Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Sanitation Services: New iThrone Provides a Solution

Sanitation ServicesThough ubiquitous in countries like the U.S. and U.K. and easy to ignore, basic sanitation services remain unavailable to more than 1.7 billion people. Without private toilets, almost 500 million of these individuals practice open defecation, going to the bathroom in places like street gutters or into bodies of water. 

Human waste that is not disposed of properly can come into contact with other humans, usually by contaminating drinking water, causing diseases like cholera, dysentery and polio. Poor sanitation causes almost 450,000 deaths each year as a result of diarrhea in addition to contributing to malnutrition. While it is true that the number of people who openly defecate has almost halved in the past two decades, there is still a dire need for sanitation services to become accessible to all. 

In fact, even the idea of adequate sanitation services in developed countries is not at all sustainable: it is estimated that 5 billion people will be unable to flush their toilets in the next decade so as to not flood centralized sewer systems. 

One invention, the iThrone, is a portable toilet that hopes to provide a solution for the issue of substandard sanitation that persists in the developing world and is encroaching on developed nations.

Background

Diana Yousef is the founder and CEO of change:WATER Labs, a startup launched in 2015 that is focused on inventing and investing in solutions that address the inadequacy of current sanitation standards in many developing countries. The iThrone is the startup’s primary product. Yousef first found inspiration for the iThrone in 2009 while working with NASA to create a water treatment initiative. She wanted to see if the techniques that they conceptualized for the project, an attempt to develop a method of recycling water for space agriculture, could extend to water sustainability in poor countries. Since securing early funding from MIT, change:WATER Labs has received financial support from organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the UN Development Program. 

How It Works

The iThrone is able to circumvent many of the existing barriers to quality sanitation services. Firstly, it does not require any water to function. For communities that face a scarcity of nearby water sources, the iThrone is an invaluable form of sanitation. It can work without water because it operates by dehydrating human waste, which is mostly water, and converting it to water vapor rather than flushing it away into a sewer system. 

The little waste that is left over can then be used as fertilizer for farming. Due to this aspect of its design, the iThrone is extremely low-cost and efficient, only needing to be emptied every few weeks rather than every day like other non-flushing toilets. 

Even more impressive, four iThrones can be installed for the same price as one communal toilet. As a whole, the iThrone is completely off-grid and needs neither access to plumbing nor power. This means that installation is possible in practically any location, no matter the state of its infrastructure. Due to the simplicity of its construction, it is able to fit in crowded areas, eliminating the need for people to travel long distances just to go to the bathroom. The toilet is also capable of deodorizing deposited human waste by utilizing a biobattery that uses that waste to power a ventilating fan. 

Gender Imbalances

Open defecation presents a particular risk to women and young girls, as having to go to the bathroom in the open, and often in remote locations, makes them vulnerable to sexual assault. In order to relieve themselves without attracting the attention of men, some women restrict their water and food intake so that they need to go to the bathroom very late at night or early in the morning. The iThrone’s ability to provide proper sanitation even in crowded locations reduces the risk of sexual violence, providing women and girls with a sense of safety when they are performing one of their most private tasks and allowing them to eat and drink freely. 

Open defecation also increases the possibility for women and girls to contract reproductive and urinary infections and also renders the entire process of menstruation frustrating and degrading. Girls in regions without adequate sanitation will often skip school during their period, meaning that they miss weeks of instruction. The iThrone acts as an answer to these problems and effectively supports the health and well-being of women and girls in developing countries.  

Future Distribution

Before COVID-19, the iThrone was distributed during its first pilot deployment to a district school and hospital in Uganda. The toilets wound up servicing more than 400 people and received a wholly positive reception from locals. The pandemic unfortunately prevented further distribution from occurring, though the Turkish government expressed interest in purchasing a number of toilets for use in refugee communities in late 2021. The iThrone has also been eyed by construction companies in Central America and Indian companies wanting to test out the toilets in port-a-potties and on transportation and maritime equipment. 

Yousef and her team spent the duration of the pandemic refining their product, ensuring that when distribution does restart, the iThrone can help as many people as possible as effectively as possible. Though the iThrone has yet to be fully deployed, it is clear that it represents exactly the kind of innovation that is required to combat global poverty.

– Sofia Oliver
Photo: Unsplash

Disability and Poverty in Malawi

Disability and Poverty in Malawi
Disability in underdeveloped countries has an immense impact on those who are living in extreme cases of poverty as they consistently encounter barriers to employment, education, quality of life as well and access to basic amenities. Here is some information about disability and poverty in Malawi, including what different organizations are doing to address them.

