Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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5 Charities Operating in Greenland

Charities Operating in Greenland
Across the expansive Arctic settlements of Greenland, geographic isolation and severe sub-zero temperatures present persistent socioeconomic obstacles for local communities. The island relies heavily on maritime shipments for essential goods. Consequently, low-income households face steep expenses for basic groceries, heating fuel and winter apparel. Rather than allowing these structural hardships to determine the well-being of young people, community initiatives step forward to establish essential safety nets. These grassroots organizations strengthen community resilience by addressing hardship through targeted youth empowerment, residential care and emergency relief. Here are five charities operating in Greenland that deliver vital support systems for vulnerable children, isolated youth and families facing hardship.

Foreningen Grønlandske Børn

Founded in 1924, Foreningen Grønlandske Børn creates safe educational environments to support disadvantaged youth across Greenland. The organization runs locally grounded activities and support projects for children and young people up to age 23 throughout Greenland. It serves more than 1,000 children each year through programs designed to combat social isolation, boost self-esteem and encourage school attendance. Its programs also work with children and families facing social challenges.

Kalaallit Røde Korsiat

Established in 1992, Kalaallit Røde Korsiat coordinates emergency aid and community social assistance across the island. The national society maintains seven local volunteer branches in Nuuk, Ilulissat, Qaqortoq, Maniitsoq, Aasiaat, Sisimiut and Kangaamiut. Across these municipalities, volunteer teams run community thrift shops that distribute warm winter jackets, boots and necessary household items at low prices to families on tight budgets. The organization also supports community first-aid activities and its youth initiative, INUA. Through youth-led local projects and social clubs, INUA engages dozens of young volunteers to build peer-support networks and combat loneliness during dark winter months.

Mælkebøtten

Located in Nuuk, Mælkebøtten operates an essential residential assessment facility for children facing acute domestic adversity. The residential center offers temporary care and assessment for children facing serious difficulties at home. During their residency, children receive round-the-clock professional care, balanced nutrition, educational support and psychological evaluations. The professional staff works closely with extended family members and social workers to assess each child’s developmental needs and secure a permanent, healthy living environment for their future.

Nanu Børn

Nanu Børn delivers direct emergency assistance to low-income families facing sudden economic distress. Operating as a volunteer-driven association, the charity organizes seasonal aid campaigns. Its holiday relief initiative delivers support to children and families experiencing hardship. The volunteer network regularly collects, inspects and ships large freight pallets containing warm children’s clothing and educational toys to remote coastal settlements. By delivering essential goods directly to families in need, Nanu Børn shields children from immediate material poverty and ensures that economic hardship does not hinder basic childhood well-being.

Bedre Børneliv

Bedre Børneliv, also known as Meeqqat Inuunerissut, operates as an independent child advocacy organization that defends youth rights and drives preventive child welfare measures across Greenland. The association partners with schools, civic leaders and municipal social service bodies to raise public awareness about neglect, domestic violence and trauma. Its child-protection advocacy has included public education campaigns addressing abuse and children’s rights. By promoting children legal safeguards and lobbying for comprehensive child welfare policies, Bedre Børneliv works to ensure that vulnerable youth grow up in secure environments.

Looking Ahead

These five charities operating in Greenland demonstrate how targeted local initiatives can overcome geographical barriers and mitigate socioeconomic inequality. By pairing emergency humanitarian relief with youth development, counseling and rights advocacy, these organizations safeguard the well-being of future generations across Arctic settlements. Continued civic investment in local solutions provides a sustainable path toward reducing poverty, ensuring that vulnerable children and families receive the care and stability they need to build secure futures.

– Ronnit Jain

Ronnit is based in Houston, TX and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Education Reform in Vietnam Leads Way for Poverty Reduction

Education Reform in VietnamEducation reform in Vietnam has decreased out-of-school rates among adolescents by at least 80% since 2000, according to a 2026 UNESCO report. Poverty reduction in Vietnam has been equally staggering, with the rate of people living at $3 a day going from 43.31% in 2002 to 1.6% in 2022, according to the World Bank Poverty & Inequality Platform.

Vietnam’s reform efforts and its recent economic improvement led the World Bank to reclassify the country from a lower-middle-income country to an upper-middle-income country in July. While education and poverty may seem unrelated, they are heavily connected, and the improvement of one leads to the improvement of the other.

Behind Education Reform in Vietnam

Projects increasing educational opportunities for vulnerable populations have contributed to the reduction of out-of-school rates. One such project is UNESCO’s We Are ABLE (Achieving Better Living and Education) program, which gives ethnic minority women access to quality education. The ongoing program has benefited more than 8,000 students since 2019 and helped hundreds of school teachers and managers with inclusive curriculums and classroom practices, according to the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.

