Archive for category: Health

Information and stories on health topics.

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Gavi’s Initiatives and COVID-19 Response Plans

COVID-19 Response Plans
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is an international organization that Bill and Melinda Gates conceived and cofounded in the late 1990s. Its mission is to supply low-income countries with vaccinations they might otherwise have gone without. The organization has helped vaccinate more than 760 children. Additionally, it has saved more than 13 million lives in developing countries across the world. Gavi has recently aimed rigorous funding and supply distribution towards fighting COVID-19. The Vaccine Alliance has set aside $200 million for protective equipment, health care workers and increased testing with funding going towards low-income countries such as Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Sudan, Afghanistan, Liberia and Zimbabwe. Gavi’s 2020 initiatives and COVID-19 response plans are all efforts to prepare and provide for global health in the coming years.

The Alliance’s Fifth Phase

Gavi operates using a five-year strategic model and what it calls “phases”. With Phase I beginning in 2000, the alliance has followed this plan to the present day. In December 2019, the organization approved Phase V, a model that it will implement in 2021 and complete in 2025. Gavi tracks its success throughout these phases by creating specific goals in areas such as vaccines, equity and sustainability.

  1. The Vaccine Goal: The vaccine goal focuses on effective medical outreach and accessibility. It calls for the positive integration of vaccines into countries with the highest need. Gavi will then work with each country to identify its most prominent infection to decide which vaccination would be most helpful, also considering population when determining quantity. Further criteria of the vaccine goal include the continued introduction of immunizations that in turn will pave the way for proper health care and preparedness against preventable diseases.
  2. The Equity Goal: By bolstering health care systems, the equity goal promotes the importance of accessibility. With Gavi’s financial support, governments can prioritize “reaching the unreached.” This goal primarily deals with immunization delivery services and supply chains that will ensure the sustainability of accessible health care in that country. By ensuring that each individual receives what they need, the organization will cultivate further trust in immunization.
  3. The Sustainability Goal: The sustainability goal works to strengthen administrative support for immunizations. This support will hopefully call for a nationwide commitment towards eradicating death from preventable infections. By promoting public resources, instituting a system within the country to continue to fund immunizations and adding a system to ensure post-transition support, Gavi can safeguard accessible vaccines in developing countries.

The Gavi COMAX AMC

Inspired by its 2019 pneumococcal AMC commitment, Gavi announced The Gavi Advanced Market Commitment for COVID-19 vaccines (COMAX AMC) as one of its COVID-19 response plans at the Geneva June 2020 summit. Similar to previous market commitments for infections such as pneumococcal pneumonia and Ebola, this financial plan works to encourage vaccine makers to produce large quantities of immunizations without the worry of over-investing. Stock-piling now can guarantee that vaccines are available and have the ability to be distributed quickly in the future.

Gavi’s COMAX AMC has set a fundraising goal of $2 billion for a vaccine plan-ahead preparation. The first vaccine manufacturing company to contribute to this 2020 plan is AstraZeneca in partnership with the University of Oxford. Once a vaccine emerges, AstraZeneca promises to make 300 million dosages available to the world’s poor for distribution. AstraZeneca and Oxford have pledged to work without compensation through the entirety of the pandemic. Additionally, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPRI) will collaborate with COVAX AMC. Furthermore, CEPRI has offered to provide manufacturing funds.

The COVAX Facility

This global access facility works as an extension of the advanced market commitment. The Vaccine Alliance is calling for worldwide participation in a new fair-trade financial plan. Under the COVAX Facility umbrella, upper-middle and high-income countries will pool resources and share risk to create a structurally sound vaccine economy. These joint investments will embolden vaccine companies to intensify manufacturing. As a result, the price of a single vaccine will decrease, making distribution to lower-middle and low-income countries easier. The plan looks to take the uncertainty out of vaccine creation and vaccine investment. In this economic proposition, Gavi argues that COVID-19 is a global catastrophe that will require a global engagement to contain.

Gavi’s 2020 initiatives and COVID-19 response plans reference the importance of a unified approach when it comes to the creation and distribution of critical vaccines. Right now, there has been no successful formulation of a COVID-19 immunization, but Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance is doing what it can to provide monetary aid now as well as for the future.

