The CDC defines maternal mortality as “the death of a woman during pregnancy, at delivery or soon after delivery.” While the chances of dying during childbirth or pregnancy have decreased drastically over the years, many countries around the world, especially countries with ongoing conflict or poverty, tend to struggle with lowering maternal mortality rates. India is one prime example of a country where women face a high risk of maternal mortality.
Maternal Mortality in India
In 2017, India had the second-highest count of maternal mortality, behind only Nigeria. India noted 35,000 maternal deaths in 2017. In fact, “pregnancy-related complications are the number one cause of death among girls between 15 and 19 years of age” in India, UNICEF says.
For starters, these statistics are due in part to the sheer number of babies being born in India. The population of India much surpasses that of the U.S. or U.K., for example, so it stands to reason that India would see higher numbers of maternal death. Still, for the period 2016-2018, India’s maternal mortality rate stood at 113 per 100,000 live births compared to just 17.4 out of 100,000 live births in 2018 in the United States. This means women in India are more than five times more likely to die during childbirth or pregnancy.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “women die as a result of complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these complications develop during pregnancy and most are preventable or treatable.” It says further, the “high number of maternal deaths in some areas of the world reflects inequalities in access to quality health services and highlights the gap between rich and poor.”
Specific complications, such as excessive bleeding, high blood pressure, infections and delivery complications, account for 75% of global maternal deaths.
How to Reduce Maternal Mortality
As the WHO highlights, most maternal deaths are preventable. Access to quality health care services during pregnancy, amid labor and after childbirth is essential. “It is particularly important that all births are attended by skilled health professionals, as timely management and treatment can make the difference between life and death for the mother as well as for the baby,” the WHO explains.
India has a universal health care system, yet there are significant differences in the quality of health care in urban and rural areas, with rural areas generally having lower quality health care and fewer options. There is also a disparity between private hospitals and the hospitals that operate on the universal plan. Generally, privately operated hospitals in India have better care but are more expensive. This paradigm means low-income women and women who live in rural areas are at a disadvantage when it comes to receiving timely and high-quality prenatal and postpartum care.
UNICEF and the Indian Government Combat Maternal Mortality
Despite these grim statistics, the government of India, along with UNICEF, has been making strides toward lowering maternal mortality. In the span of just three years, India lowered the number of women dying during childbirth from 130 in every 100,000 (2014-2016) to 113 in every 100,000 (2016-2018).
According to UNICEF, “Maternal mortality is considered a key health indicator and the direct causes of maternal deaths are well known and largely preventable and treatable.” In fact, UNICEF is working with the Indian government to implement standardized birth policies that birth care providers must follow. For instance, through the Reaching Every Mother initiative, UNICEF assists the health ministry in implementing a policy directing that every birth should occur in a health center with the presence of a skilled health professional.
In addition, UNICEF supports the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) program, which, according to the UNICEF website, “provides a fixed day for assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care free of cost to pregnant women on [the] 9th of every month.” The initiative aims to “strengthen antenatal care detection and follow-up of high-risk pregnancies” while lowering the prevalence of maternal mortality in India.
Efforts from the Indian government and organizations like UNICEF have already led to a dramatic decrease in maternal mortality in India, and hopefully, in the future, these numbers will continue to lower as people take more steps to keep mothers safe and healthy during their pregnancies and deliveries.
– Evelyn Breitbach
Photo: Flickr
The Effects of Humanitarian Efforts in 2022
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is the U.N. agency tasked with providing humanitarian assistance to areas of the world that so desperately need it. Specifically tasked with providing a response to humanitarian crises, a lot of its work helps combat the effects of poverty around the world. With a lot happening in the world in 2022, there was a lot of work necessary in the fight against poverty. From the Black Sea Grain Initiative to expanding its impact on countries like Syria, OCHA made tremendous progress in its humanitarian efforts to combat the effects of poverty around the world. Here are just a few of their successes.
