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COVID-19 in the Cook Islands

COVID-19 in the Cook Islands
Since May 12, 2020, the Cook Islands in the South Pacific upheld a no-entry policy by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) as a means of protecting the citizens from the then-novel Coronavirus. As a result of this implementation, the Cook Islands largely managed to evade the rapid worldwide spread of COVID-19. With a population of only 17,459 people, it was imperative to protect such a small percentage of the world’s population. Recently, the Cook Islands’ COVID-free streak has ended with its first potentially alarming COVID-19 case in nearly two years.

The First Official Case

On February 13, 2022, the Cook Islands received news of a COVID-19 infection from a visiting traveler. However, this is not the first time that there was COVID-19 in the Cook Islands. Someone returning to the Cook Islands in December 2021 tested positive. This did not pose much of a threat as the individual managed to quarantine without any other exposure. However, the infectiousness of COVID-19 is concerning to the Cook Islands. Prime Minister Mark Brown addressed the situation by stating that “It is likely that the person … was infectious while here and further likely that the virus is in our community.”

Issue of Silent Transmission

Since January 3, 2020, the Cook Islands has only had four COVID-19 cases with zero mortalities. As of February 19, 2022, the country administered 36,399 vaccine doses. Unlike previous iterations of the COVID-19 virus, the Omicron variant is about 2.7 to 3.7 times as infectious as the Delta variant. Given that the traveler did not test positive until returning to their home country, there was a large question of who was infected through their contact with the individual and who was not. As such, COVID-19 in the Cook Islands became all the more elusive and alarming.

Poverty in the Cook Islands

While the Cook Islands’ isolation proved to be relatively effective in curbing the spread of COVID-19 and in keeping its citizens safe, the nation was not without struggle. The Cook Islands greatly rely on tourism as its main channel of revenue and a rigid no visitors policy coupled with a worldwide shut down of travel caused poverty to become more of an issue for the nation’s population.

A 2020 Global Volunteers article stated that “30% of people in Rarotonga [the largest of the islands] live under the national poverty line.” As people lost their jobs, there was a struggle of relocation for those living in poverty. Select populations believed that the government wage subsidy of around 61 million NZD and other programs that include sending suites of credit initiatives to individuals or businesses wouldn’t be enough to support their families. This caused a lot of people in the Cook Islands to move to New Zealand to look for more suitable jobs.

An RNZ article profiled one man who is staying in the Cook Islands because of agricultural heritage. Tino Tatau’s plants “used to supply resorts, markets, weddings, and functions,” but the slowed revenue made this harder. Evidently, there is this conundrum of relocating or abandoning one’s home.

Even as the spread of COVID-19 slows, there is still a great incentive to boost the economic stability of the Cook Islands through stimulus packages and agencies similar to the Pacific Humanitarian Team providing health services to those who may not be able to access them. Established in 2008 by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Pacific Humanitarian Team initiated the Humanitarian Response Plan to aid 14 Pacific countries. The Pacific Humanitarian Team emerged to grant an immediate health response and provide marginalized farmer households with food and access to certain medication in one instance.

Conclusion

As previously mentioned, the Cook Islands’ percentage of its vaccinated population is playing a significant role in the virus’ slow spread. A Washington Post article stated that “the nation’s Health Ministry [reports that] 98% of the population 12 and older has received at least a first vaccine dose, with 96% having received two doses and 67% getting a booster shot.” The nation will continue to follow a rigorous implementation of policies to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the Cook Islands, such as masking, and a push for booster shots and regular testing.

– Maia Nuñez
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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The COVID-19 Pandemic Sparks 5 African Inventions

African Inventions
The COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed the way the world operates, forcing the globe to turn to virtual settings and create physical distance in the presence of others. Five African inventions prove useful during the COVID-19 pandemic by strengthening health care responses and offering protection against COVID-19 infections.