Other programs, such as Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual Education, which instructs children in both their local languages and in Vietnamese, and Vi Vu, a text-to-speech software that helps visually impaired students in the Southern dialect, are making schooling more inclusive and accessible, contributing to higher in-school rates.

Improvement in infrastructure has also enhanced educational opportunities. More than 90% of schools in Vietnam now have internet access, according to a UNSDG report from Jan. 2025, increasing the quality of schools and education.

Additionally, national organizations have built more classrooms for children over the years, according to Ministry of Education and Training Pham Ngoc. In a 2024 conference in collaboration with Vietnam Television (VTV), a national TV station and news site, Ngoc said that the number of classrooms in the country increased from 553,181 in 2013, with only 65.9% being structurally sound, to 628,571, with 86.6% being structurally sound, according to VTV. This nationwide increase has especially helped children in rural or remote areas, who may have previously been too far from schools to receive quality education.

Education reform in Vietnam has also significantly reduced poverty in the country.

Education Reform and Poverty Reduction: a Cycle

A 2023 study in the Social Indicators Research journal analyzed the link between education and poverty by monitoring 34 European countries from 2015-2019. The study found that an increase in education levels led to poverty reduction, and the authors even claimed that education appeared to be “one of the best effective methods to eradicate poverty” in a country.

Lack of education can put individuals into poverty because they may not have the required skills and knowledge to find employment, according to the RELX SDG Resource Centre. The article says that it is especially important for women to receive proper education to reduce poverty rates. Educated women are less likely to marry and have children at a young age, allowing them to pursue their education and receive high-paying opportunities.

Poverty also leads to worse education. It affects children’s ability to attend school, from an affordability standpoint, and affects students’ performance in school. Children in poverty not only start school less ready than more affluent peers, both academically and socially, but “the incidence, depth, duration, and timing of poverty all influence a child’s educational attainment,” according to a 2007 study in the Paediatrics & Child Health journal. Factors such as lower parental education and higher stress in the family negatively affect children’s academic development.

Looking Ahead

Education and poverty are inherently related. As education reform in Vietnam continues, poverty’s downward trend will also continue, which, in turn, will lead to better education. Although Vietnam is still working to put more children in schools and take people out of poverty, the nation is proof that education reform greatly reduces poverty.

– Koya Weiss

Koya is based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay

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Top 3 Winners of the Millennium: Tertiary Sector and Poverty Reduction

Tertiary Sector
The world entered the 2000s with hope; the 1900s had seen the largest conflicts in history and devastating pandemics. Nations and people have made efforts to improve the world. Rwanda, Bangladesh and Vietnam provide examples of substantial poverty reduction since the turn of the millennium.

Rather than ranking countries against each other, this article examines different routes toward improving livelihoods and reducing poverty.

In June 2025, the World Bank updated its international extreme-poverty line from $2.15 (2017 purchasing-power-parity dollars) to $3.00 (2021 purchasing-power-parity dollars), drawing on new price data and revised national poverty lines. Older data using the $2.15 measure should be identified separately rather than directly combined with newer estimates.

Rwanda

Rwanda faced one of the worst atrocities in history during the Rwandan Genocide. After gaining independence from Belgium and later separating from Burundi, Rwanda became a free republic in 1962. The rural share of Rwanda’s population remained around 97% from 1962 until the 1994 genocide. The genocide included looting, destruction and a lack of maintenance on critical infrastructure; this culminated in a steep drop in the economy of an already poor country.

Since the turn of the millennium Rwanda has reduced the proportion of its population living under the extreme poverty line from 82% to 38% in 2023. Part of the reduction is in the shift to the tertiary sector, which makes up more than half of the country’s total GDP since 2024.

The tertiary sector has a complex relationship with poverty reduction. While it requires workers to have education or skills, which alienates the most impoverished, with proper implementation it absorbs surplus labor in less heavily qualified sectors such as agriculture. In Rwanda’s case, investment in education has been associated with a net enrollment rate of 98% in primary education. This has broadened the availability of the tertiary sector and allowed lower-income families to enter the sector. Alongside this, the increased pay leads to increased taxation, providing the government with more funds to allocate to programs such as Vision 2020. The program aims to develop Rwanda into a knowledge-based economy.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh started as East Pakistan in 1947 after the partition of the British Raj, and after decades of ill treatment its people rebelled in 1971. The country survived a genocide, which most U.N. member states do not recognize, before forming Bangladesh as an independent nation. A history of oppression has contributed to Bangladeshi poverty, similar to Rwanda; however, Bangladesh faces even further struggles with overpopulation and climate crisis. Heavy flooding routinely strikes Bangladesh, which sits only 10 meters above sea level on average. These two issues would challenge a fully developed economy, let alone a still developing nation.

Despite these challenges, Bangladesh has made substantial progress against poverty. The World Bank estimated extreme poverty at 5% in 2022 using the former $2.15 international poverty line, while warning that revised survey methods limit direct comparison with older rounds.

