The debris of war lies heavily in Iraq. The country’s constant conflicts with ISIS, which internal sectarian divides and Kurdish disputes exacerbated, have led to the focus shifting from other vital issues. Period poverty in Iraq — the lack of access to menstrual hygiene products, water and sanitation facilities and proper knowledge about menstruation — stands as one of these issues.
Taboo About Periods
In most developed countries, talks about puberty and sexual development are normal. In deeply conservative countries like Iraq, however, society considers the topic of menstruation taboo. This leads to not only unpreparedness but also feelings of shame when adolescent girls first start menstruating. In an article that the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) published, Rusul, a young Iraqi woman, opened up about her experience with her first period. She mentioned that she felt confused and afraid, and “thought that she had done something wrong.”
The UNFPA established a Women Social Center in Rusul’s neighborhood a few years after her harrowing experience. The Center hosts educational sessions on issues affecting girls and women, such as menstruation, in order to raise awareness and educate girls on how periods affect them both mentally and physically. By dispelling myths and being open about biological facts, women in Iraq can feel comfortable about their body processes and confident enough to take the steps to maintain proper health and hygiene.
Feelings of fear and embarrassment in relation to periods are even more prevalent among lower-income individuals who have even less access to information and products like sanitary pads. UNICEF believes that by educating girls about menstrual cycles at an early age, the organization can help girls develop healthy menstrual practices. The organization has started work in the North African and Middle East regions to equip people of all genders with the necessary information about menstruation to help address misconceptions, prevent discrimination and reduce stigmas.
In Iraq specifically, one of UNICEF’s ongoing projects aims to develop and strengthen the knowledge of menstrual hygiene management among teachers. By conveying their menstrual knowledge to schoolgirls and normalizing periods, educators will “build confidence and encourage healthy habits” among menstruating girls.
Period Poverty During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated issues of period poverty in Iraq and throughout the world. The economic recession and supply chain crisis that followed have made menstrual supplies and hygiene products even less accessible, especially for those living in poverty. When girls and women cannot access menstrual products, they often resort to unsanitary methods, such as using dirty clothes or plastic bags to contain the bleeding. Consequently, these girls and women put themselves at risk of infections.
Moreover, during the pandemic, measures like lockdowns and the closing of social and medical centers block off access to menstrual education and free menstrual resources. The situation is worse for people in refugee camps, prisons and other institutions. A woman in Kirkuk, Iraq, told UNFPA that during the lockdown in 2020, being in a detention center made detainees feel forgotten “but [their] intimate needs matter.”
Solutions to Combat Period Poverty
In response to the problems posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, UNFPA has arranged to distribute dignity kits to families during the pandemic. During times of conflict with ISIS, specifically from 2014 to 2015, the UNFPA handed out about 95,000 such kits. The kit consists of “toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, sanitary pads and underclothes.” While distributing, UNFPA staff can meet women to assess their needs and tell them about the psychological and reproductive services that the organization offers.
UNHCR collaborated with partners in 2020 and assisted 77,786 girls and women in Iraq by providing sanitary products to them.
UNICEF also helped in arranging clean water and sanitation supplies for women in care homes, correctional facilities and hospitals. Additionally, public video messages and announcements created by UNFPA helped teachers, parents and students gain awareness of menstrual health, even though schools had effectively shut down.
These steps to address period poverty in Iraq are bearing fruit. Data that UNICEF and WHO collected from refugee camps in Iraq in 2020 shows that almost 100% of women felt satisfied with the provision of “menstrual materials and facilities.” Moreover, according to survey data collected in Iraq between 2016 and 2020, 94% of women between the ages of 15-49 years had a private place to wash and change and 97% “had basic hand washing facilities.”
Though solutions are underway, only continued efforts and steadfast commitments to reducing period poverty in Iraq will ensure long-term change and lasting impacts.
