Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

Drug Counterfeiting in Nigeria

Drug_CounterfeitingIf administering public health projects in an environment complicated by security, economic and cultural issues is not presenting a sufficient challenge, drug counterfeiting can take the problem to a new level. In 2006, the World Health Organization reported that every year 280 billion dollars is lost due to counterfeiting. This does not take into account the hazards to human life caused by potentially harmful or completely ineffective fake drugs. An estimated 100,000 deaths yearly are caused due to the counterfeit drug trade in Africa alone. Counterfeiting affects all pharmaceuticals ranging from vaccines and antibiotics to anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterol medication.

Drug counterfeiting is not just a developing world problem. In 2005, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Missouri indicted three businesses for a 42 million dollar conspiracy to sell counterfeit, smuggled and misbranded Lipitor, a mainstream cholesterol lowering drug. The FDA had to recall 18 million Lipitor tablets which is one of its largest recalls related to counterfeiting.

In Nigeria, this is a particularly big problem. This Day Live reports that in 1989, over 150 children died due to diethylene glycol present in fake paracetamol syrup. The problem reached such a high level, that sale of Nigerian-manufactured products was banned in other African countries. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control Nigeria, or NAFDAC, website continues to be filled with reports on recent impounding and destruction of fake drugs and public alert notification on drug recalls. A report on March 5 on the destruction of N500 million, approximately 2.5 million dollars, worth of fake drugs in Anambra state, was immediately followed by a March 6 report on the impounding of N270 million in counterfeit medication.

NAFDAC is employing many strategies to curb the problem including control at points of entry, inspecting manufacturing plants in producing countries and employing foreign analysts to certify drugs before exportation from India, China and Egypt. Under the leadership of the late Prof. Dora Akunyili, NAFDAC came down hard on counterfeiters and corrupt officers. Due to NAFDAC’s efforts, the incidence of fake drugs has dropped by 90 percent since 2001 and the ban on Nigerian-manufactured drugs has been lifted.

Yet the problem persists. The New York Times reports that in 2008, 84 children died after consuming fake teething mixture in Nigeria. In a recent interview with CNBC Africa, Dr. Bell Ihua, COO of NOIPolls, says 18 percent of Nigerians believe they have been a victim of fake pharmaceuticals. A whopping 70 percent worry that counterfeiting is rampant. This means that 70 percent of people actually worry that a drug they are consuming could be fake. A large proportion of victims only know they have consumed fake drugs when they have an adverse reaction.

Public awareness is a large obstacle. High illiteracy and low exposure makes it hard for the public to be on their guard. NAFDAC broadcasts short messages and jingles on the radio to educate and warn the public. Novel solutions are now slowly entering the field. Ashifi Gogo, a Ghana based enterprise, allows customers to scratch off labels inside the pill box and text the code to get a verification of drug quality. Of course, the system is not foolproof as counterfeiters can make fake labels. More campaigns and programs to educate the public will aid this effort. The involvement of community leaders can bring this down to the grassroots level where such programs really need to create an impact.

– Mithila Rajagopal

Sources: Africa Renewal, CNBC Africa, FDA, NAFDAC, New York Times, ThisDayLive, WHO 1, WHO 2, WHO 3

Photo: Code Wit

AGOA: Strengthening Economic Relations

AGOAIn 2000, the United States Congress approved legislation entitled the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA, in hopes to better economic relations between the United States and sub-Saharan Africa. The legislation highlights key factors in trade between the U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa while providing many benefits.

The act was initially set to expire in 2008, but President George W. Bush signed the AGOA Acceleration Act of 2004, which extended AGOA to 2015. The Act’s apparel special provision, which permits lesser-developed countries to use foreign fabric for their garment exports, was to expire in September 2007.

However, legislation passed by Congress in December 2006 extended it through 2012.

The legislation authorized the President of the United States to determine which sub-Saharan African countries would be eligible for AGOA on an annual basis. The eligibility criteria was to improve labor rights and movement toward a market-based economy. Each year, the president evaluates the sub-Saharan African countries and determines which countries should remain eligible.

