Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Inclusive Education Programs Combat Learning Poverty

Inclusive Education Programs
UNICEF is working alongside NGO Zhan, a software development company and a youth center to help children in Kazakhstan who have visual impairments gain more out of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program teaches children with visual impairments how to access useful learning resources and maximize the benefits of technology. Inclusive education programs are particularly valuable in developing countries where many often stigmatize disabilities and those with disabilities do not receive accommodation from schools. The COVID-19 pandemic has made inclusive education even more essential due to an expansive surge in digital learning, which is rarely accessible to children with disabilities.

UNICEF’s Approach

UNICEF and NGO Zhan program taught children how to navigate smartphones, computers, web resources and messenger and navigation apps. The children also learned the basics of programming and became familiar with several software programs, as UNICEF reported.

Children who participated in the program ended up with heightened abilities to communicate with their teachers, peers and families, both inside and outside of school. Children with visual impairments who learn technological skills like computer programming have better chances of finding stable jobs later in life. Inclusive education programs like UNICEF’s help provide opportunities to children with disabilities who may otherwise lack access to education altogether, especially in developing countries.

Educational Benefits

Children with disabilities are often marginalized within educational systems, which makes it difficult to find career opportunities as adults. Children with disabilities face disproportionate amounts of exclusion in low-income areas, according to the World Bank. Educational programs that provide learning resources for children with disabilities help put them on level playing fields with their classmates.

Teachers in developing countries often lack the training and resources to assist children with disabilities, so outside organizations like UNICEF can help make schools more inclusive. According to the World Bank, inclusive education programs may involve teacher training, removing physical barriers for students and obtaining accessible learning materials. These resources allow children with disabilities the opportunity to learn the same material as their classmates without falling behind in school or missing out on job opportunities in the future.

Socioeconomic Benefits

Around the world, 57 million children lack access to primary education. While many children with disabilities struggle to keep up in school without accommodations, others lack access to education altogether. Educational disparities in low-income areas are particularly common among young girls.

Inclusive education programs and policies can improve child literacy, gender equality and educational opportunities at large for children with disabilities. When more children have access to positive educational experiences, more children can enter the workforce and contribute to their local and national economies.

UNICEF’s program for children with visual impairments is a prime example of how inclusive education can benefit children’s education and social lives. Inclusive education accepts and embraces all children, allowing them to succeed in school and pursue their ambitions for the future.

– Cleo Hudson
Photo: Unsplash

The Global Alliance Helping Small Livestock Producers

Small Livestock Producers
Livestock production has an important role in preventing global undernourishment and starvation. Food derived from livestock contributes more than 30% of mankind’s protein intake and 40% of agricultural gross domestic product. In addition, livestock production creates jobs for more than a billion destitute persons. Nonetheless, small livestock producers are often very impoverished and 70% of the world depends on the health of their animals for survival. The Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed) is an organization that helps small livestock producers to rise out of poverty and earn a living by raising healthy animals.

A Vision to Assist Impoverished Farmers

Although livestock production supports more people than any other activity, providing food, clothing and income, producers in developing countries tend to own just a few animals and are in danger of falling below the poverty line. For example, in Nigeria, on average, a small farmer in a family of six owns a one-half acre of land with around seven Tropical Livestock Units (TLU) composed of chickens, cattle, goats or pigs. A TLU is a unit of measurement for an animal feeding operation that assigns a number to each type of animal. Furthermore, in Tanzania, a small livestock producer typically owns up to four cattle, five goats and 11 chickens. Nearly half of these farmers subsist on less than $1.25 daily. GALVmed helps small producers in Africa and South Asia maintain their livestock’s health to prevent the loss of animals to disease.

Founded in the United Kingdom in 2004 by the Animal Health Programme, GALVmed received funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Department of International Development based in London. GALVmed’s goals are to develop and provide vaccines as well as other health tools and medical diagnostics for diseases that harm impoverished farmers’ livestock. Since 2008, GALVmed has received $215 million in donor funding for programs that provide economically sustainable aid for livestock health.

Providing Affordable Vaccines

Typically, livestock vaccines are very affordable and extremely effective. One example is the vaccine for East Coast Fever. At around $7 per dose, one shot of the vaccine protects a cow for its entire life. Moreover, Newcastle Disease is a global poultry illness that can rapidly decimate more than three-quarters of a farmer’s flock, yet just one dose of the vaccine, which costs two cents, protects a chicken whose eggs will help feed a family and contribute to a farmer’s earnings. In addition, another GALVmed program works to fight diseases, such as African swine fever and tick-borne illnesses that can eradicate an entire herd of animals, leaving the producer’s family without food.