– Anushka Raychaudhuri
Photo: Unsplash
Feed Our World Provides Food to Children Globally
Hunger causes half of all children under the age of five to lose their lives every year, according to Penny Appeal U.S.A. Childhood hunger is an ongoing issue that millions of children experience and the issue is only worsening. Thankfully, there are organizations like Penny Appeal U.S.A. that fight childhood hunger and work to save these starving children. Its Feed Our World program provides food to children globally in more than 30 countries all over the world.
The Issue of Child Hunger
More than 3 million children die per year due to hunger and that number is only rising as factors like COVID-19 and changing weather interfere. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools closed in 199 countries, which left 370 million children facing the impact of hunger. Approximately 50% of deaths among children under the age of five are due to hunger as 45 million children are currently suffering from malnutrition every year. It is notable to add that extreme hunger affects more females than males as 60% of the people in the world facing extreme hunger are women and young girls. The WFP also states that the “Inequality from early marriage and young motherhood to cultural barriers and lack of education means girls are much more likely to be malnourished, causing immediate and long-term health problems.”
Millions of children are suffering because they are unable to get access to food and the issue is only worsening. Poverty is the root cause of child hunger, families can’t even meet basic needs to survive and they must decide whether they want food or a roof to sleep under. Other factors like infectious diseases, environmental conditions and raised prices all contribute to more and more families struggling to obtain food for their children. It is safe to say that child hunger is still a detrimental issue worldwide as the Feed Our World program provides food to children globally.
Penny Appeal USA’s Feed Our World Program
Penny Appeal U.S.A. is an organization that dedicates its efforts to making communities more prosperous and sustainable. The organization states that its mission is “communities working together, supporting one another, leaving need and poverty behind for good.” Feed Our World is one of the many programs that Penny U.S.A. offers that is working to provide nutritious meals to children in countries suffering from childhood hunger. A few of the 30 countries the program works in are Afghanistan, Uganda, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Syria, Yemen and Zimbabwe. In West Bank, Palestine, the program provided approximately 395,800 meals to more than 6,050 people. In 2021, more than 30,800 people received meals in 16 different countries. Along with distributing meals to various countries, essential ingredients like oils, flour, rice and dates go to communities as well.
The Feed Our World program is not the only program through this organization benefiting the world. There are numerous programs through Penny Appeal USA including Education First, Emergency Response, Heal Humanity, Income Generation and Religious Giving. The Thirst Relief program is granting safe drinking water to communities through building wells, hand pumps and water centers. Orphan Kind is a program assisting orphaned children around the world by providing shelter, health care, food and emotional and psychological support. The Feed Our World program provides food to children globally while the organization is also making a difference in a variety of areas to support people in need throughout the world.
Childhood hunger is a detrimental and long-lasting issue, but Penny Appeal U.S.A.’s Feed Our World program provides food to children globally, as well as provides other necessary resources to communities all around the globe to alleviate countries suffering from poverty.
– Dylan Olive
Photo: Flickr
Violence Against Women in Assam
Many women in India experience violence at home, at work and even in public areas. With the helping hands of U.N. Women, men and women in the rural areas of Assam State in India are working together to address and prevent cases of “violence against women, youth and children.” In January 2017, U.N. Women supported the formation of women’s empowerment groups, called Jugnu Clubs, across tea estates in Assam with the aim of preventing violence against women in Assam. The Jugnu Clubs form part of a broader U.N. Women prevention of violence initiative in rural Assam.
Violence on Assam’s Tea Estates
About 6 million people in Assam State work in Assam’s “65 tea estates and 100,000 small gardens.” Their work contributes to more than 50% of India’s tea and about 13% of the world’s tea. Women stand as 50% of the labor force at Assam’s tea estate and often work as tea pluckers. These women face violence in all areas of their lives — in the workplace, in the home environment and in public spaces. In fact, in 2015, Assam noted 11,225 cases of abuse against women by their spouses or family members. Alcohol abuse by males played a role in many of these cases of violence.
