Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

Monumental vaccine to fight Typhoid Fever in Malawi

Typhoid Fever in Malawi In 2019, the Malawi Expanded Program on Immunization announced that 75% of children aged 12 to 23 months had received all eight basic vaccinations. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, which put a halt to progress in many areas of life, also affected vaccine delivery. Disruptions in the health system, diverted funding and focus, as well as misinformation around vaccines have threatened existing vaccine programs. But with the development of the highly effective typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) and the government’s plan for a huge vaccine drive, Malawi has renewed immunity hopes. And the reason for such hopes is that the cases of typhoid fever in Malawi could drop.

What is Typhoid Fever?

Typhoid fever is a life-threatening infection that spreads through contaminated food or water. In 2019, there were 9.2 million cases and 110,000 deaths worldwide due to the bacterium, Salmonella Typhi, which multiplies and spreads into the bloodstream once it has entered the body. It continues to be a public health problem in many parts of Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific Regions and South-East Asia.

How Does It Affect Malawi?

Typhoid fever in Malawi is very common, with more than 440 cases per 100,000 people every year. Symptoms include stomach pain, fever, diarrhea or constipation and have severe consequences on the livelihood of the affected person. Although health care is free in Malawi, the loss of wages due to missing work means that many families go into debt and children who contract the infection miss weeks or even months of school. The treatment for typhoid also costs the government a significant amount more than other childhood illnesses.

Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV)

With the support of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, TyVAC and other organizations, Malawi has become the third African country to launch its typhoid conjugate vaccine campaign against typhoid fever in Malawi. From May 2023 onwards, the typhoid conjugate vaccine will become part of the national routine immunization program following an integrated vaccine campaign that also provides the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine. This huge, nationwide campaign comes at a critical time as the country aims to play “catch up” and give people, who may have previously missed out, access to life-changing vaccines.

During the pandemic, the government put on hold many key routine medical procedures meaning that the ambitious vaccine drive it proposed will be important in reaching underserved populations. The plan, over the course of one week, aims to vaccinate more than 9 million children (up to 15 years of age) and reduce the chance of any outbreaks of measles, rubella or typhoid fever in Malawi, according to Gavi. The typhoid conjugate vaccine is particularly effective as it only requires a single dose.

Why is This Important?

Drug-resistant strains of typhoid are often more complicated and expensive to treat and put additional strain on health systems. At a time when Malawi’s health system is already under pressure, the typhoid conjugate vaccine, which WHO approved in 2018, could transform issues surrounding typhoid fever in Malawi. It is the first typhoid vaccine that can be used for children younger than 2 years of age and may provide longer-lasting protection.

Urbanization and climate change are likely to increase the global burden of typhoid fever, according to WHO. The recent floods that have hit Malawi as part of Cyclone Freddy are just an example of this. The storms displaced over 500,000 people and the government declared a state of disaster in 14 districts. For those who have lost their homes, it is harder to access clean water, and multiple families sharing crowded spaces means that the spread of infections like typhoid fever will increase if people are not vaccinated.

The Future

Malawi has been at the forefront of promoting solutions to typhoid fever – it was the first African country to provide typhoid conjugate vaccine efficacy data and was part of a five-year global project to accelerate the introduction of the vaccine.

Malawi is only the third country in Africa to introduce the typhoid conjugate vaccine into routine immunization. A study conducted in 2021 in Blantyre, the capital of Malawi, proved the vaccine to be 84% effective and hopefully the government’s decision to include the typhoid conjugate vaccine in routine vaccinations will have similar implications around the continent. It is not only important for controlling typhoid disease itself but it could also help reduce the increasing international problem of antimicrobial resistance.

– Almaz Nerurkar
Photo: Flickr

How Art Is Expanding Ghana’s Cultural Influence

Ghana's Cultural Influence
Ghana is a country where art thrives. Art in Ghana transcends borders, encompassing Afrobeats music enjoyed worldwide and captivating paintings that have garnered international recognition. Art in Ghana has expanded the West African nation’s cultural influence and impacted the Ghanaian population in myriad ways. Artists in Ghana create with hope and optimism, believing their creative output can offer them new and exciting opportunities. The Ghanaian population also benefits from Ghana’s expanding cultural influence, with increased funding and opportunities stimulating growth in struggling regions.

Music

Ghanaian music, particularly Afrobeats, has achieved success not only in Ghana but also globally. Sarkodie, a Ghanaian-born rapper, stands among the country’s most accomplished artists, with a fan base spanning the globe. 

Sarkodie has utilized his fame and influence for positivity through charitable work. In 2013, Sarkodie set up The Sarkodie Foundation, which aimed to help children living in poverty in Ghana. Additionally, he made charitable contributions in 2014 when he founded the Feed the Children campaign. Sarkodie’s success and charitable commitments show the impact art and culture can have on Ghana’s population.

