While the economic and social consequences of poverty are well-documented, policymakers often overlook the psychological impacts of poverty. It is vital to understand this, as those who experience poverty undergo changes in how they feel, think and act. Poverty acts as a self-reinforcing mechanism by increasing mental health problems, altering behaviors and worsening the cognitive functioning of those experiencing it. This makes it harder for individuals to escape poverty, perpetuating its cyclical and seemingly fatalistic nature.
Poverty, Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Poverty significantly impacts mental health, and should not be underestimated. Psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, mood disorders and schizophrenia are much more prevalent in areas with high unemployment rates and poverty, with the most drastic effect of poverty being increased rates of suicide.
There is also a strong association between poverty, social exclusion and problematic alcohol use. Individuals who are unemployed and living in poor or insecure housing have higher rates of substance abuse compared to those who are employed, educated and living securely. Substance abuse problems can consume someone suffering from poverty, entrenching them in lifestyles that often result in incarceration, health shock and homelessness.
The consequences of poverty also transcend nationality and ethnicity. Across 43 countries, low incomes uniformly predicted negative psychological states and behavior. These include apathy, decreased levels of trust in communities and governments, antisocial attitudes and mental disparity.
Economic Thinking
Poverty burdens the mind and induces high levels of stress. Stress can impact mental bandwidth, which refers to how much cognitive capacity and executive control one has available. Cognitive capacity allows for complex problem-solving, retaining information and logical reasoning, while executive control determines the ability to focus, shift attention, retain things in memory, multitask and self-monitor. Poverty reduces cognitive capacity and weakens executive control, specifically in abstract thinking, due to the mental burden of financial worries, which hinders problem-solving abilities.
Furthermore, individuals in poverty tend to rely more on automatic thinking versus deliberative thinking. This is less cognitively demanding but also makes individuals less likely to consider all possible outcomes due to restricted mental bandwidth. This means most people living in poverty are only able to deal with one problem at a time, sacrificing and prioritizing only what is immediate and necessary. This is known as the tunneling effect. Tunneling is a state of mind where one can only focus single-mindedly on managing the scarcity at hand, blocking out other sections of life. Tunneling also impacts time-discounting. Impoverished individuals are more likely to lose track of long-term goals or rewards, only paying attention to the most immediate reward. Middle-income and wealthy individuals are more likely to consider future rewards and plan accordingly to obtain those rewards.
Further effects include alteration of behaviorally revealed preferences, including a decreased willingness to take present risks and accept new technologies, policies and assistance that could lead to future benefits. Reluctance to accept new technologies contributes to a paradox where impoverished individuals may avoid the very resources that can aid them.
Cognitive Development
Growing up in poverty can severely undermine cognitive development. At around 3 years old, children in low-income households begin to exhibit cognitive and non-cognitive skill differences from their higher-income peers.
Poverty-induced stress can also lead to impaired cognitive functions, including negative effects on the hippocampal memory system. The consequences of increased cortisol levels due to poverty show up in diseases such as Cushing’s and Alzheimer’s. As the hippocampus is responsible for emotions, motivation and memory, persistent stress impairs decision-making abilities. It perpetuates behavioral patterns in people living in poverty. This creates generalized behavioral patterns: increased cortisol impairs hippocampal function, forcing people into mental tunnels and changing how they make and view decisions.
Stress also reduces people’s executive control over themselves. This can lead them to become more impulsive. Stress’s chemical effects on the brain, most notably a rise in cortisol, dictate that often the bad decisions made by those who are poor are not due to low levels of intelligence but a result of poverty itself.
Breaking the Cycle
Neither cognitive constraints created by poverty nor poverty itself must be final or condemning. Modern behavioral and social sciences can lead to the creation of new cost-effective interventions, especially through targeting economic behavior.
Targeting Economic Behavior
Understanding behavior and identifying effective interventions is a complex process. Interventions must come after careful diagnosis of what the defined behavioral default is. Examples of nudging interventions include social influence, coinventing products that are easy to use, feedback or reminders, micro-incentives and physical environment cues. Reminders have proven to be a simple and effective solution when employed in the correct circumstances. In Kenya, patients receiving HIV treatments have struggled with taking their medications when needed. After health workers began sending routine text messages reminding them when to take their HIV medication, the percentage of patients taking their drugs increased by 13%.
Breaking the cycle of poverty may require policies that go further than behavioral nudging, especially for those in extreme poverty. In cases of extreme poverty, multifaceted poverty reduction programs are an impactful way to create pro-poor growth.
Multifaceted Poverty Reduction Programs
Multifaceted poverty reduction programs combine several different interventions to create an integrated approach that leads to positive outcomes. Multidimensional issues such as poverty require multidimensional solutions. Multifaceted programs include cash transfers, skills training and food subsidies. These initiatives also provide access to savings, services for physical and mental health and scheduled check-ins with program managers to measure progress. With regards to helping the ultra-poor, these programs are effective. Frequently, these programs prove to be successful in improving food security, physical and mental health, financial inclusion and time use. Also, there are upsides such as increased income and revenues, productive and household assets, political involvement and women’s empowerment.
