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Measures to Control Malaria in Chad

Malaria in Chad
According to the Malaria Consortium, Chad has one of the highest mortality rates globally for children younger than 5. For every 1,000 children, 119 die before the age of 5. Malaria is a significant cause of death in Chad, especially among children. Pregnant women and children are the most susceptible to contracting malaria because of their fragile immune systems. Several measures aim to control malaria in Chad, especially among the most vulnerable groups.

Preventative Measures

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of insecticide-treated nets and antimalarial medication among the most vulnerable populations in endemic countries.

The Against Malaria Foundation (AMF) funds insecticide-treated nets for distribution to countries facing high malaria burdens. In March 2022, AMF agreed to distribute 6.8 million mosquito nets across all of Chad’s provinces from January 2023 to April 2023. The distribution of these nets could prevent up to 9,000 malaria-related deaths. AMF also estimates that the supply of nets will add $163 million to Chad’s GDP. In a country where the poverty rate stood at 42% in 2018, measures to reduce the nation’s economic burden are crucial.

The Malaria Consortium aims to improve health across Asia and African regions “through evidence-based programs that combat targeted diseases and promote universal health coverage,” its website says. The Malaria Consortium’s malaria prevention efforts involve the distribution of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) to protect vulnerable populations in endemic countries. This effective intervention involves “administering monthly doses of antimalarial drugs to children aged 3-59 months during the peak malaria transmission season.”

In May 2016, the Malaria Consortium established an office in N’Djamena, Chad’s capital city, and has led SMC initiatives since then. In 2021, the organization provided support for SMC interventions across 26 districts in Chad, with the aim of reaching about 1 million under-5 children.

Since 2000, the incidence of malaria in Chad has reduced from 267 per 1,000 vulnerable people to 206 in 2020, according to the World Bank. One can attribute the general decrease in numbers to increased treatment and prevention measures.

Malaria Vulnerability During Pregnancy

Contracting malaria during pregnancy poses risks to both the mother and child. “Pregnant women suffering from malaria are at increased risk of anemia and miscarriage and their babies are at risk of stillbirth, prematurity, intrauterine growth retardation and low birth weight,” says the Population Reference Bureau. Low birth weight is a significant cause of neonatal mortality. Experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that malaria during pregnancy causes between 75,000 to 200,000 infant mortalities annually across the world. In 2020, the WHO Africa Region recorded that 34% of all pregnant mothers had malaria exposure.

To protect vulnerable pregnant women from malaria, the WHO recommends the use of intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) as part of antenatal care. The use of insecticide-treated nets is also important to ensure the mother’s safety. However, sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), branded as Fansidar, has its limitations. It has reduced efficacy among women with HIV and SP-resistance is becoming more common.

Efforts from organizations have contributed to a reduced prevalence of malaria in Chad. Continued treatment efforts and preventative measures will ensure the most vulnerable populations are protected from malaria.

– Yv Maciel
Photo: Flickr

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COVID-19’s Impact on Spain

COVID-19’s Impact on Spain
With the emergence of the global COVID-19 pandemic, several countries have faced significant economic challenges. One such country is Spain, which experienced its first recorded COVID-19 case in January 2020, and since then has recorded more than 13 million cases.

Large numbers of COVID-19 cases within Spain have caused strict lockdown protocols within the country, in turn slowing Spain’s booming tourism industry and economic development. Spain lost its large influx of tourists due to COVID-19, and it experienced a surge in unemployment levels and a significant decline in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Here is some information about COVID-19’s impact on Spain.

COVID-19’s Impact on Spain

In March 2020, all 50 provinces of Spain confirmed COVID-19 cases. Accordingly, the Spanish government responded to the spread of the virus by placing the country into lockdown and declaring a state of emergency.

In response to the second wave of infections, Spain subsequently imposed further COVID-19 restrictions. This meant that schools, restaurants and all services that the government deemed non-essential had to close down in an effort to mitigate and control the spread of the virus.

Despite efforts to reduce transmission of the virus, the mortality rate in Spain kept increasing. Since the detection of the first case in Spain, the country has reported around 107,799 deaths from a sum of 12,681,820 cases.

