Resolving Sri Lanka’s Economic Crisis

Sri Lanka’s Economic Crisis
World Bank data reveals that almost 300,000 Sri Lankans fell under the poverty line in 2020, meaning that 12.7% of the population lived on less than $3.65 a day. The COVID-19 pandemic had a lethal effect on the tourism, manufacturing and construction sectors that locals are financially reliant on.

In an interview with The Borgen Project, Saman Kumara, a guest house owner in the city of Haputale in Sri Lanka, shares that the local population has resorted to selling their personal property to secure money for food and medicine. According to 2022 data from the World Food Programme (WFP), close to 30% of Sri Lanka’s households (more than 6 million people) experience food insecurity. Adding insult to injury, citizens are experiencing power cuts of up to 13 hours and massive shortages of medicine and fuel. These consequences stem from government mismanagement and failure to act on time, resulting in Sri Lanka’s deepest economic crisis yet.

Coping with the Crisis

To alleviate the impacts of Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, in 2020, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) examined Sri Lanka’s social protection response, concentrating on cash transfer initiatives. The Sri Lankan government swiftly established a cash transfer initiative in response to the crisis, “providing millions of monthly payments of LKR5,000 (roughly $14) to households in April and May.” Although the initiative lasted just two months, the government managed to reach most of the country’s citizens with this financial sustenance.

Kumara says that, during the pandemic, “the rich became richer” by buying off the properties that poverty-stricken people were forced to sell due to financial difficulties. “We had to sell our properties, vehicles and land to earn some money because every other income was blocked. [Wealthy] people bought those properties and vehicles at a very low price and that made the situation even worse.”

Government Mismanagement

Official records from Sri Lanka’s Department of External Resources show that by the end of April 2022, the government’s external debt amounted to $34.8 billion. The BBC reported in May 2022 that “Sri Lanka has defaulted on its debt for the first time in its history.” The economic turmoil, rolling blackouts, shortages of essential resources and staggering inflation have caused countrywide protests.

According to protestors, “a series of missteps” that the president and his administration have made have led the once vibrant and thriving economy of Sri Lanka to a fatal crash. In July 2022, after angry protesters stormed his family residence, President Rajapaksa chose to step down from his position and fled the country.

Some of the decisions that triggered Sri Lanka’s economic crisis include the ban on chemical fertilizers, a decision that the government later reversed, but detrimentally affected Sri Lanka’s tea industry and increased food insecurity. Tax cuts in order to garner political support worsened the economic situation while Sri Lanka’s external debt continued to grow. Overall, citizens blame Sri Lanka’s economic collapse on poor governance and severe mismanagement of the economy.

A New Administration

In June 2022, Sri Lankan members of parliament appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as Sri Lanka’s new president, but according to Kumara, the new government has not helped the situation. “Yes, the government has changed but prices keep increasing. Before the pandemic, 1kg of rice cost 80 rupees (equivalent to $0.22), but now it costs more than 240 rupees (equivalent to $0.66). Petrol, gas and electricity have increased by about 800%,” Kumara says.

“Many of us [have no choice but] to leave the country as we cannot recover from the pandemic. Lots of restaurants are closed, most hotels have remained closed and people skip meals to save food and money.” Kumara also shared that the crisis has led to an increase in criminal activity and mental difficulties. “Every day we see on the news more robberies, suicides, people struggling with income.”

“We were lucky because our business received help from abroad. Previous guests [who] have been staying at our guest house sent us some money to lend a hand. However, it’s been almost impossible to recover from Sri Lanka’s economic crisis,” Kumara notes.

A September 2022 report by the U.N. says, in Sri  Lanka, “Fundamental changes will be required to address the current challenges and to avoid repetition of the human rights violations of the past.”

A Helping Hand

Help from abroad comes as UNICEF and Rotary International announce their new scheme to “deliver critical lifesaving supplies to families impacted by the crisis in Sri Lanka,” the UNICEF website says. The partnership, announced on 22 August 2022, aims to tackle the deepening economic crisis impacting the Sri Lankan community. Among other essentials, the partners will provide clean water, medicines, educational resources and medical equipment.

Projections by the World Bank suggest that poverty will continue to stand above 25% in the years to come. Aid from international organizations helps struggling Sri Lankans meet their basic needs, but for lasting change to occur, the new government needs to step up with reforms and solutions to reverse the damage that the previous administration caused.

