Zambia

LOCATED IN southern Africa, the Republic of Zambia is one of the poorest nations in the world, with a poverty rate of 86 percent and an unemployment rate of 50 percent. The average annual per capita income is $320, and poverty is particularly prevalent in rural areas and among women. Approximately 87.4 percent of Zambians live on less than $2 a day, and 63.7 percent live on less than $1 a day. Income is unevenly distributed, and the poorest 20 percent of Zambians possess only 3.3 percent of income, as compared to 56.6 percent for the richest 20 percent.

Half of Zambia's population is malnourished, and the status of nutrition and health has decreased markedly since the 1980s because of poverty, food insecurity, a poor economy, droughts, and low expenditures on basic services. Around 2.3 million people have needed emergency food in recent years. Some 61 percent of all female-headed households experience food shortages, which last longer than those in male-headed households.

In response to the widespread poverty, the Zambian government has instituted the Public Welfare Assistance Scheme to provide health and education benefits to needy families, and food packages are distributed under an anti-malnutrition program. The Zambian population has been compared to those in war-torn countries, and human rights groups have accused the government of failing to follow through on antipoverty initiatives.

Formerly known as Northern Rhodesia, Zambia has had a troubled political history of corruption and mismanagement. Economically, 85 percent of Zambians are involved in subsistence agriculture, and crops are threatened by periodic droughts. In response to efforts by the Carter Center of Emory University, maize production is currently on the upswing, and agricultural prospects are somewhat brighter. Copper mining, which has proved to be a major resource for Zambia in the past, has improved since privatization was instituted. Zambia's other natural resources include cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, and hydropower, but all of the assets need to be developed.

Life expectancy in Zambia is low, with a projected life span of 39.7 years. The median age is 16.46 years. Almost half of the population is under the age of 14, and only 2.4 percent of Zambians reach the age of 65. The 16.5 percent prevalence rate for HIV/AIDS is a major reason for low life expectancy. In 2005, it was estimated that 920,000 people were living with this disease, which had already caused 89,000 deaths. Because 36 percent of the population lack access to safe water and 22 percent lack access to proper sanitation, Zambians are at very high risk for developing food- and waterborne diseases that are common in Africa. Malaria and plague are not unusual in some areas of the country. There are only seven physicians for every 100,000 residents, and 21 to 50 percent of the population cannot afford essential drugs.

Childhood mortality is high in Zambia. Between 1970 and 2005, infant mortality decreased from 109 to 88.29 deaths out ofevery 1,000 live births. During that same period, the mortality rate of children under the age of 5 remained stable, with more than 180 deaths per 1,000. Some 28 percent of all Zambian children under the age of 5 are malnourished, and seven percent are severely underweight. Approximately 47 percent of under-5s suffer from moderate to severe stunting, and five percent experience moderate to severe wasting. Rates of infant immunizations have been uneven over the past decade, with DPT immunizations increasing from 71 to 78 percent and measles vaccinations rising from 68 to 85 percent. At the same time, infant polio immunizations dropped from 88 to 79 percent and infant tuberculosis vaccinations declined from 100 to 92 percent.

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