Employment and Standards of Living

Spain’s unemployment rate prior to the pandemic stood at around 14%, whereas by late 2020, it was an estimated 16.2%. COVID-19’s impact on Spain was significant for those already living in poverty. The rise of the global pandemic exposed such individuals to further exacerbated food insecurity and a significant loss of income. As a result, thousands of people in Spain ended up facing economic hardship and an inability to afford adequate amounts of food. According to European Anti Poverty Network, around 380,000 people fell into poverty in 2021. This trend also impacted the educated class of society, significantly affecting economic security among the general Spanish population.

Another report by Human Rights Watch indicated that COVID-19 impacted food security in Spain. Families have been unable to satisfy nutritional support for their kids. According to the report, despite government efforts to alleviate the impact of COVID-19, the economic decline continued to worsen and has meant that families had to skip meals.

Lingering Impact and Recovery

COVID-19’s impact on Spain has undoubtedly exacerbated economic hardship for Spain’s poorest and most vulnerable populations. Spain’s severe material deprivation rate, which measures the degree of poverty reflected in an inability to satisfy basic necessities, climbed to 7% in 2020.

COVID-19’s impact on Spain placed a strain on Spain’s social assistance programs and social security networks, highlighting the complexities and shortcomings of these systems. As Spain’s tourism sector and its overall economy continue to recover from its losses, the war between Russia and Ukraine poses a new threat to Spain’s economy and is likely to further financially challenge Spain’s vulnerable and poor populations.

Despite Spain’s challenges, its government is in the process of implementing an economic recovery plan. The intention of Spain’s recovery plan is to return to the robust economy and unemployment level that Spain had prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Spain’s governmental plan encompasses 112 investments and 102 reforms. The plan’s reforms aim to promote sustainable economic growth across the country, and a central focus of the plan is building a resilient economy.

– Dylan Priday
Photo: Unsplash

QShop Helps Nigerian SMEs Transition to eCommerce

Nigerian SMEs
QShop is a Nigerian online platform that provides “businesses [with] a quick and easy way to build e-commerce websites,” according to How we made it in Africa. The QShop platform specifically targets markets in Nigeria and Africa, focusing on small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs). QShop helps Nigerian SMEs to transition to e-commerce so that businesses can expand their markets and see increased growth.

Poverty in Nigeria and the Role of SMEs

A new World Bank report, “A Better Future for All Nigerians: Nigeria Poverty Assessment 2022,” reveals that four out of 10 people in Nigeria live below the national poverty line. In the last quarter of 2020, the unemployment rate in Nigeria stood at 33%.

However, a 2010 report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) says Nigeria’s SME sector has the potential to “absorb up to 80[%] of jobs, improve per capita income, increase value addition to raw materials supply, improve export earnings, enhance capacity utilization in key industries and unlock economic expansion and GDP growth.”

The Nigerian SME sector plays a crucial role in attenuating poverty. PricewaterhouseCoopers says SMEs are “the backbone of major developed economies.” In the five years preceding 2010, SMEs in Nigeria contributed 48% to the country’s GDP. Furthermore, SMEs accounted for 96% of businesses in Nigeria and 84% of employment. The QShop platform aims to support SMEs in Nigeria, encouraging even further growth.

How QShop Helps Nigerian SMEs

E-commerce has become more popular in recent years and a variety of e-commerce website builders are available for companies of all sizes, including Shopify, Square and Ecwid. Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, business closures and restrictions on operations pushed business owners to look for online solutions, leading to a higher demand for e-commerce-as-a-service solutions.

Tarebi Alebiosu, the founder of QShop, told Vanguard that amid the pandemic, technology played a vital role in the survival of small businesses. She established QShop with the specific intent of helping SMEs run their businesses online.

Head of technology at QShop, Harrison Hammond, said to Vanguard: “At QShop, we want to help customers grow from zero to a hundred with technology. We serve as the middle-man to bring all the tools — websites, inventory, payment channels and logistics — to one place.”

QShop helps Nigerian SMEs by being more affordable than many other e-commerce sites and pricing its paid subscriptions in nairas and not dollars. “Right now, nobody wants to incur costs linked to the dollar as our currency is experiencing serious devaluation,” Alebiosu said to How we made it in Africa.

