Several studies highlight that decades of violence and conflict in Sudan have significantly impacted the mental health of its citizens. Yet, suitable mental health care in the country is lacking, prompting action from organizations to improve mental health in Sudan.
Mental Health in Numbers
In Sudan, most mental health service providers are centralized in the capital of Khartoum. A barrier to mental health care access is the location of psychiatric hospitals — out of 18 states of the country only 12 states have “fully-equipped psychiatric hospitals” managed by qualified psychiatric personnel. Of these hospitals, six are located in Khartoum and the other six states are “managed by non-specialist medical doctors or by clinical psychologists and medical assistants,” a study, published in 2020, by Abdelgadir H. M. Osman and others says.
According to the Mental Health Atlas 2020, Sudanese people struggling with mental conditions pay for mental health care services and related medicines “mostly or entirely out of pocket.” Sudan has 34 psychiatrists, 425 psychologists and 366 social workers. Very few psychiatrists operate in Sudan’s rural areas. In total, as of 2020, 878 professionals across public, private and NGO sectors manage mental health in Sudan.
Many young doctors opt to move abroad to further their knowledge, experience and salaries. This causes a shortage of health professionals, who are often stretched beyond their capacity. Illustrating this, data shows that Sudan has only 2.05 total mental health professionals per 100,000 people in a country with a population of nearly 45 million people.
Sudan’s GDP in 2021 stood at about $34 billion. In 2020, Sudan spent about 6.5% of its GDP, equal to 1.7 billion, on health care with no specific allocation for a mental health budget.
Mental Health Policies
Although Sudan drafted a Mental Health Act in 1998, the Sudanese parliament approved it 10 years later in June 2018. Sudan’s mental health policy, which was last published in 2008, centers around the following guidelines: “developing a mental health component in primary healthcare, scaling up human resources, involvement of patients and their families, strengthening advocacy, promotion of the human rights protection of patients, equity and access to mental healthcare services across different groups, quality improvement, financing and monitoring systems.”
In 2009, Sudan developed a policy to restructure the mental health care system in the nation. Leading psychiatrists in Sudan participated in developing these documents and Sudan received technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The cost of medication in a low-income country leaves a majority of civilians in need when having to choose between basic necessities and medicine for their mental health. Additionally, the stigma surrounding mental health makes people more reluctant to seek help. For instance, for women in Sudan, mental health issues “can lead to their family restricting their social presence” and mental health struggles can “[diminish] their opportunity to marry,” according to an article by WagingPeace.
The International Organization for Migration
In 2022, the International Organization for Migration’s EU-IOM Joint Initiative celebrated World Mental Health Day by carrying out community-based Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) activities in states within Gedaref and Khartoum. The IOM recognizes that foreign migrants, returnees and internally displaced persons face the most barriers to accessing mental health care in Sudan.
The EU-IOM Joint Initiative held a seminar to educate as many as 60 people on the importance of mental health care. The initiative also held a three-day mental health campaign via radio in three local languages.
Additionally, the initiative held a football match for 200 young people in Gedaref to raise awareness of mental health and encourage participation in sports and physical activities to maintain positive mental health.
Furthermore, the IOM held three focus group discussions that highlighted barriers to mental health access and how the IOM can play a role in addressing these challenges. The organization also provided mental health information to students at Gedaref University and supplied information on safe migration.
Looking Ahead
NGOs and other health organizations are working toward facilitating a better understanding of mental health for civilians of Sudan. By increasing the number of trained mental health care professionals and establishing additional mental health care facilities, especially in the more rural areas, mental health in Sudan can improve.
– Amin Isameldin Amin
Photo: Flickr
The Power of Ubuntu: Transforming Poverty in South Africa
Ubuntu Pathways
Ubuntu Pathways is a nonprofit organization that provides social support and resources for health and education to orphaned children in Gqeberha. In doing this, it creates unique opportunities for disenfranchised individuals to thrive and have a better future.
In 1999, Jacob Lief and Malizole ‘Banks’ Gwaxula founded Ubuntu Pathways (previously known as Ubuntu Education Fund) to directly tackle the various issues that poor households endure. This includes the lack of job opportunities, poor access to health care, low income and inadequate school resources for children.
The organization is inspired by the guiding principles and power of Ubuntu, recognizing that every child is experiencing unique struggles. Since the organization’s establishment, it has flourished significantly, focusing primarily on long-term impacts.
