Archive for category: Development

Information and stories on development news.

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Asthma in Developing Countries

Asthma in Developing Countries
Asthma is often considered a burden of wealthy countries.

However, asthma is a public health problem that is increasing with globalization and modernization. Although diagnoses may differ, symptoms are present across all regions of the world. Sociological, economic and educational differences play a large part in the lack of diagnoses in developing nations.

Despite being a burden to high-income countries, most asthma-related deaths occur in low to middle-income countries.

According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, an estimated 300 million people worldwide suffer from asthma, with 250,000 annual deaths attributed to the disease.

However, there have not been reliable epidemiological studies to determine the magnitude of the disease in many developing countries.

Asthma is a difficult disease to tackle in developing countries. The limited data and the expense of the problem makes it difficult to diagnose. It typically takes two different asthma exacerbations less than six months apart for an individual to be officially diagnosed by a physician.

This can be troublesome for developing countries who may have as little as one physician for every 10,000 people. Rural locations can also have compliance and testing issues.

However, because the effects of asthma go hand-in-hand with the social determinants of health, impoverished countries are at a high risk for this “wealthy-nation-disease.” Increasing air pollution and rapid industrialization create ideal environments for asthma to thrive. Asthma is further complicated by poor access to medical services and high drug prices.

Chelsea Stone, a student at Drexel University’s School of Public Health, studies epidemiology and focuses on asthma in developing countries.

While Stone was conducting research in Haiti, she found that education was the biggest hurdle to treatment. Only half of the families surveyed in the Croix des Bouquets community knew or had heard of asthma, revealing a large gap in health education. Asthma surveys have to be worded in concise, culturally appropriate ways.

In other asthma studies, rates have varied from 3% to 30% depending on location and survey methods. Solomon, an older man, willingly discussed his asthma with Stone.

Asthma typically beings in early childhood, as it had with Solomon.

He explained that his symptoms are better than they were while living in New York City because of the climate. Solomon was educated on the disease, a significant factor in controlling asthma attacks. Since there wasn’t always medications available or access to the emergency department, Solomon used natural remedies, such as coconut oil, to help with asthma flare-ups.

Asthma education is a substantial part of controlling the disease and preventing asthma-related deaths. Since there is limited data on asthma in developing countries, there is little education as a result.

This lack of research generates an under-diagnosed and under-treated disease.

The burden imposed on individuals and families is restricting and socioeconomically hindering. The availability of modern medications can complicate treatment and management. Even if there is access to an emergency department, they may not be equipped with proper medication to control asthma.

Avoiding asthma triggers all together can also reduce the severity of asthma. Some argue that there is not enough education centered on asthma awareness and signs of these triggers. Asthma education and management should be taught not just at the community level, but also integrated into nation-wide health staff education.

– Maris Brummel

Sources: Elsvier, World Health Organization, NCBI

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Kathputli Colony: From Slum to Skyscraper

Kathputli Colony
The Kathputli Colony is home to artists, musicians, performers, magicians and poets. It is, however, not home to adequate sanitation facilities, a sufficient water supply or a healthy environment for children.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), in partnership with Raheja Developers, a private firm, wants to develop the colony in West Delhi. The DDA sees the colony as a future home for apartment blocks, some of which will be sold to the residents at a reduced rate and others which will be offered at the market price to those who can afford it.

During the construction period, the DDA plans to move Kathputli residents to a transit camp and later rehabilitate them back into the multi-story apartment buildings that will replace their modest homes.

Due to population increases, building vertically will be the most efficient way to accommodate everyone. However, some Kathputli members are fearful that after moving away from their village, they will not be able to come back.

From Kathputli’s population of about 20,000, the government will move 2,800. The DDA chose candidates based on a survey done by a private firm in 2011 which indicated that 2,754 families deserved a place in the redeveloped Kathputli Colony. Those families will be moved to the transit camps and relocated back to the redeveloped colony.

Residents conducted their own survey and put the number of families at 3,200 because they were unhappy at the way the initial survey was conducted. Nonetheless, none of the residents, even those on the DDA’s original list, are prepared to move. Furthermore, representatives from the colony have demanded that a 15-square-yard plot be given to each resident to use how he or she pleases.
The representatives have insisted that if residents are able to develop their own plots from scratch, the true essence of Kathputli Colony will not only remain intact, but the infrastructure will become more developed. Though the Kathputli Colony is seen as a slum by many outsiders, the residents keep the colony alive with their art as well as music and, further, plan to continue their self-sustaining colony without government intervention.

