Archive for category: Development

Information and stories on development news.

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The Necessity of Vaccine Diplomacy

Vaccine DiplomacyWhile the COVID-19 vaccine has helped to reduce destruction and devastation from the pandemic, the virus is still spreading across the globe. According to Dr. Peter Hotez “organized hostility against the scientific community,” may be public health’s biggest enemy. However, on a global scale, the most serious threat is the lack of vaccine diplomacy and effective health care in geopolitics. Solving this crisis requires the United States and other western countries to prioritize the distribution of pandemic response resources so that everyone can lead healthy, safe lives regardless of their location.

Inequities of Vaccine Resources

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the global death rate by 20%, shut down economies and dismantled health care systems across the world. Despite the fact that the COVID-19 vaccine is now readily available in many developed countries, many low-income countries remain highly unvaccinated while the United States eases pandemic funding. With monkeypox cases on the rise, the fight against global health crises has hit a major roadblock, as low-income countries are scrambling for vaccine resources amid slowing economies.

Developed countries have a humanitarian responsibility to ensure that low-income countries have access to the healthcare resources that North American and European countries have. Additionally, novel variants of COVID-19 often arise from unvaccinated populations, which means that the pandemic will only worsen unless we make a concerted effort to fully vaccinate developing and low-income countries, according to Dr. Hotez.

Making a Commitment to Vaccine Diplomacy

Today, less than 20% of people in low-income countries have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The next step is for the United States and other world leaders to provide more resources to help get shots into people’s arms in developing countries. According to The Borgen Project’s action center, “This essential funding will go towards vaccines, tests, last-mile efforts and treatment so we can continue vaccinating the rest of the world, save lives and prevent new variants from emerging.” It’s an important investment that will not only save the lives of people in the most vulnerable places across the globe but will also help to protect the well-being of Americans.

Overall, vaccine diplomacy is also necessary to conquer vaccine skepticism, which is keeping millions of people from getting vaccinated. In order to effectively fight against the worsening global health crisis of COVID-19 and monkeypox, the United States and other economic powerhouses should prioritize geopolitical cooperation with developing countries to collaborate on equitably distributing vaccine resources.

– Ella DeVries
Photo: Flickr

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Thailand’s Marijuana Market

Thailand’s Marijuana Market Thailand has long been waging a brutal war against drug traffickers in the country. The crackdown came as a response to the rampant consumption of illegal drugs that began in the early 2000s in Southeast Asia. From incarcerating mere suspects to firing squad executions, the Thai government has not been lenient with outlaws, sometimes even bordering on human rights violations. This is why it comes as a surprise that on June 9, Thailand became the first Asian country to decriminalize the use and possession of marijuana and hemp, four years after it legalized the usage of cannabis for medical purposes. However, this law comes with a few caveats. One of the caveats is that smoking marijuana in public for recreational purposes is still illegal and can lead to a “potential three-month sentence and 25,000 Thai baht ($780) fine.” Another is limiting the quantity of THC (the compound that makes consumers hallucinogenic) to 0.2% in cannabis products. The restrictions persist to ensure regulation. For the most part, the focus is being shifted from an anti-drug agenda to harnessing Thailand’s marijuana market for beneficial purposes.

The New Marijuana Market is Full of Economic Potential

Thailand is still largely an agrarian economy, with almost a third of the labor force employed in this sector. The law that allows the commercial sale of marijuana, comes as a big relief for farmers, who were in desperate need of cultivating a cash crop other than sugar and rice. This need is amplified by the fact that the economy has been in slumber ever since the pandemic struck, growing only about 1.6% in 2021.

The policy aims to help farmers get back on their feet and maintain a steady source of income. To encourage cultivation, the government handed out 1 million new cannabis seeds to households, free of charge. Leveraging Thailand’s ideal tropical climate for the growth of marijuana, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul estimated “the value of [the cannabis] industry to easily exceed $2 billion.”

To ensure a proper production and distribution system, the Food and Drug Administration has instructed all marijuana cultivators to register on an app called PlookGanja. According to the Bangkok Post, more than 100,000 people had registered and “the app was downloaded more than 50,000 times” on the morning of June 9 itself. A problem that can plausibly crop up when there are so many sellers is ensuring that the quality of marijuana is high and no product falls under the category of narcotics. Nevertheless, creating an orderly system helps the government keep track of illegal vendors and protect licensed businesses.