– Ralitsa Pashkuleva
Photo: Flickr

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Women’s Rights in Iran and Afghanistan

Women’s Rights in Iran and Afghanistan
Women’s rights in Iran and Afghanistan are in severe danger. According to the National Library of Medicine, women’s empowerment has a direct correlation to food security, poverty rates and the elimination of hunger. Studies have proven that when women have access to education and are empowered to make their own decisions, there is a subsequent decline in “income poverty and multidimensional poverty.” The shared misogyny in Iran and Afghanistan, then, further propagates the countries’ high poverty rates–Iran with a rural poverty rate of 32%, and Afghanistan with a total poverty rate of 49.4%.

Women’s Challenges in Iran

The death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested in Iran for “not covering her hair modestly enough,” and died in police custody just three days later, sparked outrage among women across the country. Amini’s arrest served as a reminder to all Iranian women of the in-place regime that “by law, treats women as second-class citizens.”

As Human Rights Watch reported, once a girl has hit puberty, they must wear the hijab. Additionally, any protest of the hijab can result in a fine or detention, which often includes beatings, harassment or sentencing to a term in prison. This denial of choice in clothing is just one way of controlling Iranian women, influencing their view of choice in all other aspects of life.

Thus, the retaliation Amini’s death sparked was not only in response to her death, but the risk Iranian women face in making choices as seemingly simple as how to wear a hijab.

This dangerous Iranian regime has not only “created many dangerous social crises,” according to Iran Focus, but has left more than 3 million women unemployed as heads of households, extending poverty to an additional 7 million children.

Gender discrimination in Iran is actively contributing to increasing poverty levels, with women who are the sole providers in their families struggling to meet ends for themselves and their families. Here are two organizations fighting for women’s rights in Iran, thereby fighting poverty.

The Iranian American Women Foundation (IAWF)

Founded in 2012, the Iranian American Women Foundation (IAWF) is an organization that aims to inspire, empower and connect Iranian women across the globe. Since Mahsa Amini’s death, AWF has actively raised awareness for and supported the Iranian Women’s Rights Movement. Some ways it does this include:
  • Working with Major Companies and/or Buildings: The organization, in collaboration with various companies and schools, has hosted conferences across the U.S., opening dialogue on the women’s rights crisis in Iran.
  • Facilitating Vigils: On September 29, 2022, IAWF held a vigil in West Hollywood Park for Mahsa Amini and other Iranian women who have risked their safety fighting for women’s rights.
  • Buying Advertisements/Billboards: The foundation has raised funds to cover major billboards raising awareness for the ongoing fight for women’s rights in Iran, locations include: Times Square, NYC, Miami, FL, San Jose, Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA.
  • Visiting Schools: On October 11, 2022, the organization honored the International Day of the Girl by hosting Iranian American speakers at Marlborough School to speak about female empowerment. Speakers presented speeches and held conversations with students about the education crisis for women around the globe and specifically in Iran, encouraging students to be “agents of change.”
All of these efforts raise awareness for the crises Iranian women face every day. With every conversation hosted, and every billboard read, IAWF raises awareness for and helps fight poverty rates that gender inequality in Iran propagates.

United for Iran

United for Iran, founded in 2009, is a nonprofit organization that advocates human rights in Iran by supporting progressive civil liberties and empowering citizens through technology. By organizing campaigns, supporting civil movements and providing Iranians access to new technologies, United for Iran equips citizens with the necessary resources and skills to fight oppression head-on.

In its IranIncubator 1.0 and IranIncubator 2.0 projects, United for Iran connected app developers and software engineers to “civil society leaders” to collaborate on apps to better the lives of vulnerable social groups (i.e. women, immigrants, LGBTQI communities, activists, etc.). By assessing community needs, app developers and leaders brainstorm and develop apps to serve Iran’s most vulnerable.

Additionally, back in 2015, the organization led a campaign to free Bahreh Hedayat, a women’s rights activist, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence for peaceful protests against gender discrimination and violence towards women. In its campaign, U4I acquired 130,000 petitioners for Hedayat’s release.

Women’s Challenges in Afghanistan

On Dec. 21, 2022–a mere two months after Amini’s tragic death–Taliban officials barred females in Afghanistan from pursuing all educational opportunities, closed universities to women, fired professors and sent home elementary school girls. Alongside barring education, the Taliban published a set of rules for Afghani women to follow, including:
  • Adult women are not to visit mosques or religious seminaries.
  • A “male guardian” must accompany any woman when they travel more than 48 miles or attend appointments and errands (entering government buildings, doctor checkups, taking a taxi, etc.).
  • Women cannot pursue jobs, except medicinal careers.
  • Women cannot visit public parks.

