Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top ten causes of death worldwide and disproportionately affects the developing world. Though the number of TB deaths decreased from 2000 to 2015, it is responsible for more deaths than HIV and malaria combined. Over the past several years, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has steadily risen. Approximately half a million cases of MDR-TB were reported in 2015. Resistance often develops secondary to patient non-compliance.
Given the complexity and duration of tuberculosis therapy, it is no surprise that many patients struggle to take the medications as directed. Initial first-line therapy consists of isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol. The four-drug regimen must be taken at least five times a week for eight weeks during the initial phase. Then, the patient must continue taking two medications for an additional 18 weeks.
Treatment failure can require eight months of retreatment. If drug resistance develops, treatment can take two years and has a high rate of failure.
Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles have been working to develop new tuberculosis regimens that could boost the probability of treatment success. Using Parabolic Response Surface (PRS) technology, the team identified drug combinations with higher antimicrobial activity than the Standard Regimen of isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol.
PRS Regimen I includes clofazimine, ethambutol, prothionamide and pyrazinamide. For PRS Regimen II, bedaquiline is used instead of prothionamide.
So far, the new tuberculosis regimens have only been tested on mice, but the results are promising. Differences in efficacy, quantified by the number of colony-forming units, were statistically significant for both PRS regimen groups compared to the Standard Regimen control group.
For both of the new tuberculosis regimens, efficacy was dependent on the pyrazinamide dose. The bedaquiline dose also affected the efficacy of PRS Regimen II.
PRS Regimen I took 12 weeks to achieve 100% relapse-free cure while variations of PRS Regimen II achieved cure in three to four weeks. The Standard Regimen takes 16 weeks to achieve a relapse-free cure. Based on these results, a new tuberculosis regimens could reduce treatment duration by as much as 75%. Such a drastic reduction in length of therapy could facilitate better patient compliance.
The next step is to see whether or not the results in mice can be replicated in human beings. Given the rise of drug-resistant TB, successful treatment of human subjects with these new tuberculosis regimens would be a huge victory for global health.
– Rebecca Yu
Photo: Flickr
Top Diseases in Guatemala
Lower respiratory infections killed about 10,000 people in Guatemala in 2012. It’s possible that lower respiratory infections in Guatemala and other developing nations come from air pollution from solid fuels.
Neonatal and nutritional issues killed about 600,000 Guatemalans in 2012. Still, Guatemala is working on fighting against it. In 2005, the government strengthened the Extension of Coverage program to provide basic healthcare to even the most vulnerable and impoverished people in rural communities. This program included the World Bank’s Maternal-Infant Health and Nutrition Project, which along with other programs helped reduce malnutrition in children under two years old and helped with other issues related to maternal health.
About 2,000 people died of HIV, TB or malaria in 2012. Sex workers, sexually active gay men, prison inmates and street children are among those most at risk of contracting AIDs, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Guatemala has adapted prevention standards from the WHO and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to test for and treat HIV.Tuberculosis is spread very quickly in overcrowded areas. One can obtain tuberculosis through contaminated air or certain milk products. Malaria is most present in low altitude areas (not Guatemala City or Antigua). It is spread by the anopheles mosquito. People may get bitten by these mosquitoes without even realizing it because the mosquitoes are silent and do not leave bite marks.
Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant should have the most concern about Zika because it causes birth defects. Almost 1,000 pregnant women were suspected of having the Zika virus, and 275 women were confirmed with having it in 2016.
These are just four of the top diseases in Guatemala. The Center for Disease Control and other organizations are working to alleviate these and other diseases in the nation.
– Jennifer Taggart
Photo: Flickr
Child Marriage in Trinidad and Tobago Under Spotlight
There was a total of 17 13-year-old girls who were legally married in Trinidad and Tobago in 2010. In fact, eight% of girls in Trinidad and Tobago are married before the age of 18.
Child marriage is a dire problem that exists across countries, cultures, religions and ethnicities. Although there is great public opposition, at least 117 countries in the world allow it to happen, according to the Pew Research Center.
The Marriage Act of 1923, which states that the youngest legal age of marriage is 12 for girls and 14 for boys if there is parental consent, gives legality to child marriage in Trinidad and Tobago. The irony is that the Children Act, which was declared in 2015 and raised the age of sexual consent from 16 to 18, did not repeal the Marriage Act.
The country’s Muslim and Hindu communities, including some religious leaders, seem intent on holding onto child marriage laws. Back in May 2016, the leader of the Inter-Religious Organization (IRO), which represents the country’s diverse religious groups, declared that the government should not amend the Marriage Act because “age does not determine maturity.” The IRO also stated that it would vigorously fight government interference in the Muslim and Hindu Marriage Acts.
