Archive for category: Developing Countries

Information and stories about developing countries.

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Health Hotline in Malawi

Health Hotline in MalawiIn Malawi, it is tough for pregnant women and families with babies and young children to get the necessary help in rural and hard-to-reach areas. This is often because Malawi is one of the hardest to reach places in the world. Citizens in Malawi aren’t seen as quickly with health-related issues. The success of the health hotline in Malawi is its goal to not be needed in any one area forever.

Medical Assistance by Phone

The mobile phone service is not only for those in dangerous situations that need help quickly. It also provides clear advice and health information. In a state of worry about her baby’s health, a young woman living in a village called Chiyendausiku in Malawi called a toll-free hotline for advice. The young women called a health hotline in Malawi called Chipatala Cha Pa Foni (CCPF). It is a health center by phone, a hotline and text messaging service for families, babies, young children and pregnant women.

Chipatala Cha Pa Foni (CCPF) helps mothers in hard-to-reach areas get the necessary attention to get to the closest health center as soon as possible. When calling the health hotline in Malawi, most women don’t need to rush to the hospital.

Numbers

According to a 2014 World Bank Study, women who live in Malawi have a one in 34 chance of dying during childbirth. UNDP reports that Malawi’s maternal mortality rate is one of the highest in the world, with 675 deaths per 100,000 live births. Mothers and pregnant women face a difficult journey of lack of access to child health care due to the distance to and from the health care facilities. Also, the lack of trained health workers to serve the population. The myths and misinformation also affect when and where they can seek health care.

Chipatala is available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, including holidays, Social Innovation in Health Initiative reports. The toll-free hotline connects callers to trained health staff workers who answer general questions. Some of the questions are about nutrition, child health and sexual and reproductive health. Through the opt-in text and voice messaging system caretakers of children under one, pregnant women and women of childbearing age receive advice tailored according to their pregnancy timeline or their children’s age. Also, Chipatala makes it possible to use an interactive voice response system that allows the users to retrieve messages on demand.

In Closing

The idea of Chipatala is to access relevant health information to decrease the under-resourced community clinics. Since Chipatala launched in 2011, it has reached more than 35,000 unique callers. Health workers resolve about 75% of cases without connecting the caller to a health facility and log almost 50,000 calls. The company aims to continue making affordable and ongoing mobile access to Malawi’s rural areas and keep providing sustainability.

– Alexis King
Photo: Flickr

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Organizations Strengthening Health Care in Developing Countries

Strengthening Health Care in Developing Countries
Nearly 6 million deaths occur each year in developing countries due to the lack of quality health care and nearly 2.9 million deaths occur due to the lack of access to health care. This shows that more people pass away by receiving medical care rather than none and the care is such low-quality that it results in fatalities anyway. Health care is a major issue in underdeveloped countries and organizations are strengthening health care in developing countries to save lives and benefit countries worldwide.

Health Care in Low-Income Countries

Many people living in developing countries are suffering from poverty and may not be able to afford medical treatment. Even if someone is in a severe medical emergency, there often is no “911” number to call and no ambulances that can help in an extreme health crisis. Local health care is what people have to rely on and people sometimes have to travel for days to find a village with any medical care. Clinics and hospitals can have good physicians and equipment, but the lack of infrastructure is the most significant concern.

“Sometimes needles are reused, spreading disease and infection, and vaccines are given even though their effectiveness has been compromised by lack of refrigeration,” said Facts and Details. Hospitals can lose electricity on a regular basis, and run out of essential medical supplies quickly and the actual buildings where clinics and hospitals are located sometimes have no windows or fans and are flat-out unsanitary. In addition, some countries have “fake medicine” where 25% of drugs sold to consumers are counterfeit.

Health Care in Low-Income Countries

In some areas, health care workers have comprised of village midwives, who represent a significant amount of health work. There are doctors and nurses, but they are constantly absent from work. Harvard and the World Bank conducted research showing “an absentee rate of as high 80 percent in single-doctor clinics” in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, “Similar research in Indonesia found [that] 40 percent of health workers [were frequently] absent from clinics.” In many cases, village healers are actually the main source of medical help people seek. The healers sell herbs, use divine stones for diagnoses and treat patients using folk medicine, massages, rituals and prayers. The healers take place of doctors when there are not enough available.