QShop offers business owners a free and paid subscription. Businesses can opt for the free subscription where the company “takes 4% off every transaction, but there is no monthly fee.” About 5% of QShop clients are utilizing the paid subscription, as of November 2022, while the others utilize the free subscription. “We make money only if our clients are selling,” says Alebiosu to How we made it in Africa. The free tier ensures that businesses do not lose money if they initially struggle to sell.

The Future

So far, merchants have shown a significant amount of interest in QShop since its introduction. As of May 2022, the company has more than 10,000 SMEs registered and has processed more than $500,000 USD in seller sales. With the help of partnerships with Stripe, Flutterwave, Paystack and Providus Bank, merchants can receive funds in any currency.

The COVID-19 outbreak has negatively impacted Nigeria’s economy. However, this new platform has the potential to help small and medium enterprises thrive in an increasingly digital world. The positive impacts of QShop may reignite economic growth and reduce poverty among Nigerians.

– Caterina Rossi
Photo: Flickr

The Fight Against Graveyard Poverty

Fight Against Graveyard PovertyIn Bayou Bennett and Daniel Lir’s haunting short film “Tombstone Pillow,” a wealthy widow’s perspective on wealth shifts as she explores the destitute living conditions of the Philippines’ Manila cemetery communities. Despite the partially fabricated storyline, the circumstances of Manila’s graveyard living are far from fiction: the cemeteries of Manila North are home to 6,000 poverty-stricken slum-dwellers, many of whom live without access to basic services. Here is some information about graveyard poverty in the Philippines and how “Tombstone Pillow” is raising awareness.

About Graveyard Poverty

Beginning as homes in the 1950s for cemetery caretakers, the cemeteries attract Filipinos living in poverty by providing free living and often some basic income for their work in the graveyards: some receive 600 pesos ($30.94) per year to take care of the graves, and others work to prepare funerals by carving headstones or digging graves. Residents also appreciate the proximity to their lost loved ones, as explained by one cemetery-dweller to The Guardian: “I like him close. I like that when I wake up I can see him … I like that I can be the one to care for his grave.”

Ultimately, however, living conditions are far from just. In addition to the sub-poverty level income many residents earn, and the lack of access to basic services including “sanitation, electricity, and clean water,” police often raid the cemeteries in anti-drug missions, shooting and killing civilians within the premises. Despite this injustice, a lack of money prevents residents from investigating the shootings.

How “Tombstone Pillow” is Fighting Graveyard Poverty

It was a chilling visit to these cemeteries in the Philippines that inspired filmmaking couple Bayou Bennett and Daniel Lir to create “Tombstone Pillow.” In fact, the name of the film draws directly from Bennett’s observation that residents used tombstones as pillows. On her LinkedIn, Bennett explains, “The reality of life in the cemetery shocked us so much, we couldn’t get the world and imagery out of our minds.” Already committed to creating “socially conscious”  media, Bennett and Lir translated the “emotions, world and characters” into the film to create a vivid tale of injustice and inequality.

In “Tombstone Pillow,” a wealthy widow visits her deceased husband at Manila North Cemetery in the midst of a raid on the community. Throughout the film, she obtains a sense of compassion for the poverty of the grave-dwellers, as well as an understanding of the socioeconomic inequality plaguing her city. The film not only raises awareness regarding the destitution plaguing the 6,000 Filipino graveyard dwellers but advocates for concrete reform on behalf of the Philippine government. At present, Bennett and Lir’s goal with the film is to pave the way for reforms to the living conditions within these cemeteries via relocation to more sustainable living spaces. To accomplish this, the couple hopes to present the film to the mayor of Manila.

The Film’s Success So Far

At present, “Tombstone Pillow” has acquired 33 awards and 43 nominations globally, including Best Inspirational Film at the Venice Film Awards, Hollywood Film Awards and NY Movie Awards. “Human beings deserve better, and filmmaking is the most powerful voice we know which has allowed us to help create change and awareness to this problem,” said Bennett to Samera Entertainment.

– Alisa Gulyansky 
Photo: Flickr

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Jordan

Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Jordan
Though the pandemic left no one unscathed, it hit impoverished people in developing countries harder with poverty rates skyrocketing, social tensions brewing and education systems crumbling. Jordan, a Middle Eastern country, faced immediate effects. The World Bank is taking action to address the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Jordan.

