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Top Diseases in Bulgaria


Located off the coast of the Black Sea in Southeastern Europe and nestled just between Romania and Turkey lies the nation of Bulgaria, a country only slightly larger than the state of Tennessee. Although Bulgaria’s average life expectancy has been climbing steadily, the country still has one of the shortest life expectancies in the European Union at 74.5 years, coming in just ahead of Lithuania and Latvia. Here are some facts about the top diseases in Bulgaria:

Cardiovascular Diseases

Heart diseases–disorders of the blood vessels and heart–are the deadliest of the top diseases in Bulgaria. Currently, such diseases are the cause of over 60 percent of all deaths in the country.

According to a 2015 report published by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the three most fatal heart diseases of the previous decade in Bulgaria were ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and hypertensive heart disease, which were the first, second and third most deadly diseases in Bulgaria respectively. Since 2005, deaths from ischemic heart disease had become 1.9 percent more prevalent, while deaths caused by hypertensive heart disease had become 13.2 percent more prevalent. Deaths due to cerebrovascular disease, on the other hand, had decreased by 1.3 percent.

The World Heart Federation lists controllable risk factors of heart diseases to be, among others, tobacco exposure, harmful consumption of alcohol, physical inactivity and obesity. In 2009, Bulgaria addressed the country’s high prevalence of heart diseases by participating in World Heart Day, providing free cardiology exams across the country.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Following the formerly listed heart diseases, Alzheimer’s disease is the fourth most fatal of the top diseases in Bulgaria. Alzheimer’s disease, a form of dementia, is a degenerative brain disease in which protein deposits abnormally build up in the brain and, as of 2015, death by Alzheimer’s disease in Bulgaria had become 27.8 percent more common than in the previous decade. According to the World Health Organization, the disease is now the cause of 26.2 percent of all deaths in the country.

Since January 2014, a national policy plan to address dementia in all its forms has been in final review. As of July 2016, there was no finalized national dementia strategy in Bulgaria to address the recent rise in Alzheimer’s disease.

The top diseases in Bulgaria have only just begun to be addressed domestically. With the continuation of direct policy changes and implementation of preventative care, Bulgaria hopes to see reduced instances of heart diseases and Alzheimer’s disease, ultimately increasing their life expectancy.

– Shannon Golden

Photo: Flickr

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Low Levels of Hunger in Belarus Thanks to Government Intervention


Belarus is an Eastern European country that was previously one of the founding republics of the defunct Soviet Union. Like many former Soviet states, Belarus struggles from residual problems left behind by the USSR’s past influence, such as a poor human rights record and institutionalized authoritarianism. Despite the country’s rooted issues, it displays encouraging signs of development in food security. Unlike many other troubled countries, there are very low levels of hunger in Belarus.

Since 1997, Belarus has boasted an impressive Global Hunger Index score of less than five, indicating that the country as a whole does not suffer from prolonged food shortages and famine. Additionally, Belarus enjoys falling mortality rates as well as a marked decline in stunting and wasting in children younger than five years of age.

Overall, hunger and related issues are not widespread in Belarus, even though it remains a developing country. Much of the success in ending hunger in Belarus is attributable to the government’s prioritization of food security. The 1998 National Food Security Program developed standards for food security as well as measures to achieve hunger-prevention goals.

While Belarus benefits from commendably low hunger statistics, the country’s continued growth is limited by persisting Soviet-era practices in numerous economic sectors, especially agriculture. Foreign aid and development institutions such as the United Staties Agency for International Development have provided and continue to provide assistance towards privatization and free-market reforms intended to stimulate growth throughout the Belarusian economy.

Although Belarus does not struggle from significant food shortages, the country continues to face the consequences of the infamous 1986 Chernobyl nuclear reactor meltdown, in which nearly 70 percent of the radioactive fallout from the compromised plant landed in Belarus. Radiation contaminates about one-fifth of the nation’s farmland, and many Belarusians in the surrounding areas eat food that comes from these contaminated areas. Many Belarusians suffer from health issues caused by or related to exposure to radioactive fallout or contaminated food.