The Situation in Malawi

Currently, 52% of Malawians are living in poverty and one in five of those people have a disability. Poverty and disability have a connection, as poor sanitation, malnutrition and lack of access to safe working conditions means that people living in underdeveloped countries such as Malawi are at a greater risk of developing a disability during their lifetime.

For those who already suffer from a disability, estimates indicated that they are far poorer than their nondisabled peers, as they struggle to benefit in an economy in which agriculture is a major component. In fact, 30.2% of Malawi’s GDP is agriculture.

Furthermore, as 86.5% of the population lives in rural areas, it is particularly challenging for these people to get access to the support they need, as many disabled students miss out on the opportunity to gain a good standard of education. Statistics state that  70% of those with disabilities are not in school, and according to other research “10.4% of Malawi’s population aged 5 years and older has at least one type of disability.”

Stigmas and Barriers

While those with disabilities face physical barriers to their lives, they also face social stigmas and alienation from society. This includes widespread beliefs and misconceptions that are spread throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa, where groups of individuals “have historically linked persons with disabilities with witchcraft as a component of a wider link between accusations of witchcraft and socially marginalized populations.”

Additionally, people who are “witch doctors promote beliefs that individuals and families can prosper if they perform rituals or sacrifice including abuse, mutilation and even killing children and adults with disabilities.”

Therefore, solutions must emerge in order for these disadvantaged people to get access to the help they need. For example, technological innovation and creating jobs that are easily accessible to disabled people is part of the solution that many charities have begun to investigate for those living in Malawi.

The Global Concerns Trust

An example of work that is occurring to help the disabled is through an organization called the Global Concerns Trust which has been active in the country since 2007.

The project’s aim is to contribute to the reduction of poverty through creating economic stability, whilst working to integrate disabled men and women into the community. In order to do this, the organization works in collaboration with the Malawi Council for the Handicapped (MACOHA) as well as the Kuthandiza Osayenda Disability Outreach (KODO).

Funded by the Scottish Government between 2007 and 2011, the trust was able to provide vocational training and tools for adults with disabilities as well as carpentry and tailoring clubs in schools. Volunteers are still donating and refurbishing the tools and sewing machines in Scotland, and upon completion, they then ship to Malawi for KODO and MACOHA to provide vital training in carpentry, chair making, tailoring and curios carving.

Outcomes of The Global Concerns Trust’s Work

The training has been very successful as graduate trainees have started successful businesses where they have an increased income of 543% since before the training. Hence this has enabled these people to buy materials to build stronger houses, as well as being able to purchase livestock, medicine, furniture and clothes for their families.

In addition, people in Malawian communities have begun to see disabled people as valuable and skilled people in society, which demonstrates the extent to which the Global Concerns Trust has had a huge impact on creating a fairer more inclusive society, as well as providing invaluable support to those that are disabled through giving them the confidence to become more self-reliant.

Therefore, this demonstrates that disability and poverty in Malawi have inextricable links and that if more support networks and systems are available, such as support from charities like the Global Trust, then more disabled people can access jobs that are suited to their needs.

About Waisanga Chakutanda

Waisanga Chakuntada is an example of someone who has benefitted from the Global Concerns Trust. As a divorced parent with three children and paralysis in her right leg, life, before she received vital support, was tough. Chakuntada earned just £9 a month through her fish-selling business where she had to walk long distances and had the constant burden of how she would put the next meal on the table.

Since then, life has become much improved for Waisanga, as through the MACOHA in the Nkhotakota district from January to July 2014 she received training to become a skilled tailor. Upon completing her training, she received a Singer sewing machine and the materials necessary to run her small business. Her speed at completing orders, combined with the good reputation she has gained from customers, has meant that her monthly earnings are now £60.

Working from the comfort of her front yard at home, she is now able to fully care for her children and has been able to buy new mattresses and provide them with clothes. The support therefore provided in terms of supporting Waisanga with her disability has been invaluable as poverty no longer restricts her way of life to the extent it did before.

Ripple Africa

Mobility issues across Malawi are still a very prominent issue, as its infrastructure fails to provide accessibility for disabled people, as the vast majority of those who are physically immobile do not even have access to basic equipment like a wheelchair or walking assistance due to the level of poverty they are suffering from.