Preventing Diseases Zoonotic Diseases

An additional benefit of vaccinating livestock is the prevention of zoonotic diseases, illnesses that can transfer from animals to humans. Scientists now believe that three out of every four new human infectious diseases derive from animals. GALVmed addresses several previously ignored zoonotic diseases that affect small livestock producers in South Asia and Africa. One example is brucellosis, a disease that attacks people who have exposure to infected goats, cattle and pigs or who consume “contaminated dairy products. “More than half a million new human cases occur each year, and often, farmers must euthanize the infected animals to stop the spread of disease.

Unfortunately, every year, small livestock producers in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa lose around $500 million due to brucellosis infections. To reduce the harsh impact of the disease, the organization provides testing and vaccination kits. Moreover, another disease GALVmed combats is a global poultry virus called fowlpox that results in reduced growth rate and egg production. Again, a timely vaccine can prevent this devastating illness.

With support from donors, GALVmed continues its lifesaving work in eliminating livestock diseases and ensuring that small livestock producers can support their families, resulting in reduced poverty around the world.

– Sarah Betuel
Photo: Flickr

Green Efforts to Reduce Global Poverty

Green Efforts
Global poverty is an increasingly pressing issue that obstructs the development of various nations around the world. In 2019, Nowcast estimated the extreme poverty rate at 8.2%. The number continued to increase as it reached 9.5% in 2020. However, global poverty remains the focus of many non-governmental organizations as United Nations-led programs return to the forefront of the battle against it. However, as various factors continue to intersect with the already dire situation, the diversification of poverty initiatives became an important requirement. Thus, the United Nations launched the Poverty-Environment Initiative to highlight the importance of sustainability and green efforts when it comes to tackling poverty within developing nations.

What is the Poverty-Environment Initiative?

The Poverty-Environment Initiative is an effort that several United Nations factions and departments launched to tackle the impacts of poverty through environmental development. U.N. Environment, UNDP, UNCDF and U.N. Women have backed the initiative. Currently, the initiative is operating in various countries within Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Europe. The collaborative effort explores the various ways poverty-alleviating policies can intersect with environmental goals to guarantee a more sustainable and healthy future in developing nations.

What are the Poverty-Environment Initiative’s Main Goals?

The Poverty-Environment Initiative’s main aim is to reduce the potentially damaging repercussions of economic growth on the environment. The initiative recognizes that many developing nations often exploit their natural resources and damage various ecosystems to pry themselves out of poverty. Various phenomena such as rising per capita consumption, industrialization and the rapid and uncontrolled increase of agriculture occur when a struggling nation attempts to diversify income resources.

Governments’ fixations on increasing economic development often make environmental degradation a negligible repercussion. As countries grow more industrialized, alleviating poverty comes at a devastating cost: an increase in air pollution. For example, the Chinese government could have pulled its people out of severe poverty. However, as the living standards increased, the quality of air worsened significantly. The decrease in the quality of air had detrimental impacts on the overall population’s health as well as China’s local ecosystems and wildlife.

Consequently, centering profit and sidelining environmental repercussions within government policies greatly affected the environment in developing countries. Therefore, the Poverty-Environment Initiative’s green efforts extend to improving the quality of life for those in developing nations without allowing environmental degradation to be a consequence. Moreover, it is important to note that the initiative uses the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals to set a clear roadmap toward reaching its objectives.

The Poverty-Environment Initiative’s Success Story in Thailand

The Poverty-Environment Initiative’s work in Asia yielded promising results, especially within Thailand’s most vulnerable provinces, according to a UNDP-UNEP report. Thailand’s Ministry of Interior led the operations and several partners such as Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the National Economic and Social Development Board provided assistance. The initiative’s efforts started within three major provinces: Samut Songkram, Nan and Khon Kaen.

To aid development, the initiative implemented various methods in the three provinces. For example, the U.N. programs studied the ecosystems within the three provinces using integrated ecosystem assessments to supply clear and concise data to lawmakers and governmental departments. The data could be a helpful planning and budgeting asset while keeping green policies and environment-friendly practices in mind, as UNEP reports.

