Umra Omar launched the Safari Doctors social enterprise in 2015 as an innovative health care solution for communities living in the 65 remote islands of Kenya’s Lamu County. The unconventional medical practice provides monthly mobile clinics to isolated villages via boat, making it an essential service to the region’s 3,000 residents. Safari Doctors improves health care in rural Kenya by leveraging the organizational mobility of its’ clinic.
Right, Not a Privilege
Safari Doctors serves marginalized indigenous communities living in remote regions of the Lamu County archipelago. A lack of health care infrastructure in the region makes it incredibly difficult for residents in remote villages to access emergency medical services. Many of these villages are an eight-hour boat ride from the mainland hospital, with travel costs reaching $300 for a one-way ticket, according to World Economic Forum.
With 34.3% of Kenyans living below the poverty line as of 2021, such travel costs constitute a significant strain on the impoverished rural residents of Lamu County. Safari Doctors improves health care in rural Kenyan communities by eradicating these travel costs and optimizing health care accessibility.
In order to address the need for health care services, Safari Doctors provides valuable primary care services such as routine checkups, immunizations, family planning, gynecology services and dental care, World Economic Forum reported. These health maintenance services are crucial preventative measures, warding off preventable diseases and minimizing health emergencies.
Safari Doctors was also integral to mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic, treating more than 4,000 people between March 2020 and June 2020. The Safari Doctors continues to provide COVID-19 testing services as well as vaccines.
In 2018, Safari Doctors launched the Safari Vets program, providing free veterinary services to Lamu’s remote villages. The Safari Vets program follows a holistic One Health philosophy, acknowledging that human health is directly related to the health of animals and the environment more broadly.
Community Outreach and Local Development
In addition to medical services, Safari Doctors has implemented multiple local programs aimed at bolstering community outreach and health care development. Safari Doctors established The Youth Health Ambassadors program in 2018 with the goal of engaging young people in Lamu’s marginalized communities. The Youth Health Ambassadors program trains Lamu’s youth to be health leaders in their communities.
Program participants receive first-aid training and education on issues related to reproductive health and hygiene practices. The program provides young Lamu-county residents with the opportunity to become licensed “Community Health Workers.” As Community Health Workers, individuals expand Safari Doctor’s outreach by conducting monthly household visits in their community and collecting valuable health data. Safari Doctors improves health care in remote Kenya while empowering Lamu’s youth to take community development into their own hands.
Additionally, Safari Doctors initiated an Indigenous Voices civic education program, which includes 58 representatives from 138 of Kenya’s indigenous women’s groups. The program aims to enable women to “engage in County health budget processes, inform policy and advocate for improved health service delivery.”
A Mobile Health Care Revolution
The Safari Doctors enterprise started on the conviction that mobile health care solutions are essential to bolstering Kenya’s health care infrastructure. According to World Economic Forum, 72% of Kenya’s population lives in rural areas with limited access to health care services. Safari Doctors improves health care in rural Kenya by implementing a mobile, community-driven model, making it an excellent example of how a mobile health service system can effectively tend to the needs of the community.
The issue of equitable health care access is not unique to Kenya, as seen in a 2018 study that found that 29% of the population of sub-Sahara Africa lives more than two hours from a hospital, World Economic Forum reported. Discussions on mobile health care solutions for remote African communities are emerging as a viable mechanism for transforming Africa’s health infrastructure.
In addition to the emergence of mobile medical practices such as Safari Doctors, many nations have begun exploring how drones can improve the public health of their populations. Rwanda was the first to implement a medical drone system in 2016 after partnering with the U.S.-based drone startup, Zipline.
Rwanda uses Zipline’s drones to streamline blood deliveries and send vital medicines to rural health centers. Zipline’s success in Rwanda encouraged Ghana to do the same in 2019. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Zipline allowed both countries to distribute personal protective equipment, respirators, oxygen and vaccines to rural communities.
Safari Doctors is a testament to the importance of mobile health care solutions in the world’s most remote regions. Safari Doctors is proof that technological development paired with community-driven solutions provides a promising avenue for improving health care access in marginalized communities around the globe.
– Mollie Lund
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
Vulcan Augmetics Offers Prosthetics in Vietnam
Though the Vietnam War ended 47 years ago, buried in Vietnamese soil, thousands of unexploded land mines, grenades and cluster bombs continue to injure or kill people. There are 100,000 amputees requiring prosthetics in Vietnam and about 80% are from landmines. Till today, 2,000 people are stepping on live landmines every year. In 2018, two expatriates founded Vulcan Augmetics, a social enterprise startup that utilized 3D printing and injection molding to create customizable and upgradable prosthetics. Its goal is to support amputees in developing countries and lower the cost of prosthetics.
Affordable Price
In developed nations, most amputees have access to social assistance and medical insurance covered by the legislation. In contrast, 95% of amputees in Vietnam have to support their own lives, with unemployment high up to 70%.
