Pakistan is among the poorest nations in the world. However, it is also oxymoronically rich in natural resources: “the country has the second largest salt mine in the world, fifth largest gold mine, seventh largest copper mine, fifth largest coal reserves, seventh largest wheat and rice production capacity…” and the list goes on. But does it really matter when almost 40 percent of the people live in extreme poverty? The Human Development Index ranks Pakistan 147th out of 188 countries for 2016. According to several reports, there are a number of reasons why Pakistan is poor, even though it is rich in resources and has the potential to grow. Why is Pakistan poor? Discussed below are the three leading reasons.
Why is Pakistan Poor?
Corruption and Elitism in the Government
First is the fundamental flaw in Pakistan’s political system. Politics in Pakistan have always been dominated by the elites. These elites comprise politicians, generals and bureaucrats (the ruling oligarchy). Many politicians come from large land-owning families or very rich industrial backgrounds. They share key common interests and together look after each other, neglecting common people’s interests.
This scenario has become cyclical because most people vote according to what these elites deem convenient. This type of political culture may be changing with education and emerging democratic norms in the recent past, but it has affected the country for a long time.
The elites in Pakistan are also involved in corruption. The current Prime Minister stepped down in July 2017. He did so because the Supreme Court ordered his removal on accusations of corruption. Additionally, Transparency International ranks Pakistan as one of the worst countries for corruption.
Why is Pakistan poor? Corruption prevents any real change from occurring.
Lack of Democratic Ideals
Second is the absence of real democracy. Democracy remains an illusion for many due to “the lack of proper, meaningful and non-discriminatory representation for all regions in decision-making.” The absence of democracy and lack of political development in Pakistan are a consequence of direct and indirect military rule.
The military has dominated politics from the early years of the country’s independence because it was the most powerful and organized institution. Coupled with that, the military presented itself as Pakistan’s protector against India, which is considered an existential threat to Pakistan’s survival. One analyst writes, “It is little wonder, then, that Pakistan became a national security state during its early years, subordinating economic and democratic development to military improvement and tilting the balance of power away from civilian rule.”
Why is Pakistan poor? A lack of democracy in the nation prevents citizen-oriented development.
Both Religious and Secular Conflict
Furthermore, empowering Islam over secular ideals in a country which is much more diverse culturally by the military establishment, has not only created a fictitious national unity but stunted even further, the democratic and economic development.
The use of religious proxies against Bengalis dates back to 1971, then in Afghanistan against the Soviets during the 1980s. Additionally, their alleged involvement in Afghanistan for countering India in the past two decades, have brought home only conflict and violence.
In Pakistan’s context, violent conflicts and pervasive poverty are very much interlinked. Unfortunately, extreme poverty motivates the country’s disaffected youth to join forces with terrorist organizations which desire to establish the Sharia rule in Pakistan.
Why is Pakistan poor? Religious and secular violence plague the nation.
Education Crisis
The desperate education crisis is another answer. As of 2015, Pakistan spends only 2.6 percent of total GDP on education, which is the lowest in South Asia. In 1997, it was 3 percent, the highest in the country’s history. As a consequence of this low expenditure overall, more than half of the country’s population is uneducated. And hundreds of thousands of poor children are out of school.
In contrast, the country spends the largest part of its national expenditures on defense. A May 2017 report shows that “Pakistan’s defense expenditure in the next financial year (2017-18) will be around 7 percent higher than it was in the outgoing year to Rs920.2 billion (USD$8.65 billion).” It was Rs841 billion (USD$7.9 billion) for the year 2016-2017.
Why is Pakistan poor? The nation invests more in present conflicts than development towards a better future.
However, there is pleasant news. Poverty in Pakistan has fallen from 54 percent to 39 percent in the past decade—a 15 percent drop. The deaths from terrorist incidents have also declined recently. Today, 47 percent of Pakistani households own a washing machine; in 1991, only 13 percent owned one. Nonetheless, there is more work to be done to improve the lives of people in the context of global development.