Other accomplished Ghanaian musicians include R2bees (renowned across Africa and featured on Forbes’ top 13 African celebrities list in 2013) and KiDi, a young and promising Afrobeats singer who has also become a household name in Ghana. KiDi is signed to Lynx Entertainment, one of Africa’s leading record labels, and has won multiple awards in Ghana.

These successful artists expand Ghana’s cultural influence and inspire the next generation of music enthusiasts within the country. Many young people in Ghana have taken up music, often due to charitable efforts, offering them hope and opportunities to overcome their struggles.

Agape Volunteers is a prime example of a charity helping Ghanaian youth through music. Agape has several volunteer music teachers across Ghana, helping underprivileged children learn an instrument and achieve their full potential.

Charitable initiatives have also focused on addressing social issues like armed robbery and drug abuse by incorporating music. Solid Rock Association, through folk music, promotes “self-expression, teamwork and critical thinking,” providing opportunities for young people in Ghana aged 10-24 to directly impact their lives. The project has successfully trained 35 individuals in folk music and dance.

Art and Artists Helping Local Communities

Many successful artists and art organizations, with their unique styles and messages, have gotten their works into art galleries and the hands of art lovers from around the world. 

Alongside increased income and funding, Ghana’s reputation in the art world has inspired Ghanaian artists to contribute to their communities. Numerous inspiring projects have been established to foster development within local Ghanaian communities.

Attukwei Montana, a Ghanaian-born artist now based in Los Angeles, initiated the 360 Project. This community-based art project utilizes contemporary art as a means to drive community engagement. The 360 Project has made significant strides in uplifting local Ghanaian communities.

Dream Big Ghana is another organization utilizing arts and culture to help Ghanaian communities. Dream Big Ghana funds art programs at Denyigba Lorlor NGO, which offers the talented youth of Ghana mentorship through the realm of art. It has also set up “Meet Me There Weekender” – a musical festival in Dzita where local artists can showcase their talents in an event that brings the whole community together.

Charities also play a crucial role in preserving Ghana’s art and culture. The Nubuke Foundation, located in Accra, serves as a hub for preserving, documenting and promoting contemporary arts and culture. Through art exhibitions and galleries, the foundation ensures recognition and appreciation for the art produced by Ghanaians. The Nubuke Foundation plays a vital role in showcasing talented artists, thereby expanding Ghana’s cultural influence.

Art as a Catalyst for Change

From music to paintings and everything in between, Ghanaian art is making an impact both inside and outside the country’s borders. The expansion of Ghana’s cultural influence is largely due to its thriving art scene. And ongoing trends suggest that art has become a tool for positive change, funding local community projects, providing opportunities for Ghana’s youth and fostering unity through events like “Meet Me There Weekender.” Overall, Ghana’s art scene shows how arts and culture can be channeled into transformative endeavors. 

– Max Steventon
Photo: Flickr

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USAID Programs in Morocco

USAID Programs in MoroccoMorocco is an economic powerhouse in Africa and according to the African Development Bank, it ranks as the second-largest economy on the continent. Interestingly, the country hasn’t always had such successes. Before the year 2000, Morocco scored poorly on many social, economic, environmental and institutional indicators. Life expectancy was below average, unemployment was high and only 32% of people had access to proper sanitation services.

Morocco has seen positive growth in all aspects of society, due partly to help from international institutions like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The role of USAID programs in Morocco is evident in the achievements and improvements of the country’s education system. The number of out-of-school children went from more than 200,000 to just above 14,000.  

The following is a brief look into a number of USAID initiatives that focus on providing accessible, quality education in Morocco.

Enhanced Educational Attainment for Children at the Primary Level

According to USAID, ensuring lasting and quality education is vital for eradicating global poverty. It is important to provide a strong education as soon as possible in order to maintain steady attendance throughout primary and high school.

Morocco’s Ministry of Education (MOE) is working closely with one of the USAID programs that focuses on strengthening reading comprehension levels in primary school. The goal of this program is to improve overall education and “learning achievement.”

This initiative had incredible success within just one year of the small pilot experiment, which USAID and the government later expanded into the National Program for Reading. According to USAID’s reports, nearly 700,000 primary students benefited from improved reading comprehension and language lessons.

Higher Education Partnership

Morocco once lacked educated teachers and educational staff. In recent times, however, the country has been working with the MOE to provide quality education and “pre-service training” to teachers and staff. The MOE is utilizing the Higher Education Partnership for Morocco (HEP-M) USAID program to start a five-year partnership. This program aims to assist the MOE by providing and building expertise in teacher training, helping develop an undergraduate program for future primary school teachers and enhancing overall higher-level education at Moroccan universities. Both USAID and the MOE are expecting sustainable and positive impacts within this five-year period, set to end by 2024.