Amini’s death sparked retaliation in Iran against the commonplace violence women endure, and in retaliation, security forces have killed 201 protestors. Similarly, the Talbian’s latest education ban inspired protests in Herat, where female protestors faced water cannons for their retaliation.

About 71.5% of adult females in Afghanistan face “severe food insecurity”– versus 61.2% of adult men. With the new bans on women pursuing education and careers, this statistic is likely to worsen.

Afghani women who no longer have the option to work and are the heads of households have no choice but to starve and households relying on both parents’ incomes will be highly vulnerable to poverty and food scarcity. Here are two organizations fighting for women’s rights and against poverty in Afghanistan.

Women for Afghan Women (WAW)

Women for Afghan Women (WAW), founded in 2001, is a civil-society organization– and the largest women’s organization in Afghanistan– that promotes women’s rights in Afghanistan. By working with victims of domestic violence, WAW aims to empower women to “pursue their individual potential,” and fight for places in scenes prohibited to Afghani women (i.e. political scenes).

Over the past 22 years, WAW has distributed food and sanitary necessities to women and girls in Afghanistan, operating 34 centers to provide women’s protection services, child support and family guidance.

By August 2022, WAW’s efforts supported 94,863 Afghani individuals, 11,454 families and 1,355 survivors of gender-based violence, equipping families, Afghani women and girls with immediate and long-term relief services and support.

Women’s Regional Network (WRN)

The Women’s Regional Network (WRN), founded in 2010, aims to provide a voice to the voiceless women subject to violence and misogyny in South Asia. In Iran, the network connects women to “peace advocates,” who offer a safe, supportive and empowering learning environment for participants to gain access to knowledge on political discourse and policy development.

WRN hosts community conversations with Afghani women regarding any emergent needs, conflicts and policy discourse. By offering safe spaces for women to speak freely, learn about policy impact and brainstorm solutions, WRN equips Afghani women with hope for and actionable plans for a more equitable future.

While news headlines regarding women’s rights in Iran and Afghanistan may be tough to read, it is an important reminder that the fight for equality and civil rights around the world is not nearly at a close. Every day women’s rights in Iran and Afghanistan are at risk, raising the vulnerability of women and children to severe poverty. Consider donating to or reading more about these four organizations fighting for women’s rights in Iran and Afghanistan to help.

– Micaella Balderrama
Photo: Flickr

How the PAHO Telehealth System Compares to Other Systems

Telehealth System
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has created its own digital platform to bring a telehealth system to those in the remotest parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. “The aim of the platform is to improve patient outreach and follow-up, with an emphasis on continuity of care for people with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs),” said Sebastian Garcia Saiso, the Director of the Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health at PAHO.

Accounting for more than 70% of deaths across the globe, NCDs are the leading cause of disability and death in the world. The platform will be able to help ailing patients and allow healthcare workers to refer patients residing in remote locations before they undertake potentially burdensome travel.

The platform will be rolled out to The Bahamas, El Salvador, Honduras, Peru, Suriname, Dominica, Uruguay, Panama and Nicaragua. Below is a comparison of the PAHO telehealth system and those currently in place.

Telehealth System in Trinidad and Tobago

In a collaborative effort between PAHO and the Ministry of Health of Trinidad and Tobago, mobile medical robots underwent deployment to public health facilities in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. This benefitted those in the community who did not want to be face-to-face with their health care provider during the outbreak.

This shows that PAHO is not unfamiliar with working in Trinidad and Tobago and its continued work to get the most vital telehealth services to those who need them.

According to Erica Wheeler, a PAHO representative in Trinidad and Tobago, “Since the COVID-19 pandemic, both patients, as well as health professionals, are more eager now to engage in the use of the benefits of telemedicine.”

Telehealth System in Peru

Compared to other countries, Peru accelerated the implementation of telehealth services in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While this was a step in the right direction, Peru’s telemedicine system was considered a hasty step because of inadequate internet access nationwide.

Peru has many factors working against the efforts of telemedicine to be effective. These include geographical concerns, costly internet prices and a high population of low-income individuals. PAHO’s “All-in-ONE Telehealth platform” will help to reach out to these people and have routine checkups to keep diseases, especially NCDs in check.

Telehealth System in Uruguay

The government of Uruguay saw the need for online health care and, in 2012, created the website “Salud.uy.” The National Agency of Electronic Government, Uruguay’s Presidency, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Economy all collaborated in developing the platform. In March 2020, the government passed legislation to encourage telemedicine development and implementation in Uruguay. While Uruguay has made great strides in its own goals of getting telemedicine across the country, the efforts of PAHO will help those in the most remote spots.