Rafael Masters and Akshay Sharma founded Vulcan Augmetics in 2018. One of their inspirations to start the company Vulcan Augmetics is to subsidize Vietnamese amputees with accessibility to high-functioning prosthetics when they lack quality insurance coverage.
Vulcan Augmetics combines traditional metal frames with plastic parts made through 3D printing. The innovation in filled materials controls prices of prosthetics at $1,100, making them more affordable than most prosthetic arms that cost $2,600 on average, explained Masters to KrASIA.
Sustainable Design
Another advantage of Vulcan Augmetics is to give amputees a say in developing artificial limbs, augmenting them to meet their own needs.
Rather than offering traditional fixed prosthetics, the company designed and produced flexible components for modifying and upgrading. Vulcan’s prosthetics plug and click together like Lego pieces, enabling rearrangement to suit the daily demands of a given occupation or task, according to KrASIA.
For the base model, there is also an adjustable mechanical device inside the hand with multiple functions, providing users the ability to do daily chores, said Masters to KrASIA. Going through the cheap and efficient entry-level ones, customers can upgrade to advanced models for more possibilities in life and work.
Broad Market
Till 2021, Vulcan has partnered with 17 major hospitals and clinics with orthotic and prosthetics services in Vietnam, offering new prosthetics to 32 people in need. It targets to have at least 50 users per month in 2022 and aggrandize its business to other regions in Southeast Asia, according to Youth Colab.
Positioning itself as a social enterprise, Vulcan Augmetics lists prices and detailed product information upfront on its website, so potential buyers can know what options are available no matter where they are.
For startups aiming to break down barriers to artificial limbs worldwide, this decentralized approach helps place the customer at the forefront. People no longer have to approach hospitals and clinics to find a prosthetic, but getting to see product options and collaborate in building prosthetics online without geographic hurdles.
Vulcan Augmetics plans to develop product lines for people with paralysis or weak muscles, and those without disabilities want to be more durable and flexible in special physical activities. For a long-term goal, the company wishes to serve 38 million disabled people globally in addition to providing prosthetics in Vietnam, according to KrASIA.
– Shiyu Pan
Photo: Unsplash
Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Spain
There is no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused mayhem across the globe over the past few years and the virus, alongside its health, social and economic implications, has effectively left no corner of the world untouched. Even wealthier nations within Europe, like Spain, have had their fair share of setbacks thanks to the pandemic. Thankfully, however, this nation has been blessed with an equipped and responsive government as well as various charitable corporations and NGOs, who have made it their mission to see the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Spain be negligible.
Early Action
Much like other affluent countries, Spain implemented a Royal Decree-Law 11/2020 at the beginning of the pandemic to counteract the widespread loss of both jobs and income. This was most certainly a vital measure when considering the following.
In 2020, the unemployment rate shot up to 16.5% as a consequence of government lockdowns. Contrast this rate with the 14% seen at the beginning of the year. It quickly became evident that over a million Spaniards were at risk of no longer being able to afford essentials like housing, food and other things of the sort. In other words, the potential impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Spain was a huge concern.
The nation was reporting more than 8,000 new COVID-19 cases a day at the beginning of the pandemic and thus the Spanish congress understood that they could not carry on business as usual and that they needed to restrict societal mobility via the closing of non-essential stores and businesses, halting commerce and slashing over 600,000 jobs.
Regarding the Royal Decree, officials took it one step further, going as far as to pause rent payments for the financially vulnerable so that there would be no immense backlog of fees at the conclusion of the eviction suspension.
This bold step caused evictions to decrease by 90% in the second quarter of 2020. Another noteworthy form of aid was the introduction of Universal Basic Income (UBI) for the nation’s most impoverished, an unprecedented move not attempted in any other region of the world. Nearly a million qualified for payments that equated to about €1,015.
Supplementary income had benefited roughly 22% of the Spanish population during the virus’ initial wave, helping keep families fed and stable in a time full of such great instability.
The Private Sector
The public response was not the only combatant to the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Spain that deserves praise. Private industry also stepped up in the wake of Spain’s Coronavirus crisis, with numerous companies and organizations making it their priority to keep communities both secure and safe during a moment of impending doom.
CAF, for instance, a popular development bank in Latin America, decided to donate $600,000 to Spain and its neighbor Portugal to assist them in their fight against COVID-19 and its ramifications. Consequently, about 25,000 Spanish families gained access to medical supplies that were otherwise out of reach.
Closer to home, big corporate names like Siegwerk donated to established and dependable charities like Banco de Alimentos and Caritas, which have a long track record of helping ease the hunger of countless Spaniards. Thanks to donations like these, Caritas was able to assist many vulnerable people and families in obtaining their basic necessities like shelter and food.
What Does This Mean for the Rest of the World?
The innovative and generous government response to the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Spain as well as the sympathetic actions of large corporations leaves the world with a lot to be hopeful for. Despite the complete shuttering of the economy, the amount of Spaniards at risk of poverty only increased from 20.7% in January 2020 to 21% in December 2020, making it appear as though the COVID-19 catastrophe never actually happened. The impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Spain was fairly minimal because officials were able to put their constituents first and profit-driven companies were able to overlook their finances for the general welfare. Given such dynamics, it seems the ideals of humanity are no longer too far out of reach.
