The Human Consciousness Now...Our World in the Midst of Becoming...to What? Observe, contemplate Now.
ABUJA, Sep 12 2024 (IPS) - A recent study published in Journal Communications Medicine explores how people from different income levels and urban or rural backgrounds view the factors that influence health across eight countries: Brazil, China, Germany, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and the United States.
It found that those with higher incomes are more likely to think genetics are the most important factor for health, while those with lower incomes value social support more. In contrast, urban residents prioritize healthcare, while those in non-urban areas place more importance on social support. This information can influence public health messaging.
Indeed, this study shows what the three most important perspectives are to consider in improving healthcare – social support, place of residence and genetics.
They are all important in predicting health disorders as well as providing quality healthcare. None should be viewed in isolation. Genetics helps predicts health conditions before birth or years before their occurrence, some health conditions are more prevalent in certain locations, and lack of social support can worsen the severity of different health conditions.
Genetics helps predicts health conditions before birth or years before their occurrence, some health conditions are more prevalent in certain locations, and lack of social support can worsen the severity of different health conditions
The three perspectives should also be interconnected when creating public health messaging around a disorder like sickle cell disease. This is why.
Genetics
Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that affects only Blackpeople. AS is the genotype for the sickle cell trait. It is an inherited disease, meaning one gets it from their parents if both carry the gene for sickle cell. A male and a female couple who have the AS genotype have a 25% chance of giving birth to a child with sickle cell disease (SS) in each pregnancy.
In sickle cell disease, the red blood cells that are usually round are shaped like sickles. This makes them sticky and makes it harder for them to move through blood vessels. They can get stuck, block blood flow, and cause pain, infections, and damage to organs. Caring for sickle cell disease warriors is very expensive because of the frequent pain crises and hospitalizations that could occur.
Public health messaging around sickle cell disease should focus on prevention, keeping in mind it is difficult to appeal to people’s emotions when they are in love. The messaging should be informed by families already caring for people living with sickle cell disease. It is the responsibility of health officials. However, there is an ecosystem of health advocate that can support.
In the event that a woman with the AS genotype becomes pregnant with a man who does too, the disease can be diagnosedin a fetus by sampling some of the amniotic fluid.
This test can help prepare parents for the birth of the child, learn more about sickle cell disease, its complications, how to prevent the complications to enable the child to live a life free from pains and the best way to care for the child.
It would also enable them to prepare financially to care for a sickle cell warrior. As heartbreaking as it may be, a couple knowing their genotype sometimes leads them to call off their wedding or decide not to have children of their own but instead opt for adoption. They need all the information necessary to make an informed decision for themselves.
Social Support
Family members are the primary and most important caregivers of sickle cell disease warriors. They are often not paid for their services; some give up their dreams while caring for sickle cell warriors and it takes a toll on their mental health too.
Government and non-profit organizations should push for policies on caring for caregivers. Such policies should provide financial compensation for carers, offer opportunities for continuous professional development for carers, provide paid alternate carers enabling family carers to get some rest.
Other social connections include organizations such as the Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria and the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. These organizations contribute infundraising for care of warriors, research, policy development and advocacy. These organizations routinely host public awareness campaigns, working closely with public health authorities and healthcare providers. Families of sickle cell warriors can reach them by asking their healthcare providers and contacting these organizations via their websites.
Place of Residence
Sickle cell disease is common in low- and middle-incomecountries. In those countries, there can be more severe complications because of widespread poverty, poor diagnostic capacities, and limited access to healthcare. Even in high income countries, poorer families bear a disproportionate burden of sickle cell disease.
A study in the U.S. found that 98% of cases with sickle cell disease are African-Americans and 42% had a family income at near federal poverty level. People in higher socioeconomic class also suffer from sickle cell disease though. Therefore, messaging must target everyone irrespective of social class.
To be sure, public health messages should be tailored to address the perspectives of different demographics. However, we should not lose sight of how interconnected they are. Indeed, it is crucial to understand the roles of genetics, social connections, and socio-economic status to design effective messaging strategies. That is how the findings of this research can benefit everyone.
