Health care in El Salvador

Health care in El SalvadorEl Salvador, the smallest yet most densely packed country in Central America, has historically only seen moderate poverty reduction and has suffered from constant low levels of economic growth. The population faces development challenges due to high out-of-pocket expenditures, which have greatly limited access to health care. Citizens living in rural, poorer areas of the country experience the most impact of the weak health care system. This results in increased morbidity, mortality and disability from diseases.

National Health Strategy

In recent years, poverty and inequality rates have significantly decreased. From 2007 to 2019, the poverty rate fell by 17% and extreme poverty dropped by 11.5%, making El Salvador one of the most equitable countries in Latin America. A significant contribution to the decline was the launch of the National Health Strategy in 2009. This governmental initiative aims to enhance the quality of care, reduce inequalities in access to care and improve the Ministry of Health’s overall system management.

Strengthening Public Health Care System

In support of El Salvador’s health reforms, the World Bank created the Strengthening Public Health Care System project, which focused on responding to the evolving needs of the nation. The project poured investments into more than 51 primary care hospitals and 30 secondary and tertiary hospitals, and this allowed for greater maintenance of clinical infrastructure and medical equipment. Additionally, the funding strengthened the National Institute of Health and the National Reference Laboratory, both of which are responsible for conducting surveys and collecting data required for monitoring public health during outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Project Results

The project targeted 2.1 million people across 92 municipalities in El Salvador. In regards to strengthening the Ministry of Health’s institutional capacity, it was able to improve safety standards and environmental regulations surrounding biohazard waste disposal. With respect to vaccination rates, the goal was to immunize 92.8% of children with a pentavalent vaccine by 2016 and by 2014, the nation had reached 95%. Additionally, in terms of child delivery, the aim was to have 84% of births take place in health care facilities by 2018. By the end of 2017, 99.8% of births were occurring in a clinical environment. Due to improved neonatal care and hospitalized deliveries, the rate of maternal mortality massively decreased from 65.4 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2006 to only 31 deaths in 2017. Also, the rate of infant mortality declined from 26.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to only 12.5 deaths in 2017.

Looking Ahead

El Salvador has made significant strides in poverty reduction and health care access through initiatives such as the National Health Strategy. With investments from the World Bank’s Strengthening Public Health Care System project, the country has improved infrastructure, increased vaccination rates and achieved high rates of facility-based childbirth. These efforts have resulted in a substantial decrease in maternal and infant mortality rates, demonstrating the positive impact of strengthened health care systems on the well-being of the population.

– Divya Swaminathan
Photo: Flickr

The Success of HIV Assisted Partner Services in Kenya

HIV in KenyaBetween 2018 and 2020, Kenya housed 31 health care clinics across the country which provided HIV Assisted Partner Services (APS), according to the Lancet Global Health. HIV Assisted Partner Services (APS) is a trial facility available to females who have tested positive for HIV and their male partners. Through the APS Program, these women termed “index clients,” and their male partners, underwent routine HIV testing via various referral processes.

The program ensured the follow-up of index clients and their partners through on year with a 90% participation rate. The follow-up and eagerness of the candidates led to an increase in HIV care procedures as well as the suppression of viral HIV.

APS Methodology

Before commencing the trial, health care staff in the clinics got training on the subject, which was essential for the smooth flow of the trial. The focus of the trial was to “assess the impact of APS in reaching male individuals in sub-Saharan Africa, who have lower rates of HIV testing than female individuals.”

Women aged 18 and above as well as emancipated minors who tested positive for HIV in sub-Saharan Africa were eligible for HIV Assisted Partner Services. Females who participated in the trials consented to give the contact information of all their male sexual partners in the past three years and the staff informed those partners about their potential exposure to HIV. The staff offered the partners to choose between community-based or facility-based HIV testing. The former includes testing at home, at select venues, or as a part of a workplace campaign whereas the latter meant that all testing would be done at medical facilities.

All the candidates for the trial went through testing periodically at six weeks, six months and then 12 months after enrollment. It evaluated the success of the antiretroviral treatment that had been provided.

The Outcome of the Trial

Having a very high participation rate of 1,724 female candidates out of a total of 1,910 opting to take part, the trial was an enormous success. This targeted HIV Assisted Partner Service Methodology was twice as successful as any other randomized trial in Kenya. The trial found that 95% of all HIV-affected male candidates were virally suppressed — due to the positive effects of the medication. In addition, their viral load of HIV was so low that tests could not detect it.

