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How Living With Hope is Helping People with Disabilities in Africa

Living With HopeFounded in 2018, Living With Hope is an organization that is devoted to providing resources and training for people with disabilities in Africa. South Sudan native Michael Panther was left in a wheelchair due to illness and war in his country. After receiving care himself, Panther built Living With Hope to offer support for this often marginalized demographic.

People living with disabilities anywhere in the world face challenges, but these challenges are especially tough for those living in Africa. Approximately 80 million people in Africa are living with mental or physical disabilities and the barriers that they face every day have fundamental impacts. Some families in Africa feel ashamed of members who have disabilities and will sometimes hide them from the community to avoid social stigmas, discrimination and even death. There is a substantial lack of medical care or services to help people with disabilities in Africa and the widespread poverty in the country means that the needs of able-bodied people are put before those of disabled people. 

The Treatment of People with Disabilities in Africa

The treatment of people with disabilities is not only lacking in comparison to the rest of the population, but also in comparison to each other. A study published in the 2016 African Disability Rights yearbook found that parents of girls in Africa with disabilities are more likely to abandon or kill their daughters at birth and the girls who survive are more likely to be victims of abuse as they grow up. Women with disabilities are three times more likely to have unmet needs for health care and two times less likely to find jobs.

Mental and physical disabilities disproportionately affect African people living in poverty as this population has little to no access to medical care. Around 20% of people with disabilities are living in the poorer regions of Africa. Additionally, 35 million people who require a wheelchair do not have access to one and are not granted the mobility to attend school or work, surrendering them to a life in poverty.

Mobility Device Distribution from Living with Hope

Living With Hope is helping people with disabilities in Africa by teaching them skills that will help them achieve their potential and live independently. It collaborates with other international disability ministries to change the conversation surrounding people with disabilities by reaching out to families, schools, churches and local organizations to strengthen awareness and action. Living With Hope mainly focuses on mobility device distribution, such as manual wheelchairs, crutches, walkers and canes, as well as wheelchair cushions and trays. It allows donors in various locations to drop off any mobility device they are willing to donate or make a payment to the organization so that they can purchase one. Living With Hope is also helping people with disabilities in Africa by working to raise funds to send affected children to school, so that they may grow up to participate in society as adults. 

A Look Ahead

Africans facing the challenges that come with having a mental or physical disability are severely under-acknowledged and underserved. Very little research has been done on this population, which is necessary to design effective intervention plans. Organizations similar to Living With Hope are trying to help people with disabilities in Africa by raising awareness for and expanding the discussion surrounding this community.

– Ava Lombardi
Photo: Unsplash

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Repairing Madagascar’s Health Information System Through Singing

Madagascar’s Health Information SystemMadagascar’s exotic flora and fauna belie a broken and underdeveloped health information system. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the probability of dying by the age of 5, per 1,000 live births in Madagascar is 50.24. The problem is not only a lack of access to health care but also lags in timely information, which prevents Malagasy people from taking proper precautions against infectious diseases.

Although 77% of Madagascar’s population is literate and 57% have access to mobile phones, people in the rural areas are still hampered by low literacy rates and a lack of a proper telecommunication system. Consequently, people share the majority of health-related facts orally, leading to the rampant spread of misinformation. In an effort to debunk myths and reform Madagascar’s health information system, a local NGO called Doctors for Madagascar, initiated a project that utilizes a unique tool for its success: singing.

Beginning of the Project

In 2018 and 2019, the measles epidemic in Madagascar caused more than 200,000 cases and over 1,000 deaths. During this time, health workers observed a deficiency of knowledge among rural people in southern Madagascar about measles vaccination.

To dispel the false rumors circulating, Doctors for Madagascar teamed up with local singer/songwriter Ebera to start the “Singing Sensitization” project as a medium of “getting accurate health information to isolated, rural communities in the country’s south.”

Free live music performances took place in places such as markets so that it could reach as many different demographics as possible. The song “The Measles” by Ebera became vastly popular among the rural Malagasy people for its educative lyrics and lilting tune.