Job creation affects the reduction, with the tertiary sector making up 51% of the GDP and employing 39% of Bangladesh’s workforce. In real numbers, industry added 9.4 million jobs, compared with 21.2 million in the service sector. This has received assistance from the Primary Education Stipend Project, which provides food to mothers with the stipulation that their children maintain an 85% school attendance rate. This provides an educated workforce for the country and offers a route out of poverty.

Vietnam

Vietnam has a troubled history, defeating three superpowers in the previous century to ensure independence. Occupation left Vietnam fractured, and the civil war divided it. Alongside these issues, Vietnam has also had to battle the elements, with the monsoon season and regular typhoons flooding the country. To this day Vietnam struggles with education, with a survey in 2021 finding that only 58% of students completed high school-level education.

Since 1986, Vietnam has continued the Đổi Mới program, which means “Restoration.” The program focuses on international trade and shifts Vietnam from socialist autarky toward a liberated private sector. This shift transformed Vietnam from a country that suffered food shortages into one of the world’s largest rice exporters. These changes reduced poverty from 43% in 2002 (there is no data for 2000) to just 1.6% in 2022. Vietnam’s consistent 6.5% economic growth from 1986 to 2009 ranks among the highest rates within developing countries. These reforms helped create conditions associated with substantial poverty reduction.

Conclusion

While Rwanda, Bangladesh and Vietnam continue to face challenges, their experiences show how sustained economic and social development can help reduce poverty. Rwanda and Bangladesh highlight the importance of investment in education and the expansion of the service sector, while Vietnam’s experience shows how economic reform and international trade can transform a country’s economic opportunities. Although these approaches differ, they share a common theme: reducing poverty requires more than economic growth; it also requires opportunities for people to participate in and benefit from that growth.

– Eoin Baxter Mackay

Eoin is based in Prestwick and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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An Update on HIV/AIDS in North Macedonia

HIV/AIDS in North Macedonia
Growth trends of HIV/AIDS in Macedonia, later known as North Macedonia, from February 2017, display a consistently low prevalence rate of 0.1% from 2005 to present, and more than 600 people currently live with the disease. Rates are higher for men than women. Transmission commonly occurs through sex or sharing of injections.

Data Challenges

Issues in this area include unreliable data due to social stigma, such as that related to drug use. Consequently, people may not want to participate. Other barriers to data collection include a lack of awareness among vulnerable individuals who may contract it, and financial crises that prevent people from volunteering in trials. Unreliable data makes epidemiological patterns harder to predict. Surveillance also lacks focus on vulnerable populations.

In 2005, Macedonia had a low prevalence of HIV/AIDS, with the main mode of infection being sexual contact. Between 5,000 and 6,000 drug users were registered in Macedonia. Injected drug users (IDU) form the majority of these users, leading to potential increases in the risk of the epidemic concentrating around IDUs in the future.

People most vulnerable include youth, injected drug users, prisoners, juvenile delinquents and the mobile population, such as seasonal workers and commercial sex workers (CSW).

Socioeconomic Challenges

Challenges contributing to vulnerability in Macedonia include poverty, with 21.8% living in poverty. Most impoverished individuals reside in rural areas, where mortality rates are higher compared to cities, and education levels, including regarding HIV/AIDS, are lower.

Past Funding – GFATM

In Macedonia, public health expenditure was around 6% from 1999 to 2003. A foreign grant from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) of $4.4 million was provided from 2004 to 2006, and Macedonia and Serbia were the only countries that received it. Even then, the resource gap was quite large, by $2 million or more.

Funding was crucial during this time, supporting prevention and treatment efforts. This source suggests the government worked across sectors to implement prevention and treatment effectively. However, this GFATM funding did not cover surveillance, thus more resources are necessary to reach the desired outcome of containing the illness. Nonetheless, the country had a robust plan and funding to aid in the fight against HIV/AIDS nationally.

Recent Funding Cuts

Since June 2017, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has ceased funding HIV/AIDS in North Macedonia, leaving the Ministry of Health as the main funding source. The low chance of contracting HIV/AIDS led to substantial budget cuts every year for four years by 40% by the Ministry of Health. Due to early implementation of prevention strategies and other initiatives, North Macedonia has not experienced an endemic for HIV/AIDS.

Not only were rates low for contracting HIV/AIDS in North Macedonia, by 2017, it became classified as an upper-middle-income status, making the argument for budget cuts more robust. Nonetheless, the government worked closely with the Global Fund to ensure links between Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and the government remained strong.

Need for Increased Funding

Many believe that the budget cuts risk undermining infrastructure and capacities built from 2005 to 2017 funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which provided over $25 million for HIV nationally. There is a risk of closure of HIV prevention programs that have been effective over the last couple of decades. This may further impact the right to access healthcare if cuts continue.