Reported Success

  • Due to this trial, APS has been identified as a viable and efficient method by which people unaware of their HIV status can be tested and treated appropriately. Within a set of approximately three females diagnosed with HIV, at least one of their male partners tested positive for HIV as well.

  • Another reason that the trial was successful was that it did not rely on a client-driven approach and instead of asking the female clients to contact their sexual partners. Skilled staff contacted the potential candidates and inform them of the situation.

  • This process avoided much hesitation and shame on the end of the female index clients. Also, it guaranteed that all the potential male candidates got the information about the potentially life-threatening situation that they were in.

  • The anonymity of the entire operation was the key to its substantial success. The staff did not inform potential male candidates about the female index client the clinic staff was calling on behalf of. This led to fewer issues and altercations between the female index clients and the potential male candidates that took part in HIV Assisted Partner Services.

After the success of this trial, “APS has been fully integrated into the national HTS procurement and logistics systems,” according to the PLOS Global Public Health Journal. The HIV Assisted Partner Services has been noted to be a sustainable program to detect HIV on a larger scale and medical clinics that run the program have been set to receive a routine supply of HIV test kits and gloves. As a result, it helps further reduce the burden of HIV in Kenya and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

– Vahisté Sinor
Photo: Flickr

4 Local Startups Addressing Food Insecurity in Nigeria

Food Insecurity in NigeriaFood insecurity in Nigeria continues to have a widespread and serious impact on Nigerians, which has significantly worsened due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the global supply chain and causing food prices to rise. In 2021, 58% of all households in Nigeria were struggling with severe food insecurity and a significant portion of said households were food secure prior to the pandemic.

Nigeria ranked 103rd out of 121 countries on the Global Hunger Index in 2022, and while overall trends from 2000 to 2022 show a notable decline in food insecurity over time, there’s still much work to do. This article will focus on four Nigeria-based startups addressing food insecurity in Nigeria through different approaches.

4 Local Startups Addressing Food Insecurity in Nigeria

  1. ColdHubs: While Nigeria’s electricity access rate steadily increased over time, nearly half of the population still does not have ready access to power. In 2020, only 55.4% of Nigerians had access to electricity. Without the power to operate cold storage and fridges, food spoilage becomes a serious threat to food security. ColdHubs is a startup addressing food insecurity by supplying solar-powered cold storage units to areas without sufficient, reliable access to power, especially rural farms. Its solar-powered cold storages are capable of extending shelf life up to three weeks, which significantly reduces the post-harvest deterioration of fresh produce. There are currently a total of 54 ColdHubs units active across Nigeria, and over 5,250 farmers and produce suppliers are using the cold storage units. ColdHubs also received recognition for its impact by winning the 2021 AYuTe Africa Challenge, an annual competition held in several African nations that offers cash grants to innovative agricultural technology startups.
  2. VeggieVictory: VeggieVictory is Nigeria’s first plant-based food technology startup addressing food insecurity by introducing a sustainable meat alternative to Nigerians with their flagship plant-based meat product called Vchunks. Located in Lagos, Vchunks is produced completely locally and expands the options of meat products for Nigerians. Hakeem Jimo, the founder of VeggieVictory, says that “An alternative or more variety for meat… helps efforts that tackle food security, environmental and socio-economic challenges”. Alternative diet industries are beneficial to food security because plant-based calories are generally much more efficient to produce compared to animal protein.
  3. Alutyo Integrated Farms: Alutyo provides consulting services and technical support with growing and processing crops, as well as practicing animal husbandry. The company’s main focus is providing knowledge and equipment for local, small producers. Alutyo also uses social media platforms to share agricultural knowledge such as nutritional requirements for animal feeds and aquaculture farm designs. Startups like Alutyo are important because agriculture in Nigeria is still lacking in mechanization. For instance, Nigeria’s tractor density is at 0.27 hp/hectare, far below the recommended tractor density of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) which is at 1.5. Modernizing Nigeria’s agricultural sector is a big step towards improving productivity and bolstering food security.
  4. Isidore: Founded in 2021, Isidore is a startup addressing food insecurity by improving the supply chain and logistics of Nigeria. Isidore developed an easy-to-use mobile app platform for agricultural producers and buyers called Jinja. On Jinja, farmers and other producers can easily sell their products and request trucks to transport their produce, while buyers can find verified products in locations convenient for them.

