The coronavirus has had a massive impact on the lives of everyone in this world. It has devastated many, and the world economy has been thrown into peril. Many people wonder if we’ll ever go back to normal, but developing countries have taken an even greater impact. The coronavirus has ravished these nations, and they don’t have the necessary social structures and stability to cope in the same way that many first-world countries have been able to.
It is one of the many reasons Marc Zboch is well aware of how crucial it is to understand how the pandemic affects developing countries. He understands that they are more sensitive to new developments in this area, and it could potentially be more damaging for their future. This knowledge is pushing him forward in figuring out the first step in helping correct these problems. However, before you can correct any issues, you need to understand what those problems are.
That need to understand what is going on makes him a thought leader in the world of charity.
Most Countries are Shutting Down
Most countries have handled the pandemic by shutting down their borders. In fact, many of them have closed their borders to outsiders. This is true in places like the European Union and elsewhere. Despite having an open borders policy to other European Union countries, many countries in the E.U. decided to close their borders to everyone. It was their way of preventing contaminated outsiders from coming in and bringing the virus to them.
They understood the problems that open-scale immigration and travel could potentially cause their country during this time.
Developing Countries Cannot Shut Down
Developing countries can’t shut down like people in more developed countries can. They have fewer natural resources and technical expertise. This makes them dependent on other countries.
Foreign workers send money back to their country. This accounts for 10% of Philippine GDP. Worldwide travel bans effect these workers.
People Have No Welfare State to Rely On
Poor countries had to shut down non-essential workers just like first world countries. But they can’t work from home and they don’t get government checks. If they don’t work, they don’t eat.
Developing governments, like India, have had to decide between having their hospitals over run with Covid patients or having people starve to death because they cannot earn an income. They’re medical infrastructure is sparse and fragile. It’s easily overrun.
Food Is More Difficult to Get
Another thing to note in developing countries is that they don’t have the food security that many more developed countries have. Most people in these countries are still living a subsistence diet, which might be difficult in these situations. The world demand for food has stayed the same, but with most people in developed countries not working, there is a massive food shortage. The more developed countries have the money to buy food at a higher price, but it is not the same in developing countries.
The additional problem of food insecurity is driving people to be desperate and to take risks. It is one of the many reasons we have to be concerned with what is happening in developing countries. Marc Zboch is concerned about food, as he understands how precarious the food situation is for certain developing countries.
People Are Moving Back to Rural Areas
Many people in developing countries are moving back to rural areas. They are prevented from working in the large cities and are forced to go back to their farm communities where they know they can get food. This causes problems when they bring the virus back to their small villages.
The majority of these people won’t have the strong immune systems needed to stand up to the virus, leading to a disaster for the small village. This has happened in many developing countries across the world.
Healthcare Isn’t As Widely Available
When people get sick with the virus, the healthcare systems in these places cannot withstand what is required. They don’t have the needed capacity and skills to be able to heal the sick adequately. It is also a huge problem, as hospitals will quickly get overwhelmed, and people will start dying.
More People In Households
Another major factor is that household sizes are a lot larger in underdeveloped countries. For instance, in India, a household can contain inlaws, a married couple, and multiple children. Since many more people live in the same area, they are more likely to spread the disease. They are also more likely to have massive problems when older relatives get sick.
Conclusion
It is crucial to understand what is going on in developing countries in regards to the pandemic. What happens there will determine much of what happens in the future of the world.
