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Telemedicine in Yemen: Health Care Amid War

Telemedicine in YemenYemen is one of the world’s vulnerable countries, with a GDP per capita of just $433. Decades of conflict, including a civil war that has killed more than 300,000 since 2014, have left millions of Yemenis without necessities. Health care in particular is lacking all over Yemen. The country has a mere 0.3 physicians per capita, below the global average.

Rates of vaccination against communicable diseases hover between 40% and 50%, compared to more than 90% in Western countries. Only 50% of the country’s medical facilities are functional. It comes as no surprise, then, that 80% of Yemenis face “significant challenges” in accessing health care.

The problem is even more dire in rural areas. The scarcity of health care in Yemen has fueled major outbreaks of preventable diseases such as cholera, diphtheria and polio. These outbreaks have caused thousands of deaths and cost the Yemeni economy millions of dollars.

A Modern Solution

The enormous toll of treatable diseases in Yemen has given rise to a novel solution: telemedicine. Telemedicine is a form of low-cost health care in which physicians remotely diagnose and administer medical treatment to faraway patients. Physicians specifically utilize phone calls, text messages, online video-conferencing and other telecommunications technology to ensure their patients receive high-quality care.

Since its inception in the mid-1900s, telemedicine has proliferated—reaching millions of needy patients all over the world. In war-torn Yemen, several institutions have been using telemedicine since 1997. Leading the way are international companies, NGOs and medical associations. One example is SmartHealthTec, a Dubai-based medical equipment company that opened a branch in Yemen. The branch has recently inaugurated telemedicine platforms in the country to ensure the effective operation of its equipment “even in crisis conditions.”

Meanwhile, the international NGO Swinfen Charitable Trust has connected Yemeni doctors with medical consultants to address 85 complex cases across the country. This telemedicine approach enabled specialists to provide feedback to patients who otherwise had no access to such expertise. A 2020 study of a group of Yemeni patients and clinicians found general satisfaction with the Swinfen Charitable Trust’s telemedical consultations.

Similarly, the Eradication of Leishmaniasis [skin disease] from Yemen Project has successfully used telemedicine to reach vulnerable patients since 2013. Through WhatsApp and phone calls, Yemeni dermatologists have provided free medical recommendations to patients in different, often unreachable parts of the country. This has likely saved the lives of many patients who would have perished from skin-related conditions in a war-torn context without medical facilities.

Challenges Remain

Despite its success in reaching patients, telemedicine in Yemen still faces major limitations. Only 18% of Yemenis consistently use the Internet and just 55% have phone service. Reliable wi-fi infrastructure is also severely lacking. These barriers restrict who can access telemedicine in the first place.

Even with expanded Internet and wi-fi access, telemedicine will remain limited in scope. Severe medical conditions almost always require in-person treatment, such as surgery. Telemedicine cannot solve everything.

Telemedicine’s Potential

Regardless of its limitations, telemedicine can still strengthen health care in Yemen. Years of conflict have severely damaged the country’s physical health facilities. Yet international companies, NGOs and collaborative projects have successfully used telemedicine to reach patients in need. Its low-cost, remote nature, combined with advances in telecommunications, ensures that telemedicine will remain a vital part of Yemen’s health care system for decades to come.

– Pranav Kanmadikar

Pranav is based in Louisville, KY, USA and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Freepik

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Poverty Stoplight: Personal Agency Tool Combatting Poverty

poverty stoplightLifting oneself out of poverty alone is a nearly impossible task, but agency in the effort towards economic mobility can be a powerful tool. At the Poverty Stoplight, a Paraguay-based organization working to help families discover practical and innovative solutions in overcoming poverty, self-awareness is a key philosophy. The organization’s Stoplight tool offers a self-assessment survey and intervention model that enables people to identify their unique challenges and develop practical solutions to overcome them, giving them the chance to have personal agency in combating poverty.

“Who Owns Poverty?”