In addition, the Poverty-Environment Initiative’s green efforts extended to a policy tool known as the “green growth indicators,” which allows government officials and ministries to track the environmentally friendly growth achieved.

The Poverty-Environment Initiative managed to build a clear roadmap to a green and sustainable economy by supplying developing countries with the tools necessary to make informed decisions.

– Nohad Awada
Photo: Unsplash

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How Smart Cities in Latin America Alleviate Poverty

Smart Cities in Latin America
According to TWI, “a smart city uses information and communication technology (ICT) to improve operational efficiency, share information with the public and provide a better quality of government service and citizen welfare.” The primary purpose of a smart city is to improve the lives of its citizens by using innovative technology “to optimize city functions and promote economic growth.” According to the Inter-American Development Bank, “a Smart City is one that places people at the center of development,” highlighting the value of smart cities in addressing issues that impact a city’s most marginalized population. In particular, smart cities in Latin America have the potential to lift the region out of poverty.

Addressing Poverty with Information and Communication Technology

In Latin America, smart cities are gaining more traction as nations look for innovative ways to address poverty and improve the lives of their citizens. Across the region, developing nations are embracing information and communication technology to address environmental concerns, improve energy efficiency and provide people with essential resources such as running water.

Investment in smart city infrastructure allows for the opportunity “to build more reliable power grids or expand the Internet” to stimulate economic growth in low-income communities. In addition, technological advancements in public transportation have the potential to create an equitable and accessible city, providing people on the periphery the opportunity to access urban centers unlike ever before. More than half of the world’s population live in cities with a projected increase to 66% by 2050. As rural communities continue to seek economic opportunities in the urban landscape, it is more important than ever for cities to implement the people-centered model of smart cities.

4 Smart Cities in Latin America

  1. Santiago, Chile: According to IESE Business School, the Chilean city of Santiago “is the smartest city in Latin America,” with initiatives in “mobility, environmental control and citizen safety.” To prevent water wastage, the city has developed a sensor data collecting method in which parks and other public green spaces undergo irrigation based on the amount of moisture necessary. The city has also implemented an advanced electric transit system.
  2. La Paz, Bolivia: This Bolivian city overcame its geographic challenges by creating an extensive cable car system to serve the population living in the steep Andean hills rising 500 meters above the city center. The cable car system has now become the main mode of public transportation in the city, allowing residents on the outskirts access to the main areas of commerce and employment.
  3. Guadalajara, Mexico: Guadalajara is the first Mexican city to receive designation as a smart city. Through the city’s Digital Creative City (DCC) initiative, Guadalajara is revitalizing its city center by emphasizing historical and cultural preservation while relying on technology to improve the city’s infrastructure and accommodate its population growth. The city is also relying on various technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and a smart grid, to provide its citizens with clean water, efficient transportation and affordable electricity. The city relies on a participatory model to engage residents in the city planning process.
  4. Montería, Colombia: Montería is one of the first Colombian cities to establish a sustainable infrastructure plan aimed at tackling extreme weather patterns and emissions. It intends to reduce emissions by declaring city-wide car-free days and improving public mobility. The city is also home to an innovation lab, which focuses on developing digital technologies and training individuals to work with these technologies. Montería is also tackling public health issues through its e-health initiatives and is installing solar panels in its public schools.

Rising Smart Cities in Latin America Alleviate Poverty

Cities throughout Latin America are alleviating poverty by integrating smart technology into their frameworks. Urban areas that focus on creating smart and connected systems of living offer numerous benefits for their people, including improving the quality of life and ensuring the sustainable application of resources. With an urbanization rate of 80% in 2017, Latin America stands as the world’s most urbanized region, which means there is ample opportunity for smart city implementation.

– Jennifer Hendricks
Photo: Flickr

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The Effects of the Economic Collapse in Lebanon

Economic Collapse in Lebanon
Poverty continues to loom over Lebanon’s most vulnerable communities, leaving them to battle with deteriorating living standards and several health hazards. Lebanese people’s quality of life sank to an unprecedented low due to many reasons. One of the most prominent reasons for the economic collapse in Lebanon is the Lebanese government’s immense amount of debts that add up to the “equivalent [of] 150% of national output.”