Looking Ahead
In recognizing the psychological impacts of poverty, there is hope for breaking the cycle and improving the well-being of those affected. By understanding the cognitive and behavioral constraints imposed by poverty, targeted interventions can be developed to address specific challenges. Nudging interventions and multifaceted poverty reduction programs offer promising avenues for supporting individuals and communities, from providing reminders for medication adherence to comprehensive initiatives that address various dimensions of poverty. By combining these approaches, policymakers and practitioners can make meaningful strides in uplifting those experiencing poverty and promoting long-term positive change.
– Andrew Giganti
Photo: Unsplash
More Services Needed to Address Mental Health in Zambia
Considering that 60% of Zambians are impoverished, obtaining adequate mental health care has often been challenging. For this reason, individuals diagnosed with mental health disorders are more likely to miss out on education and employment.
The current studies on mental health in Zambia have mainly focused on the following barriers that further prevent individuals from accessing care: policy, lack of professionals and funding. Moreover, the stigmatization of mental health at the community level has also prohibited many from seeking the necessary resources and increased the likelihood of violence and threats.
Mental Health Gaps in Zambia
In Zambia, mental health care funding accounts for less than 1% of the overall budget each year. Because of inadequate funding, it becomes more difficult to treat patients and provide proper psychiatric therapies. Additionally, budget constraints have made it hard to train skilled workers and provide more mental health care institutions within the country.
Only one hospital in the entire country is designated to treat individuals struggling with mental disorders and it is located in the capital city of Lusaka. Unfortunately, there are only three local psychiatrists for a population of 12 million. Another reason for having limited mental health care professionals is because of brain drain, where individuals leave their country of origin for better salaries and opportunities in other countries.
Until recently, the Zambian government relied on The 1951 Mental Disorders Act, which is seemingly outdated and dehumanizes patients with mental problems by referring to them under derogatory names. On the other hand, due to stigmatization, mental health treatment is not offered at primary health care institutions, but rather at classified psychiatric hospitals. As of 2022, a “National Health Strategic Plan” has been in the works to strengthen and integrate affordable health practices in primary health care, advance facility development and promote better resources and training for mental health care professionals.
Advocating for Better Mental Health for Zambians
Along with the legislation, a few NGOs have been working towards improving mental health services through different practices and helping individuals cope with mental struggles without stigma. The Zambia Therapeutic Art (ZTA) organization has worked closely towards developing the best psychosocial approaches that are aligned with the legislation of the Ministry of Health in Zambia. The ZTA offers a short-term course for new professionals working in mental health enabling them to work with a variety of patients.
Initially, the ZTA solely focuses on therapeutic art, where vulnerable patients can use artistic expression as a healthy outlet. This way of mental practice allows for no judgment and helps to communicate and understand one’s emotions better. So far, over 500 mental health professionals have gained practical skills through this course with feedback on how this form of therapy has impacted their patients in different ways.
During COVID-19, the form of teletherapy was increasingly liked because people were able to speak to a counselor on the phone without confrontation. More than 1,000 women were being helped through teletherapy during the pandemic, creating a safe space for vulnerability. With more licensed professionals in the field, advanced methods of treatment can help allocate individuals who are suffering from mental issues in Zambia.
Future Outlooks
While there is still a stigmatization of mental health in Zambia, small steps have been taken to minimize this barrier and help individuals that need mental health care. Organizations like the ZTA have dedicated their work to educating and developing creative practices to limit these gaps in mental health access. With greater support from the government to recreate legislation and for the country to educate more mental health providers, Zambians can foresee a better future for their well-being and state of mind.
– Alessandra Amati
Photo: Flickr
The Links Between Poverty and Air Quality in Pakistan
Causes of Poor Air Quality in Pakistan
Many different factors contribute to a deadly mix leading to poor air quality in Pakistan. The two most significant contributors to poor air quality are vehicle emissions and industrial emissions.
In 2019, “43% of the total ambient air pollution” in Pakistan stemmed from vehicle emissions. According to Pakistan’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director General Farzana Altaf Shah, during times of break such as Ramazan and summer break, air pollution is not an issue. However, when schools reopen, pollution levels skyrocket once again.
This is the result of the poor maintenance of the vehicular fleets of these institutions. Shah stated that many of the buses use “non-compliant diesel fuel,” which contains high amounts of sulfur dioxide, a chemical that negatively impacts health. She also expressed to the media her frustration with government agencies like the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) who also contribute to air pollution with the use of pollution-emitting fleets.
The industrial sector also significantly contributes to poor air quality in Pakistan. Pakistani industries produce many different products, including leather, fertilizer, petrochemicals, paper, cement and automobiles. All of these produce hazardous gases and dangerous smoke. Brick kilns use tires (a “dirty” source of fuel) as fuel.
Health Impact of Poor Air Quality
Air quality in Pakistan comes with many risks to the health of the people. According to the University of Chicago‘s Energy Policy Institute, Lahore residents lose about five years of life as a result of the toxic air they breathe regularly.
In every country, poorer people are most affected by air pollution as they are “priced out” of the better neighborhoods with plush greenery, fewer roads and overall better air quality. As of 2023, the World Bank expects poverty in Pakistan to reach 37.2% based on the poverty line of $3.65 per person per day.
