The Marshall Islands consist of two strings of 29 coral atolls and five islands in the North Pacific between Australia and the Hawaiian Islands. Due to a lack of natural resources and high unemployment rates, the island struggles with poverty and accompanying diseases.
For tourists, the top diseases in the Marshall Islands are Zika virus and typhoid. However, far more diseases inhibit and threaten the lives of those who live on the islands year-round.
Every day, the inhabitants of these islands struggle to remain healthy due to both communicable and noncommunicable diseases.
Communicable Diseases
Neglected tropical diseases (NTD) are some of the top diseases in the Marshall Islands. They are a group of viral, parasitic and bacterial diseases that typically affect impoverished communities that lack proper sanitation.
According to the CDC, NTDs impair physical and cognitive development and can create a cycle of disease and poverty. Examples of neglected tropical diseases include dengue fever, leprosy, rabies and hookworm infection.
Other communicable diseases include Hepatitis, schistosomiasis, meningitis, and Lassa fever. These diseases are hard to control due to poor water supplies, personal hygiene issues, overcrowding and a lack of good medical facilities.
Noncommunicable Diseases
Noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of death in the Marshall Islands. Diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and urogenital, blood and endocrine diseases often develop as a result of reduced mobility and obesity.
In 2011, Pacific health ministers declared that noncommunicable diseases were an urgent crisis in the Pacific Islands. Additionally, the Republic of the Marshall Islands Embassy asserts that the influence of Western culture has led to an increase in consumption of unhealthy food, alcohol and tobacco.
Additionally, the government has recognized the increase in heart conditions and diabetes and is working on ways to influence lifestyle changes and increase access to healthcare.
According to the World Health Organization Country Cooperation Strategy for Marshall Islands (2013-2017), “because of the unique situation of Pacific countries with their limited systems and human resource capacities, it is essential to have modest, realistic and cost effective plans.”
The Marshall Islands have already succeeded in eradicating some vaccine-preventable diseases from the country. A large-scale mass drug administration campaign eliminated lymphatic filariasis in the Marshall Islands on March 30, 2017. Consequently, there is hope for the eradication of even more disease with the necessary cooperation between the government and citizens of the Marshall Islands.
– Madeline Boeding
Photo: Flickr
Water Quality in Cameroon Improving Slowly But Surely
With 663 million individuals who lack access to clean water, it is apparent that the condition of water in many places around the world is very poor. Cameroon, a country located in Central Africa, is one of those places. However, water quality in Cameroon has improved in the last decade.
In both rural and urban areas, people suffer because of the poor water quality in Cameroon. In more rural areas, people walk great distances just to reach rivers. They do not only use rivers to gather water to drink but to bathe as well. These rivers are often contaminated with feces and a plethora of pathogens, making the water unsafe for both drinking and hygienic purposes.
In the capital city of Yaoundé, only 35 percent of the water needed for survival is distributed through pipes. That percentage is simply not enough to provide for an entire city. Individuals are then forced to travel to and navigate rural areas and search for rivers to collect water. Some of the people that live in cities possess a filter that can purify the water that they collect, but not everyone is that fortunate.
Drinking unsanitary water leads to diarrheal diseases, such as cholera. The World Health Organization reports that there are at least 1.3 million cholera cases yearly in Cameroon.
Although the poor water quality in Cameroon is a severe issue, efforts are being made to improve it. Individuals like Franck Eben Onambele, a Cameroon native, are making a difference. Onambele is a Cornell University alumnus and founder of the program One Summer, One Well, which focuses on building wells in Cameroon to provide potable water.
Besides Onambele’s work, there are also plans to use the Sanaga River for pipe-borne water. Utilizing the Sanaga River could nearly double the clean water supply for the people of Yaoundé.
Some efforts being made to better Cameroon’s water quality have proven to be successful. From the start to the end of the Millennium Development Goals, access to better water sources in the country increased by a total of 19 percent. While there has been an improvement in the water quality in Cameroon, much work is necessary for the future.
