SubSaharan Africa1 essays

SubSaharan Africa1 essays Cultural determinants of fertility 5 Women's Time, and Their Role in Rural Production and Household Maintenance Systems 7 Promoting Environmentally Sustainable Agriculture 8 Infrastructure Development and Settlement Policy 10 Africa's hopes for a better future depend in large part on improving the health of its people. Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a period of extraordinary change. Across the continent, policy reforms are contributing to dynamic economic growth. Greater political openness has strengthened the commitment of African governments to meeting the basic needs of their people. Despite these positive trends, sub-Saharan Africa faces a development challenge greater than any other region. Much of the continent's population remains desperately poor. With record numbers of adolescents entering their childbearing years, in less than three decades Africa's population is projected to double again from the current level of 620 million. Meanwhile, many African nations are struggling to provide health and education services to populations expanding at a small percent a year. In many countries, rapid population growth is contributing to degradation of the environment and undermining prospects for prosperity. Africa's hopes for a better future depend in large part on improving the health of its people. Better access to good quality reproductive health services, particularly family planning, is key to improving health status - especially for women. The reality of reproductive health in Africa, however, is far from ideal. Women begin child-bearing in their teens an d have an average of six children. Meanwhile, AIDS has struck hard in Sub-Saharan Africa, where roughly 1 in 10 adults - both men and women - are infected with HIV. Yet traditional attitudes favoring large families are changing rapidly, owing to the growth of cities, the rising cost of living and lower child death rates, among other factors. De...