Ripple Africa has been beneficial to those suffering from mobility issues and has been a vital service within the country. The organization does so by running a disability and rehabilitation program that helps approximately 140 children, adults and families experiencing disabilities in the Mwaya Beach area.

This occurs through the service of local carpenters who make made-to-measure devices that disabled people can use as walking aids. In more severe cases Ripple Africa has helped in terms of providing for life-saving operations, that families otherwise would not have been able to afford. Other successes of the organization also include helping children to sit up, walk and talk, as well as giving them the independence they need to be able to do day-to-day tasks.

The community-based rehabilitation coordination is able to provide the disabled people of the Mwaya beach area with this support through information from doctors, schoolteachers and other people in the local community. Then, the coordinator visits the disabled individual to assess the most suitable plan going forward to ensure that they receive the best quality care and support.

Overall, it is evident that more work is necessary to solve the issue of disability and poverty in Malawi, as, despite the help of several organizations, there are still many vulnerable individuals experiencing disabilities and cannot access the help they deserve and need in order to live a close to normal life.

– Megan Miley
Photo: Flickr

Generating Renewable Energy in Lebanon

Renewable Energy in LebanonSince 2019, Lebanon has been facing a crippling economic crisis. More than 80% of the population is estimated to live in poverty with inflation reaching 171% in 2022. While many problems have arisen from this crisis, perhaps none have impacted the Lebanese people as severely as the lack of electricity across the nation.

The Lebanese Civil War, lasting from 1975 to 1990, damaged the country’s electricity supply. That, coupled with years of mismanagement, corruption and neglect, has led to Lebanon’s unreliable electricity system. It only provides two to three hours of electricity a day, leaving many to rely on diesel-powered generators.

Many have lost hope in the government to solve the problems of electricity shortages.  However, a conscious investment in renewable energy in Lebanon may improve the country’s energy system and the livelihoods of its citizens.

Transitioning to Renewable Energy

Over the past 10 years, renewable energy and smart energy have been on the rise in Lebanon.

Lebanon’s government largely depends on oil plants and diesel generators, both of which are economically and environmentally unsustainable. However, in 2018, the Lebanese government adopted a target to obtain 30% of its energy from renewables by 2030.

According to the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation, “Lebanon went from generating zero solar power in 2010 to having 90 megawatts of solar capacity in 2020.” There are now more than 800 registered solar companies operating in Lebanon, from small household projects to university campuses. With over 300 days of sunshine, renewable energy has a high chance to thrive in Lebanon and provides environmental benefits.

Solar panels are one of the many renewable energy sources that can provide a reliable source of electricity to Lebanese citizens. The Lebanese Foundation for Renewable Energy works to shift focus from fossil fuels to wind and hydro in addition to solar. 

The Impact of Renewable Energy on Poverty

The lack of reliable electricity in Lebanon pushes people into poverty. This occurs because an electrical drought impedes access to necessities like water and food.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the average Lebanese household uses 44% of their monthly income for generator bills. For homes in the bottom quintile, generator bills constitute 88% of their monthly income. This leaves poor families unable to make ends meet and forced to choose between electricity or food. 

Furthermore, in a survey that HRW conducted, they found that “nine out of ten households said the cost of electricity affected their ability to pay for other essential services.”

The lack of electricity has a direct effect on the standard of living in Lebanon. The electricity crisis in Lebanon also leaves many unable to carry out day-to-day tasks like cooking or participating in work or school activities. This is where renewable energy can be utilized to ease this wealth disparity and offer all Lebanese families the ability to more reliable sources of energy like solar panels.

Efforts to Increase Renewable Energy in Lebanon 

As the crisis still plagues Lebanon’s economy and society, renewable energy proves a hopeful long-term solution in turning around Lebanon’s energy sector.

Efforts to improve Lebanon’s energy system include the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). UNDP has been working alongside the Lebanese government to supply and promote private sector investment in renewable energy sources. This ambitious goal proves how the Lebanese government can use renewable energy to help lift people out of poverty.

In addition, the United States Agency for International Development announced its plan to invest $20 million to help Lebanon.

On June 23, 2023, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health successfully revamped 150 primary healthcare centers. They now fully rely on solar energy, ensuring access to essential public health services and immunization. The project was completed in 13 weeks so as to provide crucial support to families amidst the ongoing electricity crisis in Lebanon.

Currently, UNICEF is assessing the feasibility of solarising over 300 dispensaries and widening support to more families.