Lebanon’s Economic Landscape

Some financial experts describe the Lebanese government’s economic system “as a nationally regulated Ponzi scheme where new money is borrowed to pay existing creditors.” Adding to the nation’s troubles, the corrupt elite in Lebanon exploited the country’s foreign aid and income post-civil war and continue to do so to this day. The indebted government struggled to make ends meet, which led to the devaluation of the national Lebanese currency. While the economic collapse affected all citizens residing on Lebanese land, the already dire standard of life of the Lebanese lower-class became worse in several ways.

5 Ways the Economic Collapse in Lebanon Impacts Disadvantaged People

  1. Unlivable Wages: The official Lebanese currency, the Lebanese pound, “lost more than 90% of its value.” This extreme devaluation plunged the Lebanese further into poverty. The minimum wage in Lebanon’s value decreased from the equivalent of $450 monthly to what is now worth around $30 per month. As a consequence, “a family’s budget just for food is around five times the minimum wage,” says the Crisis Observatory at the American University of Beirut.
  2. Medicine Shortage: Due to the scarcity of foreign currency in the country, Lebanese pharmaceutical companies struggle with importing or manufacturing life-saving medicine. To counter this shortage, in July 2021, the Lebanese government lifted subsidies on most life-saving medicine. While this development affects the entire Lebanese population, those with limited or no income experience the greatest impact as medicine now becomes a luxury most cannot afford.
  3. Life-Threatening Power Outages: As the Lebanese economy continues to suffer, the government struggles to import fuel and maintain power generators. As a result, low-income neighborhoods across the country barely receive one hour of electricity per day. This circumstance proved to be extremely destructive as companies, bakeries, schools, grocery stores and even hospitals scaled back operations or completely closed down. Such closures made access to life-saving medical operations, as well as food, extremely challenging.
  4. Unemployment as a Result of Scarce Fuel: Due to the economic crisis, private and public sectors are incapable of importing essential fuel and gasoline. To combat the extreme gasoline shortage in the country, the Lebanese government raised gasoline prices by 66% in August 2021. As a result, many low-income independent contractors, such as taxi drivers and bus drivers, could not afford to work anymore. Due to the recent unemployment of low-income families’ primary breadwinners, the Lebanese working class plunges deeper into poverty.
  5. Deteriorating Diets: Lebanon’s most vulnerable people continue to miss one important component at their dinner tables: meat. As the country’s currency continues to devalue, the prices of meat soar. Toward the end of 2020, “fresh and frozen cattle meat prices” in Lebanon increased by 110%, according to a World Bank assessment. Moreover, the prices of chicken witnessed a 68.4% increase over the last few months. With no other affordable protein sources readily available, malnutrition threatens Lebanon’s impoverished and hungry people. Furthermore, UNICEF reports that “three in 10 families” assessed in April 2021 “had at least one child” missing meals.

Beit El Baraka

As the factors mentioned above overlap, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) launched several initiatives and efforts to aid Lebanon’s most vulnerable communities. One of the most prominent NGOs currently operating on a large scale within Lebanon is Beit El Bakara. The NGO is dedicated to helping Lebanon’s vulnerable families by covering medical expenses, paying bills and tuitions and providing meals and essential services. Since its launch, Beit El Baraka’s team helped more than 128 families pay their electricity bills, paid 93 families’ rental costs, covered the cost of treatment for 1,681 patients in need and refurbished 3,011 homes across 62 Lebanese areas.

The economic collapse in Lebanon is becoming increasingly dire. Without help, Lebanon and its people could face a catastrophic fate as more than half of the population sinks below the poverty line. Therefore, aiding the Lebanese population should be a top priority of the international community.

– Nohad Awada
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

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Challenges for Impoverished Indigenous Australians

Impoverished Indigenous Australians
As of 2021, Australia remains within the top 15 economies in the world. However, as the Australian economy flourishes, the Indigenous Australian community remains a forgotten minority. According to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), a former Indigenous Australian government body, this marginalization increases several poverty risks within the community. In reference to research that the ATSIC conducted, more than 120,000 Indigenous Australians are currently living below the poverty line. This indicator signifies that more than 30% of the Australian Indigenous population endure “income poverty” and suffer from various forms of inequality on several life-impacting bases. A closer look at the challenges for impoverished Indigenous Australians provides insight into the severity of this marginalization.

Education and Work

Indigenous Australians often face income inequality when they join the workforce. Between 2018 and 2019, the weekly “median gross adjusted household income” of Indigenous Australians aged 18 and older was approximately $553. This number is a cause for concern because it is significantly lower than the wages of non-Indigenous Australians whose weekly median gross household income is about 65% higher.