No one in Spain would be willing to proclaim COVID-19 a blessing with its toll on the economy and human life, but as the old saying goes: “when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade” and that is precisely what this European nation has accomplished.
– Jacob Lawhern
Photo: Flickr
After War, Truce in Yemen Offers Hope
After more than seven years of war and what the United Nations described as “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis,” a truce in Yemen offered respite to the millions affected by the conflict in April.
Yemen’s Civil War and its Effects
The roots of Yemen’s civil war extend back to 2012 when Yemen’s president stepped down due to the Arab Spring. The former president and his supporters joined forces with the Houthi rebels, a Shiite Muslim resistance group supported by Iran. The Houthi rebels attacked the Yemeni government in 2014, seizing Yemen’s capital. As a result of the Houthi’s assault, the new president fled to Saudi Arabia and a Saudi-led collation began military operations against the Houthi rebels. Both the Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led coalition have continued to attack each other for the past seven years and attempts by the United States and the U.N. to facilitate a diplomatic resolution to the conflict have proven largely unsuccessful.
The civil war in Yemen has had severe consequences for the Yemeni people. In 2021, the U.N. estimated that the death toll of Yemen’s civil war was approaching 377,000. The U.N. estimated that 60% of the deaths were the result of indirect effects of the war, such as lack of access to water, food or medical resources. The U.N. estimated that 70% of those who had died as a result of the conflict were children. In 2021, U.N. approximations showed that one Yemeni child died every nine minutes because of the war.
In addition to killing the Yemeni people, Yemen’s war has forced millions into extreme poverty and led to increased malnutrition. Due to the war, 15.6 million Yemeni people have fallen into extreme poverty and the number of malnourished people has more than doubled. The U.N. estimated that the war can cause an additional 8.6 million Yemeni people to become malnourished, including 1.6 million children by 2030.
Yemen’s Truce
After almost eight years of violence, on April 1, the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels signed on to a U.N.-brokered truce, that went into effect on April 2. The truce included an agreement to cease offensive military operations, an end to the Houthi blockade of fuel ships and the reopening of the government-controlled commercial airport in Yemen’s capital city, Sana’a. While the original truce was to expire on June 2, the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels agreed to extend the truce an additional two months until August 2.
As of July, the truce has resulted in more than a dozen commercial flights departing from the Sana’a commercial airport and more than 20 fuel ships entering Yemen’s Hudaydah port. Before the implementation of the truce in Yemen, the Yemeni government had not allowed commercial flights from the Sana’a airport for nearly six years.
In addition to reopening Hudaydah port to fuel shipments and reopening Sana’a airport to commercial flights, the truce has helped reduce violence between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels. By the end of April, the U.N. reported that airstrikes and drone and missile attacks had come to a complete halt. Before the treaty, the Saudi-led coalition engaged in more than 40 airstrikes a week on average and the Houthi rebels engaged in an average of four drone and missile strikes a week. Alongside the reduction in violence, the U.N. report on the first two months of the treaty found that those two months had the lowest fatality levels in Yemen since 2015. Fatalities due to civilian targeting had decreased by 50%.
Looking Ahead
Despite the success of the truce in Yemen, its implementation has met some challenges. The truce included an agreement to reopen streets in the Houthi-controlled city, Taiz, a goal that the warring parties have made little progress toward. Both sides have reported violations of the agreement to cease offensive military operations. Even taking the roadblocks into account, this truce represents an unprecedented step toward peace for Yemen.
– Anna Inghram
Photo: Flickr
Safari Doctors Improves Health Care in Rural Kenya
Umra Omar launched the Safari Doctors social enterprise in 2015 as an innovative health care solution for communities living in the 65 remote islands of Kenya’s Lamu County. The unconventional medical practice provides monthly mobile clinics to isolated villages via boat, making it an essential service to the region’s 3,000 residents. Safari Doctors improves health care in rural Kenya by leveraging the organizational mobility of its’ clinic.
Right, Not a Privilege
Safari Doctors serves marginalized indigenous communities living in remote regions of the Lamu County archipelago. A lack of health care infrastructure in the region makes it incredibly difficult for residents in remote villages to access emergency medical services. Many of these villages are an eight-hour boat ride from the mainland hospital, with travel costs reaching $300 for a one-way ticket, according to World Economic Forum.
With 34.3% of Kenyans living below the poverty line as of 2021, such travel costs constitute a significant strain on the impoverished rural residents of Lamu County. Safari Doctors improves health care in rural Kenyan communities by eradicating these travel costs and optimizing health care accessibility.
In order to address the need for health care services, Safari Doctors provides valuable primary care services such as routine checkups, immunizations, family planning, gynecology services and dental care, World Economic Forum reported. These health maintenance services are crucial preventative measures, warding off preventable diseases and minimizing health emergencies.