Looking forward

The future of renewable energy in Lebanon holds huge potential. There are hopeful solutions to Lebanon’s energy and electricity crisis and reducing poverty. Lebanon’s advantageous climate and innovative projects, and domestic and international support prove that the goal of obtaining 30% of its energy from renewables by 2030 is possible.

However, there needs to be more government focus on relieving poverty through renewable energy in Lebanon, as well as increased international support and funding initiatives for this to be an achievable goal. 

– Amber Hamed
Photo: Flickr

Everything to Know About the Kinshasa Economic Forum 

Kinshasa Economic Forum 
The first-ever Kinshasa Economic Forum occurred in March 2023 which included the DRC, the EU and, most notably, France. The leaders of both DRC and France, Presidents Felix Tshisekedi and Emmanuel Macron, respectively, met at the forum alongside multiple international investors and CEOs. The meeting took place at the Palace of the Nation in Kinshasa.

Discussion on Conflict

First, Macron condemned the ongoing conflict occurring in the DRC and the M23 rebel group, saying that there will be sanctions in place for any party who supports the group. The EU also announced at the Kinshasa Economic Forum that they would be setting up a humanitarian air bridge to help the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the conflict in Eastern DRC, to ensure that aid can reach those who are harder to reach.

The violence between government and non-government groups has been a significant ongoing issue that has, as previously mentioned left many Congolese people in the eastern region displaced. The UNCHR reported that in February, 200,000 people had to flee their homes in the province of North Kivu. A total of 800,000 people experienced displacement between March 2022 and March 2023 alone. The EU has given about 47 million euros in humanitarian aid to the DRC.

Discussion on Other Investments

Though there was a focus on conflict as this is currently the most pressing issue in DRC and an important factor that has impacted the growth of the economy, people discussed and pledged on other matters in the Kinshasa Economic Forum as well.

The European Union (EU) announced that it would invest 50 million euros into DRC’s mineral sector and its infrastructure. DRC’s mineral sector is a key part of their economy. In 2020, the DRC was the largest cobalt miner in the world, producing 41% of the globe’s cobalt. The DRC’s copper industry is also growing, with the nation having some of the highest-quality copper reserves in the world. Despite the drawbacks that the COVID-19 pandemic brought and ongoing conflict in the DRC, their mineral sector proves to be of great aid to their economic growth. The EU’s investment in this sector will prove to be of great help to ensure further expansion of the DRC’s mineral sector. Many investors are also interested in the DRC’s mineral sector, notably American firms, seeing potential in DRC’s mineral market which is worth trillions of dollars.

Concluding Thoughts

The Kinshasa Economic Forum, though being the first of its kind, brought together many people to see the potential to help the DRC in different ways. With international investors tapping into the potential that the DRC mineral sector has, and Macron wants to see an end to those supporting those who are playing a role in conflict and the EU wants to provide aid to those who need it the most.

– Christelle Wealth-Mukendi
Photo: Flickr

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The USAID Budget for 2024

The USAID Budget for 2024
In March 2023, the President released a Fiscal Year 2024 Budget, reserving $63.1 billion for foreign aid, as well as $32 billion specifically for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The USAID Budget for 2024 is an important step up, with an increase of $3 billion, or roughly 10% from the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget. This allows the agency to further address the important development goals that it has set, bettering the lives of those globally and domestically.

The Budget

The USAID Budget for 2024 addresses a wide range of topics with regard to global poverty and quality of life. The largest portion of this budget is reserved for food security and humanitarian aid, $10.5 billion to address rising crises and natural disasters around the world as well as $1.11 billion to Feed the Future to address food insecurity throughout the world, specifically Ukraine.

With the war in Ukraine, more than 14 million families have had to flee their homes and cities from February 2022 to February 2023. This has had an increasingly detrimental effect on Ukraine’s economy, which shrunk by roughly 30% last year, forcing millions into food and economic insecurity. The USAID budget reserves an additional $522 million to address the food and economic insecurity in Ukraine. 

Additionally, the budget aims to address health insecurity, which is an important part of addressing global poverty, with $4.1 billion for USAID programs aimed at addressing health issues around the globe, where vaccines and prenatal care may be difficult to find. 

