Child trafficking in Haiti is prevalent. As of 2021, the U.S. Department of State ranks Haiti as a Tier 2 Watch List country in terms of the minimum standards to eradicate human trafficking as laid out in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Haitian government has struggled to combat the exploitation of children in domestic servitude, also known as restavek. However, several organizations are advocating and taking action to prevent child trafficking.
The Haitian-Dominican Border
The Haitian-Dominican border has a high prevalence of child trafficking. Within Haiti, about 60% of people lived in conditions of poverty in 2020, according to the World Bank. Because of Haiti’s high poverty rate along with high unemployment rates, parents resort to sending their children across the Haitian-Dominican border in an attempt for them to secure a chance at a better life.
Parents entrust their children to strangers to get them across the border safely. However, these strangers exploit the children’s vulnerabilities and traffick them.
In August 2020, officials arrested a man on suspicion of trafficking five children across the Haitian-Dominican border. Likewise, a few years prior, in September 2017, Haiti officials rescued a 15-year-old girl named Prospélanda from being trafficked across the Haitian-Dominican border by a woman luring her with the promise of work and a better life.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Haitian-Dominican border has always been a hotspot for the exploitation of children. However, trafficking rings are now using the COVID-19 pandemic to their advantage. Haiti already ranks as the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates existing conditions of poverty even further. With rising poverty comes rising vulnerabilities for people enduring dire economic circumstances.
In particular, traffickers target children because of their vulnerabilities, often promising them a better life in the Dominican Republic. In the hopes of a better life, according to InSight Crime, about 50,000 children cross the Haitian-Dominican border annually with a high likelihood of finding themselves in a child trafficking ring.
Anti-Trafficking Laws in Haiti
In 2014, the government implemented the Anti-Trafficking Law (TIP), which criminalizes human trafficking. A trafficker can serve a sentence of between seven to 15 years in prison and pay a fine up to an equivalent of almost $21,000. For child trafficking cases, punishment can include life imprisonment.
Although the U.S. Department of State has ranked Haiti as s Tier 2 Watch List nation, meaning it “does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking,” the Haitian government is making efforts to combat child trafficking in Haiti.
In 2020, the Haitian government began investigating three trafficking cases in hopes of prosecuting traffickers, a significant decrease from nine cases in 2018 as well as 2019. However, “[t]here were 21 total human trafficking cases pending in Haitian courts at the end of the reporting period” for the 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report.
Advocating Against Child Trafficking
Many organizations advocate against child trafficking in Haiti. Restavek Freedom is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 to fight against child trafficking.
The organization’s strategy is to fight for restavek children and raise awareness of child trafficking in Haiti. Restavek Freedom also educates Haitian families on the dangers of child trafficking and teaches them how to protect their children.
Lovely lived as a restavek for years. Her host family made her work hard with no pay. Her host family also did not allow her to go to school, but with Restavek Freedom’s help, Lovely is now free from that situation. Now, Lovely is reunited with her family and goes to school. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up so she can help others as Restavek Freedom helped her.
Although child trafficking in Haiti is prevalent, organizations like Restavek Freedom are working to reduce child trafficking. Children like Prospélanda and Lovely can avoid the horrors of child trafficking through the commitment of authorities and organizations.
– Chris Karenbauer
Photo: Flickr
The Role of Oil in Algeria’s Economic Future
Algeria’s economic future looks bright as its role as a supplier of liquid crude oil has expanded amidst the shifts in European sourcing due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Algeria typically provides only 8% of natural gas for the European Union. However, the country is already taking steps to provide more oil as nations look to lessen their dependence on Russian oil. Such a change in supply could mean an economic boost, enabling Algeria to build future long-term renewable energy and labor markets.
Historical Context
Algeria is a country with a deep history of relying on its own resources and people to power its economy. Having internationally-recognized independence since 1962, Algeria has had to resort to its oil exports, internal agricultural labor and deals with neighbors such as Morocco and Spain in order to stay afloat. After former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned in 2019, the old guard of Algerian leadership faced a new era in which the country’s non-oil industry required expanding and strengthening in order for its economy to have a bright future.