Creating Safe Work Environments
The Jugnu Clubs “help make agricultural work safe and equal for all women and girls” working as tea pluckers or factory workers on the tea estates. The Jugnu Clubs are especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic as cases of gender-based violence rose across the world due to lockdowns and stay-at-home orders.
In the broader U.N. Women prevention of violence initiative, “tea estate managers, welfare officers, workers and Jugnu Club members received training [on] India’s Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, women’s rights and the legal obligations around domestic violence and child labor.”
The training sessions utilized user-friendly and relatable education methods. U.N. Women found that 95% of participants did not have knowledge of the existing legislation that protects against gender-based violence and other violations against women. After the training sessions, about 80% of participants said the training gave them a better understanding of the legislation.
The members of the Jugnu Clubs who participated in this training are now aware of all their rights and are more vocal about their needs. As a result of this empowerment, “women have demanded streetlights be placed in dark public areas and safe transport to work, including two buses to ferry women from nearby villages to the tea gardens.” Now, Jugnu Club members even develop recommendations for safeguarding women who work on Assam’s tea plantations.
Educating Communities
Under the broader U.N. Women prevention of violence initiative, “raising awareness about how to prevent and respond to violence against women, youth, and children extended beyond the tea estate setting to the wider rural community,” including education facilities. Through mass gender equality campaigns “using community-led performing arts and crafts, such as interactive theatre shows, dance and music,” U.N. Women reached more than 6,000 people living in the community. Furthermore, 371 children took part in anti-violence early intervention initiatives.
Looking Ahead
In conclusion, the broader U.N. Women prevention of violence initiative and the Jugnu Clubs serve as beacons of hope for women in Assam. As of June 3, 2022, U.N. Women’s prevention of violence initiative in Assam has touched 15,000 lives. The ongoing work of U.N. Women brings hope that violence against women in Assam will reduce.
– Alexis King
Photo: Flickr
5 Facts About Human Trafficking in Iceland
Despite being ranked the third happiest country in the world, human trafficking in Iceland has been a prevalent issue for the past decade. The U.S. Department of State categorizes the severity of human trafficking in a country based on the actions the country takes to combat the issue. Tier 1 is the best, tier 2 shows a major problem within the country with some improvements made by the government and tier 3 cites the country as completely inefficient in stopping trafficking. Iceland is ranked as a tier 2 country.
Recent Government Progress
The Government of Iceland is making significant progress in fighting human trafficking by identifying victims and cases and creating a centralized information base. Despite these measures, the government did not meet the minimum standards for being a tier 1 country due to prosecutions in which traffickers obtained charges under non-trafficking statutes and therefore did not face their full punishment.
In 2020, police investigated 22 cases of human trafficking in Iceland, a stark contrast to the five investigations in 2019. In the same year, Iceland adopted a plan of action focused on preventing human trafficking by providing services for victims and increasing funding for police departments. The plan is gaining more funding each year, some of which goes to educational campaigns informing the public about trafficking scenarios and how to stay out of them.
Targets of Trafficking
According to the 2021 report on human trafficking in Iceland, many cases involve the use of female tourists for prostitution. This pattern continues as women living in Iceland for temporary work are at risk of becoming trafficking victims for the purpose of labor. Traffickers will pay women in their home countries to work in Iceland for 183 days to avoid taxes. In addition to prostitution, the labor can involve various hands-on jobs that are worth a salary far more than what the traffickers pay.
Many trafficking cases in Iceland happen in “champagne clubs” in the country’s capital, Reykjavik. In 2010, in an effort to fight human trafficking, the Icelandic government banned strip clubs unless police strictly supervised them. Despite this change, prostitution is still rampant throughout the clubs. The women not only work in prostitution within these facilities but they also work at busy hotels filled with tourists so that they can lead foreigners to the club to become trafficking victims themselves. In 2021, the government identified eight sex trafficking cases that it determined to be from “champagne clubs.”
