On December 5, 2020, Iran announced that the national death toll from COVID-19 had surpassed 50,000 people. However, medical experts from within and outside Iran have estimated that the number of Iranians who have died of COVID-19 is at least double that figure. Additionally, they estimate that the nation may be on the brink of collapse from the uncontrolled spread of the virus. A mix of social, political and economic factors have created a unique situation that has made the containment and treatment of COVID-19 in Iran nearly impossible. Medical experts have warned that a third wave would be a destabilizing threat to the nation. Remedying this crisis will require international support and effort at Iran’s federal level to alleviate the burden on frontline workers, increase access to healthcare resources and create a path for Iran to receive an effective vaccine.
A Fertile Ground for an Uncontrolled Spread
An economic depression, onset by U.S. sanctions and government mismanagement, has plagued Iran in recent years. The U.S. has posed various economic sanctions on Iran since 1979, after the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. As a result, the average purchasing power of Iranian families has decreased, drug and consumer product prices have soared and housing has become unaffordable for many Iranian families.
Economic sanctions do not explicitly ban the sale of pharmaceuticals to Iran. However, the Human Rights Watch reports that many European and American companies, fearing sanctions, are unwilling to sell drugs or pharmaceutical equipment to Iran. This, coupled with the skyrocketing prices of pharmaceuticals in Iranian pharmacies, places the Iranian public at a major health risk. Even before the spread of COVID-19 in Iran, many Iranian families could not afford basic drugs and waited for hours in line at local pharmacies.
The Iranian government made a number of missteps in the early days of the pandemic. These included reluctance to lock down public places when large swaths of the community were contracting the virus, as well as allowing international flights from China to enter Iran as late as January 26, 2020.
Struggling Healthcare Infrastructure
Getting exact figures of infections and deaths from COVID-19 in Iran is not easy due to the country’s opaque governmental structure. Experts estimate that Iran, along with the United States and India, may be among the countries that COVID-19 has hit hardest. This has put immense pressure on Iran’s already struggling healthcare infrastructure, which, according to Iranian health professionals, is reaching a breaking point during a third wave of the virus.
Almost every hospital in Iran now hosts a COVID-19 ward, and nearly every ward is at full capacity. Some hospitals have had to convert cafeterias into makeshift field hospitals to handle the incredible volume of infected patients. With the lack of necessary healthcare resources and staff to handle an ever-increasing number of infected people, several hospitals are unable to effectively administer care to patients, including those hospitalized for reasons other than COVID-19 infection, and are on the verge of collapse.
The Fight for a Vaccine and Maintaining Daily Life
The light at the end of the tunnel for any nation suffering a COVID-19 pandemic is a contract to receive mass quantities of an approved vaccine. Despite economic sanctions, Iran has entered into COVAX, an international organization that aims to allow foreign countries access to coronavirus vaccines. Due to international banks’ reluctance to grant loans to Iran, fearing sanctions from the U.S. government, Iranian officials may have to fly to Geneva to pay directly for an import of the vaccine. Still, Iran obtained a license to take part in COVAX, meaning that planning is underway to get vaccines to Iran.
The Iranian government has stepped up COVID-19 protocol in recent weeks, extending shutdowns that it put in place before the most recent wave. The government hopes that social distancing and stricter protocol will mitigate the spread of the virus. As of December 5, 2020, the Iranian government has put in place:
- An extension of partial shutdowns in regions that the spread of the virus most affected.
- A curfew in 278 cities that are not experiencing uncontrolled spread, but are still at risk of mass infection.
- A mandatory mask rule in all public places.
- A ban on people with COVID-19 from taking public transportation.
Taking on the New Wave
As a third wave has descended on Iran, the nation faces a set of difficulties that it has not seen since the Persian Famine during World War I. A combination of sanctions, fear of backlash from the international business community and federal reluctance to make strides in containing COVID-19 in Iran have created a unique crisis that threatens that nation’s health and security.
As hospitals face crowding and the price of available pharmaceuticals remains on the rise, Iran is likely to continue to struggle. Stricter and more thorough social distancing protocol, as well as strategic negotiations to obtain a vaccine, could combat the spread of COVID-19 in Iran and put the country on the path to recovery.
