According to the Global Poverty Statistics for 2013, nearly half of the world’s population, (that’s more than 3 billion people,) can live on less than $2.50 a day. More than 1.3 billion live in extreme poverty, which is less than $1.25 a day.
As of 2013, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, there are roughly 870 million people on the planet who suffer from chronic malnourishment; this is a large part of what makes up global poverty. This means, that 1 in 8 people suffer from not having enough food to eat.
However, there was some good news for malnourished and impoverished people in Asia and the Pacific. Asia saw new socio-economic advancements in 2013, which decreased those who suffered from severe malnourishment by 30 percent.
Latin America and the Caribbean also saw improvements in 2013. The chronic malnourished of Latin America and the Caribbean fell from 65 million to 49 million. That means where there used to be 15 percent of the population suffering from undernourishment, there is now only 8 percent of the population suffering.
In Africa in 2013, however, the number of people hungry and chronically undernourished grew by 2 percent over the period of a year. The conditions of neither the African people nor their economic status has improved much in the past several years. In this case, the number of chronic malnourished people rose from 175 million in 2013, to 239 million in 2013.
More women are hungry than men; 60 percent of women go hungry to 40 percent of men. Many women who are pregnant will still be malnourished due to a lack of maternal care being offered in their countries. This means, annually, 240,000 women will die in childbirth.
According to global poverty statistics from UNICEF, one billion children in the world today are faced with extreme global poverty, and 22,000 will die each day due to the impoverished conditions of their countries.
Due to global poverty, many children and their families cannot afford vaccinations that would fight off and prevent disease. This means, thousands, if not millions, of children will die this year alone due to preventable causes such as malaria, polio or hunger.
As the World Food Programme said, “The poor are hungry and their hunger traps them in poverty.” Hunger is the number one cause of death in the world, killing more than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
According to the global poverty statistics of 2013, malnourishment is one of the most dangerous things facing the world’s impoverished peoples. Starvation, malnourishment and unclean drinking water kill more people than almost anything else in the world. Every single one of those problems is preventable through advocacy and donations.
According to poverty facts, 1.6 billion people, or a quarter of the entire world’s population, lives without electricity in addition to facing extreme poverty and hardship.
The world’s poor should not have to live in a world of darkness and fear of where their next meal will come from. Every single problem the impoverished world faces can be prevented through advocacy and donations.
— Cara Morgan
Sources: DoSomething, The Hunger Project, World Hunger
Photo: Flickr
10 Facts About Malnutrition in Children
Child hunger is a very significant issue today. World Hunger defines hunger as protein-energy malnutrition, or a lack of calories and protein. UNICEF estimates state that malnutrition in children affects nearly 195 million worldwide. Discussed below are the leading facts about malnutrition in children and its implications.
Top 10 Facts on Malnutrition in Children
Unfortunately, many of today’s food aid programs are not targeting malnutrition. The programs are relying heavily on a corn-soy cereal blend that simply does not contain the required nutrients to keep children from becoming malnourished. While these programs are relieving hunger, many children receiving aid are still deprived of valuable nutrients that they will need to grow into successful, healthy adults.
— Rachel Davis
Sources: ChildFund, Starved for Attention, UNICEF, World Hunger
Photo: U.N.
Soccer Stars with Humble Beginnings
As John Oliver so eloquently stated, for any fanatical fan, soccer (or football) is not just a sport; it’s a religion, and the players are gods. They are symbols of faith and inspiration. They are the key holders of success, the gatekeepers of heaven. But unlike the biblical God, a glorified, elusive entity, these gods started from humble beginnings. It was indeed their supernatural gift that elevated them to deity. Here are five soccer “gods” that ascended to become soccer stars despite impoverished roots.
Rivaldo
Growing up in the northeast port town of Recife, one of Brazil’s most poverty-ridden slums, Rivaldo endured the hardship that comes with poverty. Due to malnourishment, he lost several teeth and was left bow-legged. His passion for football was his vehicle for prevailing through adversity. When he was 16 he signed his first professional contract with Paulistano and from then on, he rose to stardom. He competed in the World Cup in 1998 and 2002, helping Brazil reach the final round both years.