Women’s Safe Shelter
Created in 1982, the Women’s Safe Shelter, located in Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, provides a home to women escaping violence within their lives. Women’s Shelter Alliance, an NGO, runs this home which receives about 73.400.000 ISK ($667,270) from the government and donors.
Recently, a second Women’s Safe Shelter underwent establishment in Akureyri, a city in Northern Iceland. In these homes, consultants and psychologists support the women, and the women receive encouragement to stay as long as they need. The shelter supports women escaping from sex and labor trafficking, as well as other forms of violence such as domestic abuse and rape. To ensure their well-being, women can bring their children to the home with them and receive housing and meals.
Future Action
Even though the country has received admiration for its high levels of social progress and happiness, human trafficking in Iceland is still a major issue that leaves many people, especially women, lost and vulnerable. Though progress is evident through the work of NGOs such as the Women’s Shelter Alliance and the national plan of action, Iceland can do more to support its people by creating stricter laws, adequate sentencing and more victim services.
– Yashavi Upasani
Photo: Flickr
4 Facts About Women’s Rights in Germany
Germany is one of the world’s most developed countries. In 2017, it placed fourth in the world in terms of nominal GDP and has the largest economy in the European Union. Germany’s Grundgesetz (Basic Law) declares that “women and men are equal and that the state has to promote substantive, de facto, gender equality.” Yet, Germany lags behind in making gender equality a reality. There are several important facts to know about women’s rights in Germany.
4 Facts About Women’s Rights in Germany
Looking Ahead
While gender quality oftentimes appears as an arduous issue to tackle, Germany is taking the right steps with national legislation for female representation in supervisory positions, initiatives to connect young women with STEM careers and providing national and immediate support for female victims of domestic violence. Should these policies live up to their potential, improved rights for women in Germany would manifest in an increase in GDP from €1.95 trillion to €3.15 trillion by 2050.
– Pauline Lützenkirchen
Photo: Unsplash
Child Poverty in Iran
Contributors to Child Poverty in Iran
Families cannot earn enough money because of gender discrimination, unemployment and other factors. Only men can work well-paying jobs because of the large pay gap. In 2021, the Global Gender Report stated that women earn 19% of the wages a man earns for the same job.
With the significant differences in pay between men and women, women are often unable to help support their families. Additionally, the unemployment rate among men and women is very high. According to the World Bank, the unemployment rate for women was 16.1% and for men was 7.8%.
Along with the unemployment rate and gender discrimination, the cost of basic needs is high, so the majority of families’ wages go toward securing this. In Iran, high inflation rates directly impact the cost of food and groceries, making it difficult to afford basic essentials. In 2019, 33% of underprivileged communities’ income was allocated for food.
Poverty forces many children to make money for their families, but their wages are unlivable. Garbage collecting, run by the municipality contractors, is one of the main jobs children work to earn a living. In 2020, however, children made only 6% of the profits of garbage collectors. Of the children in the workforce, 60% are their families’ only source of income. Working to support their families has an impact on a child’s education. In 2017, “37% of Iranian students drop out before getting their diplomas.”
Impact on Iranian Children
The vast number of contributors to child poverty in Iran has destroyed the quality of life for children.
Food is all too often a scarcity among these children. They are unable to eat the minimum caloric intake, and numbers have only increased since the pandemic. According to the Global Hunger Index, in 2020, one out of three children were undernourished which can leave to a multitude of health complications, including children’s growth stunting.
Child marriage and trafficking are common in Iranian society. For little money, families sell their children, mostly girls, into marriage. In the summer of 2020, according to the Statistic Center of Iran, 9,058 girls were married before the age of 15. In some cases, child spouses run away from home or attempt suicide because of their treatment during their marriage.
Hope for the Future
The government and other organizations are working to stop child poverty in Iran. In 2020, the Guardian Council, the body in charge of approving legislation passed by the Parliament, approved a Child and Adolescent Protection Bill. The bill was later passed, inflicting penalties on people who prevent children from attending school or putting children in unsafe environments With this law, children in Iran are protected from various circumstances that could potentially be a danger to them and instead, can go to school to get an education
Organizations like Relief International work globally to dissolve poverty. Relief International was established in 1958 with its work in Iran beginning in 1990 after a large-scale earthquake in the country. Currently, Relief International works primarily to aid Afghan refugees in Iran while also mobilizing resources if a countrywide emergency occurs.
