Libya, a country in North Africa, is home to more than six million people. The population employs a variety of careers and activities, such as farming and exporting petroleum. Though the country enjoys a relatively healthy lifestyle, the top diseases in Libya bring much strife to the population.
Communicable Diseases
Communicable diseases like influenza, hepatitis and dysentery contribute to a large portion of the mortality rates in Libya, especially in the rural areas where people do not have access to clean water and sanitation. Also, the closure of primary healthcare centers has only furthered the effect of these diseases on the population.
Another one of the top diseases in Libya is malaria. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria is transmitted to humans when they are bitten by female mosquitoes. Parasites then multiply in the liver and attack red blood cells, causing damage to vital organs.
Non-Communicable Diseases
Non-communicable diseases also play a big part when it comes to the top diseases in Libya, and the closure of health centers has not helped slow the effect of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes in the country.
According to the WHO, the closure of these health centers is mainly war-related, caused by the shortage of funds and damage done by fighting. Those who try to treat their ailments often turn to “overburdened hospitals,” and the treatments can be ineffective.
Interestingly, communicable diseases were not on the list of top diseases in Libya until conflict began in the country. This was because most of the country had good water and sanitation systems. Furthermore, nonprofit organizations and health centers had a large percentage of the population covered in terms of vaccination.
The Libyan civil war began in 2014, and the lack of a control system caused the downfall of the country’s health system. For the most part, Libya had many of its biggest diseases under control with the help of vaccinations, health programs and volunteers from a nonprofit organization providing information on proper sanitary methods. Since the Libyan Civil War, however, many of these supporters have lost their hold in the region, and the population has paid the price.
In order to decrease the prevalence of the top diseases in Libya, the country has to pay more attention to programs that can benefit its citizens. The shortage of staff and supplies may put the health system in the country at further risk if nothing is done.
Informational programs about vaccination, proper sanitary methods and staying safe during the conflict is necessary for those who are currently suffering. Also, refilling the stocks of essential medical supplies will prove to be a big help to the country. Once the above goals are met, the country will be better situated to get back on track in terms of health.
– Jacqueline Artz
Photo: Flickr
Poverty in Malaysia: A Quick Look at Progress Approaches
Poverty in Malaysia is a controversial economic and political issue. The definition of poverty and the poverty line in Malaysia has been disputed for years and causes much political uproar, including political protests and debates.
Malaysia has grown rapidly in economic development, with 65.6 percent of the population aged 15 years and above employed and working in 2014. With that many people working, each household is expected to make a sufficient income.
It has been recorded that there was a 55.3 percent reduction in the percentage of population below the poverty line in Malaysia, meaning that the country’s poverty is a large focus for the government and the community, and they are working together to solve the problem.
A survey conducted in 2014 by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), on a sample size of 81,634 households, shares the preliminary data that only one percent of these households were living below the poverty line index. That’s right – Malaysia has a poverty population of one percent, meaning that only 300,000 people of 33.3 million are living in poverty in Malaysia.
The government is currently working to solve Malaysian poverty by using the four-pronged method of thinking discussed below.
4 Approaches to Addressing Poverty In Malaysia
Malaysia has one of the largest middle classes in any Muslim country. It’s made up of Malays, Chinese and Indians. Many of these middle-class people own their own modern houses and condos, own two cars and employ Indonesian maids.
Malaysia is on the right track to completely eliminate its impoverishment and strengthen its economy. Aid from the U.S. can only guarantee these goals.
– Rilee Pickle
Photo: Flickr
$243M to Fight Poverty in Muslim Countries
The Lives and Livelihoods Fund board of the Islamic Development Bank has approved $242.6 million to finance several development projects. These projects were created to improve areas of health, agriculture and rural infrastructure in countries including Tajikistan, Sudan, Djibouti, Niger, Mauritania, Cameroon, Uganda and Guinea.
These projects strive to create healthier living standards for struggling communities, hoping to generate a lasting impact in the fight against disease and poverty in Muslim countries.
The Islamic Development Bank provides economic and social development to member countries through financial assistance and participating in equity capital and grant loans for development projects and enterprises.
Bandar Hajjar, president of the Islamic Development Bank, states that the fund’s goal is to assist in developing sustainable living conditions and more productive lives in the poorest communities throughout the Muslim world.
Over the next five years, the Lives and Livelihoods Fund will strive to help millions of people in 30 of the poorest Muslim countries lead healthy and productive lives. To do so, the Islamic Development Bank will provide $2.5 billion to develop several expansion projects. This fund is currently the largest multilateral development initiative in the Middle East and North Africa for poverty alleviation in the partnering nations of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Hassan Al-Damluji, head of Middle East Relations at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, states that out of the one billion people in the world that are facing extreme poverty, 400 million of them are living in the Islamic Development Bank’s member countries.