“When you are middle class and you get sick, you first think of a doctor, when you are a poor person, the first thing you think of is a miracle,” a Baptist minister said to Newsweek. Quality health care is necessary for underdeveloped countries because millions die each year due to a lack of access to health care and lack of resources to improve the health care systems in the countries. Here are three organizations strengthening health care in developing countries.

SIGN Fracture Care International

SIGN Fracture Care International is a humanitarian organization that Dr. Lewis Zirkle founded in 1999 with the vision of creating quality fracture care worldwide. This organization works to educate surgeons, then provide donated implants and needed instruments in which the surgeon then completes the necessary treatment for the injury. SIGN has worked to make sure that doctors are educated and prepared to treat their patients and once that reaches completion, it provides the essential tools for the doctors to carry out their procedures. “The SIGN System is designed for use in low-resource hospitals and does not require the use of expensive x-ray machines, or even electricity,” SIGN stated on its website. Since its founding, nearly 382,000 patients have been healed and 409 hospitals are using the SIGN program in 55 countries around the world.

Bridge of Life

Bridge of Life is an international nonprofit organization that DaVita Inc. founded in 2006 with the goal of improving health care around the world through various programs, as well as treating long-term diseases. There are three main programs that make up Bridge of Life: Kidney Care, Kids’ Camp and Chronic Disease Prevention. Its approach is building successful partnerships, training health workers, connecting patients to quality medical treatment, educating on the prevention of long-lasting diseases and engaging health professionals and program volunteers. In 2021, more than 390 health workers received training and more than 1,200 “high-risk patients received medication, health testing and education,” the 2021 impact report said. Since the organization’s founding, more than 118,000 lives have been impacted in 30 countries globally.

WellShare International

WellShare International is an organization that began in 1979 that promotes positive health and well-being and provides medical services to communities. It has a long list of programs that provide education and health services to children, adults and elders. The programs include Caafimaadkaaga – Your Health, East African Smoke, Eliminating Health Disparities Initiative, Family Home Visiting, Minnesota Community Health Worker Peer Network, Somali Health Youth Initiative, SPEAK, Survive and Thrive Groups Help Young Single Mothers and Together for Health. In the organization’s 41 years of existence, it has trained more than 6,000 health workers, creating more educated and equipped health workers. “We envision communities with equitable health care and resources where all individuals live healthy and fulfilling lives,” the organization’s website states.

Around the world, 14% of patients experience harm from the medical care they receive at a hospital. The organizations are working to change that and provide excellent health care to countries globally. Strengthening health care in developing countries will save lives, improve poverty rates and build stronger communities.

– Dylan Olive
Photo: Flickr

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How the Batonga Foundation is Empowering Women

Empowering Women
Angélique Kidjo is an African singer. She was born on July 14, 1960, in the city of Ouidah, in what is now Benin. Kidjo sings in many different music styles (Afropop, jazz, gospel, Latin, etc.) and languages, as she is fluent in five. She has received many musical accolades, including four Grammy awards. Kidjo began her activist career in 2002 when she became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. She founded the Batonga Foundation in 2006, which focuses on empowering women in Benin and surrounding countries.

Women’s Education and Rights in Benin

Benin is a francophone country located in West Africa. The country gained independence from France in 1975, when its name changed from Dahomey to the People’s Republic of Benin. As of 2020, Benin had a population of approximately 12 million. Beninese people speak an estimated 68 languages with the most common ones being French, Fon, Yom and Yoruba.

Benin’s economy relies mainly on agriculture and trade with Nigeria. It grew by approximately 6.6% in 2021 according to the World Bank. In 2019, Benin’s poverty rate was 38.5%, an 11% drop from 2015.

Beninese women meet obstacles including poverty, familial expectations and forced marriages early in their life stopping them from progressing educationally. Kidjo’s Batonga Foundation highlights that uneducated young women end up married before turning 18. Although the literacy rate among Beninese youth has risen in recent years, in 2018 among individuals ages 15 to 24, males had a 69.76% literacy rate and females had a 51.94% rate. Additionally, young women have often been pushed away from education due to long, inflexible hours unrelenting to girls expected to do housework often. Teachers are mainly male and perpetuate gender stereotypes in their classrooms.

