Though Hawaiians live next to lush nature and clear blue waters, they are vulnerable to several diseases. The state’s 21% shortage of physicians exacerbates their risk, according to the Hawaii Journal of Health & Social Welfare, and Hawaii has the third highest cost of living in the United States. Additionally, the population of 1.5 million people, 376,000 of whom are Native Hawaiians, is at the highest levels of poverty in Hawaii. These are five common diseases in Hawaii.
1. Leptospirosis
The first of the diseases in Hawaii is leptospirosis. This is a bacterial disease that commonly exists in warm climates; of the 100-200 cases identified in the United States, around 50% occur in Hawaii, as KHON2 reported. Leptospirosis can infect both humans and animals, and symptoms include fever, headaches, muscle aches, red eyes, vomiting and diarrhea. Most cases are mild, but extreme cases can cause both acute liver and kidney failure or even death if not treated.
According to the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH), one of the most common ways people contract Leptospirosis is by swimming in bodies of fresh water such as ponds, rivers or streams; if the urine from an infected animal seeps into a body of freshwater, it an be contaminated, and the bacterium can enter through broken skin, the mouth, the nose or eyes.
In 2023, Hawaii Pacific University received $50,000 to research how leptospirosis grows in Hawaii’s wetlands and fishponds. To stop the spread, recommendations are that people not swim in freshwater bodies of water, drink from freshwater bodies, keep animals from accessing catchment water-collection areas from tree branches, and vaccinate farm animals and pets. Antibiotics like doxycycline or penicillin can treat the disease.
2. Oral Cancers
According to the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, the rate of oral cancer in Hawaii is higher when compared to the rest of the United States. Early symptoms can include a bump or sore in the mouth that has not healed in two weeks, difficulty swallowing, numbness in your mouth or face or constant earaches, and the survival rate is only 50%, according to Hawaii News Now.
One of the theorized causes of these higher rates is betel nuts. As part of cultural practices in Asia and the Pacific Islands, it is meant to be chewed sometimes with either tobacco or lime, which research suggests can cause oral cancer, according to the National Institute of Health.
Two organizations fighting oral cancer in Hawaii are the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) and the University of Hawai’i Cancer Center. OCF funds oral cancer research, like through their Oral Cancer Walk in Honolulu that raised more than $5,000 for oral cancer research, and connects people to free oral cancer screening events. At the University of Hawai’i Cancer Center, researchers have found new treatments for oral cancer survivors that include exercise.
Experts encourage individuals experiencing early symptoms to get screened for oral cancer. Additionally, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates, Inc. recommends performing monthly self-examinations using a light and mirror to detect any unusual changes.
3. Legionellosis
Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever are both referred to as Legionellosis. It is a disease caused by Legionella bacteria. While Pontiac fever is a milder infection similar to the flu, Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially deadly lung infection, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Hawaii News Now reported that the bacteria can be found in plumbing systems, hot water tanks, water fountains and air conditioning systems.
In recent years, there have been high-profile incidents of Legionella bacteria being found in water systems that serve a large number of people. In May 2022, the DOH confirmed five people were infected at a hotel in Waikiki. Then, in June 2024, Hawaii News Now reported legionella bacteria were discovered in the Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole federal building and courthouse in downtown Honolulu; around that same time, detectable levels of bacteria were found in six other federal buildings.
Though not specifically in Hawaii, there are organizations that provide education, conduct research and advocate among federal and state governments to prevent the spread of Legionellosis. These include Legionella.org and the Alliance to Prevent Legionnaires’ Diseases.
Those who are over the age of 50 or have a history of chronic lung disease, weakened immune system or cancer are at an increased risk of developing Legionnaires’ disease when exposed to Legionella bacteria. Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease include cough, shortness of breath or fever.
4. Melanoma
The skin’s overexposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV rays) from the sun can cause melanoma, and since Hawaii receives so many UV rays, Hawaiians are often more vulnerable. In a study of melanoma cases due to UV radiation across the United States, nearly 97% came from Hawaii; this is according to a study that the International Journal of Cancer conducted. The study also found that 94% of all cases in the United States occurred in non-Hispanic whites.
Organizations in Hawaii work to educate the public on how to reduce the risk of melanoma. In 2021, the University of Hawaii Cancer Center partnered with the Hawaii Skin Cancer Coalition to educate the public on how to stay safe while in the sun. When the sun is brightest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., they recommend that you seek shade whenever possible. Additionally, they encouraged the use of UV-protecting clothes, sunglasses, and sunscreen above SPF 30 and reapplied every two hours.