– Haley Sklut

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Shortage in Public School Openings Hinders Education in Argentina

Argentina_school_children
According to the Buenos Aires Minister of Education Esteban Bullrich, 7,000 to 9,000 children aged one and a half months to three years will not be able to attend nursery school in 2014. This number has risen since last year, when 6,700 young children were unable to attend school and receive an education in Argentina.

Parents will either have to pay for a private school or search for other daycares that they are able to afford. Bullrich acknowledge that the Ministry was not able to accomplish and satisfy the expectations of the public.

The shortage of space in public schools and the “failures in the bureaucratic forms of information processing” caused 4,000 students to have to be moved to different schools farther away from their homes, Bullrich claims. This is an issue, particularly because there are no school buses in Argentina, so students have to walk or take some form of public transportation to school each morning.

Those families were initially told that there were vacancies for their students in schools, only to be made aware later that their students had to be removed from the lists.

Bullrich did however highlight that the recently developed online registration process was functioning properly “despite these mistakes.” He stated that although many students were unable to gain spots within the public schools, roughly 100,000 children were able to register and be placed. Statistically speaking, Bullrich says that the system was a success in regards to those who could be placed compared to those who could not.

Bullrich claims that since 2007 more spots have opened up in kindergartens, allowing 20 percent more students to gain an education in Argentina at a young age. There were approximately 45,956 vacancies in 2007 and currently there are 55,607 kindergarten vacancies in Buenos Aires.

The National Education Law and the City Constitution are butting heads regarding a student’s right to begin school. The National Education law states that school attendance is mandatory at the age of four, but the City Constitute claims that at 45 days old a child has the right to begin education.

The City Education Ministry recognizes that, “No government has achieved this so far.”

– Rebecca Felcon

Sources: The Argentina Independent, Country Reports, Buenos Aires Herald
Photo: Carlo Shiller

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5 Facts About Hunger in Rwanda

hunger_rwanda
The Republic of Rwanda is a small sovereign state in the Eastern part of Central Africa. Rwanda ranked at 166 of 187 countries on the UNDP Human Development Index in 2011. Rwanda also has the highest population density in the region with 416 people per square kilometer.

Low income, limited natural resources, and food and water insecurity pose a problem for citizens in Rwanda every day. In the years following the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, international rebuilding efforts have been on the ground trying to make sustainable changes to alleviate some of the hunger and water issues.

Here are five facts that explain the state of hunger in Rwanda and how it may change in the coming years:

  1. The 1994 Rwandan Genocide marked the end of the ceasefire signed the year before that stopped the fighting of the Rwandan Civil War. The war began between two ethnic groups the Hutu and Tutsi. The Genocide began when the plane carrying the Hutu supported president Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down and he, along with several other members of the government, were killed. The genocide lasted 100 days and an estimated 800,000 to 1,000,000 people were killed. The fallout from the Rwandan Genocide is the cause for much of the instability in the region that lasts today.
  2. Secondary school attendance in Rwanda is one of the lowest in the world and the literacy rate is 55%.
  3. Approximately 65% of the population has access to safe, clean drinking water
  4. 45% of children under 5 years of age are malnourished.
  5. Over 67,000 refugees from neighboring countries currently reside in Rwanda.

Even though there is a lot of strain on the country today, organizations have been working with the government to address one of Rwanda’s major problems: food insecurity. Agriculture was the country’s main sector before the genocide, and since then, major efforts have been made to make it profitable one more.

Updating the agricultural practices is what the World Food Programme credits with directly reducing the number of food insecure people.

The country hopes that with the reliance on agricultural programs it will improve its GDP to US$900 by the year 2020, up US$380 from its current GDP. Rwanda was also the first country to sign the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), meaning that addressing malnutrition and food insecurity is one of the government’s main priorities.

Even though Rwanda still has a long way to go, the government has been taking steps in the right direction that could provide a template for other countries in the region to follow.

– Colleen Eckvahl

Sources: World Food Programme, World Vision
Photo: Rising Continent

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Typhoon Recovery in the Philippines: 100 Days

typhoon_recovery
It’s been more than 100 days after the devastating Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines and recovery efforts are still underway for those who have been displaced from their homes.

The storm, one of the most powerful ever recorded, hit the archipelago on November 8th, killing nearly 6,000 people and displacing 4.1 million.

A government-led recovery effort, known as the Strategic Response Plan (SRP), was launched following the typhoon. The plan covers the next twelve months and requires $788 million, of which 45% has already been received.