Batonga Foundation

Kidjo founded the Batonga Foundation in 2006, alongside Mary Louise Cohen and John Philips, with the aim of empowering young African women. The foundation is named after her 1991 song, “Batonga.” Kidjo has always been an avid gender equality advocate and recognized the potential of her continent. Growing up, she saw her peers not pursue higher education and work low-income jobs, which is one of several factors that inspired Kidjo to found the project.

Kidjo’s Batonga Foundation primarily supports and invests in secondary and higher education for girls in Benin in multiple ways. Some examples are granting scholarships, building secondary schools and providing mentoring programs.

Among the Batonga Foundation’s goals is empowering young women economically. Young Women Business Circles connect female entrepreneurs ages 18 to 30 with access to a trained business expert, a mentor and 20 to 25 peers. The women receive business and financial literacy help and small business seed funding.

Additionally, the Batonga Foundation hosts 126 Leadership Clubs. The clubs are safe spaces for adolescent girls to meet with peers and gain access to an older female mentor. Mentors at these clubs teach the girls about reproductive health, financial literacy, economic independence and leadership.

Batonga Foundation Accomplishments

In the 16 years and counting that the Batonga Foundation has been in action, it has achieved a significant amount.

Kidjo’s foundation has supported more than 3,000 young women and girls, reaching 15 rural communities. There are 50 Young Women Leadership Clubs, 55 Batonga mentors and 126 Leadership Clubs. Through her hard work in activism and frequent trips to Africa, Kidjo has supported thousands of young women on the path to independence and success.

– Sophie Buibas
Photo: Flickr

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How the Floods in South Africa have Exacerbated the Housing Crisis

Exacerbated the Housing Crisis
Severe flooding has recently devastated the eastern coast of South Africa, namely the province of KwaZulu-Natal after heavy rains pounded the province starting on April 11, 2022, and lasting several days. More than 400 people died from the initial flooding in April alone. Heavy rains prompted more flooding over the weekend of May 22 and 23 pounding the region even more. Floods destroyed thousands of homes which has only exacerbated the housing crisis that had already existed in South Africa for decades. KwaZulu-Natal did not even have a chance to begin rebuilding before these most recent floods worsened the devastation. Relief efforts have begun again as hundreds of people are missing or possibly dead and tens of thousands have experienced displacement.

Heavy Rains

The eastern coast of South Africa is no stranger to floods and heavy rains during the Autumn and Spring seasons. A cut-off low-pressure system, which is not uncommon in South Africa this time of year, triggered these most recent floods. However, this intense low-pressure system produced an abnormally extensive level of rainfall in the region in April. There is a chance that the heaviest downpours took place between April 11 and 12 as some areas of KwaZulu-Natal witnessed more than 30 cm of rainfall. Scientists point to changing weather as a likely reason behind the increased severity of this low-pressure system, namely due to the rising temperature of the Indian Ocean leading to more moisture in the atmosphere over southeastern Africa. 

South Africa’s Housing Crisis

KwaZulu-Natal is among the poorer provinces in South Africa with the second-highest amount of people living in poverty behind only the Eastern Cape province. Equal access to safe housing in South Africa has long been an issue for the poor. The South African government claims it has attempted to address the nationwide problem that has plagued the country for decades, yet the recent floods have only further exacerbated the housing crisis. This crisis left a big impact on KwaZulu-Natal as it is home to Durban, one of the largest urban areas in the country.

Dating back to Apartheid the majority of the black population in South Africa did not have equal access to safe housing. As a result, many people had to build their own homes, often in less inhabitable areas outside of cities. These hand-built homes often resemble shacks or sheds as the owners built them out of whatever they could get their hands on. As the number of these homes grows in a certain area and begins to resemble a neighborhood, it becomes recognized as an informal settlement.

Unfortunately, the high death tolls and much of the devastation from these floods can relate to the high proportion of these informal settlements that house the country’s poorest. Estimates determined that 11.8% of South Africa’s population lives in informal settlements across the country. In KwaZulu-Natal, many of the informal settlements are located in valleys and thus are more prone to flooding which the hand-built homes don’t stand a chance against. Notably, April floods destroyed more than 4,000 homes alone with the majority being informal settlements which have only exacerbated the housing crisis. Include the fact that there are more than 40,000 who lost their home and an even more worrying picture appears. These people will need access to clean water, food and shelter.

Local authorities in KwaZulu-Natal, in response to the April floods, were already planning to set up 4,396 temporary accommodation sites for the displaced people, according to Reliefweb. After the more recent floods in May, the demand for temporary accommodations has continued to increase as there are even more displaced South Africans.