The Poverty Stoplight asks the question: “Who owns poverty?” and argues the answer can be “a new approach that puts poor families in charge of defining and diagnosing their own unique, multidimensional poverty—who by owning the problem, own the solution.” This participatory methodology takes form as a self-assessment survey that serves as a metric using 50 carefully selected poverty indicators across six dimensions to help individuals evaluate their poverty status, assess their needs and discover solutions.

The approach has garnered the organization more than 700,000 Stoplights applied throughout 59 countries and hundreds of organizations, from formerly incarcerated individuals in New Orleans to poverty policy in Ecuador. From that personal agency in combating poverty, users report finding the survey engaging, feeling empowered and gaining valuable insight and context into the poverty they face.

Poverty researchers have praised the methodology for being simplistic and people-focused, stating, “The elegance of the methodology shows us that simplification is not about chasing the perfect metric to simplify into a dashboard to be used by executives in far-away boardrooms for their benevolent decision making. It is about having a simple yet contextually appropriate way of ‘measuring what we value’ and of truly bringing people into the process.”

The Stoplight’s “red, yellow, green” indicators — with red indicating extreme poverty, yellow indicating poverty and green indicating no poverty — help individuals keep track and visualize their current poverty status as well as improving progression. In Paraguay alone, the organization has helped more than 6,000 families reach the “green” indicator and more than 27,000 families generate more income, key data that serves as an important incentive for resource allocation from stakeholders.

Green Stoplight: A New Focus on a Growing Issue

In the face of the urgent need to implement environmental action, Poverty Stoplight has also introduced a new tool for users. Again taking the approach of starting closest to home when tackling a challenge, the Green Stoplight helps individuals and families self-evaluate their environmental footprint within the scope of 10 indicators:

  • “Responsible water use”
  • “Waste separation”
  • “Recycling practices”
  • “Efficient energy use”
  • “Sustainable transportation”
  • “Plastic use reduction”
  • “Vegetable garden and composting”
  • “Garbage disposal”
  • Extreme weather patterns and environmental protection

Using the same self-assessment approach, as well as the guiding visuals of the “red, yellow, green” progress indicators, the tool again demonstrates an agency for individuals in creating environmental change the same way it gave personal agency in combating poverty.

Bringing Awareness

Moreover, the new focus brings their awareness to a particularly relevant issue as the effects of natural disasters and extreme weather continue to hit the world’s poorest people first and hardest. With projections predicting extreme weather around the world to push an additional 120 million people into poverty by 2030, the Green Stoplight is a tool for everyone, with a recent campaign targeting university students in Paraguay to take the assessment and apply it to their household and communities.

The campaign also helped create partnerships with universities and other institutions in a joint commitment to furthering sustainability through collective individual change. These partnerships also work to develop more practical solutions for identified problems that can be used as additional indicators to the current 10 and create a larger impact on an eventually global scale.

– Jannah Khalil

Jannah is based in Sacramento, CA, USA and focuses on Good News and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Reducing Poverty: Agricultural Cooperatives in Africa

Agricultural Cooperatives in AfricaIn African countries experiencing poverty, numerous recent studies have noted how agricultural/farming cooperatives are key to reducing national poverty. Agricultural employment in Africa notably supplies 60% of the continent with jobs. In a region so reliant on occupational farming, agricultural cooperatives represent this agrarian importance by simultaneously reducing poverty. The following list details the five reasons agricultural cooperatives reduce poverty in Africa.

Increased Bargaining Power

In an article published by the Co-founder of a Nigerian processing firm, Kosona Chriv details the particular trend of agricultural cooperatives elevating the bargaining power of its participants. African cooperatives are often composed of individual farmers who lack the necessary power to negotiate with buyers. Within these African farming initiatives, pooled resources reduce exploitation and allow cooperative success.

The author gives the example of the Femme Vaillantes rice cooperative in the regions of Togo. For the women-run farming group, collective bargaining power reduced their total costs by allowing for successful buyer negotiations over bulk discounts.