Poor air quality takes a significant toll on the lungs and creates various breathing issues. In Pakistan, common lung conditions are asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. A survey conducted in 2013 found that 6.9 million Pakistanis live with symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In Pakistan, one in 10 under-5 child deaths stems from air pollution. A study in 2019 by the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution estimated that around 128,000 Pakistanis die every year from illnesses related to air pollution.
Pakistan’s Plan for Tackling Air Pollution
The Government of Punjab is the provincial government of the Pakistani province of Punjab, based in Lahore, the provincial capital. In May 2018, the World Bank granted Pakistan a $200 million soft loan over five years for the Punjab Green Development Program dedicated to green investments that would ultimately improve air quality.
“This project will strengthen the province’s environmental management [by] empowering its environmental protection agencies to provide better services. It will help modernize laws and regulations and promote investments in cleaner technologies to reduce air and water pollution,” the World Bank website says.
Looking Ahead
Efforts are underway to address the severe air pollution challenges in Lahore, Pakistan. For instance, the Punjab Green Development Program, supported by a $200 million soft loan from the World Bank, aims to empower environmental protection agencies and promote investments in cleaner technologies. By modernizing laws and regulations and implementing greener practices, Pakistan is taking important steps towards a healthier and more sustainable future for its citizens.
– David Keenan
Photo: Flickr
Fragility and Rule of Law in Yemen
Yemen’s ongoing civil war has brought about significant changes to its traditional justice systems, both formal and informal. The conflict has led to the fragmentation of the justice system along the lines of different authorities in control of various areas of the country, resulting in a complex network of parallel legal structures. It has also exacerbated pre-existing challenges to the rule of law and the delivery of justice, with citizens bearing the brunt of the problem. The conflict has contributed to an increase in disputes, further complicating the already complex legal landscape and impacting the fragility and rule of law in Yemen.
According to the United Nations (U.N.), “Poverty often stems from disempowerment, exclusion and discrimination. The rule of law fosters development through strengthening the voices of individuals and communities, by providing access to justice, ensuring due process and establishing remedies for the violation of rights.”
History of Yemen
Yemen’s history has been shaped by the interplay between religion and politics since Islam’s adoption in the 7th century AD. The country was ruled by successive dynasties of Imams from the Zaydi sect until parts of North Yemen came under Ottoman rule in the 19th century. The Yemen Arab Republic (YAR) was established after a revolution led by Colonel Abdallah al-Sallal in 1962, leading to a civil war between traditional royalists and new republicans. The Marxist National Liberation Front took control of South Yemen in 1967, leading to conflict with the YAR until the two unified in 1990, forming the Republic of Yemen. Yemen’s complicated history has resulted in ongoing conflict and instability.
Rule of Law
Tribal affiliation is a significant aspect of social identity in Yemen, with three major tribal confederations historically dominating the north and east regions. Non-tribal areas are prevalent in the west and south. About one-quarter to one-half of Yemenis identify with a tribe. Tribalism has a substantial influence on politics and social organization, and customary laws significantly impact legislation implementation and dispute resolution.
Yemen merged two former states in 1990 to form a multiparty representative democracy. The conflict between Northern and Southern political leaders followed the first legislative elections, leading to the defeat of Southern forces in 1994. Opposition parties, media and non-governmental organizations faced curtailment of freedom. In 2011, mass uprisings, along with external pressure, forced President Saleh to step down and a new president came into power in 2012.
Weak public administration has long plagued Yemen, with a complex history that has resulted in state fragility, ineffective institutions and corruption of the rule of law in Yemen. The country has struggled to develop effective civil service reforms, which often have links to the broader political and administrative context.
Unfortunately, implementing public sector management reforms in developing countries is notoriously difficult. The country has struggled to establish a stable government, with civil war, political turmoil and foreign interventions hindering progress. As a result, Yemen’s public sector is severely lacking, with weak institutional capacity, corruption and political interference.
Public institutions, including the rule of law-related institutions, are dysfunctional. The country’s administration is unable to effectively deliver basic services to the population, including health care, education and infrastructure, a situation that most harshly affects the country’s poorest. According to the World Bank, about 78% of Yemeni people live in poverty due to several compounding issues.
Impact on the People
The conflict in Yemen, between the Saudi-led coalition and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, is causing harm to civilians, restricting access to aid and leading to displacement. The Houthi rebels have targeted Marib and launched missile strikes in Saudi Arabia, worsening the situation. The U.S. ended support for offensive operations but continues to send weapons to the coalition. The economic crisis has led to food and medicine shortages, a lack of clean water and protests in southern Yemen. The security forces’ response has led to further unrest. Urgent international action is necessary to address the humanitarian crisis and promote peace.
The situation in Yemen stands as one of the worst humanitarian crises globally, with 24.1 million people facing the risks of hunger and disease and 14 million people requiring acute humanitarian aid due to the ongoing conflict since 2015. The economy has suffered, causing widespread poverty and severe food insecurity. More than 40% of households struggle to secure their minimum food needs due to the historic depreciation of the Yemeni riyal, infrastructure disruption and financial service disruptions.
Taking Action
In April 2022, President Hadi transferred authority to a “Presidential Leadership Council,” prompting an economic aid package of $3 billion from Saudi Arabia and $300 million in humanitarian aid from the UAE. However, long-term structural reforms are still necessary.