Additionally, the American Cancer Society in Hawaii provides resources for those battling cancer in Hawaii. They provide both transportation to medical appointments, through the Road to Recovery Program, and housing for Hawaiians battling cancer at the T.C. Ching Hope Lodge.
5. Measles
Another of the diseases in Hawaii is measles. Measles is a highly infectious disease that causes pneumonia, brain inflammation and death; it is also highly contagious, especially in areas with low rates of vaccination. Symptoms can include high fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes that are watery.
According to the DOH, a laboratory confirmed in April that measles infected two people, one school-age child and one adult; this came as measles cases all around the United States rose to more than 1,200. Though almost 90 people were exposed, most were either vaccinated or immune; the DOH said it is important that people in Hawaii are vaccinated to prevent outbreaks.
Looking Ahead
Though some of the diseases in Hawaii listed above are present all over the United States, it is important to consider how vulnerable Hawaiians are to these diseases. Considering the rates of poverty and income inequality in the state, especially among Native Hawaiians, those who contract these diseases will have a far harder time affording treatment and care. This underscores the importance of nonprofit work in Hawaii that fights both common diseases and financial insecurity in Hawaii.
– Seth Pintar
Seth is based in San Diego, CA, USA and focuses on Business and Politics for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Unsplash
SPOONS Cambodian Restaurant: Transforming Young Lives
SPOONS, operating a cafe and restaurant out of Cambodia’s popular tourist city, Siem Reap, serves traditional and fusion Cambodian dishes alongside coffee and pastries. This would be impressive enough, but SPOONS is not only a Cambodian restaurant. Doubling as a locally-run charity training young people in culinary, hospitality and barista skills, SPOONS specifically recruits from disadvantaged communities across Cambodia.
The Program
Students are chosen from a pool of more than 350, spanning 10 different provinces. Last year, the 12-month program took on 75 students, 23 of whom had not even completed high school. Most come from rural towns and villages, with the SPOONS organization completing in-person interviews and home visits, to get to know the candidates and their conditions. After selection, they go from the remote jungles to Siem Reap’s budding restaurant scene in no time, transforming their lives.
Living in dorms only a few kilometers away from the restaurant, the students pick specializations and begin their hands-on experience, working with customers from across Cambodia and the world. Not only do they learn to cook, serve customers or bake, they practice vital English language skills alongside this. Last year, the program had no drop-outs – all 75 students graduated, according to the 2024 SPOONS report.
The Vision
This process furthers the SPOONS vision: to engage with the community and allow these young people a chance to escape their disadvantaged lives and make a living. Giving back to the Cambodian people remains the key focus, however. Originally U.S.-based Everything is Going to be Okay (EGBOK) organization shut down during the pandemic due to multiple difficulties, but current president Mao Sophany saw an opportunity to take the project back to Cambodia and start from scratch.
Beginning with just 10 students, the organization trained them up and began to involve the project with local community organizations. With this grassroots focus, by 2024, SPOONS gave back to Siem Reap by offering short courses in hospitality for hotels and Community-based ecotourism projects. The SPOONS organization is quickly expanding from a simple Cambodian restaurant to an influential community charity.
All 75 students found employment within just two weeks of graduation last year. Soon, SPOONS plans on continuing the main program whilst expanding community outreach alongside this, promoting local products and sustainability through its partnerships with other local and international nonprofits, according to the 2024 report.
The Focus
For many young Cambodians, education transforms their lives. Many, however, sacrifice this education for work or struggle to find proper infrastructure in rural communities. Struggling to provide for their families, young people drop out of high school and begin earning, rather than getting an education. SPOONS recognises this. After 12 months, graduates have a year’s experience in their chosen field and an education to support this career path.
The focus in the coming years is to prioritize these high school drop-outs who left education for work. Sophany affirms that, as a local charity it keeps focusing on “empowering Cambodia’s youth and creating a more inclusive society,” according to the 2024 report.
Even after these students start their careers, the SPOONS alumni network slowly builds. The program fosters a desire to give back, helping the next generation’s poor. 150 alumni pledge $2 a month, generating an additional $3,600 annually, which the charity puts towards supporting current students, according to the 2024 report. Graduates, through these donations, directly support the next generation of SPOONS alumni in their goals, creating a connection across generations. Through just one Cambodian restaurant, hundreds of lives are affected.
The Impact
Rachana, one of last year’s graduates, went from feeling hopeless and lost in her rural province of Banteay Meanchey to working at a five-star luxury hotel on Song Saa Private Island. She hopes “that the next generation will try their best to complete their study and create a better life for themselves,” SPOONS repots.
Many in Cambodia never complete high school or, like Rachana, feel this lack of opportunity to escape poverty after graduation. SPOONS is more than just a Cambodian Restaurant; it gives these young people security from uncertainty, and hope from their poverty.