Concluding Thoughts

The comparison of the PAHO telehealth system and those currently in place in countries across Latin America and the Caribbean revealed that many countries need help to bring the benefits of telehealth to their citizens. PAHO’s system will serve as a bridge by aiding those who need the most help.

– Sean McMullen
Photo: Flickr

6 Facts to Know About Diabetes in Mexico

Diabetes in Mexico
In 2019, diabetes was the second-highest cause of death in Mexico. Due to these alarming statistics, the government is looking to lower diabetes rates and increase the health and quality of life of its citizens, especially vulnerable and impoverished populations who are most at risk of acquiring the condition.

6 Facts to Know About Diabetes in Mexico

  1. Prevalence. The prevalence of diabetes in Mexico stood at almost 17% in 2021, according to the International Diabetes Federation, which equates to one in six individuals or 14 million Mexican adults suffering from diabetes. In just two years, the prevalence of diabetes in Mexico has risen by about 10%. Along with this, there are 11 million adults in Mexico suffering from Impaired Glucose Tolerance, which means they are more susceptible to acquiring Type 2 diabetes. The increasing influx of patients diagnosed with diabetes in Mexico has put a strain on the nation’s public health systems. While the nation is already struggling to keep up with the number of cases it currently has, estimates indicate that “47.5% of people living with diabetes in Mexico have not been diagnosed yet.” These undetected causes go untreated, causing life-threatening complications and a lower quality of life, all of which lead to higher health care spending and costs.
  2. Risk Factors. One key risk factor for diabetes is being overweight. Those who are obese are at increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, which people often refer to as a lifestyle disease. In Mexico, “65% of the population is overweight,” a 2019 study led by Mathieu Levaillant says, and 32.4% of the population suffers from obesity. Mexico holds the second highest rate of obesity after the United States, according to Columbia Public Health. To address the obesity epidemic, Mexico’s government has implemented a series of public health policies to influence lifestyle choices. These policies include “taxing sugary beverages and high-calorie non-essential food, mandatory front of packet food labeling and regulation of food advertising targeted at children.”
  3. Vulnerable Groups. Mexico’s vulnerable populations such as the elderly and those who are of lower socioeconomic status are at particular risk of developing diseases like diabetes and bear the highest burden. Elderly people experiencing diabetes in Mexico are more susceptible to disability and mortality arising from the condition. Not only is the disease costly to manage for low-income individuals but a lack of access to health care means a lack of preventative services that could help with early detection or avoiding the disease altogether. Furthermore, if impoverished individuals become subject to disability or amputation as a result of the disease, the inability or decreased ability to work will disrupt their financial stability even further.
  4. The Economic Cost. The task of managing diabetes can be a very expensive burden on the family of the person suffering from the disease. As it is a lifelong disease with no cure, proper management is crucial. The cost of this management, however, can create significant financial barriers to health care access, particularly for those who are not financially secure. Diabetes costs Mexico billions of dollars annually, according to NPR.
  5. The Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A new study noted an increase in diabetes rates since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Researchers noted “148,437 diabetes-related deaths in 2020 compared to an average of 101,496 deaths in 2017-2019.” One could attribute this to barriers to accessing medical care during the pandemic as the study found that “in-hospital deaths related to diabetes decreased in 2020 at 17.8% while out of hospital-deaths increased by 89.4%.”
  6. Clinics del Azucar. The largest diabetes care clinics in Mexico, Clinics del Azucar, provide affordable diabetes and hypertension care to patients. Through these clinics, teams of doctors, nurses, nutritionists and psychologists jointly help diagnose and treat patients. For instance, the development of comprehensive diet and exercise plans helps to maintain blood sugar levels and prevent the disease from worsening. The International Finance Corporation’s investment of $4 million is assisting Clinicas del Azucar in helping the most vulnerable patients. Through IFC support, Clinicas del Azucar aims to establish 100 new clinics in Mexico by 2024.

Looking Ahead

With increased efforts to make diabetes care in Mexico both affordable and accessible, the nation has the potential to reduce the prevalence of diabetes in the country and reduce the economic costs associated with it.

– Emma Cook
Photo: Pixabay

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Solar-Powered Oxygen Systems in Somalia Save Lives

Solar-Powered Oxygen Systems
As of November 2022, the World Bank recorded that close to 70% of  Somalia’s population lives in poverty and 90% suffer from multidimensional impoverishment. Among many other basic necessities, many cannot afford health care services that prevent or cure fatal diseases, such as pneumonia. Solar-powered oxygen systems in Somalia provide an innovative solution to address pneumonia and prevent pneumonia-related deaths in Somalia. However, before early 2021, health facilities in Somalia struggled to provide patients with critical oxygen.