‘Cradle to Career’ Model
Ubuntu Pathways launched its five-year program, ‘Cradle to Career’, to provide long-term personalized support to impoverished families. This integrated approach acknowledges that there is a need to do more to assist vulnerable South African people. It dedicates time and facilities to ensure children are supported from birth to pre-school and up to the university level, providing families with financial support throughout. The initiative also has mentors who focus on helping youths achieve their life-long ambitions. These mentors provide interview and resume tips to equip their mentees for future employment. Cradle to Career also offers holiday camps and job training courses.
Impact
At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ubuntu Pathways’ Cradle to Career model provided 30,000 people with food monthly, administered 40,000 COVID vaccines, helped 400 youths gain employment, supported students academically, psychologically and socially while also ensuring that all mothers with HIV birthed HIV-free infants. In 2021, the organization also bought a piece of land for building the Ubuntu High School. This idea was inspired by its Cradle to Career model.
Monitoring Success Rates
Ubuntu Pathways considers the number of university graduates when measuring the impact and success rates of its efforts. It collaborated with McKinsey & Company to create an evaluative model which provides a deep insight into assessing the university graduate’s progress in terms of having job security a good financial standing.
Looking Ahead
Ubuntu Pathways is known for providing children with a safe and supportive educational environment while assisting the most vulnerable members. Despite facing challenges like COVID-19, the organization continued serving and supporting the less privileged. This aligns with its reputation as an organization that believes in the power of Ubuntu while maintaining its commitment to improving the lives of South African children through education.
– Dami Kalejaiye
Photo: Flickr
The Ugandan Entrepreneur Turning Waste into Water
Uganda has experienced 20 years of economic growth and population relocation. Many Ugandan people have chosen to move from remote regions to areas around big towns and cities. Significant population growth has resulted in Uganda’s water supply and sanitation services facing exceptionally high demand. Limited supply and high demand mean that Uganda’s urban population faces high costs for access to water. Moreover, Ugandans that still live in rural areas continue to embark on long walks to collect water for their households. In light of this, a Ugandan entrepreneur, Timothy Kayondo, is turning waste into water. The following is a brief look into water quality and sanitation in Uganda.
Four Facts About Water Quality and Sanitation in Uganda
The Cost of Access to Water
Water.org has estimated that 72% of Uganda’s population “lives on less than $3.20 a day.” People living in the urban areas of Uganda use up to 22% of their income on maintaining access to water. A significant allocation of wages toward water access means that Ugandan households have less disposable income for other life necessities. Subsequently, it becomes challenging for the disadvantaged groups in Uganda’s population to break the current cycle of poverty.
Eco Water Purifier
In 2019, Timothy Kayondo demonstrated the Eco Water Purifier at the Global-NAMRIP’s conference in Uganda. Kayondo’s product serves as a solution to Uganda’s current water crisis. The Eco Water Purifier filters waste products such as animal bones and cassava peels to produce clean drinking water. The process involves the waste being “cleaned, fired in a vacuum-sealed furnace, soaked in acidic solution, washed in distilled water and then crushed into activated carbon.” The filter runs entirely off solar panel energy and has the capacity to purify up to 300 liters of water within the space of an hour.
Timothy Kayondo’s invention is affordable, portable and will be made accessible to all income demographics in the local population. However, public facilities, remote schools and clinics will be the main beneficiaries of the Eco Water Filter. As recognition of his achievement, Timothy Kayondo received the Africa Prize 2021 Alumni Grant. The grant was worth $19,700 and acknowledges the need to help “ambitious African innovators develop scalable engineering solutions to local challenges.”
Looking Ahead
Uganda’s struggle with access to drinkable water remains rife. However, efforts from individuals like Ugandan entrepreneur Timothy Kayondocontinue to highlight the need for effective and sustainable action against Uganda’s water crisis. The Eco Water Purifier provides an inventive solution that is most importantly accessible to those living in poverty. With time, the Eco Water Purifier can potentially become a long-term solution for Uganda’s water problems.
– Jennifer Preece
Photo: Flickr
Supporting Refugees During Ramadan
Apart from being a fast-breaking meal, iftar plays a vital role in balancing health and nutrition. Unfortunately, in a world where 11.7% of the entire global population experiences extreme food insecurity, millions of Muslims often have no food to break their fast with. Food insecurity is a major issue affecting refugees and displaced people who rely on donations and aid to access food. In a bid to alleviate the issue, charities like Restless Beings are supporting refugees during Ramadan by providing them with iftar meals.