The lyrics contained all information from verifiable sources such as the WHO and the Malagasy Ministry of Health. The song warned — “measles — they’re lethal” and advised them to take their children to the hospital if they showed symptoms like coughing, sneezing, vomiting, or diarrhea, instead of bringing them to “a shaman or a witch.” In addition, the song also urged villagers to get the measles vaccination as it would help protect them better against the disease.

Melodies During COVID-19

The success of “Singing Sensitization” during the measles outbreak in Madagascar encouraged the NGO to continue its project during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the first wave in 2020, songs focused on the importance of wearing masks, washing hands regularly with soap and water as well as social distancing. The productions also placed emphasis on the origin and spread of the virus.

According to the WHO case study, these performances were conducted sporadically “at eight to nine locations each month (or bimonthly in each village) in Ampanihy until August 2021.” The infrequency was a result of compliance with social distancing rules proposed by the government.

The Song of Victory

Conveying facts through songs sung in local dialects has proven effective especially since the performances conclude with an informative Q&A session, where health workers address additional questions and concerns.

This created trust between the villagers and the health workers. The project members often held focus group sessions and informal interviews with “community leaders, health care workers, and local health authorities” to understand how much the villagers had learned and retained as well as identify what was lacking in their knowledge, WHO case study reports.

The team modeled additional performances based on these discussions, focusing on filling the “knowledge gaps” and denouncing any inaccurate information.

Additionally, these discussions helped the “Singing Sensitization” team infer that the reach of their performances was approximately 60–70%, with “a positive uptake of the initiative by the local population,” WHO case study reports.

Making it Large Scale

“Singing Sensitization” has greatly helped in improving rural Madagascar’s health information system. As of now, the biggest challenge is getting funding, recruiting more local performers and expending time and energy on translating lyrics into different local languages.

Nonetheless, the team wants to expand its project and take it to other “hard-to-reach” rural communities. One of their goals is to introduce a radio network for easier and wider transmission of information.

– Anushka Raychaudhuri
Photo: Flickr

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USAID’s Response to the Record-Breaking Drought in Africa 

Drought in AfricaThe Horn of Africa is suffering from its worst drought in 40 years, a crisis that has killed millions of livestock and plunged millions of people into food insecurity. In response to this historic drought in Africa, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has pledged almost $1.3 billion in assistance to the regions hardest hit by the drought.

A Record-Breaking Drought

The past four rainy seasons in the Horn of Africa—a region which includes Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya—have seen below-average rainfall. The most recent rainy season, from March to May 2022, was the area’s driest rainy season in 70 years. The U.N. expects that the upcoming rainy season from October to December 2022 will also be dry.

This unprecedented drought has had dire consequences for those living in the Horn of Africa:

  • As of July 2022, the U.N. estimated that 18.6 million people in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya are facing food insecurity due to the drought and this figure could rise to 20 million by September.
  • The International Rescue Committee warns that 3 million people are at risk of starving to death in the region.
  • 7.1 million children are acutely malnourished, with 2.1 million children falling in the category of acutely malnourished.
  • More than 11.6 million people lack access to sufficient water for drinking, cooking and cleaning.
  • An estimated 7 million livestock have died and an additional at 22 million are at risk of dying due to the drought.

Immediate Impacts of the Drought

In addition to the immediate impacts on food and water insecurity, the Horn of Africa’s drought has impacted the lives of those living there in more indirect ways. With more than 1.1 million people displaced as a consequence of the drought and women and girls traveling as much as three times as long as they did before to find water, the Horn of Africa has seen an increase in gender-based violence and school drop-out rates.

Approximately 15 million children in the region are now out of school and an additional 3.32 million children across the region are at risk of dropping out because of the drought. The drought has also had negative impacts on hygiene practices. As drinking water has become scarcer, people have started to ration their water, using more water for drinking and cooking and less for hygiene. Consequently, the drought has put people at a higher risk for infection and water-borne diseases.

