The World Health Organization confirmed that polio in Ethiopia has been eradicated after an assessment team concluded the evaluation process from June 8 to June 12, 2015. This last polio outbreak began almost two years ago in the Horn of Africa, specifically in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
The assessment team consisted of experts from the Centers for Disease Control, Rotary International, the United States Agency for International Development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CORE Group, the United Nations Children Fund, the World Health Organization Headquarters and the World Health Organization Horn of Africa Polio Coordination Office.
The assessment team worked together throughout the outbreak in all three countries to determine that global standards had been met in response to the outbreak and that the transmission of polio had been interrupted. To do this, the team monitored updates from the Federal Ministry of Health on such matters as immunization progress and activities, funding aspects, communication and surveillance.
Polio in Ethiopia: Remaining Polio-Free
The assessment also provided a framework for the efforts still needed to maintain a polio-free status. In order to remain polio-free, Ethiopia needs to update its outbreak and preparedness response plan, strengthen routine immunization and fortify their implementation of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance.
AFP is the symptom that indicates that polio could be present. It means that limbs are floppy and lifeless. However, its presence could also be due to other causes. As a result, AFP must be reported in every child less than 15 years of age and tested for poliovirus within 48 hours of onset.
It is expected that there are one to two cases of AFP in every 100,000 children under the age of 5. If there are no reports of AFP in such circumstances, then a region is considered to be “silent.” “Silence” indicates a weakness in the surveillance system, and a failure to end this “silence” could prevent the eradication of polio.
According to WHO, “As long as a single child remains infected […] as many as 200,000 new cases could result every year within 10 years, all over the world.”
Polio is caused by a highly infectious virus, poliovirus, which invades the nervous system. However, 90% of infected people have no symptoms or just very mild symptoms that go unnoticed. In other cases, symptoms could consist of fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infected people become irreversibly paralyzed, usually in the legs. Five to ten percent of those paralyzed die because their breathing muscles become paralyzed.
Across the Horn of Africa, 223 children became paralyzed during the last two years, due to the poliovirus.
Since there is no cure for polio, the polio vaccination is the only protection. In Ethiopia, social mobilizers were successful in their efforts to raise parents’ awareness of the risks of polio and upcoming campaigns to vaccinate children.
It is these connections among informed social mobilizers, healthcare workers and parents within a community that not only leads to vaccination but also builds understanding and commitment to recognizing and reporting AFP to authorities.
Although vaccination and AFP are critical in the eradication of polio, this is not accepted knowledge everywhere. Taliban militants strongly resist vaccination campaigns and are considered responsible for deadly attacks on polio vaccination workers. They “view the campaign as un-Islamic and the health workers are Western spies,” according to The New York Times. Pakistan accounted for 85% of the polio cases reported in 2014.
Ethiopia reported its last case of polio on January 5, 2014. Kenya has also halted the transmission of polio, having reported its last case of polio on July 14, 2013. Somalia has not yet been assessed for eradcation, even though it reported its last case on August 11, 2014. The Somalian government is unable to reach approximately 350,000 children under the age of 5 in order to administer vaccinations, and the assessment team has found gaps in their surveillance efforts.
In spite of these hurdles, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, launched in 1988 by the World Health Assembly to eradicate polio worldwide, has made enormous progress. Since that time, the number of people infected with the poliovirus has dropped more than 99%. In 2014, only 3 countries remain polio-endemic: Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.
– Janet Quinn
Sources: Global Polio Eradication Initiative, The New York Times, Outbreak News Today 1, Outbreak News Today 2, WHO
Photo: Flickr
6 Cosmetic, Clothing or Accessory Brands Working for Good Causes
There are plenty of brands around the world that have philanthropic purposes or that have created programs and products that use certain designs in order to participate in charitable programs.
Clothing brands and cosmetic brands have also provided opportunities for many people to participate in charitable programs, while spreading awareness of causes that matter around the world.
Using fashion, jewelry or cosmetic products such as makeup or skin lotions, these brands convert their products into donations or awareness. In other words, their customer will not only be buying their fashion or beauty product, but they will also be contributing to a good cause.