Dr. Ifeanyi M. Nsofor, MBBS, MCommH (Liverpool) is a member of the Global Fellows Advisory Board at the Atlantic Institute, Rhodes Trust, Oxford
ADDIS ABABA, Sep 12 2024 (IPS) - As the mpox virus continues to spread to new countries across Africa, triggering a continental health emergency, health authorities are sparing no effort in taking targeted measures to control the outbreak—and have called on funders to ensure that resources are distributed fairly.
Mpox (formally known as monkeypox) was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa CDC on August 14 after the new strain, known as clade Ib, began to proliferate from the DRC to neighboring African countries, including Rwanda.
On September 6, the Africa CDC and WHO announced the launch of the Mpox Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, a joint continental response plan for Africa to support countries’ efforts to curb the spread of the virus to save and protect lives.
Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (Africa CDC) director general, Jean Kaseya, said at the launch that this “unified strategy ensures that all partners are aligned on common objectives, eliminating duplication and maximizing impact.”
The overall estimated budget for the six-month plan, running from September 2024 to February 2025, is close to USD 600 million, with 55 percent allocated to mpox response in 14 affected AU Member States and readiness for 15 other Member States, while 45 percent is directed towards operational and technical support through partners.
“This is an important milestone for a coordinated action between our agencies to support countries by reinforcing expertise and mobilizing resources and capacities to swiftly and effectively halt the spread of mpox,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “By coming together, we can achieve more, and our collective strength will carry us further, ensuring that communities and individuals are protected from the threat of this virus.”
Mpox cases in Africa have increased at an unprecedented rate over the past three years. In addition to zoonosis-linked outbreaks, the intensified human-to-human transmission through sexual behaviors and other factors requires urgent attention and an enhanced response, according to the Africa CDC and WHO.
To address the ongoing mpox outbreaks, a comprehensive strategy is critical for effective management and mitigation.
It also needs equitable access to resources.
Africa CDC welcomed the Governing Board of the Pandemic Fund’s recent statement on funding, in which it agreed to fast-track support to countries affected by the crisis and to develop a special financing mechanism to support countries experiencing public health emergencies—but with a caveat.
“Africa CDC acknowledges and profoundly appreciates its continued support in strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response capacities across the continent,” it said, but it also called for “speed and efficiency in garnering resources for mpox, as well as the creation of a special financing mechanism to accelerate support for outbreaks, including mpox.”
Africa CDC and other health organizations on the continent are acutely aware that the playing field is often not even.
“It is the ardent desire and hope of Africa CDC that this transformative upcoming funding round will prioritize a more inclusive approach, increasing support to a greater number of African countries and regional entities, especially in light of the limited allocation in the previous round, where only five (5) of the fifty-five (55) African nations received funding,” it said in a statement released on September 11, calling for an end to delays in the interests of ensuring that health and lives of African populations are safeguarded and prevent the further spread of mpox.
“Together, we have the opportunity to avoid the repetition of past mistakes and build a more just and equitable global health architecture.”
The Mpox Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan emphasizes a community-centered, multisectoral approach tailored to the unique epidemiology and risk profiles of each member state. The plan bolsters surveillance, laboratory testing, and community engagement and ensures the availability of critical countermeasures while building resilient and equitable health systems.
Data from the Africa CDC indicates that there have been 37,583 cases and 1,451 deaths—affecting at least 15 African Union States, including Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR), Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ghana, Liberia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan and South Africa.
Health professionals consider a mutated strain of clade I, a type of mpox that spreads through contact with infected animals and has been endemic in the DRC for decades, to be the strain of greatest concern.
Kaseya said during the recent press briefing in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that the continental health organization was currently moving towards securing almost 1 million doses of the MX vaccine.
Africa CDC and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on September 5 that the first shipment of 99,100 doses of the JYNNEOS mpox vaccine had arrived. This shipment is expected to launch a critical vaccination campaign aimed at curbing the rising epidemic in the DRC, the Africa CDC said in a statement.
