Archive for category: Technology

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Digitizing Antenatal Care in Sierra Leone

Digitizing Antenatal Care in Sierra LeoneIn June 2026, Sierra Leone’s minister of health, Dr. Austin Demby, announced a 31% drop in maternal mortality following the first 100 days of the government’s 300 Days of Activism campaign. It marks the latest effort to improve health care for pregnant women and newborns in the country, which has consistently reported the highest rates of maternal mortality worldwide. In 2000, there were 1,682 deaths per 100,000 live births. United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported this figure declining significantly in the years since. Digitizing antenatal care in Sierra Leone is a significant factor in this national success story.

Maternal Mortality in Sierra Leone

Maternal mortality in Sierra Leone is primarily caused by hemorrhaging, hypertension, obstructed labor and sepsis, conditions that can be prevented if caught early enough. Around 79% of maternal deaths in 2017 occurred within a health care facility.

Efforts by the Sierra Leone government to address antenatal care have significantly reduced deaths during pregnancy or childbirth. In 2010, it provided free health care to pregnant women and children to improve access to medical attention. In March 2025, it increased the number of skilled medical professionals and improved the availability of medication and treatment.

Paper-based systems previously made it difficult to track high-risk pregnancies and allow health care professionals to intervene before situations became critical. The World Health Organization recommends pregnant women attend eight antenatal contacts. In 2019, two-thirds of expectant mothers attended only four.

Rural areas experience a disproportionate lack of access to medical resources compared to their urban counterparts. In 2017, researchers reported that 90% of pregnant women in rural areas did not receive health care due to costs or distance to facilities. This compared to 59% of women living in urban centers. This highlights the urgency of digitizing antenatal care in Sierra Leone.

Digitizing Antenatal Care in Sierra Leone

In 2024, UNICEF collaborated with Sierra Leone’s Ministry for Health and Ministry for Communication, Technology and Innovation to adopt the World Health Organization’s SMART Guidelines for antenatal care. This is part of the Digital Adoption Kit process, which aims to create a digital medical system to address national health priorities. Creating a uniform, digitized administration network allows medical personnel and patients to stay informed, communicate effectively and receive care when needed.

The government launched the Pregnancy Registration and Service Tracking Application, known as PReSTrack, in July 2024. This allows expectant mothers to log their pregnancy on a centralized system and provides up-to-date tracking and monitoring of conditions that may arise. The system can partially function offline, and GPS technology enables health care providers to reach the entire country, even remote areas. PReSTrack, also referred to as the Kombra App, represents a historic development in improving access to health care for pregnant women and newborns. Digitizing antenatal care in Sierra Leone has educated women and girls on warning signs, enabling medical professionals to respond quickly to emergencies. Above all, preventable deaths are being avoided.

The 2025 Code4Health Hackathon

The work did not stop there. In 2025, the Code4Health Hackathon launched as part of digitizing antenatal care in Sierra Leone. Funded by the German Digital Innovation Pandemic Control project and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, it tasked 22 young engineers with developing online applications to reduce maternal mortality. The project lasted nine months and culminated with the top teams receiving guidance to develop their applications and integrate fully with PReSTrack.

  • Team Geneline-X created an all-in-one platform that connects patients, doctors and administrators to improve care coordination.
  • Team MediLink developed the Healthy Mother App, which provides weekly health tips, emergency support and features that allow pregnant women to report symptoms and issues.
  • Team Medikated focused on access to pharmacies, creating a system for online consultations and e-prescriptions.
  • Team Peer Pay used Digital Health ID to build a centralized system that would enable seamless referrals, patient tracking and one-tap ambulance dispatch for emergencies.
  • Team Next Wave Innovators constructed Mama Care, which also seeks to reduce maternal mortality through up-to-date monitoring, centralized records and emergency call support.

Key themes of these tools are centralized systems, better information for pregnant women, the ability to track symptoms and accessibility to health care in emergencies. These features will monitor vulnerable pregnancies and react to issues quickly, helping to reduce the number of deaths from preventable causes, such as hemorrhaging.

Looking Ahead

Digitizing antenatal care in Sierra Leone still has challenges to overcome. Accessing rural areas and addressing workforce shortages remain considerable obstacles. Recent cuts in global funding have also hindered improvement. Despite being renewed in 2023, the United Kingdom government has reduced the Saving Lives in Sierra Leone program from £35 million to £1 million. The United States historically provided 14% of the funding for Sierra Leone’s reproductive health, but this has been eliminated as part of the stop-work order that significantly reduced United States Agency for International Development (USAID) projects.

Despite this, the government aims to integrate recent developments in the Electronic Medical Record rollout planned for 2026. Further steps to digitize antenatal care in Sierra Leone will help work toward reducing preventable maternal and child deaths, part of a broader national push, including the Digital Adoption Kit’s planned expansion to other national health issues, such as immunization and combating Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), while strengthening infrastructure to ensure these initiatives are long-term.

– Louise Nethercott

Louise is based in Derby, UK and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Digital Skills in Cabo Verde: Remote Work for Youth

Digital Skills in Cabo VerdeFor many young people in Cabo Verde, finding stable work can be difficult. The country consists of small islands with limited local job markets. Tourism, services and migration have shaped many opportunities, but not every young person can access a steady job through those paths. In 2026, the government launched Skodji Digital, a national program focused on digital skills in Cabo Verde. The program aims to help young Cabo Verdeans learn practical digital skills, prepare for remote work and take part in the global gig economy.