Companies specializing in HIV prevention and treatment highlight the risk of infections rising with cuts to these services, such as the European AIDS Treatment Group. Almost a quarter of the population now lives in poverty in North Macedonia, which could lead to catastrophe if someone living in poverty acquired HIV/AIDS. Economic constraints already limit access to healthcare. Marginalized people, such as those in rural areas and disabled individuals, already have trouble accessing adequate healthcare, which would project a worse outcome for these people. Additionally, there is a lack of key workers to support HIV/AIDS patients. Each patient has a right to health, and these cuts could take that away from them.

For the last four years, there have been substantial budget cuts toward HIV/AIDS. In 2025, more than 1.46 million euros is allocated for HIV prevention, which is less than what the country needed the previous year.

Proposed Solutions

Some have written to the government and ministry officials. Following the budget cut, 16 Macedonian civil society organizations united to create a joint platform to advocate for sustainable financing of HIV programs. This effort focuses on reversing the government budget cuts.

A social worker believes that it is essential to continue pressing the government and policymakers about the importance of funding in this sector of healthcare, so that people with an HIV diagnosis are never denied treatment.

Focusing on treating patients who have HIV/AIDS is important. “Empowering Patients for a Healthier Society – Annual Work Programme 2025” is funded by the European Union and is a project aiming to increase quality of life by making treatment more accessible and encouraging a more inclusive and beneficial healthcare environment. By doing so, this gives those with HIV/AIDS in North Macedonia more control over their lives and more self-confidence. There is also prevention education, early detection education and a supportive community after receiving the diagnosis. The actual results have yet to be published. However, this is a key type of solution that spreads awareness and makes healthcare more accessible.

When the Ministry of Health took over responsibility for funding HIV/AIDS, positive results emerged two years later, with HIV/AIDS in North Macedonia receiving funding completely internally. North Macedonia is a model example for countries to follow when they cut budgets for good reason.

– Emilia Upton

Emilia is based in London and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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How UNDP in Sudan is Helping the Country Grow

UNDP in Sudan
Since the outbreak of conflict in 2023, nearly 6.9 million people have been pushed into extreme poverty. Farming communities have collapsed, more than 70% of health care facilities in conflict-affected areas have shut, and diseases such as cholera, HIV and TB have become more prevalent. Children’s education has been disrupted. UNDP reports it plans to continue supporting Sudan in the long term, including through access to services, clean energy, training and livelihood programs that strengthen communities’ self-reliance. Here is information about how UNDP is helping Sudan grow.

Clean and Sustainable Energy

UNDP provides solar-powered energy to ensure farming, health care facilities, and businesses have a cost-effective, clean, reliable, and sustainable source of energy. For example, many of the farms around the River Nile relied on diesel-fueled water irrigation systems. With the state of the economy and conflict in Sudan, this became an expensive and unreliable form of energy. Many farms had to cut back on fuel, which led to failing crops. With UNDP’s help and funding from the Republic of Korea, 300 farms received solar-powered irrigation systems, helping to maintain livelihoods in a clean and cost-effective way.

Helping Communities Grow

UNDP partnered with the UN Interim Security Force of Abyei to provide support for individuals in communities by creating jobs, supporting farmers, empowering women, providing clean water and offering training to ensure conflict resolution and peacekeeping. UNDP set up a local community management committee, giving people a voice and enabling each community to assess needs and assistance priorities. This committee identified the need for home-grown gardens, providing women with seeds, tools and training to produce food for their families while giving them the initiative to sell excess produce. UNDP established the Village Savings and Loans Association to empower women, support small businesses, and provide financial stability for more than 170 women. In one case, the association brought together 25 women from different communities to set up and run a produce business, sharing the capital and profits.

Achievements

UNDP has been working to help the people of Sudan. These efforts have:

  • Reported reaching more than 6.3 million Sudanese people, refugees and migrants.
  • Distributed 150 metric tons of certified seeds to strengthen agricultural resilience.
  • Created more than 200,000 temporary cash-for-work jobs.

The work UNDP does would not be possible without the backing of governments in other countries and funding from supporting partners. However, the need is still growing. UNDP Sudan Resident Representative Luca Renda stated, “To truly match the courage and determination of the Sudanese people, we must do more.” UNDP continues to support the Sudanese people and its communities, helping Sudan grow in its economy, agriculture, clean energy initiative, and peace.

– Shannon Waters

Shannon is based in Middlesbrough and focuses on Business and New Markets for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Humanitarian Law Supports Civilian Protection in Sudan

Civilian Protection in Sudan
Sudan’s war has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian emergencies. UNICEF reported that 33.7 million people needed humanitarian assistance in 2026 alone, including 17.3 million children, while more than 9.1 million people were displaced internally by June. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) estimated that close to 19.5 million people, almost 41% of the population, faced high levels of acute food insecurity between the months of February and May 2026. These figures make civilian protection in Sudan more than a question of preventing injury and death. Protecting hospitals, water systems, food supplies and humanitarian access can also limit disruptions to essential services and the financial pressures that can deepen poverty as the conflict continues.