Currently, there are 44 African countries eligible with AGOA.

 

What are the benefits of AGOA for African countries?

AGOA provides trade preferences for quota and duty-free entry into the United States for certain goods, expanding the benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences, or GSP, program.

AGOA expanded market access for textile and apparel goods into the United States for eligible countries, though many other goods are also included. This resulted in the growth of an apparel industry in southern Africa, and created hundreds of thousands of jobs.

In addition to growth in the textile and apparel industry, some AGOA countries have begun to export new products to the United States, such as cut flowers, horticultural products, automotives and steel.

;Agricultural products is a promising area for AGOA trade; however, much work needs to be done to assist African countries in meeting U.S. sanitary and phytosanitary standards.

 

What are the benefits of AGOA for US firms?

By creating tangible incentives for African countries to implement economic and commercial reform policies, AGOA contributes to better market opportunities and stronger commercial partners in Africa for U.S. companies. The Act strengthens commercial ties between Africa and the United States, while it helps to integrate Africa into the global economy.

U.S. firms may find new opportunities in privatizations of African state-owned enterprises or in partnership with African companies in infrastructure projects.

– Alaina Grote

Sources: AGOA, International Trade Administration
Photo: Financial Mail

Iraq Trying to Reclaim Tikrit from ISIS

tikritIran joined forces with the Iraqi military on Monday, March 2 in an operation to reclaim Tikrit from the Islamic State. The incident involved throwing drones, heavy weaponry and ground forces.

The U.S. and Iran have both steered clear of each other’s operations in Iraq, according to U.S. officials. In general, when Shiite militias are involved in a military operation, the U.S. doesn’t provide support.

Sunni radical group Islamic State began taking over parts of Iraq last summer, gaining control over Shiite-dominated territories. Shiite Iran aiding Shiite-dominated Iraq could potentially fuel another religious-based civil war in Iraq, reinforcing predictions that Iraq could break up.

Approximately 30,000 fighters participated in the offensive, nearly equal in numbers between Iraqi military fighters and Shiite Iranian volunteers. Sunni and Shiite officials both emphasized that a smaller contingent of 1,000-2,000 Sunni tribal fighters native to the Tikrit region would assist the government in the battle.

“Tikrit is a crucial strategic area and it represents the key for the liberation of Mosul itself,” said General Abdul Wahab al-Saidi, the commander of the Tikrit operation.

The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, took control of Tikrit last summer during a dramatic assault. Monday was Iraq’s third attempt to regain control of Tikrit, located on the Tiger River northwest of Baghdad. Previous operations failed most likely due to failed communication between the Iraqi fighters and Shiite volunteers.

Iran has carried out airstrikes within Iraq in support of Shiite militias. Last October, Shiite militias supported by Iranian advisers helped retake a Sunni town outside Baghdad, according to U.S. officials. The Tikrit fight, according to U.S. officials, represents the most sizable Iranian support yet for an Iraqi offensive.

The United Nations has stepped in to help the thousands of people who have been displaced from their homes or had their homes destroyed in the fights. Many children do not attend school anymore or partake in responsibilities and jobs at home.

– Alaina Grote

Sources: BBC, Reuters, Wall Street Journal
Photo: i.ensonhaber

Education in Turkmenistan

education_in_turkmenistanFrom 2000-2006, Turkmenistan experienced a 500 percent growth in its GDP. Despite this increase, no funding went toward education in Turkmenistan. Instead the focus was on infrastructure development. Even though the stance on education in Turkmenistan was nearly invisible 10 years ago, in recent years there has been a push for change.

Education in Turkmenistan is now a national priority. By partnering up with UNICEF and the U.N., Turkmenistan has been able to provide structure to their education system. Since this team formed, the amount of schooling that children were required to attend has increased.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow also announced that in all five regions of Turkmenistan, there would be model schools built so that they could promote interactive teaching and learning methods.