Restless Beings is a U.K.-based human rights organization that is making efforts to address food insecurity during Ramadan. Through distributing food packages in nations with high numbers of refugees and displaced people, such as Syria and Bangladesh, it provides iftar meals for Muslims around the world.
The Borgen Project spoke with one of the directors of Restless Beings, Rahima Begum, to find out more about the organization’s food packages and other ongoing efforts aimed at supporting refugees during Ramadan.
Food Packages
In 2023, Restless Beings is distributing food packages in Gaza, Turkey, Syria and the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. The content of the food packages varies for each nation depending on dietary requirements and cultural sensitivities. According to Rahima Begum, “As Restless Beings is a highly consultative organization, we ensure that at all stages, we speak to the community about their needs and what they want in their food packs.”
For example, the packages for refugees in Bangladesh include food items such as rice, chickpeas, lentils, vitamin supplements, oil, onions and seasonings. These are all staple items in a typical Bangladeshi diet. In Gaza and Syria, the packages include tea, pasta, beans, feta cheese, dates and bulgar. The Turkish food packages include most of the aforementioned as well as olives, tahini and ingredients for making traditional Turkish bread. Each food package contains enough to feed a family for at least one month.
The food packages are distributed by the organization’s on-the-ground teams. As of April 2023, Restless Beings has provided food packages and other forms of assistance to over 50,000 refugees globally.
Feeding Refugees in the UK
For Restless Beings, supporting refugees during Ramadan in the U.K. is just as important as supporting refugees abroad. It partners with other organizations that specialize in assisting refugees and migrants arriving in the U.K. to provide occasional free, warm iftar meals throughout Ramadan. It also donates baked snacks, including bread and pastries, which refugees can take away. The service is not exclusive to only Muslims, as Restless Beings is committed to helping refugees from all religious and cultural backgrounds. The organization is affiliated with two food banks in East London, both of which provide free or discounted food to the homeless and those affected by extreme food insecurity.
Gifting Presents and Haircuts
Restless Beings is supporting refugees during Ramadan in ways other than providing food. It also aims to restore joy and hope in the lives of refugee children. Many of the children that Restless Beings works with have witnessed extreme violence and experienced severe political conflict and displacement. This has stripped them of their fundamental human right to safety and deprived them of their childhood.
The organization is making efforts to give children something to look forward to while encouraging them to believe that there is hope for a better future. It gifts children in the Rohingya refugee camps hampers, new clothes, shoes and fresh haircuts to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the day that follows the end of Ramadan. For Rahima Begum, the gifting service is of utmost importance because it bestows a sense of normalcy and dignity on the recipients that aids their emotional healing. She says “When a child is reminded of their dignity and given an opportunity to feel and look fresh… this child feels like they are seen, heard and most of all, valued.”
Concluding Thoughts
– Mohsina Alam.
Photo: Flickr
Everything to Know About Hunger in Burkina Faso
Shocks
In 2022, the FAO conducted the DIEM (Data in Emergencies Monitoring) assessment, surveying more than 5,000 households throughout Burkina Faso. The survey asked households whether they had experienced any of several shocks as early as three months prior to August 2022. Among the surveyed households, 70% reported experiencing one or more shocks in that timeframe. Sickness or death of a household member accounted for 46% of the reported shocks, while higher food prices accounted for 31%. In the Sahel region, 55% of those surveyed reported an increase in food prices.
On top of the widespread increase in food prices, 50% of households throughout the country reported experiencing a decrease in primary income. Apart from increasing food prices, up to 81% of respondents in the Sahel region reported experiencing a decrease in primary income.
Inflation Crises
The FAO reports that Burkina Faso’s inflation rate reached as high as 18% between July and August 2022, further contributing to the hunger problem. Repeated instances of conflict in the Sahel and Centre-North regions have led to significant population displacement in those areas. Among the survey respondents, more than 70% reported crop production difficulties. Nearly 40% of crop producers reported insufficient access to irrigated water, and 59% reported insufficient access to fertilizers. Of the households that participated in the FAO survey, 96% reported a need for food production assistance in the following six months. Among them, more than 60% reported needing food assistance.
Reports from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) suggest that around 40% of Burkina Faso’s population lives below the poverty line, and up to 20% of the population is classified as food insecure.
