The development of antibiotics and antivirals are some of the most prolific medical inventions to date. The introduction of these magnificent tools marked one of humanity’s biggest successes, saving millions of patients, increasing the average life expectancy and catapulting the advancement of medical sciences. Envisioning a world without antibiotics and antivirals seems nearly impossible, yet the threat of antimicrobial resistance could turn this nightmare into a reality.
What Are Antimicrobials?
Antimicrobials are substances used to prevent, slow down and treat various infections caused by a variety of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Common antimicrobials are antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics.
What is Antimicrobial Resistance?
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi have a diminished response to medications designed to fight and kill them. In severe cases of antimicrobial resistance, microorganisms have absolutely no response to therapeutics. Antimicrobial resistance results in infections that are increasingly difficult or even impossible to treat. Moreover, antimicrobial resistance increases the risk of disease spread, severe illness and ultimately death.
What Drives Antimicrobial Resistance?
Microbes develop advantageous genetic mutations over time, which allow them to resist pre-existing therapeutics including antibiotics and antivirals. This process is accelerated by a multitude of factors largely revolving around the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials. Furthermore, antimicrobial resistance is driven by a lack of sanitation and hygiene in both animals and humans, poor access to quality health care services, lack of access to clean water, unregulated production and distribution of antimicrobials and several additional circumstances which are inextricably tied to poverty-driven conditions and actions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the relationship between poverty and antimicrobial resistance, stating that “more than any other issue, poverty and inadequate access to drugs continue to be a major force in the development of resistance.”
Elaborating on Poverty and Antimicrobial Resistance
Unfortunately, factors driving antimicrobial resistance are more pronounced in socioeconomically disadvantaged countries. Impoverished countries are more likely to have inadequate environmental regulations, which results in the spread of infectious diseases through the water, air and soil. Moreover, improper sanitation and hygiene services exacerbate this problem. Ensuring access to clean water and sanitation can greatly decrease the risk of antimicrobial infections such as gastrointestinal diseases by up to 60%. Moreover, promoting and practicing proper hand hygiene in a clinical setting has the potential to alleviate the risk of infectious disease by 40%.
Poor countries are also more likely to experience inaccessibility to health care services which results in higher rates of antimicrobial resistance. Without access to health care facilities, qualified health care professionals and effective antimicrobials, poverty-affected areas are more likely to propagate the spread of infectious diseases. Also, insufficient funding for drug research and development leaves those most vulnerable without a way to counteract the spread of disease and drug resistance. Even when antimicrobials are available, they are oftentimes expensive and unaffordable to poverty-affected people. Thus, impoverished people are more likely to stop taking the necessary dosages of medicine in order to “split” it with other people. Alongside this, individuals may be more inclined to purchase cheaper, unregulated medicines that are substandard. Ultimately, these factors all contribute to the increased risk of antimicrobial resistance.
Misconceptions regarding Antibiotics
The issues faced by impoverished countries are compounded by a lack of awareness and knowledge. For example, misconceptions about antibiotics in poorer countries drive cultural practices that lead to self-medication and alternative forms of treatment.
Alongside this, impoverished individuals may be less likely to understand treatment procedures such as using medications targeting the wrong type of infection (bacterial vs. viral) or discontinuing antimicrobial use too early. Lastly, impoverished communities may have less awareness of the risk of antimicrobial resistance in general.
Combating Antimicrobial Resistance
The Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-Partner Trust Fund (AMR MPTF) was launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health in 2019, with the United Nations Environment Programme becoming a co-signer in 2021. The AMR MPTF was initially slated to operate through 2024, but it has extended its efforts to 2030 in order to align with the Sustainable Development Goals timeline.
The AMR MPTF’s immediate funding appeal comprised more than $75 million dedicated to supporting countries most affected by antimicrobial resistance including Cambodia and Indonesia. The fund is dedicated to developing national action plans and strengthening surveillance of antimicrobial resistance. What’s more, this fund aims to increase the optimal use of antimicrobials in order to reduce the impact of antimicrobial resistance on both human and animal health. Ultimately, the AMR MPTF wants to prevent the inevitable deaths that will occur if no action is taken against antimicrobial resistance.