Exposure to Necessary Information

Findings from a 2024 South African study and a 2025 publication by various Pan-African researchers reveal that exposure to necessary information is another key reason agricultural cooperatives reduce poverty in Africa. Within these cooperatives, innovative knowledge is more easily spread to help individual farmers adapt to the demands of shifting markets.

The cohesion additionally allows for the spread of domestic and internationally relevant economic information surrounding food, loans and transportation prices. By reducing knowledge barriers preventing farming innovation and adaptability, these agricultural cooperatives experience success and improve the livelihoods of those involved.

Cultivating Broader Business and Economic Skills

Along with increased exposure to necessary information, agricultural cooperatives also provide broader business and economic skills for smallholder farmers. According to the 2024 South African research findings, the increased bargaining power of resource pooling allows these groups to navigate the economic market more skillfully.

In making economic decisions cohesively, all farmers within the cooperative learn business skills that further inform their understanding of politics and monetary policy. With better policy comprehension, agricultural cooperatives can further reduce poverty rates by supporting business and economic legislation that benefits their communities.

Promoting and Strengthening Local Culture

Increased capacities in business and economic skillsets directly go hand in hand with strengthening local culture. In an example given by Chriv, the female Koperative Y’Abahinzi b’Icyayi (KOAB) cooperative in Rwanda trains its members in financial and leadership arenas. As a result, the women experience higher levels of community and cultural empowerment.

This evidence for cultural empowerment is also supported by the 2025 Pan-African study, which found that agricultural cooperatives are key to building cultural and social capital. As the 2024 study notes, because these groups share resources equally, their decisions are made considering what is best for the community and the culture.

Agricultural cooperatives are reducing Africa’s poverty by empowering communities through identity, confidence and skillset acquisition.

Shared Resources

The backbone of the poverty reduction brought by African agricultural cooperatives is their resource sharing. Smallholder farmers combining their limited assets, equipment and market power allow the co-op to coordinate practices that maximize production output, profit and overall welfare. Shared resources enable optimal production, while individual farmers’ risks are managed collectively.

With smallholder farms no longer facing market risks entirely on their own, Chriv notes how agricultural cooperatives are more equipped to withstand market shocks and setbacks. When all farmers rely on one another, shared assets promote the interests and welfare of the agricultural cooperative at large, reducing overall poverty.

Looking Forward

As technologies advance and the world increasingly requires access to sustainable food, the poverty-reducing impacts of agricultural cooperatives remain a promising source of nutrition for Africa. In their bargaining, informative, economic and cultural empowerment, farming co-ops illustrate how community cohesion is fundamental in the global fight against destitution. With potential solutions to global poverty being evermore pressing, it is important to recognize why agricultural cooperatives are reducing poverty in Africa.

– Piper Aweeka

Piper is based in Alicante, Spain and focuses on Business and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Nigeria’s Promise of Plastic Bottle Bricks

Plastic Bottle BricksNigeria faces a critical housing deficit, estimated at more than 20 million units. As the population exceeds 220 million and continues to grow, the demand for affordable and adequate housing far outpaces supply. This shortage has led to overcrowded urban areas, substandard living conditions and increased socioeconomic stress on low-income households.

A Parallel Plastic Waste Problem

Traditional construction methods, reliant on expensive materials like cement and concrete, remain out of reach for much of the population. At the same time, Nigeria is also battling a major plastic waste crisis. The country is the world’s second-largest plastic polluter and inadequate waste management services mean that plastic often accumulates in public spaces or is burned, creating further environmental hazards.

The Rise of Plastic Bottle Bricks

In response to these pressing challenges, several communities, engineers and social enterprises are exploring an unconventional but promising solution: building homes using plastic bottle bricks. This method involves filling discarded plastic bottles with sand or other materials and using them in construction as a substitute for conventional bricks.

Research and field trials have shown that these bottle bricks are cost-effective, up to 30–50% cheaper than traditional bricks and structurally sound. Compacted sand inside the bottles is nearly 20 times stronger than regular bricks. Additionally, these structures offer thermal insulation, making them well-suited to Nigeria’s hot climate.