Promoting Inclusive Access to Justice in Yemen (PIAJ) is a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) initiative that aims to strengthen the rule of law in Yemen and ensure access to justice, among other endeavors. The project will focus on the areas of Sana’a and Aden Governorates, the initial pilot program locations and then Hodeidah (and possibly Hadramout). It will also prioritize the most marginalized and impoverished groups. The project began in 2021 and will end in 2024.
With the support of organizations like the U.N., there is potential for Yemen to strengthen the rule of law, enhance access to justice and progress towards greater stability.
– Noura Matalqa
Photo: Flickr
The Psychology of Poverty
Poverty, Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Poverty significantly impacts mental health, and should not be underestimated. Psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, mood disorders and schizophrenia are much more prevalent in areas with high unemployment rates and poverty, with the most drastic effect of poverty being increased rates of suicide.
There is also a strong association between poverty, social exclusion and problematic alcohol use. Individuals who are unemployed and living in poor or insecure housing have higher rates of substance abuse compared to those who are employed, educated and living securely. Substance abuse problems can consume someone suffering from poverty, entrenching them in lifestyles that often result in incarceration, health shock and homelessness.
The consequences of poverty also transcend nationality and ethnicity. Across 43 countries, low incomes uniformly predicted negative psychological states and behavior. These include apathy, decreased levels of trust in communities and governments, antisocial attitudes and mental disparity.
Economic Thinking
Poverty burdens the mind and induces high levels of stress. Stress can impact mental bandwidth, which refers to how much cognitive capacity and executive control one has available. Cognitive capacity allows for complex problem-solving, retaining information and logical reasoning, while executive control determines the ability to focus, shift attention, retain things in memory, multitask and self-monitor. Poverty reduces cognitive capacity and weakens executive control, specifically in abstract thinking, due to the mental burden of financial worries, which hinders problem-solving abilities.
Furthermore, individuals in poverty tend to rely more on automatic thinking versus deliberative thinking. This is less cognitively demanding but also makes individuals less likely to consider all possible outcomes due to restricted mental bandwidth. This means most people living in poverty are only able to deal with one problem at a time, sacrificing and prioritizing only what is immediate and necessary. This is known as the tunneling effect. Tunneling is a state of mind where one can only focus single-mindedly on managing the scarcity at hand, blocking out other sections of life. Tunneling also impacts time-discounting. Impoverished individuals are more likely to lose track of long-term goals or rewards, only paying attention to the most immediate reward. Middle-income and wealthy individuals are more likely to consider future rewards and plan accordingly to obtain those rewards.
Further effects include alteration of behaviorally revealed preferences, including a decreased willingness to take present risks and accept new technologies, policies and assistance that could lead to future benefits. Reluctance to accept new technologies contributes to a paradox where impoverished individuals may avoid the very resources that can aid them.
Cognitive Development
Growing up in poverty can severely undermine cognitive development. At around 3 years old, children in low-income households begin to exhibit cognitive and non-cognitive skill differences from their higher-income peers.
Poverty-induced stress can also lead to impaired cognitive functions, including negative effects on the hippocampal memory system. The consequences of increased cortisol levels due to poverty show up in diseases such as Cushing’s and Alzheimer’s. As the hippocampus is responsible for emotions, motivation and memory, persistent stress impairs decision-making abilities. It perpetuates behavioral patterns in people living in poverty. This creates generalized behavioral patterns: increased cortisol impairs hippocampal function, forcing people into mental tunnels and changing how they make and view decisions.
Stress also reduces people’s executive control over themselves. This can lead them to become more impulsive. Stress’s chemical effects on the brain, most notably a rise in cortisol, dictate that often the bad decisions made by those who are poor are not due to low levels of intelligence but a result of poverty itself.
Breaking the Cycle
Neither cognitive constraints created by poverty nor poverty itself must be final or condemning. Modern behavioral and social sciences can lead to the creation of new cost-effective interventions, especially through targeting economic behavior.
Targeting Economic Behavior
Understanding behavior and identifying effective interventions is a complex process. Interventions must come after careful diagnosis of what the defined behavioral default is. Examples of nudging interventions include social influence, coinventing products that are easy to use, feedback or reminders, micro-incentives and physical environment cues. Reminders have proven to be a simple and effective solution when employed in the correct circumstances. In Kenya, patients receiving HIV treatments have struggled with taking their medications when needed. After health workers began sending routine text messages reminding them when to take their HIV medication, the percentage of patients taking their drugs increased by 13%.
Breaking the cycle of poverty may require policies that go further than behavioral nudging, especially for those in extreme poverty. In cases of extreme poverty, multifaceted poverty reduction programs are an impactful way to create pro-poor growth.
Multifaceted Poverty Reduction Programs
Multifaceted poverty reduction programs combine several different interventions to create an integrated approach that leads to positive outcomes. Multidimensional issues such as poverty require multidimensional solutions. Multifaceted programs include cash transfers, skills training and food subsidies. These initiatives also provide access to savings, services for physical and mental health and scheduled check-ins with program managers to measure progress. With regards to helping the ultra-poor, these programs are effective. Frequently, these programs prove to be successful in improving food security, physical and mental health, financial inclusion and time use. Also, there are upsides such as increased income and revenues, productive and household assets, political involvement and women’s empowerment.