Along with these typhoon recovery efforts, the United Nations and its affiliated partners have helped to provide food, medicine, water, and sanitation and hygiene assistance to those affected. Tents and tarpaulins have been distributed to approximately 500,000 families, but many more still remain without shelter.

UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Philippines, Luiza Carvalho notes that, “the need for durable shelter for millions of people whose homes were damaged or destroyed is critical.”

In Tacloban, a city of 250,000, major typhoon recovery efforts have been underway to pump money back into the local economies. Coconut farmers and fishermen represent the backbone of the economy in this area but their livelihoods have been severely threatened by the storm. In response, the UN development programme has recently implemented both short-term and long-term plans to help farmers get back on their feet.

Oxfam has noted that the Filipino government has been slow to deliver funds for agricultural and reconstruction support.

Thanks to generous donor contributions, great things have been achieved in the relief phase of the recovery effort. In the coming weeks, it is critical that the international community continues to provide support to those whose lives have been devastated by Typhoon Haiyan.

In a recent UN statement, Carvalho noted, “the Filipino people should be commended for the pace of progress that we have seen in the first 100 days. But we cannot afford to be complacent.”

– Mollie O’Brien

Sources: The Guardian, UN
Photo: Aljazeera

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Conditions for Garment Workers in Bangladesh

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When people buy from brands like Nike and shop at stores like H&M and Gap, they do not pay much attention to how the products arrived at the stores. In many cases, these clothing products are produced in sweatshops in developing countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Almost half of the population in Bangladesh lives off of less than a dollar a day.

Garment workers in Bangladesh toil day after day under extremely harsh conditions for low wages, sometimes handling dangerous chemicals with their bare hands and inhaling toxic fumes due to poor ventilation in many factories.

In April of 2013, an eight story building in Bangladesh called Rana Plaza collapsed leaving over 100 dead and over 2,000 injured.

The poor conditions of the factory itself and the lack of safety precautions taken to ensure its workers’ well-being were neglected and therefore led to the collapse. In addition to this incident, there has been a history of factory mishaps over the past couple of years in Bangladesh. In November of 2012, the Tazreen garment factory in Bangladesh caught fire and killed 112 of its workers.

At this time, the factory was producing goods for Walmart.

Besides the incidents themselves, it is also important to focus on the working conditions and the violations of human rights that happen daily in factories like these. According to the Institute for Global Labor and Human Rights, workers in the Tazreen factory work 72-81 hours per week. Their salary depends on their sewing skill; senior sewing operators earn at minimum 23 cents per hour and junior sewing operators earn 21 to 22 cents an hour.

As a majority of the workers are women, abuse is common and some are even denied maternity leave — blatant violations of human rights that have been occurring for years. Even after one tragedy, further precautions are not taken to ensure the safety of the workers.

An article from the Daily Mail accounts a Canadian journalist who worked undercover in Bangladesh and witnessed the atrocities of one of the smaller garment factories. She reported that when she first arrived at the sweatshop, a nine-year-old girl named Meem was in charge of training her.

The article also noted that there were “no fire extinguishers, only one exit – the front door – and little more than a hole in the ground, down a rat-infested hall, for the toilet.” These accounts present the harsh reality for many garment workers in Bangladesh.

Violations of human rights are happening elsewhere too—most recently in Cambodia. Workers there have started protesting in the city Phnom Penh for higher wages.

Sometimes people take things for granted because they are easily accessible. Organizations like the Clean Clothes Campaign have been established to spread awareness of this issue and to help those who have been detained for protesting for higher wages and better conditions. By not purchasing products from companies who outsource their work unfairly to other countries, a better future can be created for garment workers whose human rights have been violated.

– Kenneth W. Kliesner

Sources: BBC News, The New York Times 1, The New York Times 2, The Epoch Times
Photo: Demotix

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U.S. and Russia Clash Over Ukraine

u.s._russia
In a Cold War-style competition between the U.S. and Russia, Ukraine’s ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych insinuates that the West, for now, holds the upper hand. Yet saying so could fuel the Russian fire to turn back the current state of affairs.

The conflict began when Yanukovych refused to sign a free-trade agreement between Ukraine and the E.U., instead leaning on inevitable trade ties with its Russian counterpart to the East. Many Ukrainians did not see the appeal. On February 21, in response to violent protests and backlash, Yanukovych gave up responsibility for his country.