Actions Toward Change
There are ongoing efforts aimed at decreasing hunger in Burkina Faso and alleviating its short-term and long-term effects. The Food Agriculture Organization (FAO), along with other humanitarian organizations such as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), are working hard to combat these issues. At the annual meeting of the Network for the Prevention of Food Crisis in West Africa, the UNICEF, FAO and WFP issued a joint statement calling on other governments to increase their investments in support of Burkina Faso and other struggling neighboring countries by strengthening their food security and nutrition programs.
The FAO has reached more than 600,000 people in Burkina Faso, assisting them with food production. Additionally, the FAO provides cash-based transfers and complementary services to more than 400,000 people.
In 2021, USAID provided almost $12 million in funding to support agricultural production, food security and vulnerable communities in Burkina Faso. The organization also helps farmers by increasing their access to water for agricultural purposes and mitigating the effects of climate-related shocks on their livelihoods.
Looking Ahead
Several organizations are working tirelessly to combat the rising levels of hunger in Burkina Faso despite the challenges posed by rising inflation rates, intense conflict in the northern regions, decreasing primary income and insufficient livelihood protection. One of the main goals is to ensure that more citizens can get access to food.
– Christopher Dickinson
Photo: Flickr
Mental Health in Sudan
Mental Health in Numbers
In Sudan, most mental health service providers are centralized in the capital of Khartoum. A barrier to mental health care access is the location of psychiatric hospitals — out of 18 states of the country only 12 states have “fully-equipped psychiatric hospitals” managed by qualified psychiatric personnel. Of these hospitals, six are located in Khartoum and the other six states are “managed by non-specialist medical doctors or by clinical psychologists and medical assistants,” a study, published in 2020, by Abdelgadir H. M. Osman and others says.
According to the Mental Health Atlas 2020, Sudanese people struggling with mental conditions pay for mental health care services and related medicines “mostly or entirely out of pocket.” Sudan has 34 psychiatrists, 425 psychologists and 366 social workers. Very few psychiatrists operate in Sudan’s rural areas. In total, as of 2020, 878 professionals across public, private and NGO sectors manage mental health in Sudan.
Many young doctors opt to move abroad to further their knowledge, experience and salaries. This causes a shortage of health professionals, who are often stretched beyond their capacity. Illustrating this, data shows that Sudan has only 2.05 total mental health professionals per 100,000 people in a country with a population of nearly 45 million people.
Sudan’s GDP in 2021 stood at about $34 billion. In 2020, Sudan spent about 6.5% of its GDP, equal to 1.7 billion, on health care with no specific allocation for a mental health budget.
Mental Health Policies
Although Sudan drafted a Mental Health Act in 1998, the Sudanese parliament approved it 10 years later in June 2018. Sudan’s mental health policy, which was last published in 2008, centers around the following guidelines: “developing a mental health component in primary healthcare, scaling up human resources, involvement of patients and their families, strengthening advocacy, promotion of the human rights protection of patients, equity and access to mental healthcare services across different groups, quality improvement, financing and monitoring systems.”
In 2009, Sudan developed a policy to restructure the mental health care system in the nation. Leading psychiatrists in Sudan participated in developing these documents and Sudan received technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The cost of medication in a low-income country leaves a majority of civilians in need when having to choose between basic necessities and medicine for their mental health. Additionally, the stigma surrounding mental health makes people more reluctant to seek help. For instance, for women in Sudan, mental health issues “can lead to their family restricting their social presence” and mental health struggles can “[diminish] their opportunity to marry,” according to an article by WagingPeace.
The International Organization for Migration
In 2022, the International Organization for Migration’s EU-IOM Joint Initiative celebrated World Mental Health Day by carrying out community-based Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS) activities in states within Gedaref and Khartoum. The IOM recognizes that foreign migrants, returnees and internally displaced persons face the most barriers to accessing mental health care in Sudan.
The EU-IOM Joint Initiative held a seminar to educate as many as 60 people on the importance of mental health care. The initiative also held a three-day mental health campaign via radio in three local languages.
Additionally, the initiative held a football match for 200 young people in Gedaref to raise awareness of mental health and encourage participation in sports and physical activities to maintain positive mental health.
Furthermore, the IOM held three focus group discussions that highlighted barriers to mental health access and how the IOM can play a role in addressing these challenges. The organization also provided mental health information to students at Gedaref University and supplied information on safe migration.