Combating the Global Food Crisis
Along with the war in Ukraine came a global food crisis, which the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic made even more. In June 2022, the World Food Programme (WFP) wrote that millions of people worldwide were at risk of starvation due to the “rising prices of food, fuel and fertilizer.” Much of this was due to the war, as Ukraine is one of the largest exporters of foodstuffs in the world. The country accounted for 42% of the world’s supply of sunflower oil, 16% of corn and 10% of wheat, according to the Wilson Center.
U.N. and Turkish negotiators helped bring Russia and Ukraine together for the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allowed for a resumption of vital food exports from Ukraine. Since the agreement came into effect, 21,300,708 tons of cargo have left Ukrainian ports, as of February 2023. Corn made up 47% of the exports, with wheat accounting for 29%.
According to the U.N., 25% of the cargo went to lower-income countries like Bangladesh, Kenya, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia and more. This includes humanitarian food assistance to the Horn of Africa, which is currently experiencing a severe drought and famine. The exports out of Ukraine as a result of this U.N. brokered deal will continue to help improve food security conditions for millions and represents just one of the positive effects of humanitarian aid in 2022.
Expanding Humanitarian Efforts in Syria
The previous year also saw an increase in humanitarian efforts in Syria, with a United Nations Security Council resolution allowing humanitarian aid to cross into Syria from neighboring Türkiye. The decision was a testament to the positive effects of humanitarian aid, as the aid crossing the border “reached an average of 2.7 million people per month.”
This assistance provided thousands of impoverished people living in Syria access to food and education, as well as other resources necessary for their well-being. The expansion of aid into Syria, whose decade-long civil war continues to have detrimental effects on its population, also represents the positive effects of humanitarian aid in 2022.
Efforts at Promoting Localization
OCHA also lists its efforts at promoting localization as a positive effect of humanitarian aid in 2022. Localization, according to the International Red Cross (IFRC) is an increase of “international investment and respect for the role of local actors, with the goal of increasing the reach, effectiveness and accountability of humanitarian action.” Localization has been a key aspect of most humanitarian responses for a while, as local actors have the ability to stretch aid further than international organizations.
Local actors have much closer ties to the communities they seek to assist, and can have a much larger impact on delivering aid to these communities than international aid organizations would. Emphasizing localization is one of the most important positive effects of humanitarian aid and can help provide aid to those who otherwise would not receive it.
While the above represents only a handful of the positive effects of humanitarian aid, OCHA accomplished a lot more in 2022. From providing aid to drought-stricken areas in the Horn of Africa to assisting aid deliveries in Yemen, OCHA and other humanitarian organizations have had a massive positive impact on humanitarian aid in 2022; work that will continue going into 2023.
– Mohammad Samhouri
Photo: Flickr
Chess in Slums Fights Nigerian Poverty
According to the World Bank, in 2019 Nigeria ranked second of the five countries with the highest number of extremely poor people. The 2022 Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) survey noted that 63% of residents of Nigeria and 67.5% of the children are multidimensionally poor. Lack of education contributes to poverty likelihood, and increasing and improving education is a poverty-reduction strategy. Ironically, in Nigeria, playing chess in slums by out-of-school slum kids is also contributing to poverty reduction.
Effect of Poverty in Nigeria: Out-of-School Children Turned “Agberos”
According to 2020 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates, about 10.5 million Nigerian five-to-14-year-old children were out-of-school. In 2022, that figure increased to 18.5 million due to a high rate of attacks from jihadists. About 60% of the out-of-school students are girls. In addition, only 35% of Nigerian children attend early childhood classes and only 61% of six-to-ll-year-olds regularly attend primary school classes. This is despite the fact that primary school is free and compulsory in Nigeria.
Some of the out-of-school students live with their parents who do not enroll them so they can help them beg on the street. Others have run away from home or are orphans whose home is on the streets. Left to roam the streets, these children get involved in mischief that gets them into trouble in the community. They are usually called “agberos,” a Yoruba word for “thugs,” “hoodlums” or “street boys” who wind up increasing the level of criminal activities and insecurity in the country, which is an effect of poverty in Nigeria.
