Greece is a country in southeastern Europe about the size of Alabama. Among other things, the nation is known for its beautiful beaches and remarkable history. However, these wonderful features can easily be overlooked in recent years as the nation has faced and continues to face severe economic challenges.
According to Trading Economics, as of April 2017, the nation’s unemployment rate sits at 21.7 percent. That means more than two million Greeks are out of work. This unemployment rate is a few points lower than that of the U.S. at the height of the Great Depression.
The harsh economic conditions that Greece is facing are nothing new. While there is no official start date, December 2009 was an early sign of what was to come. With concerns rising that the Greek government would fail to pay its large debt, the nation’s credit rating was downgraded by an influential rating agency.
In the summer of 2011, the leaders of the European Union decided to bail out Greece, but this did not solve the nation’s crippling economic problems. A few key facts and figures about Greece demonstrate that in the months and years following the €109 billion bailout, conditions continued their downward trajectory.
In April of 2013, youth unemployment was just under 60 percent. In February of 2014, overall unemployment had increased to 28 percent. These harsh economic realities have plagued the nation’s people. Material deprivation affects more than 22 percent of the population, according to Eurostat. In other words, more than one in five people in Greece simply cannot afford basic necessities.
As a result, organizations such as food banks are struggling to keep up with overwhelming demand. “We’re worried because we don’t know if we’ll be able to meet these people’s needs,” said Eleni Katsouli, a municipal offer at a food bank in Athens, to Reuters.
As the facts and figures about Greece indicate, the nation’s people are in need of help. Fortunately, people and organizations have stepped up. One organization making a particularly strong impact is Desmos.
According to its website, Desmos exists to respond to “the need to responsibly and effectively utilize the private initiative in addressing the humanitarian crisis” afflicting Greece. One program that the organization runs that demonstrates its impact is “Desmos for Schools.” This is the fourth year of the initiative. In 2017 alone it donated important items such as computers and sports equipment to 14 schools in Greece. More than 1,300 students will benefit from these efforts.
Charitable organizations such as Desmos are not the only reason for optimism in Greece. A sign of economic improvement showed in 2016 when the budget surplus exceeded expectations. This positive trajectory is predicted to continue as the nation’s GDP is projected to grow by more than 1 percent this year and more than 2 percent next year, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Positive facts and figures about Greece such as these are encouraging signs. If these projections hold true, Greece’s darkest days are likely behind it. However, a very large portion of the population is struggling with poverty right now and is in need of help.
– Adam Braunstein
Photo: Pixabay
Understanding the Main Causes of Poverty in Timor-Leste
After almost three decades of Indonesian occupation, Timor-Leste gained its independence in 2002. The widespread violence during the years of occupation has taken its toll, however, and, since independence, the nation has striven to rebuild. Despite these efforts, Timor-Leste remains one of the world’s poorest nations, with an estimated 42 percent of the population living in poverty. Before investigating methods by which this issue can be alleviated, it is important to understand the main causes of poverty in Timor-Leste.
As a young nation with limited resources, assistance from the developed world is critical to progress in Timor-Leste. Increased foreign aid, focused on the primary causes of poverty in the country, will be a strong starting point to enabling a stable economic future for Timor-Leste.
– Gavin Callander
Photo: Flickr
10 Facts About Refugees in Singapore
In recent history, Singapore has had a complicated relationship with refugees. Having been burned once before, Singapore now routinely turns away refugees with the intention of turning the responsibility over to a third party. But should they be doing more to help? Here to help you decide are ten facts about refugees in Singapore:
– Audrey Palzkill
Photo: Flickr
Fighting the Top Diseases in Zambia Through Collaboration
In Zambia, located east of Angola and south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis have the highest incidence rates. The risk for infectious diseases in Zambia, as with many Southern African nations, is particularly high. Here are the most common diseases in Zambia:
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus transmitted through certain bodily fluids that weakens or destroys the immune system’s cells. If not started on antiretroviral treatment (ART), HIV can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)— the most advanced phase of the HIV infection.HIV/AIDS afflicts a large proportion of the Zambian population. In 2015, the adult prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS was the seventh-highest in the world, with an estimated 13 percent of Zambian adults aged 15-49 being HIV-positive.In 2016, the Zambian government partnered with the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to deliver anti-retroviral therapy to 693,599 Zambians. The partnership will also supply 2.7 million Zambians with HIV counseling and testing, support voluntary medical male circumcision and offer supportive care services to 366,447 Zambian youth affected by HIV/AIDS.
