It is well known that mosquitoes carry diseases. Even in developed nations like the U.S., there are yearly warnings of West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis, but no disease carried by mosquitoes is as widespread as malaria. The following 10 facts about malaria shed some light on the global malaria epidemic, what is being done about it and what the future holds.
Top 10 Facts About Malaria
1. The word “malaria” means “bad air.” In the 18th century people thought that malaria was caused from breathing in bad air in marshy areas. In 1880 scientists discovered that this was not true, but the name stuck.
2. Malaria is spread by parasites. Five different parasites can cause malaria in humans, but the Plasmodium falciparum parasite is the most deadly. The parasites enter the human bloodstream through the bite of an infected mosquito.
3. Malaria is most commonly found in Africa and parts of Southeast Asia. Mosquitoes thrive in tropical and subtropical climates, so countries that are near the equator are more at risk. Additionally, many African and Southeast Asian countries have high poverty rates and people do not have access to malaria prevention and treatment, or are not educated on the disease.
4. Malaria can pass from human to human. You cannot “catch” malaria like you can a cold, but people can pass it on by sharing needles, blood transfusions and through pregnancy.
5. When infected with malaria, symptoms can range from none to severe. It can take anywhere from 9-40 days for symptoms to appear. Early symptoms can include fever, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, chills, headache, muscle aches, cough and sweating. If not treated within 24 hours the disease can worsen, leading to seizures, impairment of brain and spinal cord function, loss of consciousness and death.
6. Malaria infects an average of 200 million people each year. Up to 1 million of these 200 million will die every year. Of malaria deaths, 90 percent occur in Africa. In Africa one child dies from malaria every minute.
7. There is a cure for malaria. There are different drug treatments available depending on the strain of malaria an individual is infected with. The drugs cure malaria by killing all of the parasites within a person’s bloodstream. However, new waves of drug-resistant malaria are threatening the lives of millions.
8. The best cure for malaria is prevention. There are two major ways that malaria is prevented. Insecticide-treated mosquito netting placed around beds is a good way to keep people safe while they sleep, and spraying a household with residual insecticide will effectively eliminate mosquitos in the house for three to six months.
9. Mortality rates are falling. Since 2000, malaria mortality rates have fallen by 42 percent globally. This is largely due to increased prevention and faster testing and treatment to those who are thought to have malaria. By 2015, 52 countries are expected to have reduced their number of malaria cases by 75 percent. In the past four years the countries of Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Turkmenistan and Armenia have been certified by the World Health Organization as having eliminated malaria.
10. There is a promising vaccine currently being tested. While there is currently no vaccine on the market to prevent against malaria, there is one being tested via clinical trial in seven African countries with positive results. Scientists feel very encouraged by this new treatment and the vaccine could be ready for full-time use as early as 2015.
These 10 facts on malaria depict the fact that although malaria is a curable and preventable illness, millions of people still contract it every year. Those who contract it mainly reside in poor countries where access to quality health care and education is more difficult to come by. If these people receive the proper education on malaria, as well as access to medications, then there would be no reason for anyone to be dying from this disease.
— Taylor Lovett
Sources: CDC, Medical News Today, WHO
Photo: Flickr
UN Youth to Form Post-2015 Agenda
From June 2-3, the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) organized a forum for youth organizations and young delegates to voice their opinions about ways to complete the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) before 2015 as well as visions for the U.N.’s post-2015 agenda.
The MDGs were set by the U.N. in 2000 and include eight goals based around eliminating poverty, such as reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, attaining a worldwide standard of primary education and halving extreme poverty levels, all by the target date of 2015.
With the target year fast approaching, the U.N. has already started formulating its next development strategy, and the discussions that emerged in the Youth Forum held earlier this week are valuable contributions to the debates.
Employment opportunities for youth were the center of one of the Forum’s discussions. Jobs in rising sectors like information technology were highlighted as areas with the potential to create many jobs for youth, with an additional focus in creating jobs that use sustainable development practices to help end global poverty.
Why focus on youth to help develop the post-2015 agenda?
Young people have just as much, if not more, potential to help realize development goals as innovative and inspired citizens.