Safari Doctors was also integral to mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic, treating more than 4,000 people between March 2020 and June 2020. The Safari Doctors continues to provide COVID-19 testing services as well as vaccines.
In 2018, Safari Doctors launched the Safari Vets program, providing free veterinary services to Lamu’s remote villages. The Safari Vets program follows a holistic One Health philosophy, acknowledging that human health is directly related to the health of animals and the environment more broadly.
Community Outreach and Local Development
In addition to medical services, Safari Doctors has implemented multiple local programs aimed at bolstering community outreach and health care development. Safari Doctors established The Youth Health Ambassadors program in 2018 with the goal of engaging young people in Lamu’s marginalized communities. The Youth Health Ambassadors program trains Lamu’s youth to be health leaders in their communities.
Program participants receive first-aid training and education on issues related to reproductive health and hygiene practices. The program provides young Lamu-county residents with the opportunity to become licensed “Community Health Workers.” As Community Health Workers, individuals expand Safari Doctor’s outreach by conducting monthly household visits in their community and collecting valuable health data. Safari Doctors improves health care in remote Kenya while empowering Lamu’s youth to take community development into their own hands.
Additionally, Safari Doctors initiated an Indigenous Voices civic education program, which includes 58 representatives from 138 of Kenya’s indigenous women’s groups. The program aims to enable women to “engage in County health budget processes, inform policy and advocate for improved health service delivery.”
A Mobile Health Care Revolution
The Safari Doctors enterprise started on the conviction that mobile health care solutions are essential to bolstering Kenya’s health care infrastructure. According to World Economic Forum, 72% of Kenya’s population lives in rural areas with limited access to health care services. Safari Doctors improves health care in rural Kenya by implementing a mobile, community-driven model, making it an excellent example of how a mobile health service system can effectively tend to the needs of the community.
The issue of equitable health care access is not unique to Kenya, as seen in a 2018 study that found that 29% of the population of sub-Sahara Africa lives more than two hours from a hospital, World Economic Forum reported. Discussions on mobile health care solutions for remote African communities are emerging as a viable mechanism for transforming Africa’s health infrastructure.
In addition to the emergence of mobile medical practices such as Safari Doctors, many nations have begun exploring how drones can improve the public health of their populations. Rwanda was the first to implement a medical drone system in 2016 after partnering with the U.S.-based drone startup, Zipline.
Rwanda uses Zipline’s drones to streamline blood deliveries and send vital medicines to rural health centers. Zipline’s success in Rwanda encouraged Ghana to do the same in 2019. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Zipline allowed both countries to distribute personal protective equipment, respirators, oxygen and vaccines to rural communities.
Safari Doctors is a testament to the importance of mobile health care solutions in the world’s most remote regions. Safari Doctors is proof that technological development paired with community-driven solutions provides a promising avenue for improving health care access in marginalized communities around the globe.
– Mollie Lund
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
The Efforts of USAID Programs in Vietnam
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) began its relationship with Vietnam in 1989 with programs assisting disabled persons and has expanded its influence on Vietnamese society and its markets. The foreign aid agency primarily focuses on Vietnam’s economic productivity, education systems, health and environment, amongst other pressing issues.
Fostering Economic Growth
USAID programs offer support by improving the business ventures of Vietnamese enterprises and governance capacity. USAID programs are aiming to increase Vietnam’s economy to an upper-middle-income status by 2035 through efforts to increase productivity and competition amongst small businesses, address economic policies and emphasize sustainability.
Existing programs promote global trade and international commerce by stimulating competition in private sectors and developing leadership and management skills for provincial leaders. USAID programs in Vietnam create a further expanding market with small and medium businesses that cooperate with global supply chains. Boosting Vietnam’s trade reach beyond localities creates a more inclusive, productive and accessible market for vulnerable populations.
Efforts to increase sustainability go hand-in-hand with USAID’s environmental protection programs. Shifting reliance on renewable energy sources has been a goal of USAID in partnership with Vietnam Urban Energy Security (VUES) to stimulate investments and commercialization. The focus on sustainability and economic growth aims to provide opportunities for vulnerable populations in poverty to gain access to business ventures that can bring social mobility and stability.
Health and COVID-19 Recovery
USAID invested more than $1 billion in Vietnamese health assistance programs to prevent and treat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and zoonotic diseases in the past 20 years. Global health security projects aim to train health workers, monitor possible health threats from animals and/or contagions and prepare appropriate responses to public health emergencies that may arise in the future. For example, the One Health Workforce project will provide training at universities for almost 1,700 students in various health care disciplines – not only enhancing the job force with academic opportunities and skills for the next generation but also improving the health security of the country.
Vietnam has also received $23.4 million in COVID-19 assistance including vaccine doses, ventilators, emergency response systems and health facilities. USAID’s MOMENTUM project addressed low immunization rates and a lack of accessibility to COVID-19 vaccine doses in provinces without properly trained medical health professionals and resources due to geographic and socio-economic barriers.
