Venezuela

Venezuela is located on the northern coast of South America, bounded by Brazil, Guyana and Colombia on the south and the Caribbean Ocean on the north. When Christopher Columbus arrived in 1498, he named the area Tierra de Gracia, or the Land of Grace. It is one of the world's most bio-diverse areas, containing within its borders both the northern tip of the Andes Mountains and the northern edge of the Amazonian rainforest. The broad Orinoco River flows across the middle of the country, and Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall, lies on the Churún River in central Bolivar state. Venezuela is a founding member of OPEC and one of the world's top petroleum producers, as well as a leading producer of coffee and cocoa. Yet, despite its material wealth, many Venezuelans continue to suffer from poverty and malnutrition.

The population is 26,034,000 and increasing at 1.486 percent annually. The birth rate is 21.22 per 1,000 and the death rate is 5.08 per 1,000. Median age is 24.9 years. Life expectancy is 70.24 years for males and 76.48 years for females. Gross national income is $4810 per capita, with 38 percent of the population living below the poverty level, and 8 percent living on less that $1 a day. Oil is the driving force of the economy, comprising 90 percent of export earnings and 30 percent of the gross domestic product. Most Venezuelans work in industry or services, with just 13 percent of the population working in agriculture.

Many of the communicable diseases that have impacted Venezuelans most over the decades are beginning to wane. Malaria is decreasing, although it was still prevalent throughout a quarter of the country in the late 1990s. Dengue fever, both hemorrhagic and classic, are endemic in several regions, as is onchocerciasis, or river blindness. Three million people live in at-risk areas for Chagas’ disease. There was a yellow fever outbreak in 2004 after years of relative quiet. At the same time, plague seems to be dormant, and cases of leprosy, schistosomiasis, Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever, and equine encephalitis are increasingly sporadic. Based on somewhat limited reporting, the prevalence rate for HIV/AIDS is believed to be around 0.7 percent.

As Venezuela develops a more modern economy, health concerns are shifting from communicable to non-communicable disorders. Obesity rates are climbing, and more people are becoming accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle. Smoking and alcohol use are other leading risk factors. The leading causes of death are now cardiovascular disease, accidents and violence, and cancers. In 2000, about 600,000 Venezuelans had diabetes. By 2020, the World Health Organization estimates the figure will be closer to 1.6 million.

Children have been faring better in recent years. Mortality rates are low, with 18 deaths per 1,000 in infants and 21 deaths per 1,000 for children between age 1 to 5. Immunization rates are in the 90th percentile, and the country is polio and diphtheria free. UNICEF notes that despite these gains, serious problems exist. By their estimates, 21 percent of children are malnourished and 13 percent show signs of stunting. Access to education is unequal, particularly for children of African or indigenous descent.

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