Implementation

This money is deployed in a variety of ways, and implementation is an important aspect of the USAID Budget for 2024. Feed the Future, which is administered by USAID, works to reduce food security in 20 countries throughout the world. In many of the world’s developing countries, agriculture is integral to food security as well as the economy, and resiliency is imperative to feed rural communities. Feed the Future’s efforts in Mali, where 80% of the country relies on agriculture in some form, including improving resiliency through supplying better seeds for farmers as well as improved water conservation, can make sure that farmers can continue to earn a living, feed their families and feed the community. These efforts have been extremely successful, and in 2021, more than 2 million children under 5 were helped through Feed the Future’s efforts in Mali.

Since the beginning of the war, USAID has spent more than $1.4 billion on humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people. One of these ongoing efforts is the AGRI-Ukraine initiative. AGRI-Ukraine is meant to provide assistance to farmers, who may have difficulty growing, storing and transporting their crops due to the war. This will help maintain an important sector of the economy, as well as assist in feeding millions of Ukrainians. An additional, often overlooked, impact of the war is access to important, life-saving medications for Ukrainian citizens. USAID efforts have helped to ensure that Ukrainians still have access to those medicines. 

Outlook

USAID’s efforts throughout the world have been imperative in helping many efforts to eliminate global poverty. It has addressed food, health and economic insecurity throughout the world, ensuring that millions of the world’s poor have access to lifesaving medications, inventions and technologies. This helps to reduce poverty globally, while also working towards U.S. interests around the world. The USAID Budget for 2024 will ensure that these efforts are able to continue in full.

– John Rooney
Photo: Flickr

The Displacement Crisis in Burkina Faso

The Displacement Crisis in Burkina FasoIn West Africa, nestled between the more well-known countries of Mali and Ghana, Burkina Faso faces one of the most pressing displacement crises of this decade. With about 3.5 million people currently in critical condition and awaiting humanitarian assistance, the Norwegian Refugee Council has labeled Burkina Faso as the world’s most neglected crisis. 

The Current State

This crisis is quite sudden, considering that Burkina Faso was not imminent to any disastrous situation just five years ago. Recent militia tensions have sparked hostility between militant groups and the government, with about 40% of Burkina Faso’s land annexed by militia groups. Around 2 million Burkinabe people were displaced by violence, and further struggles have caused obstructions to health care and educational facilities. 

Despite this, the displacement crisis in Burkina Faso remains relatively unseen in larger media reports. This may be the confluence of several issues, one being the influx of coverage on Ukraine caused by the Russia-Ukraine War. Ukraine is still a place of heavy conflict and deserves support and coverage, yet Ukraine receives five times as much funding as the world’s top 10 most crucial displacement crises. 

Additionally, the displacement crisis in Burkina Faso is relatively imperceptible to foreign eyes. Many displaced communities join larger cities by pitching tents or moving in with relatives. As the number of people displaced increases, the population in these larger communities becomes unsustainable. Resources are quickly depleted, and food insecurity is only exacerbated by the inaccessibility of some communities. 

An estimated 3.4 million people in Burkina Faso are experiencing critical levels of food insecurity, with people in violence-plagued cities like Dijbo resorting to eating forged leaves. Displacement only grows worse, with families having moved upwards of four times in the past four years. 

Nonprofit Aid

A handful of nonprofits, including the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and smaller-scale efforts such as the Konkourona Alliance Foundation (KAFO), have made headway in increasing awareness and humanitarian aid in Burkina Faso. 

The International Resource Committee (IRC), an international initiative founded in 1933, provides on-the-ground support for displaced communities. It provides sanitation and health care services in lacking areas, alongside delivering clean water and food. 

KAFO centers its aid on the city of Konkourona, the birthplace of the organization’s founder, Dr. Jules Millogo. Founded in 2019 with Catherine Hoath, KAFO provides both humanitarian and educational support. Since it began operation, KAFO has built three new water towers in Konkourona and two health centers, one for primary care and another for mothers and children. KAFO has also assisted in educating about 400 students by building three new classrooms. 

An Especially Vulnerable Group

The displacement crisis in Burkina Faso impacts families all over the country, but women are particularly susceptible to gender-based violence and lack of life-saving health care. Reproductive health care is essential in times of crisis when the transmission of STIs, such as HIV, increases. As people are displaced, any government assistance prioritizes essentials such as food and water, inadvertently leaving women in displacement camps without reproductive health care.

MSI, a global nonprofit committed to providing reproductive health care to women in underprivileged areas, is currently aiding displaced women in Burkina Faso. MSI assists in a panoply of services, including HIV testing, cervical cancer screening and contraceptives. 