Recently, in 2021, because of Relief International, 22,000 people were taught hygienic practices, 3,500 families received cash support and thousands more received health care, education and other services. This is just one of the many organizations and institutions working to end poverty in Iran by providing support to those who reside there.
According to UNICEF, as of 2020, the mortality rate for Iranian children under 5 is 12.9%. Iranian children face increased risks of death due to a lack of food and basic needs. However, the Iranian government and other organizations are working to put an end to poverty.
– Janae O’Connell
Photo: Flickr
HIV/AIDS in Venezuela
Efforts to address HIV/AIDs in Venezuela are facing barriers as the country is grappling with limited access to medications, health care and products to maintain sexual health. Due to the Venezuelan economic and political crisis, medical workers are pouring out of the country. Additionally, the Pharmaceutical Federation of Venezuela has estimated that the country has had an 85% shortage of medicine as of 2018, making HIV/AIDs in Venezuela difficult to prevent and treat.
Venezuela’s Health Care System
Venezuela’s collapsing medical system has led to dire sexual education and limited condom access; many citizens have claimed that condoms are scarce at clinics, or egregiously expensive. In 2019, a pack of condoms was about $170 in Venezuela and people had to wait in long lines to purchase them.
The cost of condoms is a huge burden, as more than three-quarters of Venezuelans have been living in extreme poverty as of 2021. This has made Venezuela very vulnerable to sexually transmitted disease (STDs) transmission, including HIV, the deadliest STD there is. Therefore, HIV/AIDS in Venezuela has become an urgent humanitarian concern.
Understanding HIV/AIDS Treatment and Prevention
To prevent the spread of HIV, which is an STD that is highly preventable through condom use, individuals can get tested to limit the spread of the infection. In the case of treatment, antiviral drugs, or so-called “anti-HIV cocktails,” are highly successful in keeping HIV at bay so people do not subsequently contract AIDS.
AIDS is quite deadly and emerges at the point where the HIV virus has destroyed its host’s immune system. Although HIV is impossible to eliminate from the human body, a patient with the virus has about the same expected life expectancy as a patient without it. However, this is only true if the HIV-positive patient is receiving proper access to health care and HIV antiretroviral therapy. Otherwise, 90% of patients with the virus can expect to contract AIDS, which is fatal in eight to 10 years on average.
Venezuela’s HIV Crisis
Thus, HIV/AIDS in Venezuela has become a crisis precipitously with the country’s economic crisis. In a proper contagious disease protocol, citizens would have proper access to HIV testing. However, in a country with a medicine and health care shortage, this is hard to come by. Additionally, since many people with HIV experience discrimination, they often experience embarrassment at the possibility of testing. As of 2020, UNAIDS estimated that approximately 120,000 Venezuelans were HIV positive, which is about 0.3% of the country’s population.
HIV-Positive Refugees
HIV/AIDS in Venezuela is forcing citizens to leave to save their lives and obtain access to antiviral drugs elsewhere. The Venezuelan Network of Positive People has estimated that 10,000 Venezuelans had to leave due to poor HIV treatment options as a result of the economic crisis that has been ongoing since 2019. The only option HIV-positive Venezuelans have is to leave their homes to get the health care they need.
HIV and Venezuela’s Economic and Political Crisis
This situation is quite new for Venezuela. In fact, the country used to be a leading place for HIV treatment in the early 2000s. Since 1999, those with HIV/AIDS in Venezuela had access to free, government-funded treatment. Its public health system specifically targeted citizens that often experienced discrimination such as sex workers and other minority groups. However, under the political control of Hugo Chavez and his successors, such a program does not exist any longer. Unfortunately, political stability may be necessary before HIV-positive Venezuelans can receive treatment again.