– Alexa Tironi 
Photo: Wikimedia

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The Fight Against Poverty in Fiji

Poverty in Fiji
The island of Fiji is located in the South Pacific Ocean and has a population of more than 895,000. A vibrant native population traverses the tropical climate of Fiji. The economy is dependent on agricultural products and tourism. Farmers cultivate bananas, cocoa, pineapple and taro root to supplement trade between nations, and commercial fishing and sugarcane are similarly important exports. Despite the high amount of trade between bordering islands and nations, 28% of native Fijians live below the national poverty line. Here is some information about poverty in Fiji and efforts to combat it.

Relocation on Limited Land 

Many citizens of Fiji make a living in the boat-making or fishing industry; as a result, relocation threatens the livelihood of a small business economy. Rising water levels often force villages to move. Changing weather patterns have caused widening rivers and altered seasons, contributing to the issue. “Where there was rain, there is now sun,” reports a native islander who recently relocated because his village was flooded.

In the next 10 years, an estimated 676 villages will have to move, which will increase the number of unemployed islanders. As unemployment increases, those who live above the poverty line are at risk of falling below the global margin of $1.90 per day. The relocation of one village costs an estimated $445,000.

Education and Health Care

Fiji consists of 100 inhabited islands, a number that is drastically decreasing due to the rising water levels. Implementation of primary health care practices and basic amenity improvements in villages provide locals with clean water and permanent housing. The adoption of these principles by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund sought to improve Fiji’s situation between 1970 and 2000. In the past 20 years, though, the flow of central health support from the capital city of Suva into villages has slowed due to a limited number of health professionals.

Previous Health Minister Jona Senilagakali states, “…the government did not schedule workers to go to all communities in all the islands to monitor the project. And health workers were not encouraged to work more with the communities to improve their health standards.” The slow progress of Fiji’s modern health initiative is also a direct impact of “brain drain.” This occurs when educated individuals emigrate for higher-paid positions. Proper education in Fiji is also progressing rather slowly. Though secondary enrollment and literacy rates are high, the university system in Fiji lacks resources and government funding. Improving higher education largely depends on the willingness of the government to provide more aid to the people.

Prospects of Hope

Last year Fiji saw high prospects in the global market of reduced unemployment and the lowest amount of extreme poverty in the country’s history. The percentage of those living below the global poverty line, currently 0.5%, continues to fall as a result of incentives by the United Nations. In 2013, Fiji received honors from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) for a substantial decline in poverty and hunger among the population.

– Natalie Williams
Photo: Pixabay

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5 Facts About Hunger in Sierra Leone

Hunger in Sierra LeoneOf Sierra Leone’s population of 7 million people, more than half are living below the poverty line. In 2019, the U.N. Development Programme Index ranked this West African country 181st out of 185 countries based on “average achievement in three dimensions of human development—a long and healthy life, knowledge and a decent standard of living.” Such a ranking is significantly influenced by the fact that millions of Sierra Leoneans are affected by food insecurity and many children are malnourished. Here are five facts about hunger in Sierra Leone. 

5 Facts About Hunger in Sierra Leone

  1. More than 3 million Sierra Leoneans lack reliable access to adequate food. In total, over 40% of Sierra Leone’s population is food insecure. Over 50% of Sierra Leone’s population lives on less than $1.25 per day, so many people struggle to buy sufficient and nutritious food. According to the 2019 Global Hunger Index, about one out of every four people in the country are undernourished.
  2. Nearly 40% of children suffer from stunted or impaired growth as a result of chronic malnutrition. This can permanently impact health and cognitive development. Families living in poverty are less capable of providing their children with an adequate variety of nutrients in their diets. In 2018, the rate of mortality for children under 5 years old was 10.5%; about half of these deaths are attributable to malnutrition.
  3. Sierra Leone ended an eleven-year war in 2002, and was hit by the 2014 Ebola pandemic; these have greatly exacerbated rates of poverty and hunger in Sierra Leone. The long-term conflict dismantled national infrastructure in both rural and urban areas, resulting in a lack of effective basic social services  Beginning in May 2014, the Ebola crisis resulted in almost 4,000 deaths and a serious economic downturn in Sierra Leone. The country is still dealing with the aftermath of these events.
  4. Irregular rainfall has significantly reduced rice production in recent years. Rice is a staple food in Sierra Leone, but local agricultural production is no longer sufficient to meet the needs of the population. In 2018, the majority of rice-growing households produced only half as much rice as they expected. Therefore, instead of exporting rice, which would improve economic growth, the government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars importing the staple.
  5. The COVID-19 pandemic is putting more people at risk of acute hunger and starvation. According to the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP), without sufficient aid, countries with high levels of food insecurity may face “mega-famines.” The WFP has also reported that food insecurity could double worldwide in 2020, affecting 130 million more people.

