Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

The High Cost of Living in Finland

Cost of Living in FinlandFinland is a Scandinavian country with a population of 5.5 million people. While known for its excellence in education and civil liberties, Finland also has a high cost of living. Near the end of the twentieth century, Finland was announced the world’s most expensive country. Fortunately, the situation has improved. Prices and the cost of living in Finland have decreased since the turn of the century.

According to calculations by the Global Property Guide, a bundle of goods and services costing one dollar in the U.S. would cost $1.03 in Finland. While this is lower than the U.K. and other Scandinavian countries, it is higher than most countries in the European continent.

While housing is usually reasonably priced, certain items drive up the cost of living in Finland. The country has a state-run monopoly on alcoholic beverages, which helps keep prices at 172 percent of the European average. Other items are similarly pricey. Food tends to cost 120 percent of the European average, which is due in part to a significant value-added tax. The average cost of a Coke or Pepsi is $2.44, while the average McDonald’s combo meal is $8.18. A gallon of milk costs about $4.10.

Finns bring home slightly more money in their paychecks than workers in the U.S. The average monthly salary in Finland is about $3,854, while the average monthly salary in the United States is $3,769.

As in most countries, the cost of living varies depending on where you live. The cost of living in the capital of Finland, Helsinki, is significantly more expensive than living in the rural areas. Housing prices in Helsinki are double the prices in the rest of Finland.

While Finns benefit from higher wages and quality education, the cost of living remains higher than in the U.S. or most European countries. Finns don’t seem to mind, though, seeing as Finland was recently ranked the fifth happiest country in the world.

– Brock Hall

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Global Poverty Issues Addressed by United Nations Agenda 21

United Nations' Agenda 21After meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 to discuss sustainable development during the World Summit, the United Nations published Agenda 21. The action plan Agenda 21 addresses social, economic, conservation and developmental issues across the globe.

The United Nations used this meeting as a means to establish sustainable development as a global undertaking. U.N. Agenda 21 notes that people’s needs of today shouldn’t compromise the needs of future generations. It was then declared that the 1990s would be a “turnaround decade” in which leaders would work furiously to reverse the world’s most pressing issues.

The issues that the United Nations saw the world facing during the ’90s were so extreme that it was not certain that the future would be sustainable for generations to come. Climate change, water security and global poverty were among these issues, and the United Nations Agenda 21 leaders decided to meet again in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002.

By addressing current global issues, the United Nations Agenda 21 acknowledges the damage that the world is currently facing and suggests optimal solutions for future generations.

The United Nations works to solve these problems at international, national, regional and sub regional levels, and they encourage people to act at the local level to help improve global conditions. Additionally, policies are implemented in different federal, state and local governments to help alleviate poverty, protect the environment and create a more sustainable world.

A key component of fighting global poverty and assisting developing countries is the United Nations improvement of access to exports. The expansion of exported goods allows developing countries to improve their market, thus reducing the amount of the population living in poverty.

By diversifying exports, the United Nations saw improvements reflected in production, prices and environmental, social and resource costs.

Although issues such as the diversity of exports had improvements since the making of Agenda 21, there is still a long way to go. The United Nations encourages civilians to do what they can at the local level. It also prompts leaders at the national and international level to address these pressing global issues and improve the future for generations to come.

As stated in the United Nations Agenda 21, “No nation can achieve this on its own; but together we can—in a global partnership for sustainable development.”

– Kassidy Tarala

Photo: Flickr

Much of South Korea’s Elderly Are Living in Poverty

South Korea's Elderly Are Living in PovertyFinancial instability is an ongoing issue for older generations in South Korea. Almost half of South Korea’s elderly are living in poverty.

The life span of South Koreans has increased, and so has economic difficulty for younger people in South Korea. This makes it much more difficult for the children of the elderly to provide for their parents in the way that South Koreans did before the 1990s.

Not only that, but the percentage of kids who believe they should take care of their ailing parents has fallen from 90 percent to 37 percent.

Benefits for the retired are not good, so even those who were financially successful during their younger days are living in severe poverty during old age.

Pensions in South Korea only add to about a quarter of the minimum household income, giving the elderly only around $200 per month. Not only that, but only around 35 percent of seniors receive any pension at all.