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease transmitted through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. Malaria can be prevented with interventions, such as indoor insecticide spraying and insecticide-treated mosquito nets and treated with anti-malarial drugs.Each year, malaria affects more than four million Zambians and is responsible for nearly 8,000 deaths. Pregnant women and children under the age of five are the most vulnerable groups, with malaria being the cause of 35 to 50 percent of under-five mortality and 20 percent of maternal mortality.Zambia is a member state of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Malaria Elimination (E8), a regional alliance of eight Southern African nations committed to malaria elimination in Southern Africa by 2021. Recent interventions, including the distribution of more than 1.8 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets, indoor insecticide spraying programs and mass antimalarial drug administration have assisted Zambia in reaching its elimination targets.“The [Southern] province has done extremely well in the malaria elimination agenda. We are talking about zero mortality rate and single-digit malaria cases in most of the districts,” said Zambian health minister Chitalu Chilufya in an interview with Zambia Daily Mail on June 12, 2017.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne bacterial disease that primarily affects the lungs. Most cases of TB can be treated with a course of antibiotics.Annually, an estimated 50,000 cases are identified in Zambia and about 5,000 deaths are attributable to TB. HIV-positive individuals are at higher risk than the general population for developing TB; in 2013, an estimated 50 to 70 percent of Zambian TB patients were coinfected with HIV.An initiative for a 75 percent reduction in TB-related deaths among HIV-positive individuals by 2012 was included in the 2016 United Nations Political Declaration on Ending AIDS (UNAIDS).“It is unacceptable that so many people living with HIV die from tuberculosis, and that most are undiagnosed or untreated,” UNAIDS Director Michel Sidibé said. “Only by stepping up collaboration between HIV and tuberculosis programs to accelerate joint action can the world reach its critical HIV and tuberculosis targets.”
HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB incidences are concentrated in the world’s poorest populations. Limited resources, deficient transportation and sanitation infrastructures and a number of other issues accelerate transmission and the severity of diseases in Zambia.
Recently, the Zambian government unveiled its 7 National Development Plan (7NDP), 2017–2021, which addresses the need for community-based preventive health services and new programs for prevention and reduction of diseases in Zambia. The plan proposes a conceptual framework to transition from sector-specific to multi-sector health intervention programs, which address the non-biological determinants of public health (e.g., water and sanitation, nutrition, education, household income and road infrastructure).
With the addition of new, multi-sectoral development programs for infectious disease control and reduction, the government anticipates declining incidences of HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB in Zambia.
– Gabrielle Doran
Photo: Flickr
Superb Water Quality in Italy Still Needs Improvements
Italians, the descendants of the water-savvy and water-loving Romans, still maintain a potable supply of drinking water today. Overall, the water quality in Italy is excellent. Italy’s drinking water is safe to drink and widely available, with public fountains running fresh drinking water throughout many major cities.
These fountains, called “nasoni,” which means “big noses” in Italian, provide high-quality and free drinking water in cities like Rome and Florence for locals and tourists alike. Florence regulates its water with a strict code of 61 parameters. Florentine officials examine the chemicals in the water and its microbiology using these parameters to ensure potability.
Both rural and urban populations in Italy have 100 percent access to improved water sources, making water quality in Italy superb, even better than the United States, which comes in at 99 percent access to improved water sources.
Although all Italians have access to improved water sources, the water quality in Italy does vary slightly by city. Naples, for example, has lower quality water than most other major Italian cities. The water in Naples “may be safe to drink” according to a tourist water safety website. However, strains of local E. coli are present within Naples’ tap water. Locals are accustomed to these strains of E. coli, but tourists and other visitors are not. Therefore, the water is safe for locals, but visitors require a transition period in order to drink the water without experiencing unpleasant after-effects, such as diarrhea.
The inferiority of Naples’ drinking water compared to other Italian cities could be due to the toxic waste and immense pollution in Naples. Some claim that the mafia dumped hazardous industrial waste on agricultural lands outside of Naples, creating pollution problems. More obvious pollutants are the immense piles of garbage lining the streets of Naples and the litter on its surrounding farmlands.