Higher education has also been included in the spotlight. One of the primary objectives, underpinning the development and also the improvement of education in Turkmenistan, is the increase in the qualifications and profile of scientific personnel. Currently, young students have the opportunity to receive a professional education that meets international goals.

In 2008, research projects that were supported by the state commenced. Scientists involved in the projects have aimed to address important issues of social development. The goal is to develop and introduce technologies in industry. The advancements have lead to the decision to increase the amount of technology involved in education, which has provided support and a platform for the future of science education in Turkmenistan.

There is, however, some push back from citizens. The teachers feel that the amount of education that is forced may be too much and is producing overstressed students who haven’t grasped the concepts.

Though some of the policies that have been created aren’t perfect, education in Turkmenistan is headed in the right direction. “The conditions have been created in Turkmenistan for young people to receive a world-class education and for companies and organizations to be furnished with highly qualified cadres,” said the president.

– Erik Nelson

Sources: Eurasianet, European Commission, UNICEF
Photo: Turkmenistan Info

Poverty in Alexandria, Egypt

Egypt PovertyDespite protests against inhumane living conditions, extreme poverty, government corruption and leadership, poverty in Alexandria, Egypt is still rising.

Overcrowded housing, bias urban development and limited access to food, water, quality health and education are among the root causes of poverty in Alexandria.

Although poverty rates in large urban cities such as Alexandria and Cairo remain high, it does not compare to the percentage of impoverished people in the rural areas of Egypt, also known as “upper Egypt,” and Egypt as a whole. In recent years, poverty rates in Alexandria have increased by one percent and is currently still rising.

According to the World Fact Book, Alexandria’s total population is approximately 4.4 million compared to Egypt’s total population of 86.9 million. Overall, 25 percent of Egypt’s population is in poverty, compared to 15.3 percent of the urban population of Egypt who live in poverty.

As one of the largest cities in Egypt, second to only Cairo, Alexandria’s urban development has caused an inequality of wealth distribution—the more money spent on development in urban cities, the less money spent on rural Egypt.

Essentially, Egypt’s developmental policies are focused in urban areas causing bias that has prompted a high rate of poverty in upper Egypt.

The agriculture sector represents a large percentage of Egypt’s population. These rural areas are home to 40 percent of the country’s population and about 70 percent of the country’s impoverished people. Focusing development in cities like Alexandria have allowed room for neglect in rural parts of Egypt where poverty remains one of the highest compared to other areas in Egypt.

The uneven distribution of development have caused people from rural parts of Egypt to migrate to urban areas such as Alexandria and Cairo. However, the migration only fuels the cycle of poverty and state of underdevelopment in rural areas. Instead of targeting Egypt’s root of poverty in rural areas, the efforts are being focused on urban development.

The inability to reduce poverty in Egypt is blamed on urban development.

A large difference between poverty in Alexandria and rural areas in upper Egypt is the public infrastructure such as electricity, education, health and water. Explaining poverty rates in Egypt is closely tied to the urban development in the metropolitan areas of Egypt, where a large percentage of Egypt’s manufacturing, trading and major constructions is concentrated.

Aside from urban development, education also impacts high poverty rates. There’s a known link between lack of education and poverty—the less education accessed, the higher the rate of poverty.

According to the World Bank, about 46 percent of Egypt’s poor is illiterate and 40 percent have a basic education, while the remaining population have advanced degrees. Fighting poverty in Egypt is not only about development in rural parts of Egypt, but also about education.

Ultimately, focusing efforts on improving education in Alexandria and redistributing development across Egypt can aid in the fight against poverty.

– Nada Sewidan

Sources: CIA World Factbook, Egypt Independent, Save the Children, World Bank

Photo: Flickr

Poverty in Suriname

Suriname Poverty
Poverty in Suriname affects nearly one out of every two people. The official rate is 47 percent. Some of the issues contributing to Suriname’s poverty are health, education, child labor, sexual exploitation and violence.