– Lee Stonehouse
Photo: Flickr
Food Systems in the Galapagos Islands
Every day, approximately 1,100 food imports, consisting of related food, drink and basic equipment, travel 700 miles to arrive in the Galapagos city port, Puerto Ayora. Much of the population obtains imports such as crates of cereal and apples. The prices of food increased over the years due to the timely travel of shipments. Based on forecasts, food imports could increase by around 95% by 2037.
Efforts to Regenerate Food Systems
Environmental conservation organizations like Global Nomadic are diving into regenerating food systems across the islands. The organization accepts individual internships for an in-person experience, helping promote food manufacturing. More than 10,000 people applied as interns and volunteers to participate in Global Nomadic’s initiatives. The organization also provides instructors to guide committed students in assisting with these projects. About 40 countries have achieved transformation under these initiatives.
The organization involves small, dedicated groups of farmers helping restore soil and protect ecosystems. Some of its present projects range from harvesting gardens, composting, testing fertilizer packaging and seed germination. Global Nomadic believes in restoring organic farming management to grow the ethnic food supply. This is crucial for the Galapagos Islands, which rely significantly on daily shipping. By educating others to cultivate locally fresh crops, the organization aims to enhance sustainable efforts.
Impact of Tourism on Farming in Galapagos
Farmers do not exactly welcome the idea of traditional agricultural farming with enthusiasm due to the number of tourists visiting the islands each year. The industry sold more tours than the amount of food produced. Many local farmers use chemically-based equipment to nurture crops, so they proposed transitioning to a wholesome food system.
Efforts to Promote Family Farming
Galapagos’ Corporate Office, based in Quito, Ecuador, has rolled out two programs to swiftly run food production in the regions. The Heifer Ecuador Organization developed the National Flagship Program to promote family farming to build systemic modifications to improve food systems in the Galapagos Islands. Furthermore, the program gives producers a chance at transforming economic and social progress.
The Flagship Program started in 2020 and has reached nearly 189,000 families living in rural and urban areas. Its 2030 goal is to help 16,000 rural households to diminish all rates of poverty. The organization believes in raising the income of all families to improve lives. In 2019, about 18 value chains were constructed, aiding 32 families. It also spurred 123 organizations and 55 alliances to form, galvanizing strong unity across all communities.
Looking Ahead
Many consider the Galapagos Islands to be a special paradise to visit. The most iconic wildlife discovered there are the green tortoises and blue-footed boobie birds. Despite the vivid diversity, food is scarce for many of the locals. However, ongoing initiatives aim to improve food systems in the Galapagos for the better. The islands continue to hope for a new, revolutionized era.
– Janae Bayford
Photo: Flickr
Everything To Know About Disability and Poverty in Andorra
An Overview of Disability and Poverty in Andorra
Andorra, as a country, has impressive anti-discriminatory laws when it comes to disabled groups in its nation. Andorra is a signatory of the 2006 United Nations (UN) resolution, “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).” In accordance with being a signatory to this resolution, Andorra offers numerous provisions to “general obligations of the public authorities with respect to the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with disabilities.” This includes “[improving] access to communication for all persons with disabilities,” providing protections for service dogs, and regulating that landlords will not charge renters for improvements to their dwellings with the intention of improving accessibility.
In addition, disabled members of Andorra’s population are allowed to access public funds—such as disability pensions and social insurance—in order to help them pay for food, rent and other basic necessities, provided they meet a certain number of criteria.
Disability Benefits
The government of Andorra gives much to the disabled community to combat disability and poverty in Andorra. For most, the government calculates the amount of a disability pension that someone is entitled to by “multiplying the insured’s total lifetime pension points by the value of the pension point.”
There are multiple pension types in Andorra as well, each corresponding to a specific disability benefit that the government offers. For example, Andorra offers social insurance to the disabled so long as the disabled are younger than the retirement age. Additionally, recipients must have an assessed earning loss of at least 60% due to their disability and have at least 12 months of contributions if they are under the age of 21.
The disability solidarity pension, meanwhile, offers disability benefits to those who are older than 18 but younger than the retirement age of Andorra. The income of the disabled must also be less than the “social cohesion threshold,” which is “100% of the legal monthly minimum wage for a person living alone[…] plus 50% for each dependent child younger than age 14.”
Once someone who is disabled reaches the Andorran retirement age, the Andorran government phases out of the disability pension program they are on, and phases them into Andorra’s old age pension system.