Moreover, Indigenous teenagers are three times more likely to not receive full-time education than any non-indigenous group in Australia. Roughly 70% of young adult Australian Indigenous people do not work a full-time job or engage in full-time education, which causes an increased risk that affects their income average, living standards and overall quality of life.

Indigenous Australians must overcome several struggles when seeking out education. One of the biggest obstacles Indigenous Australians in under-funded or rural areas must overcome is the language barrier. The Australian nationwide curriculum includes only English instruction, which creates a language barrier for students within remote Indigenous areas.

Furthermore, schools in rural areas often occupied by Indigenous Australians are severely underfunded. The Australian government spends 47 cents on education per child in remote communities for every dollar spent on education per child in the Northern Territory of Australia. Also, many impoverished Australian students live with their extended family in overcrowded households, which creates distractions and deprioritizes education for Indigenous youth. All the factors mentioned above lead to an increased poverty rate in Indigenous communities due to the poor quality of education or the complete lack of it.

Health

Poverty within Indigenous Australian groups is also a significant contributor to the increased health hazards Indigenous Australians face. Many illnesses threaten the lives of indigenous Australians at much higher rates than non-Indigenous Australians. For example, diseases that otherwise do not exist within other communities threaten Indigenous Australian communities. Moreover, disability, as well as chronic and terminal illness, are observed at much higher rates within Indigenous communities throughout the country. These implications lead to a decreased life expectancy among Indigenous Australians as projections determine that they could live “20 years less” than any other group of people in Australia.

It is important to note that, according to a 2019 Oxfam analysis of Australian inequality, Australian indigenous women face several additional threats when it comes to poverty. Many gender-based health risks arise due to poverty and inequality. Indigenous Australian women face an increased infant mortality rate. In fact, the infant mortality rate for Indigenous Australian women is about twice the rate of their non-indigenous counterparts. In addition, Indigenous Australian women face the consequences of income inequality. Women in Australia make 85 cents for every dollar a man makes. This income gap widens further when it comes to Indigenous women, which puts them at an increased risk of poverty.

Combating COVID-19

The Australian Department of Health states that COVID-19 poses a greater health risk to Indigenous Australians in comparison to non-Indigenous people. Several structural and systematic injustices, such as limited access to health care, added risks due to pre-existing health issues and the lifestyles within remote Indigenous Australian communities, lead to this reality. However, the Australian government launched several efforts to help lessen the dire impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Indigenous Australians. This assistance materialized in the Indigenous community as 53% of Indigenous Australians older than 16 were receiving income support throughout the pandemic, which helped alleviate the impacts poverty has on these communities all over the country.

Community Support for Impoverished Indigenous Australians

While injustices continue to increasingly affect Indigenous Australian communities, it is important to note that activists are leading multiple efforts and initiatives to aid with alleviating poverty in these communities. For example, based in Victoria, Australia, Pay The Rent Grassroots Collective is a collaborative effort between Australians that aids struggling Indigenous Australians by collecting funds from non-Indigenous Australians. Because of this group, many native clans and people avoid instability by allowing the Indigenous Australians within Pay The Rent’s decision-making team to study the community’s needs and establish solutions to meet these needs.

As social and economic hardship continues to affect Indigenous Australians, taking action through evident support and direct aid to the community’s most vulnerable is more important than ever. As funds increase, it is clear to see that the nongovernmental organizations founded by Indigenous Australians are taking steps toward alleviating poverty among impoverished Indigenous Australians.

– Nohad Awada
Photo: Flickr

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Using Green Trade to Transform Developing Nations

Green Trade
Following the impacts of COVID-19, many developing countries are attempting to rebuild their economies and alleviate the financial hardships of the people facing these impacts. Prior to the pandemic, the International Energy Agency predicted that renewable energy would expand by 50% between 2019 and 2024. As of 2022, it seems many nations are more focused on economic advancement rather than avoiding environmentally dangerous actions. Many world organizations are advocating for “greening trade” as a new growth strategy that could protect the environment and benefit nations with high poverty levels as a consequence of the onset of COVID-19. Green trade has the potential to transform developing countries.

What Does Greening Trade Mean?

