While the COVID-19 pandemic severely exacerbated poverty in Slovakia, further investigation reveals that the damage was not as terrible as it could have been, due to generous monetary assistance and the valuable, effective work of several NGOs. This work has mitigated the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Slovakia, specifically in the Roma community.
About the Slovak Economy
The Slovak economy was already struggling before the COVID-19 pandemic. In Slovakia’s post-communist era, in which it transitioned to a Western economy, it faced several challenges. Additionally, Slovakia’s adoption of the euro, which unfortunately coincided with the timing of the recession and the euro crisis, further weakened its economy and thus worsened the issue of poverty in the state.
However, funding and monetary assistance from the EU have proven beneficial in providing support to small businesses that the crisis affected. This funding also focused on preserving employment and supporting self-employed individuals. Overall, economic activity in Slovakia is beginning to rebound and recover from the pandemic. This is, in part, due to lockdowns that helped prevent the virus’ spread. Slovakia’s economy, in comparison to other European countries, contracted less severely.
Slovakia’s GDP and Inflation
However, this should not allow for the overlooking of the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Slovakia, as well as Slovakia’s general economy. Slovakia’s GDP has grown since 2019, but not as quickly as in the quarters recorded before the pandemic. Economists expect inflation to be around 7% in 2022 due to the emergence of new COVID-19 variants, changes in energy prices or wage expectations, and other COVID-related externalities that cause dramatic price increases.
Slovakia’s most important economic sectors are the industrial and automotive industries, meaning that relief aid primarily focused on supporting these two sectors. However, this also means that other sectors, such as the tourism and service industries, did not receive as much relief – and these sectors rely on the work of people in high-risk groups, such as youth workers and members of the Roma community. Slovakia’s poverty rate is approximately 11.4%. It has decreased in recent years, but not as much as it could have if it were not for the pandemic. This is partly because relief aid did not target the most vulnerable economic sectors in which high-risk groups, such as the Roma community, work.
Lockdown Measures and the Slovak Roma Community
While lockdown measures may have benefited Slovakia’s economy, they were controversial in that they targeted vulnerable Roma populations. These lockdown measures sparked accusations of discrimination; the government “sealed” off the minority Roma population in order to stop COVID-19 from spreading even more. Roma people are more susceptible to diseases like COVID-19 because they live in segregated settlements with poverty, overcrowding, limited infrastructure and poor hygiene. Because of this environment, they have a greater susceptibility to infectious diseases.
As the pandemic began to grow in severity, the Slovak government announced its plans to test Roma communities after one Roma man broke a self-quarantine rule. As a result, the government contained 6,000 Roma people in five separate settlements in eastern Slovakia, where they identified the first infections. The government justified this harsh, extreme lockdown by citing specific issues with actually enforcing quarantine in the first place.
Non-governmental organizations and local Roma organizations feared that this would place the Roma people at even greater risk of COVID-19 exposure, infection and spread because the extreme containment measures had jurisdiction over environments and settlements conducive to the spread of infectious disease. Additionally, some argued that these policies were discriminatory because of the great risk they would cause for Roma people. The three main tenets of COVID-19 mitigation advice are wearing a mask, practicing social distancing and washing hands regularly; unfortunately, these are hard to implement and maintain in communities that are crowded and lack access to running water, such as those in which Roma people live.
People in Need Slovakia
Several NGOs saw an opportunity to work with government agencies and prevent higher infection rates for the Roma population (at least when compared with the rest of the Slovak population). In 1999, a group of journalists documenting the war in Kosovo founded People in Need Slovakia, an NGO that is helping the Slovak Roma community survive the pandemic. It has focused on providing emergency aid by handing out masks, disinfectants, soap and jerry cans to supplement water access. It also fundraises and provides emergency food provisions for the poorest Roma families in these settlements. The second phase of its relief plan involves organizing summer schools to compensate for issues in education access – due to school closures and the lack of wifi and laptops necessary for distance learning.
Zdrave Regiony
A second NGO, Zdrave Regiony, has been training health mediators. These mediators are local community members who lack medical qualifications but work with medical professionals as a bridge between community members and medical staff. Specifically, throughout the pandemic, it has liaised with health professionals, assisted in recognizing and tagging COVID-19 symptoms and coordinated testing and vaccination sites in Roma communities where trust in governmental authorities and mandates is low.