Looking Ahead

In Nigeria, food insecurity remains a pressing issue with a significant amount of the population in need of assistance. However, these startups addressing food insecurity present excellent examples of innovative solutions for Nigeria.

– Junoh Seo
Photo: Flickr

Venezuelan Refugees and the Risk of Organized Crime

Millions of Venezuelans have been flooding Colombia’s borders for years because of the political and economic instability of their home country. The refugees do not have many options when they first come to Colombia. Several of them resort to sleeping on the streets, in one of the few refugee camps or if they are lucky enough, with family members that migrated earlier.

Many Venezuelan refugees lack primary health care, job opportunities and safe shelter, and this leaves them in the violent areas near refugee camps. Organized crime groups target and exploit the insecurities of the refugees in order to recruit them and lead them into a dangerous lifestyle. They face dangerous and deadly situations and face the risk of persecution and even deportation in order to make ends meet and survive.

Migrant Crisis

The Venezuelan migrant crisis started in 2013 after President Hugo Chavez died from cancer and his Vice President Nicolas Maduro replaced him Protests started due to allegations of election fraud. Years of political instability, recession and hyperinflation and deadly protests have pushed millions of Venezuelans out of their homes in order to find some security and stability.

Colombian Organized Crime

Organized crime has been rampant in Central and South America for years. Also, crime in Colombia is much higher than anywhere else and has recently seen a resurgence. There are multiple dissenting political militias and insurgencies, with Banda Criminales (BACRIM) being one of the leading organized crime groups dealing in “drug trafficking, violence and illegal mining,” alongside sex trafficking.

Organized crime in Colombia is so systemic because the wealth disparity is quite significant, thereby affecting every part of society. The rural areas tend to be poorer and face a lack of education and political disenfranchisement. Gangs and organized crime can easily overrun state control in these areas due to being in control of massive amounts of wealth.

Organized Crime’s Impact on Refugees

BACRIM and other organized crime groups are so powerful. These groups often replace state security forces in rural and poorer areas, becoming the strongest force in many of the border camps where Venezuelan refugees seek asylum.

Many refugees are undocumented and do not know the ins and outs of Colombia’s legal system and organized crime ring, making them vulnerable to crime and recruitment by gangs.

The gangs lure the Venezuelan refugees with promises of food, shelter and work opportunities. The refugees view working for the gang as a lucrative deal, as many of them are undocumented. They end up doing much of the dirty work and often end up as “street fighters, drug dealers and hit men,” while the women end up in forced sex work and suffer abuse, according to the International Crisis Group.

The Venezuelan refugees end up doing the more visible crime which makes them much more susceptible to discrimination and criminal charges. They face extreme amounts of xenophobia among the general public and are often the scapegoat for other unrelated economic or social issues.

Venezuelan refugees also fear deportation. The xenophobia has led to many anti-immigrant political movements and the easiest government response is through deportation, the International Crisis Group reports.

Ongoing Efforts

The economic issues that Colombia faces contribute to the prevalence of organized crime. Many international organizations have offered money as a resource to help with the migrant crisis. For instance, the World Bank has offered $1.6 billion. The World Bank’s support focuses on addressing needs at all levels of government in addition to providing a short-term to medium/long-term humanitarian response.

Other international organizations and groups have focused on providing better resources and equipment to properly house the migrants. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) launched its emergency response team in 2018 in the border city of Cúcuta in an effort to provide support and resources. The IRC is mainly focusing on providing support to women and children refugees through healthcare and maternal care. By 2020, over 87,000 Venezuelans in both Venezuela and Colombia received help.

UNHCR opened a “reception center” in early 2019 along the border between Venezuela and Colombia to provide some safe, temporary housing and other critical resources. The UNHCR has worked on providing documentation to children in addition to other child care and legal services.

Looking Ahead

Efforts from international organizations and groups are providing support and resources to address the challenges faced by Venezuelan refugees in Colombia. The World Bank’s financial assistance and the International Rescue Committee’s emergency response team are helping to meet the immediate needs of migrants, while UNHCR’s reception center offers temporary housing and critical services. These initiatives are aiming to improve access to healthcare, legal support and documentation, particularly for women and children, providing a glimmer of hope and stability for Venezuelan refugees seeking security and a better future in Colombia.

