Africa - health conditions
The disease and health conditions are
strongly affected by poverty, turbulent
political conditions accompanied by civil
wars, as well as by the special climatic
conditions. Child and maternal mortality is
high, the birth rate is also (over three
times as high as in Denmark), and life
expectancy is approximately 20 years shorter
than the Danes'.
The organized disease treatment is
centered in the big cities and therefore out
of reach of large sections of the
population; the primary health care service
is sought to be expanded with the help of
international organizations. Often only 1%
of the gross domestic product is spent on
health, compared with 6-7% in Denmark.
The widespread malnutrition and
malnutrition form the basis of the famine
disease kwashiorkor and infections, which
occur more frequently and have a more
violent course with greater mortality than
in our part of the world; poorer water and
sanitation conditions also contribute.
Traffic accidents and diseases caused by
alcohol and tobacco play an increasing role.
The tropical diseases malaria,
bilharziasis, yellow fever and sleeping
sickness are found where it is humid and
hot. In drier areas (e.g. the Sahel region)
extensive epidemics of meningitis occur.
Egyptian eye disease is common in dry areas
and often causes blindness. Respiratory
tract infection, diarrheal disease (cholera,
dysentery and typhoid), intestinal worms,
polio and infectious hepatitis are common
infectious diseases.
The prevalence of AIDS has been rising
sharply. In the worst-affected countries,
10-30% of younger adults are infected, most
often through heterosexual transmission;
HIV-infected pregnant women can pass the
infection on to newborns. The fight is
hampered by poor economy, war, drought,
floods as well as cultural traditions and
prejudices.
Africa - population
According to
Countryaah, the population of Africa is estimated at over 1
billion. (2010); the continent of Africa is sparsely
populated in relation to its area, 27
residents per. km2, but the
figure covers significant regional
variations. The vast desert and semi-desert
areas have a population density below 1
resident per. km2, which also
applies to the rainforest areas of central
Africa. In contrast, the population density
is almost 1000 in the river oasis around the
lower reaches of the Nile. Densely populated
areas are also found along the Mediterranean
coast, on the coast of West Africa, in the
Ethiopian highlands, on Lake Victoria and on
the East African coast. In South Africa, the
density is particularly high in the
Transvaal industrial and mining region.
Population development
The slave trade, epidemics and gross
exploitation of the African population led
to a decline or stagnation in the population
in the period 1650-1850. In the following
100 years, the population is thought to have
doubled, and after 1940 it has continued to
grow. The death rate (number of deaths per
year per 1000 residents) has been declining,
but is generally higher than in other
developing countries. The explanation for
the large population growth is therefore the
large number of births.
In the 1980's, population growth was
approximately 3.1 percent per year, which is
more than almost anywhere else in the world.
Growth in the economy and food production
was significantly lower. Measured per
population, the latter fell by 6 percent
over the decade. This has led to supply
insecurity and deteriorating nutritional
conditions. Thus in 1992 there were 28
million. school-age children malnourished in
sub- Saharan Africa. This is also reflected
in a low average life expectancy, 54 years
(2005) and in a high infant mortality rate:
Out of 1000 births, 107 die during the first
year of life.
In the 1970's and 1980's, a number of
famines hit the continent, particularly
Ethiopia, Somalia and Mozambique. These
disasters are closely linked to civil wars
in these areas, but can also be explained by
a production that is increasingly out of
ecological balance. One consequence has been
large refugee flows towards cities or across
national borders.
Children and young people make up 45
percent of the population (1990). This puts
a lot of pressure on the education sector
and leads, especially in the cities, to
underemployment and unemployment.
Relocations and urban development
Only a third of the population lives in
cities, and the urban population has grown
strongly since 1960. However, there are
large differences between countries.
Although Africa is less urbanized than the
rest of the world, there have been important
urban formations far back in time. 7000
years ago, cities existed around the lower
reaches of the Nile, and 800-900 years ago,
the caravan trade across the Sahara created
the basis for cities such as Kairouan,
Biskra and Marrakesh in the north and
Timbuktu, Gao and Kano in the savannah area
of West Africa on the other side of the
desert. In East Africa, Mombasa and
Mogadishu emerged during the same periodas
Arab trading cities. European colonization
led to the emergence of many coastal towns,
and in the late 1800's a number of
administrative towns were formed inside the
continent.
The colonization led to a great need for
labor for the construction of roads and
railways as well as for work in plantations
and mines. To force Africans into these
jobs, taxes or direct forced labor were
introduced. Thus the migrant work was
founded; it is still widespread and includes
especially men who leave the family for
shorter or longer periods to work in the
city, on plantations or in mines. This is
widespread in West and South Africa as well
as in North Africa, and migrations often
take place across national borders. The
income from this plays a major role for the
family, and in some countries (Lesotho and
Mozambique) they have at times been of
crucial importance to the national economy.
The rapid urban growth is also rooted in
the development policies of many African
governments. Often, urban occupations have
been favored at the expense of agriculture,
and the location of education and health
centers has also attracted the rural
population. The influx has been so great
that slums on the outskirts of big cities
have grown uncontrollably. Unemployment and
underemployment are widespread and the
opportunities for formal wage labor are few.
The majority of employees are in occupations
in the informal sector, which continue to
grow strongly. The pronounced poverty is
reflected in a significant crime, a large
number of beggars, prostitutes, etc. At the
same time, it is characteristic that the
family, even in the cities, has largely
retained its role as the primary frame of
reference for social and economic life.
Income earned in cities,
Emigration from Africa in the 20th
century was not great, but seems to be
exacerbated by the economic and ecological
crisis on the continent. The relocations are
predominantly directed at the old colonial
powers; the vast majority of Africans in
Europe are Moroccans and Algerians in France
and Spain - many of them illegal immigrants.
Africa - men and women
From birth, life for men and women is
divided. Boys are brought up to take over
the father's work tasks, and girls help the
mother with typical women's tasks such as
fetching water and firewood, caring for
small children, field work and cooking. Men
and women each have control over what they
earn, but traditionally wage labor is not
accepted for women. In particular, they earn
their income by selling food and other goods
they produce themselves. In West Africa in
particular, this has meant that market trade
is dominated by women. In the cities, women
are more dependent on men, but often they
generate income in the informal sector. Only
a small number of women have paid work -
especially in education, health or in the
office. In political life, women play almost
no role.
Migrant work has increased the workload
of women and often forces them to hire male
assistants, e.g. because the working tools
of the two sexes are different.
In societies where the inheritance
follows the husband's lineage (patrilineal
society), it is often a question of bridal
purchases, and it is difficult for women to
file for divorce. This system was
strengthened during the colonial era and
with the spread of private property. Women
marry earlier than men. Polygamy is still
prevalent, especially in better-off families
in the countryside.
In Muslim societies, other norms apply in
part, but the crucial thing is that women's
lives are centered around the home. |