Solutions

Many organizations have taken action to address food insecurity and malnutrition in Sierra Leone. In 2018, Action Against Hunger aided 8,000 people with food security programs that reduced malnutrition among children and increased dietary diversity. The WFP, UNICEF and Sierra Leone’s government are distributing nutrient-dense food to young children and mothers to reduce child malnutrition.

The WFP also provides food to children in schools and supports smallholder farmers. In May 2020, the WFP assisted more than 17,000 people by distributing over 47 metric tons of food assistance, transporting 900 metric tons of improved seed rice to smallholder farms, and providing cash payments to more than 1,000 farming households. 

The World Bank has provided Sierra Leone’s government with $100 million to deal with economic challenges during the pandemic and reduce poverty. The U.N. is attempting to coordinate a global response to the pandemic that would require $4.7 billion to “protect millions of lives and stem the spread of coronavirus in fragile countries,” including Sierra Leone. 

Conclusion

These facts about hunger in Sierra Leone show that this issue is widespread and likely worsening during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with multiple NGOs and members of the international community working to address this problem with food assistance and aid for farmers, there is hope for improvement; Sierra Leoneans may experience lower rates of hunger and malnutrition in the near future. 

– Rachel Powell
Photo: Flickr

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Combating Tuberculosis in the Congo

Tuberculosis in the Congo
At the beginning of the 1990s through the early 2000s, the contraction and subsequent testing for HIV increased significantly in Africa. Within this time period, the World Health Organization (WHO) discovered that nearly 85% of Africans were HIV-positive. More recently, HIV numbers in Africa have reduced with a 38% drop in eastern and southern Africa since 2010. While Africa is getting a handle on HIV, tuberculosis is prevalent. It affects the entire African continent, but cases of tuberculosis in the Congo are the most significant.

Tuberculosis hit African nations forcefully, debilitating the economy, altering sociality and increasing mortality rates. In 2016, estimates determined that 417,000 Africans died due to the disease. This number constituted 25% of all tuberculosis cases present in the world at the time. Of the African deaths in 2016, 321 of them occurred in the DRC, which had one of the highest rates of TB in all of Africa during that time.

Although many have worked to combat TB and HIV within the DRC, the country is still suffering from preventable diseases. With internet access alone, individuals may support groups and companies who are already battling tuberculosis in the Congo and globally.

Important Organizations

The Global Fund is a group that has combated drug-resistant TB through “antimicrobial-resistant superbugs.”  Over the last 20 years, funding to find a cure for this type of tuberculosis has treated and saved 5 million people. Yet, its founder stated that “with more funding triple that number could have been saved.” He advised all to support The Global Fund by donating to its research on drug-resistant TB and by signing petitions to raise awareness.

Starting in 2011, the Management Sciences for Health (MSH) and USAID funded the Democratic Republic of Congo-Integrated Health Project (DRC – CIH) to educate people about the symptoms of tuberculosis in the Congo. This program also prepared healthcare professionals in ways to quickly identify and treat TB. Because of the efforts of this program, the detection rate for TB has raised from 12% to 86%. This program still needs support today, as funding is low and publicity has been scarce. Raising one’s voice in support of such a cause will only benefit the program and save more lives. Ciza Silva Mukabaha, a supporter of the MSH and the DRC – CIH called this program a “starting point” for change. He stated that, with more support from others, change is inevitable.

How to End Tuberculosis in the Congo

The End Tuberculosis Now Act recently entered Congress. Individuals in the United States can email or call their representatives and advocate to provide U.S.-government aid to combat multidrug-resistant TB and “support the fight to end tuberculosis” everywhere.