How International Humanitarian Law Protects Civilians

The International Committee of the Red Cross classified the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as a non-international armed conflict. A non-international armed conflict is defined as sustained fighting between state armed forces and an organized armed group or multiple non-state groups. Some of the specific laws that help to minimize harm for civilians are Common Article 3 and Additional Protocol II of the Geneva Conventions. Customary humanitarian law also requires warring parties to distinguish civilians and civilian infrastructure from military objectives. These rules also prohibit attacks expected to cause excessive civilian harm relative to the anticipated military advantage and require precautions to minimize harm. For civilian protection in Sudan, these rules are vital because damage to civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, water systems and food markets can affect civilians even after the fighting ends.

The Economic Costs of Damaged Health Systems

Sudan’s health system shows how damage to civilian infrastructure can create economic as well as humanitarian consequences. In April 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 37% of health facilities across Sudan were nonfunctional and that it had verified 217 attacks on health care since 2023, resulting in a documented count of 2,052 deaths and 810 verified injuries. The WHO also reported that civilian patients in some conflict-affected areas have had to make long and especially dangerous journeys to reach functioning facilities. The ICRC separately notes that disruptions to essential services can often force civilians to pay out of pocket at a significant personal cost to meet their basic needs, especially when essential services fail. For households already facing displacement or loss of income, these added costs can severely deepen financial hardship.

The economic effects extend well beyond individual medical expenses paid by civilians and families. The ICRC reports that disruptions to water, health and energy systems weaken the overall local and regional economies. This affects livelihoods and increases the cost of resources and personnel needed for reconstruction and broader recovery efforts. The ICRC also notes that weapons utilized in the conflict can cause permanent and life-altering injuries to civilians that sometimes require long-term support. Protecting essential services therefore also helps to preserve the economic foundations communities need to recover.

Hunger, Displacement and Lost Livelihoods

The connection between conflict and economic hardship is especially visible in Sudan’s food crisis. The IPC estimated that almost 19.5 million people faced high levels of acute food insecurity between the months of February and May of 2026. Of that total, more than 5 million people were living under Emergency (IPC Phase 4) conditions. The IPC also identified a risk of famine in 14 specific areas in Sudan, including North Darfur, South Darfur and South Kordofan. This estimate was calculated under a reasonable worst-case scenario involving intensified conflict and further restrictions on humanitarian access and freedom of movement of goods and people. An estimated 825,000 children under the age of 5 were expected to experience severe acute malnutrition in 2026 alone. Conflict can also separate families from farmland, livelihoods, livestock and other financial and employment opportunities, further reducing the resources available to sustain food and income.

International law also protects humanitarian relief and necessities essential to the survival of civilians and families. The ICRC explains that when civilians face shortages of essential supplies such as food, medicine and other life-saving goods, parties to the conflict have an obligation to consent to exclusively humanitarian and impartial relief action for civilians. The U.N. Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan reported in September 2025 that humanitarian assistance had been obstructed, convoys attacked or destroyed and humanitarian aid workers were specifically targeted. The report also attributed serious violations to both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and additionally documented extensive destruction of civilian medical centers, food markets and other essential facilities. These are findings of the U.N.-mandated mission, rather than assumptions about the motives of either side.  

From Legal Protection to Humanitarian Action

International Humanitarian Law alone cannot end Sudan’s devastating war, but humanitarian organizations use its protections as a framework for practical assistance. The ICRC reported that it supported an estimated 3.9 million people across the whole of Sudan in the year 2025. An additional 3.3 million were estimated to have gained improved access to safe water and more than 154,000 received emergency care at ICRC-supported hospitals. More than 310,000 received assistance during outbreaks of cholera, malaria and other diseases. These interventions do not demonstrate that poverty has fallen, but they can reduce immediate household pressures by preserving access to essential services that civilians and families might otherwise have to travel long distances, make dangerous journeys or pay significant amounts to obtain.

UNICEF reported similarly measurable assistance from January to June 2026. UNICEF and its partners provided an estimated 6.6 million people with access to safe water, supported 1.3 million people with primary health care and treated approximately 174,700 children for severe acute malnutrition. These programs do not entirely erase the economic, physical or emotional losses families may have experienced, but they demonstrate how civilian protection in Sudan can translate into concrete support that preserves health care, basic and essential services, while reducing some of the pressures facing vulnerable individuals and families.

Looking Ahead

Sudan’s humanitarian crisis is an example of why the laws of war have consequences well beyond the battlefield. Protecting hospitals, food and water systems and other essential civilian infrastructure can preserve and support life-saving services, reduce the financial burdens for civilians and families and further help to limit the destruction of Sudanese livelihoods. Ultimately civilian protection in Sudan depends on greater respect for humanitarian law and sustained humanitarian access. These measures cannot substitute for a political and diplomatic end to the conflict, but they can help to preserve human life, essential services and the economic foundations communities need to effectively recover.