One notable example is the work of Yahaya Ahmed from Nigeria’s Development Association for Renewable Energies. According to Ahmed, homes made from bottle bricks cost only a third of traditional concrete structures. These homes also help reduce plastic waste, a significant environmental benefit given Nigeria’s growing consumption of bottled water.

Pilot Projects Showing Promise

Pilot projects across Nigeria, including in Yelwa village and Paipe community, have shown successful implementation of this technology. In Paipe, a prototype home was built at 35% of the cost of a standard house and integrated renewable energy and water systems. These projects address the housing and waste crises and provide employment and technical training for young engineers and local workers.

Social enterprises like Brickify are also contributing to this movement. Founded in 2019, Brickify recycles plastic waste into interlocking “Lego-style” bricks for building low-cost homes, schools and public toilets. The organization has recycled more than 50,000 tons of plastic waste and engages local communities by offering incentives, such as school fees or meals, for collecting plastic waste. Its water, fire and wind-resistant bricks significantly reduce construction time and material costs.

Barriers and the Path Forward

Despite its promise, bottle brick technology faces several challenges, including a lack of skilled labor, insufficient government incentives and limited research funding. For wider adoption, sustained collaboration between government bodies, private investors and environmental organizations will be necessary.

Ultimately, while plastic bottle brick homes are not a complete solution to Nigeria’s housing crisis, they offer a practical and sustainable model that addresses multiple issues at once: housing, waste, unemployment and environmental degradation.

– Sriya Regulapati

Sriya is based in Vancouver, Canada and focuses on Business and Technology for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Mobile Libraries Fight Poverty Through Global Literacy Access

Mobile LibrariesMobile libraries are breaking barriers to education and aiding in the fight against poverty in underserved regions. From floating schools in Bangladesh to digital hubs in Ukraine, these initiatives prove that literacy is a powerful tool to fight poverty and build resilience.

Floating School Boats and Libraries in Bangladesh

Operating 111 floating school boats and libraries, Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha in Bangladesh serves more than 100,000 people in flood-prone areas. These boats do more than carry books; they are also equipped with solar-powered technology and classrooms, allowing for the assurance of the continuation of education during floods.

Each vessel teaches lessons in literacy, mathematics and other more specific topics like environmental awareness. In countries where flooding can disrupt thousands, innovations like these allow for education not to come to a standstill.

UNDP-Supported Digital Literacy Hubs in Ukraine

Repurposed libraries supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have become digital literacy hubs benefiting several Ukrainians. The program swiftly grew, beginning with 52 trainers who trained 235 administrators to host 135 events for 2,109 participants. It reached 25,391 people in 22 regions and Kyiv by the end of 2024 and 82% of them reported having strong digital skills following training, compared to just 17% previously.

Today, more than 3,000 libraries offer courses designed for senior citizens that cover everything from using e-services to cyber hygiene, AI tools and smartphone fundamentals. In 2025, new coordinators will receive Diia, AI and event planning training. By ensuring these abilities continue proliferating, educational tools turn libraries into centers of social resilience and economic opportunity. Besides mobile initiatives, UNDP’s impact is transforming library access into bridges for economic development.

Why Mobile Libraries Matter for Poverty Reduction

Mobile libraries are effective instruments for ending the cycle of poverty and offer more than just book delivery services. Research shows that access to mobile libraries significantly boosts reading comprehension, raising literacy scores by 3.3 points on standard scales and explaining 46% of literacy and reading ability variation.

This improvement goes beyond academics; literacy is a key tool in reducing poverty because it is directly associated with increased earning potential, better health outcomes and better employment opportunities. Mobile libraries remove barriers such as distance, cost and poor infrastructure, often preventing people in rural or disaster-affected areas from accessing education. They deliver books, learning materials and internet access directly to underserved communities.

Mobile classrooms and floating libraries guarantee that education continues even in the face of floods or other disruptions in vulnerable climate areas and they offer secure spaces for learning and socializing in regions affected by conflict. By making literacy attainable for all, mobile libraries promote long-term community development globally and empower individuals.