Looking Ahead
NGOs and other health organizations are working toward facilitating a better understanding of mental health for civilians of Sudan. By increasing the number of trained mental health care professionals and establishing additional mental health care facilities, especially in the more rural areas, mental health in Sudan can improve.
– Amin Isameldin Amin
Photo: Flickr
Improving Living Conditions in Nigeria
Construction of Waterpumps and Sanitary Spaces
Despite water accessibility having improved immensely in Nigeria in the past few years, a significant portion of the country’s population still lives without access to clean water and sanitary spaces. WaterAid statistics report that 46 million Nigerians do not have access to clean water while 116 million people in the country are without access to decent toilets. To address this issue, WaterAid constructed clean toilets for approximately 300,000 Nigerians living in poverty. This effort resulted in toilet accessibility in Nigerian homes and schools.
WaterAid has also taken steps to support women and girls in Nigeria. By building a new hand pump in the village of Orwua Nyam, girls can now safely access clean water without having to go to neighboring communities. It also supported every house in receiving a toilet in their home and an additional toilet in the village for visitors. This has helped to reduce the spread of diseases in the village and allowed families to live in clean and healthy conditions.
Aiding Internally Displaced Children
Widespread poverty, political unrest and an unstable economy leave many Nigerians without shelter. The charitable work of SOS Children’s Villages supported more than 15,000 people in 2015. The organization’s support includes providing homeless children with a safe and supportive home alongside other needs such as counseling, medical support and access to education facilities. SOS Children’s Villages also helps to reunite internally displaced children with their siblings, enabling them to experience growing up among family. SOS Children’s Villages’ efforts in Nigeria not only provide safe and fulfilling childhoods for children but also aims to improve overall living conditions in the country.
Education
Nigeria experiences some of the highest school absence rates in the world. UNICEF reports that one in every five children who do not attend school is in Nigeria. Approximately 10.5 million children aged 5-14 years old do not attend school. According to UNICEF, gender marginalization is still a significant issue in the country, with more than half of the girls not receiving an education. In a bid to improve the educational system and achieve SDG 4 by 2030, UNICEF has developed a plan to eliminate societal barriers that hinder children’s access to education. Its goal is to provide humanitarian assistance to children who are least likely to receive an education, enabling them to access a safe school environment.
Fighting HIV/AIDS
As is the case with many impoverished African countries, Nigeria suffers from high rates of HIV. Nigeria accounts for 9% of the world’s total HIV cases and has the second-highest number of people living with the illness in the world. The U.S. government assists Nigeria through the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) which provides life-saving HIV therapy to more than 600, 000 Nigerians living with the disease. The emergency plan also provides support programs for one million children who have been affected by HIV.
Fighting COVID-19
Since January 2020, Nigeria has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with World Health Organization (WHO) statistics showing more than 260,000 cases of the virus and 3,155 fatalities as of April 2023.
To combat the spread of the virus, WaterAid has prioritized education as a key defense. The organization has used radio jingles on Nigerian channels to spread information on COVID-19. These jingles had a minimum estimated reach of over 800,000 people per radio broadcast, making them an effective way to spread updates on how to limit the spread of the virus.
Looking Ahead
With aid from charitable projects, living conditions in Nigeria have seen dramatic improvements in the past few years. Through efforts in education and healthcare, these organizations aim to help in creating a future where Nigerians can enjoy better living conditions.
– Freddie Trevanion
Photo: Flickr
How AI in Indian Agriculture Is Revolutionizing Its Poorest Regions
AI, however, is increasingly helping innovate India’s agricultural economy. With the promise of abundant near-future investment, it could hold the key to a breakthrough in Indian agriculture. This, in turn, could yield a breakthrough in the battle against poverty.
The Importance of Agriculture to India’s Economy
For India, agriculture is key to its socioeconomic welfare. It is crucial to both its economy and food security, employing some 200 million people. The industry makes up 18% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and 40% of the total rural net domestic product.
General poverty rates in India have halved between 2006 and 2016, but India’s agricultural system suffers from acute structural issues. It is markedly behind the worldwide average in key areas, such as yield productivity in essential crops, water availability and market access.
These issues depreciate farm incomes and significantly worsen livelihoods, ultimately increasing indigence. India, however, finds itself at an inflection point, at which new technologies are showing the potential to galvanize productivity and alleviate poverty.