Even though youth are always impacted by policy decisions, the demographics of the world we live in today call for a heavier emphasis on the next generation of leaders.
A U.N. report stated, “With half the world’s population under the age of 25, the current generation of youth is the largest ever, and specific targets focused on youth should be integrated into any future development framework.”
More than any other time in history, youth should have a say in future policy discussions. It is today’s generation of youth that will be carrying out the post-2015 U.N. development agenda and living in a post-2015 world; listening to their concerns should be a priority.
Martin Sajdik, the president of ECOSOC, said, “Youth are not only the future of tomorrow – youth are leaders, entrepreneurs, students, workers, care-givers and problem solvers of today.”
Hopefully the U.N. will continue to involve youth in discussions about its future development agenda, as young people have fresh ideas and the enthusiasm needed to end poverty in their lifetimes.
— Emily Jablonski
Sources: Friendship Ambassadors, UN 1, UN 2
Photo: Forbes
10 Facts About Malaria
It is well known that mosquitoes carry diseases. Even in developed nations like the U.S., there are yearly warnings of West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis, but no disease carried by mosquitoes is as widespread as malaria. The following 10 facts about malaria shed some light on the global malaria epidemic, what is being done about it and what the future holds.
Top 10 Facts About Malaria
1. The word “malaria” means “bad air.” In the 18th century people thought that malaria was caused from breathing in bad air in marshy areas. In 1880 scientists discovered that this was not true, but the name stuck.
2. Malaria is spread by parasites. Five different parasites can cause malaria in humans, but the Plasmodium falciparum parasite is the most deadly. The parasites enter the human bloodstream through the bite of an infected mosquito.
3. Malaria is most commonly found in Africa and parts of Southeast Asia. Mosquitoes thrive in tropical and subtropical climates, so countries that are near the equator are more at risk. Additionally, many African and Southeast Asian countries have high poverty rates and people do not have access to malaria prevention and treatment, or are not educated on the disease.
4. Malaria can pass from human to human. You cannot “catch” malaria like you can a cold, but people can pass it on by sharing needles, blood transfusions and through pregnancy.
5. When infected with malaria, symptoms can range from none to severe. It can take anywhere from 9-40 days for symptoms to appear. Early symptoms can include fever, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, chills, headache, muscle aches, cough and sweating. If not treated within 24 hours the disease can worsen, leading to seizures, impairment of brain and spinal cord function, loss of consciousness and death.
6. Malaria infects an average of 200 million people each year. Up to 1 million of these 200 million will die every year. Of malaria deaths, 90 percent occur in Africa. In Africa one child dies from malaria every minute.
7. There is a cure for malaria. There are different drug treatments available depending on the strain of malaria an individual is infected with. The drugs cure malaria by killing all of the parasites within a person’s bloodstream. However, new waves of drug-resistant malaria are threatening the lives of millions.
8. The best cure for malaria is prevention. There are two major ways that malaria is prevented. Insecticide-treated mosquito netting placed around beds is a good way to keep people safe while they sleep, and spraying a household with residual insecticide will effectively eliminate mosquitos in the house for three to six months.
9. Mortality rates are falling. Since 2000, malaria mortality rates have fallen by 42 percent globally. This is largely due to increased prevention and faster testing and treatment to those who are thought to have malaria. By 2015, 52 countries are expected to have reduced their number of malaria cases by 75 percent. In the past four years the countries of Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Turkmenistan and Armenia have been certified by the World Health Organization as having eliminated malaria.
10. There is a promising vaccine currently being tested. While there is currently no vaccine on the market to prevent against malaria, there is one being tested via clinical trial in seven African countries with positive results. Scientists feel very encouraged by this new treatment and the vaccine could be ready for full-time use as early as 2015.
These 10 facts on malaria depict the fact that although malaria is a curable and preventable illness, millions of people still contract it every year. Those who contract it mainly reside in poor countries where access to quality health care and education is more difficult to come by. If these people receive the proper education on malaria, as well as access to medications, then there would be no reason for anyone to be dying from this disease.
