Over the last decade and a half, the world’s fight for malaria eradication has yielded tangible results. According to the 2015 World Malaria Report, there has been a sharp decline in the global malaria incidence since 2000 with the malaria-related targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) achieved.
In 57 countries malaria cases reduced by 75%. In addition, the European region reported zero indigenous cases of malaria for the first time since the World Health Organization (WHO) began keeping track.
Globally, the number of malaria cases fell from an estimated 262 million in 2000 to 214 million in 2015, a decline of 18%; the number of deaths fell from an estimated 839,000 in 2000 to 438,000 in 2015, a decline of 48%.
Sadly, most cases and deaths in 2015 are estimated to have occurred in the WHO African region, 88 percent, followed by the WHO Southeast Asia region.
The overall numbers are encouraging. In the four decades before this, malaria eradication had almost slipped off the global health agenda despite a much-trumpeted Global Malaria Eradication Program in 1955.
While this campaign succeeded in eliminating malaria from Europe, North America, the Caribbean and parts of Asia and South-Central America it made no headway in sub-Saharan Africa. The program was abandoned in 1969 largely on account of the failure in tackling the technical challenges of executing any reasonable strategy in Africa.
Subsequently, the attention of the world shifted to other scourges like HIV. In small pockets research was being done on advances in drug and vaccine development, vector control and insecticide-treated nets, but little was achieved on the ground.
The latest numbers then, showing the real gains made in the battle against the disease particularly in Africa, are a welcome sign and owe much to initiatives by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and faith-based organizations (FBOs).
They bring much-needed technical as well as cultural expertise along with economies of scale to reach larger sections of populations in afflicted countries. Prominent among these are The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Malaria Eradication Project (MEP) and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI).
In the fight against the killer disease, insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying (IRS), chemoprevention in pregnant women and children and treatment with artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), have been the most effective methods.
Despite this tremendous progress, much more needs to be done to further reduce malaria’s burden. The Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030 approved by the World Health Assembly in May 2015, set ambitious targets for 2030, including a reduction of at least 90% in global malaria incidence and mortality.
There are major challenges ahead. Decreases in malaria incidence and mortality have been slowest in countries that had the highest number of malaria cases and deaths in 2000.
As expected, malaria is concentrated in countries with weaker health systems and lower national incomes. In sub-Saharan Africa in 2014, some 269 million of the 834 million people at risk of malaria lived in households without nets or access to spraying.
In addition, the effectiveness of insecticide-based vector control is threatened as malaria mosquitoes develop resistance to the insecticides used in ITNs and IRS.
These are going to be the biggest hurdles in the way of eventually eliminating malaria from most parts of the world. However, with continued assistance from the global community, it seems likely that malaria will go the way of polio and smallpox over time.
– Mallika Khanna
Photo: Flickr
Poverty in Malta: A Consequence of Recent Economic Expansions
The state of poverty in Malta is categorized as relative, but 2014 estimates show that 15.9 percent of citizens live below the poverty line. However, poverty in Malta is a consequence of recent economic expansions at the expense of employment stability, access to child care and has marginalized family incomes, especially for single mothers.
Economic stability in Malta is driven by tourism, trade and manufacturing. The country also boasted the European Union’s (EU) lowest unemployment rate of 3.9 percent in July 2016.
Malta is located between Sicily and North Africa, situating the country within several of the world’s highest trafficking shipping routes. The government of Malta recognizes the potential for growth due to the influence of global investment and trade.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the forms of health technology, communication and information technology, aerospace and defense and finance services to expand the rate of economic development is especially important, according to the U.S. Department of State.
According to the 2010 European Social Watch Report, economic infrastructures in Malta established increased flexibility due to labor market deregulation and liberalization of the market.
Economic developments have resulted in more jobs and profit, but at the cost of the deterioration of labor standards, unstable work status, unemployment and decreased incomes for families.