This declaration shed a necessary spotlight on the issue and raised the significant public pressure to repeal the law. The government stated that “the time has come for the age of marriage to be the same [as the age of sexual consent] to protect a child’s right to enjoy life.”
This is exactly what was done when the country’s attorney general, Faris Al-Rawi, presented the Miscellaneous Provisions Marriage Bill to the country’s senate. The bill ensures that the age of marriage is in line with the age of sexual consent and will hopefully pave the way to ending child marriage in Trinidad and Tobago.
The recent resurgence of the debate on child marriage by the United Nations System in Trinidad and Tobago (UNTT) and the support for all efforts to end this practice are the perfect platform to meet the intended goal.
The U.N. office recognizes that the marriage of a person under the age of 18 violates human rights and threatens the health and prospects of young persons, particularly girls. On a global scale, child marriage slows down the fight for gender equality.
With public opposition rising, the fight against child marriage is gaining strength. Hopefully, the world will see its end soon — at least in Trinidad and Tobago.
– Mayan Derhy
Photo: Flickr
Gender Parity and Early-Grade Literacy Rates in Rwanda
Although faced with problems in the past, the education system in Rwanda is making an ambitious effort to attain gender equality and increase early-grade literacy, as revealed by a 2016 UNICEF study. Thanks to government programs aimed at improving basic education and utilizing newer teaching methods, literacy rates in Rwanda signal signs of improvement.
With a population of more than 11 million, Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa, and half of its population is under 18. With such a large community of young people, the improvement and dissemination of education throughout the country is vital for its socioeconomic development. Rwanda’s government values education as critical for peaceful development, and has thus increased its allotment in the national budget from 17% (2012-2013) to 22% (2017-2018).
Rwanda has enjoyed a decrease in poverty over the past 20 years, accompanied by economic growth and burgeoning education standards. The country has also sought to improve education by focusing on key challenges such as dropout rates, teacher training and the improvement of educational tools for special needs children.
Because of these efforts to improve education, literacy rates in Rwanda have increased steadily. Early-grade literacy programs focus on teaching children in their native language of Kinyarwanda, which then continues into lessons in French and English. Assessments indicated that children were greatly affected by the improvement in their learning environments and the results of educator training.
This dedication to education is paying off — Rwanda has the highest primary school enrollment rate of any country in Africa, and has achieved gender parity in elementary education programs, with girls’ enrollment actually higher (98%) than boys’ (95%). In secondary education, girls now comprise 52% of enrolled students.
There are still a few challenges facing the Rwandan school system. Children in rural areas, as well as those born during or shortly after the 1994 genocide, are far behind in literacy and lack access to quality education. UNICEF has found that teacher training and parental involvement are two key factors in improving education in rural Rwanda.
Despite hurdles to improving its education system, Rwanda is making great progress in improving the lives of its children. With a continued focus on rural school systems, educator training and early-grade reading programs, its government stands to strengthen and stimulate an entire generation of young minds. If the rising literacy rates in Rwanda are any reflection of the trajectory of the country’s children, they will find they have only the sky as the limit.
– Emily Marshall
Photo: Flickr
Ten Facts About Somali Refugees
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Somalia “remains the epicenter of one of the world’s largest displacement crises.” Of the approximately 11 million people living in Somalia, well over one million are internally displaced while another one million Somalis are registered as refugees in the Horn of Africa and Yemen. Somali refugees have suffered the consequences of a “failed state,” enduring decades of political turmoil, severe drought and the presence of extremist groups.
Because Somalia is one of the countries specified in President Trump’s executive order regarding the immigration ban, it’s important to understand the implications of the country’s situation. Here are 10 facts about Somali refugees:
Somalia continues to be one of the most prominent sources of the world’s refugees, as it has been for several decades. The call for humanitarian assistance and the need for development in the country is at an all-time high, especially considering the possibility that, under the new administration, Somali refugees may not be allowed to enter the United States.
– Peyton Jacobsen
Photo: Flickr
Ikea Has Already Created Employment for Syrian Refugees
In the wake of President Trump’s recent immigration ban, Howard Schultz has responded by committing Starbucks to create employment for Syrian refugees — 10,000 jobs specifically. One particular company, however, predates not only Schultz’s call but also Trump’s ban.
In 2019, Ikea plans to release a line of rugs and textiles handmade by Syrian refugees.