5 African Inventions Helping During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  1. Tiba Vent. Kenyan student Daniel Kabugi and a team of 15 others developed the Tiba Vent in 2020, a portable, low-cost “mechanical ventilator” that aids the respiration of patients who have contracted COVID-19 and “other acute respiratory illnesses.” With the Tiba Vent, Kenya is expected to increase its resources from 500 ventilator units to more than 30,000. This low-cost machine comrpises 90% locally sourced materials and was in the process of clinical trials in July 2020. The Tiba Vent has the potential to save millions of lives in Kenya and beyond.
  2. Wellvis COVID-19 Triage Tool. Nigerian Dr. Wale Adeosun is a co-founder of Wellvis, an app that launched in 2019 to facilitate the online sharing of health information and services. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the creators of the Wellvis app decided to integrate into the platform a tool called the Wellvis COVID-19 Triage Tool. The tool uses responses to clinical questions to determine an individual’s COVID-19 risk level. The tool then directs the individual to the “appropriate next steps.” The Wellvis app, in general, allows for the online scheduling of remote appointments. In this way, the app can aid medical professionals by alleviating crowds in doctor offices and hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The app also provides health information and a “question and answer platform” to combat misinformation and increase access to reliable health information.
  3. Handwashing Machine. Sanitation is important to practice during the COVID-19 pandemic to avoid infection. In 2020, Stephen Wamukota, a 9-year-old boy from Kenya developed a handwashing machine that has become a complete game-changer in his community. Standing as one of the simplest yet innovative African inventions, this basic machine utilizes foot pedals to dispense water and soap so that people do not have to touch any surfaces with their hands during the handwashing process. This process significantly reduces the risk of infection and provides a community with the opportunity to safeguard their health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  4. Dr. Car Robot. Originally a project from Dakar Polytechnic School students in Senegal, this robot allows for the delivery of medications, takes body temperatures and measures the blood pressure of COVID-19 patients at the hospital without the need for human interaction. Controlled remotely from an app and equipped with cameras, the Dr. Car (or Docteur Car) robot “speaks four languages,” which makes it accessible to a large audience in African hospitals and reduces the risk of spreading COVID-19.
  5. 3D-Printed Masks. With the huge demand for protective face masks across the world, South African innovator Natalie Raphil is using a 3D printer to produce 100 3D-printed face masks per day. Raphil’s idea for 3D-printed masks came about during South Africa’s most intense level of lockdown “when imports and exports were at a standstill and PPE was in demand” for health workers in the country. Raphil’s invention allowed for an inexpensive, efficient way to supply masks to health professionals at the forefront of the pandemic.

A Look Ahead

Amid a global health crisis, African innovators and changemakers of all ages have developed creative solutions to help address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These recent African inventions are proof that when humanity faces a new hardship, innovation prevails.

– Kler Teran
Photo: Flickr

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5 Facts About Being Poor in Argentina

Being Poor in Argentina
Argentina is the third-largest country in South America with a population of 45.4 million people. A melting pot of ethnicities and a perfect blend between Latin-American and South European customs and traditions. Nevertheless, Argentina has a high poverty rate, rising year after year. Here are five facts about being poor in Argentina.

5 Facts About Being Poor in Argentina

  1. A 3 Year-Long Recession: Argentina’s economic development is following a troubled path risking a new default two years since the last one. This inevitably translated into a rise in the country’s poverty rate that in the second half of last year passed 42%, according to Al Jazeera. Such a rate in Argentina represents an omen to the risk of a new crisis of similar proportions to the ones of 1989 and 2001.
  2. Increase in Unemployment During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic had serious repercussions on developing economies like Argentina. As a result, the country counted a loss of 3.5 million jobs in the past two years of the pandemic, leaving many single-income families without a way to get by. This has led to many disorders and protests in the capital city of Buenos Aires that spread in other major cities around the country including Cordoba and Mendoza.
  3. Social Inequality and Poverty: The Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) examined the evolution of inequality and poverty across the decades. Argentina was one of the countries with the highest class inequality and relative poverty rates and from 2001 it made considerable progress in this matter. Unfortunately, those rates still remain high, way over the OECD average. Moreover, inequality in Argentina has strong intergenerational and regional components, meaning that the youngest part of the population is the poorest and the northern regions of the country are the ones with the highest poverty rate.
  4. House Poverty – The Everlasting Problem: Since its first big default in 1989, being poor in Argentina means also facing the house poverty issue caused by people’s inability or even discouragement in saving for long-term investments. The global pandemic has contributed to worsening this condition even more. Currently, almost 10 million people around Argentina are unable to pay their rent and have to move to cities and to nearby areas where they end up in illegal camps. Fortunately, organizations like Habitat for Humanity are working to address this specific problem by building or repairing homes, providing vital skills and providing first-response to all sorts of disasters around the world. As of 2014, Habitat for Humanity has contributed to building housing solutions that are hosting more than 4,000 families in Argentina.
  5. Education: Despite Argentina being one of the most educated countries in South America, its past military government applied a policy restricting access to education at every level. Such a slowdown in the development of the education system has not yet been overcome causing inefficiencies impacting other economic aspects like technological innovation that would support growth.