While the drought on its own has had disastrous effects, Russia’s war on Ukraine has compounded the crisis the Horn of Africa is experiencing. Regionally, 84% of wheat is imported, and 90% of that imported wheat comes from Russia and Ukraine. Due to the combined effects of smaller harvests and war-induced inflation, the cost of food has risen 66% in Ethiopia and 36% in Somalia.

The United States Offers Help

In July 2022, USAID announced an additional $1.18 billion in aid for countries hardest hit by this historic drought. This brings the total U.S. assistance for the crisis up to $1.86 billion in 2022 alone — the greatest contribution of any single country.

The most recent round of funding will go towards measures that will provide immediate assistance to those suffering the consequences of the drought as well as efforts to help the Horn of Africa build resistance against potential future droughts. Funding will support the delivery of emergency food supplies including a grain called shogun, split peas and vegetable oil. To help the high number of children suffering from malnutrition as a result of the drought, USAID will help screen communities for malnutrition in children and provide nutritional supplements for those found to be most at risk.

USAID also plans to use a portion of the funds to help farmers by providing medical services and food to animals as well as working with agricultural communities to develop more drought-resistant farming techniques. Addressing some of the secondary consequences of the drought, USAID will also direct funds toward disease prevention and gender-based violence reduction efforts.

A Look Ahead

While this unprecedented drought has been devastating for the Horn of Africa, the U.N. estimated in July that an additional $1.8 billion in aid was required to address the crisis. The recent announcement by USAID in July covers almost two-thirds of this requirement and has the potential to help the millions who have suffered the dire consequences of the drought in Africa.

– Anna Inghram
Photo: Flickr

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The Necessity of Vaccine Diplomacy

Vaccine DiplomacyWhile the COVID-19 vaccine has helped to reduce destruction and devastation from the pandemic, the virus is still spreading across the globe. According to Dr. Peter Hotez “organized hostility against the scientific community,” may be public health’s biggest enemy. However, on a global scale, the most serious threat is the lack of vaccine diplomacy and effective health care in geopolitics. Solving this crisis requires the United States and other western countries to prioritize the distribution of pandemic response resources so that everyone can lead healthy, safe lives regardless of their location.

Inequities of Vaccine Resources

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the global death rate by 20%, shut down economies and dismantled health care systems across the world. Despite the fact that the COVID-19 vaccine is now readily available in many developed countries, many low-income countries remain highly unvaccinated while the United States eases pandemic funding. With monkeypox cases on the rise, the fight against global health crises has hit a major roadblock, as low-income countries are scrambling for vaccine resources amid slowing economies.

Developed countries have a humanitarian responsibility to ensure that low-income countries have access to the healthcare resources that North American and European countries have. Additionally, novel variants of COVID-19 often arise from unvaccinated populations, which means that the pandemic will only worsen unless we make a concerted effort to fully vaccinate developing and low-income countries, according to Dr. Hotez.

Making a Commitment to Vaccine Diplomacy

Today, less than 20% of people in low-income countries have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The next step is for the United States and other world leaders to provide more resources to help get shots into people’s arms in developing countries. According to The Borgen Project’s action center, “This essential funding will go towards vaccines, tests, last-mile efforts and treatment so we can continue vaccinating the rest of the world, save lives and prevent new variants from emerging.” It’s an important investment that will not only save the lives of people in the most vulnerable places across the globe but will also help to protect the well-being of Americans.

Overall, vaccine diplomacy is also necessary to conquer vaccine skepticism, which is keeping millions of people from getting vaccinated. In order to effectively fight against the worsening global health crisis of COVID-19 and monkeypox, the United States and other economic powerhouses should prioritize geopolitical cooperation with developing countries to collaborate on equitably distributing vaccine resources.