People can also aid the situation by staying informed and supporting local groups who are raising funds to combat TB. In 2018, healthcare worker Virginia Benhard started a personal fundraiser to fight tuberculosis in the Congo. She told The Borgen Project that the cause originally attracted her because of her visit to the Congo as a healthcare worker. She realized that community members consuming contaminated milk and meat caused them to contract tuberculosis. Since TB is an airborne illness, those who had tuberculosis would process the meats and then sell them, causing the infection rates to increase dramatically. Virginia “saw a need and responded,” and through local support she was able to raise over $1,000. She donated the proceeds for the building of a milk pasteurization factory in Kinshasa as well as a meat processing factory.

While this disease still rages on, there is much that individuals can do to help. One can sign a petition, donate, speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves and help those who cannot help themselves. Through small and simple acts, tuberculosis in the Congo should decrease.

– Alexis LeBaron
Photo: Flickr

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Improving Healthcare in Swaziland

healthcare in Swaziland
Swaziland, a country bordering South Africa and Mozambique, has seen increased conflicts in regard to its healthcare system. With a population of 1.13 million, a majority of its citizens have faced trouble accessing quality healthcare. However, the government of Swaziland is focused on improving healthcare and the well-being of its citizens.

Deficiencies in the Healthcare System

The importance of healthcare to Swaziland’s citizens stems from the presence of numerous diseases. With an estimated 220,000 citizens living with HIV, as well as lower respiratory infections being the second most common cause of death, diseases have been an ongoing issue for decades. Furthermore, road traffic accidents have heavily hurt Swaziland citizens, as it difficult to recover from serious injury without sufficient medical care. There is also a high infant mortality rate, with 54.4 deaths per 1000 births.

With a majority of citizens burdened from disease, the need for improvements to Swaziland’s healthcare system is great. With outdated structuring and a lack of medical supplies, hospitals are becoming increasingly inaccessible to the public. Since the average salary for a citizen in Swaziland is only 6,000 SZL (341 USD), people cannot afford the cost of healthcare. These conditions leads many families to treat themselves. As diseases such as HIV continue to affect Swaziland’s citizens, the healthcare system must become accessible to all.

The Road to Change

In an attempt to combat the spread of disease and improve the accessibility to quality healthcare, Swaziland’s government has launched its Universal Health Coverage program. The government is now increasing spending on health services while improving access to resources.

To increase accessibility, Swaziland has decreased the costs related to healthcare tremendously. Families of any financial background can now have an equal opportunity to acquire affordable and quality healthcare.

In addition, honorable Minister of Health Senator Sibongile Ndlela-Simelane called for a national screening, so that all citizens will know their health numbers. These numbers include blood pressure and sugar and cholesterol levels. This program helps individuals detect health problems early, leading them to utilize Swaziland’s healthcare. Swaziland has also increased the quality of their technology by adopting x-ray machines.

Program Results

With the establishment of the campaign, over 2,000 people of all ages have received screening for diseases. In addition, health numbers were recorded for thousands for future reference.

For the rising problem with HIV, it is important to note that 87% of all individuals who tested positive received sustainable therapy. Additionally, deaths related to AIDS decreased by 50% and the infant mortality rate stooped to 43 deaths per 1,000 births.

Moving Forward

This accelerated growth has heavily boosted morale in Swaziland. With increased government spending in the healthcare sector and a boost in accessibility for healthcare, Swaziland likely has a bright future.

To continue this growth for the long term, Swaziland’s government must pay attention to the infant mortality rate. Despite improvements, Swaziland’s life expectancy rate for infants is among the lowest in the world. Moving forward, Swaziland must make this issue a priority as they continue to work toward providing access to high quality health care to all citizens.

– Aditya Padmaraj 
Photo: Flickr

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The Process of Ending Hunger in the DRC

Hunger in the DRC
The ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has forced many people to abandon their livelihoods, preventing them from making a living to provide for themselves and their families. According to the World Food Program, the Democratic Republic of Congo ranks second in the list of countries facing the world’s worst hunger crisis. Approximately 15.6 million people are food insecure in the DRC our of a total population of 86 million. Additionally, hunger in the DRC is causing many children in the country to suffer from malnutrition. Approximately 3.4 million children are acutely malnourished.