Concluding Thoughts

This summary is only a brief and partial picture of the much more complex political and socioeconomic situation of a developing country like Argentina. The hope is that these five points can provide an idea of what is like being poor in Argentina and what are the key elements to address to allow the country to free itself from poverty.

– Francesco Gozzo
Photo: Flickr

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E-Health in Latin America

E-health in Latin America
As new digital technologies grow more prominent, e-health in Latin America can provide solutions to the region’s most pressing health problems. Given existing disparities in health care and geographically complex challenges, policies promoting e-health can improve health care access and quality.

The Benefits of E-Health in Latin America

E-health relies on digital information and technology to support and improve people’s health and well-being. It has particular potential in marginalized or remote regions without easy access to traditional health facilities. E-health stands as one of the most effective ways to make health care more equitable and efficient while saving on provider costs.

  • E-health initiatives can expand health care resources by allowing experts in specific health sectors access to a wider population. Due to “shortages of resources” and funding, hospitals and other health care facilities face frequent overburdening and strain. Even though health care specialists are most often located in major metropolitan areas, e-health allows them to consult with patients in far or remote regions.
  • E-health in Latin America can improve preventative care. Remote monitoring of chronic or age-related illness may improve efficiency and access while still detecting symptoms before an emergency occurs.
  • The creation of a health care system that accommodates cultural and linguistic differences is possible. Patients may choose not to access health care if providers in their region do not have similar cultural understandings or if there is a language barrier. Multilingual telemedicine platforms are able to dissolve language barriers.
  • It will be easier to collect data and identify trends in certain populations. If health care providers have easier access to target populations, then providers can collect more data to assess and better understand health care needs and trends.

E-Health in Latin America: Examples of Success

  • Mexico. Mexican e-Health startup Hoy Health began in 2017 and has announced an expansion of its telehealth services in Mexico City beginning with the Central de Abastos wholesale market. By implementing mobile health kiosks in one of the city’s most bustling wholesale marketplaces, busy individuals without easy access to health care can access health care in a location convenient for them. In each mobile health kiosk, users can participate in immediate video consultations with physicians. Beginning in February 2022, Hoy Health will be providing telehealth services via 12 mobile kiosks at different locations across Central de Abastos.
  • Argentina. Argentina is a large country that experiences widespread geographic disparities in health outcomes and a severe shortage of resources in many areas. However, due to the high levels of internet and mobile penetration, e-health is able to provide a successful solution to expanding health care access. Health centers specializing in highly complex cases are typically found in urban areas. Two of these centers, the Garrahan Hospital and the Instituto Zaldívar, implement remote telemedicine programs allowing them to easily access rural communities.
  • Colombia. Colombia proves to be a pioneer in terms of e-health in Latin America. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the country has “held more than 9 million telemedicine appointments,” a more than 7,000% increase in comparison to pre-pandemic numbers. This trend is unlikely to waver as the pandemic subsides and the country can now use the robust e-health network to solve other health problems. Colombia is a large, biodiverse country with many remote regions that are difficult to access. Telehealth can provide these citizens with access to care.

Looking Ahead

E-health in Latin America can aid in eliminating many existing barriers to quality health care. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption and implementation of such measures. While Latin America must contend with various challenges, such as a lack of resources and specialists, widespread disparities and remote regions without easy access, e-health programs and technologies can reach more citizens and improve the health and well-being of the region’s inhabitants.

– Jennifer Hendricks
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

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How Health and Poverty in India Overlap

Health and Poverty in India
According to the World Bank and World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017, at minimum, 50% of the global population cannot access “essential health services.” The crippling costs of annual checkups, emergency health care and chronic disease treatment often push struggling households into extreme poverty. The dynamic relationship between health and poverty impacts the lives of millions around the globe, especially in India. According to the World Poverty Clock, in 2021, the rate of extreme poverty in India stood at 7% and the income of 84% of Indian households took a plunge. Health issues remain one of the leading causes of poverty in the country. By taking a closer look at how health and poverty in India overlap, one can understand the interconnectedness of the issues.

