International aid, whether projects by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like World Vision, or international emergency relief efforts, plays a major role in reducing poverty, alleviating human suffering, and helping people around the world to better support themselves and their communities.
International aid helps people by:
- improving health and education,
- providing greater access to human rights,
- building democracies,
- protecting the environment,
- increasing economic growth, and
- improving equity in access to services.
Both internationally coordinated aid programs and those by organizations like World Vision, fund medicine, important research, and education programs that have been critical to the overall success of international aid.
Seven Successful Results
Effective projects have resulted in the following:
1. Reduced Child Mortality
The number of children under five years old who die each year is declining. In 1960, 20.5 million children died around the world. Today that number is halved to 10.5 million.
2. More Access to Clean Water
Over the last decade, access to safe water around the world has improved drastically. In sub-Saharan Africa, access to clean water has risen from 49 per cent to 58 per cent; while in south Asia, it has dramatically increased from 13 per cent to now include 84 per cent of the population. Access to clean water has reduced child deaths caused by diarrhea from 4.6 million in 1980 to 1.5 million in 2000.
3. Reduced or Prevented Diseases
Through medical aid, various diseases including smallpox and polio have been drastically reduced and even eradicated. Support programs have also provided vitamin supplements, vaccines, immunization and medicines, and education programs to prevent various diseases such as HIV and AIDS.
4. Provided Basic Education
Over the past 30 years, debt relief and budget support have improved literacy by 50 per cent, especially in Latin America where 95.7 per cent of children were attending school in 2002.
5. Increased Safe Births
Birth services have improved, thereby reducing the number of maternal and newborn deaths. In northern Africa, there has been a 3.5 per cent increase in the number of births attended by trained professionals since 1990.
6. Better Nutrition
Through micronutrient supplementation and agricultural enrichment programs, people are able to receive the nutrition they need to stay healthy.
7. Improved Governance
Many countries have become democracies over the past 30 years due to aid programs that supported democratic reforms and assisted countries to develop growing economies.
But There is More to Do
While international aid has been very effective, much can still be accomplished by:
- increasing donor levels,
- gaining more support from developed countries,
- focusing more attention on global poverty reduction, and
- boosting the participation of recipient countries to increase the sustainability of ongoing and future aid projects.
What You Can Do
Click here to learn more about the call to Make Poverty History
Click here sponsor a child and help provide things like education, skills training, nutritious food, agricultural assistance, safe water, and access to health care.