On September 10, a further shipment of 15,460 doses of the mpox vaccine arrived in the DRC, donated to Gavi-eligible nations by the vaccine producer Bavarian Nordic. They add to the 215,000 vaccine doses that the European Union donated.
One major shortcoming often highlighted is that behaviors are directly implicated in accelerating the spread of mpox, impeding the behavioral change by people who already face challenges in accessing healthcare services in remote communities in Africa.
Prof. Jean Jacques Muyembe, a prominent African epidemiologist from the DRC who is also senior advisor to the Africa CDC’s director general, told IPS that for the specific case of his home country, mpox continues to spread through contaminated bushmeat, which a large part of local communities consume in quantities.
“Adopting and maintaining healthy behaviors is important for these communities where notable zoonotic diseases such as mpox are believed to be transmitted through bushmeat,” said Muyembe, who is also the chair of the DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB).
According to the findings released by the WHO, mpox can spread from animals to people in a few ways, such as through small wild animals in West and Central Africa, where the disease is endemic or with direct close contact with an infected animal, fluids or waste, or getting bitten or scratched.
While bushmeat in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa where mpox is endemic cannot be simply wished away, Muyembe points out that the administration of lifesaving vaccines to hundreds of millions of affected communities remains the best solution for Africa to defeat the outbreak.
“Randomized controlled trials will help us to measure the effectiveness of these health interventions,” said Muyembe.
Apart from bush meats, initial investigations conducted by the Africa CDC in the DR Congo and research elsewhere in Europe suggest that vulnerable populations, like sex workers and men who have sex with men, may be at risk.
“Well-organized standard care can reduce the mortality rate of mpox in Africa, but education is also critical to sensitize most families using the forest for hunting to abstain from bushmeat and also to practice safe sex,” the senior Congolese epidemiologist told IPS.
Kaseya points out that in addition to surveillance and diagnosis, African vaccine manufacturing seems to offer a promising and sustainable solution as the continent currently works hard to safeguard itself against future pandemics and disease outbreaks—and to ensure delays like the ones African nations faced in receiving COVID-19 vaccines never happen again.
“The only tool [for prevention] we have today in Africa is vaccine but for the diagnostic, we want to ensure that in some countries we move from the current 18 percent of testing up to 80 percent of diagnosed cases,” he said.
Since its inception, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology has been widely used in all stages of vaccine product development as a tool to assist in the evaluation of vaccine quality, safety and efficacy, especially in Africa.
“Capacity building is critical to support those who are conducting testing in the field,” Kaseya said of current efforts jointly conducted by Africa CDC and other strategic partners, including Global Fund and GAVI Alliance.
Drawing from the past experience of COVID-19, health experts are concerned about vaccine availability.
“Today with mpox we are in a similar situation (to COVID) where we need to look for vaccines because we don’t manufacture them,” he said.
Danish biotech firm Bavarian Nordic has concluded a deal with Africa CDC to ramp up production of its mpox vaccine and enable its vaccine to be manufactured in Africa in the future.
Through the concluded technology transfer deal, the African pharmaceutical industry will start manufacturing the mpox vaccines, according to Africa CDC officials.
Out of nine existing pharmaceutical industries in Africa, only one factory has the capacity to provide the mpox vaccine, it said.
Prof. Nicaise Ndembi, senior advisor to the Africa CDC’s DG, told IPS that the available evidence indicates that the mpox vaccine remains a safe and effective way to protect against symptomatic infection in high-risk close contacts.
“We need to build on current progress made to ensure that the African region is not left behind in efforts to control the mpox pandemic,” he said.
IPS UN Bureau Report
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 12 2024 (IPS) - On Tuesday, an airstrike was carried out in Al-Mawasi, on a displacement camp situated on the Gaza Strip. According to the Gaza Civil Defense Agency, 40 people were killed and over 60 were injured. Despite being designated as a “safe zone” by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), this region has seen continual airstrikes and armed hostility since December 2023.