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), greening trade involves promoting sustainable measures to engage in trade that do not pollute land or water. The process focuses mainly on engaging in trade with renewable energy and energy efficiency markets. Greening trade helps the environment while maintaining trade relations for economic prosperity.

Evidence of Success in Greening Trade

In 2019, Palgrave Communications reported that the green trading industry generated $1.3 trillion in the United States economy alone. The industry has created 9.5 million full-time jobs in the U.S. In China, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that a mix of carbon taxes and green investment could have the potential to increase China’s GDP by 0.7% and create more than 12 million jobs by 2027. It is clear that green trade has created success in major economies globally.

How Can Greening Trade Reduce Poverty?

The World Trade Organization (WTO) released a study in January 2022 suggesting that more trade in green technologies could help developing nations transition to a low carbon economy. This is an advantage for nations with impoverished populations because new guidelines by WTO may require green practices in the future. In consideration, implementing green policies could prepare developing countries for future trading markets while preventing the countries from lagging behind.

Greening Trade Begins in Developing Countries

In September 2021, the Brookings Africa Growth Initiative hosted an event to explore opportunities for green trade with Europe’s new Green Deal. The event occurred in hopes of encouraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to do the same. The AfCFTA is projected to bring 30 million Africans out of poverty simply by means of trade and would benefit from engaging in green trade to maintain trade relations with the United Nations. The recent African Green Recovery Action Plan states that “for the COVID-19 recovery to be sustainable, it must link a green recovery with an inclusive recovery.” The plan insinuates that marginalized groups and those in poverty can benefit from green plans.

The World Bank states that Vietnam should use its resources to promote green trade to maintain a competitive edge in international markets and generate new, innovative jobs for the unemployed to combat pandemic-induced poverty levels. Green recovery is crucial in the post-COVID-19 era to improve the conditions of those in poverty, specifically in developing countries that have the opportunity to rebuild.

Ways to Green Trade

UNEP suggests four ways that governments can actively engage in greening trade:

  1. Enforce strong environmental laws and regulations both at a national and international level.
  2. Have governments create trade rules and agreements that promote environmental awareness.
  3. Promote intergovernmental cooperation on green trade through improved monitoring, green trade finance and sustainability impact assessments.
  4. Identify stakeholder initiatives to green trade and supply chains to craft policy that complements such efforts.

Green trading is a relatively new industry and its full economic potential has not yet come to fruition. If developing countries take advantage of engaging in green trade now, these nations could be setting themselves up for the future of trade in general while benefiting their economies.

 

– Rachel Reardon
Photo: Flickr

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A Look at Mental Health in Egypt

Mental Health in Egypt
Increased levels of stress and fear due to the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a spike in mental health issues globally. Egypt is no exception to these mental health concerns, prompting the Egyptian government to take steps to address the subject of mental health in Egypt. For the country and its citizens, studies of mental health and mind date as far back as the Pharaonic era. Today, COVID-19 has prompted a revitalization of mental health awareness and solutions to better strengthen Egypt’s mental health care.

Mental Health in Numbers

A country-wide survey by Egypt’s Ministry of Health in 2018 indicates that 25% of Egyptians suffer from mental health issues. The Ministry of Health derived the data from a “random sample of 22,000  families” in Egypt. The survey noted a high prevalence of depression and anxiety conditions with anxiety impacting almost 44% of the population experiencing mental health issues. About 31% of Egyptians enduring mental health conditions are “suffering from depression that is linked to substance abuse.”

A 2020 study that Safaa M. El-Zoghby led aimed to uncover the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in Egypt. Researchers gathered data between May 2, 2020, and May 9, 2020, from a survey of 510 Egyptian adults. The survey results indicated that 41.4% of respondents endured severe mental health impacts due to the stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A lack of mental health awareness and high treatment costs prevent progress in the mental health arena. The societal stigma surrounding mental illness tends to discourage Egyptians from seeking out help for mental health conditions. Schizophrenia, for example, is one mental illness in Egypt that continues to hold significant stigma. In an interview with Al-Ahram Weekly, Egyptian-Canadian psychologist Rita Kallini has stated that society labels Egyptians suffering from schizophrenia as “crazy.” In addition, the Egyptian Journal of Psychiatry conducted a study in 2020 that indicates that almost 44% of 300 patients with diverse mental health conditions reported victimization in the past year.