Pelé
One of the greatest legends of the game, Pelé too was raised in the unforgiving streets of Brazil. With not enough money to invest in his own soccer ball, he improvised by using a sock stuffed with newspaper or a grapefruit. Talent and grit were the ingredients for his successes. Throughout his career, he was elected “Athlete of the Century” by the International Olympic Committee and in 1999 was voted “Player of the Century.” Since his retirement, he has been a worldwide advocate for the promotion of soccer as a vehicle for change in developing countries.
Diego Maradona
Raised in the shantytown of Villa Fiorito, Argentina, Maradona shared one bedroom with all seven of his siblings. He did not receive any formal education; football was his only hope. In his astounding career, he played in four FIFA World Cups, was recognized for his “Goal of the Century” and was crowned FIFA “Player of the Century.”
Salomon Kalou
A current member of the Cote d’Ivoire national team, Kalou was raised in a nation in which 42.7 percent of citizens live below the poverty line. He rose to international prominence for his exceptional ability on the soccer field. Aside from serving as a figurehead of faith, he has taken an active role in inspiring his people and alleviating poverty. In 2010, he established the Kalou Foundation, which provides social services and recreation facilities for vulnerable populations.
Samuel Eto’o
Though he lived better than many in a country rampant with poverty, Eto’o began his career in Cameroon as a “street footballer.” He has since risen to be the highest paid player in the world, earning $17 million per year. His well-earned money goes toward his foundation, which funds development work in Africa.
These soccer stars have utilized their high profiles to inspire and ignite change. The good thing about the religion of soccer is that there is no hierarchy; there is no secret attribute that all of the gods possess. The most inspiring part of it all could in fact be the democratic nature of the sport. You do not even need a pair of shoes to pick up the game, or even a ball. You never know; bare feet and a ripe grapefruit could get you to big places.
— Samantha Scheetz
Sources: BBC, Bread for the World, Sportskeeda, AA Registry
Photo:Next Pulse Sports
Global Poverty Statistics 2013
According to the Global Poverty Statistics for 2013, nearly half of the world’s population, (that’s more than 3 billion people,) can live on less than $2.50 a day. More than 1.3 billion live in extreme poverty, which is less than $1.25 a day.
As of 2013, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, there are roughly 870 million people on the planet who suffer from chronic malnourishment; this is a large part of what makes up global poverty. This means, that 1 in 8 people suffer from not having enough food to eat.
However, there was some good news for malnourished and impoverished people in Asia and the Pacific. Asia saw new socio-economic advancements in 2013, which decreased those who suffered from severe malnourishment by 30 percent.
Latin America and the Caribbean also saw improvements in 2013. The chronic malnourished of Latin America and the Caribbean fell from 65 million to 49 million. That means where there used to be 15 percent of the population suffering from undernourishment, there is now only 8 percent of the population suffering.
In Africa in 2013, however, the number of people hungry and chronically undernourished grew by 2 percent over the period of a year. The conditions of neither the African people nor their economic status has improved much in the past several years. In this case, the number of chronic malnourished people rose from 175 million in 2013, to 239 million in 2013.
More women are hungry than men; 60 percent of women go hungry to 40 percent of men. Many women who are pregnant will still be malnourished due to a lack of maternal care being offered in their countries. This means, annually, 240,000 women will die in childbirth.
According to global poverty statistics from UNICEF, one billion children in the world today are faced with extreme global poverty, and 22,000 will die each day due to the impoverished conditions of their countries.
Due to global poverty, many children and their families cannot afford vaccinations that would fight off and prevent disease. This means, thousands, if not millions, of children will die this year alone due to preventable causes such as malaria, polio or hunger.
As the World Food Programme said, “The poor are hungry and their hunger traps them in poverty.” Hunger is the number one cause of death in the world, killing more than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.
According to the global poverty statistics of 2013, malnourishment is one of the most dangerous things facing the world’s impoverished peoples. Starvation, malnourishment and unclean drinking water kill more people than almost anything else in the world. Every single one of those problems is preventable through advocacy and donations.
