Causes Of Underdevelopment In Africa Flashcards
One political cause of underdevelopment in Africa is conflict
Africa suffers from numerous conflicts and civil wars and has the lowest GDP per capita of any continent
What happens to the economic growth of countries in conflict
On average, annual economic growth in countries in intense conflicts is about 2.5% points lower than
What is happening in South Sudan
South Sudan became its own country in 2011 after a 21 year civil war with Sudan, however, the ever since South Sudan was created, different ethnic groups in the country have fought against each other for power and resources such as cattle
What impact has the war in South Sudan had on its people
Roughly 3.7 million people have fled their homes and 6.9 million people are experiencing hunger
Food production can be greatly affected by conflict
Conflict causes countries to lose an average of 12% food production annually. In extreme cases such as Angola food production was reduced by 44% during the civil war(1975-2002)
How much have African countries paid in debt
Developing countries in sub Saharan Africa paid about $84 billion in debt servicing in 2021 with countries in the Middle East and North Africa paying a further $45 billion
Extreme debt can put certain countries in ‘debt distress’
According to the world bank as of 2024 there were 9 African countries in ‘debt distress’. Some of these countries were Sudan, Somalia, Zambia and Congo
Debt is increasing amongst African countries
The number of countries in debt distress has worryingly doubled since 2015. Looking ahead to 2024 and 2025, those countries will face debt repayments six times higher than their debt servicing in 2021
In 2005 the G7 finance ministers meeting in London agreed to cancel the debt of 36 countries. The resulting benefits have been considerable
Zambia introduced free healthcare for those living in rural areas. In Ghana debt cancellation was used to fund free early education
What is one of the main ways in which disease spreads in Africa
Many communities lack clean water and proper sanitation facilities this means that illnesses caused by poor hygiene such as cholera and diarrhoea are common
How many people live with HIV in Africa
There are currently an estimated 25.7 million people living with HIV in Africa
Malaria cases are high in Africa especially in DRC
Africa accounts for 94% of all malaria cases in 2022. DRC accounts for 12.3% of global deaths from malaria. One reason for this is their very poor doctor to patient ratio with 0.09 doctors per 1000 inhabitants
What affect did HIV have on life expectancy
At the height of the HIV epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa between 1990-2000 average life expectancy was around 49.5 years