Looking Ahead
Studying how the Andorran government is combating disability and poverty in Andorra can be beneficial in numerous ways. For one, it can allow people to fully understand how Andorra can apply the social policies it has to help the disabled to the general population. Understanding the framework for how Andorra cares for its disabled can help to combat areas of social division where Andorra is lacking. One such example is coverage of essential health services, which, as of 2021, UNICEF marked as only average compared to other nations.
– Caelan Caukin
Photo: Unsplash
Fighting Diseases in Mozambique With an App
Community Health Workers in Mozambique
To ensure access to health care for everyone in the country, community health workers serve Mozambique’s more rural and impoverished areas. Community health workers diagnose and treat many diseases in Mozambique, including malaria, pneumonia, malnutrition and diarrhea.
They also provide family planning services, antenatal care, postpartum care and pregnancy tracking. Further, they give healthy children check-ups and follow-up care for patients with tuberculosis and HIV.
What is upSCALE?
upSCALE consists of two different applications. One is an app for supervisors of community health workers. The app allows them to monitor health care workers’ performance and monitor the stock levels of medical and health care supplies. It also allows them to schedule and follow up on supervisory visits.
The second application is designed for community health workers themselves. It features the Mozambique Ministry of Health’s official curriculum. It guides users through treatment, diagnosis, patient referrals, follow-ups, registration and routine health checks.
The program provides community health workers with mobile phones and supervisors with tablets to access the apps. Community health workers receive an initial five-day training on using the app, followed by a two-day refresher each year. Supervisors receive additional training tailored to their role. Between 2017 and 2022, the upSCALE app registered approximately 650,000 patients and supported health care services for more than 200,000.
How upSCALE Helps Fight Diseases in Mozambique
The app was originally developed to improve the quality and coverage of local health care. It aims to address community health workers’ inconsistent adherence to clinical guidelines and the inadequate supply of medications and health supplies. The app has largely been successful in both of these goals. By allowing supervisors to monitor the real-time stock of medication and health supplies, they can ensure that the stock never runs out.
Both apps have also helped the Ministry of Health fight diseases in Mozambique by giving the sector accurate and up-to-date information about the spread of diseases in the country. The information is also disease-specific, allowing the government to make informed decisions about community health interventions.
On a local level, the information enables supervisors to target their interventions and allocate resources more effectively. It has also been valuable for malaria treatment, helping to fill key knowledge gaps in malaria research.
Conclusion
The upSCALE app has proven to be a game-changer in Mozambique’s fight against disease. The country has strengthened health care delivery in underserved areas by equipping community health workers and their supervisors with essential digital tools. With improved adherence to clinical guidelines, real-time data sharing and better resource allocation, upSCALE saves lives and shapes the future of public health in Mozambique.
– Axtin Bullock
Photo: Unsplash
Everything To Know About Poverty in El Salvador
“The world’s coolest dictator,” Nayib Bukele, is attempting to transform El Salvador into a burgeoning digital hub, with Google announcing plans to open offices there in 2024. However, even during this wave of digitization and Bukele’s crackdown on organized crime, poverty in El Salvador remains a major problem.
As of 2023, 30.3% of the population lives in poverty, while 40% of the population lives in a situation of vulnerability. This is everything to know about poverty in El Salvador.
Everything To Know About Poverty in El Salvador
Solutions
CLOC-Vía Campesina-El Salvador, a grassroots advocacy group representing peasants, small farmers, indigenous people and other disadvantaged groups, fights for the rural poor in El Salvador. It is tied to the global La Vía Campesina movement, which has connected peasants around the world in a struggle for food sovereignty and security since 1993. CLOC-Vía Campesina-El Salvador is calling on the government for greater credit and funding to rural farmers, phytosanitary programs to eliminate screwworms and integration of rural farmers into local markets.
The Salvadoran American Humanitarian Foundation (SAHF) operates out of Miami in tandem with its Salvadoran sister group, FUSAL, to combat poverty in El Salvador. The groups focus on childhood development and malnutrition, educational disparities and natural disaster relief. In 2023, they sent an astounding $43 million in humanitarian goods to El Salvador, including glasses, food, wheelchairs, blankets, medicine and oral rehydration packets, which reached more than 100,000 people.
What Is Next for El Salvador?
Although these challenges to ending poverty in El Salvador remain, the country is making major strides towards poverty reduction. Compared to Latin American countries with similar income levels, El Salvador has some of the lowest poverty rates, and income inequality in El Salvador is among the lowest in all of Latin America. Additionally, the country has begun to manage its debt and spending effectively, which qualifies El Salvador to receive a $120 million loan from the IMF. This funding will allow the government to begin addressing some structural causes behind poverty, such as corruption, weak access to credit and low employment. Compared to its peers, El Salvador is on the right track to eradicating poverty, but they still have a lot of work left to get there.