– Aslam Kakar
Photo: Flickr
Five Most Common Diseases in Burkina Faso
The weakness of the economy translates to a feeble healthcare system. There are an estimated 0.05 physicians per 1,000 people, along with high poverty rates and malnutrition: one in four children under five is underweight. This combination of factors leaves the nation’s population extremely vulnerable and at a very high risk of contracting and spreading infectious diseases. This is especially evidenced by the life expectancy in the nation — 59 years— which is 12 years below the world average of 71. Following is a list of five of the most common diseases in Burkina Faso:
Lower Respiratory Diseases, such as pneumonia and bronchitis, are the group of most common diseases in Burkina Faso. They are by far the leading cause of death in the country, accounting for 14 percent of all deaths. Pulmonary Tuberculosis, although receding throughout recent years, is also a common respiratory infection in the nation, which is especially lethal to HIV-positive patients.
Malaria is an extremely infectious disease transmitted from person to person by female mosquitoes. It is a chronic issue in sub-Saharan Africa; 90 percent of all malaria-related deaths occur in children of the region. In Burkina Faso it is one of the top causes of death, accounting for 10 percent of all fatalities.
Due to a lack of proper infrastructure and a high prevalence of hunger and malnutrition, Burkina Faso’s population is especially prone to food and waterborne diseases. Consequently, bacterial and protozoal diarrhea is a major concern and causes up to 6 percent of all deaths in the nation.
Meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes of the spinal cord and the brain. It is typically caused by viral infections and some of its forms can be prevented by vaccination. Although the disease still accounts for 4 percent of all deaths, a vaccination drive aided by international organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has vaccinated close to 12 million people against meningitis in the country.
Like most of sub-Saharan Africa, one of the most common diseases in Burkina Faso is HIV/AIDS. Although the rate of infection and fatality has been decreasing steadily since 2000, the immunodeficiency virus infection, and AIDS which develops from it, still accounts for 3 percent of deaths in Burkina Faso.
Sub-Saharan Africa is already a region of the world especially prone to high poverty, hunger, and disease. Burkina Faso, amongst nations of the area, is one of the worst affected: it has an especially weak economy and a lack of natural resources. If there is a country that evinces the need for aid and help from the international community, Burkina Faso is it.
– Alan Garcia-Ramos
Photo: Flickr
Water Quality in Andorra
The country’s work on wastewater purification began in 1996. Since then, four water purification plants have been built in Andorra. Additionally, the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Sustainable Development in Andorra monitors the country’s water quality by sampling at various time intervals among 37 stations.
The Ministry also actively conducts practical work on the extraction of solid wastes from rivers. Just last year, over 17 thousand tons of refuse were extracted from the Andorran river systems.
As of March 2017, the Ministry reported that the volume of high-quality surface waters in the country was about 86 percent, while eight percent was of acceptable quality, three percent was of poor quality and the remaining three percent was of very poor quality.
By comparison, only 40 percent of surface waters in Andorra were high quality in 2005. Silvia Calvó, the Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Sustainable Development in Andorra, stated that the country currently purifies nearly 100 percent of their sewage.
The rising water quality not only improves the drinking water for citizens, but it also helps restore river fauna habitats. The otter populations are also rising within the Andorran ecosystem.
Although it is recommended that tourists drink bottled water until their immune systems adjust to some small concentrations of E. coli that may be present in their water supply, Andorra’s citizens safely consume the water. Andorra has clearly been dedicated to cleaning their water supply through home-grown programs such as the Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Sustainable Development in Andorra. Because of this, water quality in Andorra has improved remarkably within past decades.
– Shannon Golden
Photo: Flickr
Fighting Common Diseases in Honduras
According to the World Bank, Honduras currently has just over 9 million people. The per capita income is $3,710, and the life expectancy is 76 years for the women and 71 years for the men.