Burkina Faso is an extremely vulnerable country where about 40% of citizens live below the poverty line. As violence and insecurity ravage the country, humanitarian aid has been distinctly lacking. Hopefully, with the advocacy of organizations such as IRC and MSI, the displaced Burkinabe people acquire the aid they are due.

– Inaya Lala
Photo: Pixabay

How Street Food Vendors Are Important in the Fight Against Poverty

Street Food VendorsThroughout the world, small businesses play an important role in the economy. By closely connecting with their communities, they can simultaneously promote economic activity and cultural preservation. This principle extends to urban Latin America, where many individuals engage in local microenterprises to earn a living. When considering global poverty, analysts must analyze how this highly localized entrepreneurship affects specific aspects of the issues.

Microenterprises and Small Businesses

To understand the significance of microenterprises and small businesses, it is necessary to explain what they are and how they function. A microenterprise is often described as a business with fewer than 10 employees and often requires a small amount of capital. Furthermore, they typically specialize in locally providing their goods or services.

Similarly, small businesses are firms that have a certain threshold for workers and revenues. Typically the range is under 100 employees. Such firms are extremely important in developing nations worldwide, employing around half of the population. Small businesses and microenterprises have increasingly become important in Latin America, highlighted by a 13.4% growth in the number of small businesses in 2022. This is important because the relationships between small businesses, economic growth and poverty reduction are positive. They create employment opportunities and foster self-reliance as well as entrepreneurship.

Street Food in Latin America

Many different types of small businesses and microenterprises are popular in Latin America, but street food is by far the most widespread. Street food vending mainly operates within the informal sector. This exposes a broader institutional failure related to the issue, which cannot be overlooked when considering poverty. This phenomenon is caused by poor living conditions in rural areas and a bad urbanization process that makes commuting long and difficult, as well as a lack of businesses with low-priced food near workplaces. As a result, those seeking better opportunities often enter the informal economy and must engage in businesses like this. However, there is hope, as street food vending effectively contributes to poverty reduction and destigmatizes marginalized urban populations. The industry generates an annual revenue of $127 billion and offers employment and community to those who otherwise wouldn’t have it.

Furthermore, the food these businesses typically sell, such as arepas or choripán, often represents staples of the culture’s cuisine. While it seems natural that an Argentinian vendor would sell Argentinian food, it leads to the recognition of that culture and those people who otherwise would not be there. Food is a powerful cultural tool that, due to its diversity, has shaped identity throughout Latin America. Through selling traditional foods, vendors can both preserve culture and foster a sense of community around it. This contributes to the fight against poverty, as greater consensus and a shared mission make policy implementation easier.

In Latin America, small businesses and microenterprises play a dual role in reducing poverty: they drive economic growth and preserve cultural identity. These enterprises, often rooted in communities, create jobs and opportunities for self-reliance. Street food vending, a prevalent informal industry, defies its challenges to provide employment and cultural recognition. By selling traditional foods, vendors not only sustain cultural heritage but also foster community cohesion, which in turn aids poverty alleviation efforts. In the face of poverty, these enterprises prove that economic and cultural vitality can go hand in hand.

– Eduardo Gonzalez del Valle
Photo: Flickr

Addressing Maternal Mortality: Global Efforts in DRC

Maternal Mortality in the DRCMaternal mortality remains high in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), at 620 per 100,000 live births in 2022, despite efforts to reduce the rate drastically. The DRC has the eighth-highest maternal mortality rate in the world and is not on track to reach its 2030 target according to USAID.

International Involvement: USAID

USAID is one of the biggest donors to the DRC in regard to its health sector. USAID has created a plan not only for the DRC but other nations impacted by high maternal mortality called the Preventing Child Deaths and Maternal Death Framework, taking place over a 7-year course between 2023-2030. The focus areas for USAID are ensuring that the quality of health care is improved through using a primary health care system, targeting the impoverished populations who do not have easy access to health care and ensuring that leaders within communities take accountability for health concerns.

International Involvement: UNICEF

UNICEF has been actively involved in some of the success associated with maternal mortality rates in the DRC for nearly 63 years. Between 2001 and 2018, maternal mortality fell by nearly 40%. UNICEF helps to tackle the issue before it becomes one such as preventing common diseases that mothers tend to face during pregnancy. UNICEF works closely with other international organizations such as Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality (EPMM) to ensure women are visited and checked up regularly during the period of conception and childbirth, those delivering children have the necessary skills to ensure a safe delivery for both the mother and the child and ensuring that postnatal care exists for the mother and the baby.