The Government’s Role

Not only did floods destroy local homes, but they also impacted the local infrastructure. Floods damaged a local water treatment facility in the town of Umdloti thus limiting the area’s access to clean water. Floods swept away many roadways and destroyed bridges making it difficult for transportation in the area among victims trying to escape as well as rescuers attempting to reach those in need. According to provincial Transportation and Community Safety MEC Peggy Nkonyeni, it will cost the government over R12.4 billion to restore the province’s road infrastructure alone. As the government focuses its rebuilding efforts on infrastructure, it would also be an opportune time to attend to the longstanding housing crisis that recent floods only exacerbated.

The government claims to have built approximately 2.7 million low-cost homes over the past 15 years, yet there are still an estimated 2 million South Africans on a list waiting for the home they were promised. Its temporary accommodation sites are necessary for the short term to help the displaced ones, but it is imperative that the government addresses the longstanding lack of affordable and safe housing. Although the past two months have been very difficult, South Africans can now look forward to the typically drier months of June and July as an opportunity to recover and rebuild.

– Devin Welsh
Photo: Flickr

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Sudan

Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Sudan
The African nation of Sudan has faced ongoing turbulence. The country has endured violent conflict, transfers of power and severe economic turmoil. For Sudanese citizens, one current and very dangerous threat is the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Sudan.

Political and Economic Challenges in Sudan

In the last 70 years, Sudan has seen two civil wars. The first lasted from 1955 to 1972 and the second began in 1983 and ended in 2005. Six years later, in 2011, Sudan split in two as a portion of the country seceded and became the independently-governed South Sudan. However, the data this article presents is not applicable to South Sudan.

Most of Sudan’s society is tribal and many citizens live in rural nomadic communities. The economy is struggling and COVID-19 has worsened these circumstances. According to the latest available data from UNICEF’s 2018-2021 Country Programme document, about 36% of the population is currently impoverished and a quarter of all Sudanese citizens live in extreme poverty.

Before 2011, oil accounted for 95% of Sudan’s exported goods, but Sudan lost all that revenue when the country split, which damaged the already fragile economy even further. When the South Sudanese civil war broke out in 2013, refugees rushed north and Sudan saw a dramatic increase in refugees. As of September 2021, Sudan hosts more than 1.1 million refugees from other countries, adding to Sudan’s strain.

The Arrival of COVID-19 in Sudan

As is the case with many low-income countries, the arrival of COVID-19 in Sudan presented significant challenges. Limited resources make it difficult to stop outbreaks. Due to minimal resources, case reporting and testing lag behind and the vaccine rollout is small-scale. As of May 1, 2022, Sudan has administered slightly more than 7 million vaccine doses, which covers slightly more than 16% of the population.

April 2019 marked then-President of Sudan Omar al-Bashir’s removal from office, and the following September, a new system of government came into place. Thus, it is unsurprising that when the pandemic began, the new government was ill-equipped to deal with it. Many health services had no choice but to shut down due to high rates of mortality and infection among employees.

After the appearance of the first COVID-19 cases in March 2020, the Sudanese government imposed a lockdown that lasted from April 2020 to July 2020, although this proved ineffective due to community resistance and insufficient law enforcement.

Impact of COVID-19 on Poverty in Sudan

As the second wave of COVID-19 in Sudan hit in November 2020, mortality rates began to rise among citizens of all ages. At the highest mortality point, one out of every five intensive care patients died from COVID-19.

COVID-19 also threatens Sudanese food security. A “survey of 4,032 rural and urban households across the 18 states of Sudan” from June 16, 2020, to July 5, 2020, reveals “the socio-economic impact of COVID-19.” More than 50% of people in Sudan could not access main staple foods. Many people had to change their practices regarding food and almost half of the families surveyed reported food security concerns.

Most people have not received any type of aid from the government. At the time of the survey, around two-thirds of previously employed citizens had not returned to work.

USAID Assists Sudan

Fortunately, the United States is lending a hand, and as of February 2022, USAID has donated more than 1.2 million vaccine doses and $98 million to assist Sudan with COVID-19. Aside from vaccine rollout, USAID is also assisting with food and water distribution, sanitation, COVID-19 testing, clinical management and public information efforts. USAID mission director, Mervyn Farroe, said in a statement, “USAID/Sudan is committed to building back a better world, one that is better prepared to prevent, detect and respond to future biological threats, and where all people can live safe, prosperous and healthy lives.”