Purporting to support a peaceful transition in Ukraine, President Barack Obama and senior officials discussed the situation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his aides. The main effort emphasized a multibillion-dollar aid package for Ukraine with the International Monetary Fund. Various governments in the European Union support this endeavor, or at least intend to contribute economically to peace in Ukraine.

Ultimately, the goal is to keep Russia from sending troops into the country. Interference by Russia in order to restore a pro-Russian government in Ukraine would be detrimental to all parties involved. United States national security advisor Susan Rice emphasized on an episode of Meet the Press that Russian interference “would be a grave mistake.” Likewise, British Foreign Secretary William Hague stressed the importance of persuading “Russia that this need not be a zero sum game.”

The U.S. and Russia, according to Rice, share hopes for a unified, independent Ukraine that is capable of exercising freedom amongst its people. Obama and Putin jointly aim to see the agreement of February 21 carried out in peaceful terms. Constitutional reforms, near-term elections and a government to bring together the unified desires of the Ukrainian people shall be implemented in due process. These efforts shall reflect “the will of the Ukrainian people and the interests of the United States and Europe,” said Rice.

While Rice did not mention Russian interests, one might hope that continued violence is not among them. Perhaps diplomacy can win this war.

– Jaclyn Stutz 

Sources: Businessweek, Foreign Policy, New York Times, Wall Street Journal
Photo: BASIC

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Young Migrants Focus of UN Report

young migrants
On February 14th, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) released the 2013 World Youth Report, aimed at addressing the significant impact of young migrants on both origin and destination countries. The report also highlights the specific concerns, challenges and successes faced by migrants across the globe.

Whether it be for work, study or family reasons, voluntary migration continues to increase every year. The UN estimates that there are 232 million international migrants worldwide, representing 3.2% of the world’s total population. More than 30% of these migrants are considered youth migrants under the age of 29 and approximately half of these are female.

Youth migration has a significant impact on not only individual lives, but also global economies. Many young migrants leave their country of origin in search of better job opportunities and often send remittances home to benefit their families. These individuals improve their financial situations while engaging in economic transactions that will benefit their destination country.

However, countries of origin often suffer the negative effects of “brain drain,” or human capital flight. This is the process by which professionals, often in the fields of health or education, leave developing countries in search of a higher salary and better living conditions.

The report also goes into detail about the specific struggles and opportunities that young migrants can face.

In the preparatory stage, migrants cited the difficulties they faced in obtaining accurate information about their intended destination, as well as in obtaining needed documents and making travel accommodations.

On arrival, migrants noted experiencing both culture shock and loneliness. Often communication barriers had to be overcome and in the long term, many faced both stereotyping and discrimination.

The report notes some recommendations made by migrants to ease the transition from origin to destination country. Among these is the development of tools to assess the readiness of a migrant and to help facilitate decision-making and planning. They recommended peer-to-peer initiatives, pre-departure orientation programs, and awareness-raising campaigns.

Despite these challenges, many young migrants have become exemplary examples of what can be achieved in the face of adversity.

As the report notes, “their capacity as agents of social change and development should not be underestimated.”

– Mollie O’Brien

Sources: UN News Centre, United Nation Regional Information Centre for Western Europe
Photo: Caritas

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Wealth Gap is Largest in Rich U.S. Cities

wealth gap
According to a study by the the Brookings Institution, the gap between the rich and the poor is the largest in some of the richest American cities. The Associated Press quoted the Brookings study saying, “The economic divides in Atlanta, San Francisco, Washington, New York and Los Angeles are significantly greater than the national average.”

Senior fellow at Brookings Alan Berube said that a relationship exists between inequality and economic success since the aforementioned cities “are home to some of the highest paying industries and jobs in the country.”

Berube argues that many of these cities have a widening gap between rich and poor people due to their public housing and the services that attract low-wage workers. But according to the AP, “the findings come at a delicate moment for the country, still slogging through a weak recovery from the Great Recession.”

The United States is undoubtedly going through some tough times. But how is the country’s income inequality compared to other nations?

The Washington Post claims the way in which income inequality is measured is going through some changes. For many years, economists often relied on the Gini coefficient to measure the income distribution throughout nations. However, others argue the Palma ratio should be adopted instead. Unlike the Gini coefficient, this formula makes it easier to measure the gap between rich and poor people in societies.

The U.S. ranks “well below every other developed society measured,” the Post suggests after analyzing 86 nations with the Palma ratio. “It’s one spot below Nigeria, which has some of the worst political corruption in the world and in 2012 saw nationwide protests over perceived income inequality.