— Taylor Lovett
Sources: CDC, Medical News Today, WHO
Photo: Flickr
The Impact of Health-Aid
According to a new study by Stanford University’s School of Medicine, health-aid is having a direct impact on the increase of life expectancy and reduction of child mortality in developing countries. While the results of this study could come as no surprise to some, the implications are far reaching.
The study examined public and private health-aid programs implemented in 140 countries between 1974 and 2010. Contrary to common perceptions about the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of foreign aid, researchers found that health-aid grants have led to significant health improvements.
According to Eran Bendavid, MD, an assistant professor in the Division of General Medical Disciplines and lead author of the study, countries benefiting from health related foreign assistance saw greater improvement in child mortality rates and life expectancy than countries that receive less.
“If these trends continue, an increase in health-aid of just 4 percent, or $1 billion, could have major implications for child mortality. We estimate there will be 364,800 fewer deaths in children under 5.”
Moreover, Hans Rosling, famed Swedish statistician and development expert, explains that “as child mortality continues to fall, women are choosing to have fewer and fewer babies.” This trend is not only far reaching in terms of world health, but also has greater implications for population management.
Once again, using his trademark development data and statistical tools, Rosling tackles the correlation made between reducing child mortality and overpopulation.
He emphasizes the importance of improving measuring capabilities in development programs, especially when it comes to women’s health and family planning. Citing the case of Ethiopia, Rosling shows how “improved access to health service in rural areas and well-spent aid” have contributed to the fall of child mortality rates from 23 percent to only 8 percent in a period close to 25 years.
These two studies point to several important conclusions when it comes to health-aid. First, it is imperative to continue to support health-aid programs and even improve funding levels. Second, there should be greater emphasis on data collection and measuring tools to identify if program goals are being met. And last, the inclusion of family planning initiatives parallel to addressing child mortality and women’s health promises to generate better results.
— Sahar Abi Hassan
Sources: Health Canal, New Security Beat
Photo: NY Times
Poverty Drives Minors Out of Honduras
In 2013, tens of thousands of unaccompanied immigrant children crossed the U.S. border. Most come from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, and are fleeing their home countries because of poverty and violence. The rising numbers of child immigrants are bringing the issue to the forefront of Washington’s political debate.
“I am personally appalled by the staggering numbers of minors — sometimes 5 and 6-year-olds — who are left with no other choice but to cross the desert by themselves,” says Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Ted Menendez (D-NJ).
There is a growing movement of minors crossing the Mexico-U.S. border in Texas, and allowing themselves to be arrested. In 2013, the Office of Refugee Resettlement took in 24,668 unaccompanied minor immigrants, up from the average of 7,000 a year in the early 2000s. This sharp increase in numbers is explained by critical lawmakers as children taking advantage of U.S. policy on child immigrants from Central American countries. The policy allows such children to live with an adult in the U.S. from the time of their arrest until their court date.
Many more than the 24,668 taken in by the Office of Refugee Resettlement cross the border without notice by authorities. Still thousands more never make it to the border. As of June 2014, Mexico has deported 4,500 U.S. bound child immigrants from Honduras alone.
Poverty and violence are the two main factors driving people out of Honduras. Mario Aquino Vasquez is a security guard in Las Brisas, a neighborhood in San Pedro Sula, one of Honduras’ most violent cities. He describes the constant gang raids in the neighborhood: “If you were held at gunpoint and you didn’t give up everything you owned, they would kill you.” The dirt roads and shack-like houses of Las Brisas represent the 60 percent of Hondurans living below the poverty line.
James Nealon, nominee for the U.S. Ambassador to Honduras, addresses the issue of unaccompanied minors fleeing a poverty stricken country. The issue stems from a complex system of narcotics trafficking and organized crime. In order to address the corruption, Nealon explains, the U.S. must assist Honduras in establishing democratic intuitions, in fostering respect for the rule of law and in the successful prosecution of criminals.
He confirms that it is in the U.S. interest to promote stability in Honduras. A stable Honduras means a stronger trading partner for the U.S. and fewer drugs making their way to the U.S. All of this will indirectly result in less unaccompanied minors making the dangerous journey across the U.S. border. Learn more about poverty in Honduras.