Although pollution threatens health and safety standards in Naples, the city fights against it by cleaning up dirtied areas and installing spaces for outdoor recreation. By 2014, the city of Naples created a larger beachfront for pedestrian use and a bicycle lane lining its coast. Additionally, large portions of Naples’ bay have been cleaned, allowing for swimmers to retake the water.
Decreasing pollution creates tangibly increased standards of health and safety, including better water quality in Italy. Additionally, reigning in pollution increases the quality of living for residents of a city, as it provides greener and more appealing outdoor spaces, encouraging physical activity for its residents.
– Mary Kate Luft
Photo: Flickr
The Current Problems with Water Quality in Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country located in the central Danube Basin. It is divided into The Great Plains, the Transdanube and the Northern Hills areas. Hungary is a fairly small country but is known for great biodiversity. This biodiversity is threatened by some of Hungary’s most serious problems: air and water pollution. Pollution disrupts the water quality in Hungary, especially the Danube River, quite significantly. These pollutants come from industrial and large-scale agriculture.
A recent reservoir failure flooded many towns in Hungary with red toxic mud. In October 2016, a dam holding waste products such as arsenic and mercury collapsed. It was said to have released about 184 million gallons of this red mud. The toxic mud negatively impacted the water quality in Hungary, polluting the Danube even further.
Another danger to the water quality in Hungary is caused by human alterations to the Danube for the purpose of navigation. Intentions to deepen the dam for easier boat passage have changed the way the traditional floodplain landscape and water flows into the deltas. This not only affects the water quality but also endangers the wildlife and habitats near those areas. Scientists worry that the improper mining of these dams could lead to something even worse than the toxic red mud scare. They say that, without the correct techniques or repairs, there could be catastrophic repercussions should they fail. More dangerous toxic chemicals such as cyanide could spill into the river and completely ruin the water quality in Hungary.
With more than 90 percent of Hungary relying solely on groundwater, and with 47 out of 108 groundwater bodies considered to be “possibly at risk,” the water quality in Hungary remains in jeopardy. Something must be done to reverse the rising levels of pollution and stop the harm to the environment.
One potential solution comes from a European Union-funded project that brings clean drinking water to those in Hungary affected by polluted groundwater. The National Water Management Administration is responsible for organizing 33 projects that have already brought clean water to 227 communities. They are currently working to complete these projects in time to qualify for 100 billion HUF in financing from the European Union. These projects are the greatest hope to improve water quality in Hungary at this time.
– Katelynn Kenworthy
Photo: Flickr
One in Five People Face Poverty in Israel
Israel has a population of about 1.7 million people. Poverty in Israel affected about 22 percent of those people in 2014, which included 1,709,300 people, 444,900 families and 776,500 children. These rates have been rising ever since. This same year, the depth of poverty index, which refers to the gap between family income and the poverty line, also rose by about six percent. Poverty in Israel ranks second highest among OECD countries, just behind Mexico.
Little is done to combat poverty in Israel because the poor are of little interest to the government. The government’s main concern is with promoting the rich and the middle class in the country. The suffering of thousands poses a threat to the social resilience of the country, which means the government must take action.
Families with children are more likely to live in poverty in Israel due to the decrease in allowances. They are being stripped of these rights and in turn, Israel ranks fourth for highest child poverty rates.
These poverty rates can be linked back to several causes: low wages and unemployment rates in particular. It is possible that poor education is the root of these low wages and unemployment rates along with the already impoverished state of the country. The high cost of food, gas, utilities and rent are forcing more people into poverty in Israel. Emergency food has become an increasing demand as prices rise.
The Israeli government has created a couple of goals to reduce poverty after the National Insurance Institute released a report. The country’s Finance Minister, Moshe Kahlon, decided to revamp the corporate tax rates and give government aid to poor families. The corporate tax rate was cut by 1.5 percent by the cabinet, who unanimously approved this in November.
In addition, Israel has discussed the introduction of a welfare system that could bring income and take 187,000 people out of poverty. These efforts are promising but still not grand enough to save all of Israel. To make an impact, the country must focus on reorganizing its education system, and the government needs to take interest in the poor citizens, not just in the higher class.