Chess in Slums: Keeping Out-of-School Students Off the Streets
Babatunde Onakoya founded Chess in Slums Africa (CISA) in 2018. This nonprofit organization’s goal is to teach underprivileged children how to play chess to keep them off the street. The founder uses the metaphor that just like the pawn can become a queen, underprivileged children can also become kings and queens.
For someone who lived in one of the Nigerian slums, Onakoya could relate to the out-of-school children. His parents could not afford his secondary school fees and so could not enroll in one. Luckily, a year later, his mother got to work in a school for free in exchange for his education. By this time, he had learned to play chess by watching a barber and his opponent play several times. He got better at it, won tournaments, played in university and eventually became a professional chess tutor.
When Babatunde graduated from university and did not have a job, he and his chess friends began teaching chess to children in the community of Majidun in Lagos. The team began to teach children how to play chess, by visiting them on specific days, like Saturdays and Sundays in Majidun, to teach them basic rules, movements and tricks of the board game that people often perceive to be only for elites.
CISA Training and Success
CISA organizes its training into three phases: beginner, intermediate and master. It monitors and evaluates students as they progress through the “chess-kid curriculum” that Onakoya chose because of its strength elsewhere in both teaching and competition coaching.
As Onakoya noted, “For me, education is more like the capacity for thought, for the children to be able to think independently. That is why we are giving them chess as a way for them to be educated in a different way, to learn how to think for themselves, not teach them what exactly to think but how to think for themselves, to come up with solutions for problems.”
In an interview with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Onakoya said, “The process of learning chess and trying to understand some of these complex things builds mental capacity over time. These children don’t speak any English words but over time, you see them using words like prophylaxis whenever we do group analysis together. Research has proven this time and time again that chess is a perfect game for mental development.”
Chess in Slums Reach and Success
CISA now works in several communities in Nigeria and even has started a chess academy in Burkino Faso. With more than 1,000 children enrolled, 500 of them have reached the intermediate level. Students have earned more than $400,000 in 200 academic scholarships. Future goals include enrolling 5,000 students, raising a million dollars to sponsor $1,000 a student to attend school and establishing programs across Africa.
– Oluwagbohunmi Bajela
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
The Benefits of Investing in Developing Countries
Investing in developing countries holds the power to enhance the lives of its citizens significantly. The right investments can improve infrastructure, provide access to essential services, increase amenities and boost overall human development. These investments positively impact health, education and economic opportunities.
Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA)
The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), which the African Development Bank (ADB) manages, serves as a prime example of the benefits of investing in developing countries. Established in partnership with the government of Denmark in 2011, SEFA provides catalytic finance to unlock private sector investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency, striving to increase access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy services in Africa.
High-income governments and organizations have made contributions to SEFA. Through its efforts to develop green mini-grids, finance green energy programs and establish blended-finance initiatives for small-scale renewables, SEFA actively contributes to the growth of renewable energy in Africa.
This investment in renewable energy projects not only enhances access to energy and stimulates economic growth, but also generates job opportunities in developing countries. This helps raise living standards and reduce poverty, while also advancing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of “No Poverty” and “Affordable and Clean Energy.”
Increasing Efforts
High-income countries should increase efforts towards promoting economic growth, reducing poverty and inequality and closing the gap in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by investing in developing countries. Despite the growth of sustainable finance, most of it remains in high-income countries, leaving lower-income countries in need of funding. To bridge this gap, high-income countries should remove barriers to financing access in developing countries and allocate more financing towards SDG investments.
The U.N. Conference on Trade and Development and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predict that the “SDG financing gap could reach $4.3 trillion per year from 2020 to 2025,” a significant increase from previous estimates, according to OECD.
OECD expects the government revenue of developing countries to decrease in 2022 and 2023, especially for middle-income countries, resulting in a yearly decline of $95 billion and its recovery will likely be slow, potentially not reaching pre-pandemic levels before 2030.
Companies could reap numerous benefits from foreign investment in developing countries, such as increased competitiveness, favorable productivity spillovers, access to new technology, market expansion and improved workforce training and qualifications leading to higher wages and employment.