– Max Turnacioglu
Photo: Flickr
Updates on SDG 3 in the Russian Federation
What Is Palliative Care?
Palliative care aims to alleviate suffering and improve quality of life among people with serious illnesses. According to the Osteosarcoma Institute, palliative care involves understanding the symptoms and pain that come with an illness and then, working in collaboration with a medical team to focus on comfort. Examples of palliative care include treatment for terminal cancer patients, Alzheimer’s patients, hospice care and pain management.
How Does Palliative Care Affect Poverty?
Access to health care is so crucial in the fight against global poverty, but why palliative care? As the Osteosarcoma Institute states, palliative care is providing care to those with serious and long-term illnesses. The long-term care necessary for these illnesses can get expensive very quickly, and without accessible palliative care, many can find themselves staring down the barrel of poverty. Palliative care also provides stability to people with these illnesses, which allows them to retain work. Essentially, poverty and palliative care share many connections. If somebody lacks access to long term services, they can quickly find themselves in poverty. Below the poverty line, health care access is even less accessible. Therefore, increasing access to palliative care is an effective method to reduce the number of those living in poverty.
The Center’s Mission and Objectives
Sechenov University organized The Federal Research and Practical Center for Palliative Medical Care in 2019 to develop the palliative medical care system in Russia. Specifically this institution aimed to bring better health care to Russian citizens. Article 36 of the Russian Constitution defines said health care as a social fundamental right. The Center itself focuses on the organizational side of the mission, by developing and implementing programs that will deliver this care to Russian citizens. By training medical personnel focused on palliative care, they are raising the quality of the health care industry across Russia. By bringing this program to Russia, they are ensuring more people have access to this long-term and expensive care. In doing so, they’re also reducing the presence of poverty.
Global Implications
The Federal Research and Practical Center for Palliative Medical Care, located in Sechenov University, is a center that is establishing a new standard for medical care in Russia. However, its implications reach much farther than that. The center has long partnered with prestigious medical institutions such as Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University and Oxford University. In doing so, they are fostering a new culture in the health care industry and creating a global exchange of research, expertise and medical knowledge. These partnerships develop systems that provide quality palliative care to those in need across the globe. As a result, this institution is strengthening the quality of medical care that Russian citizens have access to. Furthermore, it is cultivating globally competent palliative care and reducing the presence of poverty world-wide.
Challenges on the Path Forward
While major steps have been made toward SDG 3 in the Russian Federation, good health does not come easy. The path to improvement holds a number of challenges: lack of financing, shortfall of medical personnel and distribution of medical care. Specifically, in recent years, as the aggression between Ukraine and Russia deepens, the Russian Federation has prioritized military spending. This leaves the medical industry without the funds they need to progress. As a result of this, there is a blatant shortfall of medical personnel in numerous regions. For example, the Center for Eastern Studies notes that Altai Krai requires more than 1,500 physicians and 1,200 mid-level practitioners.
Moscow, the nation’s capital and largest city, is more fortunate with financial and medical resources. This makes it a hotspot for medical treatment in Russia. Moscow citizens reap the benefits of specialized hospitals, medical professionals and major investments into health care infrastructure. However, those outside the major city receive severely inferior treatment. To work toward the United Nations SDG 3 in the Russian Federation, policymakers must address the uneven distribution of these necessary resources.
A Step Toward Better Care
The World Health Organization’s recent designation of the center as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Training in Palliative Care marks an important step in pursuit of SDG 3 in the Russian Federation. It is a symbol of medical progress in Russia and across the world. Its mere existence fosters global exchange of information that improves the palliative care industry exponentially. By addressing their shortfalls in funding, staffing and infrastructure and redistributing materials more equitably across the nation, the Russian Federation will only continue to propel the medical industry to progress and reduce poverty globally. It is the hope of this center that one day it will not be an isolated example of progress. Instead, it will serve as the national standard for palliative care.
– Caroline May
Photo: Pixabay
5 Diseases in Hawaii
1. Leptospirosis
The first of the diseases in Hawaii is leptospirosis. This is a bacterial disease that commonly exists in warm climates; of the 100-200 cases identified in the United States, around 50% occur in Hawaii, as KHON2 reported. Leptospirosis can infect both humans and animals, and symptoms include fever, headaches, muscle aches, red eyes, vomiting and diarrhea. Most cases are mild, but extreme cases can cause both acute liver and kidney failure or even death if not treated.
According to the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH), one of the most common ways people contract Leptospirosis is by swimming in bodies of fresh water such as ponds, rivers or streams; if the urine from an infected animal seeps into a body of freshwater, it an be contaminated, and the bacterium can enter through broken skin, the mouth, the nose or eyes.