Although established in late 2016, the Lives and Livelihoods Fund has seen promising results, with $363 million already being allocated for the fund’s first operational year. In partnering with other donor organizations and regional governments, the fund strives to make a lasting impact and save millions of lives by addressing the issues of disease and poverty in Muslim countries.
– Brandon Johnson
Photo: Flickr
10 Questions About Desertification Answered
According to the U.N., desertification is one of the greatest environmental challenges people face today. Often a poorly-understood phenomenon, desertification can mean hunger, economic crisis or death for those living in poverty. Below are the answers to common questions about this challenge.
Desertification FAQ’s
In 2003, then-U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan declared desertification to be “both a cause and a consequence of poverty.” Using sustainable farming methods, we can fight the consequences of desertification and work to end poverty around the globe.
– Morgan Leahy
Photo: Flickr
Top Diseases in Libya
Libya, a country in North Africa, is home to more than six million people. The population employs a variety of careers and activities, such as farming and exporting petroleum. Though the country enjoys a relatively healthy lifestyle, the top diseases in Libya bring much strife to the population.
Communicable Diseases
Communicable diseases like influenza, hepatitis and dysentery contribute to a large portion of the mortality rates in Libya, especially in the rural areas where people do not have access to clean water and sanitation. Also, the closure of primary healthcare centers has only furthered the effect of these diseases on the population.
Another one of the top diseases in Libya is malaria. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria is transmitted to humans when they are bitten by female mosquitoes. Parasites then multiply in the liver and attack red blood cells, causing damage to vital organs.
Non-Communicable Diseases
Non-communicable diseases also play a big part when it comes to the top diseases in Libya, and the closure of health centers has not helped slow the effect of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes in the country.
According to the WHO, the closure of these health centers is mainly war-related, caused by the shortage of funds and damage done by fighting. Those who try to treat their ailments often turn to “overburdened hospitals,” and the treatments can be ineffective.
Interestingly, communicable diseases were not on the list of top diseases in Libya until conflict began in the country. This was because most of the country had good water and sanitation systems. Furthermore, nonprofit organizations and health centers had a large percentage of the population covered in terms of vaccination.
The Libyan civil war began in 2014, and the lack of a control system caused the downfall of the country’s health system. For the most part, Libya had many of its biggest diseases under control with the help of vaccinations, health programs and volunteers from a nonprofit organization providing information on proper sanitary methods. Since the Libyan Civil War, however, many of these supporters have lost their hold in the region, and the population has paid the price.
In order to decrease the prevalence of the top diseases in Libya, the country has to pay more attention to programs that can benefit its citizens. The shortage of staff and supplies may put the health system in the country at further risk if nothing is done.
Informational programs about vaccination, proper sanitary methods and staying safe during the conflict is necessary for those who are currently suffering. Also, refilling the stocks of essential medical supplies will prove to be a big help to the country. Once the above goals are met, the country will be better situated to get back on track in terms of health.
– Jacqueline Artz
Photo: Flickr
Child Labor in Pakistan
Child labor in Pakistan? For many years, Pakistan’s reputation has been notorious as one of the worst child labor offenders. In recent years, child labor prevention efforts have been heightened. Beginning in 2017, a province in Pakistan passed a new law banning child labor. Could this province be a guide for the rest of the nation? Here are the three things you need to know about child labor in Pakistan and how lawmakers are putting an end to this problem.
More than 12.5 million children are involved in child labor in Pakistan. According to Reuters, “Pakistan’s Labour Force Survey, 2014-15 showed that of those children aged between 10 and 14 years active in child labor, 61 percent were boys and 88 percent came from rural areas.”
In Pakistan, 38.8 percent of the population is living in poverty, with one in four individuals living in acute poverty. For many citizens in Pakistan, it is hard to find a job or to secure one paying enough to provide for a family. Students from impoverished backgrounds who are unable to enter school are most likely to become affected by child labor in Pakistan.
Many child workers are often abused where they work, suffering beatings or torture. Many children are sent to live with middle class and elite class families to perform as domestic servants. Jobs like these become particularly dangerous for children, as they are at the risk of physical and sexual abuse without real supervision.
There are a few programs funded by the government to tackle child labor in Pakistan. For instance, the Children Support Program gives parents money so that they can send their children to school instead of encouraging them to join the work force. This program is available to parents of children ages five to 16. So far, the government has distributed $3 million to families.
In 2016, Pakistan was criticized for not conducting any surveys focusing on the child labor of the past 20 years. This allowed for about 25 million children, who are not attending school, slip under the radar.
