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C HAPTER 1 B ASIC H UMAN N EEDS

M eeting basic human needs is the first step toward social progress. Basic needs are the things that people need to live: enough food, clean water, improved sanitation, adequate shelter, and access to basic medical care. People also need to be safe and to feel safe. In 1948 the organization that has become today’s Organization of American States (OAS) adopted the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man. Article IX defines the right of people to have their basic needs met: Words to Understand Communicable diseases: diseases transmitted from one person or animal to another. Also called contagious or infectious diseases. Example diseases include measles, influenza, malaria, hepatitis, and rabies. Gross domestic product (GDP): the total value of all products and services created in a country during a year. GDP per capita (per person): the gross domestic product divided by the number of people in the country. For example, if the GDP for a country is one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) and the population is one million people (1,000,000), then the GDP per capita (value created per person) is $100. Income inequality: when the wealth of a country is spread unevenly among the population and the income gap between the rich and the poor is very large. Undernourishment: not getting enough food or good-quality food to promote health or proper growth.

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B ASIC H UMAN N EEDS