Looking Ahead
While the AMR MPTF is taking the necessary steps to combat antimicrobial resistance, it was listed as one of the top ten threats to global health by the WHO in 2019. Projected outlooks if action isn’t taken against antimicrobial resistance are bleak; this problem could result in 10 million deaths each year by 2050 and force up to 24 million people into extreme poverty. Considering the relationship between poverty and antimicrobial resistance, these problems would continue to magnify at an alarming rate. Ultimately, diminishing antimicrobial resistance is imperative to the well-being of millions, particularly those who are already most vulnerable. In addition, fighting poverty could save lives in the present and prevent devastating effects in the future.
–Olivia Welling
Photo: Flickr
Poverty on Sinking Islands
Tuvalu: Challenges
Tuvalu consists of nine islands, two of which are on the verge of submerging. Scientists predict that Tuvalu could become inhabitable in the next 50 to 100 years. Around three-quarters of the labor force operates in the informal economy, working in subsistence farming or fishing. Even so, Tuvalu’s salty soil renders the ground practically useless for agriculture, and the fish risk being affected by ciguatera poisoning, forcing locals to expend a large sum of money on imports. Furthermore, rising sea levels have contaminated underwater ground supplies, making Tuvalu entirely dependent on rainwater, which, coupled with the alarming frequency of droughts, is unreliable.
Kiribati: Challenges
The 33 islands of Kiribati are largely dependent on exports of copra and coconuts. However, a shortage of skilled workers and remoteness from international markets hinder its economic development. In 2019, 21.9% of the population lived below the national poverty line.
As one of the most isolated countries in the world, Kiribati is battling several climate-related threats: severe storms cause the sea to invade the land more frequently, destroying crops and inundating homes; malnutrition increases the spread of diseases such as tuberculosis; and the salinization of water makes it hard to grow food and heightens the risk of diarrhea and skin infections. Furthermore, insufficient planning leaves Kiribati especially vulnerable to rising sea levels.
Marshall Islands: Challenges
The Marshall Islands is a collection of 29 atolls and five islands. Subsistence agriculture is the country’s primary economic industry, with coconut and breadfruit being the most crucial commercial crops. Commercial fisheries and tourism also generate substantial income.
In 2018, a third of the nation fled for the United States (U.S.), seeking to escape impending climate hazards, including sea-level rise, droughts and tropical storms. A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts a one-meter rise in the sea level by 2030, meaning entire islands will disappear, and its capital city Maduro will be irreparably flooded. On average, tropical typhoons occur twice a year, causing major landslides and flooding.
Foreign Aid and Potential Solutions
Most of Tuvalu’s GDP comprises donations from the U.N. and nearby countries. The U.N. has been present in Tuvalu since 2000, with 18 agencies actively implementing programs. Moreover, Australia’s partnership with Tuvalu has provided essential medicine and supplies; maintained access to essential goods and services, including education; contributed to the Tuvalu Trust Fund to allow greater economic development; and ensured infrastructure can withstand stubbornly strong winds, coastal erosion and heat waves. Funded by the U.N. Development Program, the construction of a 170-meter-long concrete sea wall to protect the administrative center of the capital is currently in progress.
Foreign aid accounts for approximately 43% of Kiribati’s finances. The Revenue Equalization Reserve Fund (RERF) — Kiribati’s sovereign fund — holds investments in more than 20 currencies. In July 2023, a Chinese military-run hospital ship arrived in Kiribati, providing medical assistance to the island. In search of a realistic solution, the Kiribati government has purchased land in Fiji in hopes of growing crops and evacuating the whole island should the worst occur.
Since achieving independence in 1986, the Marshall Islands has operated under a Compact of Free Association with the U.S. The U.S. gives the Marshall Islands more than $80 million in assistance every year, aiding in sectors like education and infrastructure. The country has additionally received aid from Australia, Japan, Taiwan, the U.A.E., Thailand and the E.U. In 2022, the World Bank approved a $30 million project to improve the climate resilience of urban areas in the Marshall Islands.
Furthering these actions — strengthening infrastructure, building sea walls and buying foreign land — are all potential ways to combat rising sea levels.
– Lauren Liu
Photo: Wikimedia
Education for Marginalized Girls in Afghanistan
The Mission To Improve Education
In 2012, the U.K. government established a commitment to improving young girls’ lives around the world through education. These projects are funded by U.K. Aid and reach out to the most marginalized communities across the globe, including rural communities in Afghanistan.