Poverty and Health Care Debt in India

The Indian Ministry of Health stated that between 2011 and 2012, “18% of households faced catastrophic health costs,” a rate that only grows as poverty deepens and social assistance remains minimal. These unaffordable health care costs push already struggling households into extreme poverty. It is important to note that those in rural areas and impoverished countries make up the vast majority of people who shoulder medical expense burdens. India’s impoverished receive little to no governmental aid as government spending goes elsewhere.

The Indian government continues to underfund the health care sector as it spends roughly “1% of GDP on health.” This percentage is “among the lowest for any major economy.” The scarcity of government funding to support the health care sector often drives Indian citizens to use savings and out-of-pocket money to cover medical expenses. Research shows that, in 2018, almost 63% of Indian citizens’ “total health spending” went to out-of-pocket expenditure, which increases people’s vulnerability to crippling debt and poverty.

Poverty and Health Insurance in India

India’s most impoverished and most vulnerable people consider health insurance a luxury. A report by the National Survey Office (NSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in India states that between 2017 and 2018, only 14.1% of Indians residing in rural areas and 19.1% of Indians residing in urban areas had access to any form of health insurance. In addition, private health care in India is inaccessible to a majority of the nation’s most vulnerable groups due to the high cost. According to IndiaSpend in 2017, India had the sixth-highest private health care expenditure “among low- and middle-income countries.” As for government insurance, NSO reports found that, between 2017 and 2018, only 9.9% of the most impoverished rural Indians and 7.5% of urban Indians “had any government-sponsored health protection.”

Poverty and the COVID-19 Pandemic in India

The COVID-19 pandemic brought devastation to world economies and destruction to health care systems internationally. Specifically, COVID-19 had severe impacts on India’s impoverished. In the first year of the pandemic, the virus caused 7 million job losses in India. In particular, India’s agricultural sector took a hard hit in several ways.

For example, labor and transportation limitations impacted “production and marketing” while the economic impact of COVID-19 on the nation led to “income shock” that increased the price of food and changed household consumption patterns. A survey by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) confirms these economic shocks. Using data from “a panel survey of 197,000 households” implemented “every four months” up until July 2021, researchers deduced that extreme poverty rose greatly across India due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, especially in cities. As a result of COVID-19 impacts, 44 million more people fell into extreme poverty in India by July 2021.

The DevaMitra Foundation Offers Hope

As India’s most vulnerable continue to struggle with the rising cost of medical care, several organizations aim to alleviate healthcare-related poverty and make health services more accessible. The DevaMitra Foundation is a New Delhi-based organization that aims to reduce the impacts of deteriorating health and poverty in India.

DevaMitra’s main goal is to improve the health of the most vulnerable by offering health care services and facilities and by providing treatments and medications to remote and rural areas across India. The organization also implements programs to increase health awareness and health education in communities.

By allowing vulnerable and underprivileged people equitable access to health care, non-governmental organizations offer hope and pave the way for societal development.

– Nohad Awada
Photo: Flickr

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Facts About Poverty in the Canary Islands

Poverty in the Canary Islands
In the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of Northwest Africa, the beautiful landscapes often distract from the harsher reality of the community: high levels of poverty in the Canary Islands.

Poverty Statistics in the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands has one of the highest poverty rates out of all of Spain’s regions. In 2012, the Canary Islands ranked “fifth out of 17 regions” for the highest levels of relative poverty. In 2013, unemployment levels reached 34%, higher than any other region of Spain, and 38% of residents were facing poverty. Child poverty in the Canary Islands is also high with almost 30% of children living in poverty in 2013, according to UNICEF. Poverty continues to persist in the region with the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbating the situation further. According to a survey that occurred in the last quarter of 2020, “3.3 million people in Spain” overall faced “a severe lack of necessary items.” However, 15.6% of respondents from the Canary Islands faced the greatest challenges in securing their basic needs until month-end, a percentage higher than that of any other region.

Social Exclusion and Migration

Poverty manifests itself through social exclusion, a lack of access to crucial opportunities and services, such as infrastructure, health care, education and social welfare. In 2018, almost 30% of the Canarian population endured social exclusion, with 334,000 people facing “severe social exclusion.” In addition, foreigners to the Islands face a greater risk of experiencing social exclusion.