The children of Suriname do not have equal access to health care, which results in the neglect of serious illnesses. AIDS is the number one killer of children who are five and older. Any child that is infected by AIDS often has to be hospitalized immediately because there is no chance of taking care of the child at home. Malnutrition further catalyzes the effects of disease and a large amount of children are often hospitalized because of this.

Education in Suriname is also in shambles. The country favors the development of schools in the capital, leading to severe education inequality. Many primary schools that are not in the capital have teachers that are poorly trained, giving little hope for any improvement over time.

The amount of poverty in Suriname has often led to children having to take on jobs. The fixed age at which a child can start working is 14; however, eight percent of children ages five to 14 work, often in the agricultural industry where they are exposed to toxins.

Due to discrimination, there is also a lot of violence among the inhabitants of Suriname. The country is composed of several ethnicities and those belonging to the smallest group of minorities often get slighted when it comes to basic rights. These marginalized groups are often subject to forced labor and sexual exploitation.

There are improvements happening in Suriname though. For one, Suriname’s stance on child labor has improved. In 2013, Suriname made a moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. Recently the age limit for employment increased to 18. Increasing the capacity to enforce all child labor laws is also a goal for Suriname.

Education is also seeing improvements. The Netherlands Institute for Curriculum Development, or SLO, has been actively participating in the development of the Surinamese basic education curriculum. Another sector in which we see the poverty in Suriname being addressed is the housing market. The Inter-American Development Bank supported Suriname by providing a single upfront subsidy for the poorest families to build new homes or improve an existing solution.

– Erik Nelson

Sources: Humanium, Inter-American Development Bank, Netherlands Institute for Curriculum Development, U.S. Department of Labor

Photo: Flickr

Hunger in Mozambique

Mozambique HungerA country ravaged by war, Mozambique has many societal issues that need to be dealt with, and one of the stricken country’s biggest shortcomings is food. With 24.5 million inhabitants, one-third are chronically food-insecure with half of a million children ages six to 23 months being undernourished.

Underlying causes include inadequate nutritional intake due to poor diet diversity, low meal frequency, poor breastfeeding practices, high levels of disease and teenage pregnancy. The high incidence of HIV infection further aggravates the malnutrition that people suffer.

The U.N., the World Food Programme and The Hunger Project have all come together to help fight hunger in Mozambique. Mozambique is a “Delivering as One” country meaning that all U.N. agencies, if logistically capable, contribute toward a U.N. Development Assistance Framework. The UNDAF and the WFP have aligned priorities in Mozambique, and Mozambique is benefiting from it.

The WFP has two distinct programs that are set to run this year: the Country Program, or CP, and the Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation, or PRRO.

CP pursues the WFP’s transition from food aid to food assistance, supporting and enhancing government programs to constitute sustainable, national solutions to food insecurity through prevention, protection and promotion. The program attempts to stimulate local economies using innovative delivery methods of payment such as cash, vouchers and mobile phone transfers.

The five main components of the CP are school meals, social protection, nutrition, risk reduction and market access.

WFP’s other program dedicated to fighting hunger in Mozambique, PRRO, provides food assistance in support of response and early recovery activities, targeting the disaster-affected as well as displaced persons who have sought refuge in Mozambique. CP is a program centered on sustainability and growth while PRRO is centered on disaster relief due to the surrounding circumstances of the location of Mozambique. The key approaches of the PRRO are relief activities (sudden onset emergency), early recovery activities (post-relief assistance) and capacity development.

WFP and the U.N. aren’t the only ones that are fighting the hunger in Mozambique; The Hunger Project is also on the front line. THP works to build sustainable community-based programs using their Epicenter Strategy. An epicenter is a dynamic center of community mobilization and action, as well as an actual facility built by community members. Epicenters bring together 15,000-20,000 people from rural villages and give the groups a voice that has more influence than if they did not band together.

