NAME: CHUA, ANGELICA B.
DEGREE: BS-BIO
DATE: SEPTEMBER 25, 2020
REFELECTION PAPER ABOUT THE NEW INSIGHT ON POVERTY BY HANS ROSLING
Hans Rosling is a Swedish professor and scientist best known as a TED speaker. His
presentations include topics such as poverty and the developing countries. A few minutes in the show
I observed that he has a knack for statistics and data visualization. In his latest topic he utilizes his
amazing data tools to demonstrate how countries are lifting themselves out of poverty.
Most poor countries progressed toward becoming developed, exhibiting patterns of low fertility
rates and increasing life expectancy. The only notable exception to this trend has been Africa, which
continues to have big families and poor life expectancy as a result of the HIV epidemic. Rosling
claims that statistics can be deceptive. In comparison to the United States and Sweden, it is clear that
nations in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East have made more improvements in health,
education, and human resource possession than industrialized Western countries. Health
improvement is outpacing economic progress in the world's rising nations. Rosling shows Dollar
Street, which compares homes of various income levels throughout the world. Then he performs
something truly incredible. The Human rights, the environment, government, economic growth,
education, health, and culture are all elements of development, or the tools required to escape
poverty. He contends that while economic expansion is the most essential way of achieving
development, it should not be the primary objective. The major objectives should be to promote
culture and human rights.
Furthermore, it is clear that every country acquired prosperity and health at the expense of
carbon dioxide emissions. On the issue of global warming, world leaders warn that rising economies
emit much too much carbon dioxide into the environment. The developing economies argue that the
present trends in climate change are the result of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development nations, or wealthier countries. According to Rosling, this issue must be addressed.
Rosling then discusses poverty, ways to get out of poverty, and lastly how to move away from poverty
in order to achieve long-term development. Rosling spent 20 years researching African farmers who
were on the verge of famine. “When you are in poverty, everything is about survival, it is about having
food.” To get out of poverty, they need technology. “Rosling said. When a person is poor, everything
revolves on yields all it's also about surviving or obtaining access to food. Technology is becoming
increasingly important in the fight to lift people out of poverty. Nevertheless, in order for a country to
grow indefinitely, it requires a market and human resources, notably schools, health, infrastructure,
credit, and knowledge. Lastly, Rosling concludes his lecture by looking at the components of
development in descending order of importance: economic growth, government, education, health,
the environment, human rights, and culture. Rosling contrasts between the methods to accomplish
development and the actual development objectives within these elements.
Rosling asserts that no country has achieved health and economic progress without growing
carbon dioxide emissions. While Rosling recognizes the gravity of the situation, he offers no
remedies. It may appear that there is no remedy based on the data he presents and the following lack
of evidence on how to address this situation. Rosling also argues that the most essential way to
achieve development is through economic growth. His graphical portrayal appears to ignore other
aspects that might be equally relevant. The graph fails to illustrate the interdependence and reliance
of all of the factors he cites. Human rights, in particular property rights, are critical to economic
prosperity. Moreover, solid human rights cannot exist in the absence of effective, stable government.
Even though Rosling appears to grasp these issues since he gives them some credit as a way of
growth, the inadequate graphical depiction at the conclusion of the lecture generates confusion.