– Kieran Graulich
Photo: Flickr
Efforts to Reduce Pollution in the Ganges River
The World Bank Assists
In 2011, the World Bank targeted the Ganges River pollution issues by launching the National Ganga River Basin Project (or NGRBP). A $1 billion initiative, the NGRBP looked to create bank investments in the water sanitation department and develop better waste management control in India. While this did prove to be a step in the right direction, the Ganges still saw a rise in pollution. India’s inability to properly dispose of waste outpaced the World Bank’s project. After nine years, the World Bank looked to bolster its contribution to the fight to save the Ganges as more and more Indians were becoming sick. In June 2020, the Second Ganga River Basin Project received approval from World Bank directors despite the bank focusing on COVID-19, proving how dire the situation at the basin truly is. An 18-year commitment, this second NGRBP adds another $380 million to clean up the Ganges until 2038.
Ganga Action Parivar’s Impact
Along with international help from the World Bank, India also made pollution control a national issue. An array of agencies have come about in India centered around the purification of the Ganges. For over a decade, the Ganga Action Parivar (GAP) has taken a diplomatic approach to fight water pollution. Through communication with government officials, media outlets and fundraising, the GAP looks to bring awareness to the issue and demand action from within India. In 2016, the GAP launched the National Ganga Rights Act and began asking for support for it. The act detailed how there are both natural environmental and human rights on the line with the continued pollution of the Ganges River. More than just a body of water, the Ganges is an epicenter of religion, prosperity and life. Creating a natural rights act helps to ensure that action will mobilize to protect the water resource and that is exactly what the GAP has set out to do.
The Year 2020 and Beyond
The year 2020 has been a promising year for pollution reduction in the Ganges River. The World Bank launched and financed its second project centered around cleaning the water back in June 2020. New research suggests that there has also been a natural cleansing that has taken place over the past few months. Since COVID-19 forced India to shut down, the Ganges’ usage has dropped. In a video released by BBC News, just a mere 10% drop in usage throughout the pandemic has led to significant improvement in the sanitation of the Ganges. For years now, India’s government has been trying to find ways to heal the Ganges. While India and the world fight the COVID-19 virus, the Ganges River is healing. Once the lockdown ends, the work of the World Bank and GAP will be vital to keep the momentum going. If pollution rates continue to climb, India will have a water crisis on its hands. Sanitizing and protecting the Ganges is instrumental in helping India reduce its poverty rates and preserving a crucial water resource.
– Zachary Hardenstine
Photo: Flickr
Progress: The 2020 Global Hunger Index Results
2020 Global Hunger Index Results
In the 2020 Global Hunger Index, 11 nations are rated as alarming, 40 are serious, 26 are moderate and 48 are low. This means that the index considers no country as extremely alarming when it pertains to hunger. While there is still much work to do to feed the world, the 2020 GHI results are hopeful. Both the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had previous ratings of extremely alarming but have experienced drastic improvements over the last year. Action Against Hunger works tirelessly in both the CAR and DRC and deserves recognition for the status improvements.
Hunger in the Central African Republic (CAR)
Fighting hunger in the Central African Republic became a priority of Action Against Hunger in 2006. Currently, more than 450 team members are present in the CAR helping to secure food and water for the most vulnerable communities. In just 2019 alone, Action Against Hunger provided these vital resources for 342,516 CAR citizens. The work has allowed the CAR to move out of the hunger category of extremely alarming. A majority of people living in the CAR are almost entirely dependent on humanitarian aid for survival. If the 2020 Global Health Index category change is to remain a permanent one, Action Against Hunger is part of the reason why.
Hunger in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is another African nation to see improvement in its 2020 Global Hunger Index status. Similar to the CAR, Action Against Hunger has become an integral part of ensuring food accessibility for the DRC’s impoverished communities. The global nonprofit has worked in the DRC for almost 25 years and now deploys 472 team members to carry out humanitarian relief. Food, medical supplies and water sanitization are necessary for the Congolese to survive. Within the past year of 2020, 1.2 million people in the DRC received help from Action Against Hunger. That means that more than 10% of the DRC’s population depends on Action Against Hunger to live. The GHI improvement for the DRC stands as a testament to more than two decades of Action Against Hunger’s work.