Products and Businesses based on the Marijuana Market

Around 1,181 marijuana-containing products, ranging from food and drinks to cosmetics and medicines, have been approved by The Health Ministry and are already out in Thailand’s markets. According to Reuters, the ministry expects the industry to be worth 15 billion baht ($435.16 million) by 2026. Thailand’s marijuana market possesses enormous potential and businesses like “Agro-industrial conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Foods Pcl (CPF.BK) and energy firm Gunkul Engineering (GUNKUL.BK)” are collaborating to produce cannabis-infused food and drinks for consumers.

The new business potentials are drawing in investments of more than 1.2 billion baht ($35 million), making the marijuana market very lucrative and a smart place for people to cash their money in.

Cannabis Tours and Medical Care

Cannabis tours in Thailand are expected to garner a lot of attention from tourists. Thailand has always been known as a prime wellness destination and the legalization of marijuana will help to build on this image. Many cafés, roadside stalls, restaurants and spas are selling juices, curries, popcorn, ice creams, soaps and oils infused with marijuana or cannabidiol (a safe compound found in cannabis) to help people de-stress. The sellers especially target international workers who come on corporate trips from countries where marijuana consumption is still not fully legal.

Ganja Café owner Thanyapat believes that the new law offers an “opportunity to offer new products and see a niche market expand to a mass market.” On the other hand, the Thailand government stresses that no foreigner should visit the country under the mentality of being able to smoke freely on the streets. The emphasis is on creating a healing environment, not an addictive one.

Apart from relaxation, another dimension of the cannabis tours is medical care. Marijuana is known for its pain-relieving medicinal properties and is more affordable than chemical drugs. The new law is paving the way for the establishment of hospitals, clinics and wellness centers that employ certified cannabis doctors and focus on cannabis treatment. This implies a huge expansion of Thailand’s marijuana market.

Educational Cannabis Tours and The Next Phase

It will take time to build the infrastructure and combat the stigma associated with marijuana. However, Thailand conducted pilot projects on “educational cannabis tours” a few years prior and these tours saw significant success. The tours came about through a partnership between Than Global Travels and Rajamangala University of Technology Isan, Sakon Nakhon Campus, and attracted people of all ages and occupations.

Than Global Travel Executive Officer Kattikamas Thanyajaroen states that “the next phase of cannabis tours will focus on medical care for people who want to use cannabis at clinics or universities for treatment.”

Making it Count

Thailand’s marijuana market may be the stimulus the economy needs to start growing rapidly. With proper precautions in place, the legalization of marijuana could indeed be a profitable venture for all citizens.

–Anushka Raychaudhuri
Photo: Flickr

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Nobel Peace Prize Auctioned for Child Refugees in Ukraine

On the night of Monday, June 20, 2022, Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov’s Nobel Peace Prize sold at auction for $103.5 million, all of which was donated to UNICEF to aid child refugees in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Refugee Crisis

As of July 2022, more than 5.6 million refugees from Ukraine have been recorded across Europe as a result of the ongoing war, with 8.7 million recorded border crossings. With nearly half a million children in Ukraine, UNICEF worries about the effects of living in a war-torn area.

In response to the conflict, UNICEF has ramped up its humanitarian aid to the region. In a statement following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine M. Russell said, “heavy weapons fire along the line of contact has already damaged critical water infrastructure and education facilities in recent days. Unless the fighting subsides, tens of thousands of families could face displacement, dramatically escalating humanitarian needs.”

UNICEF’s response focuses on providing health, hygiene and emergency education supplies. It is also getting safe water to areas in conflict, assisting children separated from families and working to ensure there is help for children and families. It has additionally established a fund to assist child refugees in Ukraine.

Dmitry Muratov’s Nobel Peace Prize

Muratov received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for his work toward journalistic freedom and safeguarding democracy. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Muratov founded a newspaper, the Novaya Gazeta. The newspaper advocated for freedom of press and expression in Russia.

The Novaya Gazeta is critical of Russian officials and does not shy away from exposing corruption within the Russian government. Six of the Gazeta’s journalists lost their lives for their journalistic work on Russian military operations.

Muratov is no stranger to taking on Russian imperialism and has used his place as editor-in-chief to be critical of the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The Auction

According to NPR, Muratov conducted the auction through Heritage Auctions and opened bidding online on June 1, 2022, with all proceeds set to go to UNICEF’s Ukraine child refugee fund. In-person bidding occurred on Monday, June 20.