– Katelynn Kenworthy
Photo: Flickr
Common Diseases in Pakistan
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Pakistan ranks 122 out of 190 countries in terms of healthcare standards. Here are some of the most common diseases in Pakistan:
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne disease that is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with the dengue virus. It cannot be spread directly from person to person. Some of the disease’s symptoms include high fever, headaches, muscle pain, vomiting and skin rash. Dengue fever may be mistaken for the flu or other viral infections. However, dengue fever is a severe form of the virus and may cause serious diseases including enlargement of the liver and failure of the circulatory system if not treated in time.In 2011, there was a dengue outbreak in Pakistan, and more than 250,000 suspected cases of dengue fever were reported. Between 2009 to 2011, dengue fever caused 348 deaths in Pakistan. In order to prevent outbreaks of dengue fever from happening again in the future, Pakistan’s government strengthened surveillance and general preventive measures, improved clinical management of patients and implemented targeted vector control activities, according to the WHO. In addition, the government also organized public awareness campaigns for risk mitigation.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that affects the lungs, which can be spread by coughing and sneezing. The WHO claims that without proper treatment, up to two-thirds of people that are infected with tuberculosis will die. Tuberculosis is one of the common diseases in Pakistan that can have irreversible consequences. Symptoms of tuberculosis include coughing, fever, fatigue, chills and loss of appetite. According to the WHO, Pakistan was ranked eighth out of the 22 countries in the world that are most highly prone to tuberculosis. About 420,000 new tuberculosis cases are reported every year in Pakistan.The government of Pakistan set up the National TB Control Program (NTP) to help reduce the risk of getting tuberculosis. According to the NTP official website, it provides skill training for medics, paramedics and lab technicians. In addition, the program offers a free supply of anti-TB medicines to all diagnosed cases.
Pakistan has the highest diabetes rates in all of South Asia, as about seven million people are affected by the disease. Diabetes is a disease that affects the patient’s body’s ability to respond to the hormone insulin, which then causes unusual metabolism of carbohydrates and high levels of glucose in the blood and urine. If not treated, the high glucose levels can cause damage to blood vessels and parts of the body.The high diabetes rate may be a result of the unhealthy food industry in Pakistan. The Diabetic’s Institute of Pakistan (DIP) has been fighting against diabetes since it was founded in 1996. DIP offers diabetes awareness programs to provide useful knowledge to the patients and the public, as well as pharmacy services for patients.
Representing 8 percent of all deaths in Pakistan, cancer is a major health problem for Pakistanis. Lung cancer and breast cancer are the most common forms in Pakistan. A recent study shows that about one in every nine women in Pakistan has breast cancer. Pakistan also has the highest consumption of tobacco in South Asia. A large number of the patients are not aware that they have cancer until they are in critical stages of cancer, and they usually do not have the access to proper treatment.In 2013, Pakistan established a cancer registry that compiles data on cancer patients from across the country, which is an important step in cancer prevention and control in Pakistan. In 2016, 18 cancer hospitals in Pakistan were working on hospital-based registries. These hospitals provide about 80 percent of the cancer treatment in Pakistan.
Even though there are vaccines available for hepatitis, hepatitis A and E are still common diseases in Pakistan. Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease which is transmitted through contaminated water or unhealthy food. In addition to the vaccine, safe water supply, healthy food, improved sanitation and handwashing are all effective ways to fight the disease.Hepatitis E is a liver disease that is usually self-limiting. However, it may cause acute liver failure. According to the WHO, East and South Asia have the highest prevalence of hepatitis in the world. According to Pakistan’s health department, the government is using all channels of communication to increase awareness of hepatitis among the public. The government also provides medicine and vaccines for the patients.
These common diseases in Pakistan are a major health problem for the country’s citizens. The Pakistan government and many other organizations, including the WHO, are working on increasing public awareness and providing medical programs to train more doctors. However, the Pakistan government still needs to provide access to more hospitals, as well as better healthcare, that can make proper treatment affordable for the public.
– Mike Liu
Photo: Flickr
7 Things to Know About Costa Rica’s Poverty Rate
In 2016, Costa Rica was named the happiest country in the world. But, while the country as a whole has enjoyed stability and a steadily growing economy in recent years, marginalized groups have been left behind. Discussed below are key facts about Costa Rica’s poverty rate that should not be overlooked.
7 Leading Facts About Costa Rica’s Poverty Rate
Costa Rica’s poverty rate seems to be sewed up neatly on the surface, but the growth of a country doesn’t always reflect the growth of its people. The disparity of incomes and opportunities between uneducated people in rural areas versus educated people in urban areas threatens to rob Costa Rica of its good economic reputation.