Investments in job creation and training could provide an economic boost to communities by creating jobs, driving demand for goods and services and enhancing the skills of the workforce. Furthermore, foreign investments could lead to improved infrastructure, access to basic services and amenities and overall human development.
Boosting the Integration
Investing in developing countries opens the possibility of boosting their integration into the global economy through the enhancement of foreign trade flows. The growth of international networks of affiliated enterprises and the growing significance of foreign subsidiaries in multinational companies’ strategies provide greater access to import and export activities. Thus, developing countries that embrace international trade are more likely to reap the benefits of foreign direct investment (FDI).
In today’s interconnected and globalized world, it is crucial for countries to take advantage of the potential of foreign investments in developing countries. By investing in these countries, companies can reap the benefits of economic growth and development while promoting sustainability for all. These investments provide access to new markets, resources, technologies and capabilities that drive economic growth, create jobs and build local infrastructure. Additionally, foreign investments are a key source of financing for sustainable development initiatives such as renewable energy projects or environmental protection programs.
By investing in developing countries, companies not only benefit from increased economic growth but also play a crucial role in global sustainability efforts.
– Nkechi First
Photo: Flickr
3 Books that Raise Awareness About Poverty
The World Bank reports that global poverty rose in 2020 as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the total number of impoverished people to more than 700 million. Poverty is a cyclical problem — the limited access to proper education and future income draws the next generation into similar circumstances of impoverishment. Reducing poverty begins with awareness of poverty. Three recently published books are raising awareness about poverty, leaving readers educated and inspired to fight against poverty.
Dissolving Misconceptions Through Books
The lack of public awareness of poverty and its detrimental effects has led to many widely held misconceptions. Global Citizen discusses the root of misconception — misinformation, which is “powerful enough to derail the real narrative around poverty, the people who experience it and the fight to end it.”
Misconceptions also can influence the actions of citizens and influential decision-makers. Working to end poverty worldwide begins by eliminating misconceptions and educating society on the true causes and effects of this global issue. Both realistic portrayals of poverty in fiction novels and informative nonfiction books covering poverty can be helpful tools to begin identifying and deconstructing harmful misconceptions.
3 Books that Raise Awareness About Poverty
From Awareness to Action
Without action, awareness about poverty is futile in the fight against poverty. Therefore, it is essential when reading to identify and define actionable and achievable goals based on the information gathered.
Misconceptions surrounding poverty remain in the minds of many. Therefore, it is critical to dissolve these misconceptions and inspire people to get involved in humanitarian work to better the lives of the people whose stories the books raising awareness about poverty capture.
– Brooklynn Rich
Photo: Flickr
The Effect of COVID-19 on Poverty in Seychelles
The COVID-19 pandemic had a tremendous effect on all of the world’s countries. However, the impact has not been the same on any two countries, especially when considering the state of poverty in some of the world’s more impoverished nations. Seychelles, an archipelago country located off of East Africa, has been through many ups and downs since the touchdown of the pandemic. In order to plan anti-poverty measures going forward, it is helpful to analyze the effect of COVID-19 on poverty in Seychelles.
Pre-Pandemic Progress
Seychelles has made much progress in reducing its poverty rates over the past few decades. It has the highest GDP per capita of any African country, even exceeding averages from other more prosperous countries on the continent such as Equatorial Guinea and South Africa. This is due to its robust tourism economy, which has been steadily reducing many of the Seychellois’ reliance on subsistence farming.
Though still having a sizable impoverished population, as many countries in Africa do, Seychelles has for the most part seen strong gains in the fight against poverty. For example, the total population of impoverished Seychellois shrunk by 13.5% between 2017 and 2018.