By Monday morning, the ending day of the auction, the online bid had only reached $550,000. The auction increased in increments initially. Then, suddenly, the highest bid jumped from $16.6 million to the winning $103.5 million from an anonymous caller, NPR reports.

This is blowing away the previous highest bid for a Nobel Prize of $4.76 million. In response to the results of the auction, Muratov stated in an interview with the Associated Press, “I was hoping that there was going to be an enormous amount of solidarity, but I was not expecting this to be such a huge amount.” All of the funds are already in UNICEF’s possession.

Muratov is a lifelong advocate for freedom and a critic of Russian expansionism. This auction is his latest act of generosity and advocacy, resulting in $103.5 million for child refugees in Ukraine.

– Eleanor Corbin
Photo: Wikicommons

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Migratory Birds: Representing The Un-Represented

Migratory BirdsThe Migratory Birds is a newspaper that 15 Afghan refugees founded while working with the Network for Children’s Rights Center in Athens, Greece. The paper’s mission is to report the situations and the lives of refugees within the youth center. Refugees have always lacked a voice in the media, which led to Migratory Birds’ goal of providing them with one. Operating out a youth center in Athens, many journalists spanning many different countries and origins are coming together to share the stories of those whose hasn’t been shared before.

Refugee-Led Initiative in Greece

Migratory Birds, a bi-product of the Young Journalists program, which, “boasts a bi-monthly circulation of 13,000″ is the only still standing initiative in Greece that refugees are reading, according to The World.

Each issue of Migratory Birds has articles that consist of first-hand accounts about life as a refugee. This, among others, includes love poems refugees write and recipes for traditional dishes from the author’s home country. The local distribution route of Migratory Birds goes to refugee camps and various humanitarian organizations all throughout Greece.

Founding Voices

Mahdia Hosseini, 28 and Fatima Sedaghat, 16, are the founders of Migratory Birds and work at the Network for Children’s Rights Youth Center in Athens, Greece. These two met in a refugee camp called Schisto, which is also located in Athens. They, along with 13 other refugees, founded the newspaper because they wanted to change the way the mainstream media represents refugees and migrants, The World reports.

The main motivator behind the project was the fear that refugees felt when talking to journalists. A fear that came from not having their stories shown to the world in a proper manner. The goal of the publication is to “empower the social integration of adolescent and young refugees and fight xenophobia.” The publication dedicates itself to the principles of journalism, promoting conversations across a variety of cultures and helping young people express themselves.

Operating from a youth center based in Kolonos, a neighborhood within Athens, the mission of Migratory Birds is to share the truth regarding the lives of refugees in the Schisto camp, “their fears and frustrations and hopes and dreams,” according to The World.

First-Hand Accounts

Hosseini has a desire to show the world who refugees truly are because she feels that most people don’t possess a true understanding of refugees. “I think we needed to be heard and for people to understand us, I mean refugees and migrants,” she said to The World.

The freedom of speech, an essential right to all but especially to these aspiring journalists was an opportunity provided by Migratory Birds. The newspaper gave these refugees something that wasn’t available in their home countries. Abdul Rashid, a 16-year-old refugee from Afghanistan and a member of Migratory Birds said that he’s happy that he gets to write about what he experienced during migration without fear, The World reports.

Morteza, who is a member of the Young Journalists team, described the way that mainstream media often covers refugee stories. “Eventually what comes out is often the story of the ‘miserable refugee.’ I think this is unfair. That is why I participate in the Newspaper ‘Migratory Birds.’ We write our own stories, we get to know the world and we give people the opportunity to get to know us better,” he said.

The Problem

Exactly how does the media represent refugees? Social psychology defines the “identifiable victim effect,” as people interacting differently with words and images that depict the struggles of a single person rather than groups of people.

Western media commonly represents refugees as “anonymous, faceless masses.” The result of this depiction is the audience feeling detached from the hardships the subject has to face. According to The Conversation, a recent study showed pictures of refugees to almost 4,000 Europeans. After showing them images of large groups or images where they cannot identify the individual, viewers showed increased desensitization of the refugees at that point. Some of the responses from the test subjects revealed that they felt refugees are a crisis in the countries that they journey to.

Migratory Birds seeks to share the whole truth regarding the lives of the refugees living within camps in Athens, Greece. Due to a lack of a proper voice in mainstream media, Migratory Birds took the mission of providing them with one onto themselves. By bringing together journalists that come from various backgrounds and cultures, the publication desires to give refugees proper and genuine representation, so the world can know what life as a refugee is truly like.