Moving Forward

These programs have repeatedly shown that people can change their lives when they have direct access to books, technology and learning spaces. This is especially true for those who live in remote, underserved or crisis-affected areas. The current challenge is to increase this reach. In addition to scaling up current programs, further funding would support innovative delivery strategies, the creation of locally relevant content and the incorporation of digital tools that equip communities to meet the demands of the contemporary economy.

Through universal literacy access, mobile libraries fight poverty by transforming reading into a domino effect of social resilience, economic opportunity and educational advancement. 

– Kyra Cribbs

Kyra is based in Charleston, SC, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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A New Era Begins: Google’s $37 Million AI Fund to Africa

A New Era Begins: Google’s $37 Million AI Fund to AfricaArtificial Intelligence (AI) has skyrocketed throughout the world in recent years. AI focuses on completing tasks with human-like intelligence, such as reasoning, problem-solving, and language understanding. AI can also use its problem-solving skills to help communities around the world tackle their biggest challenges. Google has recently approved a $37 million AI fund for Africa to aid the fight against poverty. 

Food Security Initiative

Out of the $37 million, Google committed $25 million to the AI Collaborative: Food Security Initiative. The AI collaborative funds will support AI tools designed to improve hunger forecasting, support smallholder farmers and strengthen crop resilience. In many countries, the population depends on farming to survive. This initiative will develop tools that will predict hunger, enhance cropping systems, climate-related crop threats and help address farming inefficiencies. This AI fund for Africa aims to strengthen food systems and improve the livelihood of farmers in the face of worsening economic and environmental shocks. With the AI Collaborative initiative, communities and farmers can have an increased income and malnutrition reduction.

AI Education and Safety Programs

Google is also committing $7 million toward AI education and safety programs across Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. AI education for young people could prepare them for higher-paying jobs. Not only is Google donating to AI education, but it is also offering 100,000 Google Career Certificate scholarships for students. The program expands access for Africans to participate in the digital economy. 

Masakhane African Languages AI Hub

The Masakhane African Languages AI Hub is receiving $3 million for enhancement. The AI Hub will use the funding to create databases, translation models and voice technologies to ensure that AI systems represent African languages in the digital world. This new processing tool will support more than 40 African languages. Language barriers are a challenge for some African communities and often exclude them from opportunities. This translation method will allow for better communication for Africans looking into education, health care and finance. 

AI Research

Google is also giving $1 million each to two institutions for AI research. The University of Pretoria’s AfriDSAI and Wits MIND Institute in South Africa will receive funding for advanced AI studies. The grants to the institutes will support graduate students and researchers in contributing to shaping global AI development. The initiative positions Africa to play a greater role in the global AI conversation.

Road Ahead

Google’s recent donation expands the tools available to address poverty in Africa. This technological advancement provides a road to systematic change. The use of AI could help address some of Africa’s biggest issues, like food insecurity, unemployment and underrepresentation. While poverty remains a significant challenge, AI initiatives supported by Google represent a step toward long-term solutions.

– Emily Herlehy

Emily is based in Denton, TX, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay

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Seed Ball Technology Reforestation in the Sahel is Restoring Land

Seed Ball TechnologyCommunities across the Sahel face desertification, declining soil fertility and disappearing livelihoods. Seed ball technology in the Sahel offers a low-cost, scalable solution that combines local knowledge with nature-based restoration. This method delivers native seeds embedded in clay and compost directly to degraded terrain, encouraging plant growth and supporting communities in rebuilding land and livelihoods.

How Seed Ball Technology in the Sahel Works

Seed ball technology involves encasing seeds in clay, compost and sometimes natural fertilizers. These balls protect seeds from pests, birds and harsh environmental conditions until they germinate. When scattered on land, seed balls absorb rainwater, enabling seeds to sprout without intensive farming or irrigation.