How Algeria’s Role is Currently Changing
Countries such as Spain, Italy, Greece and France are weaning off of Russian oil, while capital cities such as Madrid, Athens and Rome are currently setting up new energy provisions with Algeria. In its most recent report, the World Bank noted that Algeria’s economy grew 3.9% bigger due to the extra demand for European oil alongside new construction and industrial activity. To maintain this continued growth Algeria’s leaders need to pay close attention to the possible obstacles.
In order for Algeria’s economy to find the funds to diversify its future economy, it must be able to provide more oil to European countries in the first place, an increase estimated at 12% to 38% of its current rate by the fall and winter of this year. However, the state-run oil company Sonatrach is facing bureaucratic slowdowns, hacking to the refinery operations, and complications maintaining its already existing contracts.
In addition, there is a geopolitical complication in Algeria’s current status as a primary buyer of Russian weapons and arms, according to Modern Diplomacy. If Russia can mitigate some of its lost oil revenue by increasing weapons sales to a growing Algerian economy, then European nations may turn away from contracting more oil supplies from Algeria. These are complications that make Algeria’s economic future a tricky path of policy and economic landmines.
Possible Solutions
The primary solution for longer-term economic growth is to focus on building non-hydrocarbon industries with the profits from oil exports that could take place in the coming months. One major way to do this is for the World Bank to support further private sector projects related to agriculture, construction and development. In addition, Algeria could create stability in its current leadership by funding social programs, human rights protection and anti-corruption legislation. These measures could help prevent the widespread political uprising from citizens and extremist groups while keeping the leadership needed to maintain the centralized economy going.
According to Council on Foreign Relations, the U.S. role in Algeria’s economic future should be kept to a minimum of interference. Algeria is a nation that is very insistent on being self-sufficient and sovereign. In order for political and economic stability to succeed, U.S. measures need to include not sending more troops or intelligence to Algeria and instead diplomatic peers in order to better understand the needs and wants of the nation, CFR stated.
Algeria’s economic future looks bright when taking into account the post-COVID-19 recovery and the opening avenues for revenue to which Algeria can build a stronger, more diversified economy. This serves two primary purposes: keeping intact its sovereignty and forging a new path forward to end its long-tenured instability.
– Albert Vargas
Photo: Flickr
How Poland is Alleviating Child Poverty in Ukraine
The impact of war is increasing child poverty in Ukraine at an unprecedented pace and redefining what it means to be a Ukrainian child in need. As the Russian invasion of Ukraine forces nearly two-thirds of Ukrainian children to flee their homes, refugee crisis milestones not seen since WWII are being reached. UNICEF estimates that the war has resulted in 4.3 million displaced Ukrainian children, with nearly 2 million of those children now refugees.
Poland Responds as Child Poverty in Ukraine Reaches Its Borders
Response by European countries has been swift and impactful. Many have opened their borders to those fleeing Ukraine, including Romania, Germany, Moldova, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, the Czech Republic and more. The largest influx of refugees by far has been in Poland, with nearly around 3 million Ukrainian nationals crossing its border, 1.1 million of whom are children.
Social and Financial Benefits
Looking Ahead
As the war in Ukraine continues, measures like these will help Ukrainian children counter the long-term effects of war. More work is necessary, however, as the U.N. fears that the Russian invasion will undo 18 years of economic growth, with most Ukrainian families now at risk for extreme poverty and vulnerability within the next year. While Poland has offered generous subsistence, concerns about the sustainability of such efforts are many.
With many European countries opening their borders to refugees and taking on similar measures, progress in alleviating child poverty in Ukraine is transforming into a global response.
– Michelle Collingridge
Photo: Flickr
7 US charities operating in Palestine (the Occupied Palestinian Territories)
Government aid initiatives can take years to create, revise and implement, but through supporting charities, everyone and anyone can help those who need it most. While waiting for new foreign aid dollars to materialize, local and international charities can provide direct impact to support goals to reduce hunger, disease and poverty. International charities have the wherewithal to improve overall living conditions in developing areas throughout the world. With ongoing humanitarian issues in the occupied Palestinian territories and recent violence in Gaza, United States citizens can support the seven large U.S.-based charities operating in Palestine. These seven organizations strive to help reduce poverty, provide emergency medical care, improve education and health care and secure access to clean water. Each of the seven established charities operating in Palestine has an incredible impact on those it serves and can further the goal of eliminating global poverty.
1. Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA)
Islamic Relief USA is an independent non-governmental organization (NGO) that has been operating in the United States since 1993. It provides support to those in need in Palestine and elsewhere. IRUSA has many successful programs that provide food aid and address family sustainability as well as safe water and sanitation support. For example, IRUSA recently provided food assistance to 4,160 families in Gaza so they could purchase food for Ramadan. Its clean water and sanitation initiatives have prevented flooding and contamination in long-term programs. As a U.S.-recognized charity, IRUSA maintains active relationships with the federal government. It ensures all donations are in compliance with U.S. regulations. IRUSA has a clear role in decreasing poverty and addressing health concerns in Palestine.
2. Anera
Anera is a U.S.-registered NGO that targets charitable donations toward emergency relief and sustainable programs for Palestinian refugees and vulnerable communities. It receives funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department to continue bringing medical aid, safe water, education, long-term security and better hygiene to poor Palestinian communities. In 2021, Anera provided 120 awareness classes for waterborne illnesses and 117,175 hot meals for struggling families. That year, it also installed six water purification systems in Gaza and connected 1,152 homes with safe water.
3. Palestine Children’s Relief Fund
The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) is a U.S. humanitarian aid group based in Ohio. PCRF focuses on providing sick and injured Palestinians with care. PCRF volunteers from around the world staff its medical missions. Importantly, it has created two Palestinian cancer centers. It has also provided 2,000 sick and injured children free medical care. PCRF touts a four-star rating with Charity Navigator, the largest U.S. charity evaluator.
4. United Palestinian Appeal
United Palestinian Appeal (UPA) is a non-political, U.S.-based organization that aims to eliminate suffering and promote long-term socio-economic and cultural development in Palestine. UPA has reached a four-star rating with Charity Navigator. Its donations support programs in health and wellness. They also boost Palestine’s community and economic development, education quality and cultural outreach. During the last decade, UPA has installed solar energy systems in schools in Gaza, and built a craniofacial surgery center in the West Bank. It has also constructed three harbors. Finally, UPA also provides emergency aid to help marginalized victims during crises.
5. Middle East Children’s Alliance
Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA for Peace) strives to “protect the rights and improve the lives of children in the Middle East.” It does this through direct aid including medical aid, food, hygiene kits and clothes to people in need in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon. In addition, MECA for Peace provides financial support to clinics, schools, counseling centers, parks and libraries. Recent diverse projects include building water purification systems in underdeveloped schools and providing university scholarships to allow students to continue their education and help their communities prosper.
6. Muslim Aid USA
Muslim Aid USA (MAUSA) provides assistance through emergency response, health care support and providing clean water and food aid. It also focuses on boosting economic development and improving education. Finally, MAUSA has orphan sponsorship and winterization programs. One current project is a plan to install 51 desalination units so 85,000 people in Gaza can gain clean water access. A second current initiative will train 200 health care staff in neonatal life support in order to reduce infant mortality. MAUSA has also provided food aid for 500 families in the Alnussirat Refugee Camp during Ramadan. Finally, it has helped needy families in Gaza winterize.
7. United Hands Relief and Development
United Hands Relief and Development (UHRD) is an international NGO with headquarters in Texas. Its goals include alleviating poverty, eliminating hunger, protecting human rights and supporting orphans. UHRD is currently appealing for the support of those in need in the Palestinian territories. Its emergency medical kits include milk and diapers for infants as well as hygiene and medical supplies and food. It has earned high marks from charity evaluators including Guidestar and Charity Navigator.
A Look Ahead
These non-political, recognized, transparent and award-winning charities operating in Palestine are fighting to decrease hunger, disease and water contamination. As a result, the quality of life is improving for the Palestinian territories’ most vulnerable, marginalized and poor. In fact, these organizations and ones like them allow ordinary citizens in the United States and around the world to effectively fight global poverty.
– Karen Krosky
Photo: Flickr
Kenya Connect Aims to Improve Education in Kenya
Volunteers in the U.S. state of Maryland and people in Kenya, both from the nonprofit called Kenya Connect, are creating change in rural education systems in Kenya. Kenya Connect works to provide enriching, sustainable education in Kenya to promote economic advancement and systemic improvement.