– Ella DeVries
Photo: Flickr

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US Approval of COVID-19 Vaccines For Young Children

COVID-19 vaccines for young childrenIn late June 2022, the CDC and FDA approved the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines for young children such as Pfizer and Moderna for children ages 6 months to 5 years old. While countries worldwide have received vaccinations from Pfizer and Moderna, the U.S. is the first country to approve vaccines for children under five. Though children in this age group are less likely to experience severe infection than other age groups, the vaccines for young children were worth recommending as it works to reduce the spread of COVID-19. As countries across the globe continue to vaccinate their people, what does the U.S. approval of vaccines for children under five mean for people worldwide?

COVID-19’s Effect on Children Worldwide

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 543 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported worldwide. As of December 2021, 17,200 COVID-19 deaths have been reported in adolescents under the age of 20, making up 0.4% of deaths worldwide. The effect on children is harder to understand. Data on child excess mortality and case numbers are inconsistent. Numbers disproportionately represent high-income countries and while the pandemic hits the poorest children the hardest, the effects on middle and low-income countries are underreported.

Along with the direct health effects of contracting COVID-19, children are experiencing indirect effects from prolonging the pandemic. Specifically in low-income countries, children have been affected by the strain on the healthcare system, such as disruptions from routine care and lost family income.

For example, according to UNICEF, 80 million children under the age of one may miss out on other essential vaccines because of the disruptions of the pandemic in May 2020. With increased vaccination rates worldwide, the hope is the pandemic can be mitigated and such effects on children will decrease.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for young children approved in the U.S. have a smaller dosage than their adult counterparts. For Moderna, two doses given four weeks apart are 25 micrograms each. With Pfizer, three shots contain three micrograms each. Each vaccine contains just a fraction of the dosage given to adults.

Worldwide Childhood Vaccine Distribution

Since the beginning of the pandemic, health care responses have not been equitable across the globe. While 66% of the world has been vaccinated against COVID-19, only 16% of people in low-income countries have received one dose as of May 2022. Initiatives similar to the WHO’s COVAX program has helped distribute COVID-19 vaccines to low-income countries. As of May 2022, Pfizer has distributed 3.5 billion COVID-19 vaccines to over 175 countries.

As the U.S. was the first country to approve Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children under 5 years old, other efforts are underway across the world. Pfizer and Moderna are not the only COVID-19 vaccines, as a Cuban vaccine has been given to over 1.7 million children under the age of 18. This vaccine is now being produced for Iran, Vietnam and Venezuela.

Vaccine Regulations and Authorizations

Pfizer and Moderna are some of the most prominent vaccines as they are making up around 33.6% of the total vaccines distributed in Africa. The companies are working to get vaccines for young children approved in other countries. Pfizer says they are committed to protecting all age groups from COVID-19 and are working to ensure other countries will follow the actions of the U.S. authorization. The company plans to submit authorizations for vaccinations under five to regulators around the world. For example, the company will request authorization from the European Medical Agency beginning in July 2022.

Ultimately, the vaccine regulations and processes differ for each country. Countries will license various vaccines for different age groups depending on their own analysis of the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. As WHO’s Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan states, countries should follow their guidelines to determine their own calculated risks. Vaccine companies like Pfizer and Moderna will work with health care providers, governments and communities as they continue to expand access to healthcare throughout the world.

Conclusion

While it is unclear when each country will approve vaccines for young children and start distributing the shots, companies similar to Pfizer are working around the world to make sure children will have access to the vaccine.

– Abigail Turner
Photo: Flickr

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Iraq’s CCHF Outbreak

Iraq’s CCHF OutbreakIraq has confirmed 212 cases of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) between the months of January 2022 and May 2022, 27 of which resulted in death. In April and May alone, Iraq reported 169 of these cases to the World Health Organization (WHO). CCHF is a viral tick-borne disease “transmitted to humans by bites of infected ticks and by direct contact with blood or tissues from infected humans and livestock.” The viral disease is endemic in Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and some Asian countries. Iraq’s CCHF outbreak is not the nation’s first, but it is the most recent and among the deadliest. Iraq and the WHO are taking measures to slow the spread and help the infected, including dispatching an epidemiological investigation team to a heavily infected region and treating animals suspected of carrying the disease. There is currently no vaccine available but health care professionals can treat the disease with the antiviral drug ribavirin, though its full effectiveness is unknown.