Why Youth Employment Matters

Youth unemployment and lack of training remain important issues in Cabo Verde. According to the U.N. Global Accelerator, 27% of young people in Cabo Verde are not in education, employment or training (NEET). This means many young people are outside school and the labor market at the same time. For families living with low income, this can make poverty harder to escape. Young people may not have the skills, job contacts or work experience needed to earn regular income. The connection to poverty is still clear in the country’s recent data. The World Bank reported that poverty in Cabo Verde dropped from 53.8% in 2024 to 51.2% in 2025. That figure uses the upper-middle-income poverty line of $8.30 per day. The same report said youth unemployment remained above 15%, even though the national unemployment rate fell to 6.2%. This shows that economic growth has helped Cabo Verde, but many low-income families and young people still need better access to stable jobs.

Cabo Verde has made progress in reducing poverty, but many households still depend on informal work and have limited access to social protection. The ILO reported that social protection coverage reached 60.3% in 2023, compared with 43.6% in 2016. However, the same source says Cabo Verde is still trying to expand coverage by connecting social protection with the formalization of the economy. During COVID-19, the government created a solidarity grant for informal workers. It also provided food assistance for 22,500 families and emergency income support for 14,000 of the poorest families. These examples show why job training matters, because some families still depend on informal or unstable work and need better paths toward formal income. In this situation, job training is not only about education. It can also become a path for income, stability and more independence for young people.

What Skodji Digital Does

The government of Cabo Verde launched Skodji Digital on Jan. 27, 2026. The program’s first phase opened 1,050 places. Its eventual goal is to benefit up to 3,000 young Cabo Verdeans by training them in skills connected to the global digital labor market. It also promotes access to remote work, the gig economy and digital micro-businesses. The program’s training phase lasts between two and six months, depending on the path each participant chooses. According to Special Projects Management Unit (UGPE), the program offers structured digital skills training and access to international digital work platforms. It also provides career paths in emerging digital sectors and support for digital entrepreneurship. This makes the program different from regular training because it connects learning with ways young people may earn money online.

Skodji Digital also fits into Cabo Verde’s larger digital plans. The program operates under the Digital Cabo Verde Project and has support from the World Bank. The goal is to build skills that match today’s labor market. That marks a shift from only preparing young people for local jobs that may not exist in large numbers. Through digital skills in Cabo Verde, young people can learn tools that may help them work with clients and companies outside their own island or country.

Connecting Training to Poverty Reduction

Digital training can help young people build more flexible income opportunities. Remote work can be especially useful in island countries because it does not always require a person to move to a larger city or leave the country. A young person with digital skills may find work in areas such as online services, digital marketing, data tasks, customer support, design or small online businesses. These jobs still require strong training and internet access, but they can open doors beyond the local economy.

The World Bank also announced the SIRA program in 2026, which will support Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea. In Cabo Verde, the program will help youth ages 15 to 35 gain job-relevant skills and improve access to certification. It also aims to expand employment opportunities in growth sectors. The World Bank expects the Cabo Verde part of SIRA to directly benefit about 50,000 young women and men. This shows that Skodji Digital is part of a bigger push to connect youth training with real jobs.

A Larger National Effort

Other programs also support Cabo Verde’s focus on jobs and poverty reduction. The Joint Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Fund supports a program that helps Cabo Verde prepare a roadmap to reduce extreme poverty through decent jobs and social protection. The program focuses on vulnerable groups, especially women and youth who are not in education, employment or training. It also aims to reach 12,000 households living in extreme poverty. Another Joint SDG Fund program focuses directly on economic inclusion for extremely poor households, especially women heads of households and NEET youth. It also supports rural micro-businesses, self-employment activities and micro businesses in the informal sector so they can move toward formal work. This connects well with Skodji Digital because both efforts focus on giving vulnerable people skills that can lead to income.

These efforts show how the government and international partners are trying to connect poverty reduction with employment. Cash support and social protection can help families survive difficult periods, but skills and jobs can help families move toward long-term stability. By focusing on digital skills in Cabo Verde, Skodji Digital gives young people another option in a changing economy.

Looking Ahead

Skodji Digital does not solve every barrier young people face. Internet access, equipment, language skills and job placement support still matter. However, the program gives Cabo Verde a modern way to respond to youth unemployment. Instead of only depending on traditional jobs, young people can prepare for work that reaches beyond the islands.

The program’s goal of training up to 3,000 young people is a strong step toward more digital inclusion. Skodji Digital could help more young Cabo Verdeans participate in the global economy while supporting poverty reduction at home, if it continues to connect training with real income. For a small island country with big ambitions, digital skills may become one of the most important tools for youth opportunity.