Zero Hunger
The 2020 Global Hunger Index results are only a snapshot of where the world is in the fight against hunger. There are still hundreds of millions of people suffering from food insecurity. However, the GHI results show hope that food shortages may someday be a thing of the past. With Action Against Hunger and similar organizations helping to fight hunger, the world is making strides in the area of global hunger.
– Zachary Hardenstine
Photo: Flickr
Taiwan Provides Aid to Pacific Nations
Taiwan provides aid to Pacific nations amid Taiwan and China’s strife over diplomatic ties with nations like Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Fiji. These Pacific nations either align with the Taiwanese-backed Western coalition or the Chinese coalition.
Background
Nations in the Pacific Ocean typically have low GDPs, limited resources and populations below 1 million. As a result, these Pacific nations receive substantial foreign aid every year. Most of this aid comes from Australia. Australia donates to these nations to preserve trade routes and ensure stability and good geopolitics in the region. Taiwan, however, is coming to these developing countries for a different reason. It is battling China for diplomatic ties with these nations.
Taiwan’s foreign aid to this region, while helping the local populace, attempts to gain diplomatic ties from these small Pacific nations that have equal voting power as large forces like China in international organizations like the U.N. The Pacific nations can then vote in favor of resolutions that benefit Taiwan.
China’s Involvement
However, China threatens to upend this mutually beneficial relationship. China has begun its courting process with the Pacific nations to weaken Taiwan diplomatically. China’s Belt and Road Initiative and its infamous debt trap diplomacy are attempting to make a foray into these Pacific nations.
China’s ability to provide much more funding than Taiwan and its strategic scheme to trap developing nations that cannot repay China into debt has caused some of these Pacific nations to flip allegiances. Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Tonga are just some of the countries that renounced Taiwanese recognition in favor of the CCP. This partly occurred by China pouring money into significant investments. Even though China clearly has spent much more than Taiwan in philanthropic efforts to Pacific nations, these Chinese funds aim to be more flashy than useful.
Taiwan’s Involvement
Taiwan, on the other hand, provides small but practical aid. Taiwan can still levy ties with these Pacific nations despite the influx of money from the CCP. Taiwanese donations in the region opt for more personable diplomacy. Despite not matching the wealth of China, Taiwan’s local funding that directly impacts citizens is favorable with the people of these Pacific nations.
The Taiwanese plan to directly provide aid to the local people on local projects seems to be working. Palau, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, the Solomon Islands and Nauru officially recognize Taiwan rather than China. The U.S., a Taiwanese ally, has recently built a military base in Palau. With the effectiveness of Taiwanese philanthropic aid to fund local projects in Pacific nations, China’s geopolitical goals in the region are in jeopardy.
However, independent non-governmental organizations have not forgotten about the inhabitants of these Pacific nations when the focus has been chiefly on geopolitics. The Pacific Island Association for Non-governmental Organizations (PIANGO) focuses on 22 Pacific nations. It has provided services such as protecting the environment, helping to support trade, supporting democracy and developing society and young people in Pacific nations. Projects like EDF9 Non-State Actors Project in Tuvalu provided funding for education, water and environmental projects. Non-governmental organizations can offer the same aid to Pacific nations as foreign governments do. Weaning off of foreign government aid and supporting non-governmental organizations can help maintain the sovereignty of the people of these Pacific nations. The positive impacts of non-governmental organizations can conclusively support the people of these Pacific nations, consequently protecting these Pacific nations from the unstable geopolitical situation in the region.
– Justin Chan
Photo: Flickr
Entrepreneurship: Initiatives Help Yemeni Women
The Small and Micro Enterprises Promotion Service Agency (SMEPS)
SMEPS came to Yemen in 2005 and works to enhance the lives of Yemeni citizens through the creation of jobs and skills training. SMEPS has taught Yemeni women the best growing, harvesting and post-harvesting techniques for coffee beans. Yemeni women helped create a coffee that entered the gourmet market at a premium price. SMEPS also helped coffee farmers in Yemen. The aim was to create business resilience by expanding the production of farmers through improving the value chain by using modern technologies and better farming methods.