Fortunately, many organizations work to improve conditions for Belarus and its people by continuing to provide aid. One nonprofit, Overflowing Hands, brings Belarusian youth to the U.S. for six weeks every summer to provide access to clean food and a healthy environment, counteracting the detrimental effects of radiation exposure. According to Overflowing Hands, health care professionals estimate that for every six weeks they are kept away from radiation exposure, children and teens gain two years back to their lifespans. Overflowing Hands even teaches the Belarusian youth compassion by getting them involved in food aid and community service programs.

Hopefully, organizations such as Overflowing Hands will be successful in providing meaningful support by minimizing the already low levels of hunger in Belarus and finding solutions for Belarusians exposed to radioactivity. Similarly to Overflowing Hands’ youth summer program, perhaps these organizations will even succeed in empowering vulnerable Belarusians to help others.

– Isidro Rafael Santa Maria

Photo: Flickr

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Cardiovascular Dominating Top Diseases in Latvia


The country of Latvia in Eastern Europe borders the Baltic Sea and Russia. The population of Latvia is just fewer than two million people, which is very small relative to most countries around the world. The life expectancy in Latvia is 74 years, which is above the global average of 71 years. The annual mortality rate is 754 per 100,000. Though it is small, the top diseases in Latvia mirror global trends.

When traveling to Latvia, it is recommended by the CDC to have all routine vaccinations up to date, as well as hepatitis A. There is the possibility of contaminated food and water in Latvia.

The top two diseases in Latvia are both cardiac-related, much like most of the world. The heart diseases are the only two on the list of the top diseases in Latvia that have stayed in their spot for the last 20 years. The numbers have been decreasing for both ischemic heart disease and stroke. In third place, cardiomyopathy is also heart-related and has been rising since last counted when it was in the ninth position.

An interesting development in Latvia over the last 20 years has been the rise of HIV/AIDS. It was not near the top in 1990 in position 83, but it has jumped to the sixth since then. This has encouraged a discussion of prevention and education efforts. Educating the public on the dangers and how to be safe can prevent cases and resulting fatalities.

The risk factors of many of the top diseases in Latvia include dietary choices, high blood pressure, smoking and alcohol use and physical inactivity.

– Brendin Axtman

Photo: Flickr

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Hunger in the Czech Republic


Household incomes in the Czech Republic have increased after recovering from two recessions in the past decade. As a result, both poverty and hunger rates have dropped.

In 2016, the Czech Statistical Office (CSU) reported that about one-tenth, or 1.02 million people, in the Czech Republic live below the poverty line. Those citizens are dying at a rate of rate of .48 per 100,000 from malnutrition, ranking them 125 out of 172 countries for life expectancy rate.

In 2006, the depth of hunger, which indicates how many food-deprived people fall short of minimum food needs was reported to be 200, where anything under 200 is considered very low. The malnutrition prevalence for children less than five years for that year was 2.6 percent, with malnutrition defined as a person’s weight for age being more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population. In 2007, this rate had almost doubled to five percent.

The 2008 recession impacted all areas of society in the Czech Republic, especially those suffering from hunger. That year the country reported a 120 on the depth of hunger scale, a considerable decrease from 2006. The malnutrition prevalence also decreased to a mere 2.1 percent.

The bouncing rate of hunger in the Czech Republic could be a result of economic rise and fall.

Currently, the country’s economy is growing at a rate of 2.2 percent, a decrease from 4.7 in 2015. However, this rate remains steady due to the Czech Republic’s link to the Eurozone, low global commodity prices and the relaxed pricing policy of the Czech National Bank, helping to stabilize the Czech economy.

Current statistics of hunger in the Czech Republic are unavailable, but the Czech Republic has one of the lowest poverty rates in the EU. This alone foreshadows a bright future regarding the ongoing rate of hunger in the Czech Republic, that only time will accurately tell.

– Amira Wynn

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Refugees in Luxembourg


Refugees in  Luxembourg seek asylum for a number of reasons. National conflicts such the Syrian civil war and the forced conscription crisis in Eritrea have landed refugees in the small, wealthy European nation.

Hundreds of thousands of people continue to flee these war-torn areas — but benevolent Luxembourg is running out of space. Below are 10 facts about refugees in Luxembourg and how European countries are working to address their needs.