 – Elias Haskins

Elias is based in Claremont, CA and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Gains in Healthcare in Bhutan Mask Gaps for the Vulnerable

Healthcare in Bhutan
Bhutan has made significant progress in improving healthcare and reducing poverty, but access to essential health services remains uneven for some rural and vulnerable communities. Continued investment in healthcare in Bhutan could help the country build on its health gains while supporting household well-being and long-term poverty reduction.

Bhutan reduced its national poverty rate from 28% in 2017 to 11.6% in 2022, according to the World Bank. However, poverty remains predominantly rural, with 87% of the country’s poor people living in rural areas. These disparities make access to essential services particularly important for communities that may already face economic and geographic challenges.

Bhutan Has Made Significant Health Gains

Bhutan has recorded substantial improvements in health outcomes over the past two decades. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), maternal mortality fell from 255 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 53 in 2023. During the same period, under-five mortality declined from 84 deaths per 1,000 live births to 19.5.

The country has also maintained immunization coverage above 99%, while institutional delivery rates reached 98.5% in 2023. These improvements reflect Bhutan’s continued investment in health services and efforts to expand access to essential care.

The 2023 National Health Survey also reported improvements in access to health services across the country. These gains provide a strong foundation for continued progress in healthcare in Bhutan, while remaining gaps show the importance of ensuring that vulnerable communities can benefit from these improvements.

Rural Communities Still Face Healthcare Gaps

Despite these improvements, geography can affect access to healthcare in Bhutan. The country’s mountainous terrain and dispersed communities can make travel to health facilities more difficult, particularly for people living in rural areas.

Bhutan’s 2023 National Health Survey found that 72.9% of the population lived less than 30 minutes from the nearest health facility. However, 8.6% lived between one and two hours away, 2.5% lived between two and three hours away and 0.8% lived more than three hours away.

The survey also found differences between urban and rural households in the type of health facility located closest to them. Hospitals were the closest facility for 87.4% of urban households surveyed, compared with 37.6% of rural households. Primary health centers were the closest facility for 52.8% of rural households.

These differences highlight the importance of strengthening primary healthcare and referral services so that people living outside major population centers can access appropriate care.

Healthcare Access Can Affect Household Finances

Access to healthcare can also affect household finances. Illness can create financial pressure through medical expenses, transportation costs and time away from work.

Bhutan’s 2023 National Health Survey found that 46.7% of households incurred health expenditures. Households spent an average of Nu 1,000.8 per month on healthcare-related expenses.

Transportation accounted for 60.7% of health expenditure among rural households. For families living farther from health facilities, transportation can therefore add to the financial burden associated with seeking medical care.

These costs are particularly relevant for households with limited financial resources. When families must spend money traveling to receive healthcare, fewer resources may remain available for other household needs. Improving access to healthcare can therefore help reduce some of the financial and geographic barriers that vulnerable households face when seeking essential services.

Continued Investment Can Strengthen Bhutan’s Progress

Bhutan’s health achievements provide a foundation for addressing remaining gaps. The WHO Country Cooperation Strategy for Bhutan for 2026–2030 focuses on strengthening collaboration with the Royal Government of Bhutan to improve health and development outcomes.

The strategy builds on a partnership between WHO and Bhutan that began in 1982 and identifies continued improvements in health services and health-system capacity as part of the country’s health priorities.

Bhutan is also strengthening its preparedness for health emergencies. In March 2026, the Ministry of Health and WHO convened a consultation to finalize the country’s National Action Plan for Health Security. The process produced a five-year strategic plan and a prioritized 24-month operational plan addressing gaps in health security capacities.

The plan brings together multiple sectors and focuses on strengthening Bhutan’s ability to prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies. Continued investments such as these can strengthen the country’s health system while improving resilience to future health challenges.

Conclusion

Bhutan has made significant progress in improving healthcare and reducing poverty, but gaps in access remain for some rural and vulnerable communities. Differences in travel time to health facilities and healthcare-related expenses show the importance of continued attention to accessibility. Building on the country’s health achievements while addressing these gaps can help more communities benefit from Bhutan’s development progress and support healthier, more resilient households.

– Adebisi Aliyah Adeola

Adebisi is based in Cairo, Egypt and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

 

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How UNHCR is Giving Aid to Congolese Refugees and Burundi Returnees

Congolese Refugees
The M23 armed group emerged in 2012 from former members of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), taking its name from a March 23, 2009, peace agreement. The peace agreement provided for the integration of CNDP members into Congolese institutions, but its implementation remained contested. In 2012, former CNDP fighters rebelled against the Congolese government, alleging that elements of the agreement had not been honored.

