9781422283868

B ASIC H UMAN N EEDS C HAPTER 1

L ike many countries in Africa, the nations in the western, middle, and southern regions have histories fraught with wars, making development difficult at best. Not only did most of these countries have to fight to gain their independence from Britain, France, and other European nations, but they frequently have had to endure years of civil war. This has made building or rebuilding their economies and providing infrastructure a challenging endeavor. Although many of these countries have ample natural resources, others depend on neighboring nations for some necessities such as food and fuel oil. Words to Understand Communicable diseases: diseases transmitted from one person or animal to another. Also called contagious or infectious diseases. Infrastructure: basic equipment or facilities needed for a country or area to opeate. Mortality rate: a measure of the number of deaths over a particular period usually given per 1,000 individuals. Infant mortality rate is the death rate during the first year of life. Child mortality rate is the number of deaths of children less than five years old. Maternal mortality rate is the number of deaths due to births or pregnancy-related problems of women of reproductive age (generally defined as 15 to 44 years of age). Also called death rate. Noncommunicable disease: a disease that is not infectious or transmitted from one person or animal to another. Examples include heart disease, stroke, and cancers.

15

B ASIC H UMAN N EEDS