Overall, the impact of COVID-19 on poverty in Sudan has been hard-hitting. The country has endured significant stress for decades and recent political events compound issues and place grave strain on the economy. With more than a million refugees, a quarter of the population in extreme poverty and continuing impacts from the secession, COVID-19 in Sudan is the latest in a long list of reasons why Sudan is in dire need of international aid.

– Mia Sharpe
Photo: Flickr

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The Role of Oil in Algeria’s Economic Future

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

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7 US charities operating in Palestine (the Occupied Palestinian Territories)

Charities Operating in Palestine
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

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Unemployment in South Africa Soars

Unemployment in South AfricaUnemployment in South Africa reached new highs at the end of 2021, equating to more than 7.9 million individuals between October and December 2021. Typically, high unemployment rates spur predictions of economic decrease and little mobility for the coming fiscal year. The finance ministry expects South Africa’s economic growth rate to reach 2.1% in 2022, however, experts say this is insufficient “to make a meaningful dent in unemployment and poverty.” Despite the economic downturn that South Africans face, especially South African manufacturing and construction workers, there is some hope.

History of Unemployment in South Africa

Unemployment in South Africa has an extensive history and myriad reasons. The unemployment rate is dependent on which unemployment type one is referring to. There is the “standard definition” by which people between 15 and 64 actively search for employment while without a job for a specific time. Then, the expanded definition of unemployment refers to the unemployed “who have stopped looking for work.”

By the end of 2021’s third quarter, unemployment in South Africa stood at 34.9%, according to the standard definition, but stood at 46.6%, according to the expanded definition. Countless factors contribute to unemployment in South Africa. The most significant factors stem from the nation’s “legacy of apartheid,” shortages of jobs and “slow economic growth.”

Unemployment began to drop in South Africa after 2002 when the nation’s unemployment rate was about 34% if using the standard definition. It fell to 22%, the lowest percentage for decades, in 2008, but then, the unemployment rate began to rise again over the years. The 2008 recession hit the global economy and impacted jobs worldwide. South Africa has yet to recover from its losses in 2008. Furthermore, COVID-19 exacerbated the economic downturn and unemployment issues in South Africa.

COVID-19’s Impact on Construction and Manufacturing Workers

Specifically, the losses seem to be impacting the construction and manufacturing industries most in South Africa. Across South Africa, all the provinces had more than 1.3 million employees in the construction industry in the first quarter of 2020. By the last quarter of 2021, the construction industry lost at least 25,000 jobs.

Manufacturing in South Africa is suffering just as much economic downturn as construction, though, having lost 80,000 jobs in the last quarter of 2021. The manufacturing sector faced a 3.3% economic contraction in 2008. Like many areas of South Africa’s economy after the recession, manufacturing is still working to bring back more jobs and support all its workers. Though the outlook may be grim, critical steps can address South Africa’s unemployment drop.

How South Africa Can Recover

According to the standard and expanded definitions of unemployment, South Africa has many courses of action that can help those facing unemployment. The most significant hope across South Africa is that the government will intervene and create policies to help all business sectors in South Africa, not only construction and manufacturing.

There are hopes that more trade in 2022 with the U.S. and China will secure enough work for the country to help the manufacturing industry rebound.

Experts predict that the construction sector will bounce back. Projections indicate that the industry will “rebound in 2022 and expand by 9.1% in real terms.” Then, the construction sector will “stabilize at an annual average growth of 3.1% between 2023-2025, although output will not return to pre-pandemic levels during the entire forecast period.” Government investments in large-scale projects will support this recovery.

Presidential Employment Stimulus

The South African government initiated the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) in response to COVID-19’s impact on employment in South Africa. Overall, the program’s “aim is to create jobs and strengthen livelihoods, supporting meaningful work while the labor market recovers.”

The government implemented the PES in October 2020 to provide economic support to publicly-funded jobs. The stimulus has two phases. Phase 1 worked with regional and national departments to invest in job creation to provide the unemployed with new skills in jobs that could lead to long-term employment. As of January 2022, the PES created more than 673,000 jobs while supporting more than 140,000 livelihoods. Youths made up 85% of the program beneficiaries and females made up 63% of all program beneficiaries.