A Brief Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Overview

CCHF is a tick-borne disease and most commonly arises from exposure to livestock, meaning that people working in the industry, such as farmers and butchers, are at increased risk. The first experienced symptoms of the virus include headache, fever, back and joint pain, stomach pain, vomiting and a flushed face. People who have had the virus for longer may experience severe bruising and nosebleeds, which could lead to hospitilization.

CCHF In Iraq

The Middle Eastern country of Iraq has a long history of contact with the virus and considers it a year-round threat. However, this recent outbreak has proven to be widespread, reaching many regions of the country and taking lives along the way. Iraq’s CCHF outbreak has earned the attention of the WHO, which is working with Iraq’s Ministry of Health to help contain and treat the outbreak.

The WHO has released a risk assessment, stating that people living in rural areas of Iraq are at a greater risk of contracting the disease, since livestock is abundant. The WHO also warns that the upcoming religious holiday Eid al-Adha may worsen the outbreak considering that citizens will slaughter more livestock for the holiday and there may be cross-border transportation of animals.

Solutions

The collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the WHO during Iraq’s CCHF outbreak is a cause for hope. An epidemiological investigation team is currently working to locate the original point of contact for the current outbreak, which will hopefully lead to more focused treatment. The WHO conducted a three-day workshop in March 2022 with local physicians, veterinarians, lab technicians, health workers and disease investigators, designed to increase the capacity of Iraq’s rapid response team. The training served as a source of information, better preparing the country to handle future outbreaks of CCHF.

The WHO has released many recommendations to the people of Iraq to help curb the spread of the virus and has provided resources for obtaining information and treatment. Since CCHF is a year-round threat in Iraq, the nation is prepared to treat cases of the virus, but the sudden influx of patients proved to be overwhelming. With the backing of the WHO, it is likely that this outbreak will soon slow and become manageable once again.

– Thomas Schneider
Photo: Flickr

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HIV/AIDS in Venezuela

HIV/AIDS in Venezuela
Efforts to address HIV/AIDs in Venezuela are facing barriers as the country is grappling with limited access to medications, health care and products to maintain sexual health. Due to the Venezuelan economic and political crisis, medical workers are pouring out of the country. Additionally, the Pharmaceutical Federation of Venezuela has estimated that the country has had an 85% shortage of medicine as of 2018, making HIV/AIDs in Venezuela difficult to prevent and treat.

Venezuela’s Health Care System

Venezuela’s collapsing medical system has led to dire sexual education and limited condom access; many citizens have claimed that condoms are scarce at clinics, or egregiously expensive. In 2019, a pack of condoms was about $170 in Venezuela and people had to wait in long lines to purchase them.

The cost of condoms is a huge burden, as more than three-quarters of Venezuelans have been living in extreme poverty as of 2021. This has made Venezuela very vulnerable to sexually transmitted disease (STDs) transmission, including HIV, the deadliest STD there is. Therefore, HIV/AIDS in Venezuela has become an urgent humanitarian concern.

Understanding HIV/AIDS Treatment and Prevention

To prevent the spread of HIV, which is an STD that is highly preventable through condom use, individuals can get tested to limit the spread of the infection. In the case of treatment, antiviral drugs, or so-called “anti-HIV cocktails,” are highly successful in keeping HIV at bay so people do not subsequently contract AIDS.

AIDS is quite deadly and emerges at the point where the HIV virus has destroyed its host’s immune system. Although HIV is impossible to eliminate from the human body, a patient with the virus has about the same expected life expectancy as a patient without it. However, this is only true if the HIV-positive patient is receiving proper access to health care and HIV antiretroviral therapy. Otherwise, 90% of patients with the virus can expect to contract AIDS, which is fatal in eight to 10 years on average.