Rising Poverty Rates in Jordan

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Jordan, it had a prompt effect on poverty rates. At the peak of the pandemic, according to the World Bank, there was a 38% increase in poverty rates among Jordanians, with respect to the national poverty line of 67 Jordanian dinars per person per month. Regarding Syrian refugees in Jordan, the number of Syrians living under the national poverty line rose by 18%. This percentage is lower than the poverty rate among Jordanians likely because pre-pandemic, “many Syrians were already below the poverty line, limiting how many more could fall into poverty,” the World Bank explains.

Other Impacts

As jobs and resources became scarce, so did social tensions. The World Bank reports that during the lockdowns implemented, reports of domestic violence rose. Moreover, with school shutdowns, children faced difficulty accessing education, either left to attend school virtually or unable to continue their studies at all due to a  lack of access to the internet and technology.

Due to the impacts of the pandemic, in 2020, unemployment rates in Jordan reached a high of 25% for the general population and exceeded 50% among the youth.

As time went on, these difficulties further harmed Jordan’s economic state. With a declining job market, tensions rising and educational disparity, Jordan’s GDP declined by 1.6% from 2019 to 2020.

Hunger in Jordan

In 2022, the Global Hunger Index gives Jordan a score of 10.6, an increase of 1.8 points from 2020, equating to a moderate level of hunger. This ranks Jordan 53rd out of 121 countries in terms of hunger. In 2020, Jordan scored even better — 8.8, which equates to a low level of hunger. In terms of hunger levels, GHI indicates the severity of hunger in a country, with 100 representing the most severe levels of hunger and zero representing no hunger. The number of undernourished Jordanians rose to almost 17% in 2022, up from 6% in 2014.

In 2022, Jordan’s GHI (10.6) dropped below its pre-pandemic score — 0.2 points lower than in 2000 (10.8), according to the World Bank. Meaning, following the pandemic, hunger severity levels in Jordan are still lower than two decades ago.

Recovery in Jordan

Ultimately, following the pandemic, Jordan’s poor faced increased rates of malnourishment while disadvantaged youths faced education gaps and the working class dealt with unemployment and job scarcity. Yet, in 2022, with the help of emergency relief, Jordan is on its way to rebuilding itself.

On March 22, 2022, the World Bank approved $350 million worth of added funding for Jordan’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Project to provide cash transfer support for Jordan’s poor and those most negatively affected by COVID-19. The World Bank initially provided the first round of funding of $20 million to Jordan in April 2020.

These cash transfers enable low-income households in Jordan to meet their basic needs. This means households can put their income toward health and education services, both of which will aid in developing Jordan’s human capital.

While COVID-19 imposed some of the direst consequences, the world is recovering and developing countries like Jordan are back on track to reduce poverty and build their economies up.

With support from other countries and aid from the World Bank, the world’s poor can continue to progress. Though these are positive indicators of Jordan’s comeback, more aid is necessary to resolve the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Jordan.

– Micaella Balderrama
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

Elderly Poverty in Pakistan

Elderly Poverty in Pakistan
According to HelpAge International, in Pakistan, millions of elderly people endure conditions of poverty. In 2019, Pakistan had 15 million individuals over the age of 60, equating to 7% of the population. Though the elderly make up a smaller segment of the population now, projections indicate that the number of elderly people in Pakistan will rise to 40 million by 2050. In 2018, just “2.3% of the population older than the statutory pensionable age in Pakistan” received a pension. In the face of adversity, vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, suffer the most. For this reason, it is vital to address elderly poverty in Pakistan.

Floods in Pakistan

Recent floods in Pakistan have led to a humanitarian crisis. An October 2022 article by Arab News has indicated that, in flood-affected areas, almost 48% of Pakistani elders, according to a HelpAge International survey, lack access to health facilities.

The survey notes that close to 90% of the elderly “reported having a health condition, with 42[%] having more than one.” The survey lists the top six conditions affecting the elderly during the flooding as joint pains, high blood pressure, respiratory conditions, cardiac issues, diabetes and gastrointestinal problems.

Elderly Poverty in Pakistan

In Pakistan, as per the research of the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, in 2001, about 37% of the elderly population lived either on or below the poverty line. Low-income elderly people tend to rely on their children, typically sons, for economic support and shelter as old-age homes do not form part of the country’s culture. Elderly people with lower incomes are more likely to live with their children but this rate is lower for elderly people with higher incomes.