One of the major problems in Honduras is the childbirth complications, and many mothers have issues with their pregnancies and some could lead to infant deaths. In fact, 16 percent of deaths in Honduras come from perinatal conditions. This may not be a disease, but it is a problem that needs to be addressed. The CDC can clean up some conditions and help the doctors address the issues that are causing so many deaths in the birthing process.
Diabetes is a major problem in Honduras, as well. In 2010, it was the second leading cause of death in Honduras, sitting at just under seven percent. Some of the major risk factors leading to the presence of diabetes includes physical inactivity and obesity. The problem exists in Honduras because the only capability they have are blood glucose measurement.
Many other medicines, such as insulin and metformin, and procedures available elsewhere around the world are not available in Honduras. They also don’t possess many of the procedures and policies such as a registry, national guidelines, etc. These are vital to helping the people that need insulin and other procedures to help relieve them of the problems that they face with diabetes.
Some of the other common diseases in Honduras include heart disease, lower respiratory disease, diarrhea and other lower respiratory and common infectious diseases, and HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
HIV/AIDS has an estimated prevalence in Honduras between one and just over three percent within adults ages 15-49. The estimated number of people living with either HIV or AIDS in Honduras is between 35,000 and 110,000 people.
There needs to be more awareness and testing available to the people in Honduras. In addition, only about a third of HIV/AIDS patients were receiving the therapy they needed in 2005. That proportion has no doubt increased in the past decade, but new technology will be able to assist people in need. The CDC’s involvement in the country is definitely a good thing for those with HIV and AIDS to make sure they are treated for.
Honduras needs better healthcare in place to help their citizens. There is help from the CDC, who has been there in recent years, to attempt to help them improve their care for the common diseases in Honduras. The look toward the future is brighter with the CDC’s involvement than the past.
– Brendin Axtman
Photo: Flickr
How to Help People in Angola: Three Simple Ways
Angola only has one doctor per 10,000 people. Millions lack access to sanitary water and restrooms, and thousands die of preventable diseases such as malaria and bacterial diarrhea.
Without stable incomes, quality educations and proper health care, many Angolans suffer. But, they do not have to suffer forever. The following is a list of how to help people in Angola.
1. Donate to a worthy nonprofit.
Donating to an organization working in Angola is a good solution when you don’t know how to help people in Angola. Dozens of international nonprofits and charitable agencies are currently working in Angola to improve living conditions of people living in extreme poverty. Organizations are always looking for donor support to help fund their projects and change lives. UNICEF, Save the Children, the Fistula Foundation and World Vision are a few.
2. Voice support for U.S. Agency for International Development.
USAID is the United States’ main governmental agency for improving lives in developing nations. It has several initiatives in Angola, including: increasing literacy and entrepreneurship; decreasing the spread of HIV/AIDS; building disaster response capabilities; and supporting democracy.
It takes less than 60 seconds to call your Congressional representatives and urge them to support USAID and policies strengthening the United States’ commitment to developing nations like Angola. A staff member for the representative or senator will take note of each call, email and letter, then make sure the Congressional leader knows which issues are on the minds of constituents.
3. Educate and mobilize others.
The more people who know and care about the problems facing Angolans, the greater the chance political leaders will take heed.
The United States spends less than 1 percent of its budget on foreign aid; many people incorrectly believe it spends a lot more. Dispel the myths and teach others why investing in foreign aid is good for everyone involved. Helping Angola grow its economy will pay off for the United States because it increases Angolans’ demand for American goods and services, which creates jobs at home.
The high level of poverty and suffering in Angola may seem difficult to change, but individuals and organizations are making strides every day to transform lives. There are three simple answers for how to help people in Angola: support a worthy organization in the country; contact your representatives about the importance of foreign aid; and educate and mobilize others to join the effort to improve the standard of living for millions of Angolans.