10 Facts About Refugees in Luxembourg

  1. As the wealthiest nation in Europe (and second-wealthiest in the world), Luxembourg provides exceptionally high-quality housing and other resources for refugees. Though the nation has not instituted an official refugee program, they frequently arrange case-by-case resettlements.
  2. In March 2016, the European Union instituted a resettlement agreement with Turkey. The agreement focuses on minimizing suffering and maximizing safety by monitoring and regulating refugees’ journeys from the Middle East to Europe, and by providing clear paths to obtaining official refugee status and citizenship. This development allowed Luxembourg to accept a new group of Syrian refugees in February.
  3. Government officials and civilians alike take an active interest in accommodating refugees. Caritas Luxembourg has set up a campaign to welcome and support refugees from Syria, and, in 2015, teen Djuna Bernard launched a Facebook page called “Refugees Welcome to Luxembourg,” which has since evolved into an organization that helps refugees meet their basic needs.
  4. While many welcome refugees with open arms, others harbor reservations. With foreigners making up nearly half of the population, some native Luxembourgers have begun to worry that their culture will be lost, particularly if refugees refuse to learn the language and work to contribute to the nation’s growth. The nation already has three official languages — Luxembourgish, French and German — and the influx of additional cultures leaves natives even fewer opportunities to speak their own language in public arenas.
  5. Indeed, the refugee experience in Luxembourg is riddled with both positive and negative factors. Molut Haille, a refugee from Eritrea, warns potential migrants of the pitfalls of living in Luxembourg. Some refugees in Luxembourg struggle to make ends meet because it is a rich nation, says Haille, who also cites the language issue as an impediment. Refugees may experience difficulty assimilating without fluency in at least two of the nation’s languages.
  6. InSitu Jobs combats these issues. In May 2015, The Liaison Committee of Foreigners’ Associations in Luxembourg (CLAE) received funding from the European Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the Luxembourg Office for Reception and Integration (OLAI) to establish the InSitu Jobs Project. The project creates avenues for recognized refugees in Luxembourg to support themselves by providing assistance with writing resumes, understanding the job market, and authenticating any professional or academic credentials from their home countries. A handful of refugees have been mobilized to work and learn French as a result, and the project effectively supplements existing initiatives.
  7. In October 2015, the EU released a “safe countries of origin” list, a continually updated document which monitors conflict shifts in refugees’ home countries and notifies asylum countries when it is safe to send refugees back. This motion allows Luxembourg to reject those applicants in less dire situations than others and to send refugees home and create space for those who need it more desperately.
  8. In 2016, Luxembourg opened 1,000 new housing containers for refugees—but these accommodations, too, filled up quickly.
  9. Today, Luxembourg’s asylum application process is fairly selective due to dwindling resources. Of the 155 Syrians who applied between January and April of this year, only 52 were accepted into the resettlement program.
  10. Citizens remain passionate about the refugee crisis. As a result of its wealth and unprecedented excitement to help refugees, Luxembourg has shot close to the top of the list of refugee intake per capita in Europe. Unfortunately, the country’s limited size has begun to impede its humanitarian vision. With housing rapidly filling up, the nation seeks new ways to assist refugees.

The plight of refugees in Luxembourg has shifted continuously over the past few years. But while the nation is generous with its resources, the volume of refugees seeking homes threatens to topple its infrastructure. Nonetheless, officials and citizens of Luxembourg and other European countries are determined to help. These 10 facts about refugees in Luxembourg illustrate the country’s continued efforts to create a safer world for all.

– Madeline Forwerck

Photo: Flickr

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Top Diseases in Finland

finland
Finland is not one of the most populated countries in the world, but it is one of the more well-known. With just more than five and a half million people, Finland ranks 115th in population. The top diseases in Finland are also the major diseases found all around the world.

The World Health Organization (WHO) released a statement claiming that the top disease impacting the citizens of Finland is cardiovascular disease, contributing to 40 percent of fatalities in 2014.

Coming in second are other non-communicable diseases (NCD), at 25 percent. These diseases are very slow in progressing toward fatal levels. The four main types of NCD are cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. According to the WHO, they are the leading cause of death on a global scale, representing 63 percent of all deaths annually. Different categories of NCD kill over 36 million people each year, impacting predominantly low-income families, specifically those in less developed countries.

