Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Fighting Common Diseases in Honduras

Common Diseases in HondurasHonduras is a country with fairly poor healthcare available to its citizens. This means that patients who cannot afford care suffer unnecessarily from curable diseases. However, the CDC is helping the country strengthen their healthcare systems by increasing the technical skills of doctors in the region. A few common diseases in Honduras can turn rather serious without the appropriate care to get better.

According to the World Bank, Honduras currently has just over 9 million people. The per capita income is $3,710, and the life expectancy is 76 years for the women and 71 years for the men.

One of the major problems in Honduras is the childbirth complications, and many mothers have issues with their pregnancies and some could lead to infant deaths. In fact, 16 percent of deaths in Honduras come from perinatal conditions. This may not be a disease, but it is a problem that needs to be addressed. The CDC can clean up some conditions and help the doctors address the issues that are causing so many deaths in the birthing process.

Diabetes is a major problem in Honduras, as well. In 2010, it was the second leading cause of death in Honduras, sitting at just under seven percent. Some of the major risk factors leading to the presence of diabetes includes physical inactivity and obesity. The problem exists in Honduras because the only capability they have are blood glucose measurement.

Many other medicines, such as insulin and metformin, and procedures available elsewhere around the world are not available in Honduras. They also don’t possess many of the procedures and policies such as a registry, national guidelines, etc. These are vital to helping the people that need insulin and other procedures to help relieve them of the problems that they face with diabetes.

Some of the other common diseases in Honduras include heart disease, lower respiratory disease, diarrhea and other lower respiratory and common infectious diseases, and HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

HIV/AIDS has an estimated prevalence in Honduras between one and just over three percent within adults ages 15-49. The estimated number of people living with either HIV or AIDS in Honduras is between 35,000 and 110,000 people.

There needs to be more awareness and testing available to the people in Honduras. In addition, only about a third of HIV/AIDS patients were receiving the therapy they needed in 2005. That proportion has no doubt increased in the past decade, but new technology will be able to assist people in need. The CDC’s involvement in the country is definitely a good thing for those with HIV and AIDS to make sure they are treated for.

Honduras needs better healthcare in place to help their citizens. There is help from the CDC, who has been there in recent years, to attempt to help them improve their care for the common diseases in Honduras. The look toward the future is brighter with the CDC’s involvement than the past.

– Brendin Axtman

Photo: Flickr

How to Help People in Angola: Three Simple Ways

How to Help People in AngolaAngola is a large, underdeveloped country in Africa. Despite the country’s wealth from oil and diamond exports, nearly half of the population lives on less than a dollar a day. Unemployment, poverty, and birth rates are high, but the literacy rate and life expectancy are low.

Angola only has one doctor per 10,000 people. Millions lack access to sanitary water and restrooms, and thousands die of preventable diseases such as malaria and bacterial diarrhea.

Without stable incomes, quality educations and proper health care, many Angolans suffer. But, they do not have to suffer forever. The following is a list of how to help people in Angola.

 

1. Donate to a worthy nonprofit.

Donating to an organization working in Angola is a good solution when you don’t know how to help people in Angola. Dozens of international nonprofits and charitable agencies are currently working in Angola to improve living conditions of people living in extreme poverty. Organizations are always looking for donor support to help fund their projects and change lives. UNICEF, Save the Children, the Fistula Foundation and World Vision are a few.

  • UNICEF has been in Angola since 1976. It focuses on boosting primary health care; providing primary education; and creating a social and legal environment of child protection.
  • Save the Children is another nonprofit dedicated to helping children.   Save the Children has built four free schools and two health centers. It has also implemented a polio eradication project and community development forums.
  • The Fistula Foundation opened a medical center in Angola that provides free fistula surgeries and other maternal health services to women. A fistula is a medical condition that obstructs labor. It is more common in poor areas where women in labor do not have access to a midwife or doctor, like in many parts of Angola.
  • World Vision has given thousands of tons of food, seeds and tools to hungry farm families in Angola. It also offers agricultural training, microfinance opportunities and access to clean water. To top it off, World Vision improves rural Angolans’ health through nutrition education, HIV/AIDS awareness and health care services.