Looking Ahead
In recognizing the psychological impacts of poverty, there is hope for breaking the cycle and improving the well-being of those affected. By understanding the cognitive and behavioral constraints imposed by poverty, targeted interventions can be developed to address specific challenges. Nudging interventions and multifaceted poverty reduction programs offer promising avenues for supporting individuals and communities, from providing reminders for medication adherence to comprehensive initiatives that address various dimensions of poverty. By combining these approaches, policymakers and practitioners can make meaningful strides in uplifting those experiencing poverty and promoting long-term positive change.
– Andrew Giganti
Photo: Unsplash
How Renewable Energy Can Help Revitalize Bosnia and Herzegovina
A Step Toward Greener Energy
Currently, Bosnia and Herzegovina is the only country in the Western Balkans that is a net exporter of power. Electricity, which accounts for about 20% of the national GDP, is its most profitable export. In 2021, hydropower accounted for 37% of the electricity produced in the country, which has also begun to introduce solar and wind power plants in recent years.
According to the International Trade Administration, Bosnia and Herzegovina has the potential to further grow and benefit from renewable energy production. Given the country’s extensive river networks, sunny summers and windy mountain ranges, government officials are not ignoring that potential. In March 2022, BiH’s government announced plans to allocate 3.6 billion marka (about $2 billion) to enhance the country’s output of clean, renewable energy in the upcoming five years.
Significantly, such funding could have a substantial economic impact while helping to improve the well-being of the country’s most vulnerable. For instance, a 2015 UNICEF report highlighted that 73.8% of children in BiH between 5 and 15 years of age are deprived of material resources in at least one way, and 71.8% of children between 0 and 4 years of age are nutrition-deprived. A 2017 Sustainable Development Goals Fund Case Study showed that investment in increasing renewable energy production could help create jobs, lower household energy costs, improve health and sanitation and provide new opportunities to break the cycle of poverty and deprivation.
Wind Power Potential Blowing Investors Away
There are already three operational wind farms in BiH. As of 2019, one farm in Podveležje was producing 126 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electrical power yearly — enough to power about 40,000 homes. This sector expects to see further growth. For example, the German company wpd GmbH has invested $1.5 billion in a two-part project to build four wind farms in the towns of Glamoc, Bosansko Grahovo and Livno.
A Brighter Future in Solar Power
Additionally, the southern regions of BiH benefit from strong Mediterranean sunshine, which some overseas investors are eager to help harness. The Norwegian renewable energy company Greenstat, for one, is beginning construction of the first large-scale solar farm in the town of Grude. The plant will have the capacity to capture some 65 GWh of power per year.
At the local level, the government is also encouraging citizens to install solar panels through a state-funded initiative. The scheme is expected to alleviate some of the consequences of the current energy crisis in Europe, thus leaving people with more income and resources to enrich their quality of life.
Harnessing Hydropower
Although hydropower already accounts for a substantial portion of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s renewable energy, the country’s rivers hold much untapped potential. Recent data indicate that BiH is only deriving about 41% of its domestic energy from hydropower. This indicates that this lucrative sector has room to expand while paving the way toward a greener and brighter future within the country itself.
Using Renewable Energy in Bosnia and Herzegovina for Good
Although Bosnia and Herzegovina’s developing renewable energy industry has met with some controversy, there is a clear route to increasing the country’s renewable energy production, instituting appropriate regulations and helping to alleviate poverty. Channeling and storing BiH’s abundant wind, solar and hydro-power resources would go a long way in heightening its energy export potential while ensuring positive impacts on both poverty reduction and the environment.
– Annabel Kartal-Allen
Photo: Pixabay
Amnesty International Calls For Universal Social Protection
In addition to its efforts to spread awareness of human rights violations happening globally, on May 10, Amnesty International issued a briefing addressing overlapping crises that have left many facing poverty and hunger titled “Rising Prices, Growing Protests: The Case for Universal Social Protection.” In the briefing, the charity calls for universal social protection, or an “integrated set of policies and programs that provide equitable access to all people and protect them throughout their lives against poverty and risks to their livelihoods and well-being.”
Overview of the Briefing
The briefing begins by naming a few of the overlapping crises resulting in global poverty, starting with economic shock. In addition to around 60% of the world’s poorest countries being in debt distress, it cites that almost all middle-income and lower-income countries have experienced a high rate of inflation in the past year. Some notable examples include Zimbabwe at 321%, Lebanon at 203% and Venezuela at 158%. This means prices of basic necessities like food and housing have quadrupled, tripled and doubled in these countries. Amnesty International reports that people live in hunger due to three main reasons: economic shocks, armed conflict and the climate crisis.
The climate crisis impacts conditions that make food production possible by heightening severe weather like storms, extreme heat and wildfires. The loss of crops and livestock has been particularly devastating for farmers around the world living in poverty. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Association (FAO) found that drought was the single greatest contributor to agricultural production loss, followed by floods, storms, pests and diseases and wildfires. The climate crisis threatens food security. For example, when extreme flooding occurred in Pakistan in October 2022, the FAO reported that out of the 33 million people affected, 1.9 million needed food and agricultural assistance. Also, 510,000 people were “one step away from catastrophic levels of food insecurity.” Now more than ever, universal social protection is necessary to aid food security when relieving disasters.