– Raven A. Rentas
Photo: Flickr
7 Organizations Helping People in Guatemala
Out of a population of 16.3 million, 59 percent of Guatemalans live in poverty, and 23 percent live in extreme poverty. However, efforts are being made to improve living conditions for the country’s people. Here are some organizations that are setting examples of how to help people in Guatemala.
7 Organizations Helping People in Guatemala
With these organizations and their efforts, Guatemalans could live better lives in the near future. Additionally, programs dedicated to education and learning facilities will make many job opportunities available to the country’s youth. As these organizations continue their work, they show others how to help people in Guatemala.
– Rhondjé Singh Tanwar
Photo: Flickr
Top Diseases in the Marshall Islands
For tourists, the top diseases in the Marshall Islands are Zika virus and typhoid. However, far more diseases inhibit and threaten the lives of those who live on the islands year-round.
Every day, the inhabitants of these islands struggle to remain healthy due to both communicable and noncommunicable diseases.
Communicable Diseases
Neglected tropical diseases (NTD) are some of the top diseases in the Marshall Islands. They are a group of viral, parasitic and bacterial diseases that typically affect impoverished communities that lack proper sanitation.
According to the CDC, NTDs impair physical and cognitive development and can create a cycle of disease and poverty. Examples of neglected tropical diseases include dengue fever, leprosy, rabies and hookworm infection.
Other communicable diseases include Hepatitis, schistosomiasis, meningitis, and Lassa fever. These diseases are hard to control due to poor water supplies, personal hygiene issues, overcrowding and a lack of good medical facilities.
Noncommunicable Diseases
Noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of death in the Marshall Islands. Diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and urogenital, blood and endocrine diseases often develop as a result of reduced mobility and obesity.
In 2011, Pacific health ministers declared that noncommunicable diseases were an urgent crisis in the Pacific Islands. Additionally, the Republic of the Marshall Islands Embassy asserts that the influence of Western culture has led to an increase in consumption of unhealthy food, alcohol and tobacco.
Additionally, the government has recognized the increase in heart conditions and diabetes and is working on ways to influence lifestyle changes and increase access to healthcare.
According to the World Health Organization Country Cooperation Strategy for Marshall Islands (2013-2017), “because of the unique situation of Pacific countries with their limited systems and human resource capacities, it is essential to have modest, realistic and cost effective plans.”
The Marshall Islands have already succeeded in eradicating some vaccine-preventable diseases from the country. A large-scale mass drug administration campaign eliminated lymphatic filariasis in the Marshall Islands on March 30, 2017. Consequently, there is hope for the eradication of even more disease with the necessary cooperation between the government and citizens of the Marshall Islands.
– Madeline Boeding
Photo: Flickr
What is a Multilateral Agreement?
A multilateral agreement is a commerce treaty between three or more nations. It allows for all of the countries that sign, called signatories, to be on an equal playing field. This agreement means that no signatories can give better or worse trade deals to one country than it does another.
A multilateral agreement increases trade for all the countries involved. Their companies enjoy low tariffs that make exports cheaper. Multilateral agreements also standardize commerce regulations between all businesses in all countries, so that corporations can save legal costs since they all follow the same rules in each country.
These agreements are especially beneficial to the United States, as it already has low trade barriers when it comes to importing goods from other nations. In fact, the U.S. Department of Commerce reported that “U.S. goods exports to current free trade agreement partners supported more than 3 million jobs in 2015, an increase of more than 22 percent since 2009.”
However, the other countries the U.S. usually makes multilateral agreements with are countries with high trade regulations. The U.S. has a difficult time facilitating the importation and exportation of goods without multilateral agreements.
These multilateral agreements are not simple, as they have details that can sometimes take years to negotiate. The particulars of each multilateral agreement is specific to the trade and business practices of each country involved.
