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C HAPTER 1 B ASIC H UMAN N EEDS

B asic human needs are the fundamental necessities of life. They include sufficient food, water, and shelter, as well as access to health care. People in developed countries are used to having running water, flush toilets, well- stocked grocery stores, and hospitals and clinics. The people of less-developed nations often live in very different conditions. Words to Understand Child mortality rate: the number of children that die before their fifth birthday for every 1,000 babies born alive. Communicable diseases: illnesses transmitted from one person or animal to another. Also called contagious or infectious diseases. Coup: from the French coup d’état, a sudden attempt by a small group of people to overthrow a government, usually by violence. Famine: a widespread scarcity of food that results in malnutrition and starvation on a large scale. Food security: having reliable access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food. Infrastructure: roads, telecommunications, water systems, and electric grids needed for transportation, communication, and other vital services. Malnutrition: lack of sufficient calories in a diet, or nutrients in a diet, sufficient to impact someone’s health. Political terror: the use of violence and intimidation against political opponents. Urbanization: the act of becoming more like cities; the process by which more and more people leave the countryside to live in towns and cities.

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B ASIC H UMAN N EEDS