In 2010, SMEPS partnered with The International Labour Organization (ILO) to provide business training for women entrepreneurs. ILO came to Yemen in 1965 and has created opportunities for citizens to rise out of poverty. In one year, the workshops targeted around 500 Yemeni women who had taken out a loan to either start a small business or expand their existing businesses. The second phase of the program aims to reach 2,000 more women. Results indicate that after the training courses, the women had a higher level of business knowledge and competence to start or improve their own businesses. Overall, the women improved their quality of life with the income they earned.
SPARK’s Agri-Business Creation Programme (ABC)
SPARK came to Yemen around 2012 to assist citizens in agriculture, helping them earn an income from their crops. SPARK created a program called Agri-Business Creation (ABC) to help agri-entrepreneurs through training, mentoring and business plans. The program has notably assisted Yemeni women in developing agricultural businesses. Four female-run businesses were awarded microloans to expand their business after the training they received in business skills from SPARK’s ABC program. The loans help Yemeni women to generate more products and expand their businesses. Besides seeing an increase in income, the success of their work contributed to a boost in confidence and a sense of independence in the women.
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
GIZ came to Yemen in 1965 and assisted citizens with basic necessities and the provision of educational opportunities. First, GIZ helped Yemeni women develop businesses. Nearly 200 women attended training on how to develop a successful business idea and how to establish a business. Many women found prosperity in their new businesses and employed other women to assist them in their work. Secondly, around 300 women with existing businesses received additional business training via coaching. After the training, many women tripled their income and hired more women to work for them. Lastly, GIZ created opportunities for homemakers to sell handmade goods overseas. GIZ took handmade baskets made by Yemeni women to Germany and showed off their goods in exhibitions. This strategy helped 300 women in rural areas earn a steady income.
Although the raging war in Yemen has resulted in high unemployment, organizations like SMEPS, SPARK and GIZ offer programs and strategies to help Yemeni women earn an income by developing entrepreneurial businesses.
– Samantha Rodriguez-Silva
Photo: Flickr
Saldo.mx: Blockchain Startup in Mexico
Blockchain Startup in Mexico
A blockchain startup in Mexico has utilized the security of blockchain technology to meet the needs of Mexicans living in poverty. Saldo.mx offers Mexicans a secure and easy-to-use platform on which they can pay their bills using remittance money from abroad.
This is a significant development in the Mexican fintech market as Mexico receives billions of dollars in remittances from the United States each year, with $10.6 billion reaching Mexico in the third quarter of 2020 alone.
Especially during a time of economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability to securely receive timely remittances is crucial for the financial security of Mexicans who rely on remittance payments for their survival.
Saldo’s services have the capacity to reach millions of Mexican customers, as it has been estimated that by the end of 2020, upwards of 81 million Mexicans will have internet access and thus the ability to quickly receive and utilize much-needed cash without having to wait for physical cash to arrive from abroad.
Consuelo: Access to Affordable Insurance Plans
One of Saldo’s newer services is Consuelo, which allows users to find fixed health and life insurance policies. Consuelo uses blockchain technology to connect its users to an insurance plan with a “smart contract,” which eliminates the need for a claim adjuster and gives the users direct access to affordable plans.
By removing a costly middleman and lessening the financial bureaucratic burden on customers, Consuelo gives its users a chance at obtaining health and life insurance and decreases long-term financial insecurity concerns.
Consuelo also helps uninsured Mexicans bypass the bureaucratic messiness of the national public healthcare system, which is supported by numerous uncoordinated social security institutes. This allows for better continuity of care by allowing Mexicans to remain with the same doctor by staying on their plan provided by Consuelo rather than facing the possibility of having to switch to another doctor through the national system after losing their jobs.
The Diverse Applications of Blockchain Technology
Innovation is not confined to affluent areas of developed countries. Especially in the age of the internet, new solutions can be developed and rapidly disseminated from any part of the world and can impact the lives of millions. In Mexico, receiving international transfers of money and gaining access to affordable health and life insurance plans can be difficult for the unbanked and those without stable employment. Startups like Saldo exemplify the potential of internet entrepreneurship and blockchain technology in helping lift the global poor out of poverty.