According to poverty facts, 1.6 billion people, or a quarter of the entire world’s population, lives without electricity in addition to facing extreme poverty and hardship.
The world’s poor should not have to live in a world of darkness and fear of where their next meal will come from. Every single problem the impoverished world faces can be prevented through advocacy and donations.
— Cara Morgan
Sources: DoSomething, The Hunger Project, World Hunger
Photo: Flickr
Three Global Poverty Myths Debunked
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In the beginning of 2014, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation published its annual letter. This year, the letter reported three common global poverty myths that the world needs to better understand in order to inspire change. Through the report, the duo explain why the myths are false and, ultimately, why U.S. foreign aid and outreach are extremely positive and worthwhile.
The reports on the first two myths were written by Bill Gates. The first explains the inaccuracy of the claim that poor countries will remain poor forever. The second attacks the idea that foreign aid is a waste of time and money.
Melinda Gates has made falsifying the third myth her mission, as her section of the annual letter identifies and clarifies the common misconception that overpopulation will result from saving too many lives.
The Foundation encourages their readers to share the ideas of the letter. In order to promote awareness of the truth about foreign assistance, the hashtag #stopthemyth has been developed. Using the “#” symbol, a popular search tool on social media sites, supporters can effectively share information on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
The following is a list of three informative YouTube videos with the #stopthemyth label.
1. “Top 5 Myths About Global Poverty… Debunked”
Global Citizens responded positively to the #stopthemyth campaign. In this video, the organization presents five false thoughts about poverty in Africa and illustrates the truth in a creative way.
The video is a testament to the power of the #stopthemyth label. By tagging their video with this slogan, creative minds at Global Citizen can pair with the Gates Foundation to spread ideas. Visit their channel here.
2. “You Decide: Save the People or Save the Planet #StopTheMyth”
Melinda Gates narrates a video that discusses her personal project in the 2014 report. The footage of children in the video is inspirational, and the information is clear and succinct. Added visuals also contribute to its effectiveness.
The video is a product of the Gates Foundation’s YouTube channel, which has produced many more short, yet informative, clips with reasons to “stop the myth.”
3. “Bill Nye, Science Guy, Dispels Poverty Myths”
A large percentage of the American population recognizes Bill Nye the Science Guy as a trustworthy source of information. This video is no exception. In a creation of The Gates Notes channel (the YouTube account for Bill Gates’ blog gatesnotes.com) the popular science educator and television personality highlights truths about foreign aid’s place in the national budget. He also describes its potential effect on children of impoverished nations.
—Emily Walthouse
Sources: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 1, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation 2, YouTube
Photo: Blogspot
TaiwanICDF Provides Clean Water
April 11 marked the official opening ceremony commemorating the completion of a new, groundbreaking water supply system made possible by the Haitian government, the Red Cross Society of the Republic of China and the International Cooperation and Development Fund of Taiwan (TaiwanICDF.) The new water system will reportedly supply safe and clean domestic water for over 90 percent of the area’s inhabitants.
In January 2010 a magnitude seven earthquake devastated Haiti and rendered about 1 million Haitians homeless, a number of which relocated from its capital, Port-au-Prince, to New Hope Village in Savane Diane. As a result, the need for accessible and clean water increased exponentially, and the new system accommodates this need and serves as a sustainable, long-term solution. TaiwanICDF reportedly showed residents how to maintain and fix the system in the event that it breaks down.
The Taiwanese ambassador to Haiti, Peter Hwang, attended this special celebration, as did TaiwanICDF’s Secretary General, Tao Wen-lung. Wen-lung said the system would provide enough water not only for over 200 homes, but additionally for the village’s health facility, school and nearby agricultural irrigation needs. He described it as “a real godsend for local residents.”
In a video on the TaiwanICDF website, a local resident describes the arduous three-hour process he formerly endured to transfer water from a far-away source back to his home. Now, he has a quick and easy water source practically in his backyard. In the video, the resident also thanks TaiwanICDF for their instrumental role in developing and maintaining the system in his village.