According to the University of Malta, groups that report the lowest yearly average are single parents, parents of big families and the elderly. These individuals are at a higher risk of poverty than others, while all aforementioned groups report housing inefficiencies to be a notable hindrance. Due to low familial incomes, children often lack access to food, adequate housing, health care and clothing.
The European Commission noted that Malta is relatively far from achieving its poverty reduction target as outlined in the Europe 2020 Strategy in a 2016 Maltese country report. Individuals with low skills and children have been affected most, while the absence of material goods in households further contributes to the facilitation of poverty and social exclusion.
As a recent addition to the collection of member states within the EU, the country is in the process of implementing 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
However, the Maltese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has yet to operationalize educational initiatives but stated that, “Malta is fully committed to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and in this regard is participating and following discussions at both regional and international level.”
– Amber Bailey
Photo: Flickr
Ten Facts About Refugees in Egypt
Here are 10 quick facts about refugees in Egypt:
Egypt is not a final destination for many of these refugees, instead it’s a transit stop to other places such as Europe.
The challenging economic conditions in the country and increasingly anti-refugee policies of the government are pushing more and more refugees toward potentially dangerous and illegal smuggling trips into Europe. Improving the conditions of these refugees in Egypt is of paramount importance.
– James Long
Photo: Flickr
Child Refugee Labor in Turkey: How Education Can Help
In a recent investigation conducted by BBC Panorama and Reuters, thousands of Syrian children have been found working illegally in clothing factories such as ASOS and Mark & Spencer throughout Turkey.
As Turkey has served as the main entry point for refugees fleeing from the ongoing conflict in Syria, there has been an influx of approximately 3 million refugees to Turkey, 665,000 of whom are children.
Yet, a majority of the child refugees in Turkey have not been attending school. In many cases, children are not attending school due to the family’s immediate need for extra income.
According to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, fewer than 15 percent of children between the age of six and 11 are currently in school.
Moreover, according to a study by the Migration and Politics Research Center at Hacettepe University in Ankara, a Syrian refugee working in Turkey is more likely to be a child than an adult.
Although adult Syrian refugees claim they earn between half or even a third of the hourly rate for the same work completed by Turks, Syrian children, in particular, have always been a cheaper labor source for employers.
Yet, it is difficult to estimate how many children are currently working illegally. According to a survey conducted in Istanbul by the Turkish charity, Support to Life, one in four households with children said at least one child was not in school because the family needed their earnings.
While the ongoing crisis of child refugee labor in Turkey has hindered providing a more stable education for displaced children, education is also the way to eliminate cases of child labor in the first place.
According to the International Labor Organization, it is a combination of economic growth, respect for labor standards, universal education and social protection that can significantly reduce cases of child refugee labor in Turkey.
The U.S. Department of Labor has also suggested that refugees with no access to education leave significant numbers at risk of exploitation of child labor.
Unfortunately, education has remained underfunded. In 2015, only 23% of the education category of the Syria Humanitarian Response Plan was funded. In addition, the U.N. Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Regional Refugee Response Plan for Syrian refugees was funded at 46%.
A representative of the Migration and Politics Research Center said, “Most Syrian children have been out of school for four to five years, since the beginning of the conflict. This is a very long time for a child’s life. Its effects are irreversible. A lost generation is a risk society cannot afford.”
Especially in times of displacement, not only does education reduce child labor statistics but it serves as a crucial safe haven for children in their most vulnerable years.
Education fosters a sense of normalcy, social cohesion and addresses psychosocial needs of the children that the economy depends upon to thrive in the near future.
– Priscilla Son
Photo: Flickr
Poverty in Cabo Verde
Only seven percent of this population lives below the dollar-a-day poverty line, meaning that most citizens have enough income to purchase the bare minimum of food, clothing and shelter.
Those living in poverty mainly rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. Only ten percent of Cabo Verde has arable land, which means that farms often have poor soil or receive inadequate rainfall.
Poverty in Cabo Verde is primarily a structural problem resulting from the lack of natural resources and the country’s narrow economic base.