Data from a 2001 survey shows that elderly poverty is more pronounced in rural areas than in urban areas. Almost 66% of the elder population resides in rural areas of Pakistan while 33% lives in urban areas. Rural elders are relatively worse off as towns and villages lack proper health care and facilities. About 45% of rural elders live below the poverty line compared to 23% of their urban counterparts. Urban elders have greater satisfaction with their living conditions as they have greater access to healthy food, electricity and clean water.

In 2001, about 19% of the elderly population in Pakistan engaged in employment. Out of the employed elderly segment, males accounted for 32% while females accounted for only 4.7%. Yet, statistics do not indicate that elderly poverty in Pakistan affects women disproportionally.

The literacy rate among the elderly stood at 23% in 2001. Male elderly literacy rates stood at 37% versus 8% among elderly women. These statistics reflect females’ lack of access to education while growing up, likely due to gender norms that prioritize the education of males as society expects females to manage household chores and caretaking.

National Policy for Elderly People

In 2014, Pakistan passed the Senior Citizens Act, which established the Senior Citizens Welfare Council. The council is responsible for advocating for the cause through policy proposals that aim to improve the well-being of the elderly. Pensions, old-age benefits, affordable transport and health facilities are part of the Act’s core agenda. Other provinces, such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan, established similar acts and councils to ensure a good quality of life for the elderly. For example, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senior Citizens Act ensures free access for the elderly to “public museums, libraries, parks and recreation facilities.” It also established separate counters for the elderly in hospitals and lower medical/medicinal rates.

HelpAge International

HelpAge is an international NGO that has worked in Pakistan since 2010. It advocates for the rights of the elderly in Pakistan and collaborates with more than 200 associations for older people in Pakistan. HelpAge responds to emergency situations and provides “age-friendly support” to elders. Up until now, in Pakistan, the organization has provided cash grants to 2,495 elderly individuals.

The HelpAge website tells the story of 60-year-old Atta Muhammad Birohi from Sindh. HelpAge gave him $135 as microcredit to establish an income-generating activity. Using the microcredit, Birohi purchased supplies to make roof beds, also known as pattrons. He sold these beds to generate an income, paid the microcredit loan back timeously and purchased a goat to bring in supplementary income.

HelpAge has also “provided assistive devices and physiotherapy services” to 1,507 elders in Pakistan. It is also advocating for income security through social pensions to alleviate elderly poverty in Pakistan. In this regard, it has proposed many reforms that are yet to materialize.

In a nutshell, the elderly population in Pakistan will likely rise in the coming years. To avoid rates of elderly poverty in Pakistan rising along with it, comprehensive social protection is necessary.

– Sarmad Wali Khan
Photo: Flickr

How Wrestling Can Be A Way Out of Poverty 

How Wrestling Can Be A Way Out of Poverty
Wrestling is a well-known and physically enduring sport. There are many different types of wrestling such as amateur wrestling and professional wrestling as well as freestyle wrestling. It generates a lot of money, especially in professional wrestling. Wrestling can be a way out of poverty for many individuals, especially those living in countries such as Senegal and Gambia. This sport can be a successful means of making it out of poverty.

Wrestling in Senegal

Senegal is one country where wrestling is a tradition. Senegalese wrestling is so popular that it is the country’s national sport. It has roots that trace back to the Serer people and it originally took place during harvest festival celebrations. Stadiums in Dakar sell out every time a match takes place which shows how popular Senegalese wrestling is.

In Senegal, 39% of the population lives in poverty. Thousands of men travel to Dakar in order to make it into wrestling school and train. These men are looking for a way out of poverty and unemployment through Senegalese wrestling because one can make up to $200,000 a fight if successful in the sport.

At least 8,000 boys suffering chronically from unemployment signed up for the CNG which is the main organization that oversees wrestling in Senegal. People see Senegalese wrestling as a promising hope for the future because the money it brings in would instantly change someone’s life for the better. Just in one night, a wrestler can earn “four times the average weekly salary of $20,” according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Mohamed “Tyson” Ndao is one wrestler that became very successful in Senegal because of wrestling. Mohamed often receives credit as the person that made Senegalese wrestling popular in the mainstream world. Mohammed, who grew up in Kaolack became a wrestler despite his father’s disapproval of his career choice.