One of these projects, set to finish in September of 2023, is called Steps Towards Girls’ Education Success (STAGES). Across 16 provinces in Afghanistan, in 1078 communities, the STAGES project has supported 24,830 marginalized girls as U.K. Aid aimed to improve education for marginalized girls in Afghanistan through community-based classes.
The Success of STAGES
The project has succeeded so far in establishing 1,411 community-based classes in Afghanistan. To improve the quality of education as a whole and ensure that girls continue their education, U.K. Aid has implemented several elements to the project. One significant element of this is mentorship. The program has built an environment where confident, more assertive students take part in activities while supporting more timid, weaker students. This mentorship is encouraged during extra-curricular activities such as creative writing and debating.
A 2017 report on the success of STAGES in its first five years found that while this helped improve the self-esteem and attendance of the weaker students, the program also developed valuable leadership skills in the mentors.
In extension to this, the STAGES project has given out grants to young girls from marginalized communities to have the opportunity to train to be a teacher by attending Teacher Training Colleges. So far, this has helped 1,995 young women enter teacher apprenticeship programs.
To continue education of high quality, the project ensures teachers are well trained and have implemented regular in-school teacher training lessons. The teaching practices promoted in these training sessions focus on how education must be accessible and inclusive to everyone, despite gender or disability.
In addition to community-based classes, the STAGES project has supported 587 government schools in terms of improving academic facilities and school infrastructure.
So far, STAGES has seen great success in improving and sustaining education for marginalized girls in Afghanistan. STAGES will continue to fight for better education until September 2023 with these three goals in mind:
Looking Ahead
The denial of women’s access to education in Afghanistan is still prevalent in many communities, but projects such as STAGES make the fight a little less daunting for young women who want to go to school. Projects like this are a key component to the improvement of education for marginalized girls in Afghanistan and thus, the improvement of the prospects of Afghanistan.
– Poppy Harris
Photo: Flickr
Period Poverty: Taiwan makes a change
Fortunately, in many areas of the world, organizations are working to combat period poverty. For example, in Taiwan in 2022, the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation gave access to period products if requested at 20 different railway stations.
Background
Period poverty is an unknown term to many. The term “period poverty” has been described by the U.N. as the difficulty faced by low-income women to afford menstruation products. In many places, the only options for women are rags, tissue paper, cloth, paper towels taken from public bathrooms, or leftovers of children’s nappies. This is unsanitary and negatively affects women’s health.
Taiwan Makes Huge Strides
Because of period poverty, many girls miss up to a week of school a month, further alienating women from the right to education. Since August 1, 2023, Taiwan has made period products available for free to all students, and students from low-income backgrounds are able to take home extra supplies. Taiwan’s Ministry of Education has invested $3.8 billion into the project.
This program opens up the conversation about periods and tackles the stigma around periods. Many girls feel ashamed and embarrassed for something that is entirely natural and nonpreventable. Some stereotypes are that periods are dirty and women should not be around others when they are having one. By having the products available in schools it shows young boys that girls deserve a right to education just as much as they do.
Looking Forward
It is not only in schools that this program will be carried out but also in 10 other locations, including the National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung and the National Taiwan Library in New Taipei. Overall, It is estimated that 95,000 girls will benefit from this program.
Taiwan is following in the footsteps of other countries, like Scotland in 2020 and New Zealand in 2021. Perhaps Taiwan’s project will encourage other countries to follow suit.
– Tegan Leonard
Photo: Flickr
The Cost of Living Crisis in Sudan
Rising Costs
One factor that has accelerated inflation is rising fuel costs, which affects energy bills and leaves less income to spend on other essentials. Due to the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict, oil prices have soared and continue to soar today. In September 2023, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said Saudi Arabia and Russia would extend cuts on crude oil exports, thus further limiting supply and hiking up prices.
Fuel aside, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has continued to impact the prices of other staple goods, such as maize and wheat, as both countries are major exporters of these grains. The ongoing depreciation of the Sudanese pound also plays a role in the economic struggles of the local Sudanese people. The currency depreciation has meant that, alongside inflation, prices of imported goods, including agricultural, have risen. An April 2023 report by ReliefWeb indicates that food prices have increased exponentially, with some grain prices escalating 500-700% higher than the five-year average, reducing disposable income to negligible for most low-income families.