Renewed fighting involving M23 has displaced large numbers of people in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to the Mixed Migration Centre, more than 1.1 million Congolese are spread across Africa. Additionally, according to UNHCR’s Burundi situation page, as of Aug. 31, 153,560 Burundian refugees are spread across other parts of Africa, like Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. As Congolese refugees struggle to return home alongside Burundi returnees, UNHCR supports this reintegration process.

What is UNHCR?

UNHCR, a U.N. organization, was established in 1950 in the aftermath of the Second World War. It dedicates itself to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for refugees. In September 2026, UNHCR published an operational update on assistance to Congolese refugees in Burundi and voluntary returns to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They have been aiding displaced Burundians returning home since 2008, with a recent funding request as of December 2025 of $47.2 million.

According to their Burundi page, more than 100,000 people are displaced, including about 91,000 refugees and the rest being asylum-seekers. Most of these displaced people come from the DRC, with the influx increasing rapidly due to rising tensions between the M23 and the Congolese military. Since 2017, more than 185,000 Burundians have returned home mainly from Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and the DRC.

Aid to Congolese Refugees and Burundian Returnees

UNHCR and its partners assist Congolese refugees living in Burundi and facilitate voluntary return for people going back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while also supporting Burundians returning to their own country. Here is how UNHCR is offering aid to Congolese refugees and Burundian returnees.

In an operational update, UNHCR highlights a handful of basic needs delivered to Burundi: education, protection, medical treatment and nutrition, food security, shelter, infrastructure, energy, water, sanitation and hygiene. UNHCR and its partners provide protection services, including legal assistance, efforts to address gender-based violence, and support for access to education. In Busuma alone, 890 people participated in awareness activities.

UNHCR protects physical health and well-being. For example, 7,690 medical consultations were completed for 6,312 refugees and 1,378 residents. In Musenyi, 1,572 refugees received medical consultations and 755 locals. UNHCR’s update also describes the provision of water and other essential services. In Busuma, 30,000 Burundian Francs ($10 USD) were distributed to each individual along with cereal, oil and salt.

Safe access to hygiene was provided as well, with 722 latrines in Musasa cleaned by UNHCR representatives and more latrines approved for construction in Musenyi. As the number of Congolese refugees and Burundian returnees rises, there is less access to shelter. To combat this, UNHCR distributed 325 to 299 families, housing 1,290 people. As the organization continues voluntary returns to the DRC, houses are being vacated, allowing UNHCR to reallocate these households. In total, 677 people representing 162 households were reallocated.

UNHCR approved future housing in Mibakwe and Kiranira for returnees, allowing them to thrive and better reintegrate themselves back home. This also includes 58 shelters in Rumadari, Gasenyi, and Rugadari, and 50 shelters in the Busoni commune. This is in accordance with efforts to reintegrate Burundians back home. While there is much more aid being distributed, one highlight of UNHCR’s work is the voluntary returns of Congolese refugees and reintegrating Burundians at home. As of Sept. 11, 2,084 Congolese refugees voluntarily returned home, bringing the total to 18,232 people.

UNHCR has outlined a plan in efforts to aid Congolese refugees and Burundian returnees.

Looking Ahead

UNHCR is taking sufficient steps toward providing aid to the voluntary return of Congolese people and Burundian returnees, but there are still more needs that need to be met, essentials such as food, water, shelter, access to health care, protection, hygiene and infrastructure. UNHCR has appealed for additional financial support as needs for protection, shelter, health care and livelihoods continue to exceed available resources.

– Olive Nelson

Olive is based in San Luis Obispo, CA, United States and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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What to Know About the Pivot to Tackling Rural Poverty in Vietnam

Rural Poverty in Vietnam
Vietnam has long been a standout nation in Southeast Asia for targeting poverty reduction. In 2022, only 1.6% of the population lived on less than $3.00 per day, while 1.9% fell into the multi-dimensional poverty category. The multi-dimensional poverty rate refers to the percentage of the population living with deprivations other than a low income; factors like poor health, education or low access to electricity or clean water. In Vietnam, this poverty is concentrated outside of the cities—70% of the Vietnamese population lives in rural or mountainous regions, and they account for more than 90% of Vietnam’s poor.

The New-Style Rural Development Programme

Vietnam has merged two government tracks, poverty reduction and rural advancement, into one new decade-long national initiative: the New-Style Rural Development Programme. This initiative does not seek to simply temporarily lower rural poverty in Vietnam. Nguyễn Đình Hòa, an expert from the Vietnam Institute of Economics and World Economy, says the New-Style Rural Development Programme’s version of poverty reduction will measure a poor household’s ability to withstand risks and sustain livelihood long term.