International Involvement: UNFPA

DRC’s health infrastructure has been damaged by conflict and poverty. The high rates of sexual violence against women also contribute to health complications during childbirth, which could lead to maternal death. As of 2018, 42,000 women were waiting for surgical care in regard to their genital fistulas, which are caused by sexual violence. With the recent internal and external conflicts happening especially in Eastern DRC, more women are in vulnerable positions than ever before.

The United Nations Population Fund, or UNFPA is a U.N. agency that aims to tackle reproductive and maternal health globally. UNFPA has worked in the DRC since 1978. In 2021, UNFPA was able to help provide almost 700 fistula repair surgeries for women. They have provided 6,800 life skill programs for girls and helped prevent 4,932 child, early and forced marriages. UNFPA has continuously supported Congolese women who suffer from different difficult situations that have contributed to maternal mortality.

Many international organizations and agencies have been working in the DRC to help out a vulnerable population who do not get protection from different forms of violence due to poverty and conflict. With continuous and hopefully increased support from other agencies, maternal mortality rates will decrease soon.

– Christelle Wealth-Mukendi
Photo: Flickr

More Self-Adjustable Eyeglasses for People Living in Poverty

Self-Adjustable EyeglassesUntil recently, many people have overlooked vision impairment as a global concern. However, the reality is that vision impairment continues to pose significant health risks for billions of people worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) only released its first report on vision in 2019, but the results are staggering. At least 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment globally and at least 1 billion people have a preventable or treatable vision impairment. Furthermore, lower-income countries, as well as rural populations or communities with older people, are most vulnerable to vision-related health problems. 

For people living in poverty, healthy vision is essential to nearly all aspects of daily life. Whether one is cooking, sewing, reading or farming, people with healthy vision are more likely to earn higher, improve within education and perform well in day-to-day activities. 

If providing treatment to people in need is not incentive enough, the WHO also outlined drastic financial losses from vision impairment worldwide. According to the 2019 World Report on Vision, more than $200 billion are lost globally each year due to productivity losses from vision impairments, including uncorrected myopia and presbyopia. 

The Impact of Self-adjustable Glasses 

On the bright side, new technology offers cost-effective solutions for treating vision impairment, especially in developing countries. One notable example is self-adjustable eyeglasses for people living in poverty. Traditional eyeglasses are the default solution for many people living with vision impairments. However, they are inaccessible or unaffordable for many people living in poverty. Only one optometrist exists for every 600,000 people on average in developing countries, which is in stark contrast to the accessibility of optometrists in the U.S. 

Confronting the barriers that make it difficult to treat vision impairment in developing countries is Professor Joshua Silver, professor of physics at The University of Oxford and founder of the Center for Vision in the Developing World (CVDW). Silver devised self-adjustable eyeglasses to treat nearsightedness and farsightedness (also called myopia and hyperopia, respectively) at a low cost and without the need for an optometrist. His glasses include a silicon fluid solution, which wearers adjust through a syringe that sits on each arm. Both lenses are composed of flexible membranes, which change depending on the amount of silicon solution they contain. In essence, wearers adjust the strength of their glasses whenever and however is best for them. 

Self-adjustable eyeglasses for people living in poverty are a necessity. As of 2021, 100,000 of Silver’s glasses have been distributed across 20 countries. Furthermore, numerous studies, including one conducted in rural China and published in The BMJ, have demonstrated the efficacy of adaptive eyeglasses.

The Current Situation

As things stand, vision impairment is only projected to intensify alongside population growth and aging in the coming years, according to the 2019 World Report on Vision. The WHO also predicts that vision-related health problems will rise into the top 10 global health issues affecting productivity and opportunity advancement in 2030, surpassing the global burden of HIV/AIDS. 

Unfortunately, despite the efficacy of self-adjustable eyeglasses for people living in poverty, they are not nearly as accessible yet as they should be. In 2015, Silver hoped that 1 billion of the world’s poorest people would have access to adaptive eyewear by 2020. As of 2021, only 100,000 people had access. 

Additionally, Silver and the CVDW partnered with Dow Corning in 2013 to create the Child Vision Project, an initiative to distribute top-notch eyewear to children in need across the developing world. However, a 2017 fundraising campaign for the Child Vision Project raised only a little over 5% of its goal before closing. Without strong monetary support, distributing adaptive eyewear to children in need is a much more difficult feat. 