Pneumonia in Somalia

Many diseases plague Somalia due to widespread poverty and a lack of access to health care, nutritious food, clean water and safe sanitation. In 2019, lower respiratory infections, such as pneumonia, stood as the number one disease contributing to the highest number of deaths in Somalia. Somalia has one of the world’s highest rates of child mortality and pneumonia accounts for 25% of these deaths.

Pneumonia is a severe respiratory disease impacting the lungs. Caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi, pneumonia leads to breathing difficulties. A person with pneumonia experiences pain while breathing and cannot breathe in enough oxygen. “Pneumonia is the single largest infectious cause of death in children worldwide,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

However, parents can prevent pneumonia in children through vaccinations to protect against “Hib, pneumococcus, measles and whooping cough (pertussis),” the WHO highlights. To ensure the effectiveness of immunization, adequate nutrition is essential. Because Somalia is one of the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Somali children suffer from malnutrition and undernutrition, which puts them at risk of weakened immune systems that could make them more susceptible to acquiring pneumonia.

Apart from the importance of adequate nutrition, oxygen is needed in large quantities as a therapy to combat pneumonia. Somalia lacks oxygen systems, tanks and other essential equipment, which makes the treatment of pneumonia and pneumonia-related diseases difficult. The need for oxygen systems in the country became more apparent and urgent during the COVID-19 pandemic as many people needed these to survive.

Poor parents in Somalia struggle to access health care services for their children because of financial constraints, putting timely health care treatment out of reach. Another issue impacting health care facilities is a lack of electricity to operate essential equipment and oxygen concentrators. The introduction of solar-powered oxygen tanks in Somalia resolves this issue.

Solar-Powered Oxygen Systems

A collaboration between the WHO, the innovative nonprofit Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) and a team from the University of Alberta gave rise to an innovation that has so far saved many from pneumonia-related deaths in Somalia.

Dr. Mamunur Rahman Malik, a WHO Somalia representative, said in an interview with VOA News, “pneumonia is the deadliest disease among children under the age of five in the country. Until now, health authorities had not had access to an intervention that could reduce deaths from childhood pneumonia.”

The partners installed the solar-powered oxygen system, “the first of its kind,” in January 2021 at the Hanaano General Hospital in Dusamareb, Somalia. By harnessing the sun, which is a cost-free resource, the systems capture enough solar energy to use during the day, at night and at times when the weather is not sunny, like on cloudy days.

The solar-powered oxygen system provided critical oxygen to 171 patients at the hospital from February 2021 to October 2021. Of these patients, 163 patients (95.3%) made full recoveries.

The innovative and life-saving solar-powered oxygen systems in Somalia have reduced the cost of treatment for pneumonia and pneumonia-related diseases and can operate without an electricity supply. This medical innovation has the potential to significantly reduce the mortality rate in the country.

– Oluwagbohunmi Bajela
Photo: Flickr

How One Acre Fund Helps Farmers in Africa

Farmers in Africa
The One Acre Fund is a Kenya-based social enterprise that believes “farmers are the key to achieving food security and prosperity.” Yet, in sub-Saharan Africa, farmers account for most individuals surviving on just a dollar per day. The One Acre Fund supports farmers in the nine African countries that are responsible for the production of 80% of Africa’s food supply. The One Acre Fund website highlights that by 2030, about 90% of individuals surviving on a dollar a day will reside in sub-Saharan Africa. With statistics such as these, it is clear to see why One Acre Fund has a particular focus on farmers in sub-Saharan Africa specifically. The social enterprise works to reduce poverty by providing farmers with vital supplies and training to increase yields and bring in more income with a goal to benefit 10 million farmers by 2030.

The Importance of Supporting Smallholder Farmers

Smallholder farmers depend on the crops they cultivate not only to gain a stable income but also to feed themselves and their families. By helping farmers just as the One Acre Fund does, farming families are able to secure a more stable supply of food all year round and perhaps even a surplus yield, benefiting nutrition and overall food security. Global Citizen highlights that “financing for farmers pays for itself — every $1 invested in agricultural research by demand-driven research institutions such as the CGIAR generates $6 or more in benefits, such as increased farmer income and better health and educational outcomes for community members.”

The One Acre Fund Training Programs

When it comes to boosting the success of smallholder farmers, receiving quality agricultural training is just as important as having quality supplies. One Acre Fund provides direct and personalized training to farmers to improve productivity and yields. For instance, farmers learn beneficial planting techniques, how to prepare the land for planting, how to prevent infestations of diseases and pests and battle unexpected barriers in growing crops, among other topics.