The Ikea branch in Jordan, which has significantly focused its employment on Syrian refugee women, will currently create an estimated 200 jobs. In large part, this is due to a notorious low employment rate among refugee women. While Jordan has taken in over 650,000 refugees since 2011, only 37,000 work permits have been issued — and most have gone to men. Ikea has guaranteed to be flexible in their working hours with the hired women, as many of them still act as caretakers for their children.
The corporation plans to sell these products in Jordan and neighboring countries that carry free trade agreements. This line will currently run as a limited design.
While their employment for Syrian refugees began before Trump’s executive order, Ikea released a statement on Tuesday saying, “We support the fundamental rights of all people, and do not accept any form of discrimination.”
And indeed, Ikea has held true to this. Last year, the corporation won the 2016 Beazley Design of the Year award from the Design Museum in London for developing a “flat-pack refugee shelter” with the U.N. The flat-pack refugee shelter is made of an insulated steel frame, a solar-paneled roof that provides four hours of electricity and flooring anchored sturdily to the ground. Compared to the cloth tents used by most refugees, this is luxury.
Ikea has also donated $33.3 million to renewable energy projects and electricity for refugees living in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
And still yet, the company is not done: Lars Petersson, Ikea’s U.S. country manager, has also promised “free legal advice to any employee affected by [Trump’s] controversial order.”
Currently, rugs crafted by Syrian refugees will not be sold in North America.
– Brenna Yowell
Photo: Flickr
Promising New Tuberculosis Regimens
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top ten causes of death worldwide and disproportionately affects the developing world. Though the number of TB deaths decreased from 2000 to 2015, it is responsible for more deaths than HIV and malaria combined. Over the past several years, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has steadily risen. Approximately half a million cases of MDR-TB were reported in 2015. Resistance often develops secondary to patient non-compliance.
Given the complexity and duration of tuberculosis therapy, it is no surprise that many patients struggle to take the medications as directed. Initial first-line therapy consists of isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol. The four-drug regimen must be taken at least five times a week for eight weeks during the initial phase. Then, the patient must continue taking two medications for an additional 18 weeks.
Treatment failure can require eight months of retreatment. If drug resistance develops, treatment can take two years and has a high rate of failure.
Researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles have been working to develop new tuberculosis regimens that could boost the probability of treatment success. Using Parabolic Response Surface (PRS) technology, the team identified drug combinations with higher antimicrobial activity than the Standard Regimen of isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol.
PRS Regimen I includes clofazimine, ethambutol, prothionamide and pyrazinamide. For PRS Regimen II, bedaquiline is used instead of prothionamide.
So far, the new tuberculosis regimens have only been tested on mice, but the results are promising. Differences in efficacy, quantified by the number of colony-forming units, were statistically significant for both PRS regimen groups compared to the Standard Regimen control group.
For both of the new tuberculosis regimens, efficacy was dependent on the pyrazinamide dose. The bedaquiline dose also affected the efficacy of PRS Regimen II.
PRS Regimen I took 12 weeks to achieve 100% relapse-free cure while variations of PRS Regimen II achieved cure in three to four weeks. The Standard Regimen takes 16 weeks to achieve a relapse-free cure. Based on these results, a new tuberculosis regimens could reduce treatment duration by as much as 75%. Such a drastic reduction in length of therapy could facilitate better patient compliance.
The next step is to see whether or not the results in mice can be replicated in human beings. Given the rise of drug-resistant TB, successful treatment of human subjects with these new tuberculosis regimens would be a huge victory for global health.
– Rebecca Yu
Photo: Flickr
Poverty in Guinea Persists
More than half of Guinea’s population lives below the poverty line despite the country’s great mineral wealth. Guinea ranks 178th out of 187 countries on the Human Development Index. Poverty in Guinea is an immense problem, as 40% of children below the age of five are chronically malnourished.
Foreign investments have unfortunately been dropping due to political, social and governmental crises, including emerging tensions with refugee populations coming from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire.
There are around 25 foreign international mining companies that currently run operations in Guinea, as well as four domestic mining companies. Guinea has the largest export of bauxite in the world — the primary source of aluminum — as well as possessing vast iron ore, gold and diamond reserves, but, unfortunately, this generation of wealth is lost on the population, as the country gains little compensation for its mineral riches.
Guinea has also been faced with an Ebola crisis during the global outbreak between 2014-2015. It is clear that it had a profound effect on various social aspects of Guinean life. Unemployment doubled in urban areas, and many families withdrew their children from school.
Today, Guinea’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has rebounded by 5.2% from the shock of the Ebola crisis, but, unfortunately, the growing economy has been unable to reduce poverty in Guinea, as it persists in rural areas where 67% of the population resides.