— Julianne O’Connor
Sources: USA Today, World Bank, CNN, U.S. Committee on Foreign Relations 1, U.S. Committee on Foreign Relations 2
Photo: America Aljazeera
What Makes Vice Different
The news organization and Brooklyn magazine, Vice, is well known for its unique journalism style. They gain access to places mainstream media can’t through their immerse and adventurous journalism. Whether it is North Korea or Belize, Vice reporters go where others cannot or will not. From eating alongside Kim Jung-un and Dennis Rodman to traveling alongside fugitive John McAfee, Vice has shown no limits to the extent they will go to cover important and even dangerous stories.
Their progressive efforts have brought attention and even criticism from mainstream media. Their adventurous approach was utilized for their coverage of Dennis Rodman in North Korea, which mainstream media criticized, labeling them “stunt” journalists. Meanwhile Vice notes that at the same time of this criticism the BBC was trying to sneak in two journalists under the cover of two foreign students.
Vice originally started as a music magazine in Montreal 20 years ago but has since grown into an international media company. Vice is not stopping there though; owner Shane Smith expressed his ambition for Vice to be the largest global online media network which will represent “the voice of the angry youth.”
The “Millennial” media company that initially gained recognition via their YouTube channel and Brooklyn-based magazine is known for throwing out the standards of old journalism and immersing themselves in the reality of the stories they cover. Vice media’s catch line, “Vice will expose the absurdity of the modern condition,” is an accurate description of their approach as a news show for HBO. The stories can be graphic and the news organization may seem sensationalistic but their dedication and creativity is as eye-opening as it is unmatched.
Vice, however, argues that they are not sensationalistic. It is the stories they cover that make them seem sensationalistic but the actual coverage is fact-based. Vice points to the coverage of the slave labour camps in Liberia as an example.
The coverage featured cannibal and mass murderer General Butt Naked who murdered 20,000 individuals and even went so far as to eat some of the remains. This is not exaggeration though, it’s simply an “absurd” fact just as their catch line notes.
The show, which appears Fridays at 11 p.m. on HBO, is organized and presented in a documentary fashion. The diverse range of reporters from various countries allow an inside look into current events from the perspective of the people living the story. This narrative approach combined with ethnographic research allows for a cutting edge and groundbreaking style of journalism that is both captivating and informative.
Shane Smith’s desire to create “the next CNN” through a “changing of the guard within the media” is certainly becoming a reality. The show has run for two provocative seasons covering in-depth topics including the Arab Spring revolution.
In short, Vice on HBO is news from the insider’s perspective — news from the people living it. Vice is eye opening, raw and honest, and this is why you should be watching Vice on HBO.
— Christopher Kolezynski
Sources: The Guardian, HBO Vice, Washington Post, NY Times, NY Times Magazine
Photo: Twocentstv
Every Woman Every Child
Every Woman Every Child is working to save the lives of 16 million women and children by 2015. Focusing on addressing the major challenges facing women and children all over the globe, Every Woman Every Child works to enhance financing, strengthen policy and improve service on the ground for women and children in need.
Launched by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during the United Nations Millennium Development Goals Summit in 2010, the initiative would mean saving the lives of 16 million women and children, preventing 33 million unwanted pregnancies, ending growth stunting in 88 million children and protecting 120 million children from pneumonia.
Improving the health of women and children is critical to nearly every area of human development and progress. Research shows that the health of women and children is the foundation of creating healthy societies.
According to Women and Health Alliance International, every year half a million women die during pregnancy or because of problems during childbirth. While the mother’s death is horrible enough in itself, the structure of the entire family is damaged to a point of collapse.
Economies cannot grow and social stability cannot increase without first building up public health services. The Every Woman Every Child initiative recognizes that all factors have an important contribution to make in the movement, from the private sector to civil society.
At the 2010 launch more than $40 billion was pledged to the cause. However, more help is necessary to reach the 2015 goal. The secretary-general is asking the international community for additional commitments not just fiscally, but in the form of policy and human service delivery on the ground.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described his enthusiasm for the project, stating,“Every Woman Every Child. This focus is long overdue. With the launch of the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, we have an opportunity to improve the health of hundreds of millions of women and children around the world, and in so doing to improve the lives of all people.”