In the first six months of its implementation, the program trained almost 4,000 staff members and placed 716 mobile vaccination sites in mountainous provinces that otherwise experienced neglect in terms of health security amid the pandemic.
Higher Education System Modernization
One step USAID programs in Vietnam are taking to provide access to knowledge and skills required for socio-economic prosperity is focusing on improving academic opportunities. USAID recognizes that in order to improve Vietnam’s status from its current standing as a lower-middle income country, the labor force would benefit from modernization and advancement in skills to keep up with an ever-changing job market.
The government is appropriating funds and creating partnerships between Vietnamese universities and American higher education institutions like Indiana University to improve academic quality, research and innovation in the Southeast Asian country. American universities will give nearly 150,000 Vietnamese students the opportunity to pursue academic endeavors that reflect the future of the job market through academic partnerships and socio-economic growth within the country.
USAID programs in Vietnam have reflected the strengthening relationship between the United States and Vietnamese governments with financial investments and support that could benefit the economy on local and international levels. Economic support, educational advancements and emergency relief that the U.S. provided could allow Vietnam to eventually become an independent and thriving country.
– Nethya Samarakkodige
Photo: Pixabay
Women’s Rights in Malta: A Push for Political Power
Malta — the EU’s smallest country by area — is hard to spot on a map, but its women’s rights activists are robust. Malta is the EU’s most densely populated country and has some of the highest rates of voter turnout in free elections in the world. The island’s more than 440,000 residents have a long history of advocating for change on the streets, behind desks and at the polls. In recent decades, women and their male allies focused on progressing women’s rights in Malta.
Defining Women’s Rights on a Global Scale
Women’s rights look different in each country. However, in general, those are the rights that aim to promote the legal and social equity and equality of all genders. As part of its commitment to advancing global gender equality using foreign policy, the U.S. Department of State identified four key policy priorities for empowering women across the globe: peace and security, economic empowerment, gender-based violence and adolescent girls.
Women in Government
Women in Malta have won an increasing number of seats in Parliament and the Cabinet through the years, but achieving peace and security is a ways away. In 2014, women in Malta made up just 13% of Parliament, the lowest share of women in a European national parliament. This is far from the representation that advocates for women’s rights in Malta want, but it is a small improvement.
Women have been running for government seats in Malta for the last 70 years, but their election success rate — even with its variation — has remained low. The country’s biggest weakness in its 2021 Gender Equality Index score was gender in politics. But, its strong economy, health care and workforce ultimately earned the country a score of 65 out of 100 — just three points below the EU.
Economics
Over the last decade, Malta has prioritized empowering women in economics. The country ranked 84th in last year’s Global Gender Gap Index, jumping six rankings from the year prior. However, women in the country are still tasked with vast amounts of unpaid domestic work which widens the economic gender gap and contributed to 45% of women working full time compared to 67% of men in 2021. According to the U.N. Women, women and girls spent 18.8% of their time doing unpaid work in 2021 compared to 7% spent by men and close to twice as many women are experiencing severe food insecurity.
Domestic Violence
With rising rates, women’s rights advocates consider domestic violence to be a gender-based violence crisis on the island. According to the 2014 Global Database on Violence Against Women, 15% of women have experienced violence from an intimate partner in their lifetime and 4% have experienced violence in the last year. Across the globe, rates of domestic violence against women skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Malta has not collected concrete data on gender-based violence since 2014 and government officials are worried the country could be facing concerningly high rates.
Birth Rate
Malta has a high adolescent birth rate. According to the World Bank, about 12 teenage girls gave birth per 1,000 — the highest adolescent birth rate in Southern Europe. Teenage girls with newborns experience immense difficulties pursuing education and employment. However, the Maltese government and women political leaders have tried to combat these hurdles. In 2013, the country introduced the Government’s Electoral Manifesto, which promised the Free Childcare Scheme. The program provides government-paid childcare to parents pursuing employment or education.
The Movement’s Political History
Since the country’s first election in 1947, women have fought hard for seats in government so they can advance policies and laws that promote women’s rights in Malta. In 2021, Malta’s Parliament brought a gender balance mechanism into law that adds more seats to the House if one gender wins less than 40% of seats. In 2014, women in government also achieved state-paid childcare and currently, all pregnant women receive cash benefits.
Looking Ahead
Currently, married fathers of newborns are only eligible for one day of parental leave in Malta. Predominantly young men and new fathers are advocating for parental leave so they can support mothers with unpaid domestic work at home. This could ultimately decrease the gender gap and strengthen women’s rights in Malta. With a petition to implement paternity and parental leave currently sitting in Parliament, the issue is expected to gain popularity in the coming years.
The leading non-governmental organization dedicated to progressing women’s rights in Malta is the Women’s Rights Foundation. By providing one of the first helplines for women and victims of gender-based violence to call, the organization is able to inform, educate and empower women concerning their legal rights. The group also advocates for policy and law reforms that protect women’s rights and bring an end to all violence against women and girls. The organization has repeatedly filed judicial letters on behalf of hundreds of women in an effort to make legal and political changes on the island.