 

2. Voice support for U.S. Agency for International Development.

 USAID is the United States’ main governmental agency for improving lives in developing nations. It has several initiatives in Angola, including: increasing literacy and entrepreneurship; decreasing the spread of HIV/AIDS; building disaster response capabilities; and supporting democracy.

It takes less than 60 seconds to call your Congressional representatives and urge them to support USAID and policies strengthening the United States’ commitment to developing nations like Angola. A staff member for the representative or senator will take note of each call, email and letter, then make sure the Congressional leader knows which issues are on the minds of constituents.

 

3. Educate and mobilize others.

The more people who know and care about the problems facing Angolans, the greater the chance political leaders will take heed.

The United States spends less than 1 percent of its budget on foreign aid; many people incorrectly believe it spends a lot more. Dispel the myths and teach others why investing in foreign aid is good for everyone involved. Helping Angola grow its economy will pay off for the United States because it increases Angolans’ demand for American goods and services, which creates jobs at home.

The high level of poverty and suffering in Angola may seem difficult to change, but individuals and organizations are making strides every day to transform lives. There are three simple answers for how to help people in Angola: support a worthy organization in the country; contact your representatives about the importance of foreign aid; and educate and mobilize others to join the effort to improve the standard of living for millions of Angolans.

– Kristen Reesor

Photo: Flickr

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How to Help People in Central African Republic

How to Help People in Central African RepublicThe Central African Republic (CAR) is ranked 188 out of 188 countries in the 2016 United Nation’s Human Development Index. Its ranking is determined by markers of income inequality and life expectancy. Its rank speaks largely to the estimated 2.7 million citizens in need of immediate humanitarian assistance, its half a million citizens internally and externally displaced resulting from years of civil conflict and violence and the absence of basic infrastructure.

Bearing in mind CAR’s long road towards social, political and economic recovery, many ask the question: how to help people in Central African Republic? Three agencies worth considering are the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and International Rescue Committee (IRC).

  1. U.N. World Food Programme
    The WFP strives to strengthen communities within CAR with short-term and long-term approaches. In the short-term, the WFP distributes food for the internally displaced in shelter communities and local populations. In the long-term, the WFP has a quid pro quo approach in that the organization will supply food for the participation of local populations in rebuilding and repairing community infrastructure. It is estimated that through food, cash and vouchers the WFP has reached up to 305,000 people in the CAR, with plans to reach at least 700,000 by the end of this year. Specialized nutrition packages for pregnant women, nursing mothers and young children, as well as management of the U.N. Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS), also fall under the scope of the WFP.
  2. United States Agency for International Aid
    Earlier in July it was announced that the World Food Programme received a $11 million donation from the USAID in assisting the growing hunger issue in Central African Republic. Reportedly, this aid will help bring food supplies to approximately 550,000 people through CAR. Importantly, the U.S. Fiscal Year 2017 published that in response to CAR a total of $57,580,923 would be made available.
  3. International Rescue Committee
    Since 2006, the IRC has been assisting in Central African Republic by providing emergency funds, rebuilding educational infrastructure for children and working to recover clean water sources for communities. Amongst many other forms of assistance, the IRC has outlined its priorities until 2020 to achieve its short-term and long-term goals in CAR. Currently, its primary goals are to achieve widespread health, safety, education, economic sustainability and helping the displaced regain their decision-making agency. Moreover, its gendered approach to its solutions sets the IRC apart from many agencies, as the IRC has a special focus on underscoring its dedication to gender equality in its relief programs.