There is consequently a great deal of debate on the benefits and detriments of the multilateral agreement. The public often misunderstands these agreements because of this detail. As a result, each deal receives a high amount of press, controversy and protesting. Small business cannot compete with the giant multinational corporations that benefit from trade borders disappearing.
With the North American Free Trade Agreement especially, there is a 300 percent increase in a trade up to 2009. It is clear that it is worth debating the rules and regulations to ensure these agreements continue.
– Rilee Pickle
Photo: Flickr
Rihanna’s Charity Work: Fighting Poverty in Malawi
In January 2017, Rihanna visited Malawi on behalf of her foundation, the Clara Lionel Foundation. She also journeyed as a global ambassador for the Global Partnership for Education.
During her stay, Rihanna, accompanied by former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, hoped to learn more about the challenges regarding health and education in Malawi. Global Citizen uploaded a short film documenting Rihanna’s charity work. The film depicts the poverty, hunger, poor education and the lack of many basic human rights that many children face in Malawi. In addition to interacting with children, Rihanna also discussed future improvement strategies with key political leaders.
The situation regarding education in Malawi requires immediate action. This documentary and Rihanna’s charity work helped bring attention to the severity of conditions in Malawi. According to a World Bank survey, one in two Malawians live in poverty, making it the country’s most pressing issue.
Currently, the fight against poverty in Malawi has experienced little progress in the past decade. Like many impoverished countries, the rural regions of Malawi are the most heavily impacted. The issue is primarily due to volatile economic conditions, natural disasters and poor performance in the agricultural sector. The World Bank has suggested that one possible solution could be investing in secondary education for women.
These issues regarding poverty and education have a particularly profound impact on young Malawian women. Rihanna’s charity work, as shown in the documentary, addresses how issues such as poor public infrastructure put young women in danger while walking to school. In addition, cultural practices such as arranged marriages deter women from pursuing education.
Rihanna’s charity work in Malawi attempts to increase global awareness of these issues while creating connections with key leaders. The Global Partnership for Education has raised funds for global education, and in past years has focused specifically on “inclusive, equitable quality education for all by 2030.” In fact, the organization hopes to raise $3.1 billion for over 870 million children in 89 countries between 2018 and 2020. Partnering with Rihanna allowed them to combine these goals with the singer’s interest in education for girls and arts education.
In years past, Rihanna has used her fame to further her charity work. As a champion for women’s rights and access to arts and education, Rihanna established the Clara Lionel Foundation in 2012. The nonprofit fights to “improve the quality of life for communities globally in the areas of health, education, arts and culture.” The foundation creates scholarships, partners with various corporations, holds fundraising events and does much more in an effort to provide these areas with the resources they need.
– Julia Morrison
Photo: Flickr
GMOs Like Brazil’s New Sugarcane Feed the World’s Poor
Brazil approved a new sugarcane genetically engineered to resist the most devastating plague in the country. The major sugar exporter is the first to approve commercial use of genetically modified (GM) sugarcane. The developer CTC created the cane with the commonly-used gene Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis). This allows the sugarcane to resist the insect Diatraea saccharides, which causes an annual loss of $1.52 billion to sugar producers.
Since most agriculture-based countries are in the developing world, insect-resistant crops such as Brazil’s new sugarcane can be especially helpful to poor farmers. Brazil will be the first to start utilizing the new sugarcane, but many other genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are already at work throughout developing nations.
While they remain a controversial topic in the U.S., GMOs like Brazil’s new sugarcane help feed the world’s poor.
Scientists, like the developers at CTC, possess the ability to engineer crops that solve manifold problems in developing countries. One example is Bangladesh’s Bt Eggplant, which resists a fruit and shoots borer pest. The eggplant’s genetic resistance decreases pesticide use and required labor while increasing crop yield, crop size and farmer profits.
Bangladeshi farmer Md. Milon Mia reported that pests used to ruin up to 40 percent of his crop yield before using Bt Eggplant. The GM eggplant now helps Bangladesh’s largely rural population, as the country climbs out of its position as one of the poorest in the world.
In a “Letter to the Editor” of The New York Times, a farmer from a village in India details his similar experience with GMOs. Like the farmers in Brazil and Bangladesh, Sudhindra Kulkarni uses a GMO designed to resist pests. With this GM cotton, his yields have increased four times, his crops have been healthier and his farm has been more sustainable.
Before the transgenic crop, bollworm pests were so damaging that he thought he “would barely scrape by.” But now, GM cotton has “transformed” the lives of his family. The impoverished Indian population has been cut in half in the past two decades, and developments such as GM farming are key to this progress.
Two billion people across the globe face food insecurity. 896 million people live on less than $2 a day. But GMOs like Brazil’s new sugarcane can improve this situation through the creation of more resilient crops.
With modern technologies, scientists can engineer crops that require less labor, cost less to produce and yield more product. With continued support for these lifesaving inventions, biologists can continue to develop solutions for the developing world.
– Bret Serbin
Photo: Flickr
Teachers Help Improve Education in Venezuela
After years of fighting to reform education in Venezuela at the primary and secondary levels, teachers in Venezuela finally received the pay they deserved.
This month, the government gave Venezuelan teachers a 15 percent increase to their salaries, totaling a 345 percent increase since the start of 2017.
Following several negotiations between the Venezuelan president and the Venezuelan Teachers’ Federation (FMV), public school teachers were given proper wages for their work. The FMV leader stated that the wage increases acted as a “call for the defense of the right to education, from those who want to sabotage it for political reasons.”
In addition to the wage increase, the government set aside funds that would go toward paying pension benefits for 15,000 teachers.
The wage increase was intended to not only be an investment in the teachers but the education system itself. With these improved wages, now 96 percent of the Venezuelan population can read and write, making Venezuela one of the most literate countries in the world.
However, education in Venezuela didn’t always prosper. The country was previously overextended and underfunded, with about 20 percent of children lacking a formal education. The Ministry of Education of Venezuela and Venezuelan government collaborated to adapt the curriculum, expand compulsory education and upgrade teacher qualifications in order to address the problem of low enrollment.
As a result, the government established the Bolivarian University system in 2003, whose design encompassed democratizing access to higher education and creating the Bolivarian Missions Social Outreach program. The program focuses on literacy programs and university preparation programs.
Later in 2008, five years after President Chavez launched his outreach program that enrolled nearly 2.5 million children, education in Venezuela came to be considered among the highest in the region. The literacy rate rested around 93.8 percent for males and 93.1 percent for females.
Although the total literacy rate increased only by three percent since the initial wage increases, those increases have helped reform curriculum, teacher training and increased enrollment. These changes helped to significantly improve education in Venezuela overall.
– Amira Wynn
Photo: Flickr
A Snapshot of the Current State of Poverty in Luxembourg
Luxembourg, a tiny country tucked between Belgium, Germany and France, has had its share of economic misfortunes. However, the country experienced a rise in the economy, and thus, a subsequent decrease in poverty in the past few years. The country launched various programs that assist in alleviating debt, and a decrease in poverty in Luxembourg followed as a result.
In 2000, Luxembourg began to see a consistent rise in salaries and a decrease in poverty and unemployment. During this year, salaries rose by 46 percent (more than any other country), while GDP rose by 8 percent. In addition, only one in five Luxembourg citizens lived in threat of poverty and social exclusion.
Two years later, the country launched numerous programs to support economic diversification and attract foreign investment. This launch helped move along Luxembourg’s fight against poverty. With the implementation of these programs, Luxembourg became the world’s second largest investment (after the U.S.).
Furthermore, employment rose by at least 16 percent since 2009. Compared to Europe’s 10.4 percent unemployment rate, Luxembourg boasts a 5.9, ranking fourth behind Germany, Austria and Malta.
The constant rise in employment and salaries benefits working adults, but children continue to struggle, particularly those that live in single parent homes. In 2012, UNICEF reported that 12.3 percent of children live in poverty in Luxembourg, an increase from the previous 11.5 percent. Additionally, the country experiences a 14.6 percent child poverty gap.
In the following year, the threshold for risk of poverty rested at 1,665 euros. During that time, it affected approximately 15.9 percent of the population with 23.9 percent being children. To combat this trend, Luxembourg continually works on a guaranteed minimum income to reduce the poverty rate.
Luxembourg continues to see a rise in GDP and employment since the implementation of various programs and lobbying for minimum wage. In 2016, the GDP reported at $58.74 billion, a $1.99 billion increase from the previous year. In addition, the unemployment rate in 2016 reported at 6.7 percent, a .2 percent decrease from 2015.
No current data on the population living in poverty in Luxembourg is currently reported. But, it can be inferred from the continued rise of GDP and employment rate, and the decrease of unemployment that poverty in Luxembourg continues to fall at a steady pace.
– Amira Wynn
Photo: Flickr
Private Businesses Speak Up on Cutting of Foreign Aid Budget
Shortly after taking office in 2017, the Trump administration released its proposed budget cuts for FY 2018. Among the proposed cuts was a 31 percent decrease in the foreign aid budget, which includes cutting funding to the United Nations, the World Bank and other diplomatic institutions. With the already low foreign aid budget potentially decreasing, impoverished nations still do have dependable allies in the U.S. other than the government.
After the release of the proposed foreign aid budget cuts, American business leaders from companies such as Walmart, Nike and Coca-Cola signed a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urging him to reevaluate the proposed cuts. The May 22 letter highlights the fact that 95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside of the U.S. and that “eleven of America’s top fifteen export markets are in countries that have been recipients of U.S. foreign assistance.”
Not only are private businesses lobbying the government to take responsibility when it comes to stepping up foreign aid policy, but they have also stepped up in their own funding to developing countries and their economies.
According to The Guardian, private sectors have invested money to developing countries at a faster rate than government foreign aid; they receive 27 percent more foreign business investments than development aid. The investments, which have increased nine-fold since the year 2000, are starting to bring countries out of poverty with increasing business capital flow into their economies.
As businesses see more market potential in countries where citizens could come out of poverty and would have more money to spend on luxury goods, they have an incentive to invest in development.
For example, The Coca-Cola Company and The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation teamed up with TechnoServe to invest in eastern African farmers to produce fruit for their Minute Maid drinks. As a result, local farmers were educated on how to produce better crop yields that would benefit both Coca Cola’s production and the farmers’ incomes. This venture was titled Project Nurture and increased the incomes of 54,000 farmers.
“We are committed to working with you in your role as Secretary of State to share our perspectives on the importance of U.S. international affairs programs to boost our exports abroad and our jobs here at home,” read the May 22 letter to Tillerson. Whether the proposed 31 percent foreign aid budget cut goes into effect or not, private businesses will continue to invest in foreign markets and give aid to developing countries. It is also important to note that, in budgetary matters, Congress holds the power of the purse. While the President is able to propose budgetary cuts, they must be approved by Congress before going into effect.
– Vicente Vera
Photo: Flickr
Facts and Figures About Cuba
A Caribbean island with Spanish as its official language, Cuba is a nation rich in tradition and culture. The United States has had a strained relationship with the country since the travel ban of 1962. However, learning about Cuba continues to provide incredible insight about how to strengthen diplomatic ties between the two countries. Here are 10 facts and figures about Cuba.
While these facts and figures about Cuba cannot fully encapsulate the country, they certainly paint a vivid picture of the exceptional nation that Cuba continues to be. A hub of diversity and human rights, Cuba’s recent successes support the claim that these things will continue improving in the future.
– Emily Chazen
Photo: Flickr