Cost of Living Crisis in Sudan
The conflict between the Sudanese Army and the RSF (Rapid Support Forces) has had economic repercussions, with many vendors being unable to sell their goods and many consumers unable to afford basic necessities, such as food. Overall, since 2021, Sudan has reported a 143% increase in food expenses. Sudanese vendors are even struggling to transport their goods for selling as the rising fuel prices have led to high transport costs.
Currently, there is cause for concern regarding the future recovery of the Sudanese economy and commodity production capabilities. High costs of production, reduced consumption and the resulting diminished profit may mean that many suppliers and agriculture workers may need help to sustain their business activities in the long run as economic activities draw closer to potentially reaching their shutdown points.
Policy and Solutions
Many solutions would entail a degree of inflation, as cash transfers and other benefits result in introducing additional cash into a nation’s money supply. Blanket policies, such as subsidizing energy bills for all, will ultimately benefit the rich and insufficiently provide for those most in need, creating widening inequality. More low-income targeted policies, such as unconditional cash transfers, tax cuts and vouchers, would likely be superior; however, with low-income groups having the highest marginal propensity to consume, inflation would be unavoidable. Inflation is regressive, similar to any blanket benefit policies, which tend to be accompanied by growing inequality. There is an evident trade-off between supporting those in need from rising costs and generating additional issues regarding inflation and inequality.
In May 2023, UNICEF launched a humanitarian appeal to gather urgent funding for the organization’s aid endeavors in Sudan. UNICEF reported that as of May 2023, about 25 million people in Sudan require aid. The organization aims to help at least 11.9 million of these people along with 9.4 million children and requires funding of $837.6 million to carry out these humanitarian activities. The funding will provide water, nutrition and health care to people affected by the current conflict.
The humanitarian aid will help to cushion the blow of rising costs of living while preventing deterioration on the poverty front. Sudan needs economic reform to return to stability, but with the correct policy frameworks, Sudan could successfully escape the state of extreme inflation.
– Hannah Bugeja
Photo: Flickr
Creating Affordable Plastic Houses in Ethiopia
The Housing Crisis in Ethiopia
Ethiopia, like much of Africa, is facing rapid urbanization, which means that populations in large cities like Addis Abbas are growing at high rates. At the same time, as more and more people move into cities, there is an increasing demand for housing in these cities because people need to find a place to live.
However, in Ethiopia, the rate at which people are moving into large cities per year far exceeds the rate at which new affordable houses are being built. More specifically, the housing demand is currently estimated to be more than 1 million in Ethiopia with current rates projecting an estimated net of 200,000 more houses needed each year to account for the growing population. Because of this, there is an ongoing housing crisis in which many people are forced to live in small government-owned houses made of mud and wood that leave people susceptible to dangerous diseases and other health problems or in some cases, force people into homelessness.
Kubik’s Solution
Started by Kidus Asfaw and Penda Marre after seeing how school classrooms were made from plastic materials in Côte d’Ivoire, Kubik was initially founded with the intention of helping create more classrooms in Côte d’Ivoire. However, after seeing the potential that plastic had to be used as a building material, Afshaw and Marre soon shifted the focus of Kubik to providing cheap building materials that could be used to build affordable plastic houses and other important infrastructure such as public bathrooms, schools and eco-friendly factories.
More specifically, Kubik accomplishes this goal by selling the plastic building materials it makes to real estate developers who use its plastic building materials to build houses at a less expensive cost. In fact, plastic building bricks are often around 40% cheaper than cement of which most ordinary housing bricks are made.
Ecological Benefit
Although the primary benefit of Kubik’s plastic building materials is its ability to provide more affordable houses in places that urgently need them, they also offer a number of ecological benefits that contribute to protecting the planet as well as improving people’s overall health. First, Kubik’s plastic building materials emit approximately 500% less carbon dioxide than traditional building materials such as cement. Hence, houses made from Kubik’s plastic materials will help significantly in the effort to halt global warming.
Additionally, Kubik is helping contribute to solving a significant plastic waste problem that is present in many African countries including Ethiopia which produces almost 400,000 tons of plastic waste annually. However, 96% of existing plastic waste does not get recycled. Not only can large amounts of plastic waste significantly disrupt ecosystems and harm marine animals, but because plastic takes so long to decay, plastic waste is often burned to release incredibly harmful chemicals into the air that can cause numerous associated health risks including respiratory problems.