Prior to the eruption of hostilities in Gaza, Al-Mawasi was home to about 9,000 Palestinians. It was known as the “Basket of Food” due to its highly fertile conditions for agriculture. The region is relatively small, stretching for about 14 kilometers.
Late last year, Israeli authorities declared the Al-Mawasi settlement will be exempt from attacks during Israel’s occupation of Gaza. Thousands of displaced Palestinians flocked to this region, only to find that the camps were bereft of critical resources, such as food, water, healthcare, and sanitation.
“The use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas is unconscionable. Palestinians had moved to this area in Khan Younis in search of shelter and search of safety, after being repeatedly instructed to do so by the Israeli authorities,” stated Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, at a United Nations (UN) press briefing on Tuesday.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) estimates that over 1 million people are sheltering in this small region. The IDF claims that Al-Mawasi was the target for this recent bombing due to reports of the terrorist organization, Hamas, being situated in the settlements, stating that they “struck significant Hamas terrorists who were operating within a command-and-control center embedded inside the humanitarian area.”. Hamas denied these claims.
The IDF adds that only Hamas members were targeted in this recent airstrike and that they tried to mitigate harm inflicted on civilians by using “precise munitions.” They did not confirm or deny if civilians in the area were warned prior to the bombing.
However, the scale of the bombs used in this attack corresponds more accurately with previous indiscriminate attacks on displacement camps. Patrick Senft, a research coordinator at Armament Research Services (ARES), said, “The significant damage and the size of the craters align with the expected effects of aerial bombs weighing several hundred kilograms.”
“In an overcrowded camp where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are scattered in makeshift tents, even the smallest bomb can cause immense damage and numerous casualties. Now, imagine the devastation when the Israeli occupation army uses 3 U.S.-made MK-84 bombs on them,” stated Maha Hussaini, strategy director at the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, in a post shared on X.
The explosions created three significant craters in the displacement camp, trapping several Palestinians under the debris. Gaza’s Health Ministry states, “A number of victims are still under the rubble, under the sand, and on the roads, and ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach them and retrieve them, and they have not reached hospitals yet.”
The airstrikes on Tuesday have been one of the deadliest attacks that have taken place in Al-Mawasi since the beginning of the war last year. Despite prior notions that Al-Mawasi was exempt from hostilities, UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, stated that no place is safe in Gaza. A ceasefire agreement is imperative in preventing further loss.
Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, informed reporters that “international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack, must be upheld at all times.”
IPS UN Bureau Report
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 12 2024 (IPS) - The annual United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation, commemorated annually on September 12, serves as a powerful reminder of the spirit of solidarity and cooperation that transcends geographic borders — a spirit that is crucial for securing a better and thriving future for all. In a world facing cross-cutting challenges, the importance of this South-South solidarity cannot be overstated.
We are now at a pivotal moment in our journey towards the 2030 Agenda. Regrettably, our progress has been far from satisfactory. Only 17 per cent of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets are on track to be achieved. Nearly half of the targets show minimal or moderate progress, and alarmingly, progress on over a third of them has stalled or even regressed.
These figures are not just numbers; they represent lives, futures, and the hope of billions around the world.
The global landscape is increasingly marked by a growing number of conflicts, escalating geopolitical and trade tensions, and the devastating impacts of climate change. These challenges have placed the SDGs in serious jeopardy, and it is the world’s most vulnerable populations who are bearing the brunt of these crises. In this context, the potential of South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation to catalyze progress towards the SDGs has never been more critical.
As we look ahead to the Summit of the Future, the commemoration of the United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation offers us a timely opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made together through this modality. More importantly, it compels us to recognize the vast potential that South-South cooperation holds in building a more equitable and sustainable future.
South-South cooperation is no longer a peripheral concept; it is now widely recognized as a powerful vehicle that fosters inclusive growth, mutual learning, and shared success.