South Korea’s pension system did not begin until 1988, which leaves many elderly citizens without pension benefits. Even though the pension does not amount to a much, going without it makes living expenses even more costly for certain individuals.

Many elderly people in South Korea are trash collectors, attempting to scavenge up enough tossed goods to cash in for money so that they are able to buy medicine and food.

Most elderly citizens that have been interviewed feel they must perform odd jobs and find money on their own rather than asking for help. This may be because they were unable to properly provide for their children or they believe that no one owes them anything.

“You see on the news quite frequently elders who get killed by vehicles while picking up cardboard,” says Mr. Shin So Ho, manager of the grassroots organization Silver Volunteer Cooperation Associations.

On Thursdays, churches give out the equivalent of 50 cents to seniors, and it is reported that anywhere from 300 to 500 seniors show up to receive this free gift.

South Korea’s elderly are living in poverty because of these factors, but the most important factor that needs changing is government benefits in South Korea for the elderly.

– Noel Mcdavid

Photo: Pixabay

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5 of the Most Common Diseases in Qatar

Most Common Diseases in QatarEven the richest country in the world has diseases that do not seem to be going away. Qatar a Middle Eastern nation that borders Saudi Arabia. This prosperous country had a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of $66,415.30 in 2016. For comparison, the United States had a GDP per capita of $52,194.90. Even so, there are still health concerns that are not diminishing. Here are five of the most common diseases in Qatar.

Diabetes

In 2013, the Action on Diabetes (AOD) initiative provided people in Qatar with a free diabetes test. There was a concern about high blood sugar in the adult population, and the speculations were justified. The tests found that about 16 percent of the adult population has diabetes. This common disease is an issue that demands action. In the AOD test, 86 percent of the people who discovered they had diabetes were unaware of their blood-sugar problem, according to the Gulf Times.

Ischemic Heart Disease

Ischemic heart disease was the number one killer of people in 2005, but it has since moved to the number two spot. Science Daily explains that “ischaemia means a ‘reduced blood supply,’” so this heart disease occurs when the blood supply to the heart is low. This common disease in Qatar can be prevented by regular exercise, a healthy diet and monitoring cholesterol and blood pressure.

Diarrhea

Although diarrheal diseases have been decreasing since 1990, cases still occur and cause other issues, sometimes resulting in death. Intestinal issues can be caused by diarrhea, killing 1.4 out of 100,000 people annually. With the help of advanced medicine, awareness of eating healthy and improved water quality, the incidence of diarrhea will continue to drop.

Respiratory Problems

In Doha, the capital of Qatar, there is very poor air quality, which is causing respiratory issues. Difficulty breathing and coughing, lung infection and other respiratory diseases are prominent in the city. Although not many people have been fatally affected by the air pollution thus far, Doha News estimates that more people will contract diseases and die,if the air quality is not addressed. Even natives are “unclear [as to] why Qatar’s high pollution levels don’t correlate to high levels of early death and/or disease.”

Cancer

Similar to the United States, cancer is a big threat to residents. The three most common types of cancer are cancer of the respiratory system, breast cancer and liver cancer. These three diseases “[make] up 36.4% of all deaths from cancer in Qatar.” Researchers and organizations in Qatar are working hard to promote cancer awareness and prevention for the future. The National Cancer Strategy has laid out a plan for awareness and hopefully advances in medicine so less patients have to travel abroad for treatment. Many people are working to eliminate cancer from among the most common diseases in Qatar.

A wealthy nation is not a perfect one, and Qatar is an example of a developed nation with its own struggles. However, with enough medical research, health education and environmental consciousness, these diseases in Qatar will continue to become less common.

– Sydney Missigman

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Four Organizations Providing Free Education in Africa

Free Education in AfricaThroughout sub-Saharan Africa, upwards of five million children are left without traditional education due to poverty, unrest and civil turmoil. Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest rate of primary school enrollment in the world, with 34 million primary age children living in the region not in school.

Without access to education, these children mature without many options for their future, allowing the cycle of poverty to continue in countries such as Ghana, Gambia and the Congo. In response to this, several organizations have put forth different efforts to deliver quality education where little is available. Across different platforms, including online curricula, these organizations are innovating to establish programs for free education in Africa.