Looking Ahead

Fortunately, research demonstrates the efficacy of self-adjustable eyeglasses for people living in poverty. Those who receive eyeglasses fare better in education, social participation and employment than those without eyeglasses. Moving forward, people in developed countries with access to vision-related health support must continue to mobilize behind the distribution of necessary eyewear worldwide. 

– Ben Hofmann
Photo: Unsplash

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Impact of Hydroponics on Sahrawi Refugees

Sahrawi Refugees
Since 1976, the Sahrawi refugees have been in the middle of a dispute over who controls the Western Sahara, being confined to refugee camps in the Tindouf province of Algeria. The conflict has changed the way they live their lives settling in arid conditions and struggling for self-sustenance away from their traditional nomadic lifestyle. Due to the lack of self-sustenance many of the population residing in the camps largely depend on humanitarian aid for survival and food security. The impact of hydroponics on Sahrawi refugees living in the Algerian Sahara has had profound effects on food security, economic opportunities and reducing malnutrition in the camps raising the Sahrawi people’s standard of living.

Problems and Challenges Faced by Sahrawi Refugees

As of 2018, the total population of the five camps located in Tindouf was 175,000. Due to the Algerian desert being a very hostile environment to live in with frequent sandstorms and temperatures that can exceed 50 degrees Celsius, food is a major issue in the harsh environment making it nearly impossible for anything to grow naturally. The hostile climate combined with the lack of economic opportunities has led to around “one-quarter of the camps’ residents” facing chronic malnutrition. This chronic malnutrition comes from “the limited range of food available – which is mainly composed of cereals, sugar and oil but is lacking in protein.” Due to chronic malnutrition and hostile conditions, “food assistance accounts for 52% of refugees’ food consumption” with the “poorest households spending over 60%” of their income on food. 

Hydroponics as a Solution

H2Grow is a World Food Program (WFP) hydroponic initiative that uses low-tech hydroponic units to grow food for animals to “strengthen food security in the community” as the Sahrawi refugees’ diet traditionally consists of meat and milk. Hydroponics uses 90% less water than traditional agriculture without the use of soil. Therefore, this technique can be used to enable plant growth in areas that are non-fertile and arid, the same condition where the Sahrawi refugees currently reside.

The Sahrawi refugees value livestock for meat and milk; however, due to the Algerian desert’s arid climate, goats in the camp often end up eating garbage. Thus, using hydroponics, the WFP alongside local experts “developed a low-tech system to grow barley for use as animal fodder by refugees in camps in Tindouf.” The increase in the volume of barley has allowed more goats to be fed, increasing access to milk and meat, thereby improving food security in the camps. 

In 2017, the WFP made both a solar-powered container and DIY household unit built with “locally procured material at 10% of the cost” as well as household kits. Due to the success of hydroponics, the technique was scaled up in the camps increasing the number of units from four to now 200 as of 2018.

The Impact of Hydroponics on Sahrawi Refugees in the Algerian Sahara

The impact of hydroponics on Sahrawi refugees living in the Algerian Sahara has been significant, with the Sahrawi people working together to maintain and protect the hydroponic units from “wind, sandstorms and keeping it cool from the sun.” With the hydroponic units at full operation, refugees can use 90% less water to “grow barley grass from seed in just 7 days.” According to Oxfam, each unit produces about “132 pounds of fodder per day – enough to feed 20 goats.” The implementation of hydroponics has led to a better diet for goats, something the Sahrawi refugees rely on for livelihood whether for food or economic trade. The WFP has found that hydroponics had increased goat milk production by 250% when fed fresh fodder rather than garbage found around the campsite, with meat quality and quantity improving also. Furthermore, excess fodder was able to be sold creating a new revenue stream for the Sahrawi refugees.

The impact of hydroponics on Sahrawi refugees living in the Algerian Sahara has been huge. The WFP and Oxfam have taken huge leaps in improving food security and livelihood for the Sahrawi people who live in a hostile environment. Due to the success of hydroponics in Algeria, the technique can be used in “similarly challenging environments such as Chad, Jordan and Sudan.” The implementation and impact of hydroponics on Sahrawi refugees living in the Algerian Sahara show us that humans cannot just survive in hostile environments but thrive.  

– Kishan Patel
Photo: Pixabay