Infected Venezuelan Refugees Find Hope in Colombia
About 1.7 million Venezuelans, or 37% of all Venezuelans, were living in Colombia as of 2021. Since Colombia has the highest Venezuelan refugee population, Colombian HIV/AIDS organizations are specifically targeting HIV-positive Venezuelans immigrating to the country.
The nonprofit Colombia AIDS Health care Foundation, founded in 2018 is one such example. Since its founding, it has provided HIV testing, condom delivery, outreach and treatment for HIV-positive persons. The organization provided antiretroviral drugs to 1,850 Colombians, mostly Venezuelan migrants, at a time as of 2021. The nonprofit works with the Colombian government, which provides free HIV treatment to documented migrants and undocumented migrants in emergency situations.
It is inspiring to see a country do so much to help its neighbors during an emergency. With other countries being not only willing to take in Venezuelan refugees but also to give them the medical care they need, there is hope for many Venezuelans.
– Mikaela Marinis
Photo: Unsplash
Period Poverty in Iraq
The debris of war lies heavily in Iraq. The country’s constant conflicts with ISIS, which internal sectarian divides and Kurdish disputes exacerbated, have led to the focus shifting from other vital issues. Period poverty in Iraq — the lack of access to menstrual hygiene products, water and sanitation facilities and proper knowledge about menstruation — stands as one of these issues.
Taboo About Periods
In most developed countries, talks about puberty and sexual development are normal. In deeply conservative countries like Iraq, however, society considers the topic of menstruation taboo. This leads to not only unpreparedness but also feelings of shame when adolescent girls first start menstruating. In an article that the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) published, Rusul, a young Iraqi woman, opened up about her experience with her first period. She mentioned that she felt confused and afraid, and “thought that she had done something wrong.”
The UNFPA established a Women Social Center in Rusul’s neighborhood a few years after her harrowing experience. The Center hosts educational sessions on issues affecting girls and women, such as menstruation, in order to raise awareness and educate girls on how periods affect them both mentally and physically. By dispelling myths and being open about biological facts, women in Iraq can feel comfortable about their body processes and confident enough to take the steps to maintain proper health and hygiene.
Feelings of fear and embarrassment in relation to periods are even more prevalent among lower-income individuals who have even less access to information and products like sanitary pads. UNICEF believes that by educating girls about menstrual cycles at an early age, the organization can help girls develop healthy menstrual practices. The organization has started work in the North African and Middle East regions to equip people of all genders with the necessary information about menstruation to help address misconceptions, prevent discrimination and reduce stigmas.
In Iraq specifically, one of UNICEF’s ongoing projects aims to develop and strengthen the knowledge of menstrual hygiene management among teachers. By conveying their menstrual knowledge to schoolgirls and normalizing periods, educators will “build confidence and encourage healthy habits” among menstruating girls.
Period Poverty During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated issues of period poverty in Iraq and throughout the world. The economic recession and supply chain crisis that followed have made menstrual supplies and hygiene products even less accessible, especially for those living in poverty. When girls and women cannot access menstrual products, they often resort to unsanitary methods, such as using dirty clothes or plastic bags to contain the bleeding. Consequently, these girls and women put themselves at risk of infections.
Moreover, during the pandemic, measures like lockdowns and the closing of social and medical centers block off access to menstrual education and free menstrual resources. The situation is worse for people in refugee camps, prisons and other institutions. A woman in Kirkuk, Iraq, told UNFPA that during the lockdown in 2020, being in a detention center made detainees feel forgotten “but [their] intimate needs matter.”
Solutions to Combat Period Poverty
In response to the problems posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, UNFPA has arranged to distribute dignity kits to families during the pandemic. During times of conflict with ISIS, specifically from 2014 to 2015, the UNFPA handed out about 95,000 such kits. The kit consists of “toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, sanitary pads and underclothes.” While distributing, UNFPA staff can meet women to assess their needs and tell them about the psychological and reproductive services that the organization offers.
