
– Taylor Elkins
Photo: Google
Common Diseases in Andorra
Ischemic Heart Disease
One of the most common diseases in Andorra is ischemic heart disease (IHD). IHD occurs when blood flow is restricted in the body and arteries in the heart become narrowed. When heart arteries are narrowed, the victims of this disease have less blood transported to the heart and can ultimately lead to a heart attack.
About 22 percent of Andorrans suffer from IHD, and it is the leading preventable cause of death in Andorra. The disease has become more prevalent in recent years due to increased economic prosperity, allowing people to live a more sedentary lifestyle. In fact, there has been a 43 percent increase in the past twenty years of the occurrence of IHD.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the third most common disease in Andorra. The disease is an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that start off in the lungs and has the potential to spread to other regions of the body. This spread can compromise other organs in the body, leading to death. Currently, six percent of Andorrans suffer from lung cancer, which is a 36 percent increase from when it was last measured in 1990.
Andorra suffers from this disease due to preventable actions. About 44 percent of males and 28 percent of females in Andorra smoke tobacco products on a regular basis, which is one of the leading causes of lung cancer. Even though the knowledge about the dangers of this disease are well-documented and known throughout the country, many individuals do not take the proper actions to avoid lung cancer.
Diabetes
Due to the economic prosperity of Andorra, food is easily available in the country, often leading to diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that affects a person’s ability to produce or use insulin. This inability to use insulin can cause a surplus of blood sugar in the body. Prolonged exposure to increased levels of blood sugar causes a person suffering from diabetes to risk getting kidney disease, heart disease and blindness.
Currently, three percent of Andorrans suffer from diabetes. Similarly to lung cancer, although many know of the risks associated with diabetes, many individuals do not take the proper actions to avoid the disease.
The most common diseases in Andorra are also the most preventable ones. Proper diet, exercise and the avoidance of intoxicants are one method that an individual can avoid a higher chance of getting any of the above illnesses. Although the information on these diseases is well known, many in Andorra have not taken steps to avoid them.
– Nicholas Beauchamp
Photo: Flickr
Uncovering New Methods: Cash Aid in Zambia
Cash aid in Zambia is part of a greater change in thought regarding how best to help the poor. Since the early 2000s, some of the poor—beginning first in Latin America—have received conditional and unconditional cash transfers that have supported households throughout the developing world.
Zambia launched its trial cash aid program to determine how effective it would be to give the poor money. The study spanned the course of five years, during which 5,500 Zambian households were given a total of five million dollars.
Zambian officials were interested in determining not only whether recipients of cash aid spent their money responsibly, but also whether the money was used productively. The answers to these questions were a resounding yes.
This trial, as well as other studies, have showed that cash aid can be just as effective, or even more so, at alleviating poverty than more traditional methods, such as job training or food. Those that received cash aid became entrepreneurial and the benefits of this spilled over into the local economy.
Ashu Handa, the researcher and professor behind the Zambian pilot program, found that the recipients of cash aid boosted their spending by over 50 percent of the original amount they received from the government. This in turn helped businesses, who also saw their profits increase by 50 percent.
For a country like Zambia where poverty is widespread, cash aid could dramatically improve the lives of the poor. 64 percent of Zambians live below the poverty line and this percentage becomes even greater in rural areas.
The Zambian government recognized the impact of this program and is eager to extend coverage to the entire nation. However, the nationwide version comes with its own catch—only those that truly cannot work, like the elderly or the sick, will be eligible to receive cash aid.
Opponents of cash aid claim that it encourages laziness; that the poor would only spend money on vices and the money would be devoured in a “bottomless pit.” This assumption, that research has proven wrong, would leave many families—able-bodied, two-parent households—ineligible for the cash aid that could change their lives.
Regardless, cash aid in Zambia has had a tangible impact on the poor and could continue to promote a better quality of life for many in this African country, as well as in other parts of the developing world.
– Jennifer Faulkner
Human Rights in Sweden: A Model for the Rest of the World
The strong human rights record in Sweden is due to its governmental determination in uplifting its humanitarian tenets, include fighting discrimination, protecting the rule of law, building democracy and strengthening freedom of expression. Government officials fervently believe in protecting human rights in Sweden because it promotes global development and national security. In 2008, the Swedish government took detailed measures towards eradicating discrimination as much as possible by mandating that human rights must be incorporated into all realms of foreign policy.
Sweden’s international leadership in human rights is a defining characteristic of the country’s view on foreign policy. Given that extensive laws protect Sweden’s citizens within its borders, the country’s current agenda is to protect these rights abroad and to introduce laws that protect those whose rights are not as guaranteed. Sweden assists various international organizations such as the United Nations in extending human rights to those living in developing countries.