– Henry Hyman
Photo: Flickr

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USAID Programs in Namibia

USAID Programs in NamibiaThe United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been working since the 1960s to provide aid to developing countries across the world. Since Namibia’s establishment as a free country in 1990, USAID programs in Nambia have focused on a wide range of developmental factors in the country.

The factors include prevention and treatment for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, fundamental access to education, “community-based natural resource management”, “democracy and governance” and establishing employment opportunities and expanding on existing enterprises.

Energy Programs in Namibia

Electricity access is still lacking in parts of southern Africa. In 2020, The World Bank reported that only 56% of Namibians had access to electricity. Namibia is one of 11 nations in the Southern African Energy Program (SAEP), which was launched in 2017. Another country targeted by SAEP is Zambia. In 2021, Namibia imported 100 megawatts (MW) from Zambia according to NamPower, Namibia’s national electric utility provider.

Of note, renewable energy has been a focus of the SAEP, using existing resources from its parent organization USAID to fund a renewable energy feed-in-tariff program. The feed-in-tariff program provides individuals with means to renewable energy similar to solar panels. Excess or unused energy produced is sent to the national power grid and the individual is given a tariff or small sum for the unused energy. If an individual in the program needs more energy than they produced, they can get energy from the national grid.

Tuberculosis in Namibia

Tuberculosis (TB) is the fourth highest cause of death in Namibia. Around 1,500 people died from TB in 2020 according to the organization Stop TB.

Still, Namibia has had some recent success thanks to USAID treatment programs. New incidences of TB in Namibia were at the lowest rate in over a decade with approximately only 11,700 cases in 2020.  Additionally, treatment programs were largely successful; USAID reports an 87% success rate in new TB cases in 2020. A course of several antibiotics is the routine treatment for TB.

TB ties into a greater health problem in Namibia, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). According to USAID, 61% of people in Namibia with TB are also HIV positive. In 2020, 1,989 Namibians were diagnosed with both HIV and TB.

Combating HIV in Namibia

In Namibia, USAID and PEPFAR have provided substantial help in the fight against HIV. USAID programs in Namibia geared toward HIV provide counseling, resources and treatment for Namibians with HIV. This includes pregnant women at risk of passing HIV to their children.

USAID’s efforts have paid off. For 20 years, new HIV and AIDS cases have been on the decline. HIV is the virus that, if left untreated, can develop into AIDS. In 1998, new AIDS cases in Namibia were estimated to be at 22,000. In 2020, there were only an estimated 5,500 new AIDS cases according to UNAIDS, the joint program in the United Nations dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS.

One of the most effective ways to prevent HIV is using condoms during sex. In Namibia, the demand for access to condoms exceeds the supply, which is where USAID comes in. Supplying condoms to Namibians is one prong of the strategy to combat HIV. The most recent update to fighting HIV through USAID programs in Namibia came in early June 2022. USAID donated 6.9 million condoms and 2.6 million bottles of personal lubricant to the country to fight to help prevent the spread of HIV.

Final Thoughts

USAID programs in Namibia have been actively fighting to improve conditions in the southern African country. Direct efforts from USAID, including energy programs through SAEP, have given access to electricity to thousands of Namibians. Healthcare to treat and prevent diseases like HIV and TB have increased living conditions in Namibia, highlighting the need for programs to help Namibians in the fight against poverty and disease.

– Emma Rushworth
Photo: Flickr

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Energy Poverty in Ireland

Energy Poverty in IrelandAccording to The Irish Times, energy poverty is “spending more than a tenth of [ones] income on energy.” In Ireland, 29% of households, up from 13% in 2015, meet this “threshold for energy poverty.” This widespread energy poverty in Ireland has resulted from the sudden surges in gas and electricity prices which are partially due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Problem

On average, Irish households are spending €21 more weekly on energy instead of other essential goods. To make matters worse, if motor fuels are included, families are spending €38 more weekly than before the recent inflation, according to The Irish Times.

According to research by the Irish Houses of the Oireachtas, “it is well established that certain groups are more vulnerable to energy poverty and its consequences.” Research by the House discussed that not only do poorer households have limited capacity to support their energy needs due to economic restraints, but they also frequently have increased energy costs. Many of the poorer households in Ireland live in less energy-efficient accommodation, such as mobile homes and trailers, which leads to higher energy costs.