Locals mix native seeds, such as pearl millet or sorghum, with clay and compost to form seed balls. They scatter these balls across barren land during the rainy season. The seed ball protects seeds and retains moisture long enough for germination. Researchers in Senegal reported more than 95% emergence rates in on-station trials for pearl millet seed balls.

Supporting Smallholder Farmers and Boosting Yields

Development projects in the Niger Republic use seed ball technology to help subsistence farmers. Programs reduce crop failure risk by improving seedling survival with minimal seed use. Trials revealed that mineral-enhanced seed balls boosted root growth by 227%. It also increased shoot biomass, laying the foundation for improved panicle yield in staple crops.

Partnerships Driving Adoption and Scaling

Organizations such as farmer federations, like the Gaskiya Federation of Maradi Farmers Unions in the Niger Republic, help disseminate seed ball technology, supported by research teams funded by groups like the McKnight Foundation. The approach relies on simple local inputs, making it affordable and appropriate for remote areas.

The Great Green Wall initiative aims to restore millions of hectares across the Sahara-Sahel. While large-scale tree planting faces logistical hurdles, seed ball methods offer a complementary and rapid restoration option. The technology helps deliver vegetation in tough terrain and reinforce ecosystem resilience.

Empowering Youth and Community Engagement

In Ethiopia, social enterprises led by young innovators apply seed ball dispersal methods to restore degraded lands and promote sustainable agriculture. These efforts engage local communities, boost vegetation cover and create green livelihoods in arid zones.

Seeding Hope Across the Sahel

The success of seed ball technology in the Sahel is not only about germinating plants but about shifting what’s possible for communities living on the edge of the desert. Turning degraded land into productive fields helps farmers secure food, preserve biodiversity and reduce migration pressures.

Its simplicity allows it to spread quickly without heavy machinery or expensive inputs, making it a practical tool in the fight against desertification. Governments, NGOs and research teams are investing in scaling this approach. Seed balls could become a cornerstone for ecological resilience and economic stability across the Sahel’s most vulnerable regions.

– Hayden Chedid

Hayden is based in Parker, CO, USA and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Maya Pedal: Bikes Transforming Lives in Guatemala

maya pedalIn a small, rural and predominantly Indigenous town in Guatemala, one NGO has found a new way to generate electricity whilst keeping costs low and fitness levels high. Maya Pedal began in 1997 in San Andrés Itzapa, 50 kilometres from Guatemala City, and takes old bikes which have been donated from the US and Canada and either sells them or repurposes them into bicimaquinas (bike machines). Local people and businesses then use these machines as makeshift water pumps, corn degrainers and blenders, among other things.

The name refers to the significant Indigenous population in Guatemala, who are primarily of Mayan descent, whilst ‘pedal’ has the same meaning in English. Mayans made up just under half of the national population, but studies suggest they remain one of the poorest and most oppressed groups in the country.

Local Projects

Not only do the bicimaquinas save local people money, time and effort, they also help some of the poorest and most vulnerable people in the area by providing work and a sense of purpose.

Women for Development in Action is a local organization that enables women to grow their own aloe plants before using the bicimaquina as a blender and producing shampoo. As Ana María Guch explains, “First, we cut the aloe, then we take off the skin, cut it into little pieces and put it in the blender. Next, we pedal!” The profits they make from selling their shampoo go towards supporting their families and funding their reforestation project.

Another organisation, Women’s Group for AZUCENA, supports women as they produce their own animal feed by using the bicimaquina as a corn degrainer. Aside from their agricultural projects, the organisation also runs Spanish literacy classes for Indigenous women, giving them a better chance of integrating into society and improving their social mobility, Maya Pedal reports on its website.

Mario Juarez, Director of Maya Pedal, also explains the environmental benefits of creating the bicimaquinas: “I believe with what we do we contribute a little to reduce the damage that as human beings we do to the planet.”

International Impact

Maya Pedal has received international acclaim for its innovative bicimaquinas – as Carlos Enrique Marroquin, Head of Maya Pedal, outlines: “We do not have to do any advertising, because the machine speaks for itself – and as such, the NGO receives volunteer engineers, translators and bike mechanics from all over the world.”