The One Acre Fund aims to provide farmers with the knowledge and skills to improve climate resiliency, considering that Africa often faces extreme weather conditions, such as floods and drought. The training of smallholder farmers not only enhances their knowledge and skills but also advances their independence and allows farmers to pass down the knowledge to more people in their communities to multiply the impact of the training.

Last Mile Delivery

In 2021, 58% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa lived in rural areas with many of these areas being remote and lacking infrastructure and road networks. This lack of connectedness introduces a new obstacle when it comes to delivering smallholder farmers the necessary resources to thrive agriculturally, like seeds and other essential farming supplies.

The One Acre Fund introduced the Last Mile Delivery strategy to ensure farmers in the most remote places can access essential resources that will help break the cycle of poverty. In order to do this, the social enterprise delivers through three pathways: retail shops, field officers and trials of online apps. One Acre Fund utilizes “geotagging software to pinpoint and monitor activity at each delivery site” to make sure farmers receive the supplies. Even if there are no proper roads because of a lack of infrastructure in under-developed areas, alternative modes of transport are utilized for deliveries, such as tractors and motorcycles.

The One Acre Fund’s Impacts

In 2021, the efforts of One Acre Fund benefited the lives and livelihoods of 3.2 million farmers. The social enterprise has expanded the income of farmers by about 40% annually, resulting in “$210 million in new farm profits,” its website says. One Acre Fund has provided job opportunities to about 9,500 individuals, mainly from rural locations. The social enterprise highlights a successful return on investment: “$2.70 new farm profits created for every $1 of donor investment.” Overall, the work of social enterprises such as the One Acre Fund betters the lives of disadvantaged smallholder farmers in Africa by increasing agricultural yields and reducing poverty.

– Ruby Wallace
Photo: Flickr

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Saving Women and Children in Kenya Amid Drought

 Women And Children in Kenya
Millions of women and children in Kenya are at risk of death due to the most severe drought experienced in four decades, the United Nation reported in January 2023. The drought has forced families to migrate away from health facilities in search of food and water, which means the rate of skilled birth attendance has reduced, increasing the risk of maternal mortality. Kenya’s maternal rate is 342 mothers per 100,000 live births and could increase due to the drought’s impacts. The United Nations Population Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) created an innovative motorbike emergency ambulance service to reduce maternal deaths in Kenya. Furthermore, the World Food Programme (WFP) partnered with the national government to provide various aid services to women and children in the most vulnerable regions, thus, minimizing the impact of Kenya’s drought on the population’s health.

The Long Drought

Before Kenya’s drought, health facilities in Kenya supported an average of 411 births per month, which amounts to a 70% skilled birth attendance rate. However, deliveries at these facilities drastically decreased to 100 per month by November 2022, equating to a 24.6% skilled birth attendance rate. A lack of skilled maternal care via trained professionals contributes to Kenya’s high maternal mortality rate.

Regardless of technological advances, Kenya consistently maintains a high maternal mortality rate. The government of Kenya has made efforts to train more health care professionals, but low-income people located in rural areas must still undertake arduous journeys to health centers due to the country’s complex geographical layout. Access to timely and routine health checkups at a closely located health facility is out of reach for many pregnant women in rural areas.

The drought has caused severe nutritional concerns for children and pregnant women due to food shortages. In particular, the drought has led to the deaths of 1.5 million livestock, which served as a primary source of food and income. By July 2022, more than 9,000 Kenyan children under 5 and 135,000 pregnant/nursing mothers suffered acute malnourishment.

The UNFPA and the WFP

The UNFPA created an emergency motorbike program, operational since November 2022, that transports pregnant women to health centers and significantly reduces the delivery time of emergency medical supplies. In the past, some pregnant women in rural Kenya delivered on the side of the road as they could not reach a health facility in time. The emergency motorbike ambulance program aims to help about 135,000 pregnant women/new mothers in Kenya who have difficulty accessing essential health care.

 The UNFPA provides reproductive health care services every two weeks to 15-20 pregnant women in the most rural parts of the country. Furthermore, the UNFPA also provides nutritional and immunization services to these communities. To continue its critical work amid Kenya’s drought, the UNFPA is appealing for $113.7 million to finance its Response Plan for the Horn of Africa Drought Crisis 2022-2023, with particular emphasis on supporting women and children in Kenya.

