The issues of malnutrition and hunger in Comoros have posed problems for the population since the country gained independence in 1975. Since then, the country has faced political instability. According to BBC News, more than 20 attempted coups have occurred on the islands of Comoros, adding to the effect of hunger and poverty on the island. Today, the government is trying to help the population improve on these fronts.
In 2013, the Global Hunger Index reported that Comoros was one of nineteen countries that had alarming levels of hunger. In fact, close to half of the population of children living in Comoros suffers from severe malnutrition.
This is completely unacceptable – thankfully, the government of Comoros has taken strides to improve the state of hunger in Comoros.
Educational Efforts to Combat Hunger
UNICEF reports that, “Lack of knowledge is one of the most important reasons for malnutrition in Comoros,” meaning that it is necessary for the population to learn how they can prevent hunger by choosing the right foods and gaining access to a larger food source, if possible.
In fact, UNICEF’s program, titled Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI), serves to improve health systems and community practices in countries that need the most help in learning about how to combat hunger.
According to UNICEF, IMCI also works on improving the life expectancy of young children in Comoros by proving vaccination, a knowledge of better nutrition, and practices to protect from malaria. The program wants to help communities learn how to prevent hunger in Comoros (and other countries) so that the ratio of children who die from malnutrition can decrease.
As of now, one out of every four children suffers from malnutrition.
The soil is reportedly fertile, and a number of people are surviving and making a living off their land. Therefore, the presence of food doesn’t seem to be a problem, but the education about which foods and what amount of food are necessary for a child’s survival is pertinent to ending hunger in Comoros.
Alongside malnutrition, children often contract preventable diseases as a result of unsafe water and poor sanitation, such as diarrhea. This is another factor that must be addressed in order to improve the state of hunger in Comoros.
According to UNICEF, nearly 25 percent of children under five years of age are underweight as a result of hunger in Comoros. There is hope for a healthier future as the country and helpful organizations like UNICEF are seeking to improve the country’ state.
With increased education about how the population can improve on these fronts, Comoros will be able to report an increased survival rate and healthier children in the years to come.
– Jacqueline Nicole Artz
Photo: Flickr
The New LuminAID Solar Lantern Can Charge Refugees’ Phones
Since appearing on the popular show Shark Tank, the LuminAID solar lantern has become well-known for its durability and variety of uses. The company designed its first lamps after the Haiti earthquake in 2010. They are designed to be an easy way to access light in areas without electricity and are marketed to individuals in countries lacking infrastructure or refugees who are living in transit.
New and Improved Design
The organization has now invented a new version of its lantern: the PackLite Max Phone Charger. The lantern is like the original, but also includes a battery and a USB port that can charge mobile devices. The battery can be charged by the solar panel through 12 to 14 continuous hours of direct sun exposure. The fully-charged lantern can then give 50 hours of light and fully recharge a smartphone.
The new lanterns target refugees. LuminAID noticed the need for phone charging capabilities while distributing its original lantern in refugee camps. Refugees use their mobile devices to contact family members and get help in emergency situations. One nonprofit partner, SCM Medical Missions, already plans to ship aid supplies to Syrian refugees in Jordan, having previously distributed the first LuminAID model to refugees living in Greece.
The LuminAID solar lantern is part of the organization’s “Give Light, Get Light” program, which prioritizes giving lanterns to people living in areas lacking traditional sources of light. The lanterns are inflatable, lightweight and waterproof, making them essential for individuals living in especially unforgiving situations.
Helping Those In Need
LuminAID also sells to consumers in retail stores and through its website, but emphasizes humanitarian efforts. It partners with numerous nonprofit organizations and NGOs throughout the world to distribute the lanterns. One consistent customer is ShelterBox USA, which provides disaster relief to communities in unexpected danger. The organization obtains donated lanterns from LuminAID or buys them at a lower price.