In order to combat domestic discrimination, the Swedish government introduced the Swedish Discrimination Act of 2009. It counters discrimination in professional and educational sectors by allowing compensation to be given to those who have experienced discrimination. Although Sweden exerts significant effort to protect human rights, there are still certain demographics that its legislation is not protecting completely. Specific groups that have been targeted include Roma, African, and Muslim Swedes. However, the Swedish government is aware of these reports and strives to assist those who encounter discrimination. According to Sweden’s official website, “Human rights largely begin at home. As Sweden strives to walk its talk, it is important to ensure that the values promoted abroad are upheld at home.”
– Kaitlin Hocker
Photo: Flickr
Poverty Rate in Burundi Continues to Rise
The civil war of 1993 through 2005—an ethnic conflict between Hutu’s and Tutsi’s that resulted in over 300,000 dead and hundreds of thousands more displaced—took a toll on the poverty rate in Burundi, which rose from 48 percent to 68 percent.
In the aftermath, people lacked access to potable water, adequate sanitation and medical aid. The vast majority of Burundian’s were thrust into poverty, battling sickness, hunger and violence.
Still, the country fought to recover. With the Arusha Accords, which ended the conflict and placed a two-term limit on presidential tenures, and an influx of foreign aid, the poverty rate in Burundi began to decline.
Yet, in 2015, as President Pierre Nkurunziza declared he was going to run for an unconstitutional third term, the country again fell into turmoil.
The repercussions have taken a toll on the poverty rate in Burundi—the United Nations Development Programme has estimated it as an astonishing 77.7 percent. What’s more, the country ranks 184 out of 188 countries on the 2016 Human Development Index. All said, Burundi is one of the poorest nations in the world, where access to basic goods and services is increasingly hard to come by.
As Nkurunziza, the Imbonerakure and Security Forces continue to capture, rape, torture and intimidate the people of Burundi, foreign aid is being pulled. The majority of major donors to the country have suspended budgetary assistance for the Burundian government and both the United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on many opposition leaders and senior officials.
Even now, the turmoil continues to boil on and people continue to face a precarious future. This has led over 325,000 people to flee the country since 2015, most to neighboring Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This outflux has severely crippled Burundi’s economy. Agriculture, which makes up 40 percent of the country’s GDP and employs over 80 percent of Burundians, is losing the labor necessary for production and distribution. What’s more, private consumption has plummeted as people continue to march across borders away from the atrocities being committed.
As the economy continues to struggle; as violence, displacement and death are an ever-present threat and as foreign aid remains stagnant, precarity is becoming a way of life. The poverty rate in Burundi will continue to rise unless the international community takes a stand. Aid is essential, both monetary and humanitarian, in order to overcome the crises and stem rising poverty. The world sat back passively during the first civil war that tore the country apart. Will it happen again now?
– Joseph Dover
Photo: Flickr
Is Hunger in Macau a Problem?
Known as the “Las Vegas of the East” and with a GDP per capita more than double that of the United Kingdom, Macau is listed as the world’s third wealthiest city behind Luxembourg and Qatar, according to the International Monetary Fund.
With a population around 600,000 people, Macau’s life expectancy is at 84.5 years. For the male population, it is noted that 15.8 percent were overweight, while 18.8 percent were obese. Significantly more men than women aged 25-44 years were overweight and obese in Macau. Although Asia is noted as the continent with the most hunger issues, hunger in Macau is seen as a country with a small problem of malnutrition, but a bigger problem of overeating.
Local government statistics say that only 2.3 percent of Macau’s population lives in poverty, but the percentage is based on income and does not take into account the high cost of living. With the cost of living rising and wages staying the same, the rising costs have forced some to leave the country to seek a cheaper life in China.
While Macau’s poor are ignored and suffer, big businesses flourish. Instead of building houses and helping the poor, the government allocates more money to the gambling business. It is estimated that 10 percent of the population lives in poverty, with 7 percent struggling to fulfill basic needs such as food.
According to the Macau Daily Times, Macau Oxfam does not simply offer food and other resources to those in need, it also provides them with seeds and teaches them how to get out of the poverty cycle.
Although the country has yet to take action in recognizing hunger in Macau and helping their own, it has formed the organization Macau Famine. This includes a series of educational and fundraising activities based on the year’s theme. Generous donations are used to support World Vision’s work in Asian countries by providing health and nutrition assistance for children and families.
– Stefanie Podosek
Three Causes of Poverty in Armenia
Migration of Workforce
One of the main causes of poverty in Armenia is a lack of jobs. This is demonstrated through the number of workers who emigrate. The majority of men leave the country to earn wages in Russia. Some researchers estimate that almost 14 percent of the Armenian population has emigrated to find employment elsewhere.