Inclusive Education Teacher Training

USAID programs in Morocco have greatly improved the country’s education system, but it still faces accessibility issues for students with disabilities. These students have access to the same education as the rest of their peers, but don’t have the required accommodations for optimal learning. Students with disabilities tend to drop out of school around sixth grade, and this negatively impacts their “socio-economic well-being” in the long term.

USAID and the MOE are working together to improve access to education for deaf and hard-of-hearing children through adequate teacher training. The USAID program includes providing Moroccan Sign Language (MSL) training and certifications to teachers, training in deaf education and promoting deaf and hard-of-hearing education within communities.

Moroccan education has seen success with the USAID Program Improving Deaf Children’s Reading through Technology. This initiative went on from 2015 to 2018. MSL has earned recognition as a language and teachers and administrators have received the necessary training. In addition, deaf and hard-of-hearing students have received quality reading materials.

Looking Ahead

With the help of USAID programs in Morocco, the country increased the number of children in school and improved literacy and comprehension rates in both primary-aged and deaf and hard-of-hearing children. While there is still room for progress in closing the education gender gap, the country’s commitment to improving its education bodes positive signs for the future.

– Kathryn Kendrick

Photo: flickr

The Positive Impacts of Mobile Banking in Kenya

Mobile Banking in KenyaFor the past 18 years, mobile banking in Kenya has helped thousands of people gain control over their money while reducing the country’s poverty rates. The phone-based mobile money service named M-PESA, started by Vodafone in cooperation with Safaricom, has expanded financial inclusivity by allowing access to financial services for even the unbanked through the convenience of a mobile phone. According to the Vodafone website, “M-PESA offers a safe, fast and low-cost way to pay, receive, transfer and store money.” Through local M-PESA agents, individuals are able to withdraw, send or deposit cash, negating the need to visit a bank that may be located far away from a community.

More than Mobile Banking

One of the main benefits of M-PESA is that a bank account is not necessary for using its services. This is a significant advantage to impoverished people in rural, remote areas who cannot afford hefty bank fees, do not earn enough to warrant the opening of a bank account, do not have the formal documentation necessary to open a bank account or simply reside too far away from a bank, making bank services costly and inconvenient.

M-PESA transaction fees are low and M-PESA resolves the need for individuals to travel long distances with physical cash to give to another, which could also be potentially dangerous. With many M-PESA agents, typically local small businesses or vendors, situated across Kenya, individuals can easily transact whenever necessary.

M-PESA was officially launched in Kenya in 2005, and by 2016, Kenya had 40,000 M-PESA agents operating in the country and more than 20 million M-PESA users in a country of 47 million people at the time. A study published in 2016 by Georgetown economics professor Billy Jack, and a colleague at MIT, Tavneet Suri, highlights the impacts of M-PESA on poverty in Kenya. The researchers conclude that between 2008 and 2014, MPESA “increased per capita consumption levels and lifted 194,000 households, or 2% of Kenyan households, out of poverty.”

Statistics from the World Bank confirm the poverty reduction progress during this period. The percentage of Kenyans living under the poverty line dropped from 46.8% to 36.1% over a period of one decade ranging from 2005 to 2015. Kenya’s rural areas noted the most significant decrease as poverty declined from around 50% in 2006 to about 38.8% in 2016, marking a decrease greater than 10%.

Empowering Women

The study by Jack and Suri states, “The impacts, which are more pronounced for female-headed households, appear to be driven by changes in financial behavior — in particular, increased financial resilience and saving — and labor market outcomes, such as occupational choice, especially for women, who moved out of agriculture and into business.”

In the report, Suri mentions that the service helped about 185,000 female farmers move out of farming jobs and into business or retail, giving them a more secure income considering the volatility of the agricultural industry due to changing weather patterns.

Other Issues Impacting Kenya

Despite mobile banking in Kenya bringing poverty rates down, Kenya is currently grappling with the impact of severe droughts, and this is affecting the financial and food security of farming families.

A press release by the International Rescue Committee in February 2023 highlights that the current drought in Kenya has the potential to leave 5.3 million Kenyans facing acute food insecurity from March to June 2023. The report notes that 2.4 million livestock have died due to recent droughts, putting pastoralist families out of work and diminishing their food security.

A United States Agency for International Development (USAID) press release in February 2023 reports that the Horn of Africa has experienced a fifth failed rainy season and Kenya’s cumulative rainfall is now 70% lower than the country’s 30-year average. On top of previous aid measures, USAID intervened in February 2023 with a provision of more than $126 million in emergency food aid to cover the needs of about 1.3 million Kenyans in drought-affected areas.