It has also made its machine designs free and available to download anywhere in the world, so that anyone can access them and learn to build and use them themselves, creating a brighter, more environmentally friendly future for everyone, starting with the Maya community in San Andrés Itzapa.

– Elsa Tarring

Elsa is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Telemedicine in Sudan is Supporting Health care Workers

Telemedicine in SudanThe people of Sudan are enduring one of the most severe humanitarian catastrophes of modern times. After two years of a brutal war, this article explores how telemedicine initiatives in Sudan support health care workers at a time of untold struggle.

The Forgotten War

Following a legacy of colonialism, deep fragmentation and internal conflict, numerous disasters and political insecurities have ravaged Sudan’s public health infrastructures.

Despite being the second-largest producer of gold in Africa, the systemic leveling of homes, schools and hospitals, alongside climate shocks and desertification, are creating a complex crisis where 30.4 million Sudanese civilians are now in dire need of aid.

Here, overseas arms flows perpetuate networks of geopolitical competition and the extraction of natural resources at the cost of innocent human lives, all while Sudan’s health care system is on the verge of collapse.

In the shadows of ethnic cleansing in Darfur and the fall of Al-Bashir’s 30-year dictatorship, the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) emerged as a fatal and multi-dimensional struggle.

Reports estimate that up to 150,000 civilians may have died directly or indirectly due to the conflict. As famine spreads, 12 million people had to flee their homes resulting in the largest displacement emergency of the 21st century.

A Health care System in Disarray

At a time when RSF allegedly targets doctors and medical workers for providing care for opposition soldiers, around 80% of health care facilities are out of service in the areas most impacted by the war.

According to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), a child died of hunger or malnutrition every two hours in the Zamzam refugee camp in North Darfur last year. These immense challenges have left a struggling health care system overburdened by the conflict, with patients in need of assistance.

Further restrictions and bureaucratic impediments imposed on Sudanese hospitals also highlight the need for rapid interventions and more robust long-term solutions, particularly due to the dramatic increase in reports of sexual and gender-based violence since the conflict began.

In the face of these intersecting challenges, Telemedicine initiatives are helping to support Sudan’s health care systems at a time of growing struggle.

Educast and Telemedicine Initiatives in Sudan

Today, telemedicine offers a wide range of practices such as consultations, triaging, prescriptions, counselling and other referrals. Initiatives like Educast facilitate virtual consultations through hotlines that are accessible to people living across the country.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a network of remote doctors provided consultations for displaced populations, as well as disease surveillance support for clinics in war-affected areas. They also use WhatsApp to help provide information on patient health and well-being through the exchange of medical reports and analysis.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Sudanese government focuses on expanding its telemedicine capabilities, while recognizing its growing potential to revolutionise and sustain healthcare delivery, particularly during moments of crisis.

The Future of Telemedicine

While there is still an existential need for aid intervention from the international community, the Sudanese government has taken proactive measures to implement programmes like the Gezira Family Medicine Project (GFMP).

The GFMP project trained qualified family physicians to provide accessible health care services by utilising E-Learning platforms. A two-year curriculum aims to train students to provide service provision within their communities.

Despite the progress of Telemedicine programmes, the people of Sudan are still facing untold challenges. Greater attention now goes to address the inequalities that inhibit access to online services, narrowing the digital divide in a nation with one of the lowest rates of mobile access on the planet.

In spite of these obstacles, the early implementation of telemedicine in Sudan is laying foundations for future initiatives, showing promising signs that it can assist health care professionals, facilitate future training and digital campaigns that can support Sudan’s struggling health care system at a time of great need.

Conclusion

While the survival of a nation hangs in the balance, telemedicine initiatives in Sudan offer a small step towards the integration of new and innovative health developments that can improve its emergency response mechanisms, while fostering a more resilient public health system for a people ravaged by war, instability and corruption.