In order to combat this problem, Armenia needs to create more job opportunities within the country. Currently, one-fourth of jobs in Armenia are low-paying jobs; thus, Armenia needs to create more middle-income positions. Formal businesses want the government to impose more regulations so that informal employers do not have advantages. If the Armenian government intervened, these businesses could create many more jobs.
Poverty and Unemployment
Unemployment and poverty in Armenia are closely linked. In 2010, when the head of the household was unemployed there was a 50 percent chance they lived below the poverty line. The reported unemployment rate in Armenia is 16 percent. The average job search is 20 months. Unemployment benefits in Armenia are minimal, so a large percentage of the unemployed do not register. The number of unemployed people in Armenia is estimated to be closer to 30 percent.
There is low labor force participation in Armenia. Around 70 percent of women in Armenia are unemployed and only 55 percent of women who are of working age are active in the economy. One way to solve this aspect of unemployment is for the government to create incentives to encourage women to join the workforce. The Armenian government can also work to remove barriers to working such as transportation or household responsibilities.
Weak Agricultural System
The agricultural system in Armenia does not create enough jobs or affordable food. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Armenia had to replace some of its industrial economy with agriculture to feed its people. The government rapidly created small farms and sold them to citizens. Many of the newly minted farms were created in mountain regions with difficult terrain. Farmers often lack agricultural knowledge. In addition, many of the small farms do not have adequate infrastructures or access to farming technology. Government policy has not bolstered the efficiency of farms; instead, changing regulations and policies have damaged the agricultural sector. If Armenia can develop its agricultural sector through education, infrastructure and policy, the country will be able to produce more of its own food and improve the standard of living.
While over one-quarter of Armenians live in poverty today, this number can be reduced. Creating more attractive jobs within Armenia will encourage citizens to work in their country. In addition, the development of programs to help people join the workforce will help decrease the unemployment rate. Finally, as Armenia improves its agriculture system, the price of food in the country will decrease.
– Sarah Denning
Common Diseases in Sierra Leone
Zika Virus
Spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, Zika virus can be from person to person through intercourse as well as from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Zika is linked to a number of birth defects including incomplete brain development. Many people infected by the virus show no or few symptoms such as fever, rash, headache, red eyes and muscle pain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strictly states that women who are pregnant should not travel to Sierra Leone. All travelers should prevent mosquito bites and have minimal sexual contact. The first recorded outbreak of the Zika virus in Sierra Leone was documented by the World Health Organization (WHO) from 1960 to 1983.
Lassa Fever
A viral disease carried by rats, Lassa fever can be contracted through exposure to rodent fecal matter or urine. Within the first week of February 2017, three deaths due to Lassa fever were reported in the city of Kenema in Sierra Leone. According to the CDC, there are an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 documented cases of Lassa virus infections in West Africa every year, with a resulting 5,000 deaths. Lassa fever is more widespread within the country than it ever has been before and is classified as one of the most common diseases in Sierra Leone.
Typhoid Fever
According to the CDC, nearly 26 million cases of typhoid fever are reported annually worldwide. Spread through consumption of water or food contaminated with fecal matter or sewage, the CDC strongly suggests all travelers be vaccinated for typhoid fever if traveling to Sierra Leone. The most vulnerable to contracting the disease in the country are infants ages one to four. The most common symptom is sustained high fever.
Malaria
Transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected female mosquito, malaria can cause fever, chills and eventual anemia due to damage to the vital organs. In 2013, there were a total of 1.7 million recorded cases of the disease in Sierra Leone’s population of six million. The CDC recommends travelers take a prescription medicine before and during travels to Sierra Leone to lower risk of infection. All areas of Sierra Leone are at risk for the malaria epidemic.
Travelers are at high risk for all common diseases in Sierra Leone. Disease detection, control and prevention remain some of the highest priorities of the country’s Ministry of Health and Sanitation.
– Riley Bunch
Photo: Flickr
Menstrual Hygiene and Girls’ Education in Uganda
In Uganda, girls have a low track record of completing their education. Studies show that only 22 percent of Ugandan girls are enrolled in secondary school, contrasting the 91 percent enrolled in in primary school.
Analysts have often pointed out that early marriages and social stigmas keep girls from receiving a complete education in Uganda. But there’s a simpler, more intimate reason behind those causes: menstruation.
This topic remains uncomfortable and awkward in developed countries, but Ugandan girls face this problem on an entirely different level. Many developed countries, including Uganda, have myths and stigmas surrounding periods that shame girls when they menstruate. As a result, most girls have no understanding of what is happening to their bodies or how to take care of themselves.