1) LUSH
LUSH is a handmade cosmetic brand that works with organic ingredients to create fresh cosmetic products. This brand uses little or no preservatives in its products and uses vegetarian ingredients.
This brand believes in protecting humans, animals and the planet, showing that they are committed to create their products as natural and as ecologically-friendly as possible.
LUSH is also devoted to work as a campaigner brand that supports animal rights, environment protection and many humanitarian causes, using activism and charitable giving. The brand has a product called “Charity Pot,” which is a hand and body lotion that, whenever is purchased, 100% of the price goes to humanitarian causes in the country or around the world.
2) Satya Jewelry
Satya is a jewelry brand that created modern jewelry pieces with a meaning. The Satya Foundation, along with its jewelry, supports different children groups and charities around the world.
The brand’s foundation is partnered with different organizations, orphanages and projects. Some of the brand’s partners are Commit 2 Change, Charity: Water, and the Manjushree Orphanage, among others. These projects and organizations have different purposes, but each one is dedicated to a worthy humanitarian cause.
3) FEED
“Creating good products that help feed the world” is the phrase that this brand uses as their slogan. This brand creates bags, accessories and clothing out of natural fabrics and artisan-made materials that help with a donation to provide meals around the world to people in need.
The brand has forged partnerships with many other brands, such as Target, Disney, Tory Burch, Godiva, TOMS and many others.
4) Lemlem
Lemlem is a brand that sells women’s and kids apparel, accessories and home items. Founded by model Liya Kebede, this brand empowers and partners with local artisans in the creation of their products.
The brand’s motto, “Made in Ethiopia,” proves that there are different ways and destinations for clothing and accessory production.
5) Warby Parker
This brand sells designer eye wear at an affordable price, and at the same time donates to a humanitarian cause.
They believe that everyone has the right to see, so every time a person buys a pair of Warby Parker glasses, the brand makes donations to their nonprofit partners that cover the donation of glasses to people in need.
Their primary partner, VisionSpring, trains men and women in developing countries to give eye exams and sell glasses to very affordable prices, while also spreading awareness.
The brand believes that selling the glasses at a very affordable price helps these low-income communities to earn a living through their improved vision.
6) Same Sky
This is a jewelry brand that offers products for both men and women. They provide job opportunities to women who are struggling and living in extreme poverty.
The brand has the vision to provide a second chance to these women struggling to make a living. They offer the employment, fair pay, training and education that these women need in order to empower themselves and live self-sustaining lives.
– Diana Fernanda Leon
Sources: LUSH, Satya Jewelry, Feed Projects, LemLem, Warby Parker, Same Sky
Photo: NorthPark Center
Polio in Ethiopia Eradicated
The World Health Organization confirmed that polio in Ethiopia has been eradicated after an assessment team concluded the evaluation process from June 8 to June 12, 2015. This last polio outbreak began almost two years ago in the Horn of Africa, specifically in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
The assessment team consisted of experts from the Centers for Disease Control, Rotary International, the United States Agency for International Development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CORE Group, the United Nations Children Fund, the World Health Organization Headquarters and the World Health Organization Horn of Africa Polio Coordination Office.
The assessment team worked together throughout the outbreak in all three countries to determine that global standards had been met in response to the outbreak and that the transmission of polio had been interrupted. To do this, the team monitored updates from the Federal Ministry of Health on such matters as immunization progress and activities, funding aspects, communication and surveillance.
Polio in Ethiopia: Remaining Polio-Free
The assessment also provided a framework for the efforts still needed to maintain a polio-free status. In order to remain polio-free, Ethiopia needs to update its outbreak and preparedness response plan, strengthen routine immunization and fortify their implementation of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance.
AFP is the symptom that indicates that polio could be present. It means that limbs are floppy and lifeless. However, its presence could also be due to other causes. As a result, AFP must be reported in every child less than 15 years of age and tested for poliovirus within 48 hours of onset.
