| Jarett Zuboy's Blog: Support for ATNI |
Date: Friday, December 1, 2006
Current Location: Colorado
Health and Healthy Economies
A child in the developing world is dying. There’s no doubt that modern medicine can save her. And there’s no doubt that organizations like All Together Now International can help make the necessary care possible. To see that child live a healthy and productive life is reward enough for care provided, but the benefits of improved health extend far beyond individuals. When its people are healthy, a country’s economy prospers. Poverty dwindles, and further improvements in health are achieved—a virtuous cycle leading to higher quality of life for all.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development notes several ways good health affects economies. Productivity is higher among healthy workers, increasing profitability and reducing workforce turnover. A healthy and productive workforce and community lead to increased domestic and foreign investment. Because healthy children have better cognitive potential and lower school absenteeism, the workforce becomes more educated.
The longer lives of healthy people—and the higher probability of living until retirement—increase the amount of money people save, and these funds can be used for capital investment. Improved health and education contribute to lower birth and death rates, with birth rates ultimately falling more quickly than death rates; this slows population growth, improves the ratio of active workers to dependents, and increases per capita income. Also, smaller families are able to invest more in each of their children, who become part of the healthier and more educated workforce of the future.
The dividends of good health can be quantified. The World Health Organization (WHO) found evidence that, other factors being equal, each 10% improvement in life expectancy is associated with an increase in economic growth of about 0.3%–0.4% per year. Economist David Bloom and colleagues found that one extra year of life expectancy raises steady-state per capita gross domestic product by about 4%. Bloom’s group credits improved health for about one third of the East Asian “economic miracle,” a period of rapid economic growth in East Asian countries starting in the second half of the 20th century.
The consequences of bad health on economies are just as striking. They are particularly devastating for the poor, who depend on their own labor power more than other parts of the population. Lost health means lost income. Healthcare expenses add to an already heavy burden that can drag entire families into destitution. All the positive effects of good health described above are reversed. In addition, Mexican Minister of Health Julio Frenk notes that lower life expectancy discourages adult workforce training and that an unhealthy community—such as one plagued by deadly communicable diseases—hurts important economic sectors such as tourism.
Sub-Saharan Africa exemplifies the effects of bad health. The WHO estimates that economic losses due to HIV/AIDS are at least 12% of this region’s gross national product. Also, economic development is at least 1% per year higher in malaria-free areas than in areas where malaria is endemic.
The benefits of good health for the economies of developing countries are clear, but achieving these benefits will require significant investments. The WHO estimates that the equivalent of $30–$40 per person is a minimum level of financing needed to cover essential interventions. Actual spending in developing countries was only $13–$24 per person in 2001. The WHO recommends that these countries increase their spending on healthcare and that donor countries increase their health assistance as well, from the $6 billion level of 2001 to $38 billion by 2015. This investment in healthcare would be expected to save eight million lives a year and generate $360 billion in economic benefits—a six-fold return on the combined investment of recipient and donor countries.
Improved health puts developing countries on an upward spiral of growing economies, shrinking poverty, and even better health. As citizens of a nation with the good fortune of health and wealth, we have the power to help others achieve this prosperity. Each time we contribute to improving world health—as a nation or as individuals, with billions of dollars or hundreds—we not only alleviate the suffering caused by disease and disability, but we also build the capacity of striving nations to help themselves.
REFERENCES
Bloom, D.E.; Canning, D. “The Health and Wealth of Nations.” Science, February 2000, Vol. 287, Issue 5456, pg. 1207–1208.
Bloom, D.E.; Canning, D.; Jamison, D.T. “Health, Wealth, and Welfare.” Finance Development, March 2004, pg. 10–15.
Frenk, J. “Health and the Economy: a Vital Relationship.” OECD Observer, May 2004, Issue 243, pg. 9–10.
OECD. “Investing in Health to Reduce Poverty.” DAC Journal, 2003, Vol. 4 Issue 1, pg. 165–177.
WHO. Macroeconomics and Health: Investing in Health for Economic Development. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2001.