The Effects of COVID-19
The effects of COVID-19 have been widespread in Seychelles, both on the citizen’s health and on their economy. Though different numbers are out there, in 2018, the government of Seychelles itself reported a 25% poverty rate in the country. Due to COVID-19’s crippling effect on the tourism industry, the country’s economy changed during the first couple of years of the pandemic, which in turn has stymied opportunities for the country’s most impoverished residents to climb out of poverty. Thankfully, Seychelles’ economy has seen a strong rebound, thanks in large part due to the country’s tourism sector flourishing once again as the world has opened back up.
Progress Moving Forward
Though much remains in the effort to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 on poverty in Seychelles, the outlook is currently hopeful. In addition to Seychelles’ strong economic rebound, as the pandemic wanes, outside aid continues to play a vital role in offsetting COVID-19’s deleterious effects on the country. For example, in 2020 the World Bank pledged $15 million in aid to Seychelles to help mitigate COVID-19’s effects, with the loan intended to specifically help “protect the most vulnerable” citizens of Seychelles. Other nonprofits, such as Global Vision International and Nature Seychelles, work to help the people of Seychelles, especially those in poverty.
Today, while poverty is still a strong issue in Seychelles, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, the progress seen in reducing the impoverished population and providing economic opportunities has been heartening. Though the effect of COVID-19 on poverty in Seychelles has been strong, there have been many victories in the fight to reduce this effect.
– Elijah Beglyakov
Photo: Flickr
New Sources for Ukraine’s Energy
As the war in Ukraine approaches its one-year mark, the European Union implemented a new product ban on Russian gas to cut off Russian funding for the war. The soaring gas prices are responsible for numerous countries and their poorest citizens navigating the challenges of extreme energy poverty. The energy battle left many Ukrainians without energy for days, weeks and even months. Ukraine’s energy coming from new sources is necessary to support citizens nationwide. In the coldest months, Ukraine continues to fight for heating for homes and businesses nationwide. In early February 2023, USAID promised a new mobile gas turbine power plant to provide energy to more than 100,000 businesses and homes.
Ukraine and Its Dependence on Russian Gas
Energy prices skyrocketed worldwide, effectively pushing millions of European Union members and Ukrainians into energy poverty. Energy poverty is when energy bills consist of such a high percentage of income that they have no option but to reduce their household’s energy consumption, which then negatively impacts health and well-being. In Ukraine, 42 million cubic tons of Russian gas flow through the country daily, acting as a major source of income for Russia.
Throughout the war, Ukrainian energy supplies have been a prime target both physically and financially. Russia is a primary supplier of Ukraine’s energy. In August 2022, Russia’s Nord Stream One pipeline, a dominant gas vessel in energy transportation, shut down due to leaks and prices rose exponentially overnight.
In November 2022, Russian forces attacked major providers of Ukrainian energy and cut energy supplies by at least 30%. The energy cuts are in addition to diminished Russian gas supplies already cutting into energy sources available for Ukraine. Energy prices across Europe have increased on average by about 73%. Natural gas alone has risen in price by 122% within a few months. The rise in energy prices is forcing more and more Ukrainians into poverty. The latest estimate of impoverished Ukrainians is approximately 25% of the nation, a dramatic increase from the much lower 2% one year ago.
Sanctions on Russian Gas
Governments worldwide implemented sanctions on Russian gas to decrease potential funding for the war in Ukraine. After a year of nations changing and renewing sanctions, in February 2023, the European Union and all G7 nations, United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada agreed on new sanctions on Russian gas. The latest ban is on all Russian diesel exports, a critical export of Russia. Diesel is an import that nations worldwide depend on for powering cars, farming equipment, factory machinery, and more to earn income. With each sanction, gas and energy prices could continue rising and Ukraine could be among the first nations to feel the price impacts of the sanctions. Ukraine’s energy coming from a new source without sanctions could allow a window of opportunity for Ukrainians to regain economic footing.
USAID’s Energy Assistance to Ukraine
The mobile gas turbine power plant that USAID has brought to Ukraine is not the first instance of aid from the U.S. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, USAID has invested $55 million into energy supplies and assistance for Ukraine. The government organization has brought energy assistance in the form of generators and financial investments to lift the burden of energy poverty and traditional poverty off of Ukrainians.