– Kathryn Kendrick

Photo: Flickr

NGOs in El Salvador Helping Women

NGOs in El Salvador Helping WomenWomen in El Salvador face a myriad of challenges, including gender-based violence, poor living standards and unequal treatment in education. Underscoring the severity of the situation, in 2021, El Salvador had one of the highest rates of femicide in Latin America and the world, with a reported 2.4 cases of femicide per 100,000 women. According to the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC), women and girls between the ages of 15 and 29 years face the greatest threat of femicide. In response to the issue, a number of NGOs in El Salvador are helping women to avoid violence and discrimination.

NGOs in El Salvador Helping Women

  • Women of Hope: In 2021, the nonprofit organization Salvador’s HOPE launched a project called Women of Hope. This initiative tackles increasing rates of sexual and domestic violence, kidnappings and disappearances among El Salvador’s women and girls by providing counseling, resources and abuse and safety training. Working in collaboration with local churches and NGOs, Women of Hope aims to promote “Worth, Value and Dignity” among vulnerable women.
  • The Girls’ Education Accelerator (GEA): The GEA is a Global Partnership for Education (GPE) project that supports girls and young women in a number of partner countries. The first of these to access the GEA and its funding was El Salvador in June 2022. The country received a $15 million grant to advance gender equality in education from early childhood to adolescence and strengthen the girls’ education focus of the government’s “Crecer Juntos” (Growing Together) policy for early education. For instance, a GEA research project found that 70% of test booklets across four key subjects promoted domestic and familial roles for girls while overlooking women in professional careers. Hence, the GEA is serving as an initiative that focuses on developing gender-sensitive learning materials and reform assessments so that teachers can more accurately assess the gender disparities in their classes’ results. The World Bank’s “Growing Up and Learning Together: Comprehensive Early Childhood Development” program and the “Nacer, Crecer, Aprender” (Be Born, Grow Up and Learn) program of the Inter-American Development Bank are lending further support to the initiative.
  • LibrES: For an El Salvador without Gender-Based Violence: Arizona State University has launched a five-year project, “LibrES: For an El Salvador without Gender-Based Violence,” in an effort to reduce rates of gender-based violence in El Salvador. With $35 million in funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), LibrES works in San Salvador, San Miguel and Santa Ana. These cities have the most recorded cases of gender-based violence in the country. LibrES collaborates with local organizations and plans to serve 3,000 Salvadorans, train 1,000 people to promote gender equality and female empowerment and facilitate more than 100,000 interactions through its public campaigns by the time of its conclusion in December 2027. Furthermore, many of ASU’s schools are collaborating to support women in El Salvador. The Thunderbird School of Global Management, for one, is training staff to introduce its DreamBuilder curriculum, which helps women worldwide launch or refine their own businesses. The university’s Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law is also working with Salvadoran prosecutors to make the country’s legal system a safer place for survivors of gender-based violence.

Looking Ahead

Despite the injustices that they face, the almost 3.5 million women living in El Salvador today are gaining growing support in the fight against violence and educational inequities. Local, national and international organizations are working to raise awareness regarding issues that affect women, These organizations also work to provide protection and opportunities for the many women who are victims of gender-based violence.

– Martha Probert

International Aid to Yemen

International Aid to YemenYemen is a Middle Eastern country on the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Due to a long-lasting and violent civil war, it “remains the world’s worst humanitarian crisis,” according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). More than 21 million Yemeni people urgently need humanitarian aid and around 4.5 million have been displaced. Also, issues such as climate shocks and disease contribute to exacerbating the situation.

On the bright side, the international community is making efforts to help Yemen. A number of world and local charities and dedicated individuals and groups are joining forces to combat the Yemeni crisis. Here are some of the most notable initiatives that focus on helping Yemen.

International Aid to Yemen

Since 2015, the U.K. has provided more than £1 billion in total aid to Yemen. With an additional £88 million in aid pledged for 2022 to 2023, the U.K. is the fourth highest donor to Yemen globally. The European Union (EU) has also offered financial support, providing more than €1.4 billion in total assistance to Yemen since 2015. In 2023, the EU ramped up its efforts with €136 million in humanitarian aid to alleviate the conflict’s impacts on the country’s most vulnerable.

Significant relief has also come from the U.S., which has contributed more than $5.4 billion to alleviate the crisis in Yemen since the start of the conflict. Bolstered by the on-the-ground work of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), support from the U.S. has helped save millions of lives and prevented 2.2 million Yemeni people from “experiencing acute food insecurity.”