According to the United Nations Development Programs (UNDP), Cabo Verde ranks third out of the 43 sub-Saharan African countries. This places it firmly in the medium development bracket. However, the country is still working to come back from the post-global crisis recovery.
Tourism Decline and Poverty in Cabo Verde
The country’s current leading industry is tourism. Tourism slowed from its 2014 rate of 3 percent to about 1.5 percent in 2015, cutting the industry profits in half. Pressures on the country’s public finances in 2016 foretell increases in debt.
However, while the macroeconomic climate is doing poorly and many continue to live within the poverty bracket, Cabo Verde is seeing progress. Since its independence, Cabo Verde has made huge strides in its economic development, health care and education initiatives. Life expectancy has increased from 69 years in 2001 to 73 years in 2016.
The government of Cabo Verde is currently making an effort to turn the islands into a center for trade and transport. Meanwhile, the tourism industry is projected to increase to around a 4 percent rate for 2016. These initiatives are expected to have a positive impact on the economy and poverty in Cabo Verde.
– Kayla Provencher
Photo: Flickr
Child Marriage in Afghanistan
Child marriage in Afghanistan is so common that over 30% of all girls are married before the age of 18. This disturbing figure bears more than a cursory glance. Aside from causing immense emotional and physical duress for child brides, the practice also massively hinders the girls’ ability to access education.
The phenomenon of child marriage in Afghanistan is not unique to the country, nor even to South Asia. In fact, the country with the highest prevalence of child brides is Niger, with 76% of girls married by the age of 18. In South Asia, the largest absolute number of child brides is in India — where 12 million children were married before the age of 10.
These figures speak to the fact that child marriage is not a phenomenon of any one race or religion. It has developed independently around the world, often for financial benefit or social mobility. However, in all cases, the effects on young girls have been devastating.
In Afghanistan, the relationship between the occurrence of child marriage and lack of education for females is chilling. Only 14% of girls are literate and only 36 percent are receiving an education. Naturally, these figures cannot be a result of child marriage in Afghanistan alone.
Factors Leading to Child Marriage in Afghanistan
Other factors created by a highly patriarchal society must be taken into consideration. Nevertheless, marrying off girls at a young age has an undeniable influence on their education.
The clearest way that child marriage affects female education is by causing girls to drop out of school in preparation for marriage or pregnancy.
This choice reflects a larger mentality where education for females is considered less valuable than marriage — a far more lucrative venture for families that consider their daughters to be liabilities. Once the girl is married, it can be hard for her to return to school, since she now has a family that takes up most of her time.
Girls Not Brides, an organization focused on ending child marriage states that girls with no education are three times as likely to marry by 18 as those with secondary or higher education.
In addition, over 60 percent of women ages 20-24 with no education were married before 18. Clearly, education is both a catalyst for and a consequence of lowered rates of child marriage.
Educating girls at the secondary school level equips them with the ability to recognize when and whom they want to marry. It also ensures that they have skills that make them self-reliant financially and emotionally.
The mere practice of being in school also furthers the perception that girls are still too young to be married and must invest their time in learning instead of child rearing.
Child marriage in Afghanistan is a direct result of poverty, strong patriarchal values, lack of access to education and cultural practices. All of these factors could be prevented by increasing female participation in schooling, as not only would girls be immediately affected; their qualifications would also allow them to later have a voice in decision making.
– Mallika Khanna
Photo: Flickr
New Tool Detects Lung Disease in Developing Countries
A high-school senior recently developed a low-cost device to monitor lung function and improve the fight against lung disease in developing countries.
The device — called a spirometer — was unveiled by Maya Varma at the 75th Annual Intel Competition. She built the device using approximately $35 worth of common electronic parts. A similar, hospital-grade spirometer can run into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars, yet Varma’s prototype has been proven to be just as accurate.