The Situation

The current conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo started in 1994 after some perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide escaped to the country to form their own rebel group. As a result, other armed groups saw an opportunity to begin rebelling against the government and a civil war began within the DRC in 1998.
Even after the war ended, the country continued to suffer conflicts between different armed groups, ethnic groups and inter-communal groups. If not for the ongoing conflict, the Democratic Republic of Congo would have the capability of feeding its country. According to WFP, this amounts to 2 billion people.
The country has 80 million hectares of arable farmland available. It also has half of Africa’s water resources along with the capacity to fish for 707,000 tons of fish.

Conflict Prevents Progress

But with the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, many people are finding it difficult to find food for their next meal. In fact, 70% of those with employment in the DRC work in the agriculture sector. Currently, only about 10% of land in the Democratic Republic of Congo is cultivated. Families in the DRC are only producing 42% of the food that they need, so a lot of them, especially refugees from conflict regions, are dependent on aid.

Many children are suffering in the Democratic Republic of Congo from lack of food. Child malnutrition is one of the leading underlying causes of death among children under 5. The child mortality rate for those under 5 is 88.1 deaths per 1,000 live births. To help fight against malnourishment and hunger in the DRC, the World Bank is spending $502 million through credit and grants to help finance the Multisectoral Nutrition and Health project.

Organizations Helping During the Food Crisis

To help with hunger in the DRC, some organizations are working to train local farmers to help them produce more food. In 2020, a joint FAO, UNICEF and WFP project, which leverages the strength and expertise of each organization, aims to help farmers in the DRC. For example, the FAO will focus on supporting small farmers, while UNICEF will help reduce malnutrition and improve access to water and sanitation, while WFP will turn its attention to “commodity aggregation.” The goal of the project is to support farmers by helping them “strengthen their agricultural production and post-harvest management, diversify their income-generating activities, and improve nutrition and basic social services.”

The Democratic Republic of Congo is a country endowed with rich resources and good arable land. However, constant conflict in the region has made it difficult for families to make a living. Perhaps help in the form of money and humanitarian efforts will allow the DRC to take steps in the right direction.

– Joshua Meribole
Photo: Flickr

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Peruvian Food Markets in the Midst of COVID-19

While it may have been one of the first nations in the Americas to take significant preventative actions against the coronavirus, Peru is still reporting over 208,000 COVID-19 cases, and is now ranked as the second most impacted South American country behind Brazil. After the implementation of stay-at-home orders, curfews and boarder closings, it is strange to see both the number of cases and deaths continuing to rise. One explanation as to why Peru is continuing to deal with more cases is that Peru’s poor do not have the luxury to stay at home and Peruvian food markets can be a hub for spreading coronavirus.

The Necessity of Food Markets

Why venture out? Work, food and banking transactions are all done on the streets of Peru and not in the comfort of one’s home. Only 49% of Peruvian households have access to a refrigerator or freezer, meaning that daily excursions to Peruvian food markets are necessary in order to keep food on the table.

Furthermore, the Peruvian food markets provide another challenge, maintaining social distancing. On April 14, CNN affiliate TV Peru captured images of a Lima food market where shoppers waited for hours in lines or in masses while wearing masks but not practicing social distancing. This scene was then replicated outside of banks as people queued up in an attempt to access coronavirus relief funds. Peruvian food markets have quickly become hot spots for contagion, not just for shoppers but also for vendors.

Proving to be an Issue

In a local market, just outside the San Martín de Porres district, “163 merchants tested positive for the virus, after 842 rapid tests.” In response to the rising cases, the Peruvian government implemented more bans and lockdowns to try and stop the sudden influx of cases and extended the state of emergency until June 30. This solution, however, does not address all circumstances across Peru. The fact still remains that the nation’s poor often have no choice but to venture out daily to access the resources they need.

Entrepreneurs feel Economic Strain

Despite the dangers surrounding vendors and shoppers, Peruvian food markets are only half of the equation. The global pandemic has also wreaked havoc on small producers and entrepreneurs.