Venezuela’s HIV Crisis

Thus, HIV/AIDS in Venezuela has become a crisis precipitously with the country’s economic crisis. In a proper contagious disease protocol, citizens would have proper access to HIV testing. However, in a country with a medicine and health care shortage, this is hard to come by. Additionally, since many people with HIV experience discrimination, they often experience embarrassment at the possibility of testing. As of 2020, UNAIDS estimated that approximately 120,000 Venezuelans were HIV positive, which is about 0.3% of the country’s population.

HIV-Positive Refugees

HIV/AIDS in Venezuela is forcing citizens to leave to save their lives and obtain access to antiviral drugs elsewhere. The Venezuelan Network of Positive People has estimated that 10,000 Venezuelans had to leave due to poor HIV treatment options as a result of the economic crisis that has been ongoing since 2019. The only option HIV-positive Venezuelans have is to leave their homes to get the health care they need.

HIV and Venezuela’s Economic and Political Crisis

This situation is quite new for Venezuela. In fact, the country used to be a leading place for HIV treatment in the early 2000s. Since 1999, those with HIV/AIDS in Venezuela had access to free, government-funded treatment. Its public health system specifically targeted citizens that often experienced discrimination such as sex workers and other minority groups. However, under the political control of Hugo Chavez and his successors, such a program does not exist any longer. Unfortunately, political stability may be necessary before HIV-positive Venezuelans can receive treatment again.

Infected Venezuelan Refugees Find Hope in Colombia

About 1.7 million Venezuelans, or 37% of all Venezuelans, were living in Colombia as of 2021. Since Colombia has the highest Venezuelan refugee population, Colombian HIV/AIDS organizations are specifically targeting HIV-positive Venezuelans immigrating to the country.

The nonprofit Colombia AIDS Health care Foundation, founded in 2018 is one such example. Since its founding, it has provided HIV testing, condom delivery, outreach and treatment for HIV-positive persons. The organization provided antiretroviral drugs to 1,850 Colombians, mostly Venezuelan migrants, at a time as of 2021. The nonprofit works with the Colombian government, which provides free HIV treatment to documented migrants and undocumented migrants in emergency situations.

It is inspiring to see a country do so much to help its neighbors during an emergency. With other countries being not only willing to take in Venezuelan refugees but also to give them the medical care they need, there is hope for many Venezuelans.

– Mikaela Marinis
Photo: Unsplash

3 Organizations Improving Mental Health in Vietnam

Mental Health in VietnamWhile Vietnam’s growth and development have led to investments in infrastructure, but unfortunately not within the health sector, specifically in terms of mental health care. A 2011 study of “144 low and middle-income countries” ranked Vietnam last in terms of “the availability of mental health care,” with only “1.7 psychiatrists and 11.5 psychosocial care providers” for every 100,000 people. Recognizing the dire need for change, domestic and international organizations are working to improve mental health in Vietnam.

Beautiful Mind Vietnam

Beautiful Mind Vietnam is a nonprofit organization founded in 2015 with a goal of promoting mental health well-being across Vietnamese society. The organization offers cost-free “peer consultation” to people struggling with mental health issues. The organization specifically focuses on the mental health well-being of youth between the ages of 16 and 25 years old.

As Vietnamese society still stigmatizes mental health illnesses, Beautiful Mind Vietnam’s staff members consist of young people seeking to turn the tide of mental health stigma. From diverse backgrounds, the team “[specializes] in psychology, counseling, mental health, biomedicine and pharmacology.” Operating under the guidance of “professional psychologists and psychiatrists,” the organization aims to raise public awareness about mental health “and provide free support for people with mental health concerns.”

Beautiful Mind Vietnam raises awareness on mental health issues and provides educational information to the public “by translating and writing high quality and reliable articles about mental health, mental disorders and related issues that are relevant to Vietnamese context.” In addition to the peer counseling support the organization offers, Beautiful Mind Vietnam offers a safe space for people to express themselves and feel heard. The organizations also sets up mental health workshops and seminars within communities in order to increase mental health awareness and share practices to promote positive mental health.