China and Taiwan are hosts to numerous humanitarian organizations. TaiwanICDF is particularly focused on infrastructural and economic development for long-term stability in needy nations and regions, as well as technical cooperation, humanitarian assistance and international education and training. This type of maintainable, long-term investment in developing nations has provided a model by which helpful contributions in such countries can make significant long-term differences.
– Arielle Swett
Sources: ICDF, Taipei Times
Photo: Taiwan Today
Lifespans Increasing In Poorest Countries
Life expectancy has risen in the past two decades by over nine years. Both wealthy and impoverished nations have managed to raise their citizens’ lifespans. In the wealthier countries, less people are dying from heart diseases by the age of 60. According to the U.N.’s World Health Organization annual statistics, six countries’ babies are healthier, with less dying before the age of 5, explained Margaret Chan, World Health Organization chief, in a statement.
The six poorest countries managed to raise life expectancy by over 10 years between 1990 and 2012. Liberia’s lifespans increased the most by 20 years (42 to 62).
The next few countries that were able to significantly raise their lifespans are Ethiopia (from 45 to 64 years), Maldives (58 to 77), Cambodia (54 to 72), East Timor (50 to 66) and Rwanda (48 to 65).
According to the WHO, a girl who was born in 2012 will most likely live to be approximately 73-years old and a boy up to 68-years old.
More people are starting to live longer because of an increase in food supplies, better nutrition, improvements in medical supplies and technology (immunizations and antibiotics), improved sanitation and hygiene and safer water supplies.
Although the life spans in Africa are the lowest, they have still made a significant increase by about 10 percent . Malaria deaths have decreased by 30 percent and HIV infections have also decreased by 74 percent.
A great contribution to the increasing lifespans is the larger income Africans are making, which has increased by 30 percent.
One of the poorest countries in the world, Mozambique, has made huge improvement due to the discoveries of coal and gas.
Today, this is proof that people are able to make a change in others’ lives — the ones who need it the most. Although the poorest countries still have the shortest lifespans, they have definitely increased. Over the next few decades, one could expect even more growth.
— Priscilla Rodarte
Sources: ENCA, SF Gate, Geography, The Independent
Education in Africa an Effective Vaccine
For the majority of Africa’s children, only those who learn to read and write will manage to escape the trenches of poverty. Across the continent, millions of children live on less than a dollar a day, and the only way to ensure a better quality of life is by mastering basic arithmetic, reading and writing; education paves the only way for better-paid jobs. But the power of education does not lie solely in the mastery of numbers and letters. Equally powerful in the fight against global poverty is the role that education plays in helping children to protect themselves against deadly diseases. Education and disease-prevention are intrinsically connected.
According to UNICEF, 1,500 African children die daily from malaria, a lead killer of children in the continent. The disease, both preventable and curable, kills 660,000 people annually, most of them African children. “Malaria is truly a disease of poverty — afflicting primarily the poor who tend to live in malaria-prone rural areas in poorly-constructed dwellings that offer few, if any, barriers against mosquitoes.” Malaria is just one of the deadly diseases that has devastating effects on the population’s children. According to UNICEF, 2.1 million adolescents (ages 10-19) were living with HIV/AIDS in 2012. Without education, children become even more vulnerable and susceptible to death by disease.
UNICEF’s Schools for Africa is one organization that is committed to spreading health information and improving education in Africa for children. According to the organization’s research, every third child in sub-Saharan Africa doesn’t get the chance to go to school. Without this opportunity, a child is at a severe disadvantage when it comes to escaping death. “Simple information on day-to-day hygiene and prevention saves lives and keep families together,” states the organization. Children who attend school have an opportunity to learn basic, life-saving facts about HIV, nutrition, hygiene, health and sanitation, as well as increased access to health check-ups and immunizations. Schools for Africa is working with governments, local authorities and communities in 13 countries in Africa to create safe environments in which children can learn, and has thus far raised $164 million for this cause.
School plays an enormous role in changing the lives of African children—from providing basic education, meals, access to clean water, to incredibly powerful information about health and disease. Children who attend school have an incredible advantage and opportunity to overcome the barriers with which poverty oppresses children. African children need improved access to school, trained educators and life skills programs in order to both survive and pull themselves out of the trenches.