The Canary Islands community has seen an uptick in migrants since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, migrants usually traveled from sub-Saharan Africa to Mediterranean countries, but due to COVID-19 restrictions in these countries, their paths diverged, leading them to the Canary Islands instead. In 2020, approximately 23,000 migrants from Africa arrived on the Canary Islands’ shores. The pandemic-induced increase in both poverty levels and the migrant population places strain on the archipelago, where a lacking job market only becomes more competitive and health officials struggle to detect COVID-19 as migrants arrive. These migrants experience greater rates of social exclusion as more barriers stand in the way to the resources they need to survive.

A Solution to Spain’s Poverty Overall

In May 2020, the Spanish government gave its approval for “a minimum income scheme” to aid about 850,000 of the most impoverished households across the country, bringing positive impacts to around 2.3 million people overall. The Spanish government commits to providing eligible households with an income of between €462 ($514) and €1,015 ($1,130) per month. Government officials expect the program to decrease extreme poverty by 80% and lower high poverty rates by 60%. This initiative aids the Canary Islands as it is a region of Spain, but the program does not target poverty specifically in this area.

Looking ahead, more initiatives that directly impact the Canary Islands would best help improve the region’s circumstances of poverty. More targeted programs by national and local governments, as well as non-governmental organizations, can help reduce poverty in the Canary Islands.

– Aimée Eicher
Photo: Flickr
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Challenges for Impoverished Indigenous Australians

Impoverished Indigenous Australians
As of 2021, Australia remains within the top 15 economies in the world. However, as the Australian economy flourishes, the Indigenous Australian community remains a forgotten minority. According to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), a former Indigenous Australian government body, this marginalization increases several poverty risks within the community. In reference to research that the ATSIC conducted, more than 120,000 Indigenous Australians are currently living below the poverty line. This indicator signifies that more than 30% of the Australian Indigenous population endure “income poverty” and suffer from various forms of inequality on several life-impacting bases. A closer look at the challenges for impoverished Indigenous Australians provides insight into the severity of this marginalization.

Education and Work

Indigenous Australians often face income inequality when they join the workforce. Between 2018 and 2019, the weekly “median gross adjusted household income” of Indigenous Australians aged 18 and older was approximately $553. This number is a cause for concern because it is significantly lower than the wages of non-Indigenous Australians whose weekly median gross household income is about 65% higher.

Moreover, Indigenous teenagers are three times more likely to not receive full-time education than any non-indigenous group in Australia. Roughly 70% of young adult Australian Indigenous people do not work a full-time job or engage in full-time education, which causes an increased risk that affects their income average, living standards and overall quality of life.

Indigenous Australians must overcome several struggles when seeking out education. One of the biggest obstacles Indigenous Australians in under-funded or rural areas must overcome is the language barrier. The Australian nationwide curriculum includes only English instruction, which creates a language barrier for students within remote Indigenous areas.

Furthermore, schools in rural areas often occupied by Indigenous Australians are severely underfunded. The Australian government spends 47 cents on education per child in remote communities for every dollar spent on education per child in the Northern Territory of Australia. Also, many impoverished Australian students live with their extended family in overcrowded households, which creates distractions and deprioritizes education for Indigenous youth. All the factors mentioned above lead to an increased poverty rate in Indigenous communities due to the poor quality of education or the complete lack of it.

Health

Poverty within Indigenous Australian groups is also a significant contributor to the increased health hazards Indigenous Australians face. Many illnesses threaten the lives of indigenous Australians at much higher rates than non-Indigenous Australians. For example, diseases that otherwise do not exist within other communities threaten Indigenous Australian communities. Moreover, disability, as well as chronic and terminal illness, are observed at much higher rates within Indigenous communities throughout the country. These implications lead to a decreased life expectancy among Indigenous Australians as projections determine that they could live “20 years less” than any other group of people in Australia.

It is important to note that, according to a 2019 Oxfam analysis of Australian inequality, Australian indigenous women face several additional threats when it comes to poverty. Many gender-based health risks arise due to poverty and inequality. Indigenous Australian women face an increased infant mortality rate. In fact, the infant mortality rate for Indigenous Australian women is about twice the rate of their non-indigenous counterparts. In addition, Indigenous Australian women face the consequences of income inequality. Women in Australia make 85 cents for every dollar a man makes. This income gap widens further when it comes to Indigenous women, which puts them at an increased risk of poverty.