The groups suffering from increased energy costs the most are the Irish Traveller and Roma communities residing in Ireland. These communities frequently face “financial exclusion” and energy-inefficient accommodation. In fact, 40% of Travellers and Romas in Ireland significantly struggle to make ends meet, and 13% live in accommodations in bad condition. “These factors result in significant health and safety risks for Traveller families,” says research by the House.

Specifically, energy poverty affects individuals’ health, social inclusion and housing tenure. Additionally, homes often use cheaper alternatives, such as coal, to meet their energy needs, which has serious effects on air quality and climate change. Thus, it is in everyone’s best interest to reduce energy poverty and ensure all households can safely meet their energy needs.

Possible Solutions

Social Justice Ireland, a think tank and justice advocacy organization, stated that, in theory, the solution to both the financial and environmental costs is as simple as making homes more energy-efficient. This would reduce the carbon emission of individual homes and require less fuel, in return reducing cost. In order to do so, the organization suggests a “state-led retrofitting scheme” to improve the condition of poorer quality homes.

In research by the House, it endorsed the need for grants and programs in order to retrofit homes. However, it also suggested the need for “income supports in the form of transfer payments” and subsidizing energy in order to prevent more homes from falling below the threshold for energy poverty.

National Efforts

Currently, the Irish government aims to alleviate the effects of spiking energy prices by cutting indirect taxes on fuel, such as the carbon tax. However, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has criticized the government’s efforts, as “most of the aggregate gains would go to the highest-income 40% of households while less than a third would go to the lowest-income 40%,” The Irish Times reports. Alternatively, the think tank suggested income supports, such as welfare payments, similar to the recommendation by the Irish Houses of the Oireachtas.

Unfortunately, according to Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, “the Government might already be at the limit” of what it can do, due to the constantly rising levels of energy poverty in Ireland.

Local Actions and NGO Efforts

Considering the government’s limited ability to act, local and NGO actions are even more valuable in alleviating and preventing energy poverty than usual.

Locally, according to a report by the European Commission, the Deep Retrofit Transforms Wexford Sheltered Housing project has helped retrofit 12 one-bedroom homes, including social housing, in Wexford, Ireland. The projects will not only have serious economic and environmental benefits but will also benefit the homeowners’ health and wellbeing.

Furthermore, Energy Action, established in 1988, fights to address energy, specifically fuel poverty in Dublin, Ireland. The NGO, which was “Ireland’s first community-based energy project,” provides free insulation in the homes of the disadvantaged, such as the elderly and poor. Since its founding, Energy Action has insulated 35,000 homes. The remarkable NGO has also helped tackle poverty in Ireland by employing and training the formerly long-time unemployed, “providing them with sustainable and ecologically sound employment opportunities.”

Although Ireland lacks a national program to tackle energy poverty, Energy Action supports multiple “community-based organizations ” fighting energy poverty throughout the country to get started with their own projects.

– Lena Maassen
Photo: Flickr

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7 Key Points from the USGLC Global Impact Forum 2022

USGLC Global Impact ForumOn June 13, 2022, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s (USGLC) Global Impact Forum took place. The USGLC Global Impact Forum 2022 entailed conversations with leading stakeholders and policymakers surrounding the role of the U.S. in the global sphere.