Backers of the LuminAID solar lantern’s online Kickstarter campaign can receive the LuminAID solar lantern and a charging cable for $30. Backers can also pledge more to receive a lantern and send one to a Syrian refugee. The company also has a goal to send 500 lights to refugee camps in Jordan.
The campaign already surpassed its fundraising goal, and the new solar lantern is expected to be an extremely helpful product for refugees from Syria and other war-stricken countries who need constant access to their mobile devices. Refugees rely on mobile phones as an essential support system to contact their families and others who have been through similar situations. LuminAID’s new solar lantern with phone charging capabilities will help refugees remain connected throughout their journeys.
– Lindsay Harris
Photo: LuminAID
Top Three Deadliest Diseases in Cameroon
With highly-publicized diseases like the Zika virus present in Cameroon, it is easy to overlook risks posed by more common diseases. However, with the country lacking resources and proper healthcare, preventable or treatable diseases are common in Cameroon. Listed below are the top three deadliest diseases in Cameroon.
1. HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death in Cameroon, accounting for 13.4 percent of deaths. Cameroon has one of the highest rates of HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa. Six new HIV infections occur every hour. While the number of infections in Cameroon has rapidly increased since the 1990s, recent efforts to combat the disease could help decrease the rate of infection. Subsequently, the government has launched initiatives to increase testing, encourage condom use, and bring better healthcare to regions with the highest rates of infection.
2. Lower Respiratory Infections
As one of the top diseases in Cameroon, lower respiratory infections kill about 29,000 people annually. That equates to 12.2 percent of deaths each year. These infections cause illnesses such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Lower respiratory infections are very common around the world and easily treated and prevented in most developing countries. However, a lack of adequate healthcare and awareness about prevention in Cameroon can make these infections deadly.
3. Diarrheal Diseases
Despite being easily prevented, diarrheal diseases still account for 14.4 percent of deaths in Cameroon. Diarrheal diseases disproportionately affect people living in poverty and in developing countries, where poor environmental sanitation and inadequate water supplies are more common. Although easily treatable, diarrheal diseases remain a top killer in the country. Simple interventions such as vaccines, oral rehydration tablets, and education initiatives about sanitation, could make a huge difference in preventing diarrheal diseases.
Despite the deadliest diseases in Cameroon being preventable and treatable, they remain widespread. Putting more resources toward basic healthcare and raising awareness about these diseases could help save thousands of lives each year.
– Alexi Worley
Photo: Flickr
The Promise of 3D-Printed Prosthetic Limbs
The World Health Organization estimates that about 30 million people are in need of a prosthesis, but in many developing countries, less than 10 percent of those who require assistive devices and technologies have access to them. Braces and artificial limbs are among the most desperately needed medical devices. This shortage is due to a lack of expertise to produce and fit prosthetics in developing countries, as well as the time and financial cost to patients. Recent advances in 3D-printed prosthetic limbs might provide a solution to this problem.
Increase in Necessity
Disability is an important developmental issue because people with disabilities experience grim socioeconomic outcomes and poverty as they face extra barriers to healthcare, education, and employment. Without prosthetics, those that have lost limbs due to war, accidents or disease are entirely reliant on others for survival.
This is an especially pressing issue due to the recent spike in the use of landmines in several war-torn countries. Stepping on a landmine invariably causes foot and leg injuries, and secondary infections usually result in amputations. A report by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines found that in 2016, global landmine casualties were at a 10-year high, and funding for landmine clearance campaigns was at a 10-year low. While the Mine Ban Treaty banned the use of antipersonnel mines in 1999, armed conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen contributed to a sharp spike in the number of people killed and injured by mines.
Children living in these areas are particularly vulnerable to landmines. For example, in Afghanistan, children made up 45 percent of the civilian landmine casualties reported in 2014. Children are more likely to die from the injuries sustained in a landmine explosion. Of those maimed children who survive, few will be in a position to receive prostheses that can keep up with their growth. This is where 3D-printed prosthetic limbs can make a big difference.
Who’s Making Them?