Combating COVID-19

The Australian Department of Health states that COVID-19 poses a greater health risk to Indigenous Australians in comparison to non-Indigenous people. Several structural and systematic injustices, such as limited access to health care, added risks due to pre-existing health issues and the lifestyles within remote Indigenous Australian communities, lead to this reality. However, the Australian government launched several efforts to help lessen the dire impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indigenous Australians. This assistance materialized in the Indigenous community as 53% of Indigenous Australians older than 16 were receiving income support throughout the pandemic, which helped alleviate the impacts poverty has on these communities all over the country.

Community Support for Impoverished Indigenous Australians

While injustices continue to increasingly affect Indigenous Australian communities, it is important to note that activists are leading multiple efforts and initiatives to aid with alleviating poverty in these communities. For example, based in Victoria, Australia, Pay The Rent Grassroots Collective is a collaborative effort between Australians that aids struggling Indigenous Australians by collecting funds from non-Indigenous Australians. Because of this group, many native clans and people avoid instability by allowing the Indigenous Australians within Pay The Rent’s decision-making team to study the community’s needs and establish solutions to meet these needs.

As social and economic hardship continues to affect Indigenous Australians, taking action through evident support and direct aid to the community’s most vulnerable is more important than ever. As funds increase, it is clear to see that the nongovernmental organizations founded by Indigenous Australians are taking steps toward alleviating poverty among impoverished Indigenous Australians.

– Nohad Awada
Photo: Flickr

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Expanding Health Insurance in Morocco

Health Insurance in Morocco
By the end of 2021, health insurance in Morocco covered 11 million citizens. With the final count of covered citizens, the Moroccan government announced its expansion of health insurance to unconsidered sector workers. The number of protected citizens will grow in 2022 as proposals are under review to expand health insurance to uncovered workers, such as artisans, taxi drivers, farmers and more.

Morocco’s Health Insurance System

Morocco’s health insurance system is a mixture of government-run and privately owned insurance businesses. Most in Morocco have coverage through the primary source of health insurance. This is the Mandatory Health Insurance, L’Assurance Maladie Obligatoire (AMO).

Morocco implemented its first health care policy in 1959 and established free health services in the public sector. After 1959, the Moroccan health care system went through various changes. However, in 2005, it established and stabilized with the implementation of new programs to regulate and differentiate between the private and public health insurance systems.

In 2005, the Moroccan government created a mandatory, payroll-based health insurance plan that increased coverage from 16% of the Moroccan population to 30%. The payroll-based system is the AMO. The AMO covers the costs of general medicine and medical and surgical specialties, pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care, laboratory tests, radiology and medical imaging, optical care, oral health treatment and paramedics.

The Regime d’Assistance Medicale (RAMED)

The second insurance policy that Morocco implemented is the Regime d’Assistance Medicale (RAMED). RAMED is a public, government-financed program to fund insurance for those living in poverty and without the income needed to access the AMO.

The private insurance sector, which people often choose simply due to availability, is a system based on a fee-for-service policy. For whatever the service may be, private insurance requires the individual to pay a minimum of 20% of the fees due. However, fees sometimes range as high as 50%.

Morocco’s health insurance system guarantees free care to anyone. However, it is specifically free for anyone living in poverty at any clinic that Morocco’s government runs, as long as the clinics obtain a certificat d’indigence. Thankfully, the poverty rate in Morocco is as low as 3.6%. However, health care remains concentrated in the cities leaving the rural population without easy access to health care.

The rural population often remains uncovered and without the funds to be a part of the private insurance operations. The impending health insurance expansion promises to cover the rural workers. This will ease the economic burden of health insurance from their income.

Impending Expansion of the System

The expansion to cover more workers is not the first one the government has made since 2019. In 2020, the Moroccan government expanded its health insurance system to cover all costs, for every citizen, for COVID-19 treatment. The treatment coverage is available through the AMO.

Morocco’s health insurance system will expand pending the implementation of six drafted policy proposals. The overarching plan for Morocco’s health insurance system is to generalize all health insurance for uncovered workers. The first step in this plan is the creation of coverage beginning with the farmers in the outlying reaches of Morocco, the taxi drivers in the cities and the artisans spread around the country.