People will receive food aid in the form of physical food items or cash-based assistance, depending on whether or not local markets are operational. Cash-based assistance will not only allow families to purchase food items according to their needs and preferences but will also help boost local economies as local vendors will see an increase in sales.

Looking Ahead

In spite of the challenges posed by drought and food insecurity, mobile banking in Kenya, particularly through the M-PESA service, has made significant strides in reducing poverty rates and empowering marginalized communities. By providing easy access to financial services and enabling secure transactions, M-PESA has helped lift thousands of households out of poverty and fostered financial resilience, particularly among women. As Kenya continues to tackle the impact of droughts, ongoing support from organizations like USAID will help alleviate food insecurity and further boost local economies through cash-based assistance programs.

– Samuel Kalantzis
Photo: Pixabay

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Eli Lilly and Company’s Push Toward Accessible Insulin

Accessible Insulin
In 2022, Eli Lilly and Company became a corporate partner of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) with the aim of treating and preventing non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, in young people globally. This four-year commitment aims to lower death rates and prevalence rates of ailments impacting children in low-and-middle-income countries. The pharmaceutical company has also acknowledged WHO’s Global Diabetes Compact, launched in 2021, and the WHO’s request for companies in the private sector to help further the goals of the compact. The compact’s key asks are to unite stakeholders, integrate better treatment and prevention worldwide (particularly in low-and-middle-income countries), innovate by “close[ing] priority research gaps,” track progress by setting targets, funding health care and educating about diabetes. With these goals in mind, Eli Lilly has made a push toward accessible insulin.

Eli Lilly and Company

Founded by Colonel Eli Lilly in 1876, Eli Lilly and Company has spent more than 145 years manufacturing medicines for the general public. The company has manufactured “commercial quantities of insulin” since the 1940s so that life-saving medicine for people with diabetes would become more widespread.

The company operates in close to 125 countries with 14 manufacturing sites worldwide. It offers products worldwide, with a presence in Africa, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and various parts of Asia. While its headquarters are located in Indianapolis, it has subsidiaries in many countries, including Malaysia, Peru, Turkey, Austria and Israel.

Eli Lilly’s most notable product is its insulin. Humalog, also known as Insulin Lispro Injection, is a “fast-acting insulin” that the company sells. This insulin serves to control the high blood sugar levels of both children and adults. Eli Lilly also manufactures various cancer and immunology medicines, with more than 47 million people relying on its medication.

EVA Pharma Partnership

In December 2022, Eli Lilly partnered with EVA Pharma to manufacture and supply accessible insulin to low-and-middle-income countries. EVA Pharma products reach more than 40 countries and are made in facilities that are internationally known by organizations like the European Medicines Agency for “high-quality standards.”

Eli Lilly provided EVA Pharma with its API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) for insulin at a reduced price, alongside providing “pro-bono technical assistance.” The aim is for African-made insulin to be distributed within 18 months and for it to reach 1 million people by 2030, as part of the Lilly 30×30 initiative. The initiative pairs with external organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and aims to make quality health care more accessible for 30 million people in “limited-resource settings,” particularly in low-and-middle-income countries.

Price Cuts

In March 2023, Eli Lilly reduced the price of its insulin by 70%, dropping from $275 to a maximum of $35. Most notably, the company slashed the price of Humalog and its non-branded insulin. This occurred more than a year after China’s push for accessible insulin in 2021 when Eli Lilly reduced the price of insulin in China by 75%. During China’s push for more accessible insulin, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi cut their insulin prices by an average of 48%.

China’s VBP (volume-based procurement) goal in 2021 entailed providing consistent and lower pricing across the country for medication, particularly for medicine that had “outlived their exclusivity.” This centralized drug procurement program saved medical institutions ordering insulin an estimated 9 billion yuan. Another benefit of the program is the lowered price of insulin for patients with diabetes, thus making long-term use of this life-saving medication more affordable.

Impacts on Diabetic People in Developing Countries

A study by Anastasia A. Lam and others reports that, in 2019, 463 million people suffered from diabetes globally, and by 2045, this statistic could grow to 700 million. Furthermore, the study notes that 80% of those with diabetes live in low-and-middle-income countries. The International Diabetes Federation’s Diabetes Atlas projects a 129% increase in the prevalence of diabetes in Africa. This equates to 55 million people in one area of the world alone and showcases a dire need for accessible insulin.

The public has progressively become more invested in the insulin industry. While Eli Lilly has been involved in initiatives for accessible insulin for a couple of years, for instance, its partnership with UNICEF since February 2022, the public continues to become more scrutinous toward the pharmaceutical industry.