Programs like 3D PrintAbility, Project Daniel, Cyborg Beast, and Enabling the Future are working to provide affordable and reliable 3D-printed prosthetics in developing countries. Traditionally, creating a prosthesis is a cumbersome process that can take several days. With 3D printing, this process is shortened considerably. The residual limb is scanned, creating a 3D model that can be customized to fit the patient. The prosthetic is then printed in about six hours.
As with many new technologies, there are still several issues to finalize, in terms of testing the prosthetics, making the technology available in areas of need, and training personnel to use the equipment. However, 3D-printed prosthetic limbs are a great example of how technology provides novel ways to improve lives.
– Helena Kamper
Photo: Flickr
Water Quality in Ukraine
Water in Ukraine is scarce and highly contaminated. The country’s water system is degradable and the tap water should not be consumed by anyone in the southern region of the country.
Overall, water quality in Ukraine has drastically deteriorated in the last decade. Water resources in the country are unevenly distributed and have resulted in high costs for water security. Ukraine’s availability of water has decreased while water contamination has increased due to trace metals and emerging pollutants.
Despite Efforts, Treatment Systems are Imperfect
The water treatment methods for drinking water can only provide partially safe drinking water. The country is concerned that large amounts of chlorine in water treatment processes cause the formation of mutagenic and carcinogenic chlorine organics. These organics have a negative impact on drinking water security and neurogenic health effects. The Ukraine government has recently developed and implemented a national and regulatory framework for strict sanitary measures. Such measures include a law on drinking water standards and increased public awareness on the changing culture of water use in the country.
Water quality in Ukraine is affected by the lack of pipe systems in the southern region of Ukraine and the Crimea. The poor state of water pipelines are a major concern for the country and has led to wasted drinking water and a reduced quality of tap water.
The pressures on water resources in Ukraine are extensive. Eight out of ten southern oblasts, as well as the entire Crimean Republic, do not receive enough water. Poorly treated wastewater is discharged in 136 cities and towns in over 50 urban villages each day. More than 1,000 communities have had to be supplied with delivered water.
Water quality in Ukraine can improve by minimizing contamination of surface and underground water sources. Through improving water treatment, renewing water and sewage pipelines, and funding to implement the country’s draft program that was proposed in 1995, improvements to water quality in the Ukraine look hopeful.
– Rochelle R. Dean
Photo: Flickr
Ten Facts About Brazil Refugees
As the fifth-largest country by both area and population, Brazil is the largest country in South America and Latin America and receives more refugees than any other country in the region. Brazil is also the only country in the Americas to have Portuguese as the official language.
The country is both a regional power in Latin America and a middle power in international affairs. Due to its recognition as an emerging global power, Brazil has been identified as a shelter to refugees and migrants. Here are 10 facts about Brazil refugees:
In recent years, Brazil has been praised for the country’s humanitarian efforts and openness to asylum seekers. As of recently, questions of the country’s ability to aid refugees have plagued the government amid the country distancing itself from developing nations and experiencing the worst recession in its memory.
– Rochelle R. Dean
Photo: Flickr
The Top Three Deadliest Diseases in Ethiopia
Despite being one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia still suffers from structural and economic problems. The deadliest diseases in Ethiopia are often preventable. However, a lack of resources can make them difficult to prevent or treat. Here are the top three deadliest diseases in Ethiopia:
1. Lower Respiratory Infections
Lower respiratory infections, such as pneumonia and bronchitis, are the number one cause of death in Ethiopia. This infection accounts for 10 percent of deaths each year. Acute respiratory infections, which are typically shorter term but when untreated can lead to death, are especially common. On average, Ethiopian children suffer from four to eight infections each year. Undernutrition is a culprit in the high rate of infections in Ethiopia. In a study, the World Health Organization found that in Ethiopia, 42 percent of children hospitalized for pneumonia had a severe vitamin D deficiency. Improving access to nutrients is key to reducing infections, since undernutrition increases the severity and prevalence of lower respiratory infections.