– Mateo Alcocer

Mateo is based in West Hills, CA, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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AI Is Fighting Gaps in Maternal Health in Sub-Saharan Africa

Maternal Health in Sub-Saharan AfricaAI innovations in maternal health care are closing a dangerous information gap for millions of expectant mothers, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Inadequate financing, weak governance, health workforce shortages and recurring shocks, including disease outbreaks and conflicts, are among the key barriers disrupting maternal and child health services. Up to 94% of maternal deaths occur in low-resource settings, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, which account for a substantial share of global stillbirths and newborn deaths. The region is projected to record a neonatal mortality rate roughly twice the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 12 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030. These numbers could decrease thanks to a Kenyan nonprofit that has built an artificial intelligence (AI) powered solution, putting trustworthy health information directly into mothers’ hands using a simple mobile phone.

A Lifeline Built on Simple Technology

Founded in 2016, Jacaranda Health is a nonprofit organization that uses AI-powered solutions to address maternal health gaps within government health systems. The organization developed PROMPTS, which stands for Promoting Mothers in Pregnancy and Postpartum. Through SMS, an AI-enabled maternal health messaging platform that delivers timely, accurate pregnancy and newborn health care information directly to mothers’ phones.

Initially a one-way push notification service, it quickly evolved. Parents receiving the reminders started texting back with questions, prompting Jacaranda Health to build a help desk to respond. As demand grew far beyond what a small team could manage manually, the organization integrated artificial intelligence to prioritize and answer incoming messages, shifting human intelligence to focus on urgent clinical cases.

From Hundreds to Thousands of Questions a Day

The scale of the shift has been significant. PROMPTS now answers between 10,000 and 12,000 health questions daily, with AI responding to approximately 70% of those questions, drawing on a database of more than 1 million health questions and answers.

According to Jacaranda Health’s cloud technology partner, the platform has reached 3.8 million mothers across Kenya, and the results extend beyond simple access to information. The organization reports a 20% increase in attendance at prenatal health visits and a 1.85-times increase in postpartum family planning among PROMPTS users.

This platform is deliberately designed for low-resource settings. PROMPTS operates as an SMS-based service specifically to avoid the limitations of internet access, ensuring that women without smartphones or reliable data connections can still receive support.

Designed for Equity and Local Context

PROMPTS supports women throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period by providing personalized health information aligned with national clinical protocols, in local languages mothers understand. Jacaranda Health has trained PROMPTS in Swahili, and the platform now operates in multiple sub-Saharan African countries, including Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria.

In March 2026, Jacaranda Health partnered with eHealth Africa, a Nigeria-based nonprofit, to launch PROMPTS in Kano State, Nigeria, with an initial target of reaching 25,000 mothers. The platform delivers maternal health information in both Hausa and English, and eHealth Africa leads the local adaptation and operational rollout, drawing on its extensive experience implementing data-driven health programs across Nigeria.

A Life-Changing Impact

The human impact behind these AI numbers is significant. In one case documented by Jacaranda Health’s cloud technology partner, PROMPTS flagged a message from a mother with a history of stillbirth describing severe headaches and blurred vision as urgent. Help desk agents reached out immediately and encouraged her to seek medical attention. She went to the hospital right away and weeks later gave birth to a healthy baby.

In Ghana, where PROMPTS is personified as “Nurse Mary,” the platform has assisted 36,500 mothers across 435 health facilities since launching in the Greater Accra Region. A public health nurse at Ashaiman Municipal Hospital described how mothers now arrive at the clinic discussing the text messages they received, sparking deeper conversations during routine health talks. The nurse called for the program to expand to other facilities to help ensure positive health outcomes for more mothers.

Closing the Gap Between Poverty and Survival

Maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa remains deeply tied to poverty, distance from care and lack of access to reliable health information. For women in rural or underserved communities, a text message offering accurate guidance can mean the difference between recognizing a danger sign in time or missing it altogether. By harnessing AI in maternal health care to scale trustworthy health information at low cost, Jacaranda Health and its partners are demonstrating how even simple technology, paired with the right design, can help break the link between poverty and preventable maternal death.

As PROMPTS continues expanding across the continent, it offers a model for how digital innovation can strengthen rather than replace the health systems that vulnerable mothers depend on most.

– Joy Kohol

Joy is based in Muncie, IN, USA and focuses on Good News, Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Women in India’s Cybersecurity Workforce

A diverse group of women collaborating on computers in an office. women in India's Cybersecurity WorkforceIndia is one of its biggest sources of tech talent globally and therefore more prone to cyberattacks. CERT-In, the government’s cyber emergency response team, logged more than 2.9 million cybersecurity incidents in 2025 alone, and the country now needs an estimated 3 million cybersecurity professionals against fewer than 200,000 trained practitioners, according to industry estimates. As the country and the global economy push deeper into digital banking, e-governance, and cloud infrastructure, closing the gender gap in its cybersecurity workforce is shifting from a diversity talking point to a national necessity.

Cybersecurity as an Economic Pillar

Cybersecurity is a pillar of economic stability, national security and a source of public trust, according to UN Women. However, women are largely excluded from the field, which is particularly striking given that women make up 48% of India’s population, with current estimates placing the population at approximately 702 million, according to United Nations population data.