Overall, the assistance of these two organizations has led to positive results, as incidences of COVID-19 within the Slovak Roma community are no greater than in the rest of Slovak society. This means that the organizations, in cooperation with local community members and government officials, were able to mitigate the effects of the living conditions that characterize Slovak Roma settlements. Perhaps, this necessary step will open the door to more work and assistance that ensures Roma communities receive better care in times of crisis.
Though there have been many impacts of COVID-19 on poverty in Slovakia and, though the general Slovak economy has certainly suffered as a result of COVID-19, it is encouraging to see that organizations and communities are working together to counter the already-existing effects of poverty and spread of disease, especially for those who are at greater risk.
– Shiloh Harrill
Photo: Flickr
The State of Renewable Energy in France
Sources of Power in France
In order for most nations to reduce their carbon emissions, they had to first reduce their use of fossil fuels. A large majority of greenhouse gasses come from the burning of these resources. France, on the other hand, does not really have this issue.
While renewable energy in France did not make up a large portion of power production, the country had another option to look to. For decades, France has primarily relied on nuclear energy for its power. In fact, in the year 2000, more than 70% of the country’s power came from nuclear energy, which emits much fewer greenhouse gasses than burning fossil fuels.
Unfortunately, nuclear energy comes with its own dangers. While nuclear power reduces the quantity of greenhouse gasses that release into the atmosphere, it produces nuclear waste that can prove to be harmful to the environment. Additionally, more nuclear energy means a higher risk of a nuclear meltdown which can have even more detrimental environmental effects. Overall, many countries, including France, have decided that renewable energy is the best option.
New Environmental Policies
France has implemented various laws and policies to help the country reach its Paris Agreement objectives. For example, the country’s environmental program, EN MARCHE, intends to close multiple coal based power plants, provide more funding for renewable energy and create a new recycling model. Also, the Environmental Transition Law (ETL) allows more renewable energy project funding to local authorities and single-use permits for wind energy, biogas and hydropower, and creates more than 35 million smart meters.
On top of this, France also has various future projects planned. In 2020, the French Energy Ministry created 1.7 gigawatts of renewable energy projects. Total, an energy company, will have its largest solar power plant located in Valenciennes. Overall, France expects 40% of all of the nation’s power to come from renewable energy by the year 2030.
Renewable Energy in France
According to the general delegate of the Renewable Energy Trade Administration, Alexandre Roesch, renewable resources generate 25% of France’s power. Hydropower supplies most of this energy. Out of all the nations in the European Union, France produces the most hydropower.
Behind that is wind power, although that may not be the case for much longer. Wind power has progressed rapidly in France and the country has planned various projects for the future as well. Wind power could overtake hydropower by 2030 and could be key for France in meeting its renewable energy objectives.
Like wind energy, solar power generation has also increased in France. While many do not expect it to surpass hydropower anytime soon, it could still significantly contribute to reducing carbon emissions.
Falling Behind
While France has increased its renewable energy production and has various renewable energy projects in the works, the country is still at risk of not reaching its Paris Agreement goals. Much of this is due to internal debates that are slowing the process of constructing renewable power stations.
For example, creating new wind farms could greatly boost renewable power production in France, but there are other factors that French citizens are concerned with. Wind farms drastically increase noise pollution and many believe that their construction could eradicate biodiversity.
While the citizens continue to debate over these and various other issues, France is unable to complete its projects because of these internal disagreements. France could end up falling behind its fellow European nations in its own treaty if it cannot develop its renewable energy at a faster rate.
Renewable Energy’s Impact on Poverty
Energy poverty is an issue that impacts many countries in Europe, including France. In 2019, 12% of France’s population did not have adequate access to energy. Much of this is due to high energy prices and low incomes. This has resulted in many French citizens being unable to warm their homes during cold winters or cool their homes during increasingly hot summers.
The implementation of additional renewable energy in France could mitigate this issue in a couple of ways. Firstly, the cost of renewable energy has dropped significantly over time and is actually more affordable than nonrenewable energy now. This will make it easier for poorer citizens to have access to the power they need. Also, many of the households experiencing energy poverty are located along France’s coastal regions, which also happens to be where many wind power stations will undergo construction. The price and proximity of renewable energy could be helpful in lifting France out of energy poverty.
