Global Issues
id21 is the free development research reporting service bringing you UK-sourced research on developing countries

Poverty
Collective action promotes economic development in Kerala
Public participation in social and political decision-making is considered to be an essential condition for successful economic development. Through collective action and participation, people (particularly poor people) get a valuable opportunity to voice their needs and demands. But what type and what level of collective action will help rather than harm economic development?

Far from the city: child labour in Nepal
Many children in developing countries have to work, but child labour has long-term effects on the ability of developing countries to reduce poverty. How many children there are in each family, and how close they live to cities, can shape the type of work they do and the education they receive.

Health care policies help poverty reduction in Uganda
Ill-health is a major reason why many people remain poor in developing countries. Households headed by a sick individual are also more likely to become poor. In Uganda , the decision to abolish user fees for health care provides an opportunity to examine how primary services can help promote development and reduce poverty.

Social security for developing countries: no longer a myth
Too often, social security is thought of as a luxury that developing countries cannot afford. Yet there have been successful measures to protect vulnerable groups in developing countries. The question is not whether social security is necessary in developing economies, but how it can be put into place.

A vicious cycle: AIDS, famine and poverty
Smallholder peasant families in Malawi face two major risks: AIDS and famine. Malawi has the eighth highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS in the world. It is also prone to food shortage and experienced a major famine in 2001-02.

The ethical poverty line: a better measure of global poverty
The standard poverty line measure of US$1-a-day is unrealistically low. It disguises the real level of global poverty and understates the challenge of eliminating poverty. A poverty line of between US$2 and US$3-a-day would provide a more adequate measure of well-being and a truer estimate of the cost of eliminating poverty.