Poverty and Education in Kenya
About 35% of the population of Kenya lives under the international poverty line of $1.90 a day, according to World Bank data from 2019. Conditions have worsened for many during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although Kenya notes progress in lessening poverty in the nation, droughts, foreign conflict and overpopulation hinder the lives and livelihoods of many, with disproportionate impacts on women and children. These issues have caused the displacement of an increasing number of families, pushing them to move to informal settlements where quality health care and education are often scarce.
About 45% of children face deprivation in “more than three basic rights,” according to a 2017 report. Furthermore, according to an Out-of-School Children Initiative study that occurred in Kenya in 2020, more than 1 million primary school-age Kenyan children do not attend school. In 2015, girls made up about 55% of the more than 1.2 million Kenyan children out of school.
Kenya Connect
Kenya Connect began as a Pen Pal program that Tim Gregory, from Maryland, and James Musyoka, from Kenya, started. Since its founding in 2002, the organization has expanded to include multiple programs and structures with a mission to help create an independent, sustainable education system in rural Kenya.
Kenya Connect focuses on working with local Kenyan leaders and community members to break down barriers to education in Kenya and reinforce systemic improvements. The goal is to help rural communities become economically independent and able to expand their own change. This includes limiting the purchases of program services and goods to local businesses.
Health and Education Programs
Kenya Connect provides multiple different programs and resources for “17,000 students and 500 teachers at 44 primary and 11 secondary schools in the Mwala subcounty of Machakos.”
In 2012, the organization built a Learning Resource Center (LRC) that runs on solar power and includes an internet connection and a lending library. Community members built the LRC using locally sourced supplies.
In terms of improving health, Kenya Connect has installed water tanks and handwashing stations while conducting workshops to improve the health and hygiene knowledge of locals. The organization also implemented a deworming initiative and a “reusable sanitary pad pilot program” to combat period poverty in Kenya and keep menstruating girls in school. Kenya Connect believes that good health is essential to quality education. The healthier children are, the more likely they are to consistently attend school and continue to stay in school.
In 2017, Kenya Connect purchased its “Magic School Bus,” which the program uses as a bookmobile and a way for children in more remote areas to travel to school. The program’s resources provide children in rural areas with education programs that they otherwise cannot access.
Kenya Connect’s Other Actions and Initiatives
Kenya Connect has made significant advancements in education for people in rural Kenya. The organization plans to continue its efforts to improve the quality of education and connect rural Kenyans with their surrounding communities and the world.
– Melissa Hood
Photo: Wikipedia Commons
Quelling Child Trafficking in Haiti
Child trafficking in Haiti is prevalent. As of 2021, the U.S. Department of State ranks Haiti as a Tier 2 Watch List country in terms of the minimum standards to eradicate human trafficking as laid out in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Haitian government has struggled to combat the exploitation of children in domestic servitude, also known as restavek. However, several organizations are advocating and taking action to prevent child trafficking.
The Haitian-Dominican Border
The Haitian-Dominican border has a high prevalence of child trafficking. Within Haiti, about 60% of people lived in conditions of poverty in 2020, according to the World Bank. Because of Haiti’s high poverty rate along with high unemployment rates, parents resort to sending their children across the Haitian-Dominican border in an attempt for them to secure a chance at a better life.
Parents entrust their children to strangers to get them across the border safely. However, these strangers exploit the children’s vulnerabilities and traffick them.
In August 2020, officials arrested a man on suspicion of trafficking five children across the Haitian-Dominican border. Likewise, a few years prior, in September 2017, Haiti officials rescued a 15-year-old girl named Prospélanda from being trafficked across the Haitian-Dominican border by a woman luring her with the promise of work and a better life.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Haitian-Dominican border has always been a hotspot for the exploitation of children. However, trafficking rings are now using the COVID-19 pandemic to their advantage. Haiti already ranks as the most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates existing conditions of poverty even further. With rising poverty comes rising vulnerabilities for people enduring dire economic circumstances.
In particular, traffickers target children because of their vulnerabilities, often promising them a better life in the Dominican Republic. In the hopes of a better life, according to InSight Crime, about 50,000 children cross the Haitian-Dominican border annually with a high likelihood of finding themselves in a child trafficking ring.
Anti-Trafficking Laws in Haiti
In 2014, the government implemented the Anti-Trafficking Law (TIP), which criminalizes human trafficking. A trafficker can serve a sentence of between seven to 15 years in prison and pay a fine up to an equivalent of almost $21,000. For child trafficking cases, punishment can include life imprisonment.
