Dajah Ponder: Global Health

  In this week’s blog, I am focusing on a country located in Central America known as Nicaragua. Nicaragua is the largest and one of the poorest countries in Central America and is home to 6.22 million people (Water for People, 2019). The population consists of Spanish and indigenous backgrounds, and most families live off of cash and farming crops. Nicaragua joined the United Nations on October 24, 1945 (UN, 2020). Over the years, Nicaragua’s mountainous location has presented a challenge on the development of infrastructure for a functioning water and sanitation system. Furthermore, access to clean water and sanitation services depends on the urban and rural areas of Nicaragua. For instance, 60% of the population in rural areas have access to basic water services, and 62% of the population in rural areas have access to basic sanitation services (Water for People, 2020). The goal of clean water and sanitation has been implemented through various organizations. This country has m...

Water and Sanitation: Malawi   In this week’s blog, I am focusing on a small, densely populated county in southeastern Africa known as Malawi. This country is one of the poorest countries in the world and is home to 18.62 million people. Furthermore, most of the population still lives below the international poverty line of $1.25 a day (Water for People, 2019). Malawi joined the United Nations on January 12, 1964. Over the years, Malawi has been working together to improve the needs of clean water and sanitation. Around 65% of the population has access to basic water services, and 25% of the population has access to basic sanitation services (Water for People, 2019). Clean water and sanitation is the sixth goal of the sustainable development goals and is being implemented by various organizations. This goal is a priority in the country and has utilized the help of organizations to improve the issue. The Water And Development Alliance (WADA) and Water for People are a few of the m...

       The next country I will be focusing on is the Democratic Republic of Congo, which became a member of the United Nations on September 20, 1960. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second-largest country in Africa and one of the poorest countries in the world. Congo is endowed with natural resources such as freshwater and mineral deposits; however, water security is low because of political corruption and poor infrastructure. Congo has failed to meet the Millennium Development Goals for water and sanitation, and access is below sub-Saharan regional averages. As a result, this country has a population of more than 80 million people, but 52% of the population has access to safe drinking water, and 29% of the population has access to safe sanitation (Globalwaters, 2017). The lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation puts people at risk of contracting deadly diseases such as diarrhea and cholera. Some of the key challenges associated with the goal of ...

  The next country is Indonesia, which joined the United Nations on September 28, 1950. Indonesia is located off the coast of mainland Southeast Asia between the Indian and Pacific Ocean. Indonesia faces many challenges in addressing water and sanitation across its many islands. For instance, population growth, urbanization, and expanding agriculture play a role in the availability of water resources and systems. Many cities and districts within Indonesia have an insufficient budget to manage water and sanitation infrastructure and expand access to poor communities. Because of this, 63% of Indonesians in the poorest wealth quintile don’t have access to safe drinking water, and 34% don’t have access to improved sanitation (USAID, Indonesia). Lack of clean water and sanitation can cause diarrheal diseases, which causes mortality for children under five years of age. Currently, the United States Agency for International Development supports Indonesia for the goal of clean water and sa...

  The next country I will be focusing on is Haiti, which joined the United Nations on October 24, 1945. Haiti is a country with many issues and challenges; however, one of the main challenges is having access to sustainable water and sanitation. Limited water and sanitation services and poor hygiene practices can result in high levels of diarrheal disease and malnutrition throughout Haiti. Also, this issue has contributed to the spread of the cholera epidemic that began in Haiti in October 2010, resulting in more than 9,000 deaths (Globalwaters). Furthermore, the total population in Haiti is eleven million people; however, sixty-five percent of Haitians have access to basic water sources, and thirty-five percent of Haitians have access to basic sanitation. The main challenges in achieving sustainable water and sanitation are limited government capacity, lower user demand for improved water and sanitation services, lack of finances, and geographic vulnerability to natural disaster...

  The next country I will be focusing on is Nepal, which joined the United Nations on December 14, 1955. Nepal is a country with many ongoing issues; however, one of the main concerns is having access to clean water and sanitation. Contaminated water and poor sanitation can cause people to have waterborne and diarrheal diseases; therefore, it is important that we bring global attention to the issues of water quality and sanitation. Furthermore, “ 10.8 million people in Nepal do have access to improved sanitation, and 3.5 million do not have access to basic water services.” (UNICEF Nepal). However, Nepal has made tremendous progress in expanding access to water and sanitation in the past few decades despite some challenges. Currently, WaterAid Nepal is working in collaboration with local partners, governments, and communities to support the delivery of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in poor communities. One of their goals is to enable marginalized communities and i...