People who work in small scale production don’t always have easy access to local markets which can lead to two things:

  1. The producers are unable to sell their products in the cities and thus receive less income than they normally would.
  2. Markets will begin to see a decline in produce and goods, which will result in crowded markets and higher prices.

Although Peru is starting to grant transit permits to these small producers, the process has been slowed down due to the coronavirus. While numerous solutions have been proposed by the Peruvian government, only a few actions are igniting real change in providing help for citizens living below the poverty line.

One such solution is being enacted through the German partnership program: Welthungerhilfe. The international relief program focuses on ending food insecurity across the globe. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, it has dedicated relief efforts to communities most heavily impacted. In Peru, this can be seen in the community of Húanuco. Working with the Peruvian Institute of Development and Environment (Instituto de Desarrollo y Medio Ambiente), Welthungerhilfe implemented a delivery service, to connect local farmers and producers with markets and consumers in more urban areas. This effort will keep locally owned farms employed during the crisis and fight the food scarcity affecting local markets.

For the Peruvian people living in poverty, COVID-19 has uncovered many of the nation’s shortcomings including food insecurity. Producers, vendors and shoppers alike are struggling to operate within new health regulations and provide for their families in the crowded streets of Peruvian food markets. As a result, international relief agencies, like Welthungerhilfe, have been emerging to help those in need.

– Elizabeth Price
Photo: Pixabay
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6 Facts About Healthcare in Pakistan

Healthcare in Pakistan
In a study that The Lancet conducted, healthcare in Pakistan currently ranks 154th out of 195 countries in terms of overall system performance. As a developing country with a mere 2% of its GDP allocated for total health expenditures, Pakistan struggles to maintain a proper healthcare system with regard to quality and accessibility.

Pakistan’s numerous cases of communicable and vaccine-preventable diseases highlight its struggling healthcare system. Viral hepatitis, dengue, tuberculosis, malaria, typhoid, HIV and cholera have long been leading causes of death. They are the result of overpopulated cities, poor sanitation, unsafe drinking water and inadequate socioeconomic conditions.

Pakistan has one of the lowest amounts of immunized children, with overall vaccination coverage of just 60%. The result is a high newborn mortality rate: 69.3 deaths per 1,000 live births. Moreover, while the rest of the world is free from polio, experts still consider the disease as an endemic in Pakistan. Documentations determined that there were nearly 150 polio cases in 2019. With these alarming statistics in mind, here are six facts about healthcare in Pakistan.

6 Facts About Healthcare in Pakistan

  1. Healthcare in Pakistan includes both private and public sectors. The private sector serves approximately 70% of the population. Private hospitals and healthcare institutions consistently outperform their public counterparts, as measured by the overall quality of healthcare and patient satisfaction.
  2. A common misconception is that healthcare services in the public sector are free of charge to Pakistani citizens. This is not the case, as 78% of the population continues to pay for healthcare out of their own pockets.
  3. Healthcare in Pakistan has been a focal point after the country signed the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Pakistan began to initiate healthcare programs, establishing both Basic Health Units as well as Rural Health Units. Basic Health Units are assigned to NGOs, who manage the day-to-day operations, administer medicine and overlook the facilities.
  4. Reports estimate that there are roughly 175,000 doctors registered to serve the population. However, many Pakistani doctors choose to practice abroad due to poor service structure, increased workload, lack of funding and a rise in hostility by some. Moreover, many female doctors have stopped practicing due to family and social compulsions. Taking into account all these factors,  the doctor to population ratio stands at one doctor for every 1,764 persons. For adequate population coverage, Pakistan needs at least two doctors for every 1,000 persons.
  5. Healthcare in Pakistan has gradually improved over time. Currently, 92% of the rural population and 100% of the urban population have access to health services. Such improvement has been a direct result of Pakistan meeting the MDGs. Despite measures to increase the quality of healthcare facilities, most of the population prefers to consult private doctors and practitioners.
  6. Pakistan continues to commit to the MDGs in order to eradicate a multitude of preventable diseases. The introduction of immunization programs, such as the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), has increased vaccination coverage in Pakistan from 5% to 84%. EPI partnered with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), a global health organization dedicated to increasing immunization in low- and middle-income countries. With this partnership, countless people are working to eradicate vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, polio and neonatal tetanus.