Necessary Steps
Amnesty International’s brief calling for universal social protection recommends global creditors reschedule or cancel their debts so countries can have an opportunity to fund universal social protection. The cost of offering basic universal social protection would be around $440.8 billion a year, which is less than the $500 billion that lower-income and middle-income countries lose to foreign investors around the world.
Amnesty International stresses the importance of investing in universal social protection as well as making it shock-responsive, meaning its coverage would increase in large-scale crises. It also recommends other countries create a global fund for low-income or middle-income countries that cannot support universal social protection at the start, especially when they need to meet urgent humanitarian needs and suffer from food insecurity. This way, a universal basic income, guaranteed minimum income and a “social protection floor” – health care, income security, etc.– can be achieved globally.
Photo: Flickr
How Artificial Intelligence Impacts the Workforce
As immense as a tsunami, the wave of artificial intelligence has already started creeping toward the shores of innovation, promising to change the way society lives, works and interacts with each other. AI is no longer a futuristic concept; it is a reality that is already transforming industries and societies around the world. Despite the potential benefits, AI also poses a considerable threat to the workforce. With estimates suggesting that nearly 15% of jobs worldwide could be vulnerable to displacement due to automation, the implications of AI for the future of work are profound and far-reaching.
The Rise of AI
All over the globe, artificial intelligence and AI have begun to permeate the everyday life of people. This technology has already transformed the way people engage with the world around them, from personal gadgets like smartphones and virtual assistants to large-scale systems like transportation networks and financial institutions. And as this demand grows, the technology itself also continues to evolve. One study by NVIDIA found that over the past 18 months, the performance gains of their A100 GPUs have increased by a factor of almost five. This unprecedented speed and scale provide a glimpse into the potential applications of these technologies in the future.
Impact on Jobs
As AI technology advance and becomes more prevalent, it brings with it a slew of potential issues, the most common of which is job displacement. According to a Zippia report, countries such as Greece and Slovakia in Europe face a risk of losing more than 50% of their jobs due to computerization. Occupations in data entry, manufacturing, machining, customer service, labor and inventory management are particularly at risk, as these are areas where AI and automation are most likely to have a significant impact.
Low-income Families
These changes are likely to have the most consequential influence on low-income households and regions. Many low-income families rely on low-skill jobs as their only source of income. Unfortunately, the AI industry could displace 50% of these jobs over the next 5 years. As machines become more prevalent in the workplace, the demand for low-skilled workers may continue to decrease, leading to a potential reduction in wages and benefits.
Possible Intervention Efforts
Fortunately, there are a number of steps that can help protect or transition the workforce in the age of AI. Some of these steps could involve investing in skilled-training programs and implementing protection periods for workers who face exposure to job loss due to AI. For instance, the fund-based “SkillsFuture” program that Singapore introduced in 2015 has already achieved measurable success.
The program’s more than 660,000 beneficiaries, including those who received the $500 credit and benefited from the training and professional assistance programs were able to easily transition into and out of the workforce as new technologies underwent development. In Canada, a similar program, “Future Skills Centre,” has also emerged. Through this program, more than 36,000 participants from more than 20 different economic sectors were able to receive practical professional training to help them get ready for and adjust to the changing workplace.
Looking Ahead
In the face of AI’s potential impact on jobs, there are promising interventions that can help mitigate its effects. Investments in skilled-training programs and the implementation of protection periods for at-risk workers can provide crucial support during the transition. Successful initiatives like Singapore’s “SkillsFuture” and Canada’s “Future Skills Centre” demonstrate the effectiveness of such measures in equipping individuals with the necessary skills to navigate the changing landscape of work. With proactive efforts and inclusive policies, societies can embrace the opportunities presented by AI while safeguarding the well-being of their workforce.
– Sanjith Sambath
Photo: Flickr
Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Jamaica
COVID’s Impact on Poverty in Jamaica
Historically, Jamaica has always grappled with high poverty rates, with rates declining in recent years. However, poverty rates have increased since the start of the pandemic, completely unraveling years’ worth of work and successful efforts to combat this crisis. According to the World Bank, Jamaica’s poverty rate increased from 19% to roughly 23% in 2020. Some residents who were beginning to make ends meet in the years preceding the initial outbreaks fell below the poverty line as a result of the pandemic. Many residents are still lacking access to resources such as reliable housing and clean drinking water. Around 150,000 Jamaicans lost their jobs during the pandemic, with re-creation and rebound well underway.
COVID’s Impact on the Jamaican Economy
While enduring aftereffects less severe than some of its neighboring islands, Jamaicans are still reeling from the pandemic’s impact on the economy. The Jamaican economy has experienced its greatest contraction in history as a result of the pandemic. It has struggled to rebound since the post-pandemic era and since the distribution of vaccines and other treatment resources, undoing years’ worth of efforts to promote economic stability and fiscal responsibility.