There is little to no data on violence against women in the country, but these numbers are vital for women’s rights in Malta. In 2020, the U.N. had less than half of data on women than the amount it considers to be essential to closing gender gaps in the country. The U.N., the European Institute for Gender Equality and other organizations are making data collection in Malta a priority to ensure women’s rights moving forward.
– Delaney Murray
Photo: Flickr
The Impacts of Heat Waves in China
On July 12, 2022, dozens of cities in eastern and southern China issued high alerts as the temperature exceeded more than 107 degrees Fahrenheit. These scorching heat waves in China are forecasted to persist for weeks. Unfortunately, this is not the first time China has experienced heat waves. Since 1990, heat waves in China have increased mortality rates, which reached 26,800 deaths in 2019 alone. These heat waves highlight the growing concern about extreme weather patterns as each year, natural disasters like floods have been becoming more common and dangerous. In southern China, floods have affected the lives of half a million people, killing hundreds and displacing many more in 2021. As the world’s largest carbon emission producer, China’s steps toward alleviating climatic hazards play a key role in the future of the planet.
Climatic Hazards in China
In the past decades, China has transformed its farmlands into cities, booming its economy and lifting millions of people out of poverty. In 2020, 0% of the population was below the national poverty line. However, rapid economic advancements in China have resulted in it producing more greenhouse gases than any other country in the world, according to Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Experts have predicted that these changes in the climate would result in more extreme weather events like floods and heat waves, which are currently taking hold of many cities in China.
As natural hazards affect one-third of agricultural land, those living in “ecologically fragile areas” in China are the most vulnerable to climatic hazards and are thus more likely to return to poverty or be poverty-stricken. A lack of infrastructure and resources makes it difficult for remote areas in China to adapt or cope with disasters. In the cities, climatic hazards weaken the population’s well-being as air pollution alone contributes to an annual 1.2 million deaths.
Heat Waves’ Impacts on the Economy
The recent heat waves in China have left a major manufacturing region calling for businesses and households to use less power. Meanwhile, pork prices are rising because of fear of crop failure causing consumer inflation to rise. According to the National Development and Reform Commission, hog prices increased by 46% since March and a number of feed producers warned that there would be an increase in pig, poultry and fish prices, CNN reported.
The heat waves in China have forced businesses to ration power, posing a challenge to manufacturing industries as they still continue to recover from the pandemic lockdowns. In recent GDP data that China published, the expected economic growth for April-June 2022 dwindled from 4.8% to 1%, according to CNN.
China’s Solution
China’s president, Xi Jinping, pledged to tackle these extreme weather conditions and make it a national priority in 2020. Beijing’s goals in addressing this issue include achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, reaching peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030, and boosting forest coverage by around 6 billion cubic meters and more, according to CFR.
However, these goals may not be ambitious enough. Experts have pointed out that the goals do not align with the Paris Agreement as China would need to reach peak carbon emission by 2025 to meet the Paris accord’s goals, CFR reported. Additionally, carbon emissions are not decreasing at the necessary pace to reach the ideal temperature target of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Still, China has exceeded most of the targets that it set out in 2015. Energy consumption of coal has dropped from 70% to 57% in the past decade and in 2019, China had half the world’s electric vehicles and 98% of electric buses, according to The Conversation. China is also becoming greener faster than any other country largely due to forestry programs that help reduce soil erosion and pollution.
Looking Ahead
While China’s targets lack ambition and a set cap on emissions, there is a chance for China to enhance its contributions to tackling heat waves. Pressure is mounting up on China as numerous countries, especially India and other developing countries, increased their pledges and with China’s position as a leader in the developing world, Beijing would likely make more aggressive targets.
Cooperation between China and other countries is also key in fighting extreme weather conditions. In 2021, the U.S and China have made a joint declaration in working together to combat the crisis. China is also open to working with Japan and South Korea in addressing environmental issues through yearly meetings with these countries, CFR reported.
The recent heat waves in China highlight the imperativeness to ramp up action toward fighting extreme weather conditions. More ambitious targets and accelerated progress in China would not only mean protecting the health and economic stability of citizens but also preserving the future of the world.
– Samyukta Gaddam
Photo: Pixabay
Screening for Sickle Cell Disease in Zambia
Sickle cell disease is most common globally in sub-Saharan Africa. Up to 45% of sub-Saharan Africans are carriers of the disorder. Sickle cell disease appears to have evolved as an adaptation against malaria, which is why it would be so prevalent in these African countries. For example, Zambia is one of the 20 countries in the world with the highest malaria incidence and mortality. About 2% of the world’s sickle cell disease cases occur in Zambia, and about 5% of cases in eastern and southern Africa occur in the country.