As a result of this, accessible insulin has become important for companies like Eli Lilly to stay afloat. The more accessible insulin that comes from a particular company, the higher the chance of other companies following suit. When a global environment is bred for high-quality and affordable health care, companies and countries face pressure to provide just that through actions as large as China’s national insulin procurement program or as small as the average person’s critique. Eli Lilly’s recent actions demonstrate a push toward more accessible health care for diabetics and paint an optimistic outlook for the future of health care.

– Lachlan Griffiths
Photo: Flickr

Treating HIV/AIDS in China

HIV/AIDS in China
For the better part of half a century, China’s population has been the largest of any country in the world. A country so populous – its 2020 census reported a population of more than 1.4 billion – typically requires a sophisticated, well-equipped and well-informed health care system that all within the borders can access. Regarding HIV/AIDS in China, while the country’s health care system has the medical equipment to treat Chinese residents and citizens, there is still a general problem of social acceptance.

Treatment Access and Affordability

As an initiative for China’s national estimates of 1.25 million living with HIV, the country has been producing its own HIV treatment medications since 2002. In 2022, domestic news outlet Xinhua reported its homegrown regimen Aikening and Kaletra was effective in preventing the spread, lifestyle-compromising symptoms and the development of AIDS.

Treatment regimens in China have also long included traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCM). A departure from the trends of Western nations, TCM is far more affordable than Western medicine options in China, as “many TCM hospitals depend on government subsidies.” TCM also often has a price lower than its actual cost, making it a more approachable option for people at the intersection of living with HIV/AIDS and living in poverty in China.

Multiple studies posit TCM as being an efficacious treatment for symptoms in the long term. Chinese people living with HIV have access, therefore, to various streams of treatment options which should, on paper, provide a hopeful outlook for the present and future, especially for those below the poverty line.

Treatment, Legislation and Society

Not only is treatment readily available and proven to be efficacious, but it is also mandatory. China’s laws around HIV/AIDS from 2006 insist on people living with HIV informing their doctors from whom they seek any treatment. The laws also stipulate informing one’s intimate partner of their status, and punishments by law are commonplace for ignoring this legislation. The Sixth Tone reported a “legal first” whereby a citizen’s marriage was annulled due to their failure to disclose their HIV-positive status to their partner.

Having a positive status can, and likely will, affect all areas of one’s life that they have built. Perhaps the biggest obstacle, then, to effectively treating HIV/AIDS as a phenomenon in China’s communities is social stigma, subsequent unawareness of status and low treatment uptake.

Transmission of HIV is a crime in China. This is regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity and could be a contributing factor to the low treatment uptake that the Chinese researchers observed: 71% before intervention and 83% afterward. In 2022, China implemented digital interventions using text and instant message reminders as further interventions in a bid to increase the low uptake figures.

Looking Ahead

China has made notable strides in HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. The availability of domestic HIV medications and the integration of traditional Chinese herbal medicine provide affordable options for those living with the virus. While social acceptance and stigma remain challenges, China’s legislation and interventions aim to raise awareness, increase treatment uptake and create a more inclusive and supportive environment for individuals living with HIV/AIDS.

– Linus Erbach
Photo: Flickr

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Rebuilding Refugee Identities One Art Project at a Time

Rebuilding Refugee Identities
Art for Refugees in Transition or A.R.T. is an organization that focuses on helping refugees maintain their culture and tradition within their camp community. Each program begins the process of rebuilding refugee identities. The goal of A.R.T. is to help refugee children connect with their elders and find a sense of belonging. In 2003, the first programs launched were in Myanmar and Thailand. The programs have reached camps across South America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Why Do Refugees Need Art?

Outside organizations, like A.R.T., play an important role in giving refugees opportunities to improve their livelihood in a camp. Refugees focus on survival, often losing their sense of identity and belonging. Through art, refugees have an opportunity to remember or connect with their roots.

Violence, economic instability and gang crime plague Venezuela leading many individuals to flee to neighboring Colombia. As of 2022, Colombia was home to 1.8 million Venezuelan refugees. Colombia’s refugee camps or communities do not always have access to services like schools. A.R.T. works to help youth learn about their culture, background and each other.

Art Projects Rebuild Refugee Identities

Venezuelan refugees and displaced individuals live in communities throughout Colombia. Tintalito is a neighborhood in Bogotá, Colombia where A.R.T. began its first program. Tintalito is the home of 180,000 refugees. With the help of the University of the Andes and New Retreat Educational Foundation, A.R.T. implemented a traditional arts program for academic credit. The interdisciplinary program includes anthropology, psychology, literature and fine arts.

A.R.T. works with the Serena del Mar Foundation to bring art to a coastal refugee community in Colombia: Manzanilla. Here, A.R.T. provides a space for the community’s elders to share with the younger generation. The program fosters a community project for many generations. “The elders of the community recorded their thoughts on the sea, its importance in their lives as well as stories, folklore and their history with the sea.” The youth listens to the stories, translating the message into a mural. This art project preserves cultural traditions despite the uncertainty the community experiences. The art projects are also rebuilding refugee identities for both elders and children.

