RIO RANCHO, New Mexico- In a world gripped by poverty, tensions and crisis, it is no wonder there is an index ranking the poorest and most underdeveloped countries in the world. While some nations thrive and prosper in times of adversity and turmoil, others are not as fortunate. No country knows that better than Niger. Out of 186 countries in the 2013 Human Development Index, Niger ranks in last thanks to ongoing factors such as poor education, chronic poverty, high population growth, severe drought and weak political infrastructure.
Those suffering most in the country are mothers and children. Currently there are 590 deaths out every 100,000 live births while the fertility rate ranks in at the top of the world with 7.6 births per woman. Out of the 16 million people who live in Niger, nearly 2.5 million of them are in dire need of food assistance due to social unrest, failed harvests and years of drought which was evident at the peak of last year’s lean season where Niger saw 22% of the population gained food insecurities.
Furthermore, in this land-locked and unforgiving terrain, 45% of children are chronically malnourished and odds are one out of every 10 child will fail to see a day past the age of five, which exceeds the emergency threshold set at 15%. This harsh reality is an everyday affair for the people of Niger as fevers and illnesses can quickly turn fatal overnight. Children like three-year-old Dauda Mahmoud, who is plagued with ailments and a weak immune system, are increasingly at risk of severe malnourishment which could lead to death. There are many others like Dauda, 400,000 to be exact, estimated to be hospitalized because of malnourishment, according to the United Nations Food Programme.
While such facts are discouraging, there is reason for hope with good news coming out of the one of the poorest countries in Africa’s Sahel region. After a coup in 2010, Niger has seen an improvement in government consciousness as a new regime has focused its efforts into coordinating responsive plans with U.N. agencies and other international donors. For the first time, Niger is on track to meet the fourth U.N. Millennium Development Goal (MGD 4,) which is aimed at reducing preventable deaths for children under-five years old by at least two-thirds by 2015. As of today, there is already visible evidence of Niger’s efforts.
Since 1990, when the mortality rate for children under five was at 326 deaths per every 1,000 live births, those numbers have dropped to 114 deaths per every 1,000 live births, an overall 65% decrease. Thanks to an increase of immunizations, bed netting, exclusive breastfeeding and medicines, treatments for ailments such as pneumonia and malaria have been combated with vast improvements. Considering all of the pain and agony endured by the people of Niger over the last decade, it is encouraging to see signs that are leading to hopeful results.
– Jeffrey Scott Haley
Feature Writer
Sources: BBC, Save The Children,, World Food Programme
Photo: BBC News