Going Green

Due to the agricultural nature of rural and mountainous regions, a core component of the initiative is restructuring the green economy with emphasis on sustainability and climate resilience. It is the first time Vietnamese policy has officially integrated these concepts, with Vietnam placing special significance on a circular economy over linear production methods. A circular economy seeks to reduce waste by keeping products and resources in rotation for as long as possible. Expert Trần Xuân Quỳnh believes that, as market requirements both domestically and internationally become stricter, adopting green measures in the nation will help in “increasing brand value and expanding export opportunities,” thereby stimulating the economy and decreasing rural poverty in Vietnam.

The initiative will also target cutting emissions and preserving the environment. The government will keep forest coverage at more than 42%. There will also be designated investment in climate-resilient infrastructure in rural regions and establishments for flood, landslide and drought prevention. Concerning multidimensional poverty, the New-Style Rural Development Programme will target access to clean water and treating solid waste in line with regulations. By the end of 2026, Vietnam aims for 62% of rural households to have access to clean water.

Digital Development

A digital transformation in rural Vietnam will take place in tandem with greener policy. Rural Vietnamese lack the same abilities to use telecommunication infrastructure as people in urban areas. Consequently, rural digital use is generally tied to providing entertainment rather than generating productivity or economic value.

The application of technology will enhance efficiency for rural businesses by allowing them to track emissions and energy use. Digital development is thus a core component of the One Commune-One Product (OCOP) program, which aims to develop quality and environmentally friendly goods by region, boosting local economies with a unique product. The program will also implement technology to expedite processing, help brands build a name and expand their markets much further than just the region from which they originate.

Increasing Income

By combining these elements, the ultimate economic goal of the program is to increase rural incomes. By the end of the first phase of the New-Style Rural Development Programme in 2030, the state hopes to increase rural incomes by two and a half to three times compared to 2020. Additionally, the aim is for multidimensional poverty to be reduced by 1-1.5% each year, and to stamp out poverty definitively in what the state considers “poor communes” (poverty). The initiative gives remote ethnic minorities special consideration as they are disproportionately concentrated in these communes. It should reduce the poverty rate in these households to below 10%. At the time of the program’s completion in 2035, 85% or more of communes should meet the new rural standard, and authorities should recognize approximately 33% as modern rural areas.

The New-Style Rural Development Programme may be a national initiative, but it operates on a community level to build the livelihoods of those living in rural poverty in Vietnam to withstand risk and ultimately prosper. Combining digital and green developments will stimulate local economies in a unique way, allowing communities all over the country to retain their respective cultures while moving toward a common goal.

– Hana Hardenbrook

Hana is based in Raleigh, North Carolina USA and focuses on Good News and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Poverty Reduction in Albania

Poverty Reduction in Albania
Albania continues to face poverty and regional inequality, but economic development and public investment have helped improve opportunities for many households. Fortunately, some efforts are in place to work toward poverty reduction in Albania.

Beating the Odds

Albania has pursued reforms and development programs intended to reduce poverty. Over the past two decades, poverty has declined. However, the decline has not been without delays. Albania’s economy suffered from the 2008 financial crisis, and poverty rose in the years following the crisis.

World Bank estimates place 0.3% of Albania’s population below the international $3-per-day extreme-poverty line in 2020, measured in 2021 purchasing-power-parity dollars. Economic growth and poverty reduction are related but distinct measures.

Stronger labor markets, wage growth and reforms have accompanied Albania’s declining poverty rate, according to the World Bank. Additionally, the increase in economic stability is a result of private consumption, tourism and construction. By strengthening relationships with the European Union and focusing on structural reforms, Albania is bringing better living conditions to its people.

Rural Migration

In the rural areas of Albania, people lack economic opportunities, leading to emigration. Emigration from these rural areas is high because there is a lack of education, training and low infrastructure development in rural zones.

The migration patterns from rural areas to other cities and nations are important, for around 54% of Albania’s population lived in urban areas in 2011. The population steadily increased to 63% in 2021, and the United Nations estimates that it will reach 80% by 2050.

A World Bank report indicates that Albania has some of the highest per capita emigration rates in the region.

The World Bank-supported Regional and Local Roads Connectivity Project aims to improve road access in rural areas, helping communities access basic services and markets.

Albania’s Future

Albania’s development strategy includes investments intended to strengthen connectivity, employment and public services.

National programs have begun to prioritize investment in farmer training, infrastructure and regional markets. One major program created by the World Bank Group, endorsed by the Board of Executive Directors on March 16, 2023, is the World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework for Albania (2023-2027). This program focuses on helping Albania create better jobs for its population and increase human capital. The 2023–2027 Country Partnership Framework sets out an indicative financing envelope of $900 million for programs supporting jobs, human capital and resilience.

Current programs aim to support jobs, human capital and resilience. Their long-term contribution to poverty reduction will depend on implementation and outcomes.

– Kelly Thomas

Kelly is based in Tallahassee, FL and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr