Mozambique is one of the poorest countries on a global scale. The government estimates that 54 percent of its population lives below the poverty line. Hunger in Mozambique is widespread, as 80 percent of the population cannot afford enough food for good health and 24 percent are chronically food insecure. At least 25 percent of Mozambicans are malnourished, due in part, to poor crop diversity. Almost half of children under age five are malnourished, and 42 percent have stunted growth.
Mozambique’s primary industry is agriculture: it brings in over 25 percent of the nation’s GDP and employs 80 percent of the workforce. Yet, Mozambique is also prone to severe weather such as droughts and floods. With the majority of the nation dependent on agriculture and at risk for severe weather, Mozambique is highly susceptible to chronic food insecurity and poverty.
While parts of Mozambique are prone to drought, these regions also have rivers, leaving them prone to flooding during cyclone season. In fact, two-third of Mozambicans live in regions at risk of flooding and cyclones. Mozambique experienced floods in 2000, 2001, 2007 and 2008. The country had droughts between 2002-2003, 2004-2005, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008.
Drought caused by the 2016 El Niño weather pattern reduced crop yields and left two million Mozambicans suffering food insecurity. Shortly after, in February 2017, the country experienced a cyclone which also destroyed crops.
Feed the Future, an initiative funded by USAID is working to reduce hunger in Mozambique. The USAID website notes that Mozambique also has geographical advantages and great potential to increase agriculture while reducing food insecurity. The country is a coastal country, making it ideal for growing food and supplying landlocked African countries. Furthermore, only 17 percent of the suitable land is being used for farming.
The Feed the Future Initiative is taking advantage of this potential. Research is underway to improve agriculture. More nutritious and resilient crop varieties are being developed, as are plants which produce higher yields. Ideal fertilizers are being used along with better farming practices to improve soil quality.
Of the 15 countries in Southern Africa, Mozambique is the second largest exporter of food. As such, better farming practices can allow the citizens of Mozambique to rise out of poverty. Crop production is impaired by changes in climate. Yet, if Mozambique can overcome this obstacle, it can help reduce famine throughout Southern Africa. The outlook is good. Mozambique cut hunger in half between 1997 and 2015.
If the Feed the Future Initiative and other organizations can end hunger in Mozambique, then it can possibly end hunger in Southern Africa.
– Mary Katherine Crowley
Photo: Flickr
10 Interesting Facts About Austrian Refugees
Austria is a beautiful country nestled in the Alps with a rich cultural and musical history. When floods of immigrants, mostly from Syria, poured over its borders in 2015, Austria became a focal point for global forced displacement. Because of the sheer volume of immigrants passing through, Austrian refugees face difficulties earlier generations did not.
10 Facts About Austrian Refugees
The challenge ahead for Austrian refugees: assimilating into a new culture, learning a new language and finding suitable employment.
– Jene Cates
Photo: Flickr
Water Quality in the Netherlands
Water quality in the Netherlands is high, allowing the Dutch to have universal access to a potable water supply and sanitation. However, there is still concern for future improvement. Improving and increasing the quality of water is a high priority, particularly regarding the nutrient concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in surface water.
Improving Water Quality in the Netherlands
Water quality in the Netherlands continues to improve through a sustainable water system and integrated water management. The Dutch have organized an international river basin level with the aid of the European Union water framework directive.
The Dutch have a water pollution control policy focusing on the polluter pays principle, aiding in maintaining water quality for the country.
Amsterdam has the highest quality of water in the country and the safest and cleanest tap water in Europe. Dutch water companies are using advanced technology to turn surface water into pure, drinkable water without chlorine or fluoride.
The Netherlands’ water pipe system has a leakage rate of three to five percent, which is below that of all other European countries. The Netherlands attributes this to proper maintenance measures and sensor technology.
Water quality in the Netherlands is different than in other countries because the Dutch government does not add chlorine to the drinking water. Many people have stated that chlorinated water tastes bad, and it is believed that chlorine contains poisonous substances, damaging to the environment.
The Dutch are very proud of their quality of water, and of the facts that it is good tasting and non-chlorinated. However, recently, some Dutch water companies have had to add chlorine to drinking water to combat bacteria that causes legionnaires disease. The Dutch use mono-chloramine, a compound of chlorine without a taste.
Water quality in the Netherlands has been praised for its non-chlorinated “super-water”, and the country is very proud to be one of the nations with the highest water quality in the world.
– Rochelle R. Dean
Photo: Flickr
How Does Education Affect Poverty?
How does education affect poverty? Education can eradicate poverty if given the chance; those in poverty can only benefit from education. People living in poverty that are unable to attain a formal education will have a much more difficult time escaping their living and working conditions. The right education can lift people from poverty and improve their lives financially, physically and mentally.
For many countries, there is free public education, however, there are additional costs for uniforms, books or transportation. In rural areas, children may travel for hours each way to get to school on a bus. These expenses can be overwhelming for low-income families.
Sometimes the families are forced to pull children from school in order for them to work to support the family. The problem with taking children out of school to work is that it results in an education that was cut short, if it even began at all.
Poverty is more than simply not having enough money. But having an education can alleviate some of the problems faced in poverty. How does education affect poverty? Education improves food security and reduces malnutrition. By educating citizens on agriculture and farming techniques, they become capable of growing and selling their own food. This creates a source of income as well as healthy living.
Literacy allows women to read about prenatal vitamins, and other health information during pregnancy. Families can learn about the importance of drinking clean water and safely preparing food. Education reduces the spread of communicable diseases that plague poverty stricken areas. When a community does not understand how a disease is spread, it can catch like wildfire infecting many people. But through education, children and families can learn how to protect themselves against illnesses like HIV/AIDS and Ebola. Education improves gender equity. By allowing girls to be educated they are empowered to make their own decisions in life and it can cut the rates of early marriage and pregnancy.
How does education affect poverty? Education creates development, free-thinking citizens and better health and wellbeing. A good education can provide a lifetime of opportunities. Providing an education allows people living in poverty to think outside of only wondering when the next meal might be. An education can drastically improve quality of life for those living in poverty. Providing an education for the poverty-stricken allows them to provide for themselves in the future.
– Karyn Adams
Photo: Flickr
Prosperous and Inclusive Education in Austria
Education in Austria is well-known for its quality around the world. After educational reforms the 1960s, the university system has changed from one for the elite to one serving the masses. Following the liberalization of educational policy, specifically at higher level institutions, university enrollment has been boosted by domestic and EU students. Culturally rich, the high-income country offers affordable education for all. Since 2001, tuition and fees have been about $400-$800 per term.
A number of the country’s universities are ranked among the best in the world. Austria has 23 public and 13 private universities, institutions which enjoy a high degree of autonomy. According to QS World University Rankings in 2016-17, the University of Vienna placed 155th in the world and number one in Austria. Founded in 1365 by Duke Rudolph, the University of Vienna is the oldest German-speaking university in the world and has roughly 91,000 students enrolled. Today the institution offers 188 courses from African Studies to Zoology.
In the face of the recent refugee crises, 21 Austrian universities, including the University of Vienna, participated in a program of support called MORE, launched by The Austrian University Conference (UNIKO) in September 2015. The organization helps refugees — whose documents are often lost — to enroll to academic courses, provides an exemption from tuition fees, German language and integration courses.
The initiative also includes many other forms of support such as donations, sports courses and medical support. Most of the universities provide between 15 and 100 places for MORE applicants, who now have an opportunity to receive education in Austria.
– Yana Emets
Photo: Flickr
Top Diseases in Azerbaijan
The disease is rampant in Middle Eastern and Eastern European countries. Azerbaijan, located just south of the Caucasus Mountains and home to 9.6 million people, is no exception. Every day, these people are affected by chronic diseases in Azerbaijan, which ranges from heart disease and cancer all the way to infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS. Here is a list of the top diseases in Azerbaijan that threaten local citizens.
Cardiovascular Diseases
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 54 percent of deaths in Azerbaijan are caused by cardiovascular diseases. Between 1990 and 2013, the annual mortality rate from cardiovascular diseases in Azerbaijan has increased by 18.2 percent, with an average of 0.8 percent per year. The most severe of cardiovascular diseases in Azerbaijan is Ischemic Heart Disease. However, the number of fatal strokes in Azerbaijan has increased by 24 percent since 1990, and the number of deaths caused by Hypertensive Heart Disease has increased by 33 percent since 1990. Cardiovascular diseases are by far the number one cause of death in Azerbaijan.
Chronic and Lower Respiratory Diseases
Data shows that of the communicable diseases in Azerbaijan, chronic respiratory diseases are the most dangerous. From the list of communicable diseases, lower respiratory infections make up for half of the deaths depending on age group, and the annual mortality rate sharply increases for those over the age of 55. However, things are looking better for chronic respiratory diseases in Azerbaijan; since 1990, the annual mortality rate for lower respiratory infections has decreased by 73 percent.
HIV/AIDS
Although HIV/AIDS does not make up for a large percentage of harm, it is still a very dangerous disease in Azerbaijan. HIV/AIDS has one of the fastest-growing annual mortality rates of any other disease in Azerbaijan. Between 1990 and 2013, the number of deaths caused by HIV/AIDS has increased by 3,247 percent. As of 2015, the number of people in Azerbaijan living with HIV is estimated to be around 11,000, and it is predicted that the number will increase.
Diseases in Azerbaijan are extremely prevalent and have a large effect on citizens’ lives. Organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, and UNAIDS are all working closely together in order to properly treat current diseases and prevent future deaths.
– Morgan Leahy
Photo: Flickr
UN: Nationalist Politics A “Wall” to Progress
Since 1990, the number of people living in extreme poverty has decreased by one billion, and the under-five death rate has been cut in half. Despite these great strides toward ending global poverty, a recent U.N. report by Selim Jahan cites current politics and rising nationalism as “antithetical to human development.”
Exclusion, isolation and intolerance are extremely dangerous globally and domestically. In the United States, citizens have had a small taste of this nationalism, with the proposed refugee ban, the proposed cut of 28.7% to USAID and the literal wall proposed on the border between the U.S. and Mexico.
U.S. Representative and Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committee Ed Royce said in response to the proposed foreign aid cuts: “I am very concerned by reports of deep cuts that could damage efforts to combat terrorism, save lives and create opportunities for American workers.”.
The Annual Human Development index report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) credits the successes in decreasing poverty worldwide to “global actions” and “collaboration.”
Foreign aid should not be a partisan issue nor a byproduct of intolerant politics and nationalism, as has been the unfortunate case in recent years. President Ronald Reagan was a powerful advocate for foreign assistance programs and is quoted as saying that, “Our national interests are inextricably tied to the security and development of our friends and allies.”
If prosperous nations lose sight of the goal, they could leave millions of people behind worldwide and the results from the last 20 years of humanitarian work could be lost. There remain 800 million people in the world living on less than $1.25 per day. Helping these people will require continued dedication.
– Dustin Jayroe
Photo: Flickr
7 Facts About Albanian Refugees
7 Facts About Albanian Refugees
However, things are changing for the better in Albania, and the future is bright for the nation. While the country is still struggling with outcomes of the refugee crises of the early ’90s, the Albanian government considers tourism as a key strategic economic sector, touting its potential to act as a catalyst for the development of the rest of the country.
– Yana Emets
Photo: Flickr
Poverty, Climate and Hunger in Mozambique
Mozambique is one of the poorest countries on a global scale. The government estimates that 54 percent of its population lives below the poverty line. Hunger in Mozambique is widespread, as 80 percent of the population cannot afford enough food for good health and 24 percent are chronically food insecure. At least 25 percent of Mozambicans are malnourished, due in part, to poor crop diversity. Almost half of children under age five are malnourished, and 42 percent have stunted growth.
Mozambique’s primary industry is agriculture: it brings in over 25 percent of the nation’s GDP and employs 80 percent of the workforce. Yet, Mozambique is also prone to severe weather such as droughts and floods. With the majority of the nation dependent on agriculture and at risk for severe weather, Mozambique is highly susceptible to chronic food insecurity and poverty.
While parts of Mozambique are prone to drought, these regions also have rivers, leaving them prone to flooding during cyclone season. In fact, two-third of Mozambicans live in regions at risk of flooding and cyclones. Mozambique experienced floods in 2000, 2001, 2007 and 2008. The country had droughts between 2002-2003, 2004-2005, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008.
Drought caused by the 2016 El Niño weather pattern reduced crop yields and left two million Mozambicans suffering food insecurity. Shortly after, in February 2017, the country experienced a cyclone which also destroyed crops.
Feed the Future, an initiative funded by USAID is working to reduce hunger in Mozambique. The USAID website notes that Mozambique also has geographical advantages and great potential to increase agriculture while reducing food insecurity. The country is a coastal country, making it ideal for growing food and supplying landlocked African countries. Furthermore, only 17 percent of the suitable land is being used for farming.
The Feed the Future Initiative is taking advantage of this potential. Research is underway to improve agriculture. More nutritious and resilient crop varieties are being developed, as are plants which produce higher yields. Ideal fertilizers are being used along with better farming practices to improve soil quality.
Of the 15 countries in Southern Africa, Mozambique is the second largest exporter of food. As such, better farming practices can allow the citizens of Mozambique to rise out of poverty. Crop production is impaired by changes in climate. Yet, if Mozambique can overcome this obstacle, it can help reduce famine throughout Southern Africa. The outlook is good. Mozambique cut hunger in half between 1997 and 2015.
If the Feed the Future Initiative and other organizations can end hunger in Mozambique, then it can possibly end hunger in Southern Africa.
– Mary Katherine Crowley
Photo: Flickr
Partnerships Needed to Address Top Diseases in Guinea-Bissau
Known as the Slave Coast when it was part of the Portuguese Empire, Guinea-Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking 178th out of 188 countries in the Human Development Index, which encompasses life expectancy, education and income. While the rate of infectious diseases has decreased recently, current life expectancy in Guinea-Bissau is still only about 55 years for men and about 56 years for women. Here are the top diseases in Guinea-Bissau.
HIV/AIDS
According to UNICEF, almost four percent of the adult population of Guinea-Bissau lives with HIV. Because of its prevalence, HIV/AIDS accounts for over 12 percent of deaths in the country, making it the second leading cause of death and one of the top diseases in Guinea-Bissau. By partnering with research institutions such as the Aarhus University in Denmark, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced antiretroviral therapy to treat patients with HIV. This treatment has saved thousands of lives and advanced the quality of clinical treatment across the country. At the same time, health officials are spreading awareness about methods of prevention, hoping to lower the prevalence of the disease among the population.
Influenza and Pneumonia
The leading cause of death in Guinea-Bissau, influenza and pneumonia account for more than 13 percent of total fatalities. Although Guinea-Bissau suffers greatly from the diseases, improved health infrastructure and wider distribution of vaccines could significantly reduce their negative effects. By partnering with international organizations like the WHO, Guinea-Bissau can make important strides in eliminating these diseases.
Malaria
Transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, malaria is another major killer in Guinea-Bissau. According to the WHO, malaria accounted for almost nine percent of total deaths in the country. Unfortunately, it is extremely prevalent among children under the age of five, although only about half of the infected children are treated with anti-malarial drugs. In addition to using preventative measures, such as sleeping under a mosquito net, improving health facilities will allow for better treatment of one of the top diseases in Guinea-Bissau.
These combined efforts will continue to aid in making the much needed improvements to health in Guinea-Bissau.
– Yosef Gross
Photo: Flickr
UNAIDS Joint Programme Model for 2030 Plan to End World AIDS
The Joint Programme Model was created by the U.N. to help in the fight towards ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic by the year 2030. To meet this goal, known as the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” it has been noted by the Global Review Panel that the program is in critical need for reform.
The Global Review Panel recently issued a report which identifies key changes that must be made within the Joint Programme Model to help combat the spread of HIV/AIDS around the world. Particularly, it focuses on ways to effectively assist persons who are already infected.
It is the panel’s belief that the creation of the Joint Programme Model has thus far been one of the most instrumental and practical ways to try and eliminate the disease. However, a few suggestions within the report include targeting ways to reduce HIV-related stigmas, reducing the number of deaths caused by HIV/AIDs to fewer than 500,000 and reducing infections caused by HIV to fewer than 500,000.
The report further elaborates on more detailed improvements that are critically necessary for the program’s overall success. Such improvements include making fast-track countries a priority in the allocation of financial resources, as well as maintaining a focus on the mobilization and allocation of funds. By doing so, governmental leaders can ensure that the program remains adequately financed for global ventures.
Additionally, a major concern among members of the panel rests on the need to hold individuals such as cosponsors and the Secretariat accountable for their actions with respect to the overall 2030 plan. Panel members further believe that a transparent public reporting system should be set in motion that “shows the impact of results for people living with and affected by HIV and captures the entirety of Joint Programme financing and performance.”
Awa Coll-Seck, co-chair of the review panel, has expressed her opinion in that all individuals and organizations involved in the 2030 plan to end HIV/AIDs should work together as a sort of think tank to efficiently reach resolutions in the fight towards ending the disease on a global level.
– Lael Pierce
Photo: Flickr