It is expected that there are one to two cases of AFP in every 100,000 children under the age of 5. If there are no reports of AFP in such circumstances, then a region is considered to be “silent.” “Silence” indicates a weakness in the surveillance system, and a failure to end this “silence” could prevent the eradication of polio.
According to WHO, “As long as a single child remains infected […] as many as 200,000 new cases could result every year within 10 years, all over the world.”
Polio is caused by a highly infectious virus, poliovirus, which invades the nervous system. However, 90% of infected people have no symptoms or just very mild symptoms that go unnoticed. In other cases, symptoms could consist of fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infected people become irreversibly paralyzed, usually in the legs. Five to ten percent of those paralyzed die because their breathing muscles become paralyzed.
Across the Horn of Africa, 223 children became paralyzed during the last two years, due to the poliovirus.
Since there is no cure for polio, the polio vaccination is the only protection. In Ethiopia, social mobilizers were successful in their efforts to raise parents’ awareness of the risks of polio and upcoming campaigns to vaccinate children.
It is these connections among informed social mobilizers, healthcare workers and parents within a community that not only leads to vaccination but also builds understanding and commitment to recognizing and reporting AFP to authorities.
Although vaccination and AFP are critical in the eradication of polio, this is not accepted knowledge everywhere. Taliban militants strongly resist vaccination campaigns and are considered responsible for deadly attacks on polio vaccination workers. They “view the campaign as un-Islamic and the health workers are Western spies,” according to The New York Times. Pakistan accounted for 85% of the polio cases reported in 2014.
Ethiopia reported its last case of polio on January 5, 2014. Kenya has also halted the transmission of polio, having reported its last case of polio on July 14, 2013. Somalia has not yet been assessed for eradcation, even though it reported its last case on August 11, 2014. The Somalian government is unable to reach approximately 350,000 children under the age of 5 in order to administer vaccinations, and the assessment team has found gaps in their surveillance efforts.
In spite of these hurdles, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, launched in 1988 by the World Health Assembly to eradicate polio worldwide, has made enormous progress. Since that time, the number of people infected with the poliovirus has dropped more than 99%. In 2014, only 3 countries remain polio-endemic: Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.
– Janet Quinn
Sources: Global Polio Eradication Initiative, The New York Times, Outbreak News Today 1, Outbreak News Today 2, WHO
Photo: Flickr
CPAP Machine to Save Lives of Newborns
The neonatal continuous positive airway pressure machine, or CPAP, can be used to save the lives of newborns in developing countries who struggle to breathe after birth. PATH named the neonatal bubble CPAP machine a top breakthrough innovation of 2015 that can help save women and children.
The CPAP machine is used for newborns with breathing difficulties, a leading cause of death in premature babies. The machine contains three main parts: the mask that fits over the nose (or nose and mouth) with straps to keep it in place, the tube that connects to the machine’s motor and the motor that blows air into the tube.
It works using a positive pressure system to help a newborn experiencing respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). RDS is more common in newborns because they have not yet produced enough surfactant, a liquid that coats the lungs to help the baby breathe in air. Without enough surfactant, the infant’s lungs collapse.
The problem is that the neonatal CPAP machine costs up to $6,000, a price tag far too high for most developing countries. Because of this, a group of Rice University faculty, students, clinicians and public and private sector partners dedicated to health technology initiatives sprung into action.
Partnering with Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine and 3rd Stone Design, this group, called Rice 360°, created the bubble CPAP to treat infants with RDS in the developing world. Using an aquarium pump to deliver air and a water bottle to relieve pressure, the machine costs as low as $800 instead of $6,000.
With this more reasonable price range and help from the Saving Lives at Birth grant, Rice 360° and its partners are looking to implement the device where it is needed, starting in Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania and South Africa. In areas where premature babies have a low chance of survival, the bubble CPAP machine will change the odds and decrease infant mortality.
– Hannah Resnick
Sources: NIH 1, NIH 2, PATH, Rice 360°
Photo: Tracheostomy
Heifer International Takes a Holistic Approach to Community Development
Heifer International follows the “teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime” philosophy.