In addition to lowering energy poverty, more renewable energy could lower unemployment as well. Currently, France sits at an unemployment rate of 7.3%. France’s various renewable energies account for about 60,000 full-time jobs. If France’s future renewable projects come to fruition, it could create thousands of new jobs and lower the unemployment rate drastically.
Overall, renewable energy in France has become more prominent in recent years albeit, not at the rate they hoped for. Unfortunately, if the country wants to reach its ultimate goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, they have to pick up the pace exponentially. There is time and potential for France to become an even more renewable nation as long as the government and its citizens can reach an agreement that will yield positive results in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
– Tyshon Johnson
Photo: Flickr
Save Soil: Fighting Soil Degradation
What is Save Soil?
It is a movement that started 24 years ago, intent on revitalizing the world’s depleting soil to leave a better life for future generations. A mystic named Sadhguru started the movement when he noticed that soil degradation was rapid in India and theorized that within the next quarter-century most of the agricultural land in Tamil would become a desert. This would lead to food and water shortages for the children of the future.
One of Sadhguru’s most influential movements was Project Greenhands. For this movement, Sadhguru educated locals on environmental protection as a large national campaign and encouraged locals in areas around India to plant trees and other green life in otherwise deserted areas. In 2006, this movement set a Guinness record for the most saplings planted in 3 days.
Since the start of the movement other organizations, such as Conscious Planet are stepping in as well to educate the public on soil degradation and take measures to revitalize the soil.
Agricultural Problems in Tamil
According to a study, there is an issue of soil degradation in Tamil and an increase in Salinity in agricultural areas. This is drying out lands leading to further degradation.
What is even more concerning is that there doesn’t seem to be much of an interest to restore local agricultural areas leading to higher chances of poverty and hunger in the future. One of the government’s 2021 disaster management plans doesn’t identify clear policies to contain the increasing salinity in Tamil soil.
Some improvements have been made like the Tamil Nadu government passing the Protected Agricultural Zone Development Act, which prohibits industries from expanding onto agricultural land.
Conscious Planet
In its own words, Conscious Planet is trying to align societal activities towards eco-friendly means of life. The organization hopes to see a society in the future acting more environmentally conscious and to see world governments doing the same with environmental issues being key election points.
It wants to achieve these goals through the Save Soil movement by drawing public attention to dying soil, mobilizing others to support soil saving policy and driving policies in approximately 193 nations to raise and maintain the contents of soil by 3-6%.
A Journey to Save Soil
One of the biggest campaigns the Save Soil movement has is the Save Soil Journey. This event is a 100-day motorcycle trek from the United Kingdom to India where Sadhguru and several others in the movement travel from nation to nation speaking with leaders of government about the environment and how to better preserve soil. This movement has the goal to raise environmental awareness of soil degradation to more than three billion people and garner support from government leaders for stronger soil-saving policies. At home, you can become an “Earth Buddy” by listening to the teachings and resources of Sadhguru while he is on his journey.
A Look Ahead
Through movements such as these, awareness can be raised around environmental issues and take strides to revitalize soil to eliminate world hunger for future generations.
– Alex Havardansky
Photo: Flickr
5 Trending Approaches to Alleviating Global Poverty
5 Trending Approaches to Alleviating Global Poverty
The economies of both developing and industrialized nations took a significant hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many developing nations lacked the capabilities to remotely learn and work, which caused these nations to face even more economic turmoil than their industrialized counterparts. For example, U.S. internet penetration rates are approximately 89%, compared to developing nations such as Zimbabwe, where only 21% of citizens have access to the internet. Although there was an unprecedented upswing in poverty rates during the pandemic, strategic approaches to education equality, entrepreneurship and international aid can prevent further setbacks in the fight against global poverty.
– Salvatore Brancato
Photo: Flickr
Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Slovakia
About the Slovak Economy
The Slovak economy was already struggling before the COVID-19 pandemic. In Slovakia’s post-communist era, in which it transitioned to a Western economy, it faced several challenges. Additionally, Slovakia’s adoption of the euro, which unfortunately coincided with the timing of the recession and the euro crisis, further weakened its economy and thus worsened the issue of poverty in the state.