Other NCD making the the top list include various cancers (23 percent) and respiratory diseases (3 percent). Males have a higher chance of dying in each category than females. Over the last 15 years, the numbers for each category have been vastly decreasing due to new technology and procedures and treatments in the categories listed. Other major causes of premature death includes drug use, high blood pressure and obesity.

The smoking percentage in Finland is at 24 percent, which is higher than the U.S. percentage of 15 percent, according to the CDC. These are risks that can be completely eliminated by the individual’s efforts.

The top diseases in Finland mirror a lot of the top diseases around the globe. There is room for improvement based making healthy lifestyle changes and eliminating some of the risks factors including drug abuse and obesity.

– Brendin Axtman

Photo: Flickr

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Education in Monaco


Inside France, right off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea lies the small city-state of Monaco. With just about 38,000 people inhabiting an area less than one square mile, it is the second smallest country in the world. Though Monaco is no bigger than a typical city, the education in Monaco is widely available — as the literacy rate in the country sits at 99 percent.

There are six state-run preschools and elementary schools, a middle school, a high school, and a technical and hotel school. As for private schools — there are two, an elementary school and high school.

The lower level education in Monaco is plentiful, as well as the higher level education. There are three established institutions within the country. These institutions include — a Nursing Training Institute, the University of Monaco, and the Monaco Art School.

The University of Monaco was established in 1986 and is particularly distinguished for its Masters of Business Administration program. Their MBA has ranked as 91 in The Economist’s Top Full-Time MBA Programs. They were also ranked 4 out of 5 stars by Eduniversal Business School Rankings.

In Monaco schools, English is taught from the age of three. This is vital as the classes at the University of Monaco are taught in English. According to Hello Monaco — the leading news and information site on education in Monaco — religion is also taught in schools, though parents have the right to opt their children out of these lessons. The history and language of the land are taught as well.

The education in Monaco also offers a variety of scholarships and grants. The scholarships include study grants, foreign language development grants, and subsidies for school lunches. The subsidy is intended to help pupils’ parents or legal guardians with the cost of school meals. Though in order to obtain this subsidy, the parents need to be either widowed, divorced, be employed, or have at least three children living at home.

The education in Monoca is established and continues to offer its youth a variety of options to cultivate their future.

– Vicente Vera

Photo: Flickr

Worst to First in Europe: Comparative Poverty in Czechia


Changing its name from the Czech Republic to Czechia in 2016, this Central European country has recently been on the rise economically, and poverty in Czechia has improved. A current account recorded a trade surplus just under one percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015. This was an increase of more than four percent in five years, from a deficit of 3.6 percent in 2010.

In categorical comparison with other countries, the picture of the position of poverty in Czechia – a small, landlocked nation – is bright.

GDP at Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) is a sound indicator of how poverty in Czechia affects the country as a whole, as it represents the final value of all goods and services produced in a single year factored at current United States exchange rates.

Poverty in Czechia is minimal and limited, based on GDP at PPP, as the country ranked 50th out of the 230 countries, nation-states and islands evaluated by the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Fact Book in 2016. The GDP at PPP for Czechia was a reported $315 billion in 2016. Comparatively, China is ranked number one with a GDP at PPP of more than $21 trillion and the small New Zealand island of Tokelau ranked last with a GDP at PPP of $1.5 million.

The actual GDP of Czechia in 2015 was $185.2 billion, according to The World Bank. With a population of 10.5 million people at the time, the GDP per capita was around $32,500 in 2015. Comparatively, Czechia ranked 58th in 2016 with a GDP per capita; Qatar ranked first, at $129,700 per capita and Somalia ranked 230th, or last, with a 2016 GDP per capita of merely $400.

According to The World Bank, poverty in Czechia was at 9.7 percent in 2013, a representative decrease in the percentage of people living at or below the poverty level from a decade prior, when the figure was at 10 percent.

The statistics and graphs shown on The World Bank’s database show large amounts of fluctuation in the poverty levels in Czechia over the last decade, rising and falling almost annually. While this figure fluctuates greatly, a stabilized number in the statistics on poverty in Czechia is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.90 a day. Less than a tenth of a percent of the Czechian population survives on less than $1.90, and that number has been the same for more than a half-decade.