7 Key Discussions of the USGLC Global Impact Forum 2022

  1. Current Humanitarian Crises in Numbers. Across the globe, as many as 323 million people endure acute hunger and 100 million people have been forcibly displaced. In addition, just 17% of people in low-income nations have received one COVID-19 vaccine dose.
  2. Local Impact of Global Events. In simple terms, what happens globally impacts the U.S. domestically. An evident example of this is the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Current spikes in food prices in the U.S. reflect how the pandemic impacts the United States on a national level. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has also led to wheat export blocks, causing food shortages in countries in the Middle East and Africa. Famine can create instability and unrest, which can translate into conflict, and while conflict is a problem in itself, it also creates more problems like displacement and forced migration. Rising food prices across the world highlight the interconnectedness of the global food supply chain.
  3. Vaccines. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) has said “America might be done with the pandemic, but the global pandemic is not done with the world.” With COVID restrictions easing and life gradually going back to normal, it is easy to believe that there are no more obstacles to surpass. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Though the U.S. has committed to supplying roughly 1.2 billion vaccines globally, there remain issues with manufacturing and distribution. Less than 1% of vaccines consumed in Africa are manufactured locally, therefore, vaccine distribution is critical to effectively tackle COVID-19 and future pandemics. Similarly, despite the heavy exports of vaccines, funding is still necessary to facilitate the process of getting doses into people’s arms.
  4. Food Insecurity. Secretary Tom Vilsack from the U.S. Department of Agriculture simplified the issue of food insecurity into three C’s: “COVID, Climate, Conflict.” Three factors that all contribute to the ongoing food crisis. USAID is actively working across the world to invest in urban agriculture, reduce food waste and increase domestic cropping and production of fertilizers and other inputs. As farmers stand at the center of the food system, they require support to enable the U.S. to keep markets open to supply fertilizers and other goods globally. At the moment, the focus is on the Ukrainian conflict — helping citizens in Ukraine as well as providing support to other countries affected by the reduced production capacity in Ukraine.
  5. Extreme Weather Patterns. President Biden has called on all federal agencies to also prioritize efforts to tackle extreme weather events. USAID launched a climate strategy in April 2022 that seeks to decrease carbon emissions by 6 billion tonnes and aims to invest $150 billion in climate-smart efforts, among other initiatives. This is critical considering that extreme weather events go hand-in-hand with economic insecurity, habitat destruction, internal and external migration and climate refugees.
  6. The Importance of Funding. For all the government officials, companies and NGOs present at the forum, the general consensus is that more funding is necessary to tackle the aforementioned global threats. More aid is needed from federal sources but also from the private sector which can benefit from these investments as well.
  7. Benefits for the U.S. A common misconception among U.S. citizens is that foreign aid solely benefits the recipient, but the USGLC Global Impact Forum 2022 showcased that foreign aid is mutually beneficial. Coca-Cola representative Joanna Price shared that 95% of consumers are based outside of the United States, making it critical to invest in the markets of tomorrow. U.S. companies have to maintain and grow connections globally as this will strengthen the global economy and secure democracy and stability. Domestically, supplying aid should be viewed opportunistically, as it can create a business environment and generate jobs for Americans to help partners abroad.

The USGLC Global Impact Forum reminds the U.S. about the importance of remaining engaged globally and providing adequate foreign aid for those in need.

– Claudia Efemini
Photo: Flickr

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The World Bank’s $2.3 Billion Program in Africa

The World Bank's $2.3 Billion Program in AfricaOn June 21 2022, The World Bank approved a $2.3 billion program aimed at addressing food insecurity in Southern and Eastern African countries in different phases. Due to factors such as market instability, the war in Ukraine and disease outbreaks, “an estimated 66.4 million people” could face food stress and famine by July 2022. The World Bank’s $2.3 billion program in Africa will utilize systems created to tackle food insecurity. The Food Systems Resilience Program for Eastern and Southern Africa (FSRP) will be used to strengthen “inter-agency food crisis response strategies.” This includes “rapid response planning” and “emergency trade measures.”

Alleviating Food Insecurity

The World Bank’s $2.3 billion initiative in Africa highlights the power of international institutions to help vulnerable populations during difficult times. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine, international institutions such as The World Bank have stepped in to alleviate food insecurity in developing countries. In fact, The World Bank’s $2.3 billion program in Africa “is the first regional and multi-sectoral operation” aimed at tackling food insecurity in Eastern and Southern Africa.

The World Bank hopes to achieve that by “ensuring regional coordination” in confronting food insecurity by focusing on food policy reforms and market volatility. In other words, this is a story of how international institutions uphold human rights by cooperating with countries to make sure every person lives a better life.

The Impact of Food Insecurity on People in Southern and Eastern Africa

Food insecurity has had a devastating effect on the livelihood of people living in Africa. For example, 22.7 million people in Ethiopia are struggling with food insecurity “due to drought.” In fact, the food price index in Ethiopia has increased to 43% alongside an increase in the price of vegetable oil and cereals “by over 89% and 37% year-on-year.”

In Madagascar, between 1 and 2.5 million people are in need of food assistance because of weather disasters such as flooding and storms. Thus, The World Bank’s $2.3 billion program in Africa aims to address these crises and mitigate them.

First Phase of the Program

The first phase of The World Bank’s $2.3 billion program in Africa will address food insecurity in Ethiopia and Madagascar. The World Bank has approved “a total financing package of $788 million that could “benefit 2.3 million people,” as reported on its website. This financing package will support the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) “which will strengthen information and data sharing.”

It will also support the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA). This will utilize “its existing networks and outreach tools for regional coordination mechanisms” to help Ethiopia and Madagascar.