Date: Monday, October 9, 2006
Current Location:
Why give to All Together Now International? Why give to any organization? Does our giving make a difference? Here are a few of my thoughts – let us know yours by posting to ATNI's discussion forum.
Being Human
There is something inside us that compels us to help others, and not just our friends and family. We see suffering, and we want to end it. We see injustice, and we want to vanquish it. We see potential, and we want to develop it. Evolutionary theorists might say that the need to help comes from our hard-wired social instincts: helping members of the group--at its broadest, the entire human family--ultimately helps ourselves. In many religions, helping others is the highest good, the path to God or enlightenment. We cannot prove the first cause, but helping others is a fundamental human need. It elevates us above our own needs and desires. It takes our mind off our own, mostly petty, injuries and grievances. It makes us feel part of the whole. It makes us feel… human.
Taking Positive Action
A character from the 1980s kids show The Great Space Coaster, used to say, "No gnews is good gnews." This has become the mantra of the mainstream media: no good news. Everywhere you turn there is war, poverty, inequity, crime, scandal, and horrors too great to comprehend. In a thousand ways--from the internet, TV, radio, magazines, even from our friends and neighbors--we are threatened with the prospect of a world gone mad. It can make us feel helpless; faced with problems so large, so numerous our minds and bodies are slowly worn down by the negativity, the lurking, ever-present danger. The deluge of negativity can also make us turn our backs and ignore problems, if only to preserve our sanity. And of course it can make us give. Giving is a positive outlet. A child is sick--not every child, but one child, one individual with a name, a history, a family, and his or her own hopes and dreams. We learn about this child, and we want to help. We don't want to read for the thousandth time about whole continents ravaged by AIDS or war or starvation. We want to help this child lead a fulfilling and healthy life, to have what we Americans see as the inalienable right to pursue happiness. So we give. We give to make a positive difference, counteracting in one small way the negative forces we are exposed to every day. It is like that oft-cited allegory about the child throwing stranded starfish back into the sea. When someone tells the child that it doesn't matter, that there are so many starfish they can't all be saved, the child responds, "it matters to this one," and returns another to the water. We can't change the world by giving, at least not all at once. But in our hearts, giving matters.
In the coming weeks, I'll be posting more of my thoughts on why we give. I'd love to hear yours. Join the conversation by posting to the ATNI discussion forum http://alltogether.org/forum.
Date: Friday, September 1, 2006
Current Location: Colorado
All you need to do is look at the stack of direct mail in your box to realize one thing--the world is not lacking in good causes to support.
According to Charity Navigator, more than 50,000 charities are created each year. A search of Charity Navigator turned up more than 400 organizations supporting international causes, and that's just scratching the surface of all the possible giving opportunties.
Nor is there a lack of supporters. The Foundation Center Online identifies more than 400 foundations that give to international causes, which doesn't even count contributions from individuals (via all that direct mail!).
In our quest for support, All Together Now International focuses on our strengths and tries to find funding partners whose missions align with ours. We are a small, focused nonprofit that provides unique development and healthcare services to areas in need, such as Nepal and South Africa. We are run 100% by volunteers, so our donors' money goes directly to the missions they want to support.
Of utmost importance is making connections with potential supporters. For example, our connection with the mountainous nation of Nepal has earned us the long-time support of mountaineer Jon Krakauer through his Everest '96 Memorial Fund. Our pediatric healthcare work has garnered support from the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation. The Mulago and Johnson Family Foundations have been particularly interested in our spinal care work in Nepal.
Yes, connections with funders are important. Relationships are important. Trust is important. A number of individuals and organizations have become our long-time supporters through direct experience with the work we do or through knowing the passionate people behind ATNI.
Our goal is to find people and organizations who want to support the type of work we do, then put their support to work in the service of people worldwide who need it most.
As a supporter of ATNI, think about your connections. If you know of individuals or organizations who might be interested in supporting ATNI, please let us know at info@alltogether.org. Together we can make a change. Thanks for your support!
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