These three standout organizations have made great efforts to mitigate the humanitarian crisis in Central African Republic. In asking how to help people in Central African Republic, civil society members can volunteer their time, donate money or help connect businesses that are willing to help with these international agencies. Undoubtedly, pulling CAR out of its long plight is no easy feat, one that requires the attention of the public and private sector. Yet, with these agencies and the CAR’s problems gaining international traction, there shows to be steady progression being made. How to help people in Central African Republic largely relies on a steady influx of international aid and successful mechanism of peacebuilding.

– Sydney Nam

Why is Pakistan Poor?

Why is Pakistan PoorPakistan is among the poorest nations in the world. However, it is also oxymoronically rich in natural resources: “the country has the second largest salt mine in the world, fifth largest gold mine, seventh largest copper mine, fifth largest coal reserves, seventh largest wheat and rice production capacity…” and the list goes on. But does it really matter when almost 40 percent of the people live in extreme poverty? The Human Development Index ranks Pakistan 147th out of 188 countries for 2016. According to several reports, there are a number of reasons why Pakistan is poor, even though it is rich in resources and has the potential to grow. Why is Pakistan poor? Discussed below are the three leading reasons.

 

Why is Pakistan Poor?

 

Corruption and Elitism in the Government
First is the fundamental flaw in Pakistan’s political system. Politics in Pakistan have always been dominated by the elites. These elites comprise politicians, generals and bureaucrats (the ruling oligarchy). Many politicians come from large land-owning families or very rich industrial backgrounds. They share key common interests and together look after each other, neglecting common people’s interests.

This scenario has become cyclical because most people vote according to what these elites deem convenient. This type of political culture may be changing with education and emerging democratic norms in the recent past, but it has affected the country for a long time.

The elites in Pakistan are also involved in corruption. The current Prime Minister stepped down in July 2017. He did so because the Supreme Court ordered his removal on accusations of corruption. Additionally, Transparency International ranks Pakistan as one of the worst countries for corruption.

Why is Pakistan poor? Corruption prevents any real change from occurring.

 

Lack of Democratic Ideals
Second is the absence of real democracy. Democracy remains an illusion for many due to “the lack of proper, meaningful and non-discriminatory representation for all regions in decision-making.” The absence of democracy and lack of political development in Pakistan are a consequence of direct and indirect military rule.

The military has dominated politics from the early years of the country’s independence because it was the most powerful and organized institution. Coupled with that, the military presented itself as Pakistan’s protector against India, which is considered an existential threat to Pakistan’s survival. One analyst writes, “It is little wonder, then, that Pakistan became a national security state during its early years, subordinating economic and democratic development to military improvement and tilting the balance of power away from civilian rule.”

Why is Pakistan poor? A lack of democracy in the nation prevents citizen-oriented development.

 

Both Religious and Secular Conflict
Furthermore, empowering Islam over secular ideals in a country which is much more diverse culturally by the military establishment, has not only created a fictitious national unity but stunted even further, the democratic and economic development.

The use of religious proxies against Bengalis dates back to 1971, then in Afghanistan against the Soviets during the 1980s. Additionally, their alleged involvement in Afghanistan for countering India in the past two decades, have brought home only conflict and violence.

In Pakistan’s context, violent conflicts and pervasive poverty are very much interlinked. Unfortunately, extreme poverty motivates the country’s disaffected youth to join forces with terrorist organizations which desire to establish the Sharia rule in Pakistan.

Why is Pakistan poor? Religious and secular violence plague the nation.

 

Education Crisis
The desperate education crisis is another answer. As of 2015, Pakistan spends only 2.6 percent of total GDP on education, which is the lowest in South Asia. In 1997, it was 3 percent, the highest in the country’s history. As a consequence of this low expenditure overall, more than half of the country’s population is uneducated. And hundreds of thousands of poor children are out of school.

In contrast, the country spends the largest part of its national expenditures on defense. A May 2017 report shows that “Pakistan’s defense expenditure in the next financial year (2017-18) will be around 7 percent higher than it was in the outgoing year to Rs920.2 billion (USD$8.65 billion).” It was Rs841 billion (USD$7.9 billion) for the year 2016-2017.