Alarmingly, after significant progress in controlling the disease in the 2010s, sickle cell in Zambia started to escalate in 2020. In fact, during the first half of 2020, sickle cell cases, test positivity and mortality increased from 30% to 50% between 2018 and 2019. That is why as of 2021, the Zambian Ministry of Health recognizes sickle cell disease as a public health crisis. Specifically, 20% to 25% of the Zambian population is a carrier and 1% to 2% of children born in Zambia have the disease. That is why early screening programs are so important in fighting sickle cell disease in Zambia.
Sickle Cell Disease
Sickle cell disease is actually a group of conditions that cause misshapen red blood cells called “sickle cells.” Most red blood cells look like discs, but sickle cell patients have red blood cells that look like sickles or crescents. Sickle cells tend to stick together and obstruct the movement of blood, which makes sickle cell patients more vulnerable to infection. Also, sickle cells are more easily breakable than non-diseased red blood cells. This can lead to patients not having enough blood cells, a condition known as anemia.
Patients with sickle cell disease experience pain when the blood cells clog blood vessels. This pain may last a short time or for hours. Also, their anemia makes them often feel tired. Although it is not clearcut what triggers a sickle cell crisis, being overly cold or overly stressed seems to provoke incidents. Finally, other illnesses and dehydration trigger sickle cell crises.
Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease
Luckily, there are drugs that treat sickle cell disease. To prevent pulmonary infections, to which sickle cell disease patients are more prone, health professionals commonly prescribe penicillin. They also suggest that all sickle cell patients stay fully vaccinated. To prevent anemia, patients take folic acid to help the body manufacture new red blood cells. Additionally, medical professionals frequently prescribe the medication hydroxyurea to decrease the stickiness of red cells and adverse effects of the disease. If an infection or anemia still occurs, patients may need hospitalization. There, they receive more intensive medicine, including blood transfusions. Bone marrow transplants can cure sickle cell disease by replacing the diseased blood with healthy blood from a donor. However, not everyone is a candidate for a bone marrow transplant, and the procedure has a lot of risks.
Newborn diagnosis, careful monitoring and access to care results in survival to adulthood in 96% of cases of sickle cell disease. That is why all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the United States mandate sickle cell screening. European countries also have robust screening programs. However, in Africa, where newborn screening is sparse, up to 80% of children born with the disease die before they turn 5 years old. Zambia is working assiduously to improve its sickle cell screening and launched its newborn screening program in April 2021.
Zambia Launches Screening Program
Zambia’s Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) Newborn Screening (NBS) program focuses on early therapeutic intervention and builds on the country’s framework for early vaccination and HIV screening. The program hopes to annually screen 10,000 newborns and develop an electronic database of patient demographics, medical history and laboratory records. Initially, the program will screen at three sites in northwest Zambia. The screening program involves taking a blood test sample from infants at different hospitals and sending the sample to its Tropical Diseases Research Center.
Additionally, through the Consortium of Newborn Screening in Africa (CONSA), scientists can use newborn screening data on the disease in the future so they can map out the disease in Zambia and across Africa to inform treatment and prevention. Dr. Jonas Kamina Chanda, the Zambian minister of health, claims that the new screening “marks an important milestone in the health sector, as well as those living or caring for someone with sickle cell disease.” Hopefully, Zambia will serve as a model for other African countries that do not currently screen to offer such a critical service to their citizens as well.
– Mikaela Marinis
Photo: Pixnio
Human Trafficking in Latvia
The U.S. Department of State produces an annual Trafficking in Persons Report to assess the progress of countries in steps taken to eliminate human trafficking in Latvia according to the standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). In terms of efforts to address human trafficking in Latvia, the 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report on Latvia ranks Latvia as a Tier 2 country, meaning “Latvia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.”
Human Trafficking Struggle in Latvia
Latvia has struggled with human trafficking for a long time and many Latvians have been victims of the cruel trade. Data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reveals that “every year approximately 2,000 people become victims of human trafficking in the Baltic.” Trafficking rings were even able to take advantage of the recent pandemic, preying on desperate people facing job losses and financial difficulties. Under the guise of job opportunities, traffickers lured Latvians desperate for work and income.
There are certain factors that complicate the counterattack against human trafficking rings, such as limited resources and education for identifying victims. It is also tough to follow where the money goes in the multinational networks of human trafficking.
But Latvia is doing its utmost to meet the standards set by the TVPA to protect more of its citizens from trafficking. The country is making efforts to keep its citizens safe: Latvia conducted more investigations into trafficking cases and the government amended the labor law to protect employees and worked to identify more trafficking victims, the Department of State reported.
Aid to the Cause
Even though efforts are underway to create a stronger fighting force against traffickers, trafficking is still prevalent. Statistics on human trafficking in Latvia come from reported incidents, however, many cases go unreported. But, fortunately, there are many organizations that are up to the test of tackling this problem head-on.
MARTA is a nonprofit organization that came about in 2000 and is the “only women’s rights advocacy institution in Latvia.” MARTA “provides professional, social, legal, psychological services to adult victims of violence and human trafficking, ensures assistance to women and their children in vulnerable life situations,” among other services.