To remain prosperous and stable, the economy relies heavily on the tourism industry, including hotels and resorts, restaurants and entertainment venues. Overall, the industry accounts for roughly 70% of the country’s GDP. However, travel restrictions from other nations adversely affected the country’s economic climate, with the economy shrinking by 5% and GDP declining by roughly 10% in 2020. As Jamaican air and sea borders prohibited the entry of international travelers, the industry began to destabilize, along with the nation’s economy. Workers in the tourism industry were forced out of their jobs as countries restricted travel and demand for their services declined. According to the Ministry of Tourism, at least 50,000 employees within the industry subsequently got laid off.
Aid and Assistance
The Jamaican government has initiated several programs and efforts to aid residents reeling from COVID’s impact on poverty in Jamaica. One of these is the COVID-19 Allocation of Resources for Employees Program, an initiative that provides cash transfers to members of the population who are the most vulnerable. About 500,000 received aid from this program, including those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. The program provides an automatic grant of $18,000 to all who received the most recent SET Cash Grant and are unemployed as of Sept. 30, 2021.
Similarly, the Supporting Employees with Transfer of Cash program provides cash transfers to Jamaicans, after verification, who have lost their jobs on or after March 10, 2020. In 2021, the World Bank provided Jamaica with $150 million to contribute to its recovery and rebound from the pandemic. Ozan Sevimli, World Bank representative for Jamaica and Guyana, states, “The operation supports the expansion of the country’s social protection programs to benefit women and men disproportionately affected by the crisis and introduces a social pension for the elderly. It also supports measures for the recovery of affected businesses.”
Jamaica also received aid in receiving and distributing vaccinations to its citizens through COVAX, a worldwide initiative that comprises multiple health agencies working toward equitable distribution of vaccines to the population.
Recovery and Rebound
Despite being slower than most of its neighboring nations, Jamaica has made substantial progress in its post-pandemic recovery efforts. Data from the Planning Institute of Jamaica shows Jamaica surpassed pre-COVID-19 levels of economic growth and recorded its highest level of employment, with 1,269,300 citizens holding a job. In July 2022, Jamaica recorded its unemployment rate at 6.6%, lower than pre-pandemic levels. In addition, the nation’s tourism industry has almost completely rebounded. According to Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, the industry has recovered by 90%. He also looked to 2022 as a “true year of recovery.” At a celebration of the country’s 60th anniversary of independence, he proclaimed, “We expect to close 2022 having welcomed a total of 3.2 million visitors contributing more than $3 billion to our economy.” Considering the post-pandemic trends. Jamaica looks to be on its way to a more prosperous future.
– Nicholas DeLuca
Photo: Flickr
Improving Maternal Health in Pakistan: 10 Years On
Norway-Pakistan Partnership Initiative
Established in 2009 by U.N. agencies UNICEF, WHO and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Norway-Pakistan Partnership Initiative (NPPI) aimed to reduce barriers that prevented pregnant women from accessing safe and reliable medical care in the province of Sindh. This involved strengthening health care systems through better support and using flexible financial approaches to improve the provision of maternal health care.
The project ended in 2013 with underwhelming research that assessed the impact of the NPPI. The overarching narrative was that the project had an insignificant effect on the participating communities. Although there have been some improvements, the rate at which pregnant women are accessing health care has only increased marginally. Despite this, reports indicated the following successes from the NPPI:
A Decade Later
A decade after the end of the NPPI, checking back in to assess how maternal health in Pakistan has weathered the recent years, especially through the pandemic, reveals the following. Approximately 20% of all deaths among women of childbearing age are due to pregnancy complications, specifically hemorrhaging and sepsis. The COVID-19 pandemic has also profoundly impacted maternal health in Pakistan. With a sudden lack of available hospital beds, many women found themselves unable to access the medical attention they required as they carried to term. Delays in emergency services and poor organization in facilities have also directly impacted increased maternal and infant mortality.
Rurality and Education
An intersection between education and location has also been identified. In a 2019 study, researchers with the National Institute of Population Studies linked low education levels and rural localities in Pakistan with poorer maternal health outcomes. Maternal mortality was 26% higher in rural areas compared to urban counterparts. Additionally, significantly more women in rural areas are less educated than women in urban spheres. About 96% of educated women sought medical care during their pregnancy compared to 50% of uneducated women. These recent maternal health indicators and contributing factors suggest that education and rural access to medical facilities need to be targeted in future interventions to improve maternal health in Pakistan.
National Committee for Maternal and Neonatal Health
Established in 1994, the National Committee for Maternal and Neonatal Health (NCMNH) is dedicated to reducing the high maternal mortality rate in Pakistan. Its goal is to advise policymakers on effective policies that reduce and prevent maternal and neonatal deaths. So far, the committee has:
Bakhabar Noujawan Course
Currently, the NCMNH is developing a course to promote and educate young girls on reproductive health. This is a crucial factor that directly correlates with poor maternal health indicators. Aimed at women aged 15 to 29, the Bakhabar Noujawan course involves educating students about how to maintain and navigate reproductive health. The vision is that participating in this course will contribute to these women’s credit in their educational institutions while encouraging them to become more involved in their own health.