Across the developing world, we are witnessing remarkable strides in resilience building, innovation, and collaboration. These achievements demonstrate that by mobilizing international solidarity and forging global partnerships through South-South and triangular cooperation, we can accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.
Dima Al-Khatib, Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation
This potential has been highlighted in numerous global discussions and summits, both within the United Nations and beyond. Whether the focus is on Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States, Middle-Income Countries, water, or trade, the message is clear: South-South cooperation is delivering results.
We are seeing incredible successes in the Global South, from improving health systems and enhancing agricultural productivity to advancing education and technology.
Consider the Republic of Congo, which is drawing on Brazil’s expertise in family farming and school feeding programs to improve food security and nutrition. Or Cuba, whose medical professionals have been on the frontlines, combatting disease across the South.
In the Pacific, UNESCO is facilitating exchanges among countries like Fiji, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu to build teachers’ capacities. These are just a few examples of how countries of the Global South are not only sharing knowledge and resources, but are also building enduring partnerships that transcend borders.
The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) plays a pivotal role in promoting, coordinating, and supporting these efforts globally and within the UN system. Our work involves identifying synergies and promoting collaboration between partners to attain all internationally agreed development goals.
One of the key tools we have developed in this endeavor is the South-South Galaxy — a digital platform that offers more than 950 Southern-grown SDG good practices. These practices are available to all countries for experience sharing and scaling up, providing a wealth of knowledge that has already lifted millions out of poverty and contributed to a more equitable world.
The South-South and Triangular Cooperation Solutions Lab, hosted on the same platform, is another innovative initiative. This Lab has begun incubating and testing scalable South-South and triangular cooperation solutions, driving forward new ways to tackle the complex challenges we face.
Our South-South Trust Funds are another testament to the solidarity of Southern partners. For example, the Government of India has channeled over $55.5 million into 63 projects that support sustainable development across more than 30 Small Island Developing States through the India-UN Development Partnership Fund.
Similarly, the IBSA Fund — supported by India, Brazil, and South Africa — continues to leverage the tried-and-tested power of South-South and triangular cooperation to bring tangible improvements to the daily lives of people across the globe. From providing safe drinking water to 12,000 people in Cabo Verde to developing a national universal health insurance program in Grenada, these initiatives showcase the impact of collaborative efforts.
Triangular cooperation – where South-South cooperation is supported by a developed country(ies) or multilateral organization(s) – also plays a critical role. For instance, the Republic of Korea and the Mekong River Commission are working together to share science and technology know-how, implementing the water, food, and energy nexus for vulnerable communities in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
Later this year, we will launch a dedicated Triangular Cooperation Window to optimize this modality of support and enhance the sharing of experiences among partners.
Despite these achievements, we recognize that significant work remains ahead. We are navigating a world shaped by new and complex global challenges — what some have called a poly-crisis.
Climate change, economic uncertainties, debt injustice, conflict, and the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continue to test our resilience. Yet, I remain confident that through South-South and triangular cooperation, we can turn these challenges into opportunities for transformative equitably change.
On this United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation, I call on all stakeholders — including governments, our UN family, civil society, academia and the private sector — to join hands in strengthening South-South cooperation. Let us commit to expanding partnerships, deepening our collaborations, and ensuring that no one is left behind.
Together, we can achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and build a future that is prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable for all.
Please join us!
Dima Al-Khatib is the Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation. She took up her duties as Director of UNOSSC on 1 March 2023. She is a Sustainable Development Professional bringing more than 25 years of leadership and management experience in several duty stations to her role.
Prior to joining UNOSSC, Ms. Al-Khatib served as the UNDP Resident Representative in the Republic of Moldova. Prior to that, she held several positions including that of Programme and Policy Coordinator at the UNDP Regional Hub in Amman, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Kuwait, and UNDP Deputy Country Director in Libya.