BasicNeeds Vietnam

BasicNeeds Vietnam is a non-governmental organization that facilitates the elimination of stress and emotional pain and emphasizes “joy and positive energy” in the Vietnamese mental health landscape. Founded in 2010, the organization seeks “to establish a system that supports community development,” nurtures people’s mental health well-being and educates the public on mental health. Through these goals, BasicNeeds Vietnam ensures that Vietnamese people have a deeper understanding of mental health along with tools to manage their stress and mental issues.

BasicNeeds Vietnam intends to provide accurate scientific information on mental and psychological health, contribute to developing Vietnam’s mental health care and advance “basic mental health knowledge professionally.” The organization develops training workshops for the public, provides mental services to those in need and collaborates with other organizations to better facilitate the conversation surrounding mental health. Through these efforts, the organization envisions a Vietnam where everyone can access proper mental health services.

Medical Committee Netherlands­-Vietnam (MCNV)

MCNV is a non-governmental organization founded “in the Netherlands in 1968 to support health development in Vietnam.” The organization seeks to confront the mental health services gap that the Vietnamese government struggles to address while combating mental health stigma in communities. To improve the quality of life for people with mental illness and their families, MCNV partners with “the INGO Global Initiative for Psychiatry and the Provincial Health departments” to implement community-based mental health care in several districts. This community-based model involves training health workers in order to advance their mental health care skills, among other efforts.

These efforts have seen success. The mental health services of health workers who received training improved and “home-based care and counseling” ensured more people can access mental health services. The development of self-help groups in communities helped provide “social support” to people suffering from mental health conditions while reducing societal stigma associated with mental health conditions.

Together, these three NGOs are fighting to improve mental health in Vietnam. Through these combined efforts, Vietnamese people struggling with mental health issues will receive the help they need.

– Tri Truong
Photo: Flickr

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COVID-19 in Malawi

Covid -19 in Malawi
Malawi, a landlocked southeastern nation in Africa, faces hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of October 2021, COVID-19 in Malawi say a rise in over 61,700 COVID-19 cases and over 2,200 deaths. The biggest spike that Malawi experienced began on January 25, 2021, with a seven-week average case count of 994. The cases diminished significantly by September 2021, with most 7-week average counts bordering 40 cases. Already deep in poverty, Malawians certainly did not benefit from imposed lockdowns and a rising unemployment rate.

Effects on Poverty

Malawi continues to be one of the poorest countries in the world. It ranks 222 of 225 countries in terms of the greatest GDP per capita, with 526.93 in December 2020. Additionally, Malawi’s poverty rates can be attributed to its economy, which employs about 80% of the population in the agricultural sector. The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected most urban areas and forced services and businesses to terminate.

The last demographic statistics of Malawi dates back to 2016 and recorded a poverty rate of 69.2%, which increased from the previous statistic of 62.4% in 1997. This means that this population lives with an income averaging below the extreme poverty line of $1.90 per day. Though no definitive statistics of Malawi’s current poverty rate exist, experts estimate it to be near or greater than the last census of 69.2% due to the unemployment rates caused by COVID-19. The unemployment rate of Malawi increased from 5.6% in 2019 to 6% in 2020, accounting for the jobs terminated by COVID-19.

Economic Development

As mentioned previously, the agriculture business in Malawi accounts for 80% of jobs. However, agricultural production is not necessarily abundant. By September 2020, over 2.6 million Malawians suffered food shortages from a combination of COVID-19 and weather complications.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Malawi experienced economic development with 3.5% economic growth in 2018 and 4.4% in 2019. The Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) was created in 2017 to aid Malawi in several different sectors, including industry, health and poverty. However, the pandemic abruptly paused the project, and some fear that the effects of COVID-19 in Malawi will reverse the progress made in previous years. The Malawi Economic Monitor (MEM) predicts long-term and widespread negative effects from the pandemic, even though measures such as the Emergency Liquidity Assistance should mitigate some of the damage. If the effects do not worsen by the end of COVID-19 in Malawi, the nation will likely be able to reconstruct its economy with the 5-year installment plans within the MGDS.