Why is Pakistan poor? The nation invests more in present conflicts than development towards a better future.

However, there is pleasant news. Poverty in Pakistan has fallen from 54 percent to 39 percent in the past decade—a 15 percent drop. The deaths from terrorist incidents have also declined recently. Today,  47 percent of Pakistani households own a washing machine; in 1991, only 13 percent owned one. Nonetheless, there is more work to be done to improve the lives of people in the context of global development.

– Aslam Kakar

Photo: Flickr

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Troian Bellisario Combats Global Hunger with This Bar Saves Lives

This Bar Saves Lives“Buy a bar, Feed a child” is the life-changing mission of snack bar company This Bar Saves Lives, with its nonprofit partners that distribute packets of food for every bar purchased to where it’s needed most. With 2,302,895 meal packets donated to date, the lives of millions of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition received the treatment and prevention methods they need in the form of various food products to go on to lead normal, healthy lives.

“Pretty Little Liars” actress Troian Bellisario recently teamed up with the brand, holding an interview session at the BUILD Studio in New York City to help raise awareness for the cause. The company is also discussing plans with Starbucks and Target to combat hunger domestically.

Two major points of emphasis for This Bar Saves Lives are treatment and prevention. For every one of the 2.6 million children who die from severe acute malnutrition each year, there are 10 more at risk of suffering the same fate. Working against this harsh reality, This Bar Saves Lives has developed a treatment in the last decade, Plumpy’Nut®, which has become one of the most important weapons in the war on global hunger.

The product is a nutrient-rich paste made from peanuts, milk powder, sugar, vegetable oils and a mixture of vitamins and minerals. Its simplicity makes it so that it can be eaten right away – no need to be cooked or refrigerated. In addition, Plumpy’Nut® has a two-year shelf life and consuming three a day for seven weeks can take a child from near death to survival. In terms of prevention, Nutributter® was designed for undernourished children below the age of two to prevent stunting, which affects a child’s growth, as well as lifelong health and productivity.

This July, Bellisario shared about her involvement with the company, “Raising awareness about child hunger… has always been a subject that is incredibly personal and important to me… I’m thrilled to be a part of such an exciting and important initiative.” Her husband Patrick Adams added, “I couldn’t be more proud to be working with everyone at This Bar Saves Lives to draw more attention to this problem and to help children in need find their way to an important and potentially life-saving meal.”

Since 2013, This Bar Saves Lives has teamed up with various international organization partners, including Action Against Hunger, Edesia and Second Mile Haiti to distribute food aid to Haiti, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Philippines, Mexico and Guatemala.

– Mikaela Frigillana
Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Refugees in Turkmenistan

Refugees in TurkmenistanTurkmenistan is a landlocked state in Central Asia with a population of 5,439,000 people. Turkmenistan was a constituent republic within the Soviet Union until 1991 when it gained independence. The following year, Turkmenistan joined the United Nations. Like most nations, Turkmenistan hosts a refugee population. Here are 10 critical facts about refugees in Turkmenistan:

  1. According to the World Bank, 26 refugees officially registered in Turkmenistan in 2015. This puts the number of refugees in Turkmenistan substantially lower than neighboring countries such as Afghanistan (257,554), Iran (979,437), Kazakhstan (708) and Uzbekistan (107) when it comes to official accounts of stateless persons.
  2. For a number of reasons, no one really knows how many refugees in Turkmenistan there are. However, it is likely greater than the official count of 26. The U.N. once estimated that there are at least 40,000 Afghan and Tajik refugees in Turkmenistan.
  3. International organizations criticize Turkmenistan for its many human rights abuses, with the Human Rights Watch characterizing Turkmenistan as “among the world’s most repressive and closed countries, where the president and his associates have total control over all aspects of public life.” Reports of torture, suppressed speech and forcefully disappeared persons makes Turkmenistan an undesired destination for refugees. Still, war and political violence in countries like Afghanistan and Tajikistan render Turkmenistan preferable–albeit less than ideal.
  4. One such human rights abuse–and a barrier to estimating the number of refugees in Turkmenistan–is Turkmenistan’s policies regarding nongovernmental organizations and human rights organizations. Nongovernmental organizations are illegal in Turkmenistan, and organizations such as the Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are not allowed entry.
  5. The government of Turkmenistan has strategically driven refugees in Turkmenistan from neighboring countries such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan back across borders. Many Russians have endured deportation as well.
  6. A pretext for deporting refugees in Turkmenistan is marriage; if a non-Turkmen refugee marries an ethnically Turkmen person, they will likely not receive citizenship in Turkmenistan and face deportation.
  7. Though refugees in Turkmenistan often can’t marry someone with Turkmen heritage, the nation still expects them to adopt a traditional Turkmen way of life. Ethnic Uzbeks, Tajiks, Kazakhs and others must speak the Turkmen language and dress in traditional Turkmen clothing. Even the children of refugees must abide by these standards or face punishment like expulsion from school.
  8. Despite being an ethnically diverse nation, ethnic Turkmen people receive favor and hold virtually all public offices in the country. The purging of non-Turkmen government employees, unofficial banning of inter-ethnic marriage and mandating that refugees in Turkmenistan adopt the Turkmen way of life are all part of Turkmenistan’s strategy of “Turkmenization,” a set of official government policies started by former President Saparmyrat Niyazov in 1992 to emphasize Turkmen heritage over that of other ethnic groups. All stateless people and refugees in Turkmenistan must conform to “Turkmenization” if they wish to remain in the country. This is to the point that Uzbeks in Turkmenistan sustain punishment for non-Turkmen religious practices.
  9. In 1995, Turkmenistan allowed the U.N. Refugee Agency to open an office in Ashgabat–an unusual move, considering Turkmenistan’s policies on nongovernmental human rights organizations. Since then, the U.N. has invested millions of dollars in improving conditions in refugee-hosting areas, giving the refugees access to medicine and even helping to register them as Turkmen citizens.
  10. The government has done some good when it comes to helping refugees in Turkmenistan. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, while upholding most of Niyazov’s “Turkmenization” policies, has granted more than 3,000 refugees Turkmen citizenship since 2007. Previously, President Niyazov granted about 10,000 refugees in Turkmen citizenship. However, the criteria for granting citizenship was suspected as ethnically based; refugees fleeing the Tajikistan civil war gained citizenship, but the government often denied citizenship to Afghan and Azerbaijani refugees. Now holding Turkmen citizenship, these former refugees in Turkmenistan can take part in civil society and vote. The U.N. protection officer in Ashgabat, Batyr Sapbiyev, called Berdimuhamedov’s decree an “outstanding humanitarian act.”

While Turkmenistan has long been an ethnically diverse country, it has been considerably hostile towards non-Turkmen people living in the country, including refugees. Proponents of “Turkmenization,” an ideological set of public practices and laws, claim that they are preserving Turkmenistan’s cultural heritage. The cost is the shunning of the Tajik, Uzbek and other cultures existing in close proximity to Turkmenistan. Refugees in Turkmenistan do have some reasons to be optimistic, as more and more are granted citizenship. They are expected, however, to conform to the Turkmen way of living if they expect to stay in Turkmenistan.

– David Mclellan

Photo: Google

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Common Diseases in Israel

Common Diseases in IsraelIsrael is a small country in the Middle East with immense significance to several religious groups including Jews, Christians and Muslims. Benjamin Netanyahu currently serves as the prime minister to more than 8 million Israeli citizens.

Israel has made tremendous progress in combating diseases in recent years. According to The Jerusalem Post, death rates from cancer, cardiovascular diseases and stroke “have declined by 80 percent since the middle of the 1970s.” While this is of course excellent news, there is still a lot of work left to be done. Here are some facts regarding common diseases in Israel:

Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease that very infrequently leads to death, but does make the afflicted person ill. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges that travelers heading to Israel receive the vaccine prior to their trip. This disease is transmitted by consuming contaminated food or water.