– John Andrikos
Photo: Flickr
6 Facts About WASH Advancements in India
6 Facts About WASH Advancements in India
Recent years have seen several WASH advancements in India. The Indian government, large and small businesses as well as nonprofit organizations, are all playing an important part in ensuring access to safe water and sanitation. Education and creative solutions are made possible thanks to hard work and global cooperation.
– Kelli Hughes
Photo: Flickr
How Disability in Palestine Intertwines with Poverty
Palestine has one of the highest poverty rates in the world. The country has endured decades of political and violent conflict with Israel. Palestinians must also battle increasing unemployment as well as a lack of resources. These factors are particularly detrimental for Palestinians with disabilities. Disability in Palestine is an ongoing issue and poverty exacerbates it further.
The Challenge of Disability
More than 15% of the world’s population suffers from some form of disability. These range from impairment in vision, hearing and mobility to trouble with memory and communication. However, developing countries are more vulnerable to disabilities due to their limited access to health care, education, water, sanitation and electricity.
The World Health Organization estimates that 1 billion people worldwide live with disability or impairment. About 130,000 of these individuals live in Palestine. Of the 5.4 million Palestine refugees registered with the UNRWA within Palestine, Lebanon and Syria, 795,000 of them have a disability. In Occupied Palestine, 31.2% of elderly Palestinians have one or more kinds of disability. Additionally, more males suffer from disabilities than females and about 20% of individuals with a disability in Palestine are younger than 18 years old.
Much of the disability in Palestine is a result of limited resources and an increase in violence. Insufficient prenatal and postnatal care, malnutrition and inadequate medical services all contribute to prolonged disability and impairment. This lack of proper and adequate services is a result of the Israeli blockade and occupation, which prevents Palestinians from accessing goods and services.
The increase in violence also has a direct effect on the number of disabled individuals. In particular, Palestine noted waves of violence and aggression in 2009, 2012 and 2014. As a result, large numbers of Palestinians have faced serious injuries. Out of the 11,231 Palestinians affected by these outbursts of violence, 10% experienced injuries that resulted in life-long disabilities.
The Effects of Disability
Disability can dramatically affect the livelihoods of afflicted individuals. The education and health care systems are largely operated by UNRWA and USAID-related programs through humanitarian assistance and funds. UNRWA has developed Disability Inclusion Programs, but very few of these initiatives focus on individuals with disabilities or increasing access to necessary services. In 2011, statistics showed that 42.2% of Palestinians with disabilities in Gaza and 35.5% in the West Bank had never enrolled in school. Further, 27.1% of Palestinians with disabilities dropped out of school and 56.3% struggled with illiteracy.
Acquiring access to health care and rehabilitation is very difficult, especially in Gaza, due to restricted movement and blockades. The same is true for access to medicine, supplies and staffing. Having a disability, without the proper resources to acquire treatment, education or income, can greatly increase the risk of poverty for an individual and their family. If an individual with a disability is already below the poverty line, their chances of escaping poverty are greatly reduced.
Having a disability in Palestine also hinders employment. The poverty rate in Palestine is 25% and unemployment reached about 29% across the board. More than 90% of individuals with disabilities in Gaza do not engage in employment. This is mostly because of the lack of accessible infrastructure, transport, toilet and assistive devices and services in these workplaces. The presence of disability, especially an insufficiently treated disability, prevents individuals from completing education and finding employment, which lends itself to poverty.
Wrap Up
Disability is a challenge in every country. Palestine, in particular, is not unfamiliar with the hurdles that individuals with disabilities face. From the lack of adequate health care services to the lack of education and employment accessibility, individuals with disabilities in Palestine are continuously vulnerable. Employers, educators, governmental organizations and NGOs should work together to create a more inclusive environment. The nation needs to see improvements in infrastructure and the provision of more resources all while increasing accessibility for Palestinians with disabilities.
– Nada Abuasi
Photo: Flickr
An Effort for Women’s Economic Empowerment
Gender Equality for Global Economic Advancement
The 2017 National Security Strategy states that societies that empower women in their civic and economic lives are more prosperous and peaceful. Studies show that gender equality contributes to advancing economies and sustainable development as well as overall poverty reduction.