Many of MARTA’s programs focus on upholding the rights of women and children while decreasing the prevalence of violence and providing training to educators.
In the period of up to 180 days, victims can receive specialist help in form of social workers, psychologists or legal help. Victims can also receive medical assistance, safe shelter and health check, among others, depending on their needs. Victims can receive support from MARTA for a longer period if they become witnesses in criminal proceedings. Latvia’s state budget covers all the costs of social rehabilitation services, therefore it is free of charge for the victims. According to its website, “To receive the service, you must register for a consultation at the MARTA Centre via phone call and write an application.”
Knowledge of human trafficking is valuable as it allows more people to protect themselves and prevents others from becoming victims. With ongoing efforts from organizations and the Latvian government, the prevalence of human trafficking in Latvia could reduce and Latvia could move closer to Tier 1 status.
– Kelsey Jensen
Photo: Flickr
Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Sierra Leone
Government findings in 2020 report a 60% decline in average weekly profits for businesses operating in Sierra Leone. However, customer demand witnessed an 80% decline by late May. Around 60%-70% of businesses had “difficulties accessing suppliers.” The liquidity status of several businesses declined and 52% were behind or likely to fall behind on paying their rents. Employees reported momentary layoffs, while others experienced reductions in working hours, to reach around four to six hours. The impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Sierra Leone is further exemplified through youth unemployment, which forced the closure or scaled down operations of many youth-owned businesses in Sierra Leone. Youth unemployment reached 60% in 2021 and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted by 4% in 2020.
Impact on Tourism Sector
Prior to the global COVID-19 pandemic, 71,000 tourists visited Sierra Leone in 2019 and projections have stated that tourism generated $39.00 million corresponding to 0.93% of GDP. This is demonstrating the power tourism has on the country’s income and economy. With travel restrictions, the level of tourism fell by 77.3% in 2020 as per Ministry of Finance records. This pushed 97% of tourism businesses into experiencing a massive impact on operations. Besides that, 29% of them encountered either provisional or permanent closure.
Accordingly, it is evident that the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Sierra Leone is showcased through its direct ramifications on the country’s economic strength and employment rate, especially with 8,000 people working in the tourism sector indicating its importance in the development of Sierra Leone.
Food Security and Livelihood
Around 30% of Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown live on less than $1 per day, the international poverty line standing at around $1.90 per day. Among 116 countries, Sierra Leone ranked 106 in the 2021 Global Hunger Index illustrating the severity of the food crisis. Recent 2022 records validate that 73% of the population is experiencing food insecurity, 11% of which are acutely food insecure. This illustrates direct challenges to human welfare and basic standards of living, especially as 74% of households reported using more than 75% of their income on food.
Economic Assistance
To build and encourage economic resilience, in 2020, the World Bank permitted the International Development Association to support Sierra Leone with a grant worth $100 million. Such financing supports the development of greater productivity in varying sectors including agriculture, a primary sector of Sierra Leone’s economy. In 2021, economic growth accounted for 3.1%, with agriculture contributing for half the rise.
To further sustain the government’s ability in delivering rudimentary human rights such as education and health care services in the midst of an economic crisis, in 2020 the European Union allocated €10 million in economic support. For instance, improvements in health care are evident in the infant mortality rate, declining from 78.643 for every 1,000 births in 2019 to 72.253 for every 1,000 births in 2022.
Supporting Unemployed Youth
In 2021, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched a vocational training program in Sierra Leone worth $4.3 million to close the gap between labor and the necessary skills the market demands. This program has reached out to 940 participants thus far and seeks to eradicate unemployment in the country by developing skilled labor, thereby fostering a population capable of initiating independent economic growth, according to IOM.
A similar effort by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) promoted inclusive growth among rural areas in Sierra Leone. The UNDP trains youth with a skillset that advances their employability prospects in a globalized world.
Partnering with Restless Development and the Institute of Development and Humanitarian Assistance-IDHA, the UNDP further issued grants to over 1,000 youth business owners to preserve businesses from closing, as reported on its website. Business owners reported they have been able to grow their businesses, as well as offer employment opportunities.
Nutrition and Food Assistance
With collective effort from the European Union, the U.S. and China among other multilateral donors, the World Food Programme (WFP) delivered food and nutritional support for around 540,000 people across Sierra Leone in 2021. To further support the U.N. Peacebuilding Fund Project, the WFP partnered with the Ministry of Agriculture to enable the development of inland valley swamps and create a continuous and lifelong food supply.
In January 2022, the OPEC Fund for International Development also provided contributions by extending two loans worth $35 million to curb hunger and encourage food security for 1.4 million Sierra Leoneans.
The impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Sierra Leone has presented pronounced challenges on varying economic and social levels. However, with the right collective efforts such as UNDP grants, the economy can recover to allow its population to lead a prosperous future.
– Noor Al-Zubi
Photo: Unsplash