With the arrival of COVID-19, Pakistan’s healthcare system is under immense pressure and is struggling to deal with the thousands of cases arriving each day. Frontline workers are taking the brunt of the virus. An estimated 3% of the total cases in the country consist of healthcare workers. Medical professionals are resorting to strikes and protests over the lack of protective gear necessary to safely treat patients.

In light of the unrest, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced new healthcare reforms to fix the faults of the health sector. The reforms allocate $300 million to pay for additional ventilators and other medical equipment. Additionally, major cities are setting up isolation centers to increase hospital capacity for infected patients.

These six facts about healthcare in Pakistan determine that the country will need to radically transform its health system performance in the following years in order to confront outbreaks that continue to threaten the population. The World Health Organization has recommended that Pakistan’s Ministry of Health increase healthcare expenditures to 5% of its GDP. Doing so would not only put an end to controllable diseases, but it will also ensure that the healthcare system will be able to deal with dangerous outbreaks in the future.

–  Abbas Raza
Photo: Flickr

 

5 Important Facts Related to Healthcare in Argentina

Healthcare in ArgentinaThe system used today for providing healthcare in Argentina was developed during a period of economic glory for the country. This economic reform was achieved throughout the 1940-50s period of urbanization, industrialization and labor movements. Since then, healthcare in Argentina has been largely decentralized and privatized to provincial-level support. Healthcare services and resources are divided across three sectors. The public sector offers all services free of charge and is used primarily by those without social security. The Obras Sociales sector, which is funded by compulsory social security, is used primarily by workers. The private sector, which users pay for entirely out of pocket, is the most exclusive. On average across sectors, a ratio of 3.6 physicians treats 1,000 people.

5 Important Facts Related to Healthcare in Argentina

  1. The gross domestic product (GDP) expenditure for healthcare in Argentina is high. According to World Bank statistics from 2017 for Argentina’s current health expenditure, health services contribute to 9.12% of the annual GDP of the country. This percentage is significantly higher than that of 2016, which was 7.54% of GDP. Argentina’s health expenditure is also 1.1% higher than the average for its Latin American regional context. Argentina can still make improvements by creating universal health services across the country, but since the introduction of a Universal Health Plan in 2016, Argentina’s health expenditure has risen. Because of the shift from state to provincial-level control of healthcare in Argentina, there are inconsistencies between the provincial-level distribution of funds toward the healthcare system. The physician to population ratio between the autonomous city of Buenos Aires and the Misiones province can trace the inconsistency of healthcare access across provinces. In Buenos Aires, 10.2 physicians serve a population of 1,000, while in Misiones there are just 1.2 physicians to every 1,000 people.
  2. Argentina has successfully lowered rates of poverty-linked communicable diseases, like Chagas. Chagas, which is a vector-borne disease, has seen lower rates of transmission within eight out of the 19 endemic provinces of Argentina that it has previously been found. The interruption of vector and congenital transmission of the Chagas disease achieved these lowered rates. The development of strategies to combat other communicable diseases within Argentina, like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB), are still in dire need of support. One organization, called Mundo Sano, is working on strategies to interrupt the transmission of congenital HIV/AIDS between mother and child as of 2020. Statistics from United Nations AIDS (UNAIDS) research shows that as of 2016, 91% of women living with HIV/AIDS were already seeking out either antiretroviral or prophylaxes treatment to prevent vertical transmission. As a result, an estimated less than 100 children contracted the disease. With support from Mundo Sano, vertical transmission rates of HIV/AIDS could decrease even further.
  3. Argentina has developed action plans to combat the prevalence of multiple non-communicable diseases. As of 2014, metabolic diseases accounted for 4% of all deaths and cancers accounted for 20% of deaths. Most notably, 28% of all deaths in the country were attributed to diseases of the circulatory system. Once implemented, policies will be used to regulate food advertising, fiscal policies and front-of-package labeling. With funding to support the implementation of these policies, the incidence of certain non-communicable diseases could decrease significantly in Argentina.
  4. Natural disaster relief is available to all 23 provinces of Argentina. Instances of climatic stress to the diverse terrain of the country emerge most commonly as volcanic eruptions, floods, earthquakes, landslides, mudslides, tornados, storms, heatwaves and wildfires. The Argentine government established the National Directorate of Health Emergencies agency to prevent and mitigate the effects of a disaster. Environmental threats to public health across Argentina are combatted locally by provincial disaster response teams that operate under the national level agency.
  5. The aging population has free healthcare in Argentina. The National Institute of Social Services for Retirees and Pensioners (PAMI) in Argentina was created in 1971 to provide comprehensive healthcare and support to the country’s aging population. Since its beginnings, PAMI has implemented multiple programs for the betterment of health for Argentina’s elderly. Among the services available through PAMI are free healthcare for those 65 or more years old, along with preventative care resources like immunization and support networks. According to 2018 data from the World Bank, the average life expectancy across the Argentine population from birth is 76.52 years old, which has been steadily increasing since the creation of PAMI.