Ms. Al-Khatib holds a Diplome d’Etudes Approfondies (DEA) in Environmental Health from the Lebanese University and France University of Bordeaux II, and a Bachelor of Science and a Teaching Diploma in Environmental Health from the American University of Beirut. Dima Al-Khatib tweets at @dimaalkhatib1
IPS UN Bureau
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Sep 11 2024 (IPS) - Marginalised and dominated economically by the Global North, developing countries must urgently cooperate to better strive for their shared interests in achieving world peace and sustainable development.
Jomo Kwame Sundaram
During the first Cold War between the US, NATO, and other allies, on the one hand, and the Soviet Union and its allies, the former prided itself on sustaining economic growth, especially during the post-war Golden Age.
Since the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC), successive governments – led by Obama, Trump and Biden – have all strived to sustain full employment in the US. However, real wages and working conditions for most have suffered.
Exceptionally among monetary authorities, the US Fed’s mandate includes ensuring full employment. However, without the US-Soviet rivalry of the first Cold War, Washington no longer seeks a buoyant, growing world economy.
This has affected US relations with its NATO and other allies, most of which have been hit by worldwide economic stagnation since the GFC. Instead of ensuring worldwide recovery, ‘unconventional monetary policies’ addressing the ensuing Great Recession have enabled further financialisation.
Interest rate hikes slow growth
Since early 2022, the US has raised interest rates unnecessarily. Stanley Fischer, later IMF Deputy Managing Director and US Federal Reserve Bank Vice Chair, and colleague Rudiger Dornbusch found low double-digit inflation acceptable, even desirable for growth.
Before the fetishisation of the 2% inflation target, other mainstream economists reached similar conclusions in the late 20th century. Since then, the US Fed and most other Western central banks have been fixated on inflation targeting, which has no theoretical or empirical justification.
Fiscal austerity policies have complemented such monetary priorities, compounding contractionary macroeconomic policy pressures. Many governments are being ‘persuaded’ that fiscal policy is too important to be left to finance ministers.
Instead, independent fiscal boards are setting acceptable public debt and deficit levels. Hence, macroeconomic policies are inducing stagnation everywhere.
While Europe has primarily embraced such policies, Japan has not subscribed to them. Nevertheless, this new Western policy dogma invokes economic theory and policy experience when, in fact, neither supports it.
The US Fed’s raising interest rates since early 2022 has triggered capital flight from developing economies, leaving the poorest countries worse off. Earlier financial inflows into low-income countries have since left in great haste.
New Cold War contractionary
The new Cold War has worsened the macroeconomic situation, further depressing the world economy. Meanwhile, geopolitical considerations increasingly trump developmental and other priorities.
The growing imposition of illegal sanctions has reduced investment and technology flows to the Global South. Meanwhile, the weaponisation of economic policy is fast spreading and becoming normalised.
After the Iraq invasion fiasco, the US, NATO and others often do not seek UN Security Council to endorse sanctions. Hence, their sanctions contravene the UN Charter and international law. Nonetheless, such illegal sanctions have been imposed with impunity.
With most of Europe now in NATO, the OECD, G7 and other US-led Western institutions have increasingly undermined UN-led multilateralism, which they had set up and still dominate but no longer control.
Inconvenient international law provisions are ignored or only invoked when useful. The first Cold War ended with a unipolar moment, but this did not stop new challenges to US power, typically in response to its assertions of authority.
Such unilateral sanctions have compounded other supply-side disruptions, such as the pandemic, and exacerbated recent contractionary and inflationary pressures.
In response, Western powers raised interest rates in concert, worsening the ongoing economic stagnation by reducing demand without effectively addressing supply-side inflation.
The internationally agreed sustainable development and climate targets have thus become more unattainable. Poverty, inequality and precariousness have worsened, especially for the most needy and vulnerable.
Limited options for South
Due to its diversity, the Global South faces various constraints. The problems faced by the poorest low-income countries are quite different from those in East Asia, where foreign exchange constraints are less of a problem.
IMF First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath has argued that developing countries should not be aligned in the new Cold War.
This suggests that even those walking the corridors of power in Washington recognise the new Cold War is exacerbating the protracted stagnation since the 2008 global financial crisis.
