Modern+Africa

= =  **__Modern Problems in Africa__** = = [|Jared Diamond The Shape of Africa]

[|Africa's Hopeful Economies]

= __**Malaria**__ = Biologists believe that malaria coevolved with humans in Africa. Malaria is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito, which has become infected by biting a human host at a certain stage of the disease. Malaria can spread and infect people, even in temperate climates, but it is only a serious health problem in some economically underdeveloped countries, that is, in the part of the world that was oppressed and colonized by the imperialists. In sub-Shara Africa, mosquitoes transmit malaria very effectively, and the type of malaria parasite most common in the region causes severe, potentially fatal disease. Health experts face many challenges to build solid malaria control programs in the region, including an overall lack of resources, political instability and the emergence of parasites that resist anti-malarial drugs. In the long run, the social and economic conditions that drive malaria transmission- including labor exploitation that put workers at risk of infection, warfare, population displacements and poverty - need to be reduced or eliminated. Visit the link below to find out about one response to the issue. [|"Nothing But Thanks]

=** __AIDS in Africa__ **= Sub-Saharan Africa is home to over 70% of the total world HIV-positive population. In the southernmost region we find countries with HIV prevalance rates of over 30%, the highest in the world. There is no overriding explanation for why HIV has exploded in some areas and not otheres, We tend to draw over-simplistic correlations between HIV/AIDS and demographics such as wealth, literacy or fertility. The information in the website which is linked below allows you to view HIV prevalence along with other forms of demographic data to illustrate that many of these generalizations do not hold true. Identifying what causes HIV to spread is a complicated and growing area of research. When looking at HIV statistics, one should remember that a person can be HIV-positive and show no signs symptoms associated with AIDS. Therefore, a large portion of a country's HIV+ population can be completely healthy. When HIV surges in an area there will be a few years delay until people, families, communities, or the healthcare system are effected. Read the definitions outlined below that will help you understand the statistics on the website. Next, click on the link to Aids in Africa and use the information on the site to answer the questions in your packet.

__**HIV Prevalence**__ HIV prevalence is defined as the percentage of men and women between the ages of 15 and 49 who are HIV positive. UNAIDS and the WHO work with national governments and research institutions to calculate this using a methodology that has thus far proved accurate. Note that the estimates do not claim to be an exact count of infections.

__**Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per Capita**__ GDP represents the value of all goods and services produced domestically in a country within a year. The average GDP is obtained by dividing the GDP by the population. This figure provides a measurement of average wealth, but can be misleading because a country's wealth is usually distributed very unevenly. GDP and population figures are obtained by the U.S. Census Bureau, International Database and The World Factbook, 2001.

__**Fertility**__ Fertility is a measurement of the "childbearing performance" of a population. It is the ratio of live births in an area to the population of that area. The numbers are expressed here as per 1000 population per year.

__**Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)**__ The corruption figures are based on "The 2002 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index." The index defines corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain. It measures CPI by examining how corruption is perceived by business people and country analysts. The scale is between 0 and 10, with lower numbers meaning higher perception of corruption. Only 102 of the world's countries are surveyed. This study is integrated into the map to counteract the generalization that all African countries are highly corrupt. Botswana, for example, is ranked between France and Ireland in the CPI study.

[|Aids in Africa]

=__** Food Crisis in Africa **__= Tens of millions of people across more than half the states in sub-Saharan Africa need urgent food aid, but the causes are often complex and varied. Visit the two links below to gain an understanding of the causes and potential solutions for this issue.

[|Q&A Food Crisis]

[|Map Food Crisis in Africa]

= **__Violence and Instability__** =

By now, most of you have heard of the Kony2012 Campaign started by Invisible Children and many of you have watched the 30 minute video that was produced on the topic. The campaign has been the topic of much debate in the past week. Some believe it is an excellent use of technology to bring about social and political justice, while others feel that it is misguided or even condescending to the people of Uganda. What do you think?
 * __ Kony2012 __**


 * [|Fact Checking KONY2012] **


 * [|Ugandian Response] **

In case you have not yet had the chance to watch the video produced by Invisible Children, a link appears below. Please note, that the segment is almost 30 minutes long, and you will not have time to watch it during class. [|KONY2012]

**__Issues in Sudan__**
 * Though the crisis in Darfur has reached some stability is recent years, the area still suffers from violence arising to ethnic conflict. Read Nicholas Kristof's article on new issues in Sudan**

[|Echoes of Darfur]