Officially, Phase 2 is currently in progress with no specific end date as yet. Overall, the PES is beneficial to South Africa in combating unemployment. PES encapsulates several different unemployment-fighting programs in South Africa, which serve to boost the economy and reduce poverty.

Looking Ahead

Several strategies have the potential to decrease unemployment and, in the long run, reduce poverty. In April 2020, the poverty rate in South Africa stood at 55.5% and the predicted economic growth in 2022 is only 2%, which would not significantly improve South Africa’s poverty levels. However, if the government continues to prioritize programs to provide employment opportunities and fund projects to ignite growth in struggling sectors, 2022 may hold greater improvements.

– Clara Mulvihill
Photo: Flickr

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Why Middle-Income Countries Lag Behind

Middle-Income Countries
In 2019, the United States donated $8.1 billion in official development assistance (ODA) to the global health sector, according to the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This kind of government aid, alongside other contributions, explicitly aims to promote economic development and welfare in developing nations as the OECD has defined. The Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD, an international forum of some of the largest providers of aid, including the United States, adopted ODA as the “gold standard” of foreign aid in 1969 and continued to be the primary source of financial assistance for development in other nations. Foreign support for health often prioritizes low-income countries over middle-income countries (MICs). According to a policy report, the national average income level for nations fails to reveal poverty and inequality. Millions of people living in poverty in MICs end up behind as donors focus on the poorest countries.

Who are the Middle-Income Countries

According to the World Bank, MICs are home to around 75% of the global population and 62% of the world’s poor. Middle-income countries also have two categories: lower-middle-income and upper-middle-income economies. Finally, the gross national income (GNI) per capita for MICs ranges between $4,046 and $12,535. Middle-income countries are diverse in terms of region, size, population and income level. Countries considered MICs could be nations with small populations such as Belize to larger countries such as China and India. Since the category of MIC expands to a multitude of different nations, there are a variety of other challenges. For those in the lower-middle-income category, one of the most significant issues may be providing citizens with essentials, such as water and electricity. The most critical challenges could potentially be corruption and governance for upper-middle-income nations.

How Health Donors Target Poverty

Duke University’s Center for Policy Impact in Global Health “analyzed donors’ allocation policies to determine if they reflect subnational poverty trends.” In addition, researchers aimed to identify ways funders can adapt their policies to ensure that no one ends up behind.

The researchers found four key features of the allocation policies including an overreliance on national poverty indicators, focus on critical and vulnerable populations, future subnational targeting and health system strengthening.

Health aid funders relied on national-level economic indicators for a country’s aid eligibility. There was also a high correlation to most health donors prioritizing epidemic control over poverty elimination, especially for organizations that target specific diseases. Through targeting diseases, health aid funders define populations by their epidemiological risk profile rather than making an explicit link to subnational poverty that may be causing a higher exposure to the diseases. Many donors also direct their funds to two different pathways of either “a ‘health systems strengthening (HSS) window or a cross-cutting HSS approach.” Organizations including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) use HSS to reach people considered the poorest. Unfortunately, the organizations do not often track poverty-specific metrics linked to their HSS portfolios even while trying to reduce poverty.

Due to a focus on elements that poverty or national-level economic indicators cause, donors often overlook the poor in middle-income countries.

The Importance of Donors

To ensure impoverished people can benefit from health aid, eliminating poverty should be a central goal for donors. They should use geospatial data sources and methods, consult the citizens living in poverty and use other indicators and factors to assess poverty. This would ensure that donors deliver the best aid to the community. However, donors should also acknowledge that poverty is a “complex, multidimensional and context-dependent social phenomenon that cannot be captured by monetary indicators alone.” Donors have to realize that the value for money approach may not align with the idea of ensuring that no one ends up behind.

Donors should also work alongside domestic policymakers to achieve long-term sustainability for a clear action plan for vulnerable groups. The donors have to define who will receive the program, how these people will access the program and what benchmarks will determine progress. The donors should also ensure that the community involves itself in a meaningful way to create change. In addition, medical interventions including vaccines should have mechanisms in place to set reasonable prices.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Middle-income countries have garnered the attention of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). As U.N. General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir said that “The international community must urgently address the structural obstacles holding back progress…” Specifically, when middle-income countries experience exclusion from relief initiatives, they cannot respond effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic and the other social and economic effects. UNCTAD Acting Secretary-General Isabelle Durant said, “If the international community fails to support middle-income countries, the debt crisis will threaten global efforts to tackle poverty, inequality and climate change for years to come.” To help, UNCTAD developed the Productive Capacities Index (PCI) that would measure “how far productive capacities and benchmark their achievements.” This will help nations to formulate and implement better policies and benchmarks in terms of development and country-specific conditions.