To use the spirometer, patients blow into a mouthpiece while a smartphone app, also developed by Varma, analyzes the results. Doctors can use this data to monitor various chronic pulmonary conditions, such as asthma. Varma has already applied for a patent and has plans to conduct further research and testing before hopefully bringing it to market.
The high school senior was inspired to build the device after discovering the difficulties people in developing countries have in obtaining proper health care. According to Doctors Without Borders, one-third of the global population lacks access to proper medical care. In less developed areas, such as parts of Africa and Asia, that figure rises to one-half.
This stems in part from the fact that some medications are too expensive or no longer produced. Diagnostic tools are also rare in developing countries due to their high price tag. This prevents doctors from properly identifying certain diseases and patients from receiving the necessary care.
There is a serious need for more affordable tools to detect lung disease in developing countries. According to the Smithsonian, the high cost of spirometers, in particular, is a key factor in the high number of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): because doctors lack the equipment to make early detection possible, it ranks as the fourth leading cause of death around the world.
Thankfully, as Varma works to perfect her device, a study out of Stanford University has shown that foreign aid is directly linked to increases in life expectancy and better health in developing countries.
In countries that received the most aid, life expectancy rose by as much as four years. According to the researchers, the more dramatic increases occurred when health aid was used effectively by targeting diseases with improved technologies that allowed for better, more efficient treatment — technologies such as new vaccines, bed nets and antiretrovirals.
Or, perhaps one day soon, Varma’s spirometers.
– Sabrina Santos
Photo: Flickr
Ten Facts About Denmark Refugees and Their Ongoing Struggle
Denmark is a tiny welfare state known around the world for its liberal values. A quick Google search on Denmark will likely yield articles on affluence and social equality. Denmark is the 23rd richest country in the world, with an average yearly household net-adjustable disposable income of $26,491 per capita. It is the sixth most expensive country to live in, yet it was voted the happiest country in the world in 2016. However, not everyone is happy.
Denmark refugees are exposed to a slew of hardships at the hand of the Danish government. With the recent influx of refugees, like many countries across Europe, Denmark has begun tightening the strings on its immigration policies.
Here are 10 facts about Denmark refugees that illustrate the changing legislation and resulting turmoil for its refugees.
There has been an outcry from both the global and the Danish community at Denmark’s recent adoption of austere policies regarding immigration. However, the government seems to stand by its decisions, citing the safety of its people and maintaining economic stability as reasons for its increasingly strict actions. Luckily, many refugees are able to find asylum in other countries throughout Europe.
If you wish to partake in helping refugees from Syria and elsewhere, there are a plethora of credible groups to send donations, including U.N.’s International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Doctors Without Borders.
– Kayla Provencher
Photo: Flickr
Ten Facts About Nauru Refugees
Here are 10 facts about Nauru refugees:
Although no word has been given to close the Nauru Detainment Center, the second Australian Refugee Detention Center on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, is closing operations.
The Australian Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional in April 2016. Recently, counselors from Save the Children, a nonprofit previously working on Nauru, bravely reported many of the abuses they witnessed but were bound by confidentiality not to reveal this.
In light of these revelations, it is hoped that the Nauru Detainment Center will also close, allowing the Nauru refugees to receive quality aid elsewhere.
– Amy Whitman
Photo: Flickr
Reducing Food Loss One Piece of Paper at a Time
A simple invention aims to revolutionize the preservation of perishable goods, thereby reducing food loss.
The invention in question is known as FreshPaper, a small sheet of biodegradable material infused with a special mixture of botanical extracts that claims to preserve food freshness. Its inventor? Then 16-year-old Kavita Shukla, who was inspired to tackle the problem of food waste in a unique way.
It began with Shukla trying her grandmother’s home remedy for an upset stomach: a mixture of plant extracts, botanicals and spices. Upon the remedy’s success, Shukla was inspired to test it further, thus discovering its antimicrobial properties.
Several years of research later, she was able to receive a patent for the mixture, now known as Fenugreen. At 27, Shukla joined forces with a friend to launch the product in Cambridge.