In one fight, Mohamed made more than $4,000 which is an enormous amount of money in Senegal. Senegalese wrestling has become so entrenched with money and corporate sponsorships that Mohamed made it known that he fights only for large amounts of money.

Wrestling in The Gambia

Wrestling is also very traditional and popular in The Gambia, especially in rural areas such as Balangharr in the North Bank Region. It is becoming a huge sensation in Gambia again because it is allowing men, both young and old to make it out of poverty.

The poverty rate in Gambia is 53.4%. Rural areas in The Gambia suffer the most from poverty with “seven out of every 10 rural dwellers” being very poor. Wrestling is very popular in rural areas because rural dwellers are poorer than urban dwellers. Rural dwellers turn to wrestling because it is a real and practical way to make it out of poverty.

In 2021, the unemployment rate in Gambia reached 15.5%. Wrestling is one outlet that could bring stability into the lives of many individuals and provide a way out of poverty.

Abdoulie Ndow is one success story when it comes to rising out of poverty through wrestling. People popularly know Abdoulie as Hoyantaan. Hoyantaan, who grew up in Balangharr showed interest in wrestling after his father and stepfather inspired him. As a rookie wrestler, he caught the attention of many people because he had great technical wrestling skills.

Hoyantaan became a famous wrestler in Gambia when he defeated huge names such as Mboran and Tass Sa-Yaram in matches. Hoyantaan became the King of the Gambian Arena when he defeated Leket Mu Barra. Due to his fame and great wrestling skills, Hoyantaan became one of the highest-paid wrestlers in The Gambia. In one fight, he received up to D120,000. Hoyantann also earned himself many endorsement deals from private companies, according to The Chronicle.

How Wrestling Can Be a Way Out of Poverty

Wrestling can decrease poverty in the lives of many people in Senegal and The Gambia. For many men in both countries, wrestling goes much deeper than just tackling and fighting each other. Wrestling is about surviving. It creates a way for men in Senegal and Gambia to have the life that they have always wanted and dreamed of. Wrestling is encouraging and it provides hope to many young men whose circumstances are telling them that they will never make it out of poverty. The financial benefits attached to wrestling are great enough to make almost every man take a leap of faith in order to escape poverty and have a better life.

– Yonina Anglin
Photo: Wikimedia

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Our Spaces App Addresses Gender-Based Violence in Palestine

Gender-Based Violence in Palestine
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) 2011 Violence Survey indicates that 37% of Palestinian women have experienced violence in some form. Within the Gaza Strip, gender-based violence rates rise to 51%. A 2005 U.N. Special Rapporteur’s report attributes the high rates of gender-based violence in Palestine to “traditional patriarchal norms and values” and the impacts of Israel’s occupation. The occupation has led to growing rates of poverty and diminished job prospects. The UNFPA explained that this has “contributed to a behavioral dynamic of men being more frustrated, unable to fulfill their expected role in this patriarchal society.” The struggle to “provide and protect” exacerbates domestic violence within households. However, three female Palestinian software developers set out to address both poverty and gender-based violence in Palestine through the creation of the Our Spaces app.

The Our Spaces App’s Origins

Local engineer Alaa Huthut spearheaded the creation of the Our Spaces (Masahatuna) app. The app aims to provide a discreet and confidential way for women to report domestic violence and seek assistance. The app leaves no trace of communication between the victim and social workers providing services through the Our Spaces app. Huthut recognized the importance of incorporating privacy into the app, acknowledging the dangers of exposing traceable interactions to abusive partners.

The Our Spaces app provides comprehensive assistance by linking victims and survivors of abuse to institutions that provide “psychological support, health services, legal services, economic empowerment services and shelter services,” Al-Monitor reports.

How Poverty and Abuse are Inextricably Linked

Providing access to services and resources for financial help is Our Spaces’ direct attempt to tackle the complicated intersectionality of poverty and abuse. Studies prove the existence of links between poverty and gender-based violence. Financial stress can contribute to the onset of domestic violence. Furthermore, impoverished women who are economically dependent on their abusive partners find it difficult to leave such situations.

In 2017, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reported that about 30% of Palestinians lived in poverty, however, the poverty rate in the Gaza Strip stood at about 53%. The link between poverty and abuse would suggest that these alarmingly high rates of poverty are in part responsible for the high level of domestic abuse within Palestine.