However, funding and monetary assistance from the EU have proven beneficial in providing support to small businesses that the crisis affected. This funding also focused on preserving employment and supporting self-employed individuals. Overall, economic activity in Slovakia is beginning to rebound and recover from the pandemic. This is, in part, due to lockdowns that helped prevent the virus’ spread. Slovakia’s economy, in comparison to other European countries, contracted less severely.
Slovakia’s GDP and Inflation
However, this should not allow for the overlooking of the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Slovakia, as well as Slovakia’s general economy. Slovakia’s GDP has grown since 2019, but not as quickly as in the quarters recorded before the pandemic. Economists expect inflation to be around 7% in 2022 due to the emergence of new COVID-19 variants, changes in energy prices or wage expectations, and other COVID-related externalities that cause dramatic price increases.
Slovakia’s most important economic sectors are the industrial and automotive industries, meaning that relief aid primarily focused on supporting these two sectors. However, this also means that other sectors, such as the tourism and service industries, did not receive as much relief – and these sectors rely on the work of people in high-risk groups, such as youth workers and members of the Roma community. Slovakia’s poverty rate is approximately 11.4%. It has decreased in recent years, but not as much as it could have if it were not for the pandemic. This is partly because relief aid did not target the most vulnerable economic sectors in which high-risk groups, such as the Roma community, work.
Lockdown Measures and the Slovak Roma Community
While lockdown measures may have benefited Slovakia’s economy, they were controversial in that they targeted vulnerable Roma populations. These lockdown measures sparked accusations of discrimination; the government “sealed” off the minority Roma population in order to stop COVID-19 from spreading even more. Roma people are more susceptible to diseases like COVID-19 because they live in segregated settlements with poverty, overcrowding, limited infrastructure and poor hygiene. Because of this environment, they have a greater susceptibility to infectious diseases.
As the pandemic began to grow in severity, the Slovak government announced its plans to test Roma communities after one Roma man broke a self-quarantine rule. As a result, the government contained 6,000 Roma people in five separate settlements in eastern Slovakia, where they identified the first infections. The government justified this harsh, extreme lockdown by citing specific issues with actually enforcing quarantine in the first place.
Non-governmental organizations and local Roma organizations feared that this would place the Roma people at even greater risk of COVID-19 exposure, infection and spread because the extreme containment measures had jurisdiction over environments and settlements conducive to the spread of infectious disease. Additionally, some argued that these policies were discriminatory because of the great risk they would cause for Roma people. The three main tenets of COVID-19 mitigation advice are wearing a mask, practicing social distancing and washing hands regularly; unfortunately, these are hard to implement and maintain in communities that are crowded and lack access to running water, such as those in which Roma people live.
People in Need Slovakia
Several NGOs saw an opportunity to work with government agencies and prevent higher infection rates for the Roma population (at least when compared with the rest of the Slovak population). In 1999, a group of journalists documenting the war in Kosovo founded People in Need Slovakia, an NGO that is helping the Slovak Roma community survive the pandemic. It has focused on providing emergency aid by handing out masks, disinfectants, soap and jerry cans to supplement water access. It also fundraises and provides emergency food provisions for the poorest Roma families in these settlements. The second phase of its relief plan involves organizing summer schools to compensate for issues in education access – due to school closures and the lack of wifi and laptops necessary for distance learning.
Zdrave Regiony
A second NGO, Zdrave Regiony, has been training health mediators. These mediators are local community members who lack medical qualifications but work with medical professionals as a bridge between community members and medical staff. Specifically, throughout the pandemic, it has liaised with health professionals, assisted in recognizing and tagging COVID-19 symptoms and coordinated testing and vaccination sites in Roma communities where trust in governmental authorities and mandates is low.
Overall, the assistance of these two organizations has led to positive results, as incidences of COVID-19 within the Slovak Roma community are no greater than in the rest of Slovak society. This means that the organizations, in cooperation with local community members and government officials, were able to mitigate the effects of the living conditions that characterize Slovak Roma settlements. Perhaps, this necessary step will open the door to more work and assistance that ensures Roma communities receive better care in times of crisis.
Though there have been many impacts of COVID-19 on poverty in Slovakia and, though the general Slovak economy has certainly suffered as a result of COVID-19, it is encouraging to see that organizations and communities are working together to counter the already-existing effects of poverty and spread of disease, especially for those who are at greater risk.