Although the U.S. Department of State has ranked Haiti as s Tier 2 Watch List nation, meaning it “does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking,” the Haitian government is making efforts to combat child trafficking in Haiti.
In 2020, the Haitian government began investigating three trafficking cases in hopes of prosecuting traffickers, a significant decrease from nine cases in 2018 as well as 2019. However, “[t]here were 21 total human trafficking cases pending in Haitian courts at the end of the reporting period” for the 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report.
Advocating Against Child Trafficking
Many organizations advocate against child trafficking in Haiti. Restavek Freedom is a nonprofit organization founded in 2007 to fight against child trafficking.
The organization’s strategy is to fight for restavek children and raise awareness of child trafficking in Haiti. Restavek Freedom also educates Haitian families on the dangers of child trafficking and teaches them how to protect their children.
Lovely lived as a restavek for years. Her host family made her work hard with no pay. Her host family also did not allow her to go to school, but with Restavek Freedom’s help, Lovely is now free from that situation. Now, Lovely is reunited with her family and goes to school. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up so she can help others as Restavek Freedom helped her.
Although child trafficking in Haiti is prevalent, organizations like Restavek Freedom are working to reduce child trafficking. Children like Prospélanda and Lovely can avoid the horrors of child trafficking through the commitment of authorities and organizations.
– Chris Karenbauer
Photo: Flickr
India’s Boom in Wheat Exports
The beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine put the world’s wheat supply in danger. Together these two countries provide nearly a quarter of the world’s wheat supply, forcing many nations all around the world to search for alternative suppliers to avoid any potential wheat crisis. India, already an important wheat producer, will be among the countries that will benefit from this situation by increasing its wheat exports and at the same time benefiting from the rise in the price of wheat. With India’s boom in wheat exports, Indian farms will have an opportunity to increase their profits and decrease poverty among Indian farmers.
Poverty Among Indian Farmers
In 2021, farmers from all over India organized protests publicizing the poor quality of life of farmers and their struggle to make ends meet. In fact, farmers represent more than 50% of the jobs in the Indian job market but only contribute minimally to the nation’s GDP due to decreases in productivity and revenues reducing over the last two decades. This is mainly due to a “lack of mechanization” and the state progressively reducing farm subsidies. Between 2000 and 2017, the losses in revenue of Indian farmers stood at an estimated $600 billion. The situation is so dire that more than 10,000 Indian farmers and farm laborers committed suicide in 2019 as a consequence of financial and work-related concerns.
A New Opportunity
Given that Ukraine and Russia are the world’s main exporters of wheat, many countries depending on wheat imports from the two nations must now find a substitute. India is among the top wheat-producing countries globally, with the capacity to ship 12 million tons in 2022-23, making the nation an essential actor in this crisis.
Many countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East show interest in Indian wheat, especially with its competitive price compared to other big exporters in the market. The sudden halt of exports from one of the world’s highest wheat-producing regions has led to strong demand for Indian wheat. These circumstances not only increase Indian wheat exports but also allow Indian farmers to sell their harvests at a higher price.
For the first time, prices on the international market are higher than the price at which the Food Corporation of India usually buys the crops to subsidize farmers. This will enable the state to reduce its budget for farm support. The large stock of wheat in India also allows for cheaper prices than wheat producers in other countries, making India even more competitive; its wheat exports in FY 2021-22 were 275% higher than in FY 2020-21.
Due to India’s boom in wheat exports, farmers who were struggling a few months ago will be able to sell more crops at a higher price and prepare the ground for better trade in the future.
The Threat of the Heat Wave
With this unprecedented chance for Indian farmers to increase their exports and draw their way out of poverty, came a strong heat wave that threatened their harvests. March 2022 stood as India’s “hottest March in 122 years,” a condition that limited the crops by about 20%, forcing a reestimate of the season’s production.
The Russian-Ukrainian conflict led to a global wheat crisis allowing big producers such as India to play a larger role in the market. Other factors also contributed to India’s ability to increase its wheat exports, from the vast reserve of the wheat present in the country to the rising quality of its wheat.
Despite setbacks arising as a consequence of the heat wave, India’s boom in wheat exports has the potential to lift millions out of poverty.