How Big the Problem Is in India

The demand for professionals working in cybersecurity in India has increased by roughly 215% between the first and second half of fiscal year 2024 (FY24) alone, according to Quess Corp. Recruitment firm TeamLease Digital projects that women’s participation across India’s tech workforce as a whole will only reach 14.9% by 2027, up from 10.8% in 2022, with roughly 1.92 million women currently working in Indian tech. Within cybersecurity specifically, industry body NASSCOM has noted that women make up only around 25% of the global workforce, and that women in India’s cybersecurity workforce has stayed largely the same even as job openings have multiplied.

There are other promising signs to note. Deloitte India’s Megha Goyal has pointed to roughly a 10 percentage point rise in women’s share of the country’s cybersecurity workforce over the past five to six years. Policies that are more parental-friendly and flexible aid in this. This issue highlights many challenges such as patchy access to technical education, bias in hiring and promotion, workplace discrimination, and a disproportionate share of unpaid caregiving. In India, geographical factors exacerbate these issues. Much of the country’s engineering talent, including a large share of its women graduates, comes from smaller tier II and tier III cities where exposure to cybersecurity as a career path is limited.

The Poverty Cost of the Gap

The cost of leaving women out of cybersecurity is not just a workforce statistic. It shows up in the bank accounts of India’s poorest households. Indians lost an estimated ₹22,495 crore (about $2.7 billion) to cyber fraud in 2025, with complaints rising 24% to roughly 2.81 million cases, according to government data. Research on victim patterns consistently finds that rural users, first-time digital adopters, and lower-income, lower-education households are the most vulnerable, targeted through UPI PIN scams, fake QR codes and task-based fraud schemes that exploit gaps in digital literacy rather than technical sophistication.

That vulnerability compounds existing poverty. A single scam can wipe out a family’s monthly income or the savings set aside for school fees or medical care, and the resulting distrust of digital tools can push already marginalized households away from the banking and government services meant to include them. A cybersecurity workforce that reflects the population it protects, including the rural and semi-urban communities many women technologists come from, is better positioned to design fraud protections and awareness campaigns that actually reach those communities. Bringing more women into the field, in other words, is a poverty-reduction strategy as much as a diversity one.

Why Different Teams Make Better Defenses

Cybersecurity researchers, in studies cited by ISC2 and UN Women, consistently find that mixed teams are better at spotting and responding to threats, and that systems built with women involved tend to serve a broader range of users well. This matters more given how disproportionately women and girls experience online harassment, cyberstalking and digital abuse.

Sarba Roy, a cybersecurity professional with 13 years of experience across India, Europe and the United States, has described a real shift in how companies think about this. Writing for ISC2’s Insights series, she pointed to a growing recognition that diverse teams make organizations more creative, improve decision-making and sharpen risk judgment. “Diverse teams improve creativity, decision making and risk mitigation,” she wrote, adding that an inclusive and diverse cybersecurity workforce “is not an option but a necessity given the multitude of attack vectors from across the world.”

India’s Own Pipeline: CyberShikshaa

CyberShikshaa is a joint program run by Microsoft and the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) that has been in operation since 2018. One of its core initiatives is to train women engineering graduates from tier II and tier III cities and rural areas, in a four-month, full-time cybersecurity curriculum covering cryptography, network security, application security and digital forensics, backed by India’s Ministry of Electronics and IT.

The program’s eligibility rules tie it directly to poverty reduction: candidates must come from families earning below ₹7 lakh a year, or roughly $10,000, meaning it specifically targets women who would otherwise have the least access to a field that pays well above that threshold.

Since launch, more than 800 women from over 90 cities have completed the flagship training, with a placement rate of around 60% into roles across large technology firms, financial institutions, startups and law enforcement. Separately, NASSCOM Foundation has partnered with NortonLifeLock on a similar skills initiative, graduating 232 women engineers into the field.

The human impact behind these numbers is real. One graduate traveled more than 1,000 kilometers from her hometown to train at the program’s Noida center and landed a job at a multinational IT risk-management firm in Mumbai four months later. Another put it simply: “CyberShikshaa not only trained me for my career, but also instilled the belief in me that with the right direction I can reach great heights.”

A Safer Digital India

UN Women’s broader argument is that excluding women from cybersecurity leadership makes it harder for the world to respond to digital threats collectively. For India, where financial systems, health care infrastructure and government services are all rapidly digitizing, that argument carries particular weight.

Bringing more women into India’s cybersecurity workforce is not simply a fairness goal. It is one of the more practical steps the country can take to secure the systems its economy and its citizens increasingly depend on. Programs like CyberShikshaa show what that looks like in practice, and are worth scaling further.

– Jamie Noone

Jamie is based in Dublin and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How a Solar Project is Reducing Poverty in Cali, Colombia

poverty in CaliFor years, residents of Santiago de Cali have faced high electricity bills, carefully managing their appliance usage to avoid spikes in expenses.

In 2025, President Gustavo Petro’s government took action to lower their bills by implementing renewable energy as a cost-effective solution, and it is working. To address increasing household expenses in Colombia’s third-largest metropolitan area, Cali, the government collaborated with local utility program EMCALI to push the Hogares Energéticamente Sostenibles (Energy-Sustainable Homes) initiative, or Colombia Solar. The project’s goal extended beyond implementing sustainable energy infrastructure; it aimed to lift 2,000 low-income families in Cali out of poverty by reducing energy bills.