Hope exists that the correct aid will uplift the community and implement sustainable solutions to today’s health issues ranging from parasites to chronic and infectious diseases. Middle-income countries will continue to grow their health infrastructure to give their citizens the best future possible.

– Gaby Mendoza
Photo: Flickr

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Food Insecurity in Ghana

Food insecurity in GhanaMany consider Ghana “one of the most stable and democratic countries in West Africa.” However, poverty rates are high, standing at 25.5% in 2020, according to the World Bank. In the last 30 years, Ghana has made great progress in reducing poverty from a 49% poverty rate in 1990 to a 13% poverty rate in 2018. Still, inequalities exist between the north and south of the nation as well as between the urban and rural populations. During the lean season in 2020, the World Food Programme noted that more than 21,000 people suffered from food insecurity in Ghana, particularly in the northern region.

Difficulties in Northern Ghana

Food insecurity in Ghana is more severe in the north of the country largely due to climatic issues. In the northern region, 90% of Ghanaian households depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, however, this region only has one rainy season in comparison to the south, which has two rainy seasons. This climatic difference impacts food production and worsens both poverty and food insecurity in Ghana’s north. Farmer also face other issues such as “low [market] prices, poor road infrastructure, lack of access to finance, inadequate markets, post-harvest losses, insufficient education and knowledge[and] unsustainable farming systems.” Due to an agricultural dependence among rural people, food insecurity and poverty largely affect rural populations.

The World Food Programme (WFP) Combats Food Insecurity in Ghana

The WFP’s work in Ghana, in general, focuses on four key areas to fight food insecurity in Ghana.

  1. Private Sector Collaboration. To address stunting and nutritional deficiencies, the WFP provided support to the private sector to supply and promote “affordable and safe fortified nutritious foods.” For example, the WFP gave technical and financial assistance to two companies and linked these manufacturers to local small-scale farmers. The two Ghanaian companies manufacture Tomvita and Maisoya, which are fortified foods that improve the nutrition of pregnant and breastfeeding women. The companies aim to extend production to supplemental foods for children.
  2. Nutritional Assistance. The WFP partners with various government institutions to fight against food insecurity in Ghana and address nutritional deficiencies. The partnership aims to ensure citizens consume nutritious local-based diets and learn behaviors conducive to good health. The WFP also supplies electronic vouchers to supplement the nutrition of pregnant or breastfeeding women and children younger than 2.
  3. Food System Resilience. The WFP connects small-scale Ghanaian farmers to local markets “to increase the availability, access and utilization of staples foods” such as “maize, millet, cowpeas and soybeans.” So far, the WFP has connected “10,000 smallholder farmers to two industrial agro-food processing companies that produce specialized blended nutritious foods.” The WFP also aims to strengthen the food supply chain and ensure proper “post-harvest facilities, technologies and services” to improve the quality and safety of foods.
  4. Policy-Making Assistance and Capacity Expansion. The WFP is offering its support and services to improve Ghana’s existing programs and develop policies that focus on combating malnutrition and establishing adequate food systems. This involves connecting Ghana’s national school feeding initiative to the country’s agricultural arena. The WFP helps Ghana to implement food security monitoring measures and establish guidelines to “improve food quality and safety and emergency preparedness.”

Impact in Numbers

According to a WFP Ghana Country Brief published in August 2021, for the year 2021 overall, the WFP aimed to help 45,000 people through nutritional assistance. In August 2021 alone, more than 4,500 people “received direct food assistance through vouchers.” If one looks at the gender proportions of beneficiaries, women formed 72% of the beneficiaries while men accounted for 28%.  Moreover, in 2021, the WFP helped 22,020 small-scale farmers to increase their capacity and connect to markets.

Even though the WFP is seeing success in improving food insecurity in Ghana, worsening environmental conditions like drought stand as additional barriers to food security. Through ongoing support in strengthening the country’s food systems and resilience overall, Ghana can remain out of famine.

– Ander Moreno
Photo: Flickr