The charity organization teaches families living in hunger and poverty how to practice sustainable agriculture and trade. Heifer International provides livestock and other agricultural resources that support financial independence. It also works with public and private partners to ingrain the entrepreneurial drive into the hearts of many developing nations.
Founded in 1944 by Dan West, Heifer is an exemplar in the fight against global poverty.
So far, Heifer has joined forces in more than 125 countries, helping more than 22.6 million families break the cycle of poverty.
In investing in local economies, Heifer has had incredible success.
In 2013, Heifer instituted its Global Impact Monitoring System that collects reference data related to its development work. With this system, the impact is more greatly measurable. This “values-based” system monitors all projects at the group-level and global-level. Heifer further reviews its work by evaluating its projects on five key elements: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability.
Heifer projects cover Africa, Asia and the Americas.
The Sahel Program in Africa develops local livestock production in the Sahel region. By providing sheep and goats, the program will impact 516,000 families between 2014 and 2024. The goal is to build resilient and sustainable farming livelihoods.
The Southern Africa Goat Value Chain Program targets food and income security by establishing producers associations, cooperative management and market infrastructures, according to the Heifer site.
The Africa Climate Change Adaption and Mitigation (ACCAM) Program also tackles food security. On the Heifer website, the ACCAM profile lists its goals: creating adaptive climate resilient food systems, increased access to renewable energies, sustainable management of natural resources, increased access to water for agricultural production, sanitation and hygiene, and increased women’s participation in control of resources, leadership and decision-making.
In Asia, Heifer launched similar value chain programs in Bangladesh, India, Cambodia, Nepal, the Philippines and Vietnam. They focus on increasing supplies and management of local commodities such as beef, dairy, goat, swine, chicken and other staple foods.
The GANASOL Agricultural and Livestock Program in Central and South America connects local farmers to market resources. The PROMESA Coffee and Cocoa Program revolves around the coffee, cocoa, cardamom and honey value chains. The PROCOSTA Coastal and Mangrove Ecosystems program addresses climate change, income and food security, and the subsequent issues that affect the mangrove and coastal zones.
This work continues in several other programs, all of which foster self-reliant livelihoods in primarily agriculturally dependent regions.
Heifer International believes in achieving zero hunger by supporting small-scale farmers.
– Lin Sabones
Sources: Heifer, Vimeo
Photo: The Global Journal
Videre est Credere: London’s (Secret) Eye on Human Rights
Videre est Credere equips local activists with small, hidden video-capable technologies. The tools give oppressed communities the power to capture and distribute recorded evidence of human rights violations surrounding them.
The name literally means “to see is to believe” in Latin. CEO Oren Yakobovich and Board Chairman Uri Fruchtmann founded the project in 2008. The international charitable organization is based in London, and since its launch, it has trained more than 500 activists in how to effectively plan, create and deliver useful footage.
The methodology is simple. First, local activists receive training on how to safely document effective and convincing footage. Then, Videre collects, verifies, re-verifies and distributes the evidence free-of-charge to those who can turn it into actual change on the ground.
The video cameras and distribution equipment are provided through personal training in security, filming and verification. Videre’s security process is of the utmost importance as it is responsible for data storage, communication encryption, counter-surveillance and authenticity.
Videre works with numerous influential allies including international decision-makers, courts, lawyers, civil society, local communities and a global media network of over 100 media outlets, according to the Videre site. Prior, these distribution clients are agreed upon by Videre, its partner organizations and trusted advisers.
Videre then gathers and processes the footage itself. The organization’s local networks label points of interest so that the undercover recorders have an idea of what to capture. These plans consider what images Videre needs, where they will have the most impact, and what risks are involved, according to the Videre site. Further, the evidence is analyzed by a series of tests from forensic testing to special verification teams in the field. Videre archives all materials in the case of future court cases, briefings or the like.
Constant feedback is also available throughout Videre’s work.
Videre’s six central goals are to strengthen freedom of speech, enhance accountability and justice, protect human rights defenders, expose human rights violations, deter violence and political intimidation, and empower oppressed communities.