– Shiloh Harrill
Photo: Flickr
Demining in Libya: How Communities are Protecting Themselves
How We Got Here
Libya is a coastal city in northern Africa. The Government of Libyan National Unity (GNU) was established in March 2021 and a group led by warlord Khalifa Haftar controls the country politically. States surrounding Libya began independently supporting the two competing groups, with countries such as Egypt supporting Hafter and Turkey supporting the GNU. Another power that joined in aiding Haftar is Russia and a Russian organization called the Wagner Group.
Currently, the Wagner Group continues to occupy and influence parts of Libya, especially in the east. It continues to assist the Libyan National Army (LNA) under Haftar despite the ongoing war that Russia faces in Ukraine.
In 2020, the Wagner Group withdrew from Tripoli, the capital of the country located along the coast in western Libya. According to several sources, the organization left landmines in the area in the process of withdrawing, leaving Libyan civilians in a dangerous situation. The remaining landmines resulted in more than 300 innocent deaths or injuries in the past two years.
Through partnerships with the United States, European Union and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), the present dangers mobilized communities in Libya to come together and address the issue.
Communities Unite – Free Fields Foundation (3F)
Present dangers in Libya include landmines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and unexploded ordnance (UXO). Not only are these weapons remaining from the Wagner Group in the ongoing Libyan civil war, but there are still weapons from wars dating back to World War II. Three organizations that specialize in demining in Libya receive funding from the United States and represent a significant impact in eliminating the risk of more than 60,000 explosives in the last 11 years.
The European Union similarly coordinates three demining projects with several organizations including 3F, also known as Free Fields Foundation. Rabie al-Jawashi started 3F in 2012 in Tripoli. The organization now has 60 working members and received accreditation from the Libyan Mine Action Center. Rabie’s organization primarily focuses on areas near the coast and is making a large impact on the safety of families returning home after the war. In a mere eight months in 2020, 3F destroyed over 1,050 explosives in their focus area.
Many success stories arose from the Free Fields Foundation since its establishment. One example is the case of Saud Abdel Rahman and his family located in Sirte, Libya. After seeking refuge in a neighboring city during the war, Rahman’s family returned to find their farm in ruins. After seeing phone numbers for 3F on local billboards, Rahman contacted the organization, which removed landmines from his farm. This allowed the family to continue farming. Rahman also noted that his children personally experienced mine safety education in their school, thus illustrating the real-world impact that 3F creates.
A Safer Future
Apart from demining field work, 3F also works to educate Libyan civilians on mine safety. Members of the organization inform families on the correct steps to take if families locate explosives and collaborate with regional groups to instruct children in local schools.
The United States government also strives to inform civilians on the proper contacts and risk prevention to safely eliminate explosive risks. Further, the United States promotes the GNU’s humanitarian and economic development endeavors by offering support to the Libyan government.
With landmine education and renewed funding from the United States, European Union and other critical partnerships, demining in Libya continues to embody a community effort for the safety of Libyan civilians.
– Kaylee Messick
Photo: Flickr
The Impact of USG Funding for Ethiopia
Implementation
According to USAID, drought, flooding, food insecurity, vector-borne disease and minimal access to health services are just a few of the acute shocks that Ethiopian populations routinely suffer. These issues are worsened by continued large-scale violence, conflict and displacement, leading to a complicated emergency humanitarian situation.
On top of these challenges, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have not only brought about health impacts for countries but also economic repercussions. The World Bank predicted that Ethiopia’s poverty rate would stand at 27% by 2019. Like many other countries, Ethiopia suffered economically after the pandemic as its gross domestic product growth shrank from 6.1% in 2020 to 5.6% in 2021. Real wages for Ethiopians in Addis Ababa alone declined by 14% for high skilled workers at the onset of the pandemic.
How Will it Help?
According to the World Bank, Ethiopia is the “second most populated country in Africa” as of 2020. With this comes the increasing problem of water shortages. Besides water shortages, there is a lack of access to clean and safe water, which can lead to water-borne diseases, such as cholera, as individuals resort to consuming water from unsafe and potentially contaminated sources.