History of Egyptian Mental Health

In Egypt’s ancient past, the country studied and documented mental health. Ancient Egyptians’ knowledge and awareness of “diseases of the mind” point to this, according to an article by Mervat Nasser, a senior lecturer in psychiatry at the University of Leicester. Her studies involve an analysis of ancient Egyptian papyri, which documents some of the first known concepts of psychology and mental health disorders.

In studying the papyri, Nasser concluded that the ancient Egyptians identified mental health conditions in their people similar to the conditions modern psychiatrists and doctors see in their patients today. For example, ancient Egyptians described a form of sadness with the ability to manifest physical illness. In Nasser’s explanation, she determined that this sadness “is this somatized form of depression that is still regarded to be the commonest presentation in Egypt today.” Nasser also concluded that carefully selected and trusted sorcerers held unofficial positions as ancient Egyptian psychiatrists as the papyri had no mention of an official physician of the mind.

Increasing Mental Health Awareness in Egypt

Despite the significant societal stigma surrounding mental health in Egypt, modern Egyptians are setting forth to break barriers to mental health progress through awareness movements and initiatives.

In August 2021, the Ministry of Health and Population in Egypt announced an intention to set in motion a cycling marathon to raise “awareness on mental health concepts among adolescents” in Egypt. With 100 participants and precautionary COVID-19 prevention measures in place, cyclists rode 12 kilometers in support of adolescent mental health in Egypt. The Ministry recognizes the psychological impacts of COVID-19 on all people, especially adolescents, and aims “to provide all means of psychological support to improve the level of mental health for adolescents.”

Young Egyptian minds like Ally Salama, the founder and CEO of EMPWR Magazine, “the Middle East’s first online mental health magazine,” have set forth to spread awareness of Egyptian mental health. Salama’s goals of societal mental health acceptance and awareness are some of many goals of young Egyptians striving to change the way Egypt views, manages and treats mental health issues that afflict the nation.

Hope for Improving Mental Health in Egypt

Ally Salama and the Ministry of Health and Population in Egypt aim to change the landscape of mental health in Egypt. Salama, who has made history with his efforts, is one of many Egyptians trying to break the stigma that clings to mental health in Egypt. Salama, other activists and Egyptian leaders serve as inspiration for others to help improve mental health in the nation.

– Michelanie Allcock
Photo: Flickr

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Food Vulnerability in West Africa During COVID-19

Food Vulnerability in West AfricaAt the beginning of 2022, the United Nations reported a near 3% increase in extreme poverty in West Africa due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence shows that while worldwide regulations are beginning to loosen, the pandemic continues to impact food resources for West Africans. More than 25 million people in West Africa are currently struggling to meet their basic food needs. At the same time, financial strategies and partnerships aim to combat the exacerbated poverty and food vulnerability in West Africa.

West Africa and COVID-19

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in January 2022 that 30 African countries detected the highly contagious Omicron variant and 42 African countries detected the Delta variant. West Africa has accumulated about 10.2 million COVID-19 cases and Africa, in general, notes a fully vaccinated population of only 10%. Starting in the early days of the pandemic, West African nations responded to COVID-19 through lockdowns, traveling restrictions and curfews.

Food Vulnerability in West Africa

Many food production systems in West Africa are already facing issues regarding their reliability and affordability. A 2020 report from Nature Food found that rural farming regions in West Africa have unreliable food storage means and many West Africans rely on their daily income to pay for food.

COVID-19 has likely increased food prices for West African regions as access to markets, implementations of lockdowns and trading restrictions reduce food access for West African families. Nature Food reports that prices in food imports for cereals and rice for West African regions have risen by 11% to 17%.

Schools in West Africa account for a significant amount of household food supplies by providing food for nearly 7 million West African school children through school feeding programs. Due to the pandemic, school closures strain the already minimal access to food for children in low-income families while increasing food vulnerability in West Africa.

West African Food Investments and Partnerships

Multiple international organizations are pledging significant funding to support West African efforts to address COVID-19. While efforts in aiding food vulnerability are short-term, the commitments open the doors for governments to increase agriculture investments with positive long-term effects.

In April 2020, the African Development Bank pledged $10 billion in support of African economies and to protect against issues such as food vulnerability in West Africa amid the pandemic. This creates a possibility for improvements in West Africa’s financial stability through the strengthening of public-private partnerships.

Financial Inclusion and Mobile Money

Other developments include financial inclusion through mobile money services (MM). MM is a progressive method toward handling finances that allow rural and urban regions in West Africa to have efficient access to financial services and the ability to receive payments via mobile phone.