Other Efforts to Tackle Food Insecurity in Africa

The World Bank’s $2.3 billion program in Africa is ongoing and more details will be unveiled later. However, more international institutions are also tackling food insecurity in Africa at the same time as The World Bank. For example, since April 1, 2022, The World Food Programme (WFP) “has delivered 100,000 tonnes of food,” to the Tigray region of Ethiopia which was “enough to feed 5.9 million people for a month,” the U.N. News reports. The WFP has also provided emergency food rations to “1.3 million people in Afar and Amhara,” regions of Ethiopia since April 1, 2022.

Though much more aid is needed as global threats persist, The World Bank’s and other international institutions’ efforts in tackling food insecurity in Africa are a step in the right direction.

– Abdullah Dowaihy
Photo: Flickr

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Peecycling Process to Help Fertilizer Shortage

Peecycling ProcessThe war in Ukraine has steeply increased the price of natural gas, a major component of fertilizers and also a primary source of energy. This, combined with the sanctions imposed on Russia, one of the world’s top exporters of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus fertilizers (contributing about 15%, 19% and 14% of the global supply respectively), is causing a severe fertilizer shortage. Amid this food catastrophe, a branch of sustainable food developers, going by the name “peecyclers,” have found a promising solution: using human urine as a suitable alternative to fertilizers by implementing the peecycling process.

Prices of fertilizers are skyrocketing worldwide, forcing farmers to produce less, and thus, unintentionally harming their livelihoods. This ripple is also extending into the food market, with the FAO Food Price Index reaching an all-time high of 159.7 points in March 2022.

Benefits of Using Human Urine as Fertilizer

  • Urine is rich in nutrients. About 80% of the nitrogen and 66% of the phosphorus that human beings release as waste comes in the form of urine. Both these elements are vital in the making of fertilizers.
  • In research conducted as early as 2010 in Finland, researchers planted four plots of beets and treated them with different fertilizers. Researchers fertilized one of the plots solely with urine and fertilized another with urine and wood ash. After 84 days, the researchers harvested 280 beets. The research concluded that the two samples  fertilized with urine and a combination of urine/ash were “10% and 27% larger by mass, respectively, than those grown in mineral fertilizer.” Moreover, researchers noted no reduction in the number of nutrients contained in all samples, proving that urine is not a lesser substitute and can stand as an effective fertilizer.
  • About 125 gallons of urine can help produce 320 pounds of wheat as urine is both organic and rich in nutrients. Using urine could reduce the pollution that arises from using nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers.
  • Urine diversion is the process of collecting urine separately and using it for productive purposes. It also helps conserve freshwater and reduces the number of water bodies polluted by sewage waste.
  • Urine is readily available, and hence, is much cheaper than synthetic fertilizers. Although the initial infrastructural costs of peecyling may be expensive, the cost of production for farmers could come to be much less in the future, spurring profits.
  • Flushed urine has nutrients that are difficult to remove. By diverting urine for other purposes, wastewater treatment becomes much less costly as nitrogen and phosphorus are easy to remove.

How the Peecycling Process Works

A variety of systems, including cups, jugs and special toilets with attached plumbed tanks, were designed to aid the process of urine diversion. These instruments are easy to use and once the urine is collected, it is transported to the site of treatment.

The process of sterilizing urine is simpler than doing the same for feces. All one has to do to destroy the remaining pathogens is keep the collected urine between temperatures of 71-75 degrees Fahrenheit for about three months.

Urine is 95% water, and therefore, requires significant storage capacity. This is expensive, but there are ways to concentrate urine through various processes such as evaporation, distillation and reverse osmosis. One particularly effective process is “alkaline urine dehydration.” This involves raising the pH value of urine to reduce its volume and convert it into fertilizer.