  1. The Vodafone Foundation is a nonprofit that seeks to resolve the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges using communication technologies. In June 2017, the foundation launched Instant Schools For Africa, a program providing free access to quality education materials online in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Tanzania.Vodafone distributes online learning materials such as specialized tablets, with zero mobile data charges to encourage widespread use of its curriculum. Outside of the Instant Schools for Africa initiative, the Foundation is working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to connect young refugees to its growing Instant Network Schools program. As part of the mission of delivering free education in Africa, the Foundation aims to help three million young refugees by 2025.
  2. The Children Reach Out Program is a Ugandan organization that provides free classes and workshops to urban Ugandan children, especially those at risk economically. From basic learning skills and hygiene to hands-on career guidance, the Children Reach Out Program goes beyond traditional schooling to help Ugandans in need.Since 2009, Children Reach Out has been an important presence providing education for children living on the outskirts of Kampala and other Ugandan cities.
  3. The Volta Aid Foundation is a non-governmental agency in Ghana that connects volunteer teachers and doctors to children that may be without proper educational opportunities or medical care.In addition to offering orphanage care throughout the Volta region of Ghana, the Foundation teaches math, English, and computer literacy to establish the building blocks for a promising future. In a country where only 65 percent of the adult population is literate, The Volta Aid Foundation is committed to making a difference.
  4. The Africa Hope Fund (AHF) has been providing free, quality education in Africa since 2009. AHF works on several different fronts such as sponsoring poor children to attend secondary school in Zambia, or issuing funding to build new classrooms, libraries and deliver school supplies across the continent. AHF also partners with smaller nonprofits that are just starting out in countries like Zimbabwe and Botswana to help them grow and reach as many children as possible.

In areas where basic amenities such as electricity and transportation are in question, expanding education is necessary to ensure that children have access to learn basic skills to build the foundation of prosperity. In delivering education to areas that lack infrastructure, these organizations are playing a crucial role in fighting global poverty. Through providing free education in Africa, these initiatives help prepare the next generation to take on the challenges of the future.

– Nicholas Dugan

Photo: Pixabay

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Trachoma Treatment Reaches 85 Million

Trachoma Treatment A new initiative by the World Health Organization (WHO) has allowed access to antibiotics for those impacted by world’s leading cause of infectious blindness.

Almost eight million people are visually impaired due to trachoma in some of the world’s most marginalized countries. Five hundred million people are currently at risk of blindness in 57 endemic countries without proper trachoma treatment. The WHO estimates that approximately six million people have been blinded by trachoma.

Trachoma is the world’s leading cause of preventable blindness. It germinates in areas with a lack of adequate access to water and sanitation. Trachoma is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, is highly contagious and is easily spread through the eye, eyelid, nose or throat secretions of an infected person.

A total of 85 million people were given antibiotic trachoma treatment, an increase of 63 percent in people treated with antibiotics between 2014 and 2016. Patients were treated with the antibiotic azithromycin, a medication used specifically to fight different types of bacterial infection.

“The availability of free and quality-assured azithromycin enables us to support countries in their efforts to save the sight of millions of vulnerable people,” Minghul Ren, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for HIV/Aids, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, said.

Pfizer, an American-based organization that develops, manufactures and markets prescription medication, donates the antibiotic through the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI). Working with the WHO and other partners, ITI manages distribution alongside other assistance for trachoma treatment.

In addition to an increase of antibiotic trachoma treatment, the period between 2014 and 2016 showed an 87 percent rise in the number of people receiving operations for advanced trachoma to ensure no further eyesight loss.

Kirk Engels, Director of the Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, said that he found the number of people who were receiving trachoma treatment—both surgically and through antibiotics—is “tremendously encouraging.”

“We encourage countries to prioritize interventions and make the much-needed additional investment to achieve the elimination of blindness due to trachoma,” Engels said.

The WHO hopes to eliminate trachoma by 2020 using a pioneering public-health strategy known as SAFE. The acronym stands for:

  • Surgery to correct trichiasis, the blinding stage of the disease
  • Antibiotics to treat active symptoms of trachoma
  • Facial cleanliness and good hygiene practices
  • Environmental improvements through water sanitation in both the community and household to reduce disease transmission.