The new mobile gas turbine could lessen the Ukrainian energy burden. Mechanics and engineers have rushed non-stop to bring new energy sources to Ukraine while fixing the ones the war destroyed. USAID’s efforts for Ukraine engage the public and private sectors. It is working to bring more relief and energy providers to Ukraine. One of USAID’s most promising partnerships is with G.E., a major energy conglomerate and USAID is hoping to bring more energy poverty relief efforts with G.E. energy poverty remains an issue in Ukraine, but Ukraine’s energy coming from a source where they will not be skirting sanctions could help stop or at least slow the rise of poverty rates.
– Clara Mulvihill
Photo: Flickr
Disability and Poverty in Pakistan
Disability and poverty in Pakistan are interconnected. According to the Department for International Development, “poverty is both a cause and consequence of disability.” By exploring the links between disability and poverty in Pakistan, governments and organizations can develop solutions to address the root cause of the issue. Several organizations are working to improve the lives of people with disabilities in Pakistan.
Poverty in Pakistan
The World Bank says Pakistan has seen significantly reduced poverty rates over the past 20 years. In particular, the “expansion of off-farm economic opportunities and the increase in migration and associated remittances allowed [more than] 47 million Pakistanis to escape poverty between 2001 and 2018.”
According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), in 2018, 21.9% of the Pakistani population lived under the poverty line. However, the recent catastrophic and unprecedented floods have affected more than 33 million people in the country and an estimated 9 million more people are at risk of facing poverty due to the impacts of the floods, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) reported in January 2023.
Disability in Pakistan
According to Rooted in Rights, the estimated number of disabled individuals in Pakistan is 30 million. Despite this large population, the stigma surrounding disabilities means people with disabilities face inequalities, marginalization and ostracism.
It is imperative to voice and provide the views of the less fortunate and disabled and this starts by acknowledging that there is a strong connection between disability and poverty. People with disabilities are more likely to fall into poverty due to higher medical costs associated with their disability and a lack of inclusive education opportunities.
Individuals who are impoverished are also at risk of developing disabilities due to inadequate access to health care to address a health issue before it becomes an untreatable disability.
It is also difficult for people with disabilities to find work because of their limitations. According to the United Nations, “in developing countries, 80% to 90% of persons with disabilities of working age are unemployed, whereas in industrialized countries the figure is between 50% and 70%.”
The Work of NOWPDP
Beginning its work in 2008, NOWPDP, a leading disability organization in Pakistan, holds a vision to “ensure each and every person with a disability has equal access to opportunities, awareness about their rights and benefits, and is in fact, an integral part of the society.” Through several programs, the organization aims to empower people with disabilities so that they may live productive and fulfilling lives.
The initiatives aim to promote financial, education and employment inclusion for all people with disabilities, among other efforts. For instance, NOWPDP runs the 100 DAYS 100 LIVES campaign, which provides businesses with the opportunity to play an active role in disability inclusion in Pakistan by providing employment opportunities for 100 individuals with disabilities in Karachi for 100 days per year.
Looking Ahead
Dissolving the common misconception that the disabled are not as capable as the able-bodied is extremely important in the fight to promote disability inclusion in Pakistan. By acknowledging the connection between disability and poverty in Pakistan, the Pakistani government can look toward establishing comprehensive policies to empower people with disabilities and allow them to live a better quality of life.
– Nimra Nasur Mir
Photo: Flickr
Reducing Maternal Mortality in India
The CDC defines maternal mortality as “the death of a woman during pregnancy, at delivery or soon after delivery.” While the chances of dying during childbirth or pregnancy have decreased drastically over the years, many countries around the world, especially countries with ongoing conflict or poverty, tend to struggle with lowering maternal mortality rates. India is one prime example of a country where women face a high risk of maternal mortality.
Maternal Mortality in India
In 2017, India had the second-highest count of maternal mortality, behind only Nigeria. India noted 35,000 maternal deaths in 2017. In fact, “pregnancy-related complications are the number one cause of death among girls between 15 and 19 years of age” in India, UNICEF says.