Support from World Charities

Charity Organizations from around the world have also played a vital role in assisting Yemen. In addition to raising funds to help rebuild the country, international charities and their volunteers have continuously worked on the ground to provide assistance. For instance, the Red Cross, working in collaboration with Yemen-based charities, assisted more than 5 million people in Yemen in 2021. The charity’s efforts included providing more than 3 million liters of clean water to a hospital and a prison. With the help of generous donations from the public, the Red Cross’s initiatives have successfully improved the health and welfare of affected Yemenis.

In addition, UNICEF has outlined clear goals and program initiatives to mitigate the crisis. The organization plans to use raised funds to help 3.6 million people access safe drinking water and sanitation supplies and secure primary healthcare for 2.5 million women and children in 2023.

Local Charities and Other Aid Efforts

Despite limited funding, the following local charities are making remarkable efforts to help the people of Yemen.

  1. Pure Hands: This U.S.-based nonprofit has been combating the crisis in Yemen since 2012. With initiatives aimed at “alleviating poverty, providing economic opportunities and delivering emergency relief,” Pure Hands has made a particularly strong impact with its on-the-ground assistance. According to the organization’s Impact 2020 report, it helped over 550,00 Yemeni people in 2020 alone. It achieved this through initiatives that included distributing personal protective equipment to prevent diseases and providing 567 wheelchairs to help the disabled.
  2. London Students for Yemen: Another small organization, London Students for Yemen, is working “to promote awareness of the humanitarian crisis whilst sharing Yemen’s rich art and culture.” The student-led group’s initiatives include spreading awareness of the war and its unjust impacts on the Yemeni people and urging the international community to do more. A major advocate for those suffering in Yemen, London Students for Yemen is working to educate the international community on the severity of the crisis and ensure that adequate global action is taken.

Looking Ahead

Despite the crisis in Yemen, the aid of international governments, charities, grassroots organizations and the general public is making a difference. By providing both financial and on-the-ground support, the international community is coming together to combat the crisis in Yemen. Ongoing efforts aim to save lives while paving the way for economic recovery and a better future for the people of Yemen.

– Max Steventon
Photo: Flickr

Narrowing the Gender Wage Gap in Saudi Arabia

Gender Wage Gap in Saudi ArabiaThe gender wage gap in Saudi Arabia is an issue that forms part of the country’s gender inequality battles. Despite holding prominent positions in the workforce and making valuable contributions to the country’s economic growth, women continue to receive significantly less pay than their male counterparts. However, progress has been slow and women are still fighting for recognition and regard for their rights in the workforce. The issue of gender inequality in Saudi Arabia has been a long-standing problem with women facing numerous obstacles when it comes to achieving financial equality and more.

The Gender Pay Disparity in Saudi Arabia

In 2019, the Saudi Arabian Human Rights Commission (HRC) published a report revealing a significant wage gap between men and women in the country. The report indicates that women in Saudi Arabia earn only 56% of what men earn, with every one Saudi riyal earned by a man equating to a mere 0.56 riyals for women. The report’s findings prompted calls for change from human rights organizations and advocacy groups. However, despite the widespread attention to this issue, progress toward closing the gender wage gap in Saudi Arabia has been slow.

Apart from the gender wage gap issue, women often face exclusion from higher-paying jobs in sectors such as engineering, finance and technology. Furthermore, women are less likely to receive promotions to leadership positions, which are typically associated with higher salaries.

A study conducted by the King Khalid Foundation in 2020 found that women in Saudi Arabia face underrepresentation in the labor force. The study found that only 22% of working-age women in the country are employed compared to 76% of working-age men. The low participation rate of women in the workforce is partly due to cultural and social barriers that discourage women from pursuing careers outside of the home.

Progress for Women

Despite these challenges, Saudi Arabia has noted some progress in recent years in regard to the gender wage gap in Saudi Arabia. According to a report by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the gender pay gap in Saudi Arabia decreased by 7% between 2019 and 2021. Furthermore, in 2021, Saudi Arabia climbed 10 ranks in the global ranking of the gender pay gap by the World Economic Forum and advanced 12 ranks in terms of female participation in the workforce.

However, Saudi Arabia still has a long way to go in terms of achieving gender parity in the workplace. In the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2022, Saudi Arabia ranked 127th out of 153 countries. The report highlighted several areas in which Saudi Arabia could improve, including promoting gender equality in the workplace and increasing the participation of women in the labor force.