– Sophie Nunnally
Photo: Flickr
Improving the Lives of Sierra Leonean Women and Children
Sierra Leone’s education disparity is affecting the quality and accessibility of reproductive healthcare. Low education parallels with the inaccessibility of contraception, consultations and health facilities. Contraception usage, like injectables and the pill, is six times higher among wealthy Sierra Leonean women. Early childbearing before the age of 18 among poor women is 58 percent, as opposed to 29 percent for their wealthy counterparts. The total fertility rate among poor Sierra Leonean women is about twice that of wealthy women with a higher education.
Sierra Leone’s underdeveloped reproductive healthcare access also puts its adolescent women at risk. Young women between the ages of 15 and 19 are at a greater risk of infant and child mortality, as well as high risks of morbidity and mortality for the young mother.
Additionally, 28 percent of poor Sierra Leonean women give birth unaccompanied by health personnel, as opposed to the 78 percent of their rich counterparts accompanied by health personnel during childbirth. The reason for this, the World Bank logged, is that 89 percent of women experience at least one problem accessing healthcare, 80 percent lack sufficient funds for treatment and 53 percent live too far from health facilities to travel to.
Mary Turey, a maternal health promoter in Kamalo village in Sierra Leone’s Northern Bombali District, has acknowledged the proximity issue. She and other villagers offer a room in their homes for women traveling long distances to health facilities to stay safely overnight. Turey provides women with essential information about pregnancy and refers them to nearby health centers. In 2014, she and her fellow villagers referred 3,862 pregnant Sierra Leonean women to health facilities, where they were able to give birth safely.
In terms of policy and legislation, USAID created the Child Survival and Health Grants Program – dubbed ‘Al Pikin fo Liv’ or ‘Every Child Must Live’ – in order to carry out the goal of ending preventable neonatal and maternal deaths. Its partnerships with nongovernmental organizations, academia and ministries of health have trained 1,300 health workers and peer supervisors, developing and enhancing the quality of care at health units for procedures across the board. The Child Survival and Health Grants Program has improved the health of more than 36,000 children and 37,000 women in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
– Tiffany Teresa Santos
Photo: Flickr
Facts and Figures About Greece
According to Trading Economics, as of April 2017, the nation’s unemployment rate sits at 21.7 percent. That means more than two million Greeks are out of work. This unemployment rate is a few points lower than that of the U.S. at the height of the Great Depression.
The harsh economic conditions that Greece is facing are nothing new. While there is no official start date, December 2009 was an early sign of what was to come. With concerns rising that the Greek government would fail to pay its large debt, the nation’s credit rating was downgraded by an influential rating agency.
In the summer of 2011, the leaders of the European Union decided to bail out Greece, but this did not solve the nation’s crippling economic problems. A few key facts and figures about Greece demonstrate that in the months and years following the €109 billion bailout, conditions continued their downward trajectory.
In April of 2013, youth unemployment was just under 60 percent. In February of 2014, overall unemployment had increased to 28 percent. These harsh economic realities have plagued the nation’s people. Material deprivation affects more than 22 percent of the population, according to Eurostat. In other words, more than one in five people in Greece simply cannot afford basic necessities.
As a result, organizations such as food banks are struggling to keep up with overwhelming demand. “We’re worried because we don’t know if we’ll be able to meet these people’s needs,” said Eleni Katsouli, a municipal offer at a food bank in Athens, to Reuters.
As the facts and figures about Greece indicate, the nation’s people are in need of help. Fortunately, people and organizations have stepped up. One organization making a particularly strong impact is Desmos.
According to its website, Desmos exists to respond to “the need to responsibly and effectively utilize the private initiative in addressing the humanitarian crisis” afflicting Greece. One program that the organization runs that demonstrates its impact is “Desmos for Schools.” This is the fourth year of the initiative. In 2017 alone it donated important items such as computers and sports equipment to 14 schools in Greece. More than 1,300 students will benefit from these efforts.
Charitable organizations such as Desmos are not the only reason for optimism in Greece. A sign of economic improvement showed in 2016 when the budget surplus exceeded expectations. This positive trajectory is predicted to continue as the nation’s GDP is projected to grow by more than 1 percent this year and more than 2 percent next year, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Positive facts and figures about Greece such as these are encouraging signs. If these projections hold true, Greece’s darkest days are likely behind it. However, a very large portion of the population is struggling with poverty right now and is in need of help.
– Adam Braunstein
Photo: Pixabay