In Mozambique, there are three epicenters. These epicenters serve a population of about 22,200 partners in 10 villages. With the epicenters functioning at full capacity, the local areas will see an increase in economic sustainability and, therefore, more food security.

The U.N., the World Food Programme and The Hunger Project have all been aiding Mozambique for the past decade. Together these organizations have been providing beneficial practices spanning from immediate emergency relief to sustainability to community building programs.

– Erik Nelson

Sources: The Hunger Project, World Food Porgramme

Photo: Flickr

Anti-Poverty Projects Win Nutrition Awards

Nutrition ProjectsThe World Bank highlighted three award-winning anti-poverty projects at a global event broadcasted at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 19. The winning projects incorporate agriculture, food security and nutrition in a single development program.

The contest, known as Harvest Nutrition, was launched jointly by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, or GAIN, the SecureNutrition Knowledge Platform—which is funded by the World Bank Group—and Save the Children UK.

In hosting the contest, the three organizations aimed to showcase projects that “showed the linkages between agriculture, nutrition, and food security,” and that addressed “the principal challenges of integrating a nutrition sensitive approach to agriculture and food security programs.” The awards were granted in three main categories: most scalable approach, most innovative approach and most impact on nutrition.

The three winning projects were awarded $5,000 each in grant funding and are listed as follows:

1. Impact on Nutrition (Zambia): Realigning Agriculture to Improve Nutrition (RAIN)

“Aiming to increase year-round availability of and access to high-quality foods at the household level, data from RAIN show encouraging results, with increased production of various micronutrient-rich crops, such as leafy green vegetables, and increased dietary diversity during both the hunger and post-harvest seasons. Rigorous data collection and analysis, conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), is integrated into the program design. Implemented by Concern Worldwide.” – World Bank

2. Innovation (Kenya): Shamba Shape Up

“A ‘make-over’ style reality television show targeting rural smallholder farmers, Shamba Shape Up is a clear standout as an innovative platform for presenting and disseminating nutrition messages. Shamba Shape Up, which is implemented by The Mediae Company, reaches more than 10 million farmers in East Africa with tools and information to improve productivity and income on their farms.” – World Bank

3. Scalability (West, Central, and East Africa Regions): N2Africa

“This large-scale multi-country ‘research to development’ project is promoting new technologies for improving productivity of legumes such as groundnut, cowpea and common bean—commonly regarded as women’s crops. N2Africa, which is implemented by Wageningen University, works with a wide variety of stakeholders across the value chain from seed to fork, and from field to market. A strong evaluation system provides the basis for ongoing feedback and learning.” – World Bank

– Katrina Beedy

Sources: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,  World Bank
Photo: Flickr

Five Reasons People are Hungry in Equatorial Guinea

people_are_hungryIn 2013, Equatorial Guinea donated $30 million to fight hunger in Africa. Truthfully though, that donation may have been partly inspired by self-interest. Located west of Central Africa itself, the tiny nation is dwarfed in reputation by its northern compatriot Guinea. Below are five other reasons people are hungry in large swaths of its population.

1. Ignorance

Many Americans are culturally illiterate when it comes to Africa as a whole. They do not know how many countries there are, much less the individual distinctions between those countries. When casually asked about the location of the 2010 World Cup, most of them shrug and reply, “Africa.” What follows is a fair amount of “voluntourism,” our second reason.

2. Voluntourism

“An act carried out by … hoards of … the great unwashed backpacker brigade descend on a place to do have a jolly nice holiday—usually at precious little cost to themselves—and do the occasional bit of good work.” The Urban Dictionary definition says it all. Voluntourists seldom go to Africa because they are dedicated to ending the suffering of African women or children. Instead, it’s become a social rite of passage and a booster for résumés and college applications.

Lauren Kascak—a three-time, self-admitted voluntourist herself—asserts, “Voluntourism is ultimately about the fulfillment of the volunteers themselves, not necessarily what they bring to the communities they visit … In Ghana … local people weren’t purchasing health insurance, since they knew there would be free foreign health care and medications available every few months. This left them vulnerable in the intervening times, not to mention when the organization would leave the community.”