In order to tackle the issue of gender-based violence in Palestine from the ground up, the Our Spaces app seeks to address the root of the problem: poverty.

An Our Spaces Success Story

One woman’s story, which Al-Monitor originally covered, serves as a prime example of the ways Our Spaces’ services help mitigate the acuteness of abuse many women may experience. Reham, 23, told reporters at Al-Monitor that she had been affronting acute physical and verbal abuse by her spouse daily. She explained that her spouse had been taking his economic frustrations out on her through violence.

Reham reached out for assistance through the Our Spaces app to improve her family’s economic situation. The app connected her with a service that specializes in supporting families financially, and soon, Reham obtained a temporary job. She was able to ease her family’s economic difficulties and reduce the pressure driving her husband to unhealthy behavioral dynamics.

Addressing the Root Causes

Several global issues, ranging from gender-based violence to food insecurity and mortality, link back to the systemic issue of global poverty. The Our Spaces app provides a lesson about the importance of addressing not only the consequences of a systemic issue, in this case, gender-based violence, but also its root, poverty.

– Alisa Gulyansky
Photo: Flickr

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How Digital Technology Combats Malnourishment in India

Malnourishment in India
The 2022 Global Hunger Index ranks India 107th out of 121 countries in terms of hunger, with a score of 29.1, equating to a serious level of hunger. Hunger and malnourishment are interlinked. About 14% of the population in India (about 189.2 million people) suffered from undernourishment in 2020, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). According to India’s Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, data from 2019-2021 shows that about one-third of Indian children under 5 suffer from stunting (impaired growth due to poor nutrition) and about 19% suffer from wasting (low weight for their height). To address malnourishment in India, health workers can use digital tools like apps and digital libraries to detect malnourishment in children and educate the Indian population on the importance of nutrition.

Causes of Malnourishment in Women and Children

Household traditions prioritize feeding men and children over women, leaving women with the leftovers. As of 2022, about 18.7% of women of childbearing age (15-49) in India are underweight. When women lack key nutrients while pregnant, they are more likely to give birth to underweight and stunted babies.

Another factor contributing to malnourishment in India is a lack of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is essential for babies to obtain vital nutrients naturally present in breast milk. The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines direct mothers to exclusively breastfeed babies for six months. Thereafter, mothers can introduce “nutritious complementary foods and continue breastfeeding up to the age of two years or beyond.” According to The Times of India, in India, less than 50% of children are breastfed within an hour of birth, whereas the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months stood at 55%.” Furthermore, if a mother is severely malnourished, she may not be able to produce enough milk for her baby.

Methods of detecting malnutrition present another issue. Many field workers lack the skills to properly conduct a physical assessment to detect malnutrition. Standardized assessments by humanitarian aid organizations and governments can be lengthy and costly and the measuring methods can vary depending on what tools are available, leading to inconsistent data. The health workers typically document these measurements in writing and eventually transfer the data to an Excel spreadsheet. This takes a lot of time and the captured data can contain input errors. On top of that, workers may not be able to recognize if the child is malnourished by sight alone. This is where digital tools come into play.

Child Growth Monitor

Child Growth Monitor is an artificial intelligence-based mobile app that the German nonprofit Welthungerhilfe created that improves the process of identifying child malnourishment. The app takes 3D measurements of a child’s body using an infrared sensor available on certain smartphones and quickly uploads the data onto Microsoft Azure, a cloud computing service. Then, nutritionists and IT specialists can examine the scans using Microsft AI solutions to assess a child’s dietary health and determine if the child is malnourished. Welthungerhilfe released a beta version of this app in 2020 due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security.

Welthungerhilfe and partners are piloting the app in three states in India — Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The NGO Action Against Hunger is providing support to 150 field workers to use the app to scan and evaluate children.

Child Growth Monitor collects data much faster than traditional measuring methods and has a lower margin of error. Users do not need to be anthropometric (experts in the study of measurements and proportions of the human body) to get accurate data and recognize if a child is undernourished. In addition, the app measures children the same way every time, allowing for consistent data.

HealthPhone

In 2015, HealthPhone, in partnership with the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), the Government of India and UNICEF, launched a large three-year digital mass education program called IAP HealthPhone to educate more than 10 million females between the ages of 13 and 35 on how to improve health and nutrition among themselves and their families.