UNHCR collaborated with partners in 2020 and assisted 77,786 girls and women in Iraq by providing sanitary products to them.
UNICEF also helped in arranging clean water and sanitation supplies for women in care homes, correctional facilities and hospitals. Additionally, public video messages and announcements created by UNFPA helped teachers, parents and students gain awareness of menstrual health, even though schools had effectively shut down.
These steps to address period poverty in Iraq are bearing fruit. Data that UNICEF and WHO collected from refugee camps in Iraq in 2020 shows that almost 100% of women felt satisfied with the provision of “menstrual materials and facilities.” Moreover, according to survey data collected in Iraq between 2016 and 2020, 94% of women between the ages of 15-49 years had a private place to wash and change and 97% “had basic hand washing facilities.”
Though solutions are underway, only continued efforts and steadfast commitments to reducing period poverty in Iraq will ensure long-term change and lasting impacts.
– Anushka Raychaudhuri
Photo: Unsplash
Health Hotline in Malawi
Medical Assistance by Phone
The mobile phone service is not only for those in dangerous situations that need help quickly. It also provides clear advice and health information. In a state of worry about her baby’s health, a young woman living in a village called Chiyendausiku in Malawi called a toll-free hotline for advice. The young women called a health hotline in Malawi called Chipatala Cha Pa Foni (CCPF). It is a health center by phone, a hotline and text messaging service for families, babies, young children and pregnant women.
Chipatala Cha Pa Foni (CCPF) helps mothers in hard-to-reach areas get the necessary attention to get to the closest health center as soon as possible. When calling the health hotline in Malawi, most women don’t need to rush to the hospital.
Numbers
According to a 2014 World Bank Study, women who live in Malawi have a one in 34 chance of dying during childbirth. UNDP reports that Malawi’s maternal mortality rate is one of the highest in the world, with 675 deaths per 100,000 live births. Mothers and pregnant women face a difficult journey of lack of access to child health care due to the distance to and from the health care facilities. Also, the lack of trained health workers to serve the population. The myths and misinformation also affect when and where they can seek health care.
Chipatala is available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, including holidays, Social Innovation in Health Initiative reports. The toll-free hotline connects callers to trained health staff workers who answer general questions. Some of the questions are about nutrition, child health and sexual and reproductive health. Through the opt-in text and voice messaging system caretakers of children under one, pregnant women and women of childbearing age receive advice tailored according to their pregnancy timeline or their children’s age. Also, Chipatala makes it possible to use an interactive voice response system that allows the users to retrieve messages on demand.
In Closing
The idea of Chipatala is to access relevant health information to decrease the under-resourced community clinics. Since Chipatala launched in 2011, it has reached more than 35,000 unique callers. Health workers resolve about 75% of cases without connecting the caller to a health facility and log almost 50,000 calls. The company aims to continue making affordable and ongoing mobile access to Malawi’s rural areas and keep providing sustainability.
– Alexis King
Photo: Flickr
Vision 2030: Poverty Eradication in Saudi Arabia
Vision 2030 is an ambitious Saudi government project to overhaul Saudi Arabia’s economy and society by the year 2030. Launched in 2016, its reforms include ambitious goals regarding poverty eradication in Saudi Arabia. Also and importantly, it hopes to transition Saudi Arabia from an oil-dependent economy to a diversified modern one. Together, the innovations in poverty eradication in Saudi Arabia and the transition to a more diversified economy should position Saudi Arabia as an economic leader in the Middle East. In fact, Vision 2030 has gained acclaim as a model for rapid modernization and innovative poverty eradication in middle-income and developing countries.
Renewable Energy Revolution
Futuristic Commercial Hubs Could Make Saudi Arabia a Global Business Center
As part of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia announced its intention to build Neom, a futuristic city in the northwest region of the country on the Red Sea coast. This $500 billion project positions Neom as a center for trade, investment, tourism and technology. The Neom project embodies the overarching Vision 2030 goals because renewable energy sources will power Noem entirely. Further, the project underscores the diversification policies of Vision 2030 because Noem will heavily on foreign investment to drive tourism and the use of Neom as a cargo hub.