CARE defines women’s economic empowerment as the process by which women increase their rights to economic resources and power to make decisions that benefit themselves, their families and their communities. It is the transformative process that helps females move from limited economic power to possessing skills, resources and opportunities to compete equitably in markets and control economic gains. Women’s economic empowerment involves transforming the historically-limiting laws, policies, practices and norms through change and advocacy.
Discrimination and exploitation disproportionately affect women. Women often end up in low-wage jobs and fill very few senior positions. Without secure employment, women lose access to economic assets, such as land and loans, which limits opportunities to participate in economic and social policies. Furthermore, many women are responsible for the majority of housework, which leaves little time to pursue employment or other economic opportunities. On average, women devote between one and three hours more a day to housework than men and two to 10 times the amount of time a day to child, elderly and sick care.
Additionally, laws in many countries determine what jobs women can do or give men the right to prevent their wives from accepting jobs.
Call to Action on Women’s Economic Empowerment
In October 2020, U.S. officials and 31 U.N. Member States virtually signed the Call to Action on Women’s Economic Empowerment, which encourages countries to address legal restrictions regarding women’s economic participation. Predictions are that if an equal number of men and women participate in the global economy, the gross domestic product (GDP) could increase by $12 trillion by 2025.
Improved financial security means women can afford health care, purchase essentials for their children and play a leadership role in their communities. Typically, women who decide where, when and how to spend their money see improvements in their social and economic status. Financially independent women also increase the level of resources devoted to their children.
Girl Power and the Future
There is strong evidence showing positive links between women’s economic empowerment and health outcomes for women and their families. This includes benefits in nutrition, better family planning and decreased maternal and child mortality. Other studies have found that increasing the share of income for women may provide greater investment in children’s education and result in reductions in gender-based violence. Overall, women’s economic empowerment benefits not just women but the entire world.
– Rachel Durling
Photo: Flickr
Kuli Kuli Empowers Women Moringa Farmers
Kuli Kuli: Identifying a Need
Lisa Curtis developed a heart for those living in extreme poverty while serving briefly as a regional youth coordinator for the United Nations. This led her to volunteer for the Peace Corps in 2010 at age 22, which sent her to work at a community clinic in rural Nigeria. While there, she was introduced to a locally-grown energy source, moringa, and was impressed by both its healing properties and nutritional punch. She quickly saw how a moringa market could address not only the malnutrition issues of the people and villages she worked with but also provide business opportunities for local farmers.
Empowering Women Farmers
Moringa has restorative powers for the human body but it turns out that it also has potential for sustainable economic growth. Kuli Kuli addresses these needs simultaneously by working with small but high-quality farmers and establishing supply chains to foster economic growth and nutritional security in West Africa. Notably, most of the farmers that the company works with are women. In 2020, the company sourced moringa from more than 2,400 farmers across 13 countries, with the largest group being African women. The company generated $5.2 million for these farmers and helped to plant and preserve more than 24,600,000 moringa trees.
Not only does the company help these farms to scale up their businesses but it also provides training to increase the quality of their products and local use of the plant. Moringa is invaluable for farmers. It requires little water, provides restorative properties for the soil and overall is fairly easy to grow, especially in rural regions where the soil is untainted by industrial areas. The company founder’s ambitious vision seeks to eliminate gender inequality, income inequality, global malnutrition and extreme poverty.
Creating a New Market in Moringa
Since its launch in 2014, Kuli Kuli has dominated the market on moringa products. Though moringa grows naturally in parts of Asia, Africa and South America, the company was the first to introduce the superfood to the United States’ wellness market. By 2020, the company was selling products in 11,000 stores nationwide. According to Curtis, the company has averaged 100% growth every year. Some years do even better, as demonstrated by 2017’s Series A financing, which tripled its retail business, and 2019’s $5 million Series B financing deal with Griffith Foods and Kellogg. With this most recent investment, Kuli Kuli plans to expand into moringa ingredient products. Certainly, Griffith Foods’ 30-country chain is quite a catch for the young wellness startup.
Kuli Kuli’s success demonstrates the power of developing new markets in developing countries that expand into developed ones. Not only is the company empowering rural farmers and fighting malnutrition and extreme poverty in developing countries but moringa products are fast climbing the list of top green wellness supplements in the United States. By noticing this virtually untapped international market and being quick to capitalize on it, the company found itself supplying more than half of the U.S. retail moringa market by 2020, a mere six years after its startup.