– Kristen Reesor
Photo: Flickr
How to Help People in Central African Republic
Bearing in mind CAR’s long road towards social, political and economic recovery, many ask the question: how to help people in Central African Republic? Three agencies worth considering are the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and International Rescue Committee (IRC).
The WFP strives to strengthen communities within CAR with short-term and long-term approaches. In the short-term, the WFP distributes food for the internally displaced in shelter communities and local populations. In the long-term, the WFP has a quid pro quo approach in that the organization will supply food for the participation of local populations in rebuilding and repairing community infrastructure. It is estimated that through food, cash and vouchers the WFP has reached up to 305,000 people in the CAR, with plans to reach at least 700,000 by the end of this year. Specialized nutrition packages for pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children, as well as management of the U.N. Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), also fall under the scope of the WFP.
Earlier in July it was announced that the World Food Programme received a $11 million donation from the USAID in assisting the growing hunger issue in Central African Republic. Reportedly, this aid will help bring food supplies to approximately 550,000 people through CAR. Importantly, the U.S. Fiscal Year 2017 published that in response to CAR a total of $57,580,923 would be made available.
Since 2006, the IRC has been assisting in Central African Republic by providing emergency funds, rebuilding educational infrastructure for children and working to recover clean water sources for communities. Amongst many other forms of assistance, the IRC has outlined its priorities until 2020 to achieve its short-term and long-term goals in CAR. Currently, its primary goals are to achieve widespread health, safety, education, economic sustainability and helping the displaced regain their decision-making agency. Moreover, its gendered approach to its solutions sets the IRC apart from many agencies, as the IRC has a special focus on underscoring its dedication to gender equality in its relief programs.
These three standout organizations have made great efforts to mitigate the humanitarian crisis in Central African Republic. In asking how to help people in Central African Republic, civil society members can volunteer their time, donate money or help connect businesses that are willing to help with these international agencies. Undoubtedly, pulling CAR out of its long plight is no easy feat, one that requires the attention of the public and private sector. Yet, with these agencies and the CAR’s problems gaining international traction, there shows to be steady progression being made. How to help people in Central African Republic largely relies on a steady influx of international aid and successful mechanism of peacebuilding.
– Sydney Nam
Why is Pakistan Poor?
Why is Pakistan Poor?
Corruption and Elitism in the Government
First is the fundamental flaw in Pakistan’s political system. Politics in Pakistan have always been dominated by the elites. These elites comprise politicians, generals and bureaucrats (the ruling oligarchy). Many politicians come from large land-owning families or very rich industrial backgrounds. They share key common interests and together look after each other, neglecting common people’s interests.
This scenario has become cyclical because most people vote according to what these elites deem convenient. This type of political culture may be changing with education and emerging democratic norms in the recent past, but it has affected the country for a long time.
The elites in Pakistan are also involved in corruption. The current Prime Minister stepped down in July 2017. He did so because the Supreme Court ordered his removal on accusations of corruption. Additionally, Transparency International ranks Pakistan as one of the worst countries for corruption.
Why is Pakistan poor? Corruption prevents any real change from occurring.
Lack of Democratic Ideals
Second is the absence of real democracy. Democracy remains an illusion for many due to “the lack of proper, meaningful and non-discriminatory representation for all regions in decision-making.” The absence of democracy and lack of political development in Pakistan are a consequence of direct and indirect military rule.
The military has dominated politics from the early years of the country’s independence because it was the most powerful and organized institution. Coupled with that, the military presented itself as Pakistan’s protector against India, which is considered an existential threat to Pakistan’s survival. One analyst writes, “It is little wonder, then, that Pakistan became a national security state during its early years, subordinating economic and democratic development to military improvement and tilting the balance of power away from civilian rule.”
Why is Pakistan poor? A lack of democracy in the nation prevents citizen-oriented development.
Both Religious and Secular Conflict
Furthermore, empowering Islam over secular ideals in a country which is much more diverse culturally by the military establishment, has not only created a fictitious national unity but stunted even further, the democratic and economic development.