Amid the drought, in July 2022, the WFP partnered with Kenya’s government to transfer emergency cash and food to 19,000 families and implemented resilience programs to support more than 300,000 people. Moreover, the WFP also appealed for $130 million more to expand the aid to further families. The call for extra funding aimed to “cover food and cash for 960,000 and blanket supplementary feeding for 486,000 children and 122,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women in the worst affected counties.”

Kenya’s drought directly threatens the health of pregnant women and children in Kenya. However, by establishing programs and funding to increase access to health care and nutrition, the UNFPA and the WFP are providing life-saving services. The work of these intergovernmental organizations improves countries’ health, leading to more prosperity worldwide.

– Andres Valencia
Photo: Flickr

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How Digital Technologies Can Help End Child Poverty

Digital Technologies
Impoverished children have long been the target of anti-poverty efforts. In addition to being one of the groups most vulnerable to the effects of penury, ensuring children have opportunities to grow economically and socially is vital in the long-term fight against global poverty, considering they will form coming generations. This aspect has become more important than ever; due to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, child poverty has seen a substantial increase in many parts of the world, and the fight against child poverty as a whole has experienced complications. Thankfully, focusing on digital technologies can yield multiple solutions to many of the issues bound up in child poverty.

Understanding Child Poverty

Today, 1 billion children are in multidimensional poverty (with about 356 million of those children being in extreme poverty), which means they lack access to various necessities ranging from clean water and food to a proper education. In recent years this number has unfortunately increased, with the COVID-19 pandemic pushing another 100 million children into poverty.

The effects of child poverty can be devastating, both short and long-term. About 3.1 million children die each year (or 8,500 children a day) from a lack of proper nutrition. For many other children, not having adequate nutrition or clean food can lead to several issues such as stunted growth. In the long term, if these impoverished children are unable to get a proper education, that will stymie opportunities for them to climb the economic and social ladders and raise themselves out of poverty. For these issues and many more, child poverty is a vital facet to focus on when fighting against world impoverishment.

Technological Solutions

Thankfully, digital technology has emerged as one avenue to fight child poverty. For example, one huge way digital technologies are improving the lives of impoverished children is by providing greater access to education. As technologies like computers and cellular connectivity continue to gain a greater foothold in the world’s poorest regions, they provide opportunities for children to have complete, safe and efficacious access to sources of education. Studies that the United Nations and agencies like UNICEF have backed this up by showing that using digital technologies to educate poor children can not only help them get into the educational system but help them catch up on time they lost in the classroom during events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digital technology can also help fight child poverty in ways many may have never considered. For example, the introduction of new technologies into poor regions can help improve their Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems, programs that various national governments use to record data such as birth date, place and other vital information about individuals. These systems do not have records of many of the world’s poorest children, which means these children cannot access things that their governments provide such as social, health and education services. Streamlining digital technologies that allow for poor children to be registered in these systems, will ensure they have the full support and protection of rights from the government necessary to thrive and survive.

Looking Forward

Child poverty remains a top issue in the fight against global poverty. Thankfully, several of the issues rooted in this fight are possible to combat through the promotion of the innovative use of digital technology in the world’s poorest regions. As more research continues into how digital technologies can help end child poverty, progress will continue.

– Elijah Beglyakov
Photo: Flickr

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The Medicalization of Poverty Induced Mental Health Illnesses

Mental Health Illnesses
As the number of people with mental health illnesses increased in recent years, mental health has become the center of much discussion, with the highest rate among lower-income countries. A World Health Organization (WHO) report found that more than 80% of depressive disorders occurred in low to middle-income countries. Poverty, unemployment and other factors that people commonly associate with poverty, such as alcoholism, make the risk of depression higher. Many who develop mental health struggles go on to seek appropriate treatment for their symptoms from doctors and medical professionals, where available. On the other hand, treating the cause of their distress would arguably be more effective.

Living in Poverty: The Biological Stress Response and the Effects on Mental Health 

The neurological effects of poverty are already visible in infancy, with diminished brain development seen among children from low-income households. Meanwhile, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) reported that poverty can lead to ample detrimental physiological responses, including increased blood pressure and cortisol levels. Over time, a build-up of these responses can disrupt brain function, prompting long-term physical and mental health ramifications.

A 2015 report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) found that schizophrenia and depression have a higher prevalence amongst those with lower socioeconomic status. Alcoholism and other substance abuse had a stronger association with those who lived in poverty for a long time.  

Mental Health in Low-income Countries 

What many may consider a disease that plagues the wealthy, the largest proportion of global mental health sufferers resides in the countries with the lowest incomes. Those living in poverty, with less educational access, and who struggle to acquire basic needs are at a greater risk of developing mental disorders. This means that the relationship between poverty and mental disorders resembles a vicious cycle in low to middle-income countries.

