USCCB - (SDWP) - Fact Sheet: Poverty, Lack of Education, and Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa

291 million people are living in poverty, nearly half the population. 75 million have been added since 1987 (highest increase of any region in the world).
More than 100 million children are malnourished.
The infant mortality rate is 15 times higher than in high-income countries. For children under five, the mortality rate exceeds 20% in Burkina Faso and Malawi (1998 figures).

Lack of Education

More than 130 million youths and adults cannot read. Fewer than 10% of girls in the poorest areas of Ethiopia, Guinea, Gambia and Mali are enrolled in school.
Poverty and disease are mutually reinforcing: Teachers are dying from HIV/AIDS faster than they can be replaced. In Ivory Coast, five teachers reportedly die each week of the school year.

Disease

2.4 million Africans died from HIV/AIDS in 2000
1.6. million Africans die each year from malaria and tuberculosis (TB)
2 million new TB cases in 1999. Two-thirds of these were also infected with HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS infection means that a person with the TB germ is more than 30 times more likely to become sick with TB.
The number of TB cases in Africa is expected to reach 3.3. million by 2005.
25 million people in the region are infected with HIV. Infection rate on average is one new case every 8 seconds
Infection rate in Botswana is 35%. Infection rate for girls aged 15-19 is more than 15%.
At least 6.5 million AIDS orphans, likely to double by 2010.
The economic infrastructure is adequate in some countries but in other countries needs to be built or improved. Without sound economic infrastructure, health efforts will fail.