The use of religious proxies against Bengalis dates back to 1971, then in Afghanistan against the Soviets during the 1980s. Additionally, their alleged involvement in Afghanistan for countering India in the past two decades, have brought home only conflict and violence.
In Pakistan’s context, violent conflicts and pervasive poverty are very much interlinked. Unfortunately, extreme poverty motivates the country’s disaffected youth to join forces with terrorist organizations which desire to establish the Sharia rule in Pakistan.
Why is Pakistan poor? Religious and secular violence plague the nation.
Education Crisis
The desperate education crisis is another answer. As of 2015, Pakistan spends only 2.6 percent of total GDP on education, which is the lowest in South Asia. In 1997, it was 3 percent, the highest in the country’s history. As a consequence of this low expenditure overall, more than half of the country’s population is uneducated. And hundreds of thousands of poor children are out of school.
In contrast, the country spends the largest part of its national expenditures on defense. A May 2017 report shows that “Pakistan’s defense expenditure in the next financial year (2017-18) will be around 7 percent higher than it was in the outgoing year to Rs920.2 billion (USD$8.65 billion).” It was Rs841 billion (USD$7.9 billion) for the year 2016-2017.
Why is Pakistan poor? The nation invests more in present conflicts than development towards a better future.
However, there is pleasant news. Poverty in Pakistan has fallen from 54 percent to 39 percent in the past decade—a 15 percent drop. The deaths from terrorist incidents have also declined recently. Today, 47 percent of Pakistani households own a washing machine; in 1991, only 13 percent owned one. Nonetheless, there is more work to be done to improve the lives of people in the context of global development.
– Aslam Kakar
Photo: Flickr
Troian Bellisario Combats Global Hunger with This Bar Saves Lives
“Pretty Little Liars” actress Troian Bellisario recently teamed up with the brand, holding an interview session at the BUILD Studio in New York City to help raise awareness for the cause. The company is also discussing plans with Starbucks and Target to combat hunger domestically.
Two major points of emphasis for This Bar Saves Lives are treatment and prevention. For every one of the 2.6 million children who die from severe acute malnutrition each year, there are 10 more at risk of suffering the same fate. Working against this harsh reality, This Bar Saves Lives has developed a treatment in the last decade, Plumpy’Nut®, which has become one of the most important weapons in the war on global hunger.
The product is a nutrient-rich paste made from peanuts, milk powder, sugar, vegetable oils and a mixture of vitamins and minerals. Its simplicity makes it so that it can be eaten right away – no need to be cooked or refrigerated. In addition, Plumpy’Nut® has a two-year shelf life and consuming three a day for seven weeks can take a child from near death to survival. In terms of prevention, Nutributter® was designed for undernourished children below the age of two to prevent stunting, which affects a child’s growth, as well as lifelong health and productivity.
This July, Bellisario shared about her involvement with the company, “Raising awareness about child hunger… has always been a subject that is incredibly personal and important to me… I’m thrilled to be a part of such an exciting and important initiative.” Her husband Patrick Adams added, “I couldn’t be more proud to be working with everyone at This Bar Saves Lives to draw more attention to this problem and to help children in need find their way to an important and potentially life-saving meal.”
Since 2013, This Bar Saves Lives has teamed up with various international organization partners, including Action Against Hunger, Edesia and Second Mile Haiti to distribute food aid to Haiti, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Philippines, Mexico and Guatemala.
– Mikaela Frigillana
Photo: Flickr
10 Facts About Refugees in Turkmenistan
While Turkmenistan has long been an ethnically diverse country, it has been considerably hostile towards non-Turkmen people living in the country, including refugees. Proponents of “Turkmenization,” an ideological set of public practices and laws, claim that they are preserving Turkmenistan’s cultural heritage. The cost is the shunning of the Tajik, Uzbek and other cultures existing in close proximity to Turkmenistan. Refugees in Turkmenistan do have some reasons to be optimistic, as more and more are granted citizenship. They are expected, however, to conform to the Turkmen way of living if they expect to stay in Turkmenistan.