Diabetes
Diabetes is another common disease in Israel, ranking as the third and fourth most common cause of death among women and men, respectively. Despite the nation’s small size, Israel is a leader in improving conditions for those afflicted with diabetes. DreaMed Diabetes, a company founded in 2014 by American and Israeli researchers, uses algorithms to analyze and improve insulin therapy. The hope is that the company’s research will allow those with diabetes to have better control over the disease.

Cancer
As previously mentioned, Israel has made great strides in combating cancer in the past several decades. However, these strides forward are not being evenly felt throughout the country. According to Haaretz, cancer death rates in the peripheral areas of Israel are 8 percent higher than in the geographical center of the country. Some groups of people have more success at fighting cancer than others. Professor Lital Keinan-Boker, the deputy director of the Health Ministry’s Center for Disease Control, told Haaretz that these discrepancies are likely the result of differences in awareness and usage of early detection technologies. Each year, roughly 11,000 Israelis die from some form of cancer.

Hepatitis A, diabetes and cancer are three common diseases in Israel. Progress has certainly been made, and that is extremely encouraging. Nonetheless, these diseases continue to affect much of Israel and its people.

– Adam Braunstein

The Cost of Living in South Korea

Cost of Living in South KoreaSouth Korea is an East Asian nation often overshadowed by its politically aggressive neighbor, North Korea. However, South Korea deserves recognition itself for its green, hilly countryside, old Buddhist temples, coastal fishing villages and buzzing cities. With its capital, Seoul, the sixth most expensive city in the world, South Korea as a whole has a 5.77 percent higher cost of living than the United States (when rent is not included).

Important factors for estimating the cost of living include housing, gas prices, unemployment rate and the average cost of necessary items. Moon Jae-in won the early presidential election on May 9, 2017, so his administration may make changes that impact these factors.

Housing
Low housing prices and rent help bring down the average cost of living in South Korea, especially in major cities like Seoul. Currently, rent in South Korea is 40.27 percent lower than rent in the United States on average for all cities. For example, rent in San Francisco, the most expensive city in the United States, averages 239 percent more expensive than rent in Seoul, the most expensive city in South Korea.

Gas Prices
Higher gas prices raise the cost of living in South Korea. The average price of a liter of gas, which equates to about one-fourth of a gallon, is $1.28 in Seoul. The average price for a gallon of gas in South Korea at the time of this writing is $4.97, while it is only $2.31 in the United States. The expensive gas prices reflect the high tax on fuels that South Korea imposes.

Unemployment Rate
Another factor that impacts the cost of living in South Korea is the rate of unemployment. Low unemployment can actually increase the cost of living in a city or country. South Korea’s unemployment rate declined to 3.6 percent in July 2017. Moon Jae-in’s administration plans to focus on job creation.

Average Cost of Necessary Items
Finally, South Korea’s higher average cost of necessary items, such as groceries, increases the cost of living in South Korea. Grocery prices in South Korea are currently 24.66 percent higher than in the United States. For example, an average loaf of bread in Seoul costs $14.82.

This combination of factors makes the cost of living in South Korea moderate. While overall it is costlier than the United States, the two countries differ on certain aspects of measurement.

– Lauren Mcbride

Photo: Pixabay

High Risk, No Reward: Causes of Poverty in Canada

Causes of Poverty in Canada
The causes of poverty in Canada, according to a set of six-year studies by Canada’s Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID), stem from being in a “high-risk” group. The Canadian government’s 2015 socioeconomic database states that 5,956,320 Canadians are low-income, with a median family income of $15,880. For the majority of Canadians, being low income is a non-permanent state. The SLID found that 36.9 percent of Canadians who fell below the low-income cutoff bracket were out the following year.