How AI is Causing Positive Change
In recent years, breakthroughs in artificial intelligence have allowed farmers to better understand their land, soil and crop health as well as neighboring environments. Two teams at Google are leveraging AI in Indian agriculture in order to develop a “unified ‘landscape understanding.” The AI works by employing satellite imagery and machine learning to draw boundaries between fields, crucial to forming meaningful calculations. Following this, the AI can determine the acreage of farm fields, as well as irrigation structures like farm wells which can help create tools for drought preparedness. This can also help calculate previous water availability over the past month, three months or year, all critical in establishing water security and drought management strategies.
Another promising advance for AI in Indian agriculture has come from the World Economic Forum’s Artificial Intelligence for Agriculture Innovation (AI4AI). This is led by the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) India. By promoting the use of artificial intelligence, the AI4AI aims to “bring… together government, academia and business representatives” to develop innovative solutions for the agricultural sector. As of January 2023, 7,000 farmers, primarily chili producers, have been using the technology to monitor their crops. They also use it to perform quality control and test soil, which helps them access new customers in different regions.
An Even Brighter Future
The positive effects of AI in Indian agriculture have two dimensions. For farmers today, the accurate understanding of field performance and environmental conditions it provides allows them to reduce land and water waste while increasing crop yield. Yet, even more promising is the potential benefits it could bring to future farmers. As more information is gathered on farm performance, agricultural loans will become more available. This will allow state governments to provide increasing support for farming districts at scale. AI in Indian agriculture, led by companies such as Google, will support its rapidly growing technology industry. New artificial machinery is also increasingly undergoing development to make farming practices more efficient and sustainable.
Domestic investment indicates a positive future. At present, there are more than 1,000 agri-tech startups in India. They offer a range of services, including digital finance, quality testing and market connect platforms. As agri-tech develops, these businesses should exponentially increase agriculture productivity and sustainability, improving food security for some of India’s poorest people.
Some Challenges AI May Face in Agriculture
Though AI presents a very exciting prospect for Indian agriculture, it is not free of potential challenges. Foremost among these is the fact that AI systems require a great deal of data to train machines and make accurate predictions. For large agricultural areas, learning models would take time to mature. Though solutions are emerging, there may be a significant delay until farmers can reap their full benefits.
Nonetheless, recent developments of AI in Indian agriculture herald a fundamental change in productivity that should continue revolutionizing the yield, communication and water access of farmers over the coming years, and perhaps even decades. This will provide vital economic assistance to India’s farmers, many of which live below the extreme poverty line, and crucially stabilize food security to help feed the country’s 1.4 billion people.
– Gabriel Gathercole
Photo: Flickr
5 Facts About the Feminization of Poverty
The “feminization of poverty” is the concept of social and economic factors that keep women disproportionately poor globally. It touches on how women experience poverty in more severe forms than men. It also looks into how poverty is on the rise among women.
Gender inequality is the most common form of inequality in the world, and as a result, it is one of the biggest barriers to alleviating poverty. The following are some important facts to know about the feminization of poverty in the world.
5 Facts About the Feminization of Poverty
Ongoing Efforts and Potential Solutions
Fighting gender inequality plays a significant role in ending poverty. U.N. Women, which emerged in July 2010, has a project dedicated to supporting women worldwide, training them to become entrepreneurs and start small businesses. UN Women has four strategic priorities that include helping women to participate in and benefit from governance systems, secure income and exercise economic autonomy. Its aim is to free women and girls from all forms of violence and enable them to contribute to building a sustainable world.
Other organizations like ActionAid and Forgotten Women are committed to delivering safe aid to help women out of poverty and crisis situations through training and awareness initiatives. In 2021, ActionAid spent £31.9 million on humanitarian and development programs globally.
There is still much work to do in the fight against female poverty. Nonetheless, several organizations are already working to provide women with the support and opportunities that they need to succeed. Supporting the ongoing efforts of active organizations, through awareness and community work, can potentially play a vital role in putting an end to the feminization of poverty.
