Wisdom Trust Poverty News 05-02-2008
Poverty News.
Nicaragua – The Poorest Nation In Central America.
Nicaragua is the largest nation in Central America. It is also the least densely populated with a demographic similar in size to its smaller neighbours. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north and by Costa Rica to the south. The Pacific Ocean lies to the west of the country, while the Caribbean Sea lies to the east. Falling within the tropics, Nicaragua sits 11 degrees north of the Equator, in the Northern Hemisphere.
As well as being the region’s largest country, Nicaragua also has the lowest Human Development Index in Central America - 0.643 – ranking it 121 out of 175 countries worldwide.
In addition to Nicaragua's structural poverty, the country is highly vulnerable to natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and drought, etc.). The coffee crisis (the recent drop in international prices) has impacted on employment and salaries for many agricultural workers. The weakness of public policies in fighting poverty and the neo-liberal policies pushed by the IMF have negatively affected the reduction of inequality. Nicaragua's foreign debt is more than $6 billion. 40% of the country's annual exports go towards servicing this debt, with a staggering 53% of the population currenly unemployed.
Furthermore, Nicaragua has the highest proportion of malnourished people (29%) in the Americas, with the exception of Haiti.
Nicaragua’s population is 5.1 million and its annual population growth rate is 2.7%, with 53% of the population being under 18 years of age. Nicaragua's main challenge is to overcome inequality and poverty, which affect children and women most severely. The breakdown of income distribution shows that 45% of all income goes to the richest 10% of the population, while only 14% goes to the poorest.
All in all, poverty affects 2.3 million people, 831,000 of whom live in extreme poverty, mainly in the Central and Atlantic regions.
One of every three children has some degree of chronic malnutrition and 9% suffer from severe malnutrition. Adolescent pregnancies account for one of every four births nationally. Safe water and sanitation coverage continues to be low, particularly in rural areas and those with dispersed populations.
Access to early childhood development interventions is limited. An estimated 79% of primary-school-age children are enrolled, with no gender difference. The quality and relevance of education are significant problems. It takes an average of 10.3 years to complete the mandatory six years of schooling, and only 29% of children complete primary schooling. Poverty affects school participation, with many families unable to afford the direct or hidden costs. Poverty also results in child labour, which affects more than 167,000 children and adolescents.
One of every four households is headed by a woman. Family violence leads to family disintegration and a culture of violence. As yet, 36% of children are not legally registered due to administrative, legal and cultural causes. Only 5% of disabled children receive appropriate support. Child and adolescent sexual exploitation, drug use and violence are emerging issues of concern. The existence of approximately 76,000 landmines continues to be a high-risk factor for children and adolescents.
The presence of HIV/AIDS in all departments and the potential of its spread represent a high, latent risk. Official data show a low number of cases, giving a false sense of security. The main challenges of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and counterparts are to improve surveillance capacity; raise awareness among decision makers to overcome denial; and support the National Programme on Sexually Transmitted Infections/HIV/AIDS.
Growing environmental degradation exacerbates poverty among children and their families. Poverty and its interaction with the environment increase already high levels of social and environmental vulnerability.
Today in Nicaragua, life expectancy at birth is just 70.9 (compared to 82 in Japan, 79 in Belgium and 80 in Italy). 21 children out of every 1000 live births never make it past their 1st birthday, compared to 5 children in the UK and 4 in France. Adult literacy stands at just 76%, compared to over 99% in countries such as Cuba, Poland, Armenia and Uzbekistan. The GDP per capita is US$3,100 (compared to USA: US$44,190, UK: US$35,051 & Poland: US$10,858).
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