SLID reported that between 2005 and 2010, only 1.5 percent of Canadians were stagnant in the low-income bracket, with an average interval of low income of 2.4 years. The overall data that SLID reported seemed to suggest the causes of poverty in Canada are usually temporary, such as loss of a job or a decrease in wage, and that Canadians who were experiencing poverty would recover.

 

Poverty in Canada

 

However, deeper investigation into the demographic of those experiencing low income and poverty revealed that only certain Canadians would recover. Within the studies were groups of Canadians with certain characteristics, deemed high-risk, that had higher rates of persistent low income than the general population.

There are five of these groups, defined as such: “These groups include people with activity limitations (physical or mental disability), singles (unattached individuals), persons in lone-parent families, people with less than high school education and visible minorities who are immigrants.”

For Canadians, being in one of these groups is not a prerequisite for low income or poverty; however, the high-risk groups experience poverty at a much higher rate than the general population. It is also important to state that these groups, such as singles and visible minorities who are immigrants are not exclusive, and that Canadians who fall into multiple groups are at an even higher risk.

There are many causes of poverty in Canada. Each high-risk group has a different set of concerns to be addressed by the aid organizations and the Canadian government.

– Yosef Mahmoud

Photo: Google

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Reducing the Spread of Diseases in Eritrea

Diseases in EritreaEritrea is a northeast African country on the Red Sea coast with a population of 5.8 million. In recent decades, Eritrea has made great strides in improving the health of its population as part of the Millennial Development Goals. In particular, Eritrea has focused on child health and has made progress in eliminating childhood diseases such as measles with improved immunization and nutrition programs. Between 1993 and 2008, the number of Eritreans vaccinated against measles skyrocketed from 34 percent to 95 percent. Diseases in Eritrea remain a consistent health threat, however, because despite these health improvements, poverty in the country creates health challenges.

Much of Eritrea’s current health concerns revolve around vecsor-borne and mosquito-borne illnesses such as Yellow Fever and Malaria. Malaria has been one of the country’s top concerns in recent decades, as Eritrea has made a conscious effort to reduce the spread of the disease and joined the African Leaders Malaria Alliance. Since approximately 70 percent of the population lives in high-risk areas, the Eritrean government has responded with a variety of strategies, such as the promotion of national campaigns and community based-programs encouraging medical checkups. Today, nearly 70 percent of children below age five now sleep under insecticide-treated nets, and more than 60 percent of citizens own at least two ITNs. These measures have succeeded, helping Eritrea reduce annual malaria incidence by 85 percent between 1998 and 2012.

As a whole, Eritrea’s vaccination coverage has improved so much that it is now among the top African countries based on DTP3 disease coverage. DTP3 immunization, which covers diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, has been at 99 percent since 2008, far above the African average of 64 percent.

However, diseases connected to diet and nutrition such as diabetes and diarrheal diseases also pose a threat to the Eritrean population. An estimated 22,700 children under five are projected to be affected by severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in 2017, and according to national data, half of Eritrean children are stunted. UNICEF Eritrea has made fighting these diseases a top priority, and provides women and children with water and nutritional supplies as well as hygienic services and child protection services as part of its Humanitarian Action for Children.

One of the main issues preventing Eritrea from further reducing the spread of disease is the lack of doctors and physicians in the country. Although the number of physicians in Eritrea doubled in recent years, medical staffing remains far below estimated needs and targeted goals for the future, and as a result, diseases like tuberculosis and yellow fever remain a threat.

In the future, Eritrea can look to its success with controlling the spread of malaria as a prime example of the effectiveness of awareness campaigns coupled with immunization and nutrition programs. As Eritrea grows as a country, it will face new health concerns regarding immunization and disease. Preventing diseases in Eritrea will continue to be a part of the government’s goals as part of the 2030 Millennial Development Goals, as the country aims to secure a prosperous future for its people.

– Nicholas Dugan

Photo: Flickr