– Youssef Yazbek
Photo: Flickr
Families Uplift Single Mothers in Africa
Millions of women in Africa experience single motherhood as a result of widowhood or divorce. Single mothers often turn to their immediate and extended families for various forms of child care and parenting support. Families uplift single mothers in Africa by giving them the time and opportunities to develop careers while also raising their children. Parenting support from single mothers’ families can allow women to eventually support themselves and their children independently.
Single Motherhood in Africa
Widowhood and divorce often leave women in Africa to take care of their children without a partner. Single motherhood involves a variety of hardships, many of which are rooted in economic concerns. Women in Africa are commonly married off young before they have the opportunity to complete their education and develop a career. Some single mothers turn to prostitution or other dangerous forms of work to earn money and support their children.
Unemployment is vast in many African countries, especially for women. Widows, in particular, may face difficulties supporting their children because some families disown widows and do not consider women family members when their husbands die, according to SOS Children’s Villages. When a single mother is able to receive support from her family members, perhaps by moving in with them, she may gain the time and resources to find work and better support her children.
The Role of Family Support
When women in Africa experience widowhood or divorce, they often turn to their extended families for assistance in covering finances and child care. Single mothers who live in areas with struggling economies may be especially reliant on family support to raise their children. A research study on family support of single mothers in Nairobi, Kenya, found that the majority of women in the community receive some form of support from their family networks. However, the study found that the extent of a family’s support depended on family members’ age, employment status and geographic proximity to the single mother.
Family support of single mothers may be especially prominent in Africa due to widespread poverty and limited governmental resources to assist women who are raising their children alone. Families uplift single mothers in Africa by helping them raise their children, develop careers and escape poverty.
Next Steps in Uplifting Single Mothers
Families with single parents are disproportionately vulnerable to poverty. Women who raise their children without a partner’s support may struggle to find and maintain a job while juggling parental responsibilities. Single mothers’ families may provide some emotional and practical support, but additional governmental assistance is necessary to ensure the safety and success of single-parent families throughout Africa. Policies that promote financial security, social assistance and greater access to job opportunities can help empower single mothers in Africa, especially if women lack families to help them support their children.
In countries that lack governmental policies to assist single parents, family support uplifts single mothers and gives them the opportunity to gain financial independence. When families uplift single mothers with emotional, financial and practical assistance in child care, women may be able to seek out and maintain stable career opportunities. Further governmental action is necessary to support single mothers in Africa, but families can make substantial differences in the lives of single mothers and their children.
– Cleo Hudson
Photo: Flickr
Innovations in Poverty Eradication in Vanuatu
The nation of Vanuatu, located in the South Pacific, consists of more than 80 individual islands. In 2020, around 16% of the nation lived below the national poverty line, according to the World Bank. As one of the most at-risk countries for natural disasters, frequent cyclones and earthquakes hinder economic development and damage infrastructure. On April 6, 2020, right after Vanuatu closed its borders to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Tropical Cyclone Harold damaged or destroyed about 885 schools. Since about three-fourths of the population lives in rural communities as of 2020, getting adequate relief to these areas after a natural disaster can be challenging. However, with recent innovations in poverty eradication in Vanuatu, access to rural areas and disaster relief are improving.
Disaster-Resilient Food Supply
Natural disasters can sometimes prevent imports of goods into Vanuatu, often limiting the food supply. Vanuatu-based food advocate Votausi Lucyann Mackenzie-Reur tells Devex some Ni-Vanuatu are more dependent on food imports rather than local farming and cooking. So, natural disasters that block imports hit some communities harder, as a strong local food supply is lacking. To create a more disaster-resilient food supply, the TV series “Pacific Island Food Revolution” advertises local foods by hosting cooking competitions among different chefs. The goal of the show is to promote the growth and consumption of local indigenous foods. Local food advocates seek to have a larger local food supply when trade slows, which also benefits the local economy.
Blockchain Technology
Blockchain technology, a platform on which data exists in a secure, “unhackable” setting, is assisting during disaster relief in Vanuatu. Oxfam, a leader in delivering humanitarian assistance, began the UnBlocked Cash initiative in 2019. As of April 2021, the UnBlocked Cash initiative has helped more than 35,000 people receive aid in Vanuatu. Monetary aid received through cards and smartphones gives people more freedom to buy exactly what they need from local businesses, instead of aid groups importing select items. People can buy food, medical necessities, emergency supplies and home rebuilding materials using the aid on blockchain.