Simultaneously, it sought to lessen the government’s reliance on subsidization by reallocating money from energy subsidies to the solar initiative. This Cali-specific investment comprised COP 8.35 trillion (approximately US$2.22 billion).

Implementation and Impact

As of August 2025, Colombia Solar successfully installed photovoltaic systems in 1,860 low-income households in the Potrero Grande and Llano Verde neighborhoods, according to Minister of Mines and Energy Edwin Palma. In September of the same year, these programs urged the solar project to continue reducing poverty in Cali, aiming for their goal of 2,000 households.

The results have been significant. Increased solar energy usage has reduced most sustainable households’ electric bills by 40% to 60%, with some reporting no charges at all. “This program is a blessing. Before, I had to stop using the fan or blender because the energy consumption skyrocketed. We were paying up to 230,000 pesos a month; now the bill is down 100,000 pesos. It is a huge help for my family,” beneficiary Bellanira Guzmán said.

The Bigger Picture

Colombia Reports indicates that while extreme poverty has decreased in the last 10 years, urban poverty was still at 30% in 2022. Disparities have worsened in areas like food and housing deficiency in the last five years.

The city organizes its social classes in categories one through six, with six being the highest class and one the lowest. Neighborhoods are organized according to these metrics. This recent program, aimed at Cali’s three lowest social strata, relieved significant financial burdens on thousands of people dealing with these disparities.

Colombia Solar’s program has shown that measures of equity and renewability can have real, sustainable impacts on well-being. Aiming this initiative at Cali’s three lowest social strata has relieved significant financial burdens, allowing them to narrow the wealth gap with higher economic strata.

Beyond poverty reduction, Colombia Solar has impacted the country’s energy industry. From 2025 to 2026, Colombia’s solar energy market grew by 0.7%, showing its effect on larger markets as well as locally. The report estimates additional growth up to 8% by 2031.

This economic growth could potentially create 25,000 jobs in Colombia’s renewable energy industry nationwide as the broader Colombia Solar program, backed by a separate 8.35 trillion COP (about $2.2 billion) national investment, expands to more than 1 million low-income households between 2026 and 2030. The government already provides tax breaks and subsidies for businesses using renewable energy resources, covering installation costs.

While installations can be expensive, results clearly show that long-term savings on bills are worthwhile.

Why Cali’s Case Matters

The advantages of this solar project in Cali are abundant. It has brought prosperity to impoverished populations and positively impacted larger economic markets with job creation and the growth of renewable energy industries.

The use of renewable energy in Cali demonstrates that sustainability, poverty reduction and market prosperity can work together.

– Aren Lau

Aren is based in Brooklyn, NY, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels

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Rising Incomes in Vietnam: New Businesses Opportunities

investment opportunities in VietnamEconomic growth in Vietnam has lifted millions of people out of poverty over several decades. As household incomes rise and the country’s middle class expands, consumer demand for goods and services continues to increase. These changes are creating new opportunities for international trade and investment, including U.S. companies seeking access to one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing markets.

Rising Incomes in Vietnam

Vietnam reduced the share of its population living in extreme poverty from more than 70% in the early 1990s to less than 1% in recent years, a feat widely recognized as one of the world’s “development miracles.” Strong export growth, industrial development and investment in education have contributed to rising living standards across the country. As more Vietnamese households gain purchasing power, businesses around the world are benefiting from a larger consumer market.

Vietnam’s middle class has grown rapidly alongside the country’s economic development. The World Bank projects that the middle class will expand from approximately 13% of the population to roughly 26% by 2026, making it the fastest-growing middle class in Southeast Asia. Rising incomes in Vietnam have increased demand for consumer goods, health care services, technology products and educational opportunities.

This shift has transformed Vietnam from a low-income economy into an increasingly important consumer market. Families that once focused primarily on basic necessities are now spending more on electronics, household products, travel and financial services. As a result, companies from the United States and other countries have expanded their presence in Vietnam to meet growing demand.

The growth of the middle class also supports broader economic stability. Increased consumer spending helps create jobs, encourages entrepreneurship and strengthens domestic markets. These trends contribute to continued poverty reduction while attracting foreign investment. However, challenges remain: nearly 40% of middle-class individuals have fallen back into lower income brackets within just two years, and housing costs remain a significant burden.

Growing Opportunities for US Businesses

The United States and Vietnam have strengthened economic ties in recent years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, bilateral trade between the two countries has increased significantly over the past decade, making Vietnam one of America’s largest trading partners in Southeast Asia. In Hai Phong alone, a major port city, exports to the U.S. reached approximately $2.14 billion in the first five months of 2026, a 23.20% increase compared to the same period in 2025.

U.S. companies have invested in a variety of sectors including technology, renewable energy, health care and consumer products. Vietnam’s growing population and expanding middle class provide opportunities for American businesses to reach new customers while supporting jobs in the United States. As of June 2026, U.S. investors had 35 active FDI projects in Hai Phong alone, totaling over $965.34 million in registered capital.

Technology companies, for example, have benefited from increased demand for smartphones, software and digital services. U.S. agricultural exporters have also gained access to a larger market as rising incomes increase demand for higher-quality food products. The Vietnamese government has specifically encouraged U.S. businesses to expand investment in high-tech, innovation and semiconductor industries.