On Jan. 26, 2017, the province of Sindh made child labor illegal under The Sindh Prohibition of Employment of Children Bill, banning children under the age of 14 from working. The law also prohibits adolescents from working between the hours of 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. and for those adolescents who are working, they cannot work more than three hours a day.
Sindh is known as the most impoverished province in Pakistan. As reported by tribune.com, “In Sindh, 43.1 percent [of the] population is extremely poor due to lack of education, health facilities and poor living standards.” The new law states that offenders of the child labor law will be imprisoned for six months and fined 50,000 rupees. Meanwhile, offenders who are found with child workers in dangerous workplaces (such as stone crushing and carpet weaving) will be sentenced to three years of imprisonment with an increased fine of 100,000 rupees.
Since the province of Sindh is beginning to tackle the issue of child labor in Pakistan, in the future, the rest of the Pakistani work force could follow its example and eliminate all labor misconducts.
– Maria Rodriguez
Photo: Flickr
5 Calls App Makes Congressional Communication Easy
Activists of all stripes encourage the act of calling legislators, rather than emailing or ranting on social media. Congressional offices across the country tally the issues that are brought to them by the people in their district. These numbers are reported directly to representatives, making them aware of the issues that their constituents are passionate about. As stated on The Borgen Project website, “It’s not uncommon for a leader to support a poverty-reduction bill after as few as seven to 10 people call in support of it.”
The app’s website draws users in with, “Turn your passive participation into active resistance. Facebook likes and Twitter retweets don’t create the change you want to see.” Not only is the site’s strategy effective, but the 5 Calls app makes congressional communication easy.
Users enter their zip codes and receive their representatives’ names and phone numbers. Users can pick certain issues that they are passionate about, and are provided with a short and effective script specific to the issue that they selected. For example, some issues currently listed on the website include: “Keep Funding for ‘The Wall’ Out of the Budget,” “Demand Congress Support Healthcare for All,” “Urge Congress to Grant Asylum to Syrian Refugees,” “Keep the National Institute of Health Funded,” and “Ban the Use of a Brain-Damaging Pesticide.” The website also provides a summary of the issue’s context, explaining why it is relevant and why constituent calls are necessary.
The 5 Calls app makes congressional communication easy by providing phone numbers for representatives and senators based on a user’s zip code. The site is simple, aesthetically pleasing and effective. The 5 Calls app reports that users have made more than a million calls through the app. The site is run fully by volunteers, and all donations go to data updates and hosting the site. The app also offers an email alert option, which reminds users to stay involved and keeps them updated on current issues.
The 5 Calls app makes congressional communications easy, so there are no excuses for not advocating for personal political preferences. Calling Congress can make a difference, and apps like 5 Calls are paving a way for involvement and advocacy.
– Peyton Jacobsen
Photo: Flickr
Photo: Flickr
Drought and Food Insecurity Causing Hunger in Namibia
Namibia is an upper-middle income country that has sustained positive growth between 2000 and 2015. Plagued by HIV, tuberculosis and malnutrition, lower-income earners experience conditions of poverty. Recurrent natural disasters along with drought keep food production inconsistent.
For that reason, there is a heavy reliance on imports. This makes Namibia very susceptible to increases in food prices and is a key reason that 42.3 percent of the population is undernourished.
Low-income earners are susceptible to these changes and the prevalence of food insecurity continues. As a result, malnutrition has become a hindrance to sustainable growth. Hunger in Namibia is so serious that it is rated among four other African countries as one of the highest when it comes to the amount of population that’s undernourished. Income-disparity levels play a large part in why that statistic is true, as the country is also ranked among the top in that category.
The unemployment rate is also high at 29.9 percent leaving many without a sustainable source of funds. This contributes to the hunger in Namibia.
The heavy prevalence of HIV/AIDS is an additional factor contributing to food insecurity. With a rate of 13.5 percent, Namibia ranks as the sixth-most affected country by the disease. Those infected have a hard time working and providing support for their families.
Recently hit by the biggest drought in 35 years, Namibia declared a state of emergency. An already arid environment became much worse and, coupled with existing conditions of poverty, the situation prompted a response. The government has taken initiative in trying to recover damages from recurrent droughts. From April 2015 to March 2016, $916 million has been spent on a drought relief program. This is a serious problem in the country.
With food production continuously dropping, prices on food imports will continue to plague the population. The government has taken positive steps with regards to agriculture, but more is needed to combat hunger effectively.
– Nick Katsos
Photo: Flickr
Water Quality in Sweden
Since 1990, Sweden has been working toward reducing the acidification of lake water and reaching its renewable energy goal of 50 percent by 2020. The Scandinavian country ensures that the drinking water conforms to National Food Administration requirements before being released for public consumption.