The implementation of the SAFE program increases the effectiveness of trachoma treatment. Good hygiene practices and environmental improvements are crucial to ensuring the elimination of the disease in affected areas. With this additional aid from Pfizer and ITI, the WHO should have cause for hope.

– Drew Hazzard

Photo: Flickr

Singapore’s Poverty Solution, KidStart

Singapore's Poverty SolutionSingapore’s poverty solution is KidStart, a pilot program now authorized as a permanent action to give children from low income families equal opportunities. KidStart will also develop early intervention programs for at-risk youth and adults.

KidStart is a three-year pilot program that launched in 2016. The program encourages early childhood education and supports families earning less than $2,500 a month with the additional skills and resources to develop their children’s potential. KidStart monitors children’s academic attendance and progress, and it also holds parenting workshops for parents.

While the nation’s Gini index shrank slightly from 2015 to 2016, 0.463 to 0.458, developing countries still struggle against poverty. The Singapore government plans to adopt KidStart as a permanent program to alleviate poverty and help families know the signs of financial struggle. Last year, nearly half of the applications for short-to-medium-term aid were granted, and some had higher cash quantum or the aid extended if the recipients could not find jobs.

KidStart, among several other actions, is Singapore’s poverty solution. The nation also plans to address inequality and family dysfunction.

Singapore Children’s Society lead social worker Gracia Goh believes that preventative work “requires moral courage to invest resources before a social problem gets worse, or even starts.”

The government hopes that implementing programs such as KidStart will prevent social issues from becoming ingrained in the country’s framework. Preventive actions are the first step to progress and strengthening existing ideals.

According to Social and Family Development Minister Tan Chuan-Jin, “For certain family circumstances, we know it is challenging, and the probability of perhaps poorer outcomes for children as they grow up will be higher. So we want to make sure we intervene.”

Mr. Tan wants to expand KidStart beyond its five locations before the pilot ends. Last year, the program helped 1,000 disadvantaged children up to six years of age, and it will reach increasingly more as the government adopts KidStart and it expands to new locations. As Singapore’s poverty solution, KidStart will not only help children, but at-risk youths, adults and families struggling financially.

– Sarah Dunlap

Photo: Flickr

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El Salvador Poverty Rate Tied to Corruption

El Salvador Poverty Rate
El Salvador, a tiny county in Central America, has struggled with corruption and poverty for centuries. The El Salvador poverty rate is one of the highest in the world.

In fact, the most recent official statistics reported that the poverty rate in El Salvador is above a third of the entire population. In 2015, the CIA established that almost 35 percent of El Salvador’s population lived below the poverty line. Other recent data has shown it could be above 40 percent.

One standardized way of measuring poverty thresholds is contrasting a household’s income with the price of a basic family basket of food sufficient to feed the whole household.

A study into the El Salvador poverty rate defines living in poverty as any household whose income does not reach two times the price of a basic family basket of food.

Most data places the price of a basic family basket of food at somewhere between $130 and $184, depending on the rurality of the area. Therefore, if a basket were to be priced at $170 nationwide, then the number of households with a monthly income below $340 would make up the poverty rate.

The El Salvador poverty rate logically goes hand-in-hand with the issue of violent gangs, who have plagued the country since the end of the civil war. A report out of El Salvador has attributed 84 percent of forced displacement to gang violence and crime.

The World Bank and others have pointed to a declining poverty rate in El Salvador, citing a possible seven percent fall since 2000. However, this data has been contradicted.

With a fluctuating GDP, it is difficult to observe any real patterns of economic growth in the nation. This is predominantly because of large-scale corruption.

In fact, just last year former President of El Salvador, Antonio Saca, was arrested on corruption charges. He has been accused of misusing public funds and money laundering. These accusations have come in light of him acquiring five to six million dollars while in office.

The United Nations announced the establishment of a program that will tackle corruption in El Salvador. By working with existing institutions, the anti-corruption program will investigate existing cases while attempting to uncover more.

Most analysts share the belief that before the El Salvador poverty rate can be effectively addressed and significantly shifted, the country must rid itself of the levels of corruption evident today.