The Need for Health Insurance in Rural Communities in Morocco

Morocco’s rural and farming areas are often unconsidered, with doctors and clinics needing to open in said rural areas. The average salary of a Moroccan farmer is 11,700 Moroccan Dirham (MAD) per month, which translates to slightly more than $1,200.

Unfortunately, since the AMO did not cover the farmers, the farmers were often unable to afford private insurance due to having little income to spare. Therefore, with the flexibility of the cost of services due, the farmers could not risk paying anything that might exceed their income.

The Single Professional Contribution System (SPC)

The farmers are only one of the groups that will benefit from the expanded insurance availability. The Moroccan health insurance system’s expansion also covers artisans, who are part of the Single Professional Contribution system (SPC). The SPC allows workers reliant on a flat rate of income to pay fixed taxes and receive health insurance under the new expansion.

The workers who are part of the SPC do not have high incomes and often live on less than the living minimum wage. Much like the farmers, the AMO would not consider them, leaving them unable to afford the private insurance system.

The Moroccan health insurance system’s expansion allows access to basic health care that many could not access before. The government is increasing the annual amount spent on health care as well. The private and public systems will receive additional funding to hire more doctors. Hopefully, more clinics will open in the rural areas to help these newly insured farmers and rural dwellers.

The Moroccan health insurance system will help both the individual and the public. Expanded health insurance could reduce debt, both health-related and non-health-related. It could permit more opportunities to spend money in the local economy.

Increased economic flow can increase income and wages for all business sectors, including the lower-paid individuals, like the farmers. It can also decrease the poverty rate and the number of individuals at risk of poverty.

– Clara Mulvihill
Photo: Pixabay

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5 Facts About the Impact of COVID-19 in Tajikistan

Impact of COVID-19 in Tajikistan Tajikistan is a Central Asian country landlocked between Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, China and Uzbekistan. It is among the most impoverished countries in the world, with 26.3% of its population living below the poverty line in 2019. This high poverty rate persists as a consequence of modern political instability and a civil war that erupted after its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Since the Tajikistani Civil War, the national poverty rate has shrunk as the country recovered, but the impact of COVID-19 in Tajikistan has added to the financial stressors that many citizens face.

5 Facts About the Impact of COVID-19 in Tajikistan

  1. The Numbers: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Tajikistan reported 17,493 COVID-19 cases from Jan. 3, 2020, to Jan. 21, 2022. From Jan. 18, 2021, to June 21, 2021, there were no reports of new cases in the nation. On Jan. 26, 2021, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon claimed that the country was “without COVID-19” in an address to parliament, asserting that the nation noted “no new cases” in the month of January. However, the Ministry of Health did in fact report new cases in January, a fact backed up by WHO data. The disease continued to spread for a few months longer, with the last new cases occurring on Sept. 13, 2021. Out of all the nation’s total confirmed cases, Tajikistan notes 125 deaths.
  2. Vaccines: In July 2021, Tajikistan made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for all citizens of at least 18 years old. As of Jan. 2, 2022, Tajikistan has administered a total of 6.8 million doses, allowing for the full vaccination of roughly 3 million citizens, equating to 31.27% of Tajikistan’s overall population. In order to increase its overall vaccination rate, authorities aim “to expand their communication activities to address vaccine hesitancy and misinformation” related to the COVID-19 vaccine with the support of the World Bank.
  3. Remittances: The influx of remittances to Tajikistan fell at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many citizens choose to leave the country to earn an income as migrant workers and send money back to their family members back in Tajikistan. In fact, “Tajikistan is one of the most remittance-dependent countries in the world,” with this form of monetary exchange accounting for around 28% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018. However, the value of remittances fell in the wake of COVID-19 to 26% in 2020. Economic crises and travel restrictions led to fewer remittances, especially due to the stringent regulations in Russia and other nearby countries where Tajikistani migrants often seek work. As a result, during the first half of 2020, remittances shrunk by close to 15% ($195 million) in comparison to the first half of 2019. In conjuncture with the other impacts of COVID-19 in Tajikistan, like the rising prices of agricultural goods, this fall in household income served to exacerbate poverty and heighten food insecurity in Tajikistan, with 33% of households reporting “reduced food consumption” as of August 2021.
  4. U.S. Foreign Aid: Responding to the negative effects of the pandemic, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) supplied significant amounts of aid to Tajikistan, including “1.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine” in July 2021 and “325,260 doses of the Pfizer vaccine” in September 2021. In addition, USAID efforts include significant assistance to bolster Tajikistan’s health care systems and the capacity of its medical labs, public health outreach programs and community engagement. By March 2021, USAID had provided more than $10 million in aid to strengthen the country’s health care system and mitigate the financial impacts of COVID-19 in Tajikistan. Furthermore, as COVID-19 “disrupted import/export transport,” USAID has “launched an online freight portal” to help traders communicate and also created “a hotline to help traders and exporters locate the latest information about new import and transit procedures.”
  5. International Aid: Tajikistan also received support from other countries and international organizations. On Dec. 22, 2021, the World Bank approved a grant adding $25 million to the Tajikistan Emergency COVID-19 Project. The money will go to necessary medical resources, such as safety boxes, personal protective equipment, COVID-19 tests, vaccine cards and other supplies. The grant will also cover the cost of vaccine distribution and official communication efforts to combat medical misinformation.

