It's sad that we don't think more about the poor and starvation and are so wrapped up in our own lives. We are busy with work, commuting, family recreation and shopping. This is our society in the prosperous countries of the world for those with a steady job and sufficient income.There is media attention to poverty but it is so minute compared to the coverage of events concerning entertainment, sports and our consuming lifestyle. There is constant marketing to ensure that this continues, perhaps directing money away from those of the world swamped in poverty and suffering.
Read some heart wrenching data on this unjust and disgraceful global social issue. If you have the time.
Poverty Facts and Stats by Anup Shah from a page Last Updated Sunday, March 22, 2009
- Almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day.
- At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.
- More than 80 percent of the world’s population lives in countries where income differentials are widening.
- The poorest 40 percent of the world’s population accounts for 5 percent of global income. The richest 20 percent accounts for three-quarters of world income.
- According to UNICEF, 25,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.”
- Around 27-28 percent of all children in developing countries are estimated to be underweight or stunted. The two regions that account for the bulk of the deficit are South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
- If current trends continue, the Millennium Development Goals target of halving the proportion of underweight children will be missed by 30 million children, largely because of slow progress in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
- Based on enrolment data, about 72 million children of primary school age in the developing world were not in school in 2005; 57 per cent of them were girls. And these are regarded as optimistic numbers.
- Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
- Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen.
- Infectious diseases continue to blight the lives of the poor across the world. An estimated 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, with 3 million deaths in 2004. Every year there are 350–500 million cases of malaria, with 1 million fatalities: Africa accounts for 90 percent of malarial deaths and African children account for over 80 percent of malaria victims worldwide.
There is much more to this report including facts, charts and references. And much more to the comprehensive Global Issues web site which looks into global issues that affect everyone and aims to show how most issues are inter-related.
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