In fact, according to an article by Lifewater, “7.5[%]of the global water crisis is in Ethiopia alone” as of 2019. According to USAID, by April 2022, 8 million people in the southern parts of Ethiopia faced the impacts of drought conditions as a result of a third continuous “poor rainy season” in the latter part of 2021, which sparked severe water shortages and increased demand for emergency food aid.
WASH support aims to combat this by supplying safe water and preventing disease outbreaks. Food insecurity is also an issue in Ethiopia. According to the World Food Programme, despite Ethiopia’s progression, there are 20.4 million people who are still in need of food aid. The U.S. will ensure more people in Ethiopia have access to food by “providing assistance to drought-affected populations.”
Aftermath
Ethiopia continues to show effort in slowing down poverty. In fact, according to the World Bank, the government created a 10-year plan based on the 2019 Home-Grown Economic Reform Agenda for Ethiopia. With the intention of moving to a “private-sector-driven economy” and fostering “competition in key growth-enabling sectors” while promoting efficiency and a proper “business climate,” the plan will run for approximately 10 years from 2020/21 to 2029/30.
Ethiopia’s five-year growth and transformation plans aim to achieve “middle-income status” for the nation by 2025 by “sustaining high growth and speeding up structural transformation.” In the meanwhile, the USG funding for Ethiopia is actively lessening the burden on those who suffer from poverty in Ethiopia.
– Frema Mensah
Photo: Flickr
The Aging Crisis in China
The One Child Policy
China’s large aging population is largely attributed to its low birth rate as a result of its one-child policy. The policy, which was in effect from about 1980 to 2015, significantly reduced birth rates. A primary effect of the policy is that the population no longer mirrors a standard age distribution or “population pyramid.” Instead, there are more people who are aged 50-54 than those who are aged 35-39.
Generally, scholars view a youthful population pyramid, where there are more people under age 25, as a better indicator of a nation’s health and longevity. China’s population, however, represents an aging nation, in which a key concern is that by 2050, the working-age population will be less than 60% of the total, leading to severe economic consequences. The aging crisis in China remains a key area of concern for the government, which is forming new policies to combat the issue.
Retirement
Another issue is that many seniors, especially those who are lower income, reach the age of retirement without having enough savings built for retirement. If a person reaches retirement age without a healthy pension or adequate savings, they must either rely on others or, in the worst possible instances, succumb to conditions of poverty.
The same article cites a 2013 study done by Peking University reporting that “only 3% of respondents had a commercial pension and just 0.2% had a private pension.” An aging population can be a sign of increased access to health care and education, but because of China’s current and past enacted policies, a significant revamp of social policies is necessary to accommodate the aging population.
Urban Versus Rural Living
Moreover, limited access to education and rural living is linked to declining cognitive health. Though the World Health Organization reports that across China’s geographic regions, 75% of older people suffer from noncommunicable diseases as of May 2021, China’s poor and low-income populations struggle most with this issue as they have limited access to quality health care.
Research shows that there is significant regional and urban-rural disparity in China regarding economic, social and health issues. Poorer, rural communities have reduced access to care that would enable healthy aging. The COVID-19 pandemic in China has only exacerbated these challenges.
Moving Toward the Future
Once the Chinese government and Chinese academics began to see the long-term impacts of the one-child policy, many groups began prioritizing care for the elderly to begin to repair the aging crisis in China. A study done by Peng Nie and others found that from 2011 to 2015, statistics point to an improvement in healthy aging.
However, there are still significant geographical disparities that groups are seeking to address, such as the link between healthy aging and higher education or the link to higher socioeconomic class.
A positive sign is that China ended its one-child policy in 2015, expanding it to two children, and later, expanding it to three. This is a reassuring sign that China recognizes its aging health crisis, though implementation of policy to help Chinese citizens must be developed as well. Abandoning the one-child policy means that the age breakdown of the Chinese population may even out over the next few decades.
Additionally, the National Center for Gerontology (NCG), established in 2015 and located inside Beijing Hospital, focuses on preventative and control measures related to the aging crisis in China. This manifests in the form of research, training of medical professionals and the prioritization of health services for older people in remote areas.
The NCG published journals and established the National Plan for the Elderly Health Service System (2019–2022), which seeks to solidify a course of action for China. Among other goals, the NCG raises awareness for geriatric issues and encourages people to become involved in geriatric care.