So far, the Videre team has enlisted hundreds of human rights activists in several countries around the world. Videre evidence has been used in court, decision-making, NGO advocacy and the media, surrounding issues like political intimidation, corruption, political manipulation of aid and female genital mutilation.
– Lin Sabones
Sources: Videre Est Credere, TED
Photo: Wired
Global Connections Between LGBT Communities and Poverty
The United States has recently seen progress for the LGBT community with the Supreme Court ruling in favor of gay marriage. Despite the plethora of barriers still standing for the LGBT community in America, there are even more for the community abroad. Moreover, there are many global connections between LGBT communities and poverty.
The amount of LGBT people in underdeveloped and developing countries may often be overlooked or under-considered. With such a focus on food and clothing, helping people in these nations with social issues, which often become economic issues, is commonly unacknowledged. It is thus difficult to place a number on how many people in these impoverished areas are LGBT, because of restricting laws that discourage coming out.
There are currently 81 countries that have repressive laws against same-sex actions and/or propaganda. Many of these countries are in North Africa and the Middle East, where poverty is widespread. Eight of those countries currently have a death penalty for homosexual behavior, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. These laws, death penalty or not, place further dangers on individuals in these areas.
Before the legal restrictions are even placed upon them, LGBT people experience hardships that come from social interactions and perceptions. Legal and economic securities become nearly nonexistent in nations with laws restricting any same-sex actions. It makes any type of health, economic or social security unattainable.
On top of that, rates of being wrongfully criminalized increase. Stigmas cause being shunned and excluded from daily activities or needs. The Williams Institute found that as many as 68% of LGBT people report experiencing discrimination, especially in regards to employment.
These limitations would be challenging enough for people residing in developed countries. In places where basic needs are hardly being met to start with, anti-LGBT laws can make access to food and water, education or healthcare seemingly unattainable.
The barriers placed upon the LBGT community are too great to be ignored when discussing poverty. As Colin Stewart from 76Crimes put it, “If LGBT poverty is not addressed, the goals [of alleviating extreme poverty] are mere aspirations and dreams.”
One of the most startling and disturbing occurrences of this mistreatment comes in the form of aid being provided to regions in need. There are two fronts to this issue. The first is that people providing aid often experience the same prejudice and harm that there is against same-sex individuals and supporters. In areas such as Uganda, Cameroon and Zambia, LGBT persecution has increased, as “HIV workers were more harassed, imprisoned and even killed” by anti-same-sex groups and organizations.
There has been much criticism over the fact these troubling issues have not been properly investigated and that support to these anti-same-sex and/or religious groups has continued despite such abuse.
The second issue international aid is facing is the blatant refusal of some organizations to serve and care for LGBT people in need. Sadly, too many donors and organizations turn a blind eye to the discrimination in front of them. Such behavior is allowing personal opinions to interfere with the livelihood and well-being of people truly in need. Increasing awareness of such discrimination is the first way to ensure equal treatment to individuals that are receiving aid from organizations and donors.
Human rights are making improvements around the world, but the fight is far from over.
– Katherine Wyant
Sources: International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, OpEdNews, Erasing 76 Crimes
Photo: Flickr
Visually Impaired Kenyan Students Receive a New Kind of Education
The initiative “Computer Labs for the Blind” aims to bring assistive learning technologies to 356 blind and visually impaired Kenyan students at the St. Oda Primary and Secondary School for the Blind in Gem District, Siaya County, Kenya.
This technology will be provided by partnerships between the organizations InAble, AccessKenya and the Rockefeller Foundation.
The program will not only train blind and visually impaired students, but also their teachers. The students will learn basic computer skills and how to access the Internet, and will also complete an online education program.
The goal of the organizations involved is to help these students develop skills that will make them employable, leading to a life that many visually impaired Kenyans could only have dreamed of in the past.
Over the years, the education of the blind and the visually impaired has faced many obstacles, including logistics, the availability of facilities and teaching resources. With these setbacks, the visually impaired have not been capable of participating in mainstream life.