A 2020 Wilson Center report indicates that MM services saw an increase from 34% to 43% from 2011 to 2017 throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, adults in the region using MM doubled from 12% to 21% from 2011 to 2017 in comparison to the steady number of adults using other financial institutions. However, the progression of financial inclusion through mobile money came to a halt when the pandemic hit.

In response, multiple reforms and policies are in place to continue financial inclusion progress. Central banks encourage digital payments to curb the spread of COVID-19 while keeping banks up and running. Countries ranging from Ghana to Liberia have increased access to MM accounts without extra fees or documentation for transactions reaching a set amount. Regarding low-income homes or families in poverty, West African governments have mobilized direct cash transfer programs to lessen the weakening economic effects of COVID-19 lockdowns.

With partnerships and financial strategies to address West Africa’s food and financial issues amid the pandemic, efforts will continue to improve the lives of low-income households.

– Michelanie Allcock
Photo: Flickr

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Establishing Greater Food Security in Nigeria

Food Security in Nigeria
Nigeria is a West African country that stands as the most populous nation in Africa with more than 182 million citizens. The nation holds a high population growth rate as well as a high poverty rate. About 60% of Nigerians live in impoverished conditions, a consequence of several factors including conflict, drought and floods. The ongoing conflict and violence in Nigeria has not only led to more than 2 million internally displaced Nigerians but has also led to high food insecurity levels. The violence and conflict are “disrupting food supplies, impeding access to basic services and markets and limiting agricultural activities and livelihood opportunities.” With more than 8.7 million people facing food insecurity in the northern parts of Nigeria, establishing greater food security in Nigeria is more important than ever.

Reasons Behind Food Insecurity in Nigeria

The escalation of the conflict together with the crisis that COVID-19 caused and rising numbers of internally displaced persons make food insecurity in Nigeria a growing problem. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened both poverty and food insecurity in the nation. According to ReliefWeb, “embargoes on food items, the reluctance of manufacturing countries to export and the reduction of economic activities due to the pandemic has led to food price hike as high as 120% across markets nationwide.” Severe droughts and floods also impact agricultural output, exacerbating both food insecurity and economic insecurity, especially for rural people who depend on the agricultural sector for their income and sustenance.

How the World Food Programme (WFP) is Providing Assistance

Because food insecurity links to malnutrition, the WFP is providing “specialized nutritious food” to vulnerable children younger than 5 as well as pregnant and breastfeeding Nigerian women. With the support of UNICEF and Action Contre La Faim (ACF), the WFP is able to provide “an integrated package of essential health and nutrition services” to reduce and address severe malnutrition among vulnerable Nigerian people, especially in the most isolated and remote regions. In the most conflict and violence-ridden states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe, the WFP aims to expand its food security efforts to support 1.9 million citizens by the close of 2022.

In November 2021, the WFP had supplied more than 12,105 metric tonnes of local food to more than 1 million people enduring food insecurity in the most conflict-ridden parts of Nigeria. Through $7.1 million worth of cash-based assistance in the form of “E-vouchers, prepaid cards, bank cards and mobile money,” the WFP was able to help more than 551,000 people buy “life-sustaining food and engage in livelihood activities” to secure an income.

To address nutritional deficiencies, the WFP supplied “nutrition support to 126,631 children aged 6-23 months and 87,396 pregnant and lactating women and girls,” among other efforts. According to the WFP, women formed 60% of the beneficiaries of the WFP’s aid efforts. In total, the WFP’s work helped more than 1.4 million people in November 2021.

The food insecurity crisis in Nigeria is ongoing due to limited food access as a consequence of the conflict, which is why the WFP seeks funding of $211 million between December 2021 and May 2022 to continue with the goals of the Country Strategic Plan (2019-2022).

The Road Ahead

The Nigerian government could establish greater food security in Nigeria by focusing on rural development, appropriate policies for food, political stability and the reduction of poverty. All these strategies must work in collaboration with international aid in order to see true success. With the support of the WFP, Nigeria was able to stabilize staggering levels of food insecurity in the nation. However, “4.4 million people are still entirely depending on food assistance” for their survival. Ongoing humanitarian assistance is necessary to provide emergency food relief and support and improve food security in Nigeria.

– Ander Moreno
Photo: Flickr