Looking Forward

Although the impact of COVID-19 in Tajikistan will likely continue to affect the nation’s economy, the country has not noted any new COVID-19 cases since 2021. Currently, COVID-19 cases remain under control despite concerns over the newly emerging Omicron variant. International organizations are continuing their efforts to improve Tajikistan’s economic resilience and strengthen its health sector. As a result of diminishing cases and international assistance, experts predict that the economy will continue to grow throughout 2022 despite ongoing challenges.

– Lauren Sung
Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Efforts to Mitigate Poverty in South Asia

Mitigate Poverty in South Asia
More than 33% of people living in extreme poverty globally reside in South Asia. The poorest countries in the region, Afghanistan, Nepal and Pakistan presented GDP per capita rates of $544, $972 and $1,555. Respectively, this is a result of issues across these countries such as poor infrastructure, poor economic practices, political uncertainty and poverty. For many countries in South Asia, like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, the COVID-19 caused millions of people to fall back into poverty. Policymakers must now reverse the increased food and commodity prices that result in economic insecurities in order to mitigate poverty in South Asia.

Pre-Pandemic Progress

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, South Asia countries made “significant progress” to help communities move out of poverty. Between 1990 and 2015, its poverty rate declined from 52% to 17%. The Asian Development Bank has projected that the trade-dependent economies of Southeast Asia will recover from the effects of the pandemic, growing to 5.1% in 2022 from 4.4% in 2021, therefore, helping to mitigate poverty in South Asia.

There are multiple reasons why South Asian countries have high levels of poverty and low GDP rates. According to The Conversation, governments do not allocate enough state resources on social development, such as education and health. In addition, “limited effectiveness” goes into delivering public services to the communities, such as health and education, or implementing policies to reduce poverty.

Further, government investment to improve public services, such as making tax systems more efficient and increasing vaccine availability in local health services, would improve the nation’s economy and help mitigate poverty levels. Countries with higher levels of state capacity have done relatively better to control the spread of COVID-19 and reduce mortality rates.

The World Bank Strategy

Now, the “impressive” reduction in poverty can connect to South Asia’s growing economy, as it is the world’s second-fastest-growing economy. According to the U.N. Chronicle, “India, Bangladesh and Nepal lowered their poverty rates by 7%, 9% and 11%” in the 1990s. India is South Asia’s largest economy and could grow by 8.3% in the 2021-2022 fiscal year with aid from public investment and incentives to boost manufacturing.

International organizations aided South Asia nations during the pandemic. They ensured the nations were able to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and limit the number of people vulnerable to poverty. For example, the World Bank focused on promoting inclusive and sustainable growth, investing in people and strengthening resilience in South Asia.

The World Bank also provided $922 million to purchase and deploy COVID-19 vaccines in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In Pakistan, the World Bank supported efforts to implement nutrition-sensitive cash transfers for the most vulnerable populations and policy actions to help put children back in school. Meanwhile, a COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Project is working on multiple projects, including equipping hospitals as pandemic response centers in Sri Lanka.

Additionally, in Nepal, the World Bank focused on the agriculture sector by allocating $80 million to strengthen rural market linkages and promote entrepreneurship. International efforts are a vital resource to help mitigate poverty in South Asia.

If policymakers allocate resources toward programs that help sustain their growing economy and mitigate the negative results of COVID-19, South Asia communities could have a better chance of avoiding poverty.

– Makena Roberts
Photo: Flickr