Kubik helps to reduce the amount of plastic waste and the problems associated with it by focusing on solely using plastics that would not otherwise be made into recyclable products in the production of their building materials.
Conclusion
Ethiopia faces an ongoing affordable housing crisis as well as a crisis in the rapidly increasing build-up of plastic waste that can damage the environment and people’s health. Although Kubik cannot completely solve either of these two issues alone, the efforts go a long way in mitigating the effects of both by providing an innovative and creative way to turn unused plastic waste into materials used to make affordable plastic houses in Ethiopia. Furthermore, Kubik may serve as an inspiration to future entrepreneurs to develop creative methods that will help solve societal problems such as affordable housing and excessive plastic waste.
– Athan Yanos
Photo: Unsplash
Global Hunger: Tech Inventions Putting an End to It
ShareTheMeal App
ShareTheMeal is a global app that allows you to donate meals to children in need all over the world. One in seven children does not have enough food to lead a healthy and active life. This app only requires one press of a button and $0.8 to feed a hungry child for one full day. The United Nations World Food Program provides the meal and shows you the location of the children you are helping. Its purpose is to empower people to end global hunger, and it has already shared at least 3 million meals across more than 80 countries.
Going Digital in Ethiopia
Around 83% of Ethiopians live in rural areas where many families are dependent on their own agricultural production. It is vital for them to have access to education on agronomic information. According to the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), ensuring farmers receive up-to-date knowledge and data pertaining to agronomic information in a timely manner remains a great challenge in Ethiopia. However, Ethiopia now has an Agricultural and Farmer Hotline created by the ATA. With the creation of this hotline, about 500,000 users receive updated agronomic information on their cell phones via text messages and automated calls to help plan their operations. Having immediate access to new information will help smallholders make more informed decisions about their farming practices. The hotline also launched a Helpdesk that allows smallholders to ask questions and report issues to experts in the field.
The Sanku Dosifier
Nearly half of the deaths among children under 5 years old are linked to undernutrition according to WHO. Globally, 8,000 children die every day due to preventable illness because of the lack of basic minerals and vitamins in their diet. However, the award-winning Sanku’s Dosifier adds precise amounts of essential nutrients into flour during the milling process. Sanku’s solution focuses on communities living in poverty. Most of these communities cannot afford fresh, nutrient-dense food items, so instead they live on calorie-dense, nutrient-poor maize flour to ease their hunger. Sanku partners with millers whose customers have a high incidence of poverty. Around 95% of those that Sanku has reached live on less than $5 a day and struggle to intake all of the necessary nutrients. So far, 2 million lives have been impacted by the Sanku Dosifier.
Hippo Roller
The average distance for women and children to walk for water in Africa and Asia is 3.7 miles according to World Visions. These communities typically balance heavy loads of water on their head (about 5 gallons), making it hard to access clean water without exhaustion. However, Hippo Roller is a drum that rolls over most terrain and holds about 24 gallons of water per drum. This reduces the time and hard work put forth just to access clean water. So far, 65,000 rollers have impacted lives throughout 50+ countries.
WFP Innovation Accelerator Producing Less Food Waste
Almost one-fourth of produce grown for export in Kenya is rejected purely for its looks. According to WFP, that is the equivalent of throwing away 600,000 tomatoes every day purely because they “look ugly.” WFP launched a pilot project to change the destination of these vegetables from landfills to lunch by sending them into the country’s school meals program. The initiative is reducing food waste while also providing more meals for children in Kenya. Throughout the first four months of the initial project, WFP rescued more than five tons of produce and transformed it into meals for 2,200 children for 75 days.
– Paige Falk
Photo: Unsplash
Addressing Food Insecurity in Urban Slums
Within the bustling landscapes of urban centers, where towering skyscrapers stand as symbols of progress, lies a stark reality that often goes unnoticed: the prevalence of food insecurity within urban slums. While cities may represent economic growth and technological advancements, they also encapsulate the struggles of marginalized populations residing in the shadows of affluence. This article aims to shed light on the complex issue of food insecurity in urban slums, exploring the challenges faced by these communities and examining innovative strategies aimed at providing sustenance and hope.