In other words, despite America’s having more economic equality than most of the world, it is still placed “at the bottom end of the developed world.” Nevertheless, of the 50 biggest cities in the U.S., the AP said only 18 of them experienced inequality that was statistically significant since the recession occurred. However, this was largely due to the declining incomes of the poorest residents of these cities.

Allowing this pattern to continue will be detrimental to American societies in the long run. Therefore, to prevent the wealth gap from expanding in prosperous U.S. cities and to avoid the potential dissent that such inequality caused in other global cities, Washington needs to come up with a plan to make America less unequal.

– Juan Campos

Sources: AP, The Washington Post

Corporations that Make a Difference

Corporations that make a difference
When reading up on global poverty and matters of social justice, it’s easy to find articles that vilify corporations for their detrimental effects on society. While those businesses certainly do exist, there are also many corporations that make a difference by working for the greater good rather than just their shareholders.

Ranging from the omnipotent Coca-Cola Company to the Swedish powerhouse IKEA, here are a list of corporations that make a difference by using their power and influence to shape a more egalitarian society.

Muhtar Kent of Coca-Cola

Since 2008, Kent has held the role of Chief Executive Officer of Coca-Cola. In his tenure, he has committed the company to achieving water neutrality by 2020, in which “total water use after a development does not exceed the total water use before developing.” Meaning, if new businesses were to spring up where none had existed before, the new tenants would need to employ extreme water efficiency to ensure the same amount of water is being used as prior to the development.

For Coca-Cola, this means recycling and reducing the water its facilities use, as well as harvesting rain water to replenish any diminished supply.

They also hope to distribute the Slingshot, a vapor compression water purification machine which purportedly creates 850 liters of safe drinking water from contaminated sources and uses less power than a hairdryer to operate.

As for why they’re doing it, Kent believes that, “when there’s healthy communities, we have a healthy, sustainable business.” While not the most altruistic of intentions, Kent’s argument echoes the belief that helping developing countries will only increase business for the rest of the United States.

Peter Agnefjäll of IKEA

As the most recently appointed CEO of IKEA, Agnefjäll will continue the furniture company’s race toward high levels of sustainability, both as a means of protecting its future as well as gearing up for the millions of people in poverty they hope to help usher into the middle class.

Chief Sustainability Officer Steve Howard outlined IKEA’s plans to Forbes contributor Peter Kelly-Detwiler, stressing the importance of addressing all areas of sustainability as key to the company’s success.

“We’ve got emissions that have to peak by 2020, and then we need a rapid decline in order to stabilize the climate. And we are building cities like never before “said Howard. “We have resource scarcity and climate change. So you have to say ‘this has to be a transformative agenda.’  Sustainability used to be a ‘nice to do,’ like planting trees, or doing incrementally less bad.  It’s about a mindset.  If you’re trying to reduce impacts here and there, that won’t do –it’s when you go all in that matters.”

Again, while these may not be extremely altruistic goals, the truly philanthropic branch of the company, the IKEA Foundation, created easily assembled shelters for Syrian refugees. Five people may live in each 17.5 square meter house, which include a solar-powered USB port and built-in lamp.

Michael Kowalski of Tiffany & Co.

Michael Kowalski has been CEO of Tiffany & Co. since 1999. As the leader of an influential and high-end jewelry business for fifteen years, Kowalksi considers the power of the Tiffany brand both an “opportunity and responsibility.”

Some of that responsibility takes place in the store, where Kowalksi believes it’s the brand’s duty to deliver ethically sourced jewelry to its patrons, regardless if theythink to ask about the jewelry’s background.

“That promise begins with an assurance that the materials were sourced and crafted responsibly, including the use of recycled precious metals and a focus on mines that minimize impact on the environment and respect human rights,” said Kowalski to Forbes contributor Rahim Kanani. “It also includes an effort to provide economic opportunities beyond mining in developing countries that host mining operations.”

Among those initiatives include IRMA, the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance. The project would protect the environment, communities and workers by establishing rigorous standards evaluated by an outside, independent source.

For Kowalksi, Tiffany’s future depends upon a “healthy mining industry.” Like the previous two CEOs, he understands that the continued success of his company and the world depends on greater equality between workers and socially just business practices.

– Emily Bajet

Sources: Forbes, “Muhtar Kent”, Forbes, “IKEA”, Forbes, “CEA of Tiffany & Co.”, The Wall Street Journal, The Telegraph
Photo: Truist