Peecycling Projects Underway

  1. The NGO Rich Earth Institute implemented the Urine Nutrient Reclamation Program. It is a urine donation program in Vermont that is educating people on the benefits of using urine as a fertilizer and mobilizing them to donate the “liquid gold.” In 2021, the organization collected more than 12,000 gallons of urine and had “four farm partners who [applied] the urine to their hay fields.” One of them, Noah Hoskins, commented that he saw “very strong results from the urine” after applying it at the Bunker Farm in Dummerston.
  2. In Niger, female farmers have implemented the usage of sanitized urine (referred to as “Oga” by the natives) to fertilize crops in areas where the soil is infertile. The peecycling process for them has proven to produce a higher yield of pearl millet, their staple crop, by about 30%. This means more profit for the farmers because urine is a low-cost, risk-free input.
  3. A team of researchers associated with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala, Sweden, is trying to expand the peecycling process into a large-scale process that every region in the world can emulate. The Gotland project started in 2021 and is carrying out its experiments with urine on barley fields. The researchers developed a process that converts urine into a powder, which is then easily compressed into fertilizer pellets. Such equipment is easy for farmers to use on a daily basis.
  4. Certain regions in Uganda, where there are limited “soil nutrient management” options, use urine to increase crop production. The research began on a small scale in 2014. Published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, the experiment concluded that human urine is indeed advantageous for smallholder farmers as it increased their food security and income.

A lot of potential is yet to be unpacked from human urine and scientists are on top of it. Nevertheless, one thing is certain: the peecycling process provides a feasible solution to global fertilizer shortages, ensuring food security worldwide.

– Anushka Raychaudhuri
Photo: Flickr

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US Approval of COVID-19 Vaccines For Young Children

COVID-19 vaccines for young childrenIn late June 2022, the CDC and FDA approved the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines for young children such as Pfizer and Moderna for children ages 6 months to 5 years old. While countries worldwide have received vaccinations from Pfizer and Moderna, the U.S. is the first country to approve vaccines for children under five. Though children in this age group are less likely to experience severe infection than other age groups, the vaccines for young children were worth recommending as it works to reduce the spread of COVID-19. As countries across the globe continue to vaccinate their people, what does the U.S. approval of vaccines for children under five mean for people worldwide?

COVID-19’s Effect on Children Worldwide

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 543 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported worldwide. As of December 2021, 17,200 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in adolescents under the age of 20, making up 0.4% of deaths worldwide. The effect on children is harder to understand. Data on child excess mortality and case numbers are inconsistent. Numbers disproportionately represent high-income countries and while the pandemic hits the poorest children the hardest, the effects on middle and low-income countries are underreported.

Along with the direct health effects of contracting COVID-19, children are experiencing indirect effects from prolonging the pandemic. Specifically in low-income countries, children have been affected by the strain on the healthcare system, such as disruptions from routine care and lost family income.

For example, according to UNICEF, 80 million children under the age of one may miss out on other essential vaccines because of the disruptions of the pandemic in May 2020. With increased vaccination rates worldwide, the hope is the pandemic can be mitigated and such effects on children will decrease.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for young children approved in the U.S. have a smaller dosage than their adult counterparts. For Moderna, two doses given four weeks apart are 25 micrograms each. With Pfizer, three shots contain three micrograms each. Each vaccine contains just a fraction of the dosage given to adults.

Worldwide Childhood Vaccine Distribution

Since the beginning of the pandemic, health care responses have not been equitable across the globe. While 66% of the world has been vaccinated against COVID-19, only 16% of people in low-income countries have received one dose as of May 2022. Initiatives similar to the WHO’s COVAX program has helped distribute COVID-19 vaccines to low-income countries. As of May 2022, Pfizer has distributed 3.5 billion COVID-19 vaccines to over 175 countries.

As the U.S. was the first country to approve Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children under 5 years old, other efforts are underway across the world. Pfizer and Moderna are not the only COVID-19 vaccines, as a Cuban vaccine has been given to over 1.7 million children under the age of 18. This vaccine is now being produced for Iran, Vietnam and Venezuela.

Vaccine Regulations and Authorizations

Pfizer and Moderna are some of the most prominent vaccines as they are making up around 33.6% of the total vaccines distributed in Africa. The companies are working to get vaccines for young children approved in other countries. Pfizer says they are committed to protecting all age groups from COVID-19 and are working to ensure other countries will follow the actions of the U.S. authorization. The company plans to submit authorizations for vaccinations under five to regulators around the world. For example, the company will request authorization from the European Medical Agency beginning in July 2022.

Ultimately, the vaccine regulations and processes differ for each country. Countries will license various vaccines for different age groups depending on their own analysis of the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. As WHO’s Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan states, countries should follow their guidelines to determine their own calculated risks. Vaccine companies like Pfizer and Moderna will work with health care providers, governments and communities as they continue to expand access to healthcare throughout the world.

Conclusion

While it is unclear when each country will approve vaccines for young children and start distributing the shots, companies similar to Pfizer are working around the world to make sure children will have access to the vaccine.

– Abigail Turner
Photo: Flickr