PROBLEMS FACING THE DEVELOPING WORLD

1: PROBLEM 1. POOR HEALTH

There are many problems facing the countries of the Poor South. We regularly see pictures of the Poor South on TV and in newspapers. Many of the people living in these countries are less well off than we are. They are homeless, experience health problems, have little food and are poorly educated, and sometimes also affected by war.
But not everyone who lives in the Poor South is poor. Some people live in comfortable houses, wear good clothes and eat good food. Some countries in the Middle East and Asia have their populations split into the very rich and the very poor. Other areas such as Africa have almost total poverty.

PROBLEM 1: HEALTH
Most people living in the developing world have very poor health. Life expectancy provides us with information about the health of a country. In Catalonia we have El Servei Català de Salut, which looks after our health. In the United Kingdom they have the National Health Service. As a result people in Catalunya or UK can expect to live 75 years on average, whereas countries like Sudan have a life expectancy of 53 years.
WHY DO PEOPLE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES HAVE POOR HEALTH?
Poor Sanitation: 2.9 billion people do not have safe sanitation facilities
No doctors: there is a shortage of doctors and nurses
No free medicines: people must pay for their medicines
No free health care: people must pay to see a doctor

EXERCISE 1
Now complete this table:

There are four main reasons why people in developing countries have poor health.  One is that there are poor sanitation facilities.  For example, 2.9 billion people do not have things like clean drinking water.  A second reason is that there is a shortage of doctors and nurses.  Also, there is no free health care as people have to pay  for their medicines.

EXERCISE 2

Compare the two countries in the table below very carefully and state which of the two countries is the healthiest. You have to use full sentences and provide evidence by using the statistics in the table. You should start saying:

1 I think United Kingdom is the healthiest country because the table shows people there live 75  years, whereas in Sudan people live 52 years.

2 I think United Kingdom is the healthiest country because the table shows 7 per 1,000 babies born die in UK, whereas in Sudan 107 per 1,000 babies born die. 

3 I think United Kingdom is the healthiest country because the table shows 1 doctor looks after 710 patients in UK, whereas in Sudan 1 doctor looks after 11,120 patients.

United Kingdom		SUDAN
75 years	Life Expectancy	52 years
7 per 1000 babies born	Infant Mortality (How many babies die per 1000 born)	107 per 1000 babies born
1 Doctor: 710 patients	Doctor Patient Ratio (How many patients a doctor looks after)	1 doctor: 11,110 patients