The Impact

Based on data from 2022, around 90,000 Burmese refugees fled Myanmar or Burma to escape persecution. Many of these refugees, primarily of the Karenni ethnic minority, live in temporary shelters throughout the Mae Hong Son Province in Thailand. Like many of the communities A.R.T. took its programs to, Burmese refugees can connect to their homeland and culture through art. A.R.T.’s programs are rebuilding refugee identities by giving them a space to honor their history and fight for the present.

In the Mae Hong Son Province in Thailand, A.R.T. visited two Burmese refugee camps. The initial program that A.R.T. started with the International Rescue Committee was in 2003. Each program starts small, but the idea quickly grows. Burmese youth learned traditional music and dance with their elders. The refugees reconnected with what they lost in fleeing their homes. Currently, the refugees teach these programs on their own. A.R.T. empowered the refugees to keep their traditions alive, passing on strength from generation to generation.

Looking Ahead

Through its programs, A.R.T. has been instrumental in helping refugees maintain their cultural identity and rebuild their sense of belonging. By providing opportunities for artistic expression and intergenerational connections, A.R.T. supports refugees in preserving their traditions and passing them on to future generations. These initiatives have had a profound impact on refugee communities, fostering resilience and empowering individuals to honor their history while embracing their present circumstances.

– Ellie Bruce
Photo: Flickr

7 Ways Emirates Red Crescent is Making an Impact

Emirates Red Crescent
The Emirates Red Crescent is a volunteer humanitarian organization that “supports official authorities in times of peace and war,” the International Humanitarian City says. As the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) main relief and aid agency, its main objective is to provide emergency response and organize relief coordination. Founded in 1983 through the support of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the organization garnered international recognition as a member of the International Federation of Red Crescent and Red Cross Societies in 1986.

7 Ways Emirates Red Crescent is Making an Impact

  1. Supporting Syrians: Cooperating with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the two organizations conducted “Operation Gallant Knight 2.” This initiative is part of the UAE’s efforts to provide moral and psychological support for those affected by the Syria-Turkey earthquake. In April 2023, Red Crescent members celebrated Eid Al Fitr with 150 children and orphans with cancer in Orange Mall in the Latakia governorate of Syria.
  2. Fundraising Efforts: In a recent 2023 announcement, the Emirates Red Crescent highlighted that it has gathered more than AED 10 billion (about $2.9 billion) worth of humanitarian funding over the past 15-year period. More than 228 million people in 128 countries within and outside the UAE have benefited from the organization’s humanitarian efforts.
  3. Annual Winter Campaigns: As part of its annual winter campaign, the organization launched its 2023 “Be Their Warmth” operation to provide health care, food and shelter for 500,000 people in 31 countries around the world. The aid program will operate through the support of humanitarian partners in order to reach the goal of helping half a million people. The previous winter campaign benefited numerous countries, such as Jordan. In January 2022, the provision of aid to 120,000 people in Jordan, in the form of blankets, warm clothes, food and heating appliances, ensured a less harsh winter.
  4. Syria-Turkey Earthquake Response: Responding to the disaster, in March 2023, the Emirates Red Crescent constructed a shelter camp that provided accommodation for 300 people. The camp came equipped with blankets, beds, food packages and solar lighting. Around the same time, the organization also built 1,000 solar-powered homes in Syria at a cost of $17.7 million. The homes house up to 6,000 people, providing several rooms and living facilities for families in need.
  5. Free Health Care Services in Remote Yemen: The organization’s efforts further the UAE’s aim to alleviate the Yemeni people’s suffering after years of war. The use of mobile clinics served 543 beneficiaries in July 2022 in Yemen’s Hadhramaut Governorate. As part of the clinic work, the health team conducts health check-ups on people in isolated areas struggling with access to basic facilities and health care. Since 2015, Yemen has received more than $6.3 billion of aid from the Emirates Red Crescent and the organization’s clinic services benefited close to 16,000 Yemenis.
  6. Hospital for Mothers and Children: The inauguration of the Umm Al Emarat Hospital for mothers and children took place on the island of Mohéli in September 2022 in Comoros. This is part of several development initiatives implemented to assist people affected by Cyclone Kenneth, which hit the Republic of the United Comoro Islands in 2019. The hospital will benefit nearly 20,000 people in the area through improved and more accessible health care services. The hospital was developed in cooperation with the UAE Embassy in Moroni.
  7. Responding to Pakistan’s 2022 Floods: The Emirates Red Crescent continues to send aircraft with relief and humanitarian aid to flood-stricken Pakistan in 2023. Additionally, the organization’s launch of the “We Stand Together” initiative brought together multiple humanitarian UAE organizations to deliver thousands of emergency relief kits to affected women and children. Initially, in September 2022, the initiative supplied Pakistan with 1,200 tonnes of food, health and hygiene kits and 30,000 relief kits for flood-affected households.