The World Bank predicts a 2.5 percent growth in GDP this fiscal year (2017) for Czechia and a population growth under two-tenths of a percentage point. Currently, in the small, landlocked country–less than the size of South Carolina–there are 137 people per square kilometer.

The country’s Gross National Income in 2015 was around $18,000, and the lowest 20 percent of the earnings population accounted for 9.6 percent of the income share in 2012.

The average life expectancy in the country was 79.5 years in 2015, with 100 percent of the population having access to improved water systems. More than 99 percent of the people used improved sanitation facilities that year.

Poverty in Czechia is on the decline as the Central European member of the European Union saw a 4.5 percent growth in GDP in 2015. Compared to other countries being studied, Czechia is a stably improving country of prosperity, with its auto and manufacturing industries supporting internal growth.

– Shaun Savarese

Photo: Flickr

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Focus on Domestic and International Hunger in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. The country’s gross domestic product is the 17th-highest in the world and it consistently ranks in the top 10 on the Human Development Index in the world. Hunger in the Netherlands is prevalent, even though the country contributes a very high percentage of its GDP to foreign aid. And as of recently, due to the economic crisis, more than one million of the country’s 17 million people have hit the marker for poverty.

There are many nonprofit organizations that aid in providing food to families who are in need. Foodbank Netherlands is one of these organizations that partners with food companies to donate food products to those who suffer from hunger in the Netherlands.
The government in the Netherlands has also developed a food security policy that addresses different concerns that bring about hunger in the Netherlands as well as the world. The Netherlands seeks to specifically address hunger worldwide and also focuses on the many people who suffer from hidden hunger.
While the economic downturn has seen the Netherlands own citizens experience hunger the country still focuses on foreign aid to other countries. Hunger in the Netherlands is being combated while the country still remains at the top of initiatives for its citizenry and policy reform for global hunger and poverty reduction. 
 
Hunger trends are very minute for the Dutch as unemployment is low and the country has generous social benefits that prevent the growth of poverty. The Netherlands has the lowest poverty rate in Europe next to Sweden due to government aid that subsides burden for the country’s citizenry.
The Netherlands continues to lead by example in its contributions to ending global hunger while it faces its own challenges domestically.

– Rochelle R. Dean

Photo: Flickr

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Hunger in Finland


Due to Finland’s high standard of living, based on the nation’s welfare system, poverty rates are low. In such a system, the Finnish enjoy an exceptional education system, strong health standards, and safe, connected communities, all of which combine to limit the presence of hunger in Finland.

Finland is one of the top-performing countries in education, measured in the fields of reading literacy, math and science by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). According to the National Center on Education and the Economy, education is made publicly available from the primary level through upper secondary level.

Naturally, education has been shown to reduce the likelihood of poverty, which remains especially true for Finland, where both the quality and availability of the system is widespread. The same is true for healthcare, where the standard of treatment in Finland ranks highly among other OECD nations.

The Finnish also live in safe communities, where 86 percent of respondents claim that they “feel safe walking alone at night,” compared to the OECD average of 68 percent. A low crime rate reflects the nation’s lack of poverty, due to the elements provided in Finland’s welfare system.

In more specific terms, Finland has the fourth lowest poverty rate among OECD nations, according to a 2016 report. It is unsurprising, then, that the issue of hunger is practically nonexistent within the country. As the organization Trading Economics reports, undernourishment affected only five percent of the Finnish population in 2008.

Moreover, Finland aims to end hunger worldwide, evident through the nation’s consistent donations to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Such donations have contributed to hunger relief in countries such as Lebanon, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and the Central African Republic.

“Thanks to Finland’s flexible and predictable multi-year commitment of €29 million,” wrote the WFP in a 2014 report, “we are able to respond to the needs of vulnerable people using innovative tools that increase dignity and efficiency.”

Assuming Finland continues to meet the demands of its citizens, let alone providing assistance elsewhere, hunger in Finland will not be a concern anytime soon.

– Genevieve DeLorenzo

Photo: Flickr