THE GEOGRAPHICAL INEQUALITIES IN MORTALITY IN AFRICA

This paper reviews the progress that has been made in studies on geogr aphic differentials of mortality in Africa. In general, there is very little known about adult mortality in many Third World countries, and the contributions of geographers have been limited in this area. In ma ny African countries, enormous problems in studies on mortality were e ncountered due to incomplete and unreliable information. Differential levels of mortality are reported in different regions of the African c ontinent and even within each country. Higher childhood mortality rate s are recorded in West and Central Africa when compared with East and Southern Africa; relatively low rates are reported in the Magreb and t he lowest in the small island territories. However, the role of geogra phic and environmental factors at both regional and urban levels are l east exploited. Hence, many analyses of mortality in Africa have conce ntrated more on formal statistical materials and not on the realities of the existing ecological and environmental situation. The paper call s on geographers to exploit ways of utilizing the enormous clinic-base d data in the continent. However, even more can be accomplished when g eographers conduct interdisciplinary research on mortality in Africa.