Food Insecurity in Urban Slums
Innovative Strategies for Addressing Food Insecurity
Conclusion
The specter of food insecurity looms large within urban slums, casting a shadow over the aspirations and dreams of countless individuals and families. Yet, innovative strategies can dispel the darkness. Urban agriculture, mobile markets, community kitchens, surplus redistribution, nutrition education and social safety nets offer rays of hope to those living in the shadows.
Food security is not only a basic human right but a fundamental building block for healthy lives and thriving communities. Collaborative efforts between local governments, non-profit organizations, businesses and empowered communities are crucial in implementing and sustaining these strategies. By collectively working towards addressing food insecurity, we can illuminate the path to a future where urban slum residents can step out of the shadows and into a life filled with sustenance, dignity and opportunity.
– Mihir Naik
Photo: Flickr
Elderly Poverty in Venezuela
Underlying Causes and Exacerbating Factors
Since 2014, Venezuela has faced massive economic decline due to political corruption and fossil fuel reliance, yielding devastating effects on the nation’s elderly population. Over the past decade, Venezuela’s currency, the bolivar, has experienced an estimated 1 million percent inflation rate, making it increasingly difficult for Venezuelans to afford the goods and services necessary for survival, such as food and health care.
These levels of inflation led to a mass exodus of more than 7 million Venezuelans – approximately 20% of the nation’s population – out of the country in search of better economic conditions and employment opportunities. As the majority of people fleeing the country were of working age, this left many seniors who decided to stay without younger relatives to care for them as they age.
Although Venezuelans who are 65 and older have been following their families out of the country at increasing rates within the past few years, there are still plenty of elderly adults who are too weak to make the journey beyond the nation’s borders. For the senior citizens who remain in Venezuela, life is challenging, as the government lacks adequate policies and funding to care for its aging citizens.
The Current Situation
Like many nations, Venezuela maintains a government-funded old-age pension program that provides elderly individuals with a source of income after they retire from the workforce. Yet, the monthly pension that the government offers to elderly Venezuelans is essentially impossible to survive on, with each check equating to around $2.40. This $2.40 per month has already been adjusted to factor in the nation’s current inflation rate, with seniors having received less than $1 per month before May 2021. This meager monthly pension has forced many elderly Venezuelans to continue working in spite of their increasing age, and in many cases for elderly individuals who are too weak or too sick to work, to sell their possessions or beg on the streets.
As of 2020, three in five Venezuelan seniors report going to bed hungry, and a shocking 95% of Venezuelan seniors report not having enough food on a daily basis. The Venezuelan government does have subsidized funds for community-based food distribution systems throughout the country known as Local Committees for Supply and Production. However, the food provided by these committees is generally not nutritionally dense and arrives sporadically for elderly individuals who are unable to leave the house and require their food to be delivered.
Aside from food insecurity, there are also many obstacles preventing adequate health care for elderly Venezuelans including inflated prices and shortages of vital medications. Approximately 84% of Venezuelan seniors suffer from a chronic illness that requires medication, yet 75% of these seniors say that they are unable to access the medications or medical care that they need.
Ongoing Efforts to Help Venezuela’s Elderly?
The European Commission has played a significant role in providing humanitarian aid to Venezuelans and has particularly focused on reaching the country’s most vulnerable populations including young children, pregnant women and the elderly. Since 2016, the European Commission has provided Venezuela with approximately €390 million of humanitarian aid, €75 million of which has been allocated throughout 2023. Improving food security, access to medical care and access to clean water are the top priorities for the European Commission’s work in Venezuela, and the organization continues to use its funds to provide Venezuela’s most vulnerable with critical medications, water purification equipment and nutrient-dense foods.
Working specifically for Venezuela’s elderly is Help Age International, a non-governmental organization whose goal is to “improve the lives of older [individuals] in low-and middle-income countries” through advocacy and research, as well as direct humanitarian aid initiatives. In 2016, Help Age International formed a partnership with the Venezuelan humanitarian organization Convite in order to raise international awareness about the hardships affecting the elderly in Venezuela and to “deploy a humanitarian action program for distributing medicines” necessary to the health of seniors.
