Yr12 - Reducing differences in Development

You are likely to get a question on how we can reduce the differences between one country and another. This is normally the last question in the assessment paper and one that traditionally people struggle with! However, if you know your case study, it can be one of the easiest :)

Some general things that can be done globally to help reduce the differences between one country and another are listed below.

Trade – The action of buying and selling goods and services.

Market access – Allowing all countries to sell and buy goods without any restrictions.

Fairtrade – Ensuring that countries get paid a fair price for their food.

Debt Relief – Writing off or reducing the money owed by poor countries.

Aid – Supplying food, water, labour, technology to those countries that need help.

Remittances – People working abroad who send money home to their country.

Remember this video we watched in class about dropping the debt?

Or this one on Fairtrade?

Both of these videos are examples of what can be done generally to reduce the differences between one country and another.

However you will need to also give specific examples of things that can be done to improve life for people in Mozambique.

1. Reduce the spread of Malaria.

Malaria is a life-threatening blood disease caused by parasites and is transmitted to humans by the mosquitoes. Once bitten, parasites multiply in the host's liver before infecting and destroying red blood cells.

Malaria is the leading killer of children in Mozambique. About 36,000 children die from malaria every year and the disease accounts for 40 per cent of all out-patient consultations and up to 60 per cent of in-patients in paediatric wards.  

There are three principal ways in which malaria can contribute to death in young children. First, an overwhelming acute infection, which frequently manifests as seizures or coma, may kill a child directly and quickly.  

Second, repeated malaria infections contribute to the development of severe anaemia, which substantially increases the risk of death.

Third, low birth weight – frequently the consequence of malaria infection in pregnant women – is a major risk factor for death in the first month of life.  

One of the best ways to prevent malaria, together with house spraying with insecticides, is to sleep at night under an insecticide-treated bed net or the newer long-lasting insecticidal nets, which do not need retreatment. Mozambique has a widespread programme for the distribution and promotion of insecticide-treated mosquito nets.

Between 2000 and 2009, UNICEF (United Nations Internationsal Childrens Emergency Fund - an NGO (Non Governmental Organisation)) supported the distribution of 2.9 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets to pregnant women, children under five, orphaned and vulnerable children and people living with HIV across the country, out of a total of over 6 million nets distributed by various partners.

By 2009, pregnant women in all provinces except Maputo received a long-lasting insecticide treated mosquito nets through antenatal services.

The UNICEF-supported programme complements the government’s Indoor Residual Spraying programme.

The insecticide-treated mosquito nets are distributed free of charge to pregnant women through routine antenatal care services in health facilities and to children under five through health campaigns.

UNICEF has worked with the Ministry of Health and a range of partners to develop a cost effective strategy of mosquito nets distribution at district level under the management of District Health Teams.

How will this help to reduce the differences between Mozambique and other countries?
How will this improve the life of people in Mozambique?

• Reduce the number of deaths from Malaria.
• Reduce the spread of disease by mosquitoes.
• Allow people to grow up healthy and work to earn money and improve their country.
• Reduce the amount of money spent on health care which can be spent elsewhere to improve the country.

You could also discuss the policies that are attempting to reduce the spread of Aids which I will post about at a later date.

This Article on Mozambique becoming land mine free was only published earlier this month and describes how the country has just been declared land mine free. This is likely to have a huge impact on the ability of the country to develop. It means that people can now use all of their land without worrying about the risk of being blown up! Could allow them to develop the land and their economy at an increasing rate and therefore improve their level of development. Could be worth mentioning in the assessment!