– Andria Pressel
Photo: Flickr
The Process of Navigating COVID-19 in Iran
On December 5, 2020, Iran announced that the national death toll from COVID-19 had surpassed 50,000 people. However, medical experts from within and outside Iran have estimated that the number of Iranians who have died of COVID-19 is at least double that figure. Additionally, they estimate that the nation may be on the brink of collapse from the uncontrolled spread of the virus. A mix of social, political and economic factors have created a unique situation that has made the containment and treatment of COVID-19 in Iran nearly impossible. Medical experts have warned that a third wave would be a destabilizing threat to the nation. Remedying this crisis will require international support and effort at Iran’s federal level to alleviate the burden on frontline workers, increase access to healthcare resources and create a path for Iran to receive an effective vaccine.
A Fertile Ground for an Uncontrolled Spread
An economic depression, onset by U.S. sanctions and government mismanagement, has plagued Iran in recent years. The U.S. has posed various economic sanctions on Iran since 1979, after the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. As a result, the average purchasing power of Iranian families has decreased, drug and consumer product prices have soared and housing has become unaffordable for many Iranian families.
Economic sanctions do not explicitly ban the sale of pharmaceuticals to Iran. However, the Human Rights Watch reports that many European and American companies, fearing sanctions, are unwilling to sell drugs or pharmaceutical equipment to Iran. This, coupled with the skyrocketing prices of pharmaceuticals in Iranian pharmacies, places the Iranian public at a major health risk. Even before the spread of COVID-19 in Iran, many Iranian families could not afford basic drugs and waited for hours in line at local pharmacies.
The Iranian government made a number of missteps in the early days of the pandemic. These included reluctance to lock down public places when large swaths of the community were contracting the virus, as well as allowing international flights from China to enter Iran as late as January 26, 2020.
Struggling Healthcare Infrastructure
Getting exact figures of infections and deaths from COVID-19 in Iran is not easy due to the country’s opaque governmental structure. Experts estimate that Iran, along with the United States and India, may be among the countries that COVID-19 has hit hardest. This has put immense pressure on Iran’s already struggling healthcare infrastructure, which, according to Iranian health professionals, is reaching a breaking point during a third wave of the virus.
Almost every hospital in Iran now hosts a COVID-19 ward, and nearly every ward is at full capacity. Some hospitals have had to convert cafeterias into makeshift field hospitals to handle the incredible volume of infected patients. With the lack of necessary healthcare resources and staff to handle an ever-increasing number of infected people, several hospitals are unable to effectively administer care to patients, including those hospitalized for reasons other than COVID-19 infection, and are on the verge of collapse.
The Fight for a Vaccine and Maintaining Daily Life
The light at the end of the tunnel for any nation suffering a COVID-19 pandemic is a contract to receive mass quantities of an approved vaccine. Despite economic sanctions, Iran has entered into COVAX, an international organization that aims to allow foreign countries access to coronavirus vaccines. Due to international banks’ reluctance to grant loans to Iran, fearing sanctions from the U.S. government, Iranian officials may have to fly to Geneva to pay directly for an import of the vaccine. Still, Iran obtained a license to take part in COVAX, meaning that planning is underway to get vaccines to Iran.
The Iranian government has stepped up COVID-19 protocol in recent weeks, extending shutdowns that it put in place before the most recent wave. The government hopes that social distancing and stricter protocol will mitigate the spread of the virus. As of December 5, 2020, the Iranian government has put in place:
Taking on the New Wave
As a third wave has descended on Iran, the nation faces a set of difficulties that it has not seen since the Persian Famine during World War I. A combination of sanctions, fear of backlash from the international business community and federal reluctance to make strides in containing COVID-19 in Iran have created a unique crisis that threatens that nation’s health and security.
As hospitals face crowding and the price of available pharmaceuticals remains on the rise, Iran is likely to continue to struggle. Stricter and more thorough social distancing protocol, as well as strategic negotiations to obtain a vaccine, could combat the spread of COVID-19 in Iran and put the country on the path to recovery.
– Kieran Graulich
Photo: Flickr