Josep Borrell – the second most important European Commission official, in charge of international affairs – sees Europe as a garden facing invasion by the surrounding jungle. To protect itself, he wants Europe to attack the jungle first.
Meanwhile, many – including some foreign ministers of leading non-aligned nations – argue that non-alignment is irrelevant after the end of the first Cold War.
Non-alignment of the old type – a la Bandung in 1955 and Belgrade in 1961 – may be less relevant, but a new non-alignment is needed for our times. Today’s non-alignment should include firm commitments to sustainable development and peace.
BRICS’s origins are quite different, excluding less economically significant developing countries. Although not representative of the Global South, it has quickly become important.
Meanwhile, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) remains marginalised. The Global South urgently needs to get its act together despite the limited options available to it.
IPS UN Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 11 2024 (IPS) - Human practices, such as unsustainable fishing, pollution, coastal development, and fossil fuel use have pushed the Earth’s oceans to their limits. This has resulted in warmer, more acidic waters. As global temperatures rise yearly due to climate change, oceans continue to see significant losses in biodiversity, rising sea levels, and environmental damage.
“While atmospheric temperatures tend to fluctuate, the ocean is steadily and constantly heating up. The State of the Ocean Report indicates that the ocean is now warming at twice the rate it was twenty years ago”, states the United Nations Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) in a 2024 report.
The ocean absorbs the vast majority of the greenhouse gasses emitted globally, causing ocean temperatures to rise at alarming rates. This causes a depletion of oxygen in marine environments, ravaging marine ecosystems.
Biodiversity and ecosystem stability are crucial in ensuring planetary health. Without high levels of biodiversity, access to clean air, food, and water are severely compromised. Warmer waters, as a result of climate change, have made it difficult for a host of species to survive.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that deoxygenation of waters can lead to hypoxia, or “dead zones”, which are environments that cannot sustain marine life. EPA adds that small marine organisms, such as plankton, are particularly sensitive to changes in temperature and oxygen levels. This severely disrupts the food chain as animals further up the food chain face the risk of starvation with their main prey being compromised.
Additionally, deoxygenation and overfishing have led to alarming rates of coral bleaching. Coral reefs are superorganisms that provide the fundamental building blocks for about one quarter of all marine life. They are crucial for ocean health, housing entire ecosystems on their own.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stated, “Because of the diversity of life found in the habitats created by corals, reefs are often called the “rainforests of the sea.” About 25% of the ocean’s fish depend on healthy coral reefs. Fishes and other organisms shelter, find food, reproduce, and rear their young in the many nooks and crannies formed by corals”.
Coral bleaching is particularly concerning as reefs rarely recover after they’ve been degraded. As a multitude of ecosystems are dependent on coral reefs for survival, ensuring proper coral health is imperative for biodiversity.
Rising temperatures caused by the greenhouse effect have led to ocean waters becoming significantly more acidic over the years. According to EPA, ocean waters have increased in acidity by over 25 percent since the Industrial Revolution.
Acidity has a significant, adverse impact on a multitude of marine animals. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), rising levels of pH, which contribute to acidity, impede the availability of carbonate, which allows mollusks to create shells and other important structures. This worsens the chances that mollusks have at survival and puts their predators at risk of starvation.
Losses in ocean biodiversity pose serious concerns in humans as well. According to the World Bank, approximately 58 percent of the world’s income comes from jobs in fish production. Additionally, over 3 billion people rely on fish as a crucial part of their diets. Decreasing levels of biodiversity in the Earth’s oceans threatens to cause widespread food insecurity.
Coastal communities, so far, have been the most directly impacted by worsening ocean health. Rising sea temperatures have exacerbated the rise of sea levels and flooding. According to the EPA, exposure to sea water gives way to increased risks of contracting waterborne diseases. Additionally, coastal flooding causes great damage to critical infrastructures, such as housing, roads, and salination systems.
IPS UN Bureau Report
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, Sep 11 2024 (IPS) - A new report says African cities will record rapid urbanization in the next decade, creating a mixed bag of socio-economic opportunities and challenges for the continent.