Since the 1940-50s economic reform in Argentina, the healthcare system has grown fragmented across the public, social security and private sectors. Healthcare sectors depend on the autonomous power of provincial-level governments and are therefore divided from one another.

In 2016, the government of Argentina responded to the fragmented nature of the system and introduced a Universal Health Plan. This plan is meant to increase the efficiency of coverage by compiling national health records into a single system, making patient identification more accessible across sectors. With cross-sector recognition and agreement for universalizing healthcare in Argentina, along with financial support for the cause, the country could achieve a healthier population overall.

– Lilia Wilson
Photo: Flickr

6 Ways Puerto Rico is Fighting COVID-19


As a global pandemic continues to impact the lives and safety of millions, many nations are working to prevent the spread of the virus. However, available resources differ across countries and regions. On March 12, Puerto Rico declared a state of emergency, mandating an island curfew from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. This curfew was lifted on June 11 and shifted to 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. for two additional weeks. As of June 2020, there are approximately 6,500 cases in Puerto Rico, with the number of deaths resting at 149. Besides the imposed curfew, here are six ways Puerto Rico has handled the COVID-19 pandemic.

6 Ways Puerto Rico Implemented COVID-19 Prevention Measures:

  1. On March 12, the Puerto Rican government banned social gatherings until further notice. Incoming travelers were immediately screened upon arrival. The first cases of COVID-19 were reported the day following the enforcement of these restrictions.
  2. Before social distancing guidelines were even established, Puerto Rico completely shut down everything except essential businesses. Additionally, even amid the gradual reopening strategies for businesses, the curfew remained. Travel to Puerto Rico was limited, and cruises were suspended. The territory was even granted permission to close airports and block flights.
  3. Through the Federal Coronavirus Relief Fund, Puerto Rico received approximately $2 billion. It was granted these payments for various anti-coronavirus purposes, including purchasing testing kits and sending stimulus checks to unemployed citizens during the lockdown.
  4. On April 30, a slow and gradual reopening procedure began. Face masks were required at any public location, regardless if it was outside or inside. On May 11, construction and public workers were able to return to work after being educated on safety protocols.
  5. On May 26, restaurants were able to open at 25% capacity. Salons and barbers were able to work by appointment only with strict safety guidelines. Retail stores were also able to open with strict guidelines such as restricting customers from trying on clothes. On June 8, malls were granted access to open at limited capacity.
  6. Also beginning May 26, beaches were permitted to open between 5:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. with social distancing guidelines. Shortly afterward, on June 16, movie theaters and bars could open as well. Additionally, businesses were allowed to shift to 50% capacity. On June 15, flights to Puerto Rico opened back up while screening anyone who flies in.

Puerto Rico showed its strength as a nation by locking down earlier than other countries worldwide. Puerto Rico actively took preventative measures to provide its citizens with quick and efficient procedures amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing panic. Because of state officials’ valiant efforts, the territory was able to reopen at an earlier date. The manner in which Puerto Rico handled the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic exemplifies how to implement COVID-19 prevention measures and reduce cases worldwide. With continued efforts such as these, Puerto Rico may be one of the leading nations in administrating anti-coronavirus steps.

– Kimberly Elsey
Photo: Flickr