For starters, these statistics are due in part to the sheer number of babies being born in India. The population of India much surpasses that of the U.S. or U.K., for example, so it stands to reason that India would see higher numbers of maternal death. Still, for the period 2016-2018, India’s maternal mortality rate stood at 113 per 100,000 live births compared to just 17.4 out of 100,000 live births in 2018 in the United States. This means women in India are more than five times more likely to die during childbirth or pregnancy.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “women die as a result of complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these complications develop during pregnancy and most are preventable or treatable.” It says further, the “high number of maternal deaths in some areas of the world reflects inequalities in access to quality health services and highlights the gap between rich and poor.”
Specific complications, such as excessive bleeding, high blood pressure, infections and delivery complications, account for 75% of global maternal deaths.
How to Reduce Maternal Mortality
As the WHO highlights, most maternal deaths are preventable. Access to quality health care services during pregnancy, amid labor and after childbirth is essential. “It is particularly important that all births are attended by skilled health professionals, as timely management and treatment can make the difference between life and death for the mother as well as for the baby,” the WHO explains.
India has a universal health care system, yet there are significant differences in the quality of health care in urban and rural areas, with rural areas generally having lower quality health care and fewer options. There is also a disparity between private hospitals and the hospitals that operate on the universal plan. Generally, privately operated hospitals in India have better care but are more expensive. This paradigm means low-income women and women who live in rural areas are at a disadvantage when it comes to receiving timely and high-quality prenatal and postpartum care.
UNICEF and the Indian Government Combat Maternal Mortality
Despite these grim statistics, the government of India, along with UNICEF, has been making strides toward lowering maternal mortality. In the span of just three years, India lowered the number of women dying during childbirth from 130 in every 100,000 (2014-2016) to 113 in every 100,000 (2016-2018).
According to UNICEF, “Maternal mortality is considered a key health indicator and the direct causes of maternal deaths are well known and largely preventable and treatable.” In fact, UNICEF is working with the Indian government to implement standardized birth policies that birth care providers must follow. For instance, through the Reaching Every Mother initiative, UNICEF assists the health ministry in implementing a policy directing that every birth should occur in a health center with the presence of a skilled health professional.
In addition, UNICEF supports the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) program, which, according to the UNICEF website, “provides a fixed day for assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care free of cost to pregnant women on [the] 9th of every month.” The initiative aims to “strengthen antenatal care detection and follow-up of high-risk pregnancies” while lowering the prevalence of maternal mortality in India.
Efforts from the Indian government and organizations like UNICEF have already led to a dramatic decrease in maternal mortality in India, and hopefully, in the future, these numbers will continue to lower as people take more steps to keep mothers safe and healthy during their pregnancies and deliveries.
– Evelyn Breitbach
Photo: Flickr
Addressing Hunger in Pakistan
According to the 2022 Global Hunger Index, the country of Pakistan ranks 99 out of 121 countries. With hunger in Pakistan’s score at 26.1 out of 50 on the index, the issue in the country is ranked as “serious.” The problem itself is due to a combination of factors. One is the devastating 2022 summer floods. A second is the current economic crises that are severely affecting the Pakistani government’s ability to manage food scarcity.
Hunger and Food Insecurity Across the Population
Almost 17% of Pakistan’s population is undernourished. Children are among the most greatly affected. Almost 40% of children under five suffer from “stunting” or have low height for their age due to undernourishment. “Child wasting” affects seven percent of children under five. This means that they are below the average weight for their age because of severe undernourishment. Finally, child mortality (children who die before age five) is a startling 6.5%.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), a survey from 2018 showed that 36.9% of the population faces food insecurity. Women are especially at risk as among the most vulnerable and economically challenged portion of the population. Moreover, due to cultural and social taboos, many women find it difficult to access humanitarian services and aid. In addition, the World Food Programme found a direct link between girls’ level of education and all forms of undernutrition.