Visually impaired students that reach the high school level are barred from participating in the sciences, such as chemistry and physics. Even if they were able to participate, most teachers are not properly trained in the appropriate methods for teaching blind and visually impaired people.
This leaves the students at a tremendous disadvantage.
“Braille textbooks happen to be bulky and expensive, requiring up to four or more students to share a single book, presenting a challenge in imparting knowledge to students,” said Irene Mbari Kirika, executive director of InAble Kenya. “For instance, whereas the costs of books required by a Form 4 student are KES 7,060, it would cost slightly over KES 61,000 [to get] braille [textbooks], which is way out of reach for very many Kenyans.”
However, it is not only the braille books that are more expensive: the notebook paper blind and visually students write on also costs more. Many schools are not equipped with the necessary funds for blind and visually impaired students, even though these students are expected to sit for the same tests and exams as other students.
AccessKenya Group will be investing KES 7.2 million over the next two years in the provision of technology resources and financial support. From the fund, KES 6 million will go towards the “Assistive Technology Labs” project, which will include broadband Internet.
Emily Kinuthia, Marketing Manager at AccessKenya, added, “We realize that there was a lot of focus on the provision of hardware but little emphasis on skilling both for the teachers and students. We are therefore making it easier to access the curriculum and other resources, such as digital books and applications, all of which will be available online in order to deliver value in technology studies.”
With these set goals, blind and visually impaired students in Kenya will be schooled in useful, everyday skills. And with these skills, these students will have the opportunity to enter the job market, something that many blind and visually impaired individuals have previously never thought possible.
– Kerri Szulak
Sources: IT News Africa, All Africa
Photo: Inable
Tunisia’s State of Emergency and International Aid
Just over a week after a terrorist attack on a Tunisian beach, Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi declared a state of emergency in Tunisia. The declaration is intended to last no more than 30 days, though it is renewable. The state of emergency gives more rights to Tunisian security forces and political officials, allowing them more leeway in dealing with potential international and domestic terrorist threats.
Continuous threats and an unstable Western border have put the Tunisian economy on the brink of collapse, and Tunisian politicians in a state of panic. The most recent terrorist attack at Sousse, coupled with existing structural issues, have made humanitarian and anti-poverty aid in Tunisia particularly crucial and time-sensitive.
In his address to the nation in which he declared a state of emergency, President Beli Caid Essebsi insisted that economic and social challenges in the interior of the country, supported by extremism and instability elsewhere in North Africa, have created unique security challenges that the nation cannot handle alone. He declared that Tunisia was in “desperate” need of international assistance, both financially and with cooperative counterterrorism measures. Support from the international community—not just in policy, but in real humanitarian aid and crisis relief in the heart of Tunisia— is crucial to promoting the economic prosperity that discourages extremism and radicalism in developing nations.
Tunisia was not immune to the upheaval that spread across the Arab world in 2011, but it was one of the few nations that reacted to the events with real, democratic change. Since a revolt in January 2011, Tunisia has formed a constitution and staged two parliamentary elections. It remains one of the most secular nations in the region. While the nation in many ways progresses toward stability, its moderate government and continued poverty make it a target both for outside terrorists and for home-grown extremism.
Italy was one of the first nations to respond to the attack in Tunisia with a pledge of continued financial support to the Tunisian government and people. Paolo Gentiloni, Italy’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, tweeted: “Italy stands today with Tunisia more than ever. It was forced to declare a state of emergency in order to address the threat of terrorism and will receive more economic cooperation from Italy and greater assistance on the security level.” Meanwhile, the Italian Senate’s Foreign Policy Commission has encouraged multilateral financial support for Tunisia from the European Union.
While international aid in Northern Africa has generally focused on the needs and challenges faced by refugees and asylum-seekers, recent upheavals and violent episodes across the region—including the recent terrorist attack in Tunisia—have prompted many aid organizations to devote more energy and resources to protection and economic security of the citizens of the region. Until economic prosperity can combine with the nation’s real democratic efforts, violence will continue.