– Cornell Holland

Photo: Flickr

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Areas of Improvement for India’s Education System

India's Education SystemIn recent years, India has made strides in bettering its education system. Between 2011 and 2015, the country increased its spending on education by 80 percent. Additionally, as of 2011, the country’s literacy rate was at 74 percent, a great improvement from the 52 percent recorded in 1991. While India’s education system has continued to improve throughout the years, it is still known as one of lesser education systems around the world. Here are some ways that India’s education system can be improved.

Separate Education and Politics
In an interview with The Economic Times, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization G. Madhavan Nair described education in his country as a “commercial commodity.” Nair says that many political parties use schools in order to build a group of future politicians instead of focusing on education for all students.

Ensure Excellent Educators 
One of the largest problems with India’s education system is its lack of quality teachers. In 2011, the government created an exam for aspiring teachers, ever since this test has been introduced, as many as 99 percent of applicants have failed. Additionally, the Annual Status of Education Report revealed that even after three years of schooling, 60 percent of students are still unable to read, with the number only decreasing to 54 percent after another year of education.

Increase the Budget
While India made strides between 2011 and 2015 to increase the amount of its budget allocated for education, in recent years, the country has begun to back pedal. For the 2016-2017 year, only 3.65 percent of the country’s GDP was spent on education. Compared to other countries such as Mexico, New Zealand and Brazil, which all spend more than 12 percent of spending on education, India has a long way to catch up.

Take the Pressure Off of Standardized Tests 
Like many nations, India is criticized for placing too much importance on its standardized testing. This issue has become so large that many students and parents have been caught cheating in order to do well. In 2015, 700 students in Bihar were expelled from school for cheating and 300 parents were arrested for trying to pass test answers to their children. The pressure of these tests ends up hindering the students’ overall education in the long run and has lead hundreds to resort to cheating.

Private School Isn’t Always the Answer
Due to the lack of quality public school education, many parents have resorted to sending their children to private schools. In the past five years, private school enrollment has increased to 17 million whereas public school enrollment has decreased to 13 million. While the country is fortunate to have relatively cheap private education, moving children from public to private schools does not create a solution, only a temporary fix for some children.

India’s education system has worked throughout the past decade to improve the quality of schooling for students. Despite the country’s changes, it still has to make big changes to provide the education that its people deserve. As of 2016, about 47 percent of the country’s population was comprised of children and teenagers, meaning that almost half of the population is relying on this education system to improve itself, and consequently, the people as a whole.

– Olivia Hayes

Photo: Flickr

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USAID Totals $265.3 Million to UNDP for Stability in Iraq

Stability in IraqAs fighting continues in cities like Mosul, which formerly served as a strong base for the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), there is a growing need to rebuild newly liberated areas and infrastructure for stability in Iraq. In an effort to address this, recent pledges were declared by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for an additional $150 million in funds to go to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). This brings the total U.S. contribution to stability in Iraq to $265.3 million.

The UNDP manages to work with the Iraqi government, with backing from the prime minister and members of the Coalition to Degrade and Defeat ISIS, to assist retaken areas with the creation and subsidy of the Funding Facility for Stabilization (FFS). The FFS provides essential services like water and electricity, plus temporary employment opportunities and support for small businesses to help spur economic growth in the region.

Its approach is calculated, with teams dispatched into cities within days of them being approved as safe to consider damages and plans of action together with local authorities. They work to quickly repair water systems, electricity grids and other public infrastructure, employ youth in work brigades to remove rubble and clear transport routes, support businesses with cash grants and restore education, health and municipal centers.

The FFS grew to work in 28 areas cleared by the Stabilization Committee, with more than 1,100 projects in Nineveh, Anbar, Salah al-Din, Diyala, Kirkuk and Mosul, Iraq — the largest project yet. In Mosul, close to 300 schemes are being executed to fix central water treatment plants, electrical substations, schools and health facilities.

The program was initially capitalized at $7 million from the USAID and is now supported by around 23 donors and $420 million in funding. The United States was joined by the United Kingdom government, which contributed an additional $5.2 million to the Funding Facility for Stabilization, bringing the total U.K. contribution toward stability in Iraq to $15 million.

With the funding of the FFS, two million or so displaced Iraqis were returned home and cities are once again flourishing as hubs of development since the conflict started in 2014.

– Zar-Tashiya Khan

Photo: Flickr