– Lara Drinan
Photo: Flickr
War Puts HIV-Positive Ukrainians at Risk
HIV Medication Explained
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) involves taking a combination of HIV medications daily. Though ARTs are not a cure for HIV, they help prevent transmission and let HIV-positive people live longer healthier lives. ART reduces a person’s viral load, the amount of HIV in a blood sample, to an undetectable level. If a person’s viral load level is undetectable, meaning that a viral load test cannot detect it, then that person cannot transmit HIV to others.
Before the war, approximately 260,000 people were living with AIDS. Of this population, only 58% had access to daily antiretroviral medications. Now, with the war resulting in reduced access to ARTs, UNAIDS reported the possibility of the “resurgence of Ukraine’s AIDS pandemic.”
How PEPFAR Has Been Providing ARTs
HIV-positive Ukrainians are now depending on international support for treatment. The United States President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) invested $13 million in antiretroviral medications for Ukrainarinas in need. PEPFAR began in 2003 and is the largest commitment by any nation to address one disease. Its funding, which totals more than $100 billion, includes funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund). The Global Fund also provided emergency aid for ART medication in Ukraine.
The first wave of medication from PEPFAR delivered 18 million doses of ARTs to the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health in Ukraine and 100% Life, the “largest organization of people living with HIV in Ukraine” to distribute. This portion of life-saving treatment will cover six months of treatment for HIV-positive Ukrainians, less than that of PEPFAR’s commitment to cover one year, or 51 million doses of ART medication in Ukraine. PEPFAR flew the antiretroviral medications to Poland. From there, trucks transported the medication to medical facilities in Ukraine.
UNAIDS’ Efforts
The war in Ukraine has deepened the threat of HIV deaths for positive Ukrainians. Although foreign aid has played a pivotal role in obtaining and dispersing antiretroviral medications throughout the nation and to Ukrainians abroad, there is still a high demand for ARTs in difficult locations and to continue after the one-year investment from PEPFAR concludes. Ukraine’s Public Health Center created a website with more support for HIV-positive people. The website includes information about where individuals can continue ART therapy and provides information about how to find HIV help. It also provides contacts for Ukrainian refugees with HIV. The need to get medication to HIV-positive Ukrainians is urgent, and the threat of another AIDS pandemic is not over.
– Jordan Oh
Photo: Flickr
Foodborne Illness in Southeast Asia Impacts Poverty
The Current Standing of Foodborne Illness in Southeast Asia
High rates of both population and economic growth among Southeast Asian countries contribute to an increase in demand and production of food. But, higher agricultural output, especially meat production, the advent of foodborne illness has become more likely.
In 2015, the WHO created the first-ever global estimate of the burden of foodborne illness. Based on 2010 data, it estimated the existence of more than 150 million foodborne illnesses in Southeast Asia. These infections proved fatal for 175,000 people in the region, with children under 5 accounting for one-third of global deaths due to diarrhea. These diseases can also be disabling with side effects often including brain disorders, cancer and organ failure.
The four most prevalent causes of foodborne illness in Southeast Asia include Campylobacter species, Shigella species, Enterotoxigenic E. coli and Non-typhoidal S. enterica. Each is estimated to burden more than 15 million Southeast Asian people with bouts of sickness every year. Various forms of Salmonella and E. coli are the most life-threatening while norovirus and hepatitis A contribute to thousands of fatalities as well.
How Foodborne Illness in Southeast Asia Exacerbates Poverty
Diseases caused by foodborne illnesses result in “an annual loss of 33 million years of healthy life,” Felicia Wu, a food scientist who works with the WHO and for Michigan State University, told NPR in 2015. With thousands dying every year, the possibility of children losing one or both parents to a foodborne illness is a real threat. The loss of a parent can do harm to human capital development. For instance, a study by Kathleen Beegle and others found that maternal orphanhood leads to a loss of two centimeters of final height and one year in school.
Even when these diseases do not lead to the worst outcomes, they can still have major effects on the short-term well-being of those in poverty. For instance, while rarely fatal, those infected with the Campylobacter species, the most prevalent foodborne illness in Southeast Asia, will experience painful symptoms for a week on average. A week or more of debilitating symptoms can likely mean time off of the job. With so many people infected with these diseases in the region, this can have broader effects on the economy. In the Southeast Asian country of Indonesia, there is a projected cost of $4.7 to $16.7 million from diarrhea caused by foodborne illnesses alone.