2. Diarrheal Diseases
Ethiopia has one of the highest rates of rotavirus, the most common cause of severe diarrhea around the world. Diarrheal diseases cause eight percent of deaths in Ethiopia each year. They are also a leading killer of children, causing 14 percent of deaths in children under five. Diarrheal diseases can sometimes be treated with rehydration tablets. However, they are more easily prevented through improvements in sanitation and water and access to the rotavirus vaccine.
3. HIV
HIV/AIDS is one of the deadliest diseases in Ethiopia. It accounts for seven percent of deaths each year and has led to a seven-year decrease in life expectancy. One of the greatest issues in Ethiopia is passing of the disease during birth. There are approximately 90,000 HIV-positive pregnant women. This results in around 14,000 HIV-positive births and 800,000 orphans due to the disease annually. In order to combat this, the government has been pushing to increase partner and family counseling programs that work to educate and reduce transmissions to pregnant women. Progress has been made, as HIV testing and partner counseling has increased in recent years from 13 percent to 51 percent.
Despite the deadliest diseases in Ethiopia being easily preventable, they remain widespread. That said, recent increases in resources and support show promising progress in combating and halting the spread of these diseases in Ethiopia.
– Alexi Worley
Photo: Flickr
How Solar Power in India is Taking Over Railway Stations
In early February, Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced a plan to apply the use of solar power to the 7,000 railway stations located across the country. The plan will be implemented as a part of the country’s federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Solar power in India is now the main focus of industry and infrastructure in the country.
India’s Desire for Solar Growth
During his speech regarding the budget, Jaitley informed the public that 300 stations across the country had begun to use solar energy. Indian Railways, the state-run organization that operates India’s trains, has been working for several years to set up a successful solar energy program. In 2016, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) partnered with Indian Railways to generate five gigawatts of solar power capacity into the system. To put this into perspective, global solar installations are expected to reach close to 70 gigawatts in 2017.
Now, with the joint commitment of the government, Indian Railways will be able to cohesively move forward in its mission to normalize solar power in India. By the end of 2017, India hopes to harbor at least nine gigawatts of solar energy. The plan to implement solar panels and production into rail stations is part of a larger goal to increase solar capacity to 100 gigawatts by 2022.
Plans for Funding Solar Energy Expansion
The Union Railway Master in Indian, Suresh Prabhu, has also publicly discussed the intentions of the proposal. The union government is funding research that looks into producing solar power in India from waste materials. In doing so, the cost of electricity and other expenditures will be reduced, leaving extra funding for expanding infrastructure and railway facilities.
In order to finance the technology it will take to harness solar energy for the railways, India has collected close to $8 billion in coal taxes. Approximately $1.8 billion of the funds will go into solar energy for Indian Railways. The money from this tax is focused on producing cleaner energy, forest conservation and sanitation efforts. Solar power in India is just one facet of the nation’s larger campaign to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. The nation has also produced the first airport in the world that runs solely on solar power. As Indian corporations and its government work together in the fight to create a greener world, solar power remains at the forefront of their mission.
Solar power holds endless untapped potential. The sun produces approximately 170,000 terawatts of energy per day. This is about 2,850 times the energy currently required by the Earth’s population.
– Peyton Jacobsen
Photo: Flickr
Combating Hunger in Comoros
The issues of malnutrition and hunger in Comoros have posed problems for the population since the country gained independence in 1975. Since then, the country has faced political instability. According to BBC News, more than 20 attempted coups have occurred on the islands of Comoros, adding to the effect of hunger and poverty on the island. Today, the government is trying to help the population improve on these fronts.
In 2013, the Global Hunger Index reported that Comoros was one of nineteen countries that had alarming levels of hunger. In fact, close to half of the population of children living in Comoros suffers from severe malnutrition.
This is completely unacceptable – thankfully, the government of Comoros has taken strides to improve the state of hunger in Comoros.