Looking Ahead

As a humanitarian organization that is dedicated to providing emergency relief and aid, the Emirates Red Crescent continues to dedicate its services to nations in dire need. From responding to natural disasters to addressing the health care needs of war-afflicted countries, the organization continues to provide aid where necessary.

– Grace Clay
Photo: Flickr

Treating Clubfoot Changes Lives 

Treating Clubfoot
Clubfoot is a congenital condition found in babies, where one or both feet turn inwards, making it difficult to walk if left untreated. In economically thriving countries, clubfoot is an easily treatable condition, but the same is not true in developing nations where it can impact and determine a child’s entire life. On the bright side, some organizations are treating clubfoot and making a difference.

About Clubfoot

Roughly 200,000 babies are born with clubfoot every year, with only 20% being in high-income countries where treatment commences quickly after birth. Article 26 in the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states that all people with physical conditions should be able to attend rehabilitation centers for treatment. However, many citizens in low-income nations do not get this opportunity. Sadly, numerous cases are neglected and turn into debilitating life-long conditions.

When treating clubfoot, surgery is often unnecessary. Doctors can straighten the foot using the Ponseti Method, a treatment that works in roughly 95% of instances. It incorporates massage of the affected foot and placement in a plaster cast, allowing the muscles to loosen so the bones can grow properly. Once the position is assumed, children will wear tailored boots for five years to keep their feet in place. It is the most favored method of clubfoot treatment, with proven success for more than 50 years. Though the procedure is uncomplicated, the lack of health care centers is often an obstacle for those seeking treatment in Africa. For this reason, many cases of clubfoot remain undiagnosed.

Clubfoot Affects Mental Health

People with untreated clubfoot bear weight unevenly as they begin walking, developing wounds on the weight-bearing side. Furthermore, uneven weight-bearing often means shoes wear down more quickly.

However, those with clubfoot in the developing world do not just suffer from physical challenges. Often due to archaic cultural mentalities, those bearing a disability may endure stigmatization. Many citizens in remote parts of Africa believe spirits cause disabilities as a punishment for alleged misconduct. When these children grow into disabled adults, society shuns and neglects them, making it almost impossible to find employment or form relationships. Those who have become immobile do not have much independence. They often rely on family members who may hold grudges for their lack of participation in housework. Mothers can often face blame for their child’s disability, sometimes leading to marriage breakdown and divorce. This can cause financial insecurity for many women who rely on their husband’s wages to feed their children.

It is due to the work of the following charities that children born with clubfoot or who have developed “neglected clubfoot” as a result of lack of treatment in impoverished countries can access the medical care available and begin to look forward to better living conditions in the future.

Hope Walks

Hope Walks is a Christian charity dealing with clubfoot treatment. It also educates parents and trains health care professionals to deliver the best care possible to patients. Its mission is to remove the burdens plaguing those affected by clubfoot and their families and give people hope as they look toward the future. Since commencing its clubfoot program in 2006, the charity has changed the lives of 150,000 children in 15 countries suffering from the condition.

The program encourages donors to commit to monthly amounts by joining the Clubfoot Crew. Each month, donors receive emails sharing inspirational stories of children now walking unaided following treatment, so they can see exactly where their donations go. Small donations to the nonprofit have life-changing impacts. Just $15 a month can provide a child with a brace that they will use until they are 5 years old. A monthly donation of $40 for one year provides a child with all hospital appointments and necessary treatment. As the charity’s president Scott Reichenbach explains, donations are “the difference between a life of begging on the streets and a life of hope.”

MiracleFeet

Founded in 2010, MiracleFeet brings the knowledge and quality of care present in high-income countries to developing nations. Now functioning in 36 countries and spanning four continents, MiracleFeet has provided more than 70,000 children with the help necessary to combat clubfoot. Last year, the charity helped 12,000 people, more people in one year than ever before. This was a remarkable achievement considering the COVID-19 pandemic erased four years of progress in alleviating global poverty.

MiracleFeet is part of the Global Clubfoot Initiative, a partnership dedicated to treating clubfoot and eradicating the condition through effective treatment plans by 2030. The scheme raises awareness of clubfoot, ensures communities understand it is a curable disability and provides health care workers with training to guarantee all children receive a diagnosis.

Looking Forward

Organizations like Hope Walks and MiracleFeet are making a significant impact in treating clubfoot and improving the lives of affected children. Through ongoing initiatives and partnerships, these organizations provide accessible and effective treatment, educate parents and health care professionals and combat the stigma associated with disabilities. These efforts offer hope to children and families, ensuring a brighter future and the opportunity for better living conditions.

