Poverty In The Philippines And Bangladesh

One of the biggest problems prevalent in Asian countries such as the Philippines and Bangladesh consists of what to do about the high percentages of population in poverty. The United Nations Development Programme defines poverty as making less than $1.25 a day, however, most people in poverty also suffer from a lack of food, shelter, water and sanitation as well as limited access to medical care and education. According to the World Factbook, the Philippines percentage of population in poverty is presently at 25.2% while Bangladesh is at 31.5%. Despite what economic growth these countries may gain, some individuals are still simply unable to prosper. This can be due to a lack of assets or particular skills necessary for one to advance economically,

According to Dowling (2009), “Teenage pregnancy also tends to be higher among females with little formal education.” (p.19) As a result, these poor adolescent females have many children that will be born in poverty, adding to the vicious cycle. Even more, these children are being forced to work and the country has begun to depend on child labor in order to survive. Nearly 15% of children in the country are either being forced to work in fields, as agriculture is the main source of income, or in various factories. In addition, most families also own little or no land, and have no livestock or farming equipment. If something were to happen, such as illness, death, crop failure, or loss of wages, the family would have no resources to help them burying them further into

Since the independence of Bangladesh in 1971 many plans have been created to try and alleviate the poverty issue, however most have failed. There is an elite class that dominates over the poor which is the main reason none of these plans succeed. None of them attempt to change the status quo, and in return, most only end up giving fuel to the richer class. In the 2012 Bangladesh poverty reduction strategy paper there were five strategies developed for accelerating poverty reduction. For example, the first strategy includes ensuring that there is equal opportunity for everyone to advance economically, regardless of race, gender, age, or obstacles. Most importantly they are focusing on child health and education. This includes eradicating polio and other life threatening diseases. It has also been discovered that the poor benefit significantly from vaccinations and will have better access to them. Children will also receive supplements of vitamin A and other vitamins as well. This report also claims that “Efforts will be made to increase enrollment rate, increase contact hours, and maintain gender parity in access and achievement.” In addition to the improvements in health and education, the government will also provide services for the safety, security, and protection of life, liberty and wealth,” (Bangladesh poverty