In 2023, Hawaii Pacific University received $50,000 to research how leptospirosis grows in Hawaii’s wetlands and fishponds. To stop the spread, recommendations are that people not swim in freshwater bodies of water, drink from freshwater bodies, keep animals from accessing catchment water-collection areas from tree branches, and vaccinate farm animals and pets. Antibiotics like doxycycline or penicillin can treat the disease.
2. Oral Cancers
According to the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, the rate of oral cancer in Hawaii is higher when compared to the rest of the United States. Early symptoms can include a bump or sore in the mouth that has not healed in two weeks, difficulty swallowing, numbness in your mouth or face or constant earaches, and the survival rate is only 50%, according to Hawaii News Now.
One of the theorized causes of these higher rates is betel nuts. As part of cultural practices in Asia and the Pacific Islands, it is meant to be chewed sometimes with either tobacco or lime, which research suggests can cause oral cancer, according to the National Institute of Health.
Two organizations fighting oral cancer in Hawaii are the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) and the University of Hawai’i Cancer Center. OCF funds oral cancer research, like through their Oral Cancer Walk in Honolulu that raised more than $5,000 for oral cancer research, and connects people to free oral cancer screening events. At the University of Hawai’i Cancer Center, researchers have found new treatments for oral cancer survivors that include exercise.
Experts encourage individuals experiencing early symptoms to get screened for oral cancer. Additionally, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates, Inc. recommends performing monthly self-examinations using a light and mirror to detect any unusual changes.
3. Legionellosis
Legionnaires’ disease and Pontiac fever are both referred to as Legionellosis. It is a disease caused by Legionella bacteria. While Pontiac fever is a milder infection similar to the flu, Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially deadly lung infection, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Hawaii News Now reported that the bacteria can be found in plumbing systems, hot water tanks, water fountains and air conditioning systems.
In recent years, there have been high-profile incidents of Legionella bacteria being found in water systems that serve a large number of people. In May 2022, the DOH confirmed five people were infected at a hotel in Waikiki. Then, in June 2024, Hawaii News Now reported legionella bacteria were discovered in the Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole federal building and courthouse in downtown Honolulu; around that same time, detectable levels of bacteria were found in six other federal buildings.
Though not specifically in Hawaii, there are organizations that provide education, conduct research and advocate among federal and state governments to prevent the spread of Legionellosis. These include Legionella.org and the Alliance to Prevent Legionnaires’ Diseases.
Those who are over the age of 50 or have a history of chronic lung disease, weakened immune system or cancer are at an increased risk of developing Legionnaires’ disease when exposed to Legionella bacteria. Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease include cough, shortness of breath or fever.
4. Melanoma
The skin’s overexposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV rays) from the sun can cause melanoma, and since Hawaii receives so many UV rays, Hawaiians are often more vulnerable. In a study of melanoma cases due to UV radiation across the United States, nearly 97% came from Hawaii; this is according to a study that the International Journal of Cancer conducted. The study also found that 94% of all cases in the United States occurred in non-Hispanic whites.
Organizations in Hawaii work to educate the public on how to reduce the risk of melanoma. In 2021, the University of Hawaii Cancer Center partnered with the Hawaii Skin Cancer Coalition to educate the public on how to stay safe while in the sun. When the sun is brightest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., they recommend that you seek shade whenever possible. Additionally, they encouraged the use of UV-protecting clothes, sunglasses, and sunscreen above SPF 30 and reapplied every two hours.
Additionally, the American Cancer Society in Hawaii provides resources for those battling cancer in Hawaii. They provide both transportation to medical appointments, through the Road to Recovery Program, and housing for Hawaiians battling cancer at the T.C. Ching Hope Lodge.
5. Measles
Another of the diseases in Hawaii is measles. Measles is a highly infectious disease that causes pneumonia, brain inflammation and death; it is also highly contagious, especially in areas with low rates of vaccination. Symptoms can include high fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes that are watery.
According to the DOH, a laboratory confirmed in April that measles infected two people, one school-age child and one adult; this came as measles cases all around the United States rose to more than 1,200. Though almost 90 people were exposed, most were either vaccinated or immune; the DOH said it is important that people in Hawaii are vaccinated to prevent outbreaks.
Looking Ahead
Though some of the diseases in Hawaii listed above are present all over the United States, it is important to consider how vulnerable Hawaiians are to these diseases. Considering the rates of poverty and income inequality in the state, especially among Native Hawaiians, those who contract these diseases will have a far harder time affording treatment and care. This underscores the importance of nonprofit work in Hawaii that fights both common diseases and financial insecurity in Hawaii.