Flooding and Hunger
The devastating floods of the summer of 2022 further destabilized Pakistan’s rising inflation and poor economic situation. Pakistani government officials stated that the floods destroyed almost 80% of crops. This staggering number has major ramifications for a country where an average household spends around 50% of its income on food. Also, the State Bank of Pakistan proclaimed that foreign reserves fell to $4.3 billion. That is barely enough to buy three weeks of imports. Finally, even with pledges of $10 billion from the international community to help Pakistan’s recovery, supply chain shortages in everything from medical supplies to soybeans keep prices high and the people suffering.
Wheat is a staple food in the diet of an average Pakistani. The prices of wheat have skyrocketed, partly because of a decrease in wheat from Ukraine due to the war there. Wheat and flour are so scarce in some parts of Pakistan that armed police have to guard distribution trucks. At one point, desperation led people to stampede the trucks and the stampede led to the death of a person. Furthermore, food prices in the country rose almost 36% in December 2022, compared to 31% in November.
Support from Humanitarian Organizations
To combat these difficult challenges, organizations that fight hunger such as Action Against Hunger and Islamic Relief are comprehensively tackling hunger in Pakistan. In the province of Sindh, Action Against Hunger promotes kitchen gardening and supports farmers to grow crops that are resistant to changing weather patterns. The organization also provides communities with knowledge and information on new techniques to grow vegetables. Finally, it provides households with young children with goats and poultry. Action Against Hunger aid reached more than 2 million people last year.
Islamic Relief supported more than 1 million people in the aftermath of the floods. It provided communities with 40,000 liters of daily clean drinking water, 123 water tanks, 11,667 food packs and 7476 winter kits.
The challenges are very much present, but organizations are working alongside the government to implement new initiatives to eliminate hunger in Pakistan.
– Saad Ul Haque
Photo: Flickr
Gates Foundation Makes a New Commitment to Ending Polio
During the World Health Summit in October 2022, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation committed $1.2 billion USD towards ending polio worldwide. This commitment falls in support of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s (GPEI) Polio Eradication Strategy 2022 – 2026. The Gates Foundation has donated almost $5 billion to the GPEI.
“Polio eradication is within reach. But as far as we have come, the disease remains a threat. Working together, the world can end this disease,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The GPEI’s Strategy will need $4.8 billion for full implementation. With the help of The Gates Foundation, UNICEF, The Rotary Club, the United States and many more, a total of $2.6 billion in funding is going towards the Strategy.
What this Means for Polio Eradication
The Gates Foundation’s financial commitment is only second in amount out of all parties who donated to the GPEI’s Strategy. “The fight against polio has done far more than protect children against polio. It has played a key role in strengthening health systems,” said Melinda French Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The commitment from the Gates Foundation and all the other parties involved will focus on ending polio in the “last two endemic countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan – and stop outbreaks of new variants of the virus.”
Polio cases have often affected those in the most underserved and impoverished areas across the globe. This is in part because the virus is transmissible through poor hygiene practices which are hard to practice for those without proper water and health care. The following countries and organizations are the others who contributed to the GPEI’s Strategy.
GPEI Strategy 2022 – 2026
The Strategy adds to two vital goals that are in line with the current progress of the eradication effort. The two goals are: (1) To permanently interrupt all Poliovirus transmission in endemic countries (Afghanistan and Pakistan). (2) To stop cVDPV (circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus) transmission and prevent outbreaks in non-endemic countries.
The GPEI Strategy will achieve these goals by “[transforming] its approach in each region and country through five mutually reinforcing objectives.” GPEI’s structure and holistic approach to the strategy support these objectives and goals. With everything in place for what the GPEI’s Strategy stands for, the eradication of polio is within reach.
Looking Forward
The Gates Foundation’s ongoing donation to the important goal of eradicating polio is vital to helping those in poverty. Polio disproportionately affects those in poverty as they are often unvaccinated and without proper means for hygiene regimens that would otherwise prevent the virus from spreading. The work of the GPEI, the Gates Foundation, UNICEF and many others can result in the eradication of polio with support from around the globe.
– Sean McMullen
Photo: Flickr