Author: Megan Ivy

SEATTLE — Confidence is a characteristic that marks many successful people. Yet confidence can be eroded by physical birth defects, such as cleft lips and cleft palates. This specific birth defect can be seen worldwide, but it is quite problematic when it presents in children living in poverty. In the United States, parents of a child born with a cleft lip and/or palate can expect medical care almost immediately with a surgical plan in place to correct the issue. But for children in developing countries, access to medical care, specifically safe and timely surgeries, is not the normal situation. Operation…

PAHRUMP, Nevada — In the United States, more than 249,000 international adoptions took place between 1999 and 2013. Because of the cost associated with international adoptions, the yearly number has been steadily in decline since 2004, where 22,991 were completed versus in 2013 where 7,092 were completed. Yet, that is still a large number of international adoptions taking place; one might ask if it has had any impact on global poverty. The last several years, the countries with the highest number of United States international adoptions were China, Ethiopia, Russia, South Korea and Ukraine, all countries with a high poverty…

PAHRUMP, Nevada — When a family lives in poverty, the chances that their children will develop Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or a variation, are higher. While the main cause of ADHD is thought to be genetic in nature, it has been theorized that poverty also creates an environment that can cause ADHD symptoms to present. Rates of ADHD diagnoses have been on a steady increase over the last two decades and have become one of the most prevalent mental health disorders in children. While ADHD most often presents itself in children, it is not solely a childhood condition, as adults…

PAHRUMP, Nevada — The world has experienced medical breakthroughs that are now allowing people to live much longer. While that is amazing, it has caused some negatives for those 65 and older, specifically a higher rate of poverty and food insecurity. A large portion of the elderly are considered to be part of the category of the “hidden hungry.” This hidden hunger and food insecurity dramatically affects the elderly since they have a much harder time moving out of poverty as compared to those younger. According to the Huffington Post, Craig Gundersen, from the University of Illinois, co-authored a study about…

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — For the past few years, the slogan “Breast is Best” has been circulating in the United States. Mothers are being educated that breast milk is the best choice for both mom and baby for as long as she is able to nurse. But what about orphaned babies or ones whose mothers have HIV? Is breast milk still the best choice? Yes, it is. In order to give those babies the opportunity to have the same life sustaining benefits of breast milk, South Africa, in particular, has a network of breast milk banks set up to nourish…

SEATTLE — Diseases that affect the general population can affect those in poverty at a significantly higher rate, including mental illnesses. Depression is no exception. While anyone can suffer from depression, regardless of socioeconomic status, poverty exacerbates the initial disease and causes interference in a person’s ability to receive adequate medical care. But, if the factors of poverty that contribute to depression are reduced, then cases of depression should be reduced as well. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines depression as a “depressed or sad mood, diminished interest in activities which used to be pleasurable, weight gain or loss, psycho-motor…

SEATTLE – Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez highlights, in part, the ravaging effects cholera had on the Caribbean during the turn of the century. Modern readers in developed countries might think that cholera has been eradicated or that it is a disease for historical fiction, but that simply is not the case. In developing countries with poor sanitation and lack of clean water, cholera still kills. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.” The disease…

PAHRUMP, Nevada — Maternal health and reducing childhood mortality are listed as two of the eight Millennium Development Goals. It is no wonder that those two initiatives are given one quarter of the MDGs’ focus because the two can be linked together and impact several other MDGs, including combating diseases, eradicating hunger and achieving universal primary education. Maternal health is a determining factor in infant health, which in turn affects a family unit’s ability to thrive and seek education. When a mother has poor health or excessive stress due to living in poverty, her children suffer the same. Or worse,…