– Seth Pintar
Photo: Unsplash
Vocational Education Training Centers in Singapore
History of Singapore
Singapore’s growth does not come without issues. Before its independence, the British ruled Singapore, who saw the country as a trading center and did not have any interest in improving the region itself. During independence, Singapore’s citizens had an average income of $500. More than 70% of the citizens lived in poor conditions, and Singapore faced double digit rates of unemployment. During this time, Singapore wanted to design a formalized form of education in order to begin its industrialization and growth. Vocational education, which is a form of education that teaches individuals practical skills for the workforce, was an opportunity to swiftly equip Singapore’s population with the skills necessary for economic growth, and vocational training centers in Singapore were perfect for this task.
A New Future
In 2015, Singapore launched the SkillsFuture Initiative, a national movement that emphasized the need for skills relevance and paved the way for more vocational education. From there, vocational education training centers in Singapore began to form in all regions of Singapore in order to serve all demographics.
Singapore’s most major vocational education center is the Institute for Technical Education. This institution reformed curricula, created new initiatives and created a closer tie with the workforce and education. These institutions, alongside others, are responsible for the massive growth that Singapore’s economy has been going through because it teaches its citizens technical skills that can help benefit themselves and the country.
The Impact
The impact of Singapore’s vocational education training centers has been profound. Once vocational education began to improve with the newly elected government, benefits began to appear. Indeed, by 2005, graduates of vocational education centers had an employment rate of 90%, marking it one of the highest in the world.
The impact goes beyond individuals. By creating an educated population that understands the workforce and economy, Singapore has effectively created a workforce that wants to improve its own country. Technological innovation, medicine breakthroughs and manufacturing booms were the result of a workforce that is quickly growing in quantity and quality.
The Next Steps
The impact of vocational education training centers in Singapore has only just begun. Indeed, considering the short history of Singapore, experts project that the economy will only improve. Furthermore, as it is looking more towards expanding into the global market through its highly qualified workforce, more and more major companies are considering doing business in this small yet mighty country.
This will result in more economic growth and opportunities for the people of Singapore, and it is through that, the lives of the people in Singapore will continue to improve at impressive rates. What was once a region mistreated by its colonial owner has transformed into a hub of technological growth and global leadership. On top of topping the charts for impressive GDP growth, Singapore is a country that has improved each of its citizens’ lives through a transformed economy.
Due to a national movement that involved teaching Singaporeans technical skills, the vocational education centers have effectively transformed the area into the bustling region it is today.
– Kallen Zhou
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Disability and Poverty in Rwanda
About Poverty in Rwanda
In Rwanda, poverty has decreased for the past two decades, with the Human Development Report (HDR) reporting that Rwanda’s Human Development Index (HDI) is ranked 159 of 193 countries. The gross network income is an estimated 2,971 in 2023, compared to 2013, which was 1,995. One of the direct causes of poverty in Rwanda is the corruption that has been prominent for 60 years. During the late 1950s to 1994, the genocide of Tutsi led to “thousands being displaced and forced to flee to neighboring countries.” Tutsis in Rwanda were unable to financially or physically provide care for themselves or their children due to the discrimination that they faced and the fear of being killed.
The genocide of Tutsis still impacts Rwanda because, according to journalists, Rwanda is “not free” regarding civil liberties such as freedom of speech, and points to a lack of free and fair elections. In addition to the genocide, there is no trust within the government and the people of Rwanda. Government corruption and lack of transparency damage public institutions by the misuse of funds, and the lack of equality between the government and its people, “reducing social trust.”
Disabilities in Rwanda
Poverty is a pipeline for disabilities. Physical work is essential to earning money in Rwanda as statistics from the Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis (CFSVA) “demonstrate that 90% of households are farmers and 83% raise livestock.” Certain physical and mental disabilities do not allow people to work in Rwanda. As statistics show, since 90% of households rely on physical labor, it is difficult for disabled individuals to financially provide for themselves. As a result, disabled individuals are likely to experience poverty unless they have a caretaker.
Causes of Disabilities in Rwanda
A disease that is likely to cause mobility issues, which then turns into a disability, is malaria. Malaria was a prominent issue in Rwanda, with the CDC reporting that travelers should take prescriptions for malaria medication before, during, and after a trip. With Rwanda being impoverished, malaria is unlikely to be treated due to the lack of funding that medical care does not receive, and as a result, people lose their limbs. However, statistics from the Malaria Journal demonstrate that malaria, from 2018 to 2023, has significantly decreased, with only 50,000 people dying from malaria in 2023 in staggering comparison to 2018, where 500,000 people, including children, died of malaria.