The program promoted and distributed four free videos in 18 languages on mobile phones. These videos covered simple ways to improve nutrition through diet, the significance of breastfeeding and adequate nutrition, specific guidelines for pregnant women and children younger than 24 months old and the “status of women.”

IAP also partnered with the telecommunications company Vodafone to send 300 million text messages annually to Vodafone’s 184 million subscribers to spread the videos to as many people as possible.

The IAP HealthPhone program hopes to benefit 60 million children born in India by 2025.

Nutrify India Now

Nutrify India Now is a diet-tracking food app that India’s National Institute of Nutrition launched in 2018. People can use the app to determine the calories and nutrients contained in “common Indian food.” Available in 17 different languages, the app helps to guide the user’s nutrition decisions in order to tackle malnourishment in India.

The app information is derived from “India-specific databases” and uses guidelines that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India’s apex medical research body, recommended. As of November 27, 2022, the app has had more than 50,000 downloads on Google Play.

A Nutritious Future

Malnourishment in India, especially among mothers and their children, is a significant issue in the country. But, with easy-to-use digital tools, more people will be able to understand the importance of a nutritious diet and take action to improve their nutrition.

– James Harrington
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

The Fight For Mental Health in Moldova

Mental Health in Moldova
With a poverty rate of 26.8% in 2020, Moldova ranks as the fourth poorest country in Europe. Corresponding issues including the difficulty of obtaining employment, harsh living conditions and limited access to already low-quality public services devastate the nation’s quality of life. Compounded by the hardship of socioeconomic stressors and governmental destitution, mental health in Moldova has suffered as a result.

Overview of Mental Health in Moldova

Mental disorders related to systemic issues in Moldova have caused 17.34% of the population to be diagnosed with mental illnesses, according to the Health Policy article. Tragically, these issues go hand-in-hand with Moldova’s comparatively high suicide rate of 14.7 people per 100,000 — 3.4 people more than the EU average of 2019. Another major component of mental illness in Moldova is alcoholism, with one in four deaths in Moldova being attributed to alcohol. In comparison, the world average is one in 20.

Systemic Issues with Moldovan Health Care

Socioeconomic issues within the populace and the government’s mismanagement of resources have exacerbated the mental health situation in Moldova. Mandatory health insurance finances the public health care system. According to a study published in The Lancet “out-of-pocket payments account for 45% of total health expenditure in Moldova,” causing Moldova’s health expenditure to fall behind the European average by 77%.

Management of health care spending is a direct product of corruption within the Moldovan government. “Many things depend on the government and parliament, but we have such a quick turnover, there is no stability,” explains Valeriu Crudu of the Phthisiopneumology Institute Chişinău.

Recent Reforms

The Moldovan government has shown a willingness to implement reforms to the situation of mental health within the nation, such as by adopting the Mental Health Declaration for Europe and the Mental Health Action Plan for Europe, and developing a national mental health program in 2005. However, actual “community-based mental health services” have been difficult to implement.

According to an International Journal for Mental Health Services article, for one, a lack of access to resources, largely based in district centers and cities in the north, continues to prevent rural and impoverished Moldovans from obtaining help due to distance and travel costs. There has also been a notable lack of collaboration between medical and social services, producing confusion among service providers concerning psychiatric, neurologic and addicted patient treatment. Professionals in the health workforce argue that the knowledge gap between medical and social workers should be filled with specialized education regarding mental illness, especially in rural regions.

Looking Forward

Despite persistent obstacles, the National Mental Health Programme of 2014 — renewed in 2017 — continues to work towards reform through the development of a new legal framework for care and support for educational programs for professionals, according to the Health Policy article. Though policy change ultimately lies in the hands of the government, several organizations are also working simultaneously to ameliorate the mental health situation in Moldova.

For instance, the Open Society Mental Health Initiative is working towards improving the quality of living for Moldovans with mental illness or intellectual disabilities by relocating them to family-style living spaces where they can obtain comprehensive and stable care.

The organization also ensures that community efforts toward mental health improvement are sustainable and financially provided for. While organizations and government reforms have paved the way for gradual improvements in the mental health of Moldovan citizens, the fight toward a system of mental health care for all continues.

– Alisa Gulyansky
Photo: Flickr