— Elizabeth Nutt
Sources: UNICEF, UNICEF USA, Schools For Africa
Indoor Air Pollution’s Ill Effects
The World Health Organization estimates that 4.3 million people lose their lives every year due to indoor air pollution. A report from the U.N. Climate Panel has further stated that the “worldwide burden of human ill-health from climate change is relatively small compared with effects of other stressors” – between 30 and 150 times more people die from indoor air pollution than from global warming.
Around the world, 3 billion people still cook food and heat their homes using solid fuels – such as wood, charcoal, coal, dung and crop wastes – on open fires or traditional stoves. These inefficient cooking and heating practices contribute to a dangerously high level of indoor air pollution, including fine particles and carbon monoxide. In poorly ventilated homes, the amount of smoke produced can exceed acceptable levels for fine particles by 100-fold.
Since indoor air pollution is mostly attributed to activities in the kitchen, women and young children who “spend the most time near the domestic hearth” are especially exposed to the health dangers – acute and chronic respiratory conditions (like pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,) lung cancer, ischemic heart disease, stroke and cataracts. Other risks include adverse pregnancy complications, tuberculosis, low birthweight, perinatal mortality, asthma, middle ear infections and cancers of the upper aero-digestive tract and cervix. These negative health effects are only exacerbated in developing countries.
The cooking and heating practices that are responsible for indoor air pollution are indirectly linked to other health hazards as well. Poorly lit homes and kitchens may contribute to deaths, lifelong disabilities and disfigurement from fire-related burns (which are common when using solid fuel and kerosene stoves.) In low and middle-income countries, kerosene is widely used and stored in soft drink or milk bottles, causing many young children to be poisoned from unintentional ingestion.
Indoor air pollution has adverse environmental effects as well. The reliance on wood fuel can heighten deforestation and put “considerable pressure on forests,” leading to forest degradation and a loss of habitat and biodiversity. Additionally, using biomass and coal stoves is inefficient, and a large percentage of energy is lost as products of incomplete combustion. Incomplete combustion produces pollutants like black carbon and methane, both of which have a significant impact on climate change.
In addition to creating indoor air pollution, traditional biomass fuels and appliances limit the time available for families to concentrate on generating income and educating their children, contributing to a “vicious cycle of poverty and reliance on polluting.” For instance, those who rely on inefficient fuels may spend a large portion of the day on fuel collection, and homes with limited access to a clean and reliable source of lighting would not be able to pursue economic and educational opportunities outside of daylight hours.
To reduce exposure to indoor air pollution, solid fuels should be replaced by cleaner and more efficient fuels: liquid petroleum gas, biogas, producer gas, electricity and solar power. However, biomass is still the most realistic fuel source for poor communities due to the scarcity of alternative fuels. In those areas, indoor air pollution could be downsized through improved stoves and ventilation.
— Kristy Liao
Sources: Eco-Business, Forbes, WHO
Photo: WordPress
Health Care Systems Around the World
The well-being of global citizens relies heavily on the health of their health care systems. However, the type of medical attention you will receive when you go to the doctor, or even the likelihood you will attempt to seek care, varies vastly depending on where you live. Indicators like average life expectancy, infant mortality and obesity prevalence highlight the success of the health care systems. With this wealth of information, we can assess why certain nations’ health care systems are in better condition than others.
1. France
France had the best health system in the world in 2000, according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) most recent assessment of world’s health systems. So what makes France’s method so successful? First, statistics on doctors and life expectancy are often on France’s side. France has less doctors per capita than second place Italy at 3.07 per 1,000 people, but more annual doctor visits than most of the top 10. It also has 3.43 hospital beds per 1,000 people, which is rivaled only by Japan and Italy of those in the top 10. Life expectancy is 81.66 and infant mortality rate is 3.31 of every 1,000 live births.
It falls on the government to negotiate doctor and hospital fees in an effort to keep costs low. In addition, a national insurance program flips 70 percent of the bill for everyone. The other 30 percent is picked up by private insurance. This means that out of pocket spending on health care is only $307 per capita.