– Safa Ali
Photo: Flickr
A Closer Look at HIV/AIDS in Somalia
HIV/AIDS in Somalia in Numbers
When the epidemic began in Somalia in 1990, an estimated 2,500 Somali people lived with HIV. This number reached a peak of 15,000 in 2005. However, since then, incidents of HIV/AIDS in Somalia have steadily reduced. In 2021, an estimated 7,700 people lived with HIV/AIDS in Somalia, according to data from UNAIDS. In terms of gender, HIV/AIDS impacts more women than men. In 2021, women accounted for 52% of people 15 and older living with the condition in Somalia. Young women are more likely than men to contract a new HIV infection as they are more likely to face gender-based violence and are more harshly impacted by poverty and inequality. However, Somalia notes an equal split in the number of AIDS-related deaths according to gender.
The Impact of Poverty and Stigma
Close to 70% of Somali people are living below the poverty line, according to 2022 statistics. The decades-long war and severe weather conditions have contributed to both poverty and food insecurity. Living in poverty can be a catalyst for contracting HIV. Similarly, contracting HIV can deepen already existing poverty.
Conditions of poverty can lead to risky behaviors such as participating in transactional sex for food or shelter. Poverty is also a risk factor for developing unhealthy behaviors such as substance abuse, which lowers the chance of taking precautionary measures to protect against HIV. Improper drug use, such as the reusing of contaminated needles, can also cause HIV.
Additionally, the health care system in Somalia is poor. As of 2020, the existing health care system within Somalia is largely privatized. This means that impoverished Somalis, especially those living in rural areas, do not have access to affordable health care. In fact, estimates indicate that less than 30% of Somali people have access to health care.
The stigma and shame surrounding HIV/AIDS serve as a barrier to testing, diagnosis and treatment. People living with HIV experience discrimination and alienation not just from society but also from health care workers. For this reason, people are reluctant to utilize HIV services and visit clinics/hospitals. Oftentimes, people living with HIV “…only [became] aware of their HIV-positive status” when their partner received a positive diagnosis or “when the individual fell ill and all other attempts at healing them did not work,” according to a research study by Abdulwahab M. Salad and others published online in 2022.
Solutions to Addressing HIV/AIDS in Somalia
Within Somalia, the World Health Organization (WHO) focuses on addressing the epidemic by ensuring greater access to ART drugs, HIV testing and counseling. The WHO states that “Somalia is holding its own in comparison with immediate neighbors and other countries in the region” and that by the end of December 2022, 4,100 patients across Somalia were receiving antiretroviral therapy with the help of the WHO.
The WHO works in Somalia alongside the Global Fund. The Global Fund provided an investment of $18.6 million for the period of 2021 to 2023 to strengthen the HIV response in Somalia. This investment aims to “support Somalia in its goals of accelerating progress toward 95-95-95 HIV testing and treatment targets, reducing new HIV cases, mortality and morbidity by 30% and significantly reducing HIV-related discrimination in health care settings,” the Global Fund website says.
Visible Progress
Indeed, progress is visible as the Somali HIV National Strategic Plan states “…projected rates of new HIV infections dropped significantly from year 2000 to 2010 with numbers plateauing from 2012 to date. The early decline of new infections could be attributed to the strong cultural drive as well as heightened prevention interventions.”
Due to Somalia’s progression in reducing the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate from more than 1% in 2013 to 0.10% in 2022, Somalia maintains its status as “a low-level HIV epidemic country” as classified in 2014. Overall, Somalia is making significant progress as AIDS-related deaths are steadily declining and ART coverage rates are increasing, UNAIDS data shows.
But, it is imperative to continue advocating in other areas, such as poverty and stigma reduction, education, safe sex and drug use harm reduction for these numbers to continue dropping and to fully eradicate HIV/AIDS within Somalia.
– Chloe Jenkins
Photo: Flickr
DSIT Transforming Foreign Aid from the UK
In a bid to secure scientific-superpower status, Sunak created the brand new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) in February 2023. He has already committed up to £3.5 billion to the department.
A recent DSIT policy paper outlines how the international outlook of this new department, gives the U.K. scope to “shape the global landscape.” Specifically, it mentions prioritizing “research and development in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget”.
DSIT’s partnership with ODA could prove transformative to the U.K. foreign aid approach. What is more, rethinking the role of science in ODA might be an opportunity to achieve more by spending less.
With this in mind, here are three ways DSIT is looking to transform foreign aid from the U.K.:
Overall, the creation of DSIT presents exciting opportunities for Britain and the U.K.’s foreign aid efforts. Its future actions could also demonstrate how domestic government policies on science can help tackle poverty internationally.
– Sam Rucker
Photo: Unsplash