Introduction
Despite the rapid development of society and the emergence of an increasing number of innovative technologies, many countries still suffer from such a problem as poverty. One example is the Republic of Chad in Central Africa. The country is characterized by rich natural resources but is one of the poorest in the world. This fact is facilitated by such aspects as lack of technology, difficult weather conditions, lack of investment, and the proper level of education of the population. Moreover, the low level of medicine contributes to the emergence of deadly diseases among the population. Thus, the study of the causes of poverty in the Republic of Chad will help to form a complete understanding of the problem under study and find the most effective ways to solve it.
Factors Influencing Poverty in the Country
The first factor that contributes to the increase in poverty in Chad is an unfavorable environment. This condition prevents the effective and efficient implementation of agricultural policy, which would improve not only the quality of life of the population but also would help the economy through imports and exports (Angerbrandt, 2017; Wakdok & Bleischwitz, 2021). It is also worth noting that according to the main economic indicators, the country occupies one of the last places in comparison with other countries. These indicators include the level of development of the republic’s industry and the well-being of its residents. Research highlights that “The 2018 National Nutrition Survey recorded that 13.5% of the global population endures acute malnutrition” (“What to know about hunger in Chad”, n.d.). Despite such negative indicators, most of Chad’s workforce is involved in the agricultural sector and its development is of critical importance.
Moreover, its changeable climate is of great importance for the country. This geographical location has a negative impact on the increase in poverty of the population. As already mentioned, a significant part of the inhabitants of the republic are engaged in agriculture and fishing. Thus, a frequently and sharply changing climate, for example, a change in the nature and strength of rain flows, can lead either to oversaturation of the soil or its desiccation. In the same way, these weather conditions can affect the reservoirs and the success of the catch among fishermen. Temperature jumps also worsen the situation with the amount of harvest in the country. The last fact of climate influence is contributing to an increase in the level of infectious diseases. Due to frequent changes in weather conditions, the immunity of the population is falling, and they are more susceptible to various diseases.
Difficult natural and weather conditions are not the only reason for such a high level of poverty. One of the influential factors of such a serious and unfavorable situation is social aspect that causes the increase in the poverty level of the population of the Republic of Chad. The leading cause of the studied problem is the low level of education of the population (Macmillan, 2016). Despite the significantly high population, only half of minors attend school, and some adults may never have attended this institution at all. Moreover, the level of literacy also suffers, which greatly affects other areas of the country’s functioning. Statistics show that “Chad literacy rate for 2016 was 22.31%, a 3.69% decline from 2015. Chad literacy rate for 2015 was 26.00%, a 2.38% decline from 2004” (“Chad literacy rate 1993-2021”, n.d., para. 1). With such a low level of education, there is a division and differentiation of the population by income level, mortality increases, and the general economic downturn in the country.
Especially interesting is the fact that the female population does not have the right to use the services of educational institutions. Moreover, education is quite expensive and not all residents can afford it (Ezeanya-Esiobu, 2019). In addition, not everyone understands the importance of acquiring it and how this aspect can improve their lives and the situation in the republic. The last aspect contributing to the low level of education is the lack of resources in schools and other educational institutions. Thus, many complain about the lack of educational materials and even places for classes.
The next factor that seriously affects the workability of the population is the high susceptibility to various diseases. The most common diseases are malaria, respiratory infections, and HIV or AIDS (Dounebaine & Winskell, 2021; Mindekem et al., 2018). These health deviations most often lead to an increase in mortality in the republic. This factor is reinforced by the low level of healthcare, poor sanitary conditions in the country, insufficient investment in the medical industry, and the unavailability of these services for the poor.
Solutions to the Problem
Many sources note a discrepancy in the development of the economy and the growth rate of the population. Thus, in order to improve this indicator, it is necessary to attract assistance from abroad. This conclusion can be made by analyzing the situation in a country in which there have been no significant positive changes in recent times (Beltram et al., 2020). Among the ways to eradicate poverty and improve the living conditions of the population of the Republic of Chad, it is possible to fasten the development of holistic and modern strategies to combat poverty and ensure access to education and medical care for the poor. Additionally, “eliminating poverty will require robust and sustained interventions along three strategic axes: economic diversification, with a focus on the rural sector, building resilience to multidimensional shocks; and accelerating human capital formation (World Bank, 2021, p. 13). Moreover, it is important to ensure the availability of production resources and the satisfaction of basic human needs in social aspects.
All of the above measures are necessary to ensure social and legislative protection of the population and reduce the vulnerability of certain citizens. Further, solving the problem of poverty in Chad is necessary to eliminate its spread and reduce the number of impoverished people. If this problem is neglected, this indicator will grow and lead to an even greater crisis in the country. Poor health, problems in the agricultural sector, and lack of education are some of the many problems.
Conclusion
This work considered the problem of poverty in the African republic of Chad. It can be concluded that the main factors influencing its development are unfavorable conditions, a low level of education and medicine, and a lack of technology. Thus, the level of poverty can be significantly reduced by applying an effective strategy. Hence, one of the ways to improve the situation in the republic can be investments in the suffering areas of life, increasing the availability of education and medical services, and the country’s action policy.
References
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