Food waste is a big problem. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the U.N., one-third of food produced for human consumption worldwide is wasted annually. This waste typically happens at the consumer end of the production process. “Food loss” occurs earlier on during production, post-harvest and processing.
Developing countries in particular struggle with food loss, since they often lack the industrialization necessary to preserve food long enough to reach consumers. The National Geographic states that India loses up to 40 percent of its fruits and vegetables in this manner.
There is no one solution to food waste or loss. Instead, it is important to take action at multiple steps in the food making process. In developing countries, aid organizations are providing for better storage facilities for farmers, preventing them from losing excessive amounts of crops during transit.
Since 1997, the FAO has donated metal silos to more than 15 countries by training local craftsmen in their construction, use and delivery to farmers. In one study, 96 percent of the beneficiary farmers in Bolivia responded that the silos in question improved food security by reducing the amount of food lost post-harvest and maintaining grain quality.
Shukla is currently working to make FreshPaper available to food-banks and to farmers in developing countries. She hopes that her invention can have a big impact in reducing food loss.
– Sabrina Santos
Photo: Flickr
Malaria Eradication: The Uphill Battle
Over the last decade and a half, the world’s fight for malaria eradication has yielded tangible results. According to the 2015 World Malaria Report, there has been a sharp decline in the global malaria incidence since 2000 with the malaria-related targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) achieved.
In 57 countries malaria cases reduced by 75%. In addition, the European region reported zero indigenous cases of malaria for the first time since the World Health Organization (WHO) began keeping track.
Globally, the number of malaria cases fell from an estimated 262 million in 2000 to 214 million in 2015, a decline of 18%; the number of deaths fell from an estimated 839,000 in 2000 to 438,000 in 2015, a decline of 48%.
Sadly, most cases and deaths in 2015 are estimated to have occurred in the WHO African region, 88 percent, followed by the WHO Southeast Asia region.
The overall numbers are encouraging. In the four decades before this, malaria eradication had almost slipped off the global health agenda despite a much-trumpeted Global Malaria Eradication Program in 1955.
While this campaign succeeded in eliminating malaria from Europe, North America, the Caribbean and parts of Asia and South-Central America it made no headway in sub-Saharan Africa. The program was abandoned in 1969 largely on account of the failure in tackling the technical challenges of executing any reasonable strategy in Africa.
Subsequently, the attention of the world shifted to other scourges like HIV. In small pockets research was being done on advances in drug and vaccine development, vector control and insecticide-treated nets, but little was achieved on the ground.
The latest numbers then, showing the real gains made in the battle against the disease particularly in Africa, are a welcome sign and owe much to initiatives by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and faith-based organizations (FBOs).
They bring much-needed technical as well as cultural expertise along with economies of scale to reach larger sections of populations in afflicted countries. Prominent among these are The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Malaria Eradication Project (MEP) and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI).
In the fight against the killer disease, insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying (IRS), chemoprevention in pregnant women and children and treatment with artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), have been the most effective methods.
Despite this tremendous progress, much more needs to be done to further reduce malaria’s burden. The Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030 approved by the World Health Assembly in May 2015, set ambitious targets for 2030, including a reduction of at least 90% in global malaria incidence and mortality.
There are major challenges ahead. Decreases in malaria incidence and mortality have been slowest in countries that had the highest number of malaria cases and deaths in 2000.
As expected, malaria is concentrated in countries with weaker health systems and lower national incomes. In sub-Saharan Africa in 2014, some 269 million of the 834 million people at risk of malaria lived in households without nets or access to spraying.
In addition, the effectiveness of insecticide-based vector control is threatened as malaria mosquitoes develop resistance to the insecticides used in ITNs and IRS.
These are going to be the biggest hurdles in the way of eventually eliminating malaria from most parts of the world. However, with continued assistance from the global community, it seems likely that malaria will go the way of polio and smallpox over time.
– Mallika Khanna
Photo: Flickr