The water quality in Sweden is currently at a very high standard. The lake water passes through various stages of purification before it is distributed as drinking water. In the initial stage of purification, the water is decontaminated with mechanical and chemical methods. The second stage leads the water through “slow sand filters that extract the remaining organic pollutants.” Once the water is purified of contaminants, it is processed into the distribution network.
According to ClimateChangePost (CCP), which publishes the most recent information on climate change and adaption, water quality in Sweden could face considerable consequences due to climate change. Half of Sweden’s local water supply is derived from the 95,700 lakes and watercourses that dominate its landscape. The other half is extracted from groundwater.
Climate change projections indicate that more frequent heavy rainfall will elevate levels of sewage overflow. The U.S. National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health published an article identifying the link between extreme precipitation and the outbreak of waterborne disease. The study analyzed the time period 1948 to 1994 and demonstrates that “51 percent of waterborne disease outbreaks were preceded by incidences of heavy rain.” This is in part because contaminated raw water creates widespread health risks, such as microbiological growth.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reported that microscopic parasites, Cryptosporidium, were found in Östersund’s drinking water during an outbreak of gastroenteritis in November 2010. Cryptosporidium was found in 174 cases of the 700 cases of gastroenteritis. Located in northern Sweden, Östersund’s drinking water tested positive for Cryptosporidium.
On Mar. 30, 2017, the drinking water in Stockholm received a Certification of Quality by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The certificate states that the drinking water in Stockholm City is of “high and consistent quality.” The water is sourced from Lake Mälaren, Lovö and Norsborg.
With close monitoring of climate changes and scientific studies, it is hopeful Sweden’s water supply will continue to produce high-quality drinking water.
– Madison O’Connell
Photo: Flickr
Five Facts About Poverty in Thailand
While Thailand historically has been known to have a fairly strong economy, it experienced setbacks in 2013-15 as a result of domestic political turmoil and slow global demand. Since then, the Southeast Asian country has undergone a period of economic growth, advancing as a middle-income country and moving toward achievement of its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), poverty in Thailand has decreased from 21 percent in 2000 to about 12.6 percent in 2012.
While it is important to note the remarkable progress that has been made, certain challenges and conditions still pose a threat to people and society. Discussed below are the leading facts about poverty in Thailand.
Top 5 Facts about Poverty in Thailand
With a massive population of more than 68 million as of 2017, poverty in Thailand affects many individuals. Fortunately, with awareness and assistance, there are opportunities for the nation’s recovery to eliminate poverty and help boost prosperity for all citizens.
– Mikaela Frigillana
Photo: Flickr
Progress Toward Eradicating Ebola
Eradicating Ebola is the global community’s next step in ensuring worldwide health. The disease is rare but extremely contagious, and causes internal and external bleeding as well as a severe fever. As soon as the virus enters the body, it weakens the immune system by attacking immune cells. In time, it causes blood vessels to carry less blood, which results in organ failure and eventual death.
Also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever or Ebola virus, the disease is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids or objects that have been contaminated by bodily fluids, such as medical needles. It can also be contracted through contact with infected animals, specifically bats and primates.
There have been a number of Ebola cases internationally but the disease has mainly remained in regions of West Africa. The disease originated in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but it was Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone that witnessed the largest Ebola epidemic in 2014 through 2016. An estimated 28,616 people contracted the disease and this resulted in 11,310 deaths.
Fortunately, the presence of Ebola has been contained since the outbreak. In 2015, researchers from the World Health Organization began testing a vaccine in Guinea, which returned with a 100 percent success rate. This vaccine was developed through a “ring vaccination” approach. The approach separated patients and their immediate contacts from the general public.
The vaccination report was released in December 2016. As Marie-Paule Kieny, lead author of the report, states: “While these compelling results come too late for those who lost their lives during West Africa’s Ebola epidemic, they show that when the next Ebola outbreak hits, we will not be defenseless.” Although the vaccine demonstrates progress in eradicating Ebola, it is in need of additional safety research before it can be formally licensed.
Another development in eliminating Ebola comes from a group of Canadian researchers. The group administered a drug known as Interferon Beta-1a to patients infected with Ebola. The drug, which is used to treat hepatitis B and C, had surprisingly effective results. “After 21 days, 67 percent of the Interferon-treated Ebola patients were still alive, compared to just 19 percent of the others,” reports Tom Blackwell from The National Post.
Although more research must be conducted regarding Interferon Beta-1a, findings look promising. The vaccine also demonstrates significant progress in eradicating Ebola, a disease that is now destined to become an element of the past.
– Gigi DeLorenzo
Photo: Flickr