This development is projected to result in wealthier consumer markets, better connected and more sophisticated commercial hubs, and larger bases for industrial production.
The Economist Intelligence Unit’s African Cities 2035 report says the continent is expected to record one of the fastest rates of population growth worldwide, with Africa’s largest cities registering increased rural-to-urban migration.
Researchers, however, warn that this rapid urbanization will result in overcrowding, informal settlements, high unemployment, poor public services, stretched utility services and exposure to climate change.
“Africa has and will continue to have the fastest rate of urbanization of the world’s major regions through 2035. Africa’s urban population will rise from about 650 million in 2023 to almost 1 billion in 2035,” the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) says in a report released last month.
African cities are already battling demand for urban housing, triggering a burst of informal settlements from Cape to Cairo at a time the continent’s governments are lagging behind in commitments such as housing for all by the year 2030.
UN-HABITAT estimates that over half of Africa’s urban population lives in slums, and this number is projected to increase from the current 400 million to 1.3 billion people by 2050.
“We expect rapid urbanization across Africa to help to create more dynamic and wealthier consumer markets, better connected and more sophisticated commercial and distribution hubs, and larger bases for industrial production and import-export operations,” the EIU report says.
Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional leaders at their recent summit in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, noted that innovation and industrialization will unlock the continent’s economic growth, and the Economist Intelligence Unit warns that this demands urgent attention if the continent is to derive any dividend from the rapid urbanization.
“Overcrowding, informal settlements, high unemployment, poor public services, stretched utility services and exposure to climate change are just some of the major challenges that city planners will have to grapple with in their drive for sustainable urban economic growth in the next decade,” says the EIU report released last month.
According to some experts, the continent needs to act quickly to stop urban sprawl-related deterioration.
“African governments need to firstly use evidence from population projections to anticipate this demand in housing, schools, waste disposal, water and transport,” said Nyovani Madise, President of the Union for African Population Studies, a member of the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population.
“African governments should invest in rural development programmes so that young people are able to find economic activities in their rural homes so that there is less migration into cities in search of livelihoods,” Madise told IPS.
The Economist Intelligence Unit projects an addition of megacities with a population of more than 10 million residents, while 17 more cities will have a population of more than 5 million.
A further 100 will have populations in excess of 1 million inhabitants, the EIU says.
“The emergence of new urban heavyweights and megacities, the rapid expansion of city clusters and the rising importance of megalopolises will be a major feature of Africa’s demographic and economic future,” said Pat Thacker, the report’s lead author.
The urgency of climate change is also captured in the report, flagging it as a “major concern for Africa’s largest cities.”
“Many (African large cities) are in low-lying coastal areas that expose them to rising sea levels and storm surges. These climate risks will weigh heavily on the future dynamism and prosperity of African cities, especially as national preparedness and climate resilience are weak,” Thacker said.
However, Madise warns that inadequate planning by African countries will have adverse consequences for millions of residents across the continent.
“African governments should also plan for climate mitigation measures as their populations grow because population growth, coupled with growth of economies, especially through industrialization, will lead to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions in Africa,” said Madise.
“Urban development is often accompanied by industrialization, which requires high energy, water, and good transport systems. Cities must have adequate urban policies to ensure that energy expansion is compatible with national and global targets for climate change,” Madise told IPS.
However, amid those challenges, African countries are being urged to look inward for solutions such accelerated industrialisation.
“It is not simply a question of convenience. It is a matter of absolute necessity,” said Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
“We have no choice but to look inward for homegrown solutions, including domestic resource mobilization and innovative financing to sustain our development,” Gatete told IPS.
As the EUI observes, “Africa’s larger cities expand both geographically and demographically,” and this will also have an impact on economic performance.
But as the continent struggles to tame poverty levels, the EUI says there are small pockets of economic optimism where skilled and better educated workers will emerge, raising hope that the continent’s urbanization is not all gloom.
IPS UN Bureau Report