Investment Supports Long-Term Growth

Foreign investment continues to play an important role in Vietnam’s development. International companies contribute capital, technology and expertise that support economic expansion and job creation. In turn, a stronger Vietnamese economy creates additional opportunities for trade and investment.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has partnered with Vietnam since 1991, investing in programs that have improved the lives of approximately 1 million persons with disabilities, spurred over $300 million in solar and wind investments, and helped modernize higher education. USAID has also supported Vietnam’s Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI), which encourages provinces to improve governance and economic competitiveness.

Vietnam has also invested heavily in infrastructure, education and workforce development. Improvements in transportation networks, digital connectivity and manufacturing capacity have helped attract multinational companies seeking reliable production and distribution hubs. The World Bank projects Vietnam’s economy will continue growing at 7% to 8% annually, considerably higher than other ASEAN economies.

These investments support Sustainable Development Goal 1 by creating employment opportunities and increasing household incomes. They also help build a larger consumer base that can participate more actively in the global economy.

Looking Ahead

Vietnam’s progress in reducing poverty demonstrates how economic development can create mutual benefits for countries around the world. Rising incomes have improved living standards for millions of Vietnamese citizens while opening new markets for international businesses. A recent upgrade to upper-middle-income status reflects this remarkable transformation and rising incomes in Vietnam.

As Vietnam’s middle class continues to expand, opportunities for U.S. companies are likely to grow as well. The U.S. private sector, which spends nearly $1 trillion annually on research and development, is well-positioned to partner with Vietnam on technology, energy and digital infrastructure. Increased trade, investment and consumer demand highlight the connection between poverty reduction and economic opportunity. By supporting development and economic growth, countries can help create stronger markets that benefit businesses, workers and communities on both sides of the partnership.

– Angela Qi

Angela is based in Beijing, China and focuses on Business and New Markets for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Tackling Superbugs: Nanotechnology in India and Brazil

 

Nanotechnology in India and BrazilAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a real threat to vulnerable groups in developing countries. Low-income groups and populations living below the poverty line are disproportionately affected. Global research published in The Lancet expects AMR to cause 39 million deaths globally between 2025 and 2050.

The economic effects may cause significant losses globally. As the World Bank reported, by 2050 AMR is expected to lower the global gross domestic product (GDP) by around 3.8% annually, with 28 million people potentially slipping into poverty.

In biotechnology, nanotechnology promises new avenues for tackling superbugs in high-risk countries such as Brazil and India. By specifically targeting infections, nanoparticles can bypass resistance. This approach can reduce medication costs for low-income populations, positively affecting economic development.

Health Crisis in India and Brazil

India and Brazil are among the G20 countries with the highest proportion of people living below the extreme poverty line. Antibiotic resistance is disproportionately high among these populations. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, antibiotic resistance in India has caused 300,000 deaths annually since 1990, placing the country among those with the highest numbers.

In Brazil, approximately 32,000 deaths each year are attributed to antibiotic resistance, the highest rate among Latin American countries. The situation in both countries places enormous strain on their health care systems. Experts believe antibiotic resistance could trigger a serious health crisis, accompanied by rising public costs and a decline in GDP. For Brazil, the World Bank estimated a loss of 4.4% to 5.1%.

Poor hygiene standards, high settlement density, particularly in slums, contaminated water, and a lack of access to adequate medical care and infrastructure put people living in poverty at a higher risk of developing antibiotic resistance than those with higher incomes.

The situation worsens with the misuse of antibiotics. Individuals from low-income groups often take underdosed medications due to financial difficulties. Additionally, they share drugs with family or neighbors, resulting in insufficient doses. This allows stronger bacteria to survive and multiply with more resistance.

Furthermore, regulations in many regions encourage the misuse of antibiotics. Vendors often sell these medications over the counter as substandard or counterfeit products. This market promotes the growth of resistant bacteria and accelerates their spread.

Nanotechnology in India and Brazil

To counter the threat of antibiotic resistance in Brazil and India, cost-effective nanoparticles may provide promising solutions. Materials are used on a very small scale, allowing them to develop unique properties. Nanotechnology is used either as an antibiotic itself or as a carrier for antimicrobial agents to combat infections more effectively.

Nanoparticles, classified into metallic, organic, carbon-based, and hybrid systems, can bypass mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. Their mode of action resembles a Trojan horse: transporting and protecting the antibiotic, they smuggle the active ingredient into the infected cell. Additionally, they can destroy biofilms, slime layers formed by resistant bacteria, penetrating the pathogen and damaging its proteins, enzymes and DNA.

Although India and Brazil lead in nanoparticle research, they face challenges in implementing nanotechnology to tackle superbugs in their health care systems. Besides concerns about environmental and biological risks, which require further research, developing countries face financial hurdles. Insufficient production capacity, supply chain difficulties and regulatory barriers hinder the fight against antibiotic resistance, trapping people below the poverty line in a cycle of illness and financial hardship.

Research and Development of Nanotechnology

Nonprofit organizations such as the India AMR Innovation Hub (IAIH) aim to tackle superbugs by providing financial support to biotech startups and fostering scientific collaboration. For example, the startup Module Innovations developed an ultra-fast diagnostic method using “Size Dependent Signal Amplification of Nanoparticles” (SDSAN). This method can detect urinary tract infections within 15 minutes. Over the next five years, the India AMR Innovation Hub plans to move 10 to 15 biotechnology projects, including nanotechnology initiatives, from the laboratory stage to the development phase.