Moving Forward
Since Venezuela’s drastic economic decline, humanitarian aid organizations have provided extensive support in keeping the country’s population afloat. Fortunately as of 2021, the Venezuelan economy has begun to rebound and is now on a long, but hopeful track toward full revitalization. However, elderly poverty in Venezuela still remains a somewhat silent, and demographically disproportionate problem that continues to call for attention.
– Reagan McDaniel
Photo: Flickr
How Poverty and Antimicrobial Resistance are Interconnected
What Are Antimicrobials?
Antimicrobials are substances used to prevent, slow down and treat various infections caused by a variety of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Common antimicrobials are antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics.
What is Antimicrobial Resistance?
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi have a diminished response to medications designed to fight and kill them. In severe cases of antimicrobial resistance, microorganisms have absolutely no response to therapeutics. Antimicrobial resistance results in infections that are increasingly difficult or even impossible to treat. Moreover, antimicrobial resistance increases the risk of disease spread, severe illness and ultimately death.
What Drives Antimicrobial Resistance?
Microbes develop advantageous genetic mutations over time, which allow them to resist pre-existing therapeutics including antibiotics and antivirals. This process is accelerated by a multitude of factors largely revolving around the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials. Furthermore, antimicrobial resistance is driven by a lack of sanitation and hygiene in both animals and humans, poor access to quality health care services, lack of access to clean water, unregulated production and distribution of antimicrobials and several additional circumstances which are inextricably tied to poverty-driven conditions and actions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the relationship between poverty and antimicrobial resistance, stating that “more than any other issue, poverty and inadequate access to drugs continue to be a major force in the development of resistance.”
Elaborating on Poverty and Antimicrobial Resistance
Unfortunately, factors driving antimicrobial resistance are more pronounced in socioeconomically disadvantaged countries. Impoverished countries are more likely to have inadequate environmental regulations, which results in the spread of infectious diseases through the water, air and soil. Moreover, improper sanitation and hygiene services exacerbate this problem. Ensuring access to clean water and sanitation can greatly decrease the risk of antimicrobial infections such as gastrointestinal diseases by up to 60%. Moreover, promoting and practicing proper hand hygiene in a clinical setting has the potential to alleviate the risk of infectious disease by 40%.
Poor countries are also more likely to experience inaccessibility to health care services which results in higher rates of antimicrobial resistance. Without access to health care facilities, qualified health care professionals and effective antimicrobials, poverty-affected areas are more likely to propagate the spread of infectious diseases. Also, insufficient funding for drug research and development leaves those most vulnerable without a way to counteract the spread of disease and drug resistance. Even when antimicrobials are available, they are oftentimes expensive and unaffordable to poverty-affected people. Thus, impoverished people are more likely to stop taking the necessary dosages of medicine in order to “split” it with other people. Alongside this, individuals may be more inclined to purchase cheaper, unregulated medicines that are substandard. Ultimately, these factors all contribute to the increased risk of antimicrobial resistance.
Misconceptions regarding Antibiotics
The issues faced by impoverished countries are compounded by a lack of awareness and knowledge. For example, misconceptions about antibiotics in poorer countries drive cultural practices that lead to self-medication and alternative forms of treatment.
Alongside this, impoverished individuals may be less likely to understand treatment procedures such as using medications targeting the wrong type of infection (bacterial vs. viral) or discontinuing antimicrobial use too early. Lastly, impoverished communities may have less awareness of the risk of antimicrobial resistance in general.
Combating Antimicrobial Resistance
The Antimicrobial Resistance Multi-Partner Trust Fund (AMR MPTF) was launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health in 2019, with the United Nations Environment Programme becoming a co-signer in 2021. The AMR MPTF was initially slated to operate through 2024, but it has extended its efforts to 2030 in order to align with the Sustainable Development Goals timeline.
The AMR MPTF’s immediate funding appeal comprised more than $75 million dedicated to supporting countries most affected by antimicrobial resistance including Cambodia and Indonesia. The fund is dedicated to developing national action plans and strengthening surveillance of antimicrobial resistance. What’s more, this fund aims to increase the optimal use of antimicrobials in order to reduce the impact of antimicrobial resistance on both human and animal health. Ultimately, the AMR MPTF wants to prevent the inevitable deaths that will occur if no action is taken against antimicrobial resistance.