The lack of available mental health resources only further exacerbates this problem, with less than 1% of these countries’ budgets invested in mental health. Moreover, in the communities, there is a higher level of taboo surrounding mental health illness, leading to a lack of clarity and understanding.

Treatment: The Symptom, Not the Cause 

Low-income communities have a higher proportion of antidepressant users in comparison with those of higher income. A U.K. study that the DeStress Project conducted revealed that individuals living on Universal Credits and struggling with the distress from poverty reported resorting to medication as a means to legitimize their suffering, as well as being made to feel as though the cause of their grief was pathological, not systemic. Despite prescribing antidepressants, one doctor reported knowing in their “heart of hearts that it’s not a medical problem.” 

CBM UK: The Mental Health Charity Helping the World’s Poorest 

CBM U.K. has been working to help the lives of those suffering from mental health illnesses in the world’s poorest countries for more than 15 years. In 2017, CBM merged with the mental health charity BasicNeeds which only increased its technical capacity and reach. The charity aims to improve access to mental health resources such as therapy and medication, eradicate stigma and taboo surrounding mental health as well as train local communities to support those with mental health illnesses in rural and non-developed areas. In 2022, CBM U.K. gave 27,000 people support for mental health conditions, and the pandemic has enabled 2,500 medical professionals to provide support.

Looking Ahead

Nonetheless, treating mental health illness in poorer communities only addresses the symptoms rather than the cause. Solving poverty would reduce the number of cases of mental disorders and consequently eradicate the need for the unnecessary cost of prescriptions.

– Genevieve Lewis
Photo: Flickr

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5 Charities Operating in the Maldives

Charities Operating in the Maldives
 The Republic of Maldives is a South Asian island country located in the Indian Ocean. It is also known for being one of the smallest Muslim-majority countries and one of the smallest countries in Asia in general. Here are five charities operating in the Maldives.

5 Charities Operating in the Maldives

  1. Maldivian Red Crescent Society: This nonprofit is the first of the five charities operating in Maldives on this list. Maldivian Red Crescent Society is a member of the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and has been providing humanitarian aid for more than 12 years. Since its founding, it has carried out emergency response, mental health, youth empowerment and patient transport programs.  One group this charity has focused on is migrants. It has helped many migrants with social inclusion and mental health improvement. The charity has also played an elemental role in the Maldives charity scene with its continued work in supporting the most vulnerable populations of the island.
  2. Coram International Maldives: This institution focuses on children’s rights. It provides research and consulting for a number of issues relating to children and human rights violations. Being an international institution, Coram provides assistance in more than 92 countries. In the Maldives specifically, the charity works to provide consulting and research related to education, child protection and youth unemployment. In 2019, Coram International paired with UNICEF Maldives to administer a situation analysis regarding the youth of the Maldives. This study developed an assessment report that could help organizations such as the U.N. and UNICEF better help the children of the Maldives.
  3. Maldives Family Foundation: The third on the list of five charities operating in Maldives is the Maldives Family Foundation. This foundation works to provide assistance to families through legal aid, psychological help, and financial guidance. Maldives Family Foundation also has a large presence on social media, with prominent Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. One way the charity has been helping the citizens of the Maldives is by raising awareness of the Child and Family Protective Services available within the country.
  4. UNICEF in Maldives: UNICEF is a worldwide organization that provides humanitarian aid to children. The charity has been operating in the Maldives since 1978. When UNICEF started in Maldives, it had a primary school enrollment rate of 15% and many children were dying before the age of 5. Since then, with the help of humanitarian organizations such as UNICEF, the Maldives has become a country with one of the lowest poverty rates in South Asia. One way in which UNICEF has contributed to the alleviation of poverty in the Maldives is through its partnership with the National Bureau of Statistics. In this partnership, the team created a Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index. This index collected data about “household income, consumption, and the complexities of deprivation and inequality among communities, and [shed] light on how these factors impact children.”
  5. Huvadhoo Aid: This organization is focused on providing for the Maldivian community in areas such as human rights, equality and the promotion of democracy. One project that Huvadhoo Aid undertook was a reproductive education and rights workshop in 2012. This workshop was held at a local preschool, where many youths gathered to learn about safe sexual practices. A core goal of the workshop was to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Maldives.

Looking Ahead

Whether it be working with climate issues, families, the youth or vulnerable populations, these charities are working to make the Maldives a better place. These organizations provide support, not just for residents of the Maldives, but for the international community.

– Timothy Ginter
Photo: Flickr