The Brazilian National Nanotechnology Laboratory (LNNano) provides facilities and technical and scientific support for research into the effects of nanomaterials on biological systems and the environment. The development of nano-based drug delivery systems and nanoparticles with modified surfaces makes the fight against drug-resistant bacteria 10 times more effective.

Looking Ahead

To reduce the negative global impacts of antibiotic resistance in heavily affected countries such as India and Brazil, international development aid and policy initiatives are crucial for improving the health of people living in extreme poverty. By promoting the development of appropriate infrastructure for production and distribution and supporting governments in establishing regulatory frameworks, nanotechnologies in India’s and Brazil’s health care systems could create millions of jobs worldwide and boost global GDP. Moreover, millions of lives can be saved.

– Oliwia Kowalak

Oliwia is based in Berlin, Germany and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay

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Solar-Powered Water Solutions in Djibouti Provide Clean Water

Solar-Powered Water Solutions in DjiboutiAccess to clean water in Djibouti is an ongoing issue. Government neglect, especially in rural areas, and scarcity of natural rainwater leave many Djiboutians struggling to find sufficient water for survival. According to the World Bank, in 2026, Djibouti has renewable water sources of only 185 cubic meters of water per person per year, far below the threshold of 500 cubic meters considered absolute water scarcity.

Droughts in Djibouti lead to displacement and food insecurity. Poor Djiboutians already have little access to clean water and food, and droughts exacerbate these struggles, especially in rural areas (pp. 1, 3). More than 80% of those in urban areas have access to clean drinking water, while that portion is less than 50% in rural areas. However, recent developments in solar-powered water solutions have the potential to provide dependable, clean water to many regions.

Innovative Desalination Technology

Lake Ghoubet and Lake Holhol are two prominent examples of solar-powered water solutions in Djibouti. After experimentation, the solar-powered desalination plant at Lake Ghoubet proved much more effective than the solar-powered water pump at Lake Holhol. Arid land makes it difficult to pull water from the ground, and it is more efficient and effective to use solar power to desalinate abundant seawater.

In less than a year, the solar-powered desalination plant at Lake Ghoubet produced 10 million liters of fresh water, enough to meet basic needs in a small area.

Romain Sormani, director of Impact Water Solutions, said, “We are particularly proud of the success of this impact project, which on its own meets no less than five of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals,” a reflection on the potential that this technology has in improving the lives of those struggling with access to clean water.

Impact Water Solutions continues to focus on communities with limited support to create sustainable water purification systems to alleviate issues with access to water in Djibouti.

Benefits of Solar-Powered Water Solutions in Djibouti

Solar-powered desalination offers several benefits for Djibouti, including:

  • Abundant sunlight: In a 2021 study, Turkish engineers measured the sunlight in Djibouti to be more than 3,000 hours per year and the solar radiation to be 2,300 kWh/m2/year, placing it among locations with the strongest solar radiation on Earth (p. 312).
  • Abundant seawater: Djibouti is located along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, with Djibouti City on the coast, providing abundant saltwater from the strait. Using this solar power, Djibouti has massive renewable resources of saltwater and sunlight.

Droughts are a significant factor of poverty in Djibouti. They cause crop shortages so severe that Djibouti has to import 90% of its food from other countries. Furthermore, market fluctuations in foreign countries, over which Djibouti has no control, mean that the prices of imported food change unpredictably.

However, solar-powered desalination provides clean water for Djiboutians without much dependence on international markets to provide food and water, turning Djibouti into a more independent and stable society.

Funding and Chinese Involvement

UNICEF and the Chinese government have partnered to execute a project to create water purification facilities in Djibouti, which they expect to benefit more than 120,000 people in rural and peri-urban areas of Djibouti.

The project will produce dependable and safe water resources for Djibouti, especially those in rural areas, who suffer most from water scarcity. UNICEF will train local people to maintain facilities to allow Djibouti to remain independent and self-sufficient after the project finishes in 2028.

Looking Forward

Nascent efforts demonstrate the powerful potential of this technology. With stable funding and continuous support from foreign countries, Djibouti can develop dependable and effective technology to minimize water issues within the entire country. With mitigated water concerns, Djiboutians can live more stable lives and turn their attention toward intellectual advancements and international presence rather than only survival.

– Amber Mantiply

Amber is based in Silver Spring, MD, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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BrightNest School: A Pathway out Being Poor in Sri Lanka

A group of Sri Lankan students in uniforms smiling in a classroom setting. Being BrightNest SchoolIn Northern Sri Lanka, poverty is not always visible to an outsider. Beautiful turquoise shores lie alongside the Jaffna peninsula, a rich cultural hotspot laden with Tamil heritage and lush vegetation. Yet alongside Jaffna’s beauty lies another reality.

A Hidden Struggle

Although Sri Lanka now boasts improved public school investments and a 92% literacy rate for both genders, one of the highest in South Asia, students in low-income villages still encounter barriers that hinder their academic and career prospects. Nonprofit organizations such as BrightNest are working to bridge these gaps through expanded classroom instruction, mentorship, and English lessons for local low-income children.