Malaria has rapidly decreased due to the increase in medical care provided by medical professionals. Medical professionals are more accessible in Rwanda, including impoverished areas. As a result, they diagnose malaria early on, and consequently, this leads to proper health care and treatment, preventing death.
Ignorance of disabilities in young children who live in poverty-stricken countries such as Rwanda leads to malnutrition, mistreatment, diseases and death. Specifically, children with physical disabilities like cerebral palsy and craniofacial deformities such as a cleft lip and palate are more likely to suffer due to neglect.
Prosthetics in Rwanda
For decades, individuals who have lost their limbs due to those circumstances were not able to have the proper care or financial stability to have options of having a prosthetic limb. Recently, that has changed. In 2020, UNDP Rwanda and “non-profit Swiss Limbs and Home de la Vierge des Pauvres (HPV) Gatagara Centre in Rwanda established a technology that creates state-of-the-art prosthetics.” The collaboration between the organizations produced around 2,000 devices to provide for the people of Rwanda who had lost some or full mobility in specific body parts.
According to Emile Niyonkuru, one of the technicians who has helped with the process of prosthetics, “Producing a positive cast of a corset to correct the posture of Jolie Mwubahamana, a 12-year-old girl with scoliosis, only took us one hour using 3D milling technology.” The use of prosthetics in Rwanda improves people’s quality of life by allowing them to choose a prosthetic if needed.
Disability and Poverty in Rwanda
Disability and poverty correlate in Rwanda because the lack of care for disabled individuals causes poverty in an already impoverished country. According to UNDP Rwanda, minorities, such as disabled people, are more likely to “systematically experience poorer health outcomes; lower educational achievements; less economic, political, and cultural participation; higher rates of poverty; increased dependency and less legal protection than others.”
The Development of Smart White Canes
The accommodations for disabled individuals have become more prominent over the last decade, with innovative inventions from other countries being imported to Rwanda, having a helpful impact on the disabled community. An example of this is smart white canes, a walking stick for people in Rwanda who are visually impaired. The UNDP Accelerator Lab, a local tech company in Rwanda called Beno Holdings and the Rwanda Union of the Blind developed the smart white cane in 2021. Amani Niyoyita, one of the pioneers and inventors of the cane, mentions that it is fully electronic, and that it “tracks where they are located because it has GPS of wherever they are. This means the stick can’t be stolen and go missing because it can be tracked using a mobile phone or machine using a software we have developed,” meaning that it is extremely reliable and convenient.
Looking Ahead
Rwanda still has the issue of poverty and the lack of social understanding from the government, but the country has taken many steps to elevate itself. Compared to the last decade since 2013, the life expectancy has increased by 3.1%, from 64.7 to 64.8. There is also an increase in care for disabled individuals via nonprofit organizations and collaborations to decrease poverty. With added resources for able people and to address disability and poverty in Rwanda, poverty in Rwanda is likely to decrease significantly over the next decade.
– Erin Lee
Photo: Pixabay
Addressing Diseases Impacting New Zealand
Diseases Impacting Children in New Zealand
Children in New Zealand are facing risks of disease. In 2020, immunization coverage of children six months or younger was at a healthy 80%. However, in 2022, that number has fallen to a dangerous 67%. This decline is especially concerning because the six-month mark is when government-funded vaccines typically protect children from serious illnesses like polio, pertussis (whooping cough) and diphtheria.
In certain parts of New Zealand, there has also been a large outbreak of measles. In 2019, measles infected more than 2,000 people in Auckland, and more than 5,000 people were infected in Samoa; most of the people affected by this were young children. Many of these children also live in the most impoverished, broken areas of the country and thus do not have access to the care they need.
It is not just children at risk of these diseases. Cardiovascular disease has impacted New Zealanders’ lives to the point where it accounts for one-third of all deaths in the country and almost one million people there live with cardiovascular disease. Other risk factors include a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Solutions
The Institute of Environmental Science and Research, known as the ESR, is a branch of government that is directly responsible for protecting the health of people across the country. It works quickly to detect diseases that are ravaging local communities and broadcast early warnings of outbreaks. They also monitor the environment around them to catch imbalances in food and water supply to make sure that resources are being given to those who need them the most.
The New Zealand government has also worked quickly to address poverty in the nation, just as quickly as they have worked to combat diseases. In 2018, the government passed the Child Poverty Reduction Act, a “goal to halve child poverty and reduce it to 10% of children (on one measure) over 10 years – ie by 2028.” This legislation mentions improving the lives of young children by providing better access to primary care, food security and better household conditions. With these incentives in place, young children living in poverty have bright futures ahead of them.
– John Menechino
Photo: Unsplash