The current government of Guinea headed by President Condé, the country’s first democratically elected leader, received help from the World Bank. Jointly, they started the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development Project. The project aims to cut poverty in Guinea by investing in transport and energy, as well as cutting back red tape on job and business creation. By increasing public transit connectivity, President Condé hopes to allow rural workers to go to work in the city. As of now, these workers are landlocked and dependent on subsistence farming for a living.
Guinea has a bright future ahead if it is able to keep its current foreign investment status. With the help of foreign investors, it will be able to continue to develop its MSME Development Project.
– Josh Ward
Photo: Flickr
UNESCO Rebuilds Refugee Girls Confidence with Education
While 91% of children around the world go to primary school, only 50% of refugee children are as lucky. These odds are startling, especially considering that 69 million girls remain out of school worldwide and that this number is expected to increase due to the refugee crisis. UNESCO plans to change that.
“Changing the World of Refugee Girls Through Education” is the aim of UNESCO’s new partnership with Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Save the Children, showcased in late January. Its main goal is to raise awareness of the extreme vulnerability of refugee girls and to secure solutions for their future through education and skills development.
The project is geared toward Syrian and Jordanian women who struggle to continue basic education or pursue work opportunities. The partners are working to help develop the life, business and vocational skills of these women, all while encouraging them to share their experiences.
The program, which is based in Jordan, offers refugee girls innovative job search techniques and helps them develop skills required to gain employment. In addition to all this, UNESCO helps them find opportunities in today’s global marketplace. If needed, one-on-one psychological counseling is also provided.
Schools also play an important role in identifying refugee children at risk of abuse, sexual and gender-based violence as well as forced recruitment. Even more so, they can help connect them with appropriate services, according to a recent UNESCO report.
Classrooms can also act as a place of transformation for many kids. Becoming educated can help one become a well-rounded person and gain a foundation of learning, which is a big step in helping one stand on his or her own feet.
This is even more important for refugee girls. Educating these girls empowers them and reduces the number of girls getting married at a very young age. This is a massive problem for girls in developing countries, where one in three girls is married before the age of 18.
Solving such a problem requires commitment, time and effort. This is just what the UNESCO partnership is hoping to accomplish by supporting refugee girls, raising their confidence and shaping their future.
– Mayan Derhy
Photo: Flickr
AMGO App Brings Movies to Africa
Mobile network provider MTN Ghana has partnered with African Movies on the GO (AMGO), a content provider, to provide over one billion movie lovers access to any of their favorite movies online using their smartphone devices.
The AMGO app will put unlimited African entertainment in the hands of movie lovers on the continent and abroad at a moderate cost. Users can easily watch downloaded videos offline anywhere and anytime on their smart mobile device, and movies can be paid for using MTN Mobile Money or any other electronic payment service of choice.
Apps like AMGO are especially important in the drive to connect more smartphone users in Africa. The continent is already seeing substantial positive change, with the number of smartphone connections almost doubling over the last two years, reaching 226 million. This means that today more than half a billion people across Africa subscribe to mobile services, with the number expected to grow to 725 million by 2020.
The mobile ecosystem indirectly and directly contributed to 3.7 million jobs in 2015. This could potentially help the continent grow its job sector; and if mobile device prices continue to drop as they have, Africa could potentially move over the affordability barrier.
The AMGO app will help the continent do just that by promoting digital access to media and entertainment. The app, specifically, could present a great opportunity for African movie producers according to the CEO of AMGO Group LLC, Nana Osei Aboagye. Equally important, it will also sell African content to the outside world in an effort to change the narrative of the continent.
The ultimate hope is to enhance the lives of the users by enabling them access to these benefits. Currently, the app is available on Google Play for Android devices, but the company plans to get other operating systems on board.
With the release of the AMGO app, Africa will take a big step forward in its digital revolution and enhance its people’s lives.
– Mayan Derhy
Photo: Flickr
Five Things to Know About the Bosnian War
Between the years of 1991 and 1992, the country of Yugoslavia suffered mass chaos as nationalism in six different regions of the country began to surge. This was due in large part to growing perceptions of ethnic distinctions and a faltering economy. This time gave rise to intense violence and ethnic cleansing throughout the region, resulting in the Bosnian War. Here are five things to know about the Bosnian War:
From 1992 to 1995, the Bosnian War claimed the lives of roughly 100,000 people, 80% of whom were Bosniak — the worst act of genocide since the Holocaust. To date, almost 120,000 of the original 2.2 million people displaced by the conflict still live in bleak conditions in refugee centers far from their homes.
– Emily Marshall
Photo: Flickr