BrightNest’s founder Renuka Deva and her daughter, Board Chair Elect Sonali Anderson, witnessed these disparities firsthand during their annual visits to family in Northern Sri Lanka. While enjoying fresh coconut water and vibrant Nallur festival processions, they also encountered children standing along busy roads searching for spare change, snacks, and clothes.

The Scope of the Opportunity Gap

These experiences represent broader opportunity gaps across the nation. According to UNICEF Sri Lanka, only 20% of students from low-income families complete secondary education, compared with 70% of students from higher-income families. Combined with gendered expectations around work and marriage, graduation rates decline even more for young women.

More than 23,000 households in Jaffna are at or below the poverty line, and financial struggles are especially prevalent in nearby Northern villages including Killinochchi, Mullativu, and Mannar, three of the reddest zones on Sri Lanka’s poverty map. Without structured teaching or resource access, youth struggle to develop the English proficiency, critical thinking, and technical skills needed for higher education and employment.

The World Bank flags this phenomenon as “learning poverty,” or the inability to read and understand basic texts by age 10. This barrier perpetuates cyclical poverty across developing nations, limiting a person’s capacity for economic mobility, self-actualization, and intellectual growth.

Impact of BrightNest

Recognizing these challenges, Renuka Deva founded BrightNest in Kanadarodai in 2020. Since then, the nonprofit has provided English-language education, leadership training, and digital literacy support to more than 800 students between the ages of 5 and 12. Through a two-fold teaching model, the school prioritizes educating students and teachers to improve higher education and career-building opportunities for both groups.

Although English is a required subject in government schools across Jaffna, many classrooms lack sufficient opportunities for student participation, conversation, or one-to-one instruction. BrightNest works to complement English learning through small classes that prioritize teamwork, group speaking opportunities, and online practice.

As BrightNest’s director and volunteer coordinator, Sonali Anderson has watched students who initially hesitated to speak in English gradually become confident communicators and emerging leaders within their schools. Her lessons continue to reveal the value of peer support in creating effective literacy outcomes and engagement.

Looking Ahead

By combining interactive group lessons with individualized teaching, BrightNest is equipping young people with the tools, knowledge, and confidence needed for long-term educational and economic opportunities. The organization plans to expand its efforts by opening a new school that will reach even more children across Northern Sri Lanka. As the Deva family believes, every child is a spark of potential waiting to shine.

– Natasha Agarwal

Natasha is based in Philadelphia, PA, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Solar Energy in Malawi Is Creating Economic Opportunity

Solar Energy in MalawiReliable electricity can transform a community by creating new business opportunities and improving access to essential services. Across Malawi, government agencies and international organizations are using solar energy and expanded electricity access to help reduce poverty and strengthen local economies.

Expanding Electricity Access

Malawi has made significant progress in expanding electricity access, yet many rural communities still rely on traditional energy sources. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), increasing access to reliable and affordable electricity remains essential for supporting economic development and reducing poverty across the country.

The Government of Malawi has prioritized universal energy access through national policies that encourage investment in renewable energy and off-grid solutions. The Ministry of Energy works with development partners and private companies to expand electricity access while promoting sustainable economic growth and greater resilience for rural communities.

Major Initiatives

One of the country’s largest initiatives, the Malawi Electricity Access Project (MEAP), brought together the Government of Malawi, the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), and the World Bank to expand both national grid connections and solar home systems. The project exceeded its original goals, providing electricity access to nearly 2 million people and supporting the installation of nearly 257,000 solar home systems.

Solar energy has also created new economic opportunities through the Off-Grid Market Development fund, known locally as the Ngwee Ngwee Ngwee fund. The initiative has partnered with private solar companies to make renewable energy systems more affordable for low-income households and reached its initial goal of electrifying 200,000 households ahead of schedule. The program helps families and small businesses benefit from reliable electricity without waiting for national grid expansion.

Entrepreneurial Opportunities

Reliable electricity creates opportunities for entrepreneurship by allowing businesses to extend operating hours and adopt new technologies. Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) identifies decentralized renewable energy as a key driver of inclusive economic growth, particularly in rural communities where access to affordable electricity can support small enterprises and create new sources of income.

Women have also benefited from expanded energy access. According to the World Bank, female-headed households received 41% of the off-grid solar systems distributed through MEAP, exceeding the project’s original gender target. Access to electricity has enabled many women to establish phone-charging businesses and other small enterprises that generate additional household income.

Future Projects

Malawi continues to build on this progress through the Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation (ASCENT) project. ESCOM and the Government of Malawi are implementing the initiative with World Bank support to increase national electricity access from 25.9% to 50% by 2030 while expanding clean and affordable energy solutions for households and businesses.

Solar energy is doing more than powering homes across Malawi. Investments from the Government of Malawi, the World Bank, ESCOM, SEforALL, and private-sector partners are creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and helping improve quality of life. As renewable energy initiatives continue to expand, Malawi is building a more sustainable future where greater electricity access can help reduce poverty and support long-term economic growth.

– Archie Monton-Black

Archie is based in Bedford, UK and focuses on Business and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Rawpixel