— Caroline Logan
Sources: Every Woman Every Child, UN Foundation, WAHA
Photo: Peace and Security
Action Against Hunger
Founded in France in 1979 with a mission to affect humanitarian change by transforming the political landscape to prevent misfortune rather than merely responding to misfortune as it occurred, Action Against Hunger continues to be a major leader among humanitarian organizations. With more than 870 million people in the world still chronically undernourished, Action Against Hunger’s revolutionary approach to hunger is important now more than ever to eradicate hunger.
Action Against Hunger (which is also known as ACF, the initials for the organization’s name as it appears in French,) operates according to six central principles: direct access to victims, independence, neutrality, non-discrimination, professionalism and transparency. Their clear values have made them one of the most trusted nonprofit organizations in the last 30 years.
In those three decades, the organization has seen its fair share of hardship, serving communities in over 40 countries as they dealt with food insecurity, natural disaster, conflict situations and national emergencies. What is remarkable about Action Against Hunger, though, is that it does not simply seek to provide food to those who need it; Action Against Hunger also works to ensure the dignity of the communities and individuals it serves and to install sustainable solutions to hunger.
The organization also places high emphasis on children, and a large fraction of the 7 million people it serves per year are children. Approximately 1 million children die unnecessarily of malnourishment – Action for Hunger’s work has driven that number down within the last several years, but its continued work to bring every child adequate food and healthy, accessible water will drive that number even further south soon.
With over 5,000 staff in the field to help carry out this admirable mission, Action Against Hunger brings yet another important weapon to the table: a nuanced understanding of the cultures within which it is working. By interacting in the communities they serve, organization employees and volunteers gain a crucial understanding of which strategies will work where, making the organization extremely effective at what it does.
— Elise L. Riley
Sources: Action Contre la Faim, World Hunger, Action Against Hunger
Photo: Flickr
Why 30 Million African Kids Aren’t in School
According to two U.N. agencies, progress getting African kids to primary school has faltered. Around 30 million children in Sub-Saharan Africa have been kept from the classroom due t0 a combination of conflict and poverty, and international aid must be increased if the region hopes to get more kids a primary education.
In 1999, UNICEF reported 106 million kids were out of school globally, and since then the U.N. Millennium Development goals have made childhood education a priority. Since the implementation of this push by the U.N., the number of kids kept from the classroom dropped to 60 million.
However, “declining international aid since the global financial crisis and an increase in conflicts have hindered efforts,” says Yumiko Yokozeki, a regional education adviser for UNICEF in West and Central Africa.
Household surveys reveal that more than 23 million kids in West and Central Africa who should be in primary school are not. Surveys in eastern and southern Africa report 19 million kids lacking a primary education.
Schools are closing due to threats from violence and out of safety concerns for the children. In particularly conflict-ridden areas, like the Central African Republic, families are fleeing their homes in fear.
Dangerous episodes in schools, such as the hundred of Nigerian girls kidnapped by Boko Haram while taking exams, further discourage families from sending their children to get an education.
Conflict isn’t the only thing keeping children out of school. Poverty continues to be the driving force behind kids dropping out. Children who have to work to support their families and themselves are much less likely to attend school, because getting food on the table is a higher priority than getting an education.
Any progress made in countries like Mali and Burkina Faso is difficult to maintain. Military coups bring chaos and instability, and education programs are difficult to maintain as well. In order to keep children in school, governments must commit more money to education budgets. This money is used to pay teachers, purchase classroom materials and reduce the burden of fees on families. In addition to these monetary necessities, grassroots efforts are required to “convince parents that education is accessible and worth it.”
Although help from agencies like the U.N. spurred an increase in support for primary education, the fact remains that one out of every five kids in sub-Saharan Africa who should be in primary school is not. Without increased aid from foreign countries like the United States, this number could easily rise.
— Grace Flaherty
Sources: web.worldbank.org, nytimes.com, flickr.com
How To Find My Congressman
Since its founding in 2003, The Borgen Project has worked with congressional leaders across the country to draw more attention to the extreme poverty that unfortunately exists in our world. Working with these leaders can be challenging yet exciting, and one of the best parts of this organization is that everyone from all walks of life can contribute to this worthy cause by contacting their congressional leaders.