2. The United States
The United States has one of the biggest economies in the world, yet it ranks 36 this year on the success of its health care system. Perhaps this is because the United States, while a wealthy nation, has an infant mortality rate of 6.17 per 1,000 births and a life expectancy of 79.56, neither of which are something to cheer over compared to other industrial nations where the average is higher. In addition, obesity prevalence has reached 36.5 percent, about three times as high as France. This signals that while the United States has the capability to provide good health care, it is falling far behind its peers. That being said, the United States is often considered the leader in medical research and cancer treatment.
In this country, insurance is provided mostly by for-profit private insurance groups, with some exceptions. Those over 65 years old qualify for Medicare and the disabled or low-income population qualifies for Medicaid, which are sponsored by the federal government and paid for by taxes. The number of uninsured is dropping, and in 2014, only about 15.6 percent of the population goes without insurance. However, citizens still pay a whopping $987 per capita out of pocket for health care. Changes will occur over the next few years with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, but it is still early to assess how recent patterns will change the ranking of the health care system.
3. Pakistan
Pakistan ranked 122 according to the WHO in 2000 and continues to struggle with health care and disease today. The average life expectancy is 67.05 in 2014, below that of Syria and Iran. In addition, infant mortality is a frightening 57.48 of every 1,000 births. Pakistan has only .6 hospital beds and .8 doctors per 1,000 people. All this indicates that the health care system in Pakistan is struggling, leaving its citizens in serious trouble.
There is much to learn from the health care systems of other nations, but changes can be made at different levels for different countries. For countries like the United States where some tweaking to the costs and the insurance sector would vastly increase the overall health of the citizens and the system, taking notes on France’s system would be beneficial. Changes would allow more people to get coverage for less money from the federal budget. But for places like Pakistan where the system is in shambles, a functioning health care system must be in place first. Overall, different nations stand in different positions, but health care systems across the world could use a restructuring.
– Caitlin Thompson
Sources: CIA(1), CIA(2), Commonwealth Fund, Gallup Poll, NPR, The Patient Factor, PBS, WHO(1), WHO(2), World Bank(1), World Bank(2)
Photo: Telegraph
Big Cuts in Education Aid for India
The recently released 2013/14 UNESCO Education For All Global Monitoring Report has some unfortunate statistics. The report estimates that global education is underfunded by $26 billion. In 2011, 69 million adolescents and 57 million children were out of school. Adult literacy has barely improved by increasing only 1 percent since 2000.
The report stresses that investing in quality teachers is key as around 250 million children are not being taught basic education despite having been in school for an average of four years. The biggest shock was that international funding for global education is down almost 10 percent since 2010.
India will see the most significant decrease in aid. Education aid for India fell by $278 million between 2010-2012. This is a serious problem as India relies on this aid to continue developing its education system. It is one of the top five countries with the most children out of school.
There are many statistics that show why aid is essential for India’s educational development. In the poorest state of Jharkhand there is a 42 percent absentee rate. A study showed that only 33 percent of Indian children between the ages of 14 and 15 could properly answer a two stage math problem that used multiplication and addition. Only 50 percent of children in India are learning basic education.
Positive results from aid can also be used to stress its importance. The report gives dozens of examples of how and why education is key to helping the poorest in Indian society. For example, “women in India with at least secondary education were 30 percentage points more likely to have a say over their choice of spouse than their less educated peers.” There was also a study on the use of technology in four schools in the Uttar Pradesh region. Students were able to listen to a lecture from an expert teacher via digital video recordings. Around 72 percent of the students had increased test scores after eight months.
There is no question that aid for basic education is essential to developing countries as well as the general well being of the world. The Board Chair for the Global Partnership for Education Julia Gillard said that, “education is a long-term investment – not an expense. We owe it to the children of the world – particularly the poorest and most marginalized – that both international donors and developing country governments step up and commit more funding to education.”
The news of decreased funding in India coupled with the not so spectacular statistics in the EFA report show that more needs to be done to support global education. To take a step back and decrease aid is moving the world in the wrong direction.
– Eleni Lentz-Marino
Sources: UNESCO 1, UNESCO 2, DNA India, PakTribute
Photo: Tauheedul Relief