Table 1 sets out the HDI and its components by region for 1994. Life expectancy in Africa is 53 years, compared to 61 in South Asia. Much of the lower life expectancy in Africa reflects higher child mortality. Under-five mortality rates are 31% higher in Africa than in South Asia, and infant mortality rates 19% higher. However, adult mortality is also much higher in Africa than elsewhere (see World Bank, 1993). The explanation for the higher child mortality is probably not under-nutrition: the proportions of low-birth weight infants and of underweight children under five are much lower in Africa than in South Asia (see Table 47, UNDP, 1997). Instead, inferior health care is likely to be a factor.
Immunisation rates are much lower in Africa: only 60.5% of one year olds are fully immunised against measles compared to 75% in South Asia; disparities in immunisation against tuberculosis are similar.
Access to health services is lower in Africa: only 61% can reach a health facility by foot or local means within one hour, compared to 82% in South Asia. This partly reflects the lower population density in Africa. However, there are also less medical personnel. For the sample of countries for which information is available, there are estimated to be 16,957 people per doctor in Africa compared to 3,704 in South Asia. Another factor may be lack of access to “safe water”: only 56% of Africans have access to safe water, compared to 76% of people in South Asia.
Africa has higher adult literacy rates than South Asia. This largely reflects the higher rates of literacy among women in Africa compared to South Asia (43% compared to 34%; for men, literacy rates are 64% and 62% respectively)3. Nonetheless, African men are still nearly 50%
more likely to be literate than African women. Africa’s superiority in literacy rates is likely to be eroded over time: school enrolment rates are now lower in Africa than in any other region.
Combined primary, secondary and tertiary enrolment ratios average 46% in Africa, compared to 53% in South Asia. In most developing countries outside of Africa, male gross primary enrolment ratios are close to 100% whilst in Africa they are 85% (for girls, gross primary enrolment ratios are 73%). Box 1 discusses the issues raised by gender and human resource development.
These comparisons of Africa with other regions need to be seen in the context of trends in income and human development since 1960.
Human Capital and Economic Development Simon Appleton and Francis Teal
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