Looking Ahead
Despite the persisting challenges, efforts to improve maternal health in Pakistan have shown some promising developments. Initiatives like the Norway-Pakistan Partnership Initiative have supported female health workers, implemented successful voucher systems and provided comprehensive training. Also, the establishment of the National Committee for Maternal and Neonatal Health and the upcoming Bakhabar Noujawan course demonstrate an ongoing commitment to reducing maternal mortality and improving reproductive health education. Overall, these initiatives hold the potential to make a positive impact on the well-being of women in Pakistan and pave the way for a healthier future.
– Ariana Mortazavi
Photo: Flickr
One-Kidney Village: Selling Organs in Afghanistan
Afghanistan will soon enter its second year under Taliban rule. When the Taliban took control of Kabul in August of 2021, the already war-stricken country’s economy only worsened. Once the Taliban assumed control over Afghanistan, international aid ceased. It has since partially resumed but economic desperation is still crippling many towns.
What is “One Kidney Village?”
One of these towns has been nicknamed the “One Kidney Village” due to the number of citizens that come under pressure to find any sort of financial relief. Desperate villagers see the opportunity to sell their organs for several thousand dollars as a chance to escape their financial burdens. The amount they receive in exchange for their organs is more money than many in “One Kidney Village” have earned at one time.
As of December 2021, the UNHCR estimated that 55% of Afghanistan’s population (around 23 million people) faces extreme hunger. The organization also estimated that, of the 23 million, 9 million face the risk of experiencing famine.
Kidney trade was already an issue in Afghanistan long before the Taliban took control, but since the takeover, it has become a far more common practice in all areas of Afghanistan, not just “One Kidney Village.” According to The Guardian, the price per kidney has lowered as the number of volunteers willing to sell their organs has spiked. The price once ranged from $3,000 to $4,000, but now (as of 2023) sells for as little as $1,500 or less.
Desperation for Financial Relief
After the removal of the kidney, it usually takes some time before the seller finds a recipient. Once they do, some individuals sell their kidneys for a smaller amount out of desperation for immediate financial relief and the number of people looking to sell. Since there is supply and demand for kidney selling, it has become somewhat of an industry in Afghanistan.
Afghans usually match with wealthy patients needing a kidney transplant. These patients travel from as far as India and Pakistan to Herat to undergo the procedure because of the access and availability of transplants in Afghanistan, Al Jazeera reports. The recipient of the kidney pays for the kidney as well as the medical bills for themselves and the seller. Al Jazeera’s interviews with Afghans that have sold their kidneys highlight an unfortunate reality that many Afghans do not realize when they agree to the procedure.
Consequences of Selling Organs in Afghanistan
The Borgen Project spoke with Sarah Lockwood, a doctoral student and undergraduate professor at Northeastern University working toward her Ph.D. in Criminology and Justice Policy. Lockwood has done research on organ trafficking in the U.S. and has a detailed understanding of push factors and consequences associated with organ trafficking in general.
Using her research, Lockwood reflects on the all too common outcome that can result from an individual selling their organ. “It decimates a lot of these people’s lives because [it] should have been a sure cash payout. They’re not even given what they were promised and then they don’t have any of the safety nets afterward to actually take care of their health,” said Lockwood.
In addition to rarely getting the total amount of money that buyers initially promise them, those who sell their kidneys often end up with a host of additional health issues and resulting medical bills. Post-procedural infections are the result of limited medical regulation and routine examinations to evaluate post-procedure health. Even though the practice is so common, Afghanistan does not have a law that controls how organs can be donated or sold as long as the donor has given consent. Proof of consent is provided in either written or video form.
No Laws and Regulations
Many Afghans who sell their kidney end up in equal or worse financial trouble than when they began. If they develop health issues after the removal, there is no law or regulation to ensure they receive adequate treatment, according to Al Jazeera.
“The thing we forget about with a transplant is like somebody who’s a donor doesn’t just get up and go about their life as they had before,” said Lockwood. “That is a life-altering surgery, you have literally one less organ in your body. If you are already barely making ends meet, anything medically that happens after that surgery, you’re already in a situation where you probably didn’t have access to doctors, to begin with, and don’t have any sort of health insurance or safety nets,” she also said.
Selling Organs in Afghanistan
Lockwood discussed that in developed countries donors undergo health screenings to ensure a donor is in sufficient enough health to recover from the procedure, making them aware of any potential risks. Recovery can prohibit the donor from working for some period of time, which could put their employment at risk. Transplant centers also get training to detect red flags that could potentially indicate force, fraud or coercion.
Lockwood defines organ trafficking as “an exchange of an organ for something of value with the expressed intent of it either being forced upon, coerced or exploited from somebody.” Force, fraud or coercion is the standard when it comes to defining all trafficking.
Working Toward Eliminating Organ Trafficking
Addressing organ trafficking is not simple. Finding alternative solutions for desperate Afghans could eliminate the coercive aspect of selling a kidney for financial compensation. Lockwood offers “building a situation in which an economy can thrive without exploitative labor or practices like that.”
“These are the poorest of the poor, the most stressed out, the most at risk. To be able to elevate them out of those situations, where $3,000 is not worth the loss of a kidney [and] you are able to make that through other means, which means you’re probably less likely to engage in those spaces” said Lockwood.
– Maya Steele
Photo: Flickr