Since the Saudi government launched Vision 2030 in 2016 foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country has skyrocketed from $5.321 billion to $17.625 billion as of Fall 2021. This increase in investment and trade is an indicator of modernization measures and accomplishments of Vision 2030.
Investments in Smart Technology to Drive Entrepreneurship
Smart Technologies to Promote Health Care Access
Just as much of Vision 2030 focuses heavily on the growth of the technology sector, the Saudi government also is using smart technology to promote quality health care access through mobile apps. One app called Sehha offers remote medical and preventative care. Launched in 2017, Sehha provided 2.1 million consultations by 2020.
Mawid, another health app, allowed 14.3 million Saudis to book 67 million medical appointments from 2018-2020. The Tabaud app was also one of the first of its kind in the world to provide its 3 million users with Bluetooth notifications of contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. This enabled users to quarantine and the government to effectively contact trace to contain outbreaks. This smart technology is particularly important for rural communities living further away from hospital infrastructure. These new innovations that safeguard human health boost the goal of eradicating poverty through having a labor force healthy enough to contribute to a modernizing economy.
Vision 2030 presents innovation in poverty eradication in Saudi Arabia while also striking a balance between development and environmental concerns. All of this is also important for reducing poverty by diversifying the economy and maintaining human health. If Saudi Arabia continues its ambitious economic reforms, it can present an appealing model for other middle-income and developing countries to replicate. Finally, modernization and poverty eradication would foster a more prosperous and stable world.
Photo: Flickr
Ending Food Insecurity in Australia
Australian adults are the wealthiest in the world, yet food insecurity remains a prevalent issue in the country. One-quarter of adults experience food insecurity in Australia, while one in six people experience disruptions in their eating patterns and reduced food intake. According to Food Bank Australia, ” “These individuals and families are often forced to eat smaller meals and to make the food last longer or skip meals entirely.” Large bills or unexpected costs of living are among the top reasons why people cannot afford food. As a consequence of inadequate nutrition, many Australian adults are unable to achieve an active and healthy lifestyle. To combat the growing problem of food insecurity in Australia, interest groups like the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance (AFSA), the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and the Regrarians use lobbying to push for change.
Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance
Meeting different party demands is up to the farmers and civil society organizations like the AFSA. With 700 members, the AFSA represents workers, communities and smallholders to protect their right to nourish and culturally appropriate food grown in their homesteads. Distributing food to the poor requires socially-just management before anyone can receive aid.
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) uses scientific infrastructure to fight to end food insecurity. Starting as an advisory board in 1916, its focuses range from changing weather to human welfare. CSIR assists the nation with converting food waste and researching sustainable foods.
One focus is chronic diseases which cost Australian society and government $58 billion in 2008. To reduce their occurrence, CSIR scientists create whole grains with human health benefits. Breakfast cereals, rice mixes, food wraps and bread incorporate the new whole grain. The projected outcome would save the country $17 million a year.
Regrarians
Regrarians, which is a term referring to a neologism of ‘regenerative agrarian’, work to make soil regeneration a precedent for farmers. A study from Ecdysis Foundation found that farms with regenerative practices were 78% more profitable than conventional plots. The Regrarians supply information for farmers to regenerate, restore and rekindle landscapes. The organization aims to notify consumers about the regenerative economy through education programs, media and goods.
Adults who cannot eat regularly rely on the food systems in Australia. Multidisciplinary science and industry export leaders surface when alms count against monetary sales. More than 15,000 people receive information from the Regrarians to create regenerative landscapes, involved societies and industry cures. Getting the country to improve food security requires intelligent leaders in CSIR and experienced farmers in the AFSA.
– Bryant Morisseau
Photo: Flickr