– David Mclellan
Photo: Google
Why USAID Is Important
There are many reasons as to why USAID is important and essential. USAID stands for the United States Agency for International Development. Working side by side with the military, USAID uses its resources to encourage countries to resolve conflict and end violence, working to lessen the need to send soldiers to dangerous areas.
Not only does it help end conflict, but USAID also helps elevate the roles of women and girls, provides assistance in the event of a disaster, invests in agricultural productivity to help food production in other countries, promotes human rights, combats diseases and more.
One of the greatest things that USAID’s work contributes to is the ending of extreme poverty. USAID has come up with a plan entitled “Vision for Ending Global Poverty,” which recognizes what needs to be done in order to fix the commonalities that each country has that causes them to struggle with poverty.
Despite common misconceptions, USAID does more than contribute to countries outside the U.S. Not only is USAID beneficial to those struggling in other countries, but it is also a benefit to the U.S. as well.
In a recent interview, Bill Gates explains the dangers of cutting USAID by explaining that foreign aid projects keep the U.S. safe. “By promoting health, security and economic opportunity, they stabilize vulnerable parts of the world,” says Gates, promoting the truth that helping others is of benefit not only to them but to America as well.
He continues explaining that USAID helps to stop major diseases such as HIV and AIDS, create more U.S. jobs and protects military members. The money goes to contractors, companies and volunteer organizations, all going towards promoting each country’s own financial well-being. Out of USAID’s top recipients in 2011, Pakistan received $343,698,200, Haiti $133,601,639, and Indonesia $17,848,628.
Keeping in mind that USAID’s proposed budget for 2018 is $15.4 billion, the United States Agency for International Development is distributing its funds in ways that help those who need it the most.
This is what USAID is and why USAID is important and essential to the alleviation of global poverty. U.S. involvement in foreign aid is not only saving the lives of those who live in developing and impoverished countries, but it is also saving and bettering the lives of Americans and American soldiers.
– Noel McDavid
Photo: Flickr
Common Diseases in Israel
Israel has made tremendous progress in combating diseases in recent years. According to The Jerusalem Post, death rates from cancer, cardiovascular diseases and stroke “have declined by 80 percent since the middle of the 1970s.” While this is of course excellent news, there is still a lot of work left to be done. Here are some facts regarding common diseases in Israel:
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease that very infrequently leads to death, but does make the afflicted person ill. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges that travelers heading to Israel receive the vaccine prior to their trip. This disease is transmitted by consuming contaminated food or water.
Diabetes
Diabetes is another common disease in Israel, ranking as the third and fourth most common cause of death among women and men, respectively. Despite the nation’s small size, Israel is a leader in improving conditions for those afflicted with diabetes. DreaMed Diabetes, a company founded in 2014 by American and Israeli researchers, uses algorithms to analyze and improve insulin therapy. The hope is that the company’s research will allow those with diabetes to have better control over the disease.
Cancer
As previously mentioned, Israel has made great strides in combating cancer in the past several decades. However, these strides forward are not being evenly felt throughout the country. According to Haaretz, cancer death rates in the peripheral areas of Israel are 8 percent higher than in the geographical center of the country. Some groups of people have more success at fighting cancer than others. Professor Lital Keinan-Boker, the deputy director of the Health Ministry’s Center for Disease Control, told Haaretz that these discrepancies are likely the result of differences in awareness and usage of early detection technologies. Each year, roughly 11,000 Israelis die from some form of cancer.
Hepatitis A, diabetes and cancer are three common diseases in Israel. Progress has certainly been made, and that is extremely encouraging. Nonetheless, these diseases continue to affect much of Israel and its people.
– Adam Braunstein