Educational Efforts to Combat Hunger
UNICEF reports that, “Lack of knowledge is one of the most important reasons for malnutrition in Comoros,” meaning that it is necessary for the population to learn how they can prevent hunger by choosing the right foods and gaining access to a larger food source, if possible.
In fact, UNICEF’s program, titled Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI), serves to improve health systems and community practices in countries that need the most help in learning about how to combat hunger.
According to UNICEF, IMCI also works on improving the life expectancy of young children in Comoros by proving vaccination, a knowledge of better nutrition, and practices to protect from malaria. The program wants to help communities learn how to prevent hunger in Comoros (and other countries) so that the ratio of children who die from malnutrition can decrease.
As of now, one out of every four children suffers from malnutrition.
The soil is reportedly fertile, and a number of people are surviving and making a living off their land. Therefore, the presence of food doesn’t seem to be a problem, but the education about which foods and what amount of food are necessary for a child’s survival is pertinent to ending hunger in Comoros.
Alongside malnutrition, children often contract preventable diseases as a result of unsafe water and poor sanitation, such as diarrhea. This is another factor that must be addressed in order to improve the state of hunger in Comoros.
According to UNICEF, nearly 25 percent of children under five years of age are underweight as a result of hunger in Comoros. There is hope for a healthier future as the country and helpful organizations like UNICEF are seeking to improve the country’ state.
With increased education about how the population can improve on these fronts, Comoros will be able to report an increased survival rate and healthier children in the years to come.
– Jacqueline Nicole Artz
Photo: Flickr
UN Helps Battle Food Insecurity in South Sudan
A recent report from the U.N. indicates 5.5 million South Sudanese people are facing food insecurity. Approximately 100,000 of those are in immediate danger of starving.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is stepping up to address the crisis. It is fast-tracking plans to deliver more than 150,000 fishing kits, consisting of lines, hooks and nets, to those in need.
A Multi-Faceted Problem
Nearly 95 percent of South Sudan’s population depends on farming, fishing or herding to meet their needs. Unfortunately, a drought plunged multiple parts of the country, already torn by a civil war that started in 2013, into famine and food insecurity.
The conflict forced approximately 2.4 million people to move from their homes. It has also prevented many farmers from harvesting their crops. Some were able to shelter in neighboring countries, but other families were not so lucky. Driven into the bush, those unable to flee the country resorted to eating weeds and water lily roots.
To complicate matters even more, poor roads are disrupting some routes in South Sudan and negatively affecting critical supply lines. Coupled with an 800 percent hyperinflation rate, the supply chain issues are making it impossible for many to purchase food.
Life-Saving Equipment
FAO representative Serge Tissot knows the virtues of the simple hooks, lines and nets in mitigating food insecurity. “Fishery equipment is the best tool for them to catch something to eat quickly,” he said.
Terekeka state, near South Sudan’s capital city of Juba, shows promise for the hungry people. The region lies close to the Nile and includes five lakes that are home to Nile Perch, Tilapia, Catfish and Mudfish.
Terekeka Fishing Cooperative Chairman, Clement Sebit, reports that previously distributed fishing kits are have already been put to good use in the stocked waters. “We have had more people come to this area seeking safety…they are now fishing together with the other fisher folk.”
The fishing kits are part of the Emergency Livelihood Response Program, which receives its funding through the Common Humanitarian Fund Norway, UKAID and USAID.
– Gisele Dunn
Photo: Flickr
Top 20 Poverty Facts
Poverty can be found citywide, statewide, nationally and globally. Poverty can develop in the smallest or most unexpected locations — familiar places, not simply distant third world countries separated from the cozy upper-middle-class Western lifestyle. This is a global issue that must be dealt with by the international community. Some efforts are being made to that effect, but not enough. Here are 20 poverty facts:
Top 20 Global Poverty Facts
Even though the efforts and statistics appear bleak, progress is making headway. These 20 poverty facts demonstrate a push in the right direction that the world’s poor need.
– Karyn Adams
Photo: Flickr