– Yasmin Hailes
Photo: Flickr

How Financial and Cryptocurrency Services Can Fight Human Trafficking 

Cryptocurrency Services Can Fight Human Trafficking 
One of the world’s most lucrative and abhorrent criminal activities is human trafficking, an industry valued at $150 billion, making it the highest profit-making crime after drug trafficking. Human traffickers make their dirty money off of the targeting and exploitation of people (mainly women and girls) who suffer from socio-economic poverty. Human trafficking is a crime that is notoriously difficult to prosecute since it can operate across multiple jurisdictions on an international scale, hiding victims from public view. The mass majority of the crime takes place online and the exploiters of the industry can adapt to the latest forms of technology that enable their criminal activity. On the bright side, there are trends that suggest that financial and cryptocurrency services can fight human trafficking in several ways.

About Human Trafficking Online

Human traffickers adapt to new forms of technology at much faster rates than law enforcement due to having no ethical obligations toward regulations and policymakers. They also possess the capital to employ experts, and they do this by taking advantage of virtual currency transactions. Using virtual currencies like crypto is beneficial to criminals because it has anonymizing features that help them to obfuscate themselves from law enforcement. Cryptocurrencies also help them to purchase online advertisements to target vulnerable searching for opportunities. It is not all dark, though, as financial and cryptocurrency services can also facilitate the fight against human trafficking.

Follow Money Fight Slavery

Founded in 2019, the Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative (ATII) operates globally to combat the human trafficking markets by promoting finance and cryptocurrency industries’ corporate social responsibility through increasing awareness and education toward “data-driven measures.” The aim of this is to detect and counter illicit transactions that traffickers make. It is in this way that financial and crypto-currency services can fight human trafficking.

According to ATII, 75% of financial institutions admit that it is challenging to identify instances of human trafficking through customer transactions.

To address these gaps in corporations’ ability to increase priority toward detecting human trafficking financial transactions, the ATII hosts an annual summit “Follow Money Fight Slavery.” The theme for 2023 centers on the fact that human trafficking is a financial crime.

Identifying Red Flags

Representatives from Verafin and Senzing, companies using artificial intelligence and multi-channel link analysis to fight human trafficking, discussed instances of identifying red flags in transactional data. This can vary from how to recognize a potential victim of human trafficking or the perpetrator and their front companies.

Niki Pryor from Verafin explained at the Financial Typologies conference that “we know what a person who’s free to walk through their life transactions look like” and that “a potential trafficking victim isn’t transacting in the same way.” They tend to not pay rent or bills and tend to make small payments in hotels, drug stores and fast-food establishments for instance. Pryor adds that a banking professional can continue to layer on the certainty of human trafficking risk by analyzing the person’s transactional data relating to whether they are linked to companies that post adult advertising online and contain contact information relevant to the customer base. Furthermore, GPS technology can help map out where all of these transactions are taking place, essentially building a visual story of the movement of such transactional activity.

Detecting Potential Perpetrators

Boris Kusovski from Senzing echoed Pryor’s statements as well. He explained there are two to three kinds of profiles that financial actors can detect for potential perpetrators of human trafficking. This can include the onboarding of a business customer whose company has no stated owner and the customer stays below a certain revenue level for tax purposes. The perpetrator may also have a front company like a chiropractor or physiotherapy ‘practice’ where the review sites and social media activity are rating the mostly female staff.

Robert Griffin from Siren, a leading investigative intelligence site for national security and sponsor of ATII emphasized the importance of using open-source intelligence to leverage cyber security efforts in tackling human trafficking. Open-source intelligence is data gathered from public information that is analyzed in an automatic format instead of manual handling. Such a tool can separate and categorize raw data to analyze and identify data points connecting suspicious parties that are potentially involved in criminal activities related to human trafficking.

Crypto-currency companies like Coinflip and CipherTrace explain that with technology like blockchain analysis, traffickers using crypto-currency to facilitate their criminal activity are not operating as anonymously as they may think. Blockchain forensic analysis allows investigators to trace crypto transactions (both online and in ATMs) with real-world bodies and organizations. When a person transacts on crypto platforms, they have to use a public register. This means that they can tie the transaction to a wallet address and later link it to a real bank account and possibly link it to a person’s identity.

Looking Ahead

The ATII successfully continues to raise awareness around how to employ corporate social responsibility in the fight against human trafficking, excluding any possibility that deplorable actors can criminally benefit from using financial and cryptocurrency services. By exposing the ‘anonymous’ financial transactions in the human trafficking enterprise, the efforts of ATII offer hope for a better and safer world for potential victims.

– Lucy Gebbie
Photo: Wikipedia Commons