The U.S. Congress in Washington D.C. is made up of two institutions with a total of 535 members. The House of Representatives and the Senate each have distinct yet equal roles in the function of the federal government as they make laws based on the opinions of the voters.
Perhaps the best part of this legislative branch is that the representatives and senators of Congress are chosen by the people. When these members of Congress support or reject a bill or issue, they are giving voters a voice in the federal government. Congressional leaders really do care about the opinions of voters, which is why it is so important to find and contact your congressman.
When a call is made to a congressional leader concerning a specific bill or issue, a staffer creates a ‘Call Report’ based on all the calls received each week. These Call Reports are then sent to the leaders so they can learn about the public’s opinions. It usually only takes a mere seven to 10 people to call about a poverty-reduction bill a week to get that bill noticed by the congressman.
Although communicating with congressional leaders may seem a little daunting at first, it is important to remember that they are there to represent you in Congress. However, they can only fully represent you if they know about the issues that matter to you.
To find your three representatives in Congress, clink on the link below and enter your zip code. It really is that simple!
https://borgenproject.org/leaders/
We can all make a difference in the fight against global poverty, and it only takes 30 seconds of your time. The Borgen Project encourages everyone to find their congressman and make a quick call to bring about the change in the world that is so greatly needed.
— Meghan Orner
Sources: U.S. Capital Visitor Center, The Borgen Project
Photo: The Borgen Project
Hunger in Pakistan: Famine or Inadequate Policy?
Hunger in Pakistan has killed many people and affected the lives of many more, especially children. After a drought hit the Tharparkar district of Pakistan’s southern Sindh Province earlier this year, at least 132 young children died, many as a result of malnutrition.
The problem of hunger in Pakistan is not limited to Sindh Province, however. While Sindh certainly has the highest rates of malnutrition and least access to food, Pakistan’s National Nutrition Survey reported that 58 percent of all Pakistani households were food-insecure.
Malnutrition is also widespread; the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey found that 24 percent of Pakistani children under 5 exhibited “severely stunted growth.”
Why is hunger such a prevalent issue in Pakistan? Some of it has to do with past inflation of wheat prices in the late 2000s, as it was more difficult for people to afford domestic grain. Infrastructural difficulty, such as providing electricity to flour mills, also poses a problem.
Still, the largest factor causing food insecurity in Pakistan is the nation’s own government and its policies that hinder food production and distribution.
Take, for example, the deaths from the drought: the government did not work to distribute food until after the crisis. As the Pakistan Dalit Solidarity Network reports, “the government didn’t act until [it received] reports of children dying” last December, even though animals had been dying since October and rainfall was decreasing. Moreover, government-run hospitals and clinics in the region have been constantly understaffed, making it difficult to get medical care to those who needed it.
Other government policies affect all of Pakistan, not just Sindh. Under the Corporate Farming Ordinance, the Pakistani government leases large tracts of land to foreign investors looking to stockpile crops for their own countries. This takes valuable land away from local farmers while keeping the food away from Pakistani citizens that need it.
The government of Pakistan seems to prioritize profits over its people. During the inflation of wheat prices in 2008, the government increased its wheat exports, depriving many hungry people of food. Even today, much of the wheat that large corporate mills produce leaves the country.
In reality, Pakistan should be capable of providing its citizens with enough food to survive, and there should not be as much food insecurity as there is now. Arif Jabbar Khan, Oxfam’s Pakistan director, affirmed that “missing public policy action and persistent economic inequalities are the main causes of malnutrition,” not droughts or famine.
How can hunger and malnutrition be reduced in Pakistan? Foreign aid providers may be able to earmark funds for the redistribution of grain to poorer areas, and this aid could be cut if the government does not comply.
Nevertheless, political pressure to change food distribution policy must come from within Pakistan itself. The citizens of Pakistan must demand change and hold elected officials responsible for their actions in the polls if the system is to be fixed.
— Ted Rappleye
Sources: The Guardian, South Asia Masala, Triple Bottom-Line
Photo: Tribune