Adding to this difficulty is the lack of availability of feminine hygiene products. Drugstores that carry disposable pads, tampons and other products can be more than 40 minutes away. Even then, these products are usually imported and are too expensive for most Ugandan women to afford.
Desperate to stop the monthly flow, Ugandan women often resort to using pieces of cloth, shreds of foam mattresses, toilet paper, newspapers, banana plant fibers and even leaves. Not only are these options ineffective and uncomfortable, but are also extremely unhygienic, putting girls at risk for diseases.
About half of Ugandan girls skip three days of school every month because they do not have any feminine hygiene products and do not want to stain their clothes. As the absences stack up, many girls find it too hard to continue their education and eventually drop out. Social stigmas also place pressure on girls to marry once they get their periods and not remain in school.
However, despite the struggle, many girls want to stay in school and complete their education in Uganda, and they’re getting help from several international organizations to do so. Wateraid, a nongovernmental organization that seeks to provide clean water and sanitation efforts to developing countries around the world, started hygiene clubs in Ugandan schools. At these clubs, girls learn about menstruation and how to make their own pads and products.
One of these clubs, located at St. Mary’s School in northeastern Uganda, has taken things a step further. This hygiene club travels to other skills singing, dancing, and even rapping about their periods. This group of girls wants to raise awareness about the stigmas surrounding menstruation and promote education in Uganda.
Despite the work of Wateraid and other groups, many girls in Uganda are still skipping school because they don’t have feminine hygiene products. Wateraid ambitiously plans to supply the necessary sanitation products, from tampons to toilets, for every child and every school in every part of the world by 2030.
On an entrepreneurial level, start-up AFRIpads donates reusable pads to women in Uganda and other areas where women do not have easy access to menstrual products. These organizations hope that soon every girl in Uganda will be able to attend school every day of the school year, whether she has her period or not—and no one will shame her if she does.
– Sydney Cooney
Photo: Google
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Effects of Poverty on Development of Children
Researchers have long suspected a correlation between a child’s behavior and cognitive abilities and their socio-economic status. This correlation becomes even more apparent among people living in extreme poverty. In a 2015 study published in Nature Neuroscience, a team led by neuroscientists Kimberly Noble from Columbia University in New York City and Elizabeth Sowell from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, California, imaged the brains of 1,099 children, adolescents and young adults in several U.S. cities. Their findings revealed that children from the lowest income bracket of less than $25,000 had up to six percent less surface area than children from families making more than $150,000. Within the poorest families themselves, income inequalities of a few thousand dollars were associated with major differences in brain structure and cognitive skills.
Within countries that live on less than a dollar a day, researchers have found other developmental problems such as stunted growth and cognitive issues. In an unprecedented study conducted in 1960, a team of researchers began giving out nutritional supplements to young children in rural Guatemala. The study was aimed at collecting data to test the theory that providing enough supplements during a child’s formative years would help in reducing stunted growth. This theory was proved in the early 2000s, when the researchers returned to check on the children who had received the supplements in the first three years of their life. They found that not only did the children grow one to two centimeters more than the control group; they even scored higher in cognitive tests. This experiment proved the effects of poverty on the brain development of children.
In 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a study into the heights and weights of children between birth and age five in Brazil, Ghana, India, Norway, Oman and the United States. The results showed that healthy children, regardless of their home countries, follow a very similar growth trajectory. Based on these results, the WHO established benchmarks for atypical growth. In countries like Bangladesh, India, Guatemala and Nigeria, over 40 percent of children meet the definition of stunted growth. In light of the growing awareness and consensus around effects of stunting, the WHO included the reduction in the number of children under five with stunted growth by 40 percent as one of its six global nutritional targets for 2025.
Similar studies were conducted in Brazil, Peru, Jamaica, the Philippines, Kenya and Zimbabwe, all with the same conclusion. However, pediatric cognitive development is a complex multidimensional problem and not all stunted growth, which affects an estimated 160 million children worldwide, is connected to malnutrition. Malnutrition is one side of this multifaceted problem; poor sanitation, stressful home environments, exposure to industrial chemicals, lack of access to good education and income disparities are other possible factors.
It would not be an overstatement to say that all research points to an urgent need to address the problem of world poverty. Factors such as lack of education, poor hygiene, lack of pre-post-natal care, nutritional deficiency, exposure to chemicals and stressful childhood are some of the paralyzing issues faced by those in extreme poverty. The daunting effects of poverty on the brain development of children have already been proven by researchers and new research and studies are further fortifying what is already known. In essence, even as officials start to take action in providing adequate nutrition, research cannot be clearer in building the case for the urgent need to eliminate world poverty.
– Jagriti Misra
Photo: Flickr