Looking Ahead
While the AMR MPTF is taking the necessary steps to combat antimicrobial resistance, it was listed as one of the top ten threats to global health by the WHO in 2019. Projected outlooks if action isn’t taken against antimicrobial resistance are bleak; this problem could result in 10 million deaths each year by 2050 and force up to 24 million people into extreme poverty. Considering the relationship between poverty and antimicrobial resistance, these problems would continue to magnify at an alarming rate. Ultimately, diminishing antimicrobial resistance is imperative to the well-being of millions, particularly those who are already most vulnerable. In addition, fighting poverty could save lives in the present and prevent devastating effects in the future.
–Olivia Welling
Photo: Flickr
Lost Children: Child Labor in Colombia
Demographics of Colombian Child Workers
Child labor in Colombia was at a disheartening 11.4% in 2017, but this figure is a significant drop compared to 21.6% at the beginning of the 21st century. While this reduction is commendable, more than 1.5 million Colombian children are still in the workforce. The disparities when delving into the intricacies of these approximately 1 million people are observable. Labor in household services for more than 15 hours a day represents a staggering 46% of all child labor, while rural child labor is more prevalent than in urban areas. 19.8% of rural children were part of the labor market compared to 8.2% in urban areas. Gender dynamics do not significantly impact proportionality as the rates of child labor engagement are quite similar, 10.7% for boys and 12.2% for girls.
The distribution of child labor in Colombia permeates various industries and sectors. In the most prevalent rural market, agriculture is the outstanding employer as a staggering 73.4% of child workers are engaged in farming, with domestic services second with 16.5%. The urban market has a parallel pattern as the service industry is the dominant sector with 70.5% of child workers, while manufacturing’s 13.9% sits behind. While all child labor is a disheartening truth, approximately 66,000 Colombian children work in dangerous jobs such as mining and construction.
Motivations for Entering the Workforce
The reality of child labor in Colombia is evident; however, the motivations behind it reflect social dynamics. Pursuing financial autonomy is compelling, as 37.7% of urban and 26.0% of rural working children have it as their primary motivator. Playing a role in a family business is also a consequential instigator as it employs 30.1% of urban and 51.0% of rural child workers. Colombia has experienced a considerable decline in children personifying the role of economic provider has decreased by 15% from 2003 to 2017 to 9.2%
Worst Forms of Child Labor in Colombia
The extent of child labor is not limited to traditional forms of work. Unfortunately, tens of thousands of Colombian children find themselves in the worst forms of exploitation, including armed paramilitaries, criminal enterprises and sexual profiteering. Recruitment for militia groups such as FARC-EP and Segunda Marquetalia is still occurring. UNICEF reports that 1,556 children, with an average age of merely 13.4 for girls and 14.1 for boys, were forcibly recruited by paramilitary groups between September 2011 and June 2016. These children are forced into an array of tasks, including drug dealing, smuggling and trafficking. The extent of these horrors continues with UNICEF’s report that there are around 35,000 sexually exploited children with a continuously plummeting age of initiation.
Poverty and Child Labor Synergies
Child labor is intricately woven into the fabric of poverty in Colombia. An array of indicators reveals that the economic state of a child’s family is a momentous factor in being forced into work. Approximately 83% of children in the labor force are impoverished and those in extreme poverty are even more likely to be in child labor as well as the most vulnerable roles. Moreover, the educational and occupational situation of the parents are pivotal indicators. As parental education, especially that of mothers and status of employment increases, the likelihood of child labor decreases immensely. Intuitively, children who need to help their families immediately will push education and childhood aside for communal sustainment.
Government Action
Amid the challenges of child labor in Colombia, the government has made notable strides to combat this issue. A series of policies have been passed and proposed that aim to reduce the causes and punish the perpetrators. There have been increased penalties for human trafficking involving children, empowerment of labor inspectors to enforce forced labor crimes and a Zero Complicity policy for prevention and prosecution. The fruits of these policies have seen the number of children working in Colombia drop by approximately 300,000 between 2014 and 2017. This is some of the work the national government has done to remedy the harsh truths of child labor in Colombia.
The realities of child poverty in Colombia are harsh and unfortunate. More than a million children are deprived of education, carefree childhood and essential building blocks for a brighter future, casting a profound shadow. However, visible progress emerges as the Colombian authorities prioritize rectifying this situation, enabling the nation’s children to pursue a better future.
– Agustín Pino
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