So, disaster relief directly involves local businesses in the economy as recipients use blockchain at these locations. In addition, blockchain technology had the benefits of minimizing distribution costs by 75% and decreasing the delivery time of aid by 96%. With this innovation in poverty eradication, aid organizations can almost immediately upload funds to recipients’ accounts for them to use on essentials after a natural disaster.
Drone Technology
With almost 75% of the population living in the rural areas of Vanuatu, some communities may only be accessible by boat or by foot. But through the U.N.’s Office for Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA), the Digital Humanitarian Network began using drone technology in 2015. With the first use of drones after Cyclone Pam, the technology continues to make rural communities more accessible.
Drones can help map communities after a natural disaster. The drones collect data about a natural disaster’s impacts on infrastructure in certain communities. As a result, aid groups can identify hard-hit places faster and provide the proper aid.
Beyond disaster relief, drone technology is developing to serve other innovations in poverty eradication in Vanuatu. In 2018, the Vanuatu Ministry of Health, along with UNICEF, began using drones to distribute vaccines to rural areas. Before drones, it could take days on boat or foot to reach remote villages. With vaccines needing temperature-controlled storage, some vaccines were unusable by the time they reached some communities.
But now, drones can get to rural communities quickly, while using technology in the storage to ensure the temperature remains at a safe level. Contracting with drone companies Swoop Aero and Wingcopter, the pilot program began by serving 39 rural communities. As a result, children and adults in remote areas of Vanuatu receive essential vaccines that protect their health.
With remote geography and frequent natural disasters, getting aid to parts of Vanuatu can be difficult. But, with recent innovations in poverty eradication in Vanuatu, ranging from TV shows to drones, aid can reach the people of Vanuatu faster.
– Abigail Turner
Photo: Flickr
Impact of The War on Ukraine’s Public Health
The war in Ukraine has had several impacts on the world but most importantly on the Ukrainian people through Ukraine’s public health sector. In fact, the Russian army shelled many hospitals which strongly limited the people’s access to medication and proper health care services. Not to forget that war, the movement of big masses of people from one place to another and the lack of access to clean water, create a favorable environment to increase the spread of viruses and diseases. Ukraine has also had a fragile health sector before the war, being one of the countries with the highest number of HIV-infected people in Eastern Europe. Not to forget the COVID-19 pandemic and most recently a poliovirus outbreak that the government did not have time to handle properly.
HIV and Tuberculosis
Two of the main issues in Ukraine’s public health are HIV and tuberculosis viruses. More than 1% of the Ukrainian population is infected with HIV and the ongoing war caused a disruption in the health care system, leading to a potential lack of medicines used to treat HIV and tuberculosis patients. Tuberculosis is the main cause of death among HIV patients in Ukraine, which underlines the importance of providing proper medication for it. Especially since the country has the world’s highest number of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, meaning that patients must regularly take their medication or else their situation will degrade quickly.
Many people with tuberculosis are seeing their symptoms worsening because of the bad air quality they must deal with in the shelters. This also means that they can transmit the virus to other people present with them, according to Al Jazeera.
Polio
Back in October 2021, a few months before the beginning of the war and 19 years after Europe was declared polio-free, a young Ukrainian child received the diagnosis of polio. Later, positive polio cases started to increase and the government in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) started a vaccination campaign on February 1, 2022. Unfortunately, this campaign has stopped with the start of the war and although many children received their vaccines there remain around 100,00 who need to receive vaccines to consider this outbreak under control, TIME reports. Polio which was already a serious threat to Ukraine’s public health, given the low vaccination rate during COVID-19, is now very difficult to handle due to the war and its highly contagious characteristic.
The danger of these infectious diseases in times of war and displacement of many individuals all around Ukraine but also the rest of the world is the spread of these viruses without the capacity to track the refugees who might be carrying them and thus transmit them to other populations.
Solutions
When the war started, the UNAIDS stated that Ukraine has only a few weeks of medicines in reserve for its HIV patients. To preserve Ukraine’s public health and avoid the spread of the virus, the WHO along with the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief provided the Ukrainian government with enough antiretroviral medication for the next 12 months. Without forgetting of course the civil society in Ukraine and the help it is providing to make sure that medicines reach every patient on time.