– Gabriel John Gunn

Gabriel is based in Paisley, Scotland and focuses on Technology and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Solar Water Pumps in Nepal: A Lifeline for Farmers

Solar-Powered Water Pumps in Nepal: A Lifeline for Farmers Solar-powered water pumps in Nepal are transforming rural farming communities by providing reliable irrigation and clean water access, boosting incomes and resilience against climate challenges. In a country where the population relies on agriculture, these innovative systems help smallholder farmers overcome water scarcity, increase crop yields and escape poverty traps.

Empowering Farmers with Sustainable Irrigation

Amongst remote Himalayan foothills and arid plains, solar-powered water pumps in Nepal are enabling farmers to irrigate fields efficiently without relying on costly diesel or unreliable electricity. For instance, in Shikharpur village, a solar pump installed by Renewable World delivers 40,000 liters of water daily to about 120 households and a school. This has allowed farmers like Daley Sarki to grow vegetables year-round, doubling her income through market sales and additional off-season crops like tomatoes and cauliflowers.

These pumps also promote efficient water use through training on techniques like growing produce under plastic sheets, fostering long-term sustainability. By reducing the time spent fetching water — previously up to three hours daily — women farmers can take on secondary jobs, enhancing household economic stability.

Boosting Incomes and Community Resilience

Solar-powered water pumps in Nepal are not only cutting costs but also creating new revenue streams for farmers. In Madhesh Province, Renu Devi Sah replaced her diesel pump with a 1.425-kilowatt solar system, slashing daily irrigation expenses from NPR 3,875 to just NPR 265. She now supplies water to eight neighboring farms at affordable rates, while expanding her own cultivation to include high-value vegetables like cauliflower and onions. Similarly, Jitendra Das in Janakpurdham uses his solar pump for a fish hatchery, saving 60% on water costs over five years and planning to supply fingerlings to local farmers.

These initiatives, supported by organizations like the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) and funded through the Sustainable Energy Challenge Fund (SECF), emphasize commercial viability and social impact. By integrating microfinance loans with technical assistance, they empower marginalized groups, particularly women, to achieve financial independence.

Addressing Climate Challenges with Eco-Friendly Solutions

Amid erratic rainfall and droughts exacerbated by climate change, solar-powered water pumps in Nepal are proving vital in regions like Bajhang and Bajura. Practical Action’s installations lift water from rivers to reservoirs, supplying multi-use systems for irrigation, drinking and livestock. Farmer Tek Bahadur Thapa reports sufficient water for year-round crops, enabling him to expand apple orchards and improve family nutrition.

These systems reduce drudgery, especially for women who once trekked hours for water and promote environmental sustainability by avoiding diesel emissions. Community-managed “Pay for Water” schemes ensure maintenance, while avoiding overextraction through efficient designs. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) highlights Nepal’s high solar potential — up to 2,100 MW for grid and off-grid use — making these pumps a scalable solution for poverty reduction.

Global Lessons and Expanding Impact

Drawing from successful models in countries like Yemen and Australia, solar-powered water pumps in Nepal demonstrate how renewable technology can replace burdensome diesel systems. In Yemen, farmers like Mufrih Saleh have adopted solar pumps to irrigate 405,000 acres, cutting fuel dependency amid shortages. Nepal’s efforts, backed by the World Bank, focus on groundwater governance to prevent overuse while promoting adoption in the Eastern Gangetic Plains.

The World Bank’s initiatives emphasize subsidies for small farmers and awareness of efficient water management, ensuring equitable access. With partnerships involving AEPC, Practical Action and international funders like the British government, these pumps are building drought resilience and fostering inclusive growth.

Looking Ahead

As solar-powered water pumps in Nepal continue to expand, they offer a beacon of hope for millions, turning climate vulnerabilities into opportunities for prosperity. By harnessing the sun’s energy, farmers are not only securing their livelihoods but also paving the way for a more resilient, poverty-free future.

– Robert Darke

Robert is based in London, UK and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pexels