3. Misplaced priorities

Closely related to voluntourism, many people who do come to Equatorial Guinea with a helpful mindset end up not helping in ways that have lasting impacts. It is said that if a man is given fish, he will only have food for one day. Many altruists are, sometimes literally, the fish-givers. For this reason, it cannot be stressed enough the importance of diversifying aid beyond handouts and freebies. Otherwise, the very “Others” whom altruists try to help become dependent upon the latter’s aid, eventually stunting economic growth on a grand scale.

4. The Paradox of Plenty

Equatorial Guinea is not a poster child nation of poverty; it struck oil in 1995 and is now perceived as relatively wealthy. However, its people remain stuck in poverty because the government also has misplaced priorities. While it has increased the annual amount spent on public works, less than half of Equatorial Guinea’s population has access to clean drinking water. Its child mortality rate remains near 10 percent. Why? That brings us to point five.

5. Corruption

Ahh, the old C-word is back. The leaders of Equatorial Guinea, since its independence in 1968, have ruled over the small country with a dictatorial, terroristic mindset. Its first leader following independence was Francisco Macias Nguema: a dictator who ordered the deaths of thousands of opponents, including some of his own family members. He remains known as “one of the most kleptocratic, corrupt, and dictatorial leaders in post-colonial African history.” His successor and nephew, Teodoro Mbasogo, may not be much better. Mbasogo may not be connected to a possible Bubi genocide, but Human Rights Watch maintains that he has used the oil boom to carry on the kleptocracy that his predecessor instituted.

– Leah Zazofsky

Sources: BBC,  Urban Dictionary,  The Society Pages,  The Ottawa Citizen
Photo: Human Rights Watch

How to End Global Poverty Today

end_global_povertyCreating a community of advocates is essential to ending global poverty.

According to USAID, approximately 1.2 billion people around the world currently live in poverty. However, from 1990 to 2010, global poverty has been cut in half and continues to decline today. The ultimate goal in this fight against global poverty is to eradicate it until it is no longer part of the world.

Although ending global poverty is not an easy feat, it is possible. Providing impoverished countries with the necessary tools to create a self-reliant community is an essential step. Tools such as education, healthcare and water are important influences on poverty.

Building clinics, water sources such as wells and schools for education can reduce the economic instability that exists in impoverished countries. Workshops on effective farming methods and fundamental knowledge can influence the day to day lives of the poor. By providing these tools, people can begin to translate what they have learned into their livelihood, which will in turn break the cycle of poverty and create a community with economic security.

Answering the question of how to end global poverty then becomes a matter of how to obtain and provide these necessary tools. The answer: creating a community of advocates.

When people are aware, committed and active regarding an issue such a global poverty, change occurs.

One of the ways the public can contribute is by raising awareness in the local community. The more people who are aware of the cause, the higher the chance of impact.

People can use their power of speech and right to vote to make the efforts to end global poverty known. Calling or emailing senators and local representatives in support of poverty-reducing bills can influence the amount of help given to fight global poverty.

Donating money and volunteering time to organizations that aid in the fight is another way to effect change. The Hunger Project and The World Food Programme are examples of organizations that use unique and effective methods to act against poverty. Coming up with new and creative platforms that engages the community is also another method.

It’s not about how large the act, but about the amount of people who act alongside the cause. It can be a phone call in support of a bill or an open mic night performance to raise awareness. It can be as simple as investing or donating money to the cause or volunteering time with an organization. It can be using power of speech to raise awareness or using the freedom to vote in support of a bill.

It can be a large or small contribution, but it’s a contribution nonetheless. The goal of ending global poverty becomes reality when the community as a whole comes together to fight. It can make an impact, and it can move the cause forward until poverty is completely eradicated.

In the words of JFK, “One person can make a difference and every person should try.”

– Nada Sewidan

Sources: USAID,  The Borgen Project
Photo: Productive Flourishing