Concerning polio, UNICEF along with Ukrainian health workers is setting up “blue dot centers” all along the refugees’ route, vaccinating a maximum of people against polio, according to TIME. Thus, limiting its spread in the countries, they are fleeing to.
Hence, among the numerous impacts that the Russian invasion of Ukraine had on the country is the destabilization of Ukraine’s public health. With an already fragile health sector, Ukraine had to deal with several health issues with relatively no proper means due to the war. Nonetheless, the country can count on foreign aid to preserve the health condition of its people and also prevent from spreading of different illnesses around the globe.
– Youssef Yazbek
Photo: Flickr
How COVID-19 has Impacted Mental Health in Argentina
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have intensified mental health problems worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) published a scientific brief in 2022 showing a 25% increase in global anxiety and depression in the first year of the pandemic. Government response to mental health in Argentina during the pandemic reveals a crucial transitioning of its medical system.
Mental Health in Argentina – The Numbers
In 2015, Argentina’s Ministry of Health funded a survey that found that only about one in three people above the age of 18 with mental disorders receive treatment. The Ministry of Health administered approximately 4,000 household surveys to adults with fixed residences in Argentina’s largest urban areas. Researchers conducted the survey using the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview, a comprehensive assessment of mental health that WHO designed. Individuals with low education and income were the least likely to receive treatment, according to the survey.
The COVID-19 pandemic has generated higher levels of stress and anxiety for many. A 2020 study by researchers at the University of Buenos Aires focused on the effects of Argentina’s mandatory quarantine on mental health in the wake of the pandemic. Researchers studied participants using online surveys on days 7-11 (from March 27 to 31, 2020) and days 50-55 (May 8 to 12, 2020) of the nationwide quarantine. The survey results indicated a rise in the percentage of participants with symptom indicators and suicidal thoughts between period 1 and period 2.
The relationship between poverty and mental health in Argentina is bidirectional. Just as mental health problems increased in the last couple of years, Argentina’s poverty level rose to 42% in 2020 according to The World Bank. Since 2018, the nation has been facing a severe recession that has led to a steep devaluation of the Argentine peso. The uncertainty surrounding this economic crisis and the ongoing pandemic draws concern for the mental and physical well-being of the approximately 11.7 million citizens who live in poverty.
Developments in Mental Health Care
Support for mental health in Argentina has been undergoing a transformation following the approval of the Mental Health Law in 2010. Argentina’s health care system is gradually transitioning from hospital-based to community-based care, placing focus on human rights and patient protection. The government implemented this law when public psychiatric hospitals still made up 89% of available in-patient beds, according to a study by the Ministry of Health.
The Mental Health Law is beneficial as it offers a shift from psychiatric hospitalization to community care, but certain socio-economic disparities exist between urban and rural areas that hinder some from getting the support they deserve. Argentina has the highest number of psychologists per capita in the world, but nearly half of them live in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital city. Many rural residents have less access to support systems or health professionals than those living in the cities.
Argentina’s New Mental Health Strategy
In April 2022, President Alberto Fernández addressed the effects of COVID-19 on mental health and offered a solution. Fernández and health minister Carla Vizzotti announced the implementation of the National Mental Health Strategy, aiming for an all-inclusive “recovery of society.” The plan includes major health care budgetary raise from 3.7 to 7.7 billion pesos, a 107% increase. The National Mental Health Strategy aims to expand Telehealth and community-based programs to serve the public. Fernández’ presented The National Mental Health Strategy alongside the inauguration of the Bonaparte Children’s Hospital and Adolescent’s Service.
Following the conference, Vizzotti met with the Federal Council of Mental Health and Addictions (COFESAMA) to address the federal strategy. Leaders from around the country analyzed the pivotal goals of the strategy, such as a “nationwide territorial operation for the promotion, prevention and care of community mental health.” The Ministry of Health has not yet announced when it will implement these plans and policies.
Looking to the Future
Argentina’s progressive outlook on mental health has led to some crucial developments for its medical system. Still, the Argentinian government needs to make efforts to breach disparities that exist for those with low income and low access to treatment, especially in Argentina’s rural regions. The National Mental Health Strategy’s emphasis on diversity and inclusion sets a hopeful precedent for Argentina’s future in health care.
– Evan Lemole
Photo: Pixabay