– Melissa Pavlik
Sources: BBC, Middle East Monitor, The New York Times, Public Radio International, UNHCR
Photo: BBC
Africa Almost Polio-Free
In 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was created. It became the largest public-private public health partnership. Those working on the project include the World Health Initiative (WHO), Rotary International, national governments, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF and many others. So far, the program has seen a 99% reduction in the cases of polio. Over 3 billion children have been vaccinated by millions of volunteers.
Now, only three countries remain polio-endemic: Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. In 2013, only 416 cases were reported.
Most of Africa has been free of polio for years; however, Nigeria has been a trouble spot for the past 20 years. Actually, the leaders and people were very much against vaccinating children. The health organizations had little support, which meant that they lacked the necessary supervision and field staff. At times, the vaccinators were even killed. Currently, the political instability of Northern Nigeria makes monitoring and vaccinating children rather difficult. There could also be cases unreported.
Thankfully, the issues that held people back from vaccinating their children in the past have been solved for the most part. However, in the meantime, many other countries in Africa that were declared polio-free saw outbreaks of polio that were linked directly from Nigeria.
Nigeria saw what will hopefully become the last case of polio back in July of 2014. There have been no cases reported since then. If Nigeria can go a full year without another child contracting polio, then the WHO will remove Nigeria from the list of polio-endemic countries.
While Africa is steps away from being declared polio-free, vaccinating will not end there. As long as Pakistan and Afghanistan continue to report cases, mass global vaccinations will continue to take place to ensure that every child is safe.
– Katherine Hewitt
Sources: NPR, WHO
Photo: Flickr
UN Report Shows Progress on Poverty
This past week, the U.N. released a report on the successes and failures of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The report revealed that more than one billion people have successfully broken out of poverty since 1990. It showed China and India playing key roles in this significant reduction of and progress on poverty.
The report also showed that in addition to a sharp drop in extreme poverty, the MDGs have facilitated other major successes. Presently, just as many girls as boys are enrolled in primary schools around the globe. Simple steps like installing bed nets in parts of the developed world have prevented approximately six billion deaths from malaria.
Experts say that the most important MDG contribution has been the creation of a measuring system that depicts what countries have done for their people, and what issues they have neglected. Concrete measurements of well-being—like how many children are clinically malnourished—provide the most helpful insight on the most pressing needs.
The report stated that the world’s most populous countries, China and India, played a central role in global poverty reduction. Economic progress in China helped the extreme poverty rate in Eastern Asia fall from 61 percent in 1990 to a mere four percent in 2015.
By the same token, development in India helped extreme poverty in Southern Asia decline from 52 percent to 17 percent over the same time period. Additionally, Southern Asia’s rate of poverty reduction has accelerated over the past seven years.
While these remarkable gains should not be understated, there is still much more to be done. In India, an estimated 600 million people still defecate out in the open, which dramatically heightens risk of serious disease, especially for children. Additionally, jobs are still not keeping pace with the country’s population growth.
Despite much progress, certain MDG targets were still missed, including a two-thirds reduction of child mortality and women’s deaths in childbirth. Persisting gender inequality was acknowledged as “one of the starkest failures” in the report, as women are still more likely to be poor than men.
This is not to say that progress has not been made on both fronts, but to encourage an even greater collaborative effort in the future. The MDG target of halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty was achieved ahead of the 2015 deadline five years ago. This is the kind of efficiency we must continually strive for.
The most recent estimates show that the proportion of people living on less than $1.25 per day fell globally from 36 percent in 1990, to just 15 percent in 2011. As of 2015, projections indicate that the global extreme poverty rate has fallen even further, to 12 percent.
At the launch of the report in Oslo, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon proudly stated, “The report confirms the global efforts to achieve the goals have saved millions of lives and improved conditions for millions more around the world.” He encouraged the celebration of MDG successes across the global community.
Indeed, the report’s findings most certainly call for worldwide celebration. So too, however, they paint a picture of certain key areas in need of improvement. Looking ahead, findings such as these should help to pave the path for the post-2015 development goals agenda.
– Sarah Bernard
Sources: NY Times, Economic Times
Photo: NY Times