To address the gender wage gap in Saudi Arabia, a cultural shift that promotes gender equality in the workplace is necessary. Employers need to ensure that women have equal access to career development opportunities and are promoted based on merit rather than gender. Furthermore, the government needs to take steps to encourage more women to enter the workforce, such as providing incentives to companies that employ women and investing in programs that provide training and support to women in the labor force.

The gender wage gap in Saudi Arabia remains a significant issue that requires urgent attention. Women in the country have a right to equal pay for equal work and the country as a whole will benefit from a more diverse and inclusive workforce. By promoting gender equality in the workplace and encouraging more women to enter the labor force, Saudi Arabia can take a significant step toward achieving true gender parity.

– Noura Matalqa
Photo: Flickr

Education funding: FOCO in Paraguay

FOCO in ParaguayEducation funding in Paraguay has been interrupted by corruption and inequality in budget distribution to schools in need. Due to this, Paraguay initiated a $90 million National Fund for Public Investment and Development (FONACIDE) in 2012, designating funds for infrastructure to schools in need on an annual basis. However, critics have called the program unreliable noting that FONACIDE’s complexity has displayed a lack of understanding of how schools receive funding.

Since 2008, a student-led organization based in Ciudad del Este in Paraguay, reAcciòn, has made it a consistent priority to increase government responsibility and awareness toward educational spending. A major part of its work involved analyzing FONACIDE functions to better comprehend its intricate processes. With that, reAcciòn’s focus has also been on community engagement and data collection, aimed to provide students, school officials and parents a better understanding of how education spending is distributed towards infrastructure. 

Through a web-based app, FOCO, reAcciòn has been able to give a voice to the community and make sure that education spending is being evenly conveyed sufficiently. 

What is FOCO? 

FOCO in Paraguay is a “community monitoring tool” that seeks to monitor and showcase FONACIDE education spending through “government data” within municipalities in Paraguay. Implemented in 2014, the innovative app allows students and teachers to post photos of damages and make inquiries on funding repairs for issues at hand. It offers insight into how FONACIDE’s spending is distributed to each school, especially to the neediest schools in poorer communities. 

Along with these efforts, the organization has worked with various political figures, government and Ministry of Education officials, to familiarize them with FOCO and increase accountability. Every year, through the increased awareness of this project and involvement by students, reAcciòn has offered community-led activities to learn more on the subject of anti-corruption and research in effective policy regarding FONACIDE. 

FOCO’s Achievements 

In 2015 and 2017, FOCO was able to allocate a 350% increase of an equally funded distribution by FONACIDE. In other words, over five times more underprivileged schools needing the most education funds were distributed by FONACIDE. As of 2020, FOCO in Paraguay has been able to collaborate with the “Ministry Directors of Educational Planning and Infrastructure,” which has helped to create better ways for data collection and what resources to prioritize for school essentials. Important education leaders and the government of Paraguay have relied more on FOCO to understand the data collection and are involved in reAcciòns community-based work to ameliorate the investment process by FONACIDE. 

A Continuing Future

As FOCO continues to strive, the team continues to work on prospective projects to improve the application of funds and evaluate how funds are invested in education spending. Ideally, the next steps for FOCO in Paraguay are to be implemented in other areas of development, such as healthcare and potentially expand on a global scale. 

– Alessandra Amati
Photo: Flickr

How Drones Are Improving Agriculture in Moldova

Agriculture in MoldovaMoldova has high rates of poverty, with nearly a quarter of the population living under the national poverty line in 2021. The nation also has the largest farmland area as a share of its total land surface at 75%, 30% above the European average. Also, the agricultural sector employs over 25% of the labor force.

The prominence of agriculture in the Moldovan economy means that innovation and investment in technology in this sector could have a huge influence on not just the sector but the economy as a whole. To this end, there has been an emergence of drones serving to improve agriculture in Moldova, bringing major efficiencies and modernizing farming techniques.

Drones Improving Efficiency

Drones in Moldovan agriculture drastically increase the efficiency of agricultural processes such as pest and weed management alongside minimizing the waste of farming resources. For example, DRON Assistance, a company providing intelligent drone services to Moldovan farmers, estimates that drone technology’s sensors, imaging capabilities and consequent precision to spray herbicides use up to 20 times less water than a tractor would use. This could help Moldovan farmers save money and therefore make more profits, boosting the agricultural sector as a result. Furthermore, the fact that drones are aerial and do not make physical contact with the landscape means less damage to farmlands and crops compared to tractors, as well as releasing reduced amounts of fossil fuels.