Social Conditions

One of the greatest worldwide challenges of the pandemic continues to be providing schooling for students at home. With Malawi’s poor standards for education, where only 8% of students finish secondary school, the pandemic posed a great challenge. In a survey of 100 parents of school-attending children, 86% reported that they had no contact with any teachers or the school throughout the lockdown. Additionally, there is a lack of school materials in Malawi, making learning at home even more difficult.

Another social issue due to COVID-19 in Malawi is the rise in suicide rates. The lack of professional services available for mental health in Malawi resulted in drastically increased suicide rates. In 2020, the Malawi police service reported an increase of up to 57% during the pandemic. Additionally, statistics found that 92% of suicides in Malawi during this period were men, with 8% being women. Certain psychologists associate this with the loss of jobs and rising poverty levels in Malawi. These struggles place intense pressure on the men of a household to provide for their family during drastic times.

All Is Not Lost

Though it may seem like the current conditions in Malawi are beyond hope, there is still a chance that Malawi can recover from the pandemic and return to its course of economic improvement. With COVID-19 cases lowering, Malawi may be seeing the end of the pandemic. Also, the implementation of The Malawi Growth and Development Strategy will help with Malawi’s economic reset and assist the country in its recovery.

– Andra Fofuca
Photo: Wikimedia

 

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Poverty in Denmark – 3 Facts You Need to Know

Poverty In Denmark
Denmark has one of the lowest poverty rates in the world, and it is important to look at what allows the nation to have such a low rate. With aggressive public health programs and a well-rounded social welfare program that
brings aid for unemployment, disability and old age, the people of Denmark can often receive proper help and assistance in times of need.

Social Welfare Aid

Widespread access to welfare in the country stems from a systemically upheld belief that welfare is a right of the people and not a privilege as it is all paid for through taxes. The benefits received by those who are unable to properly support themselves or their children work to lower poverty in Denmark. Furthermore, while the Danish have access to assistance programs, one poll suggests that nearly 60% of respondents believe that the economic gap between the upper and lower classes needs to be reduced.

Social responsibility is a large key ideal held by many people in Denmark. Social responsibility carries into the ideas of the social welfare programs and correlates to funds allocated toward helping members of the community. Because of governmental and social efforts, the level of poverty in Denmark is able to stay relatively low. For instance, funds and programs go to help parents raising new children, allowing a year of paid paternity or maternity leave.

The Poverty Rate

As of 2018, Denmark had a poverty rate of around 0.30%, which was a 0.1% increase from the previous year. Those living with fewer than $5.50 U.S. dollars per day are counted within the poverty figures. This is one of the lowest poverty rates in the world, around 10% less than the United State’s poverty rate in 2020. With a high poverty rate in the late 1980s of around 1.2%, the decline has occurred steadily over the years. While the poverty rate tends to fluctuate from year to year, it remains relatively low. Currently, Denmark is often compared to nations like the Netherlands, Malta, the Czech Republic and Norway. However, changes in social spending correlate to the fact that poverty seems to be been rising despite the high levels of support offered by the system.

Child Poverty

Despite Denmark’s reputation for strong welfare programs, child poverty rose in the country from 2016 to 2017. In the span of that year, the number of children recognized as living in poverty rose from around 40,000 to more than 60,000. Despite the level of social welfare benefits, employment rates have remained largely unchanged among certain groups. Among those affected by reduced social spending are refugees and minority groups in the country. As of 2017, the number of children under the poverty line accounts for more than 5% of the child population. Programs like the Integration Benefit are targeted to those living in extreme poverty in Denmark.

With many different social programs, poverty in Denmark has been able to stay relatively low in recent years, notably due to social programs and community mentalities. Despite the rising poverty rates among those in danger of falling below the poverty line, the Danish government has been implementing programs to try and reduce these issues like the Integration Benefit. Lastly, the programs afforded to parents allow for a stable environment for parents to raise their children. The solutions to these issues through more aid and higher access to aid stand to lower the poverty rate further.

– Jake Herbetko
Photo: Flickr