The world commemorated the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October.
This year, the day was commemorated in tandem with the observance of the 20th anniversary of the Convention on Children’s Rights, which will be celebrated in November this year. Thus the plight of children and families living in poverty and the need to fulfill children's rights, in partnership with them and in keeping with the Convention, were the main areas of focus for this year’s commemorations.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (2009), there are more than one billion malnourished people in the world. This effectively means that almost one sixth of all humanity is suffering from hunger.
The observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty can be tracked back to 1987, when over a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris, where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, to honour victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. They proclaimed that poverty is a violation of human rights and affirmed the need to come together to ensure that these rights are respected.
The General Assembly has therefore designated this day to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution, particularly in developing countries.
Millennium Development Goal Number One also stipulates the need to reduce by half, the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day and also to reduce by half those who suffer from hunger.
It is important to remember that poverty is a factor that aggravates the spread of HIV and should be eradicated at all costs.
Issues journalists can address:-
- Journalists can explore the links between HIV and poverty. Countries with high poverty levels have been found to have the highest HIV statistics, pointing to a vicious link between poverty and HIV.
- Poverty is a key factor leading to behaviours that expose people to the risk of HIV infection. On the other hand, HIV infection often results in an intensification of poverty. There is need to highlight some of these behaviours during this time of the year.
- The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty presented an opportunity to acknowledge the efforts and struggles of people, especially children, living in poverty. It provided a chance for these marginalised communities to have their concerns heard. There are many orphans and vulnerable children in the region. Some go for days without anything to eat and are at risk of engaging in transactional sex to survive, while others live on the streets where they are sexually abused and infected with HIV. Their concerns need to be highlighted and solutions need to be found.
- The media can examine if there are policies in place to ensure that orphans and vulnerable children in the communities are not living in extreme poverty and have access to basics such as education and healthcare and if not, advocate for the policies to be developed..
- The media can also explore various ways in which poverty can be eradicated. By eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, nations will effectively reduce their populations’ vulnerability to HIV infection. Many people indulge in risky behaviour in order to sustain themselves.
- Journalists can highlight the plight and struggle of people living with HIV and give them a chance to speak out. For example, lack of access to antiretroviral drugs or the blood tests needed to monitor one’s condition due to inadequate funds, can hinder one’s recovery. Inability to pay transport costs to fetch drugs on a monthly basis is another issue.
- A good standard of living and good health are human rights. What can be done to ensure that these rights are enjoyed by everyone especially children, who are the focus of this year’s commemoration?
- The media can also examine the importance of this day for people in various countries. Is the day known to people, is it of any significance to them, how was it commemorated and what are the issues that contribute to extreme poverty in various countries and how can these be eradicated?
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