Bird’s-Eye-View

According to UNDP, DRON Assistance offers an array of mapping and monitoring services that can analyze crop health and more accurately identify disease outbreaks at early stages. This helps farmers make interventions on time to address problems that they would have otherwise missed without such information. More sophisticated farmland monitoring abilities can also help in directing labor and resources for more general tasks.

More Good News

The potential utility of drones in Moldovan agriculture is still yet to be fully utilized, with new innovations constantly coming to light. DRON Assistance is currently working on technology that leverages AI to remotely monitor crops and reduce the need for human input. This could increase the productivity of Moldovan farms.

Furthermore, DRON Assistance has received grants from UNDP and the EU of $40,000 and €25,000 respectively. This gesture aims to make drones more affordable and accessible for Moldovan farmers, making the benefits more universal to the entire agricultural sector.

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has also marked high-value agriculture in Moldova as a niche that U.S. investors could venture into in the years ahead. Whilst agriculture remains a bedrock of the Moldovan economy, high-value agriculture remains relatively underdeveloped, despite the nation’s rich natural resources, fertile soil and favorable conditions.

Looking Ahead

In Moldova, the utilization of drones in agriculture holds immense potential for improving efficiency, reducing waste and modernizing farming techniques. Ongoing innovations and grants received by companies like DRON Assistance, along with the recognition of high-value agriculture as an investment opportunity, bode well for the future of the agricultural sector in Moldova.

– Saul Gunn
Photo: Flickr

The Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Cambodia

Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in CambodiaPrior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambodia’s economy started to make an upturn due to economic growth from tourism, exports and rising wages. Poverty in Cambodia had dropped dramatically since 2009: median household income and GDP increased significantly and indicated an upward trend. However, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic set back the economic progress that Cambodia had made over the past decade.

Unemployment in Cambodia

A substantial rise in unemployment, particularly in the nation’s informal sector, took place as a result of the pandemic. The informal sector of a nation’s economy is traditionally defined as an economic sector that is neither taxed nor monitored by the government. Within Cambodia, this takes the form of service work, as well as labor in agriculture and construction. Presently available data places Cambodia’s workforce employed in the nation’s informal sector at anywhere from 80% to 93%. Around one in five workers in Cambodia’s informal sector lost their jobs due to closings, layoffs and decreased demand. Unemployment levels in the informal sector continue to remain higher than they were pre-pandemic. The rise in unemployment in turn resulted in a rise in poverty in Cambodia.

Furthermore, tourism also fell, causing significant economic losses. International visitors dropped by about 80% in 2020, causing many businesses to cease operations, lose significant revenue and business and lay off workers. This impacted businesses, from travel agencies to street food vendors. While the Cambodian government is working to offset these economic losses and independent agencies have put together recovery plans, recovery has been slow for many within the tourism industry. Many are struggling to reassert their footing in an economy that has changed so fundamentally within the past three years.

Recovery Initiatives in Cambodia

Even with the substantial negative effects that the COVID-19 virus had on the economy in Cambodia, government initiatives have worked to mitigate some of the impacts of the pandemic. One of the most notable is the country’s new cash transfer program. Implemented in June 2020, the program’s benefits have been incredibly significant. The Cash Transfer Program acted as a safety net for those classified as poor under the country’s IDPoor system, as well as for children (5 years old and younger), the elderly and the disabled. An analysis performed by the United Nations Development Program found that the cash transfer program resulted in economic growth. Poverty in Cambodia was also reduced and metrics for food security, economic productivity and health and wellness improved. The program reached over 600,000 households and over 2.7 million people across the country.

In addition, there are non-profits and NGOs working to mitigate the worst effects of poverty in Cambodia. For example, the organization M’Lop Tapang provides education, meals, community support and medical care to impoverished families and at-risk youth within Cambodia. It partners with the Cambodian government as well as several NGOs to help those most in need. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the poverty rate in Cambodia was 17.8%. Poverty in Cambodia has increased to include approximately 460,000 more people classified as poor. M’Lop Tapang helped during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering food to hundreds of needy families.

Looking Ahead

There is no doubt that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was economically disastrous for the people of Cambodia. However, Cambodia continues to improve economically one day at a time, and a return to exceptional growth for the people and economy of Cambodia looks to be a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if.’

– Alexander Pommells
Photo: Flickr