Niger

THE WESTERN AFRICAN nation of Niger, which borders the Sahara Desert, is one of the poorest countries in the world. In Niger 63 percent of the people live in poverty, and Nigerien women make up two-thirds of that number. The Nigerien government offers few social services, even to its poorest residents. Nigeriens live on an average annual income of $180, with 85.3 percent of the population subsisting on less than $2 a day and 61.4 percent surviving on less than $1 a day.

Inequality is prevalent in Niger, and the poorest 20 percent of the population claim only 2.6 percent of resources as compared to 53.3 percent for the richest 20 percent. Niger is ranked 50.5 on the Gini Index of Human Inequality.

With 90 percent of Nigeriens dependent on subsistence agriculture, Niger has done little to develop natural resources, which include coal, iron ore, gold, and petroleum. Niger's uranium deposits are among the largest in the world, but uranium prices have declined in recent years. Because Niger is landlocked, there is limited access to freshwater sources. Crops are frequently destroyed by prolonged droughts, and poor farming practices have created widespread soil exhaustion and erosion. In 2000 Niger was admitted to the International Monetary Fund's Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program and the government committed itself to poverty reduction and improved education and services. Some 50 percent of the Nigerien budget is derived from foreign donors.

The life expectancy of 42.13 years and the median age of 16.25 are indicative of the poor quality of life for most Nigeriens. Nearly half of the population of 11,665,937 is under the age of 14, and only 2.1 percent reach the age of 65. Nigerians have only a 38.7 percent chance of surviving to the age of 40. Nigerians are subject to the common food-and waterborne diseases that affect much of sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 41 percent lack access to safe water, and 80 percent lack access to proper sanitation. With a 2003 HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 1.2 percent, 70,000 Nigeriens live with the disease and 4,800 have died. Common health conditions become life-threatening in Niger because of a shortage of physicians and lack of access to affordable lifesaving drugs.

While the infant mortality rate of 154 deaths per 1,000 live births recorded in 2003 is extremely high, the rate is a definite decline from 197 per 1,000 in 1970. During that same period, the mortality rate for children under the age of 5 declined from 330 to 262 out of 1,000. Mortality continues to be high, however, in large part because children lack proper access to nutrition and healthcare. Some 40 percent of all children under the age of five are malnourished, 14 percent severely so. About 40 percent suffer from moderate to severe stunting, and 14 percent experience moderate to severe wasting. Less than 40 percent of Nigerien children receive lifesaving oral rehydration therapy when needed.

Even though childhood immunizations can save lives, immunization rates in Niger are unacceptably low. In 2003, for example, 36 percent of children between 12 and 23 months old were not immunized against measles and 48 percent were not immunized against DPT3. Even so, small gains have been made. Between 1990 and 2002, infant measles immunizations increased from 25 to 48 percent and tuberculosis immunizations rose from 32 to 47 percent. At the same time, DPT and polio infant immunizations increased from 22 to 23 percent and from 20 to 25 percent respectively.

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