Improving Standards through Multilateral Institutions
In 2016, an estimated 60 million people endured undernourishment in Southeast Asia, making food security high on the policy priorities of countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the intergovernmental body responsible for facilitating cooperation between the nations. Trade between Southeast Asian nations has been an important tool in countering this.
But, with trade, one country’s foodborne illnesses can quickly become another’s. To address this, ASEAN set up a Food Safety Policy in 2015 for better practice and enforcement of food safety standards. Some of the actions that this policy takes include support for small and medium-sized producers to adhere to food standards, a rapid alert system for disease tracing and transparency requirements concerning all new food safety laws.
Improving Practices with the ILRI
While news laws and standards set up an improved framework, especially for producers involved in regional trade, nearly all of the agriculture in Southeast Asia is informal. While these informal producers are more accessible to most, they are also harder to regulate, creating greater potential for hazards.
The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), an intergovernmental organization based in Kenya and Ethiopia, is working to improve local producers’ practices on the ground in Southeast Asia through a number of programs. In 2017, the ILRI began the SafePORK project to counteract disease from pork in Vietnam. This project has helped teach better pork safety practices and risk communication methods to small-scale producers across the country. With more confidence in the pork supply, the president of one pork cooperative told ILRI that there is more stability in its supply chains and it is making between 10-15% more on sales.
Looking Ahead
Though the incidence of foodborne illness remains high in Southeast Asia, the work of multilateral institutions and international scientific organizations have created frameworks to reduce the prevalence.
– Joey Harris
Photo: Flickr
US Aid to Help Pay Ukraine’s Health Care Workers
Ukraine’s Health Care Workers
Despite the ongoing Russian offensive, many Ukrainian health care workers have opted to remain in the country, performing their duties under extreme strain and hardship. These individuals are key to Ukraine’s continued resistance, providing essential medical services for soldiers and civilians alike. Ukraine’s minister of health, Viktor Liashko, expressed that “the overwhelming burden of war” has made it more difficult to pay health care workers, emphasizing the urgency of continued financial support.
Importance of Humanitarian Assistance
The latest aid package brings the total U.S. budgetary assistance to Ukraine, via USAID, to $4 billion as of July 2022. Ukraine has used this aid to maintain essential social services, such as ensuring schools and medical facilities receive gas and electricity, providing basic humanitarian supplies and supporting civil servants. USAID Director Samantha Power expects that Ukraine’s dependence on foreign aid will continue as the Russian offensive continues targeting Ukraine’s public services.
The importance of supporting Ukraine’s hospitals cannot be overstated. Russia’s offensive strategically targets health care institutions alongside other public works. Ukraine noted 269 attacks on Ukraine’s public health institutions as of June 2, 2022. Russia’s strategy has decimated vital supply lines and infrastructure. The recent U.S. aid to help pay Ukraine’s health care workers is a step in the right direction, however, continued international support for Ukraine’s humanitarian services remains essential.
Additional International Support for Ukraine
The U.S. has sent the most aid to Ukraine since the start of the war, however, many other countries have also stepped up to support Ukraine’s humanitarian and military needs in this time of crisis. As of July 4, 2022, the U.K. had committed about $3.5 billion and the European Union had pledged nearly $1.5 billion to the cause. The IMF and World Bank have also sent multiple aid packages worth several billion U.S. dollars since the conflict began. The private sector is also a valuable source of aid for Ukraine, with major corporations such as IKEA, Adidas and Google pledging millions of dollars worth of assistance.
Fund-tracking platforms such as Devex estimate that there are a total of about $100 billion in aid commitments to Ukraine as of July 2022. Unfortunately, only about $8.5 billion will be allocated toward humanitarian aid, with the remaining funds being tied up in military packages or loans that cannot be allocated toward emergency services.
The $1.7 billion in U.S.-World Bank aid to help pay Ukraine’s health care workers and sustain essential services will bolster Ukraine’s health system and public institutions. As Russia’s offensive grows more protracted, the continuance of such humanitarian assistance is crucial.
– Mollie Lund
Photo: Flickr
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