This week’s essay looks at the separate areas of Health and Religion to understand their impact on the wealth of the Sub-Saharan region.
Health
The link between poverty and health is well understood from a number of Western studies. These studies have established that those with low incomes have a lower health status than those with higher incomes. The implicit implication is that low income causes lower health. However the question for this essay is the opposite: in Africa, does poor health result in less wealth.
There is no doubt that Sub-Saharan Africa shoulders more than it’s share of diseases. Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and a host of childhood diseases contribute to leave the region with 25% of the global disease burden. The average life expectancy in 2006 was 46 years of age. It is estimated that AIDS alone slashes 20 years off the life expectancy of the average person.
With such a disease problem it would seem reasonable that the training of healthcare workers be a priority for the region. Unfortunately despite efforts to develop the skills of talented individuals, the high salaries on offer for healthcare workers in the west draws the majority of skilled talent out of Africa. The region shoulders 25% of the world’s disease burden with just 1.3% of it’s health workers.
So how specifically do the lower health levels impact wealth? The average number of sick days taken by a Japanese person is 5 per year, an American 6, and a Briton 10. The equivalent figures for the Sub-Saharan region are not published, but extrapolating our office records (sample of 13) the figure would be in excess of 12 days a year. This is despite staff coming to work with a 3” open wound in their leg from a fall that morning, or so sick with fever that by lunch time they are slumped in the corner and need driving home. In other words, when they stay at home they are really sick, often from Malaria. Once in your system Malaria can strike again at any time and will take you out with fever for 2-3 days. Increased sick days result in lower productivity.
The average life expectancy of 46 also has a significant impact on wealth. It is recognized that experience counts, the average age of a board member in the west is just under 60, and in theory at least these are the people adding the most value to a business. With a life expectancy so low, few individuals gain the lifetime of experience needed to make smart, strategic decisions at the top. Poor strategic decisions, made with a lack of prior experience result in inefficiencies, and lost income.
Finally the burden of care weighs heavily on the region’s people. From child birth complications and childhood diseases to the care of AIDS patients, it is rarely just the individual affected whose life is dominated by the disease. Mothers, family members and friends are all required to help, often at the expense of their employment, and their contribution to the generation of national wealth.
To conclude this section, a quote from the WHO Regional Director for Africa:
"The link between poverty and health is no longer in doubt. In the African context, the heavy burden of disease causes a significant loss of output which, in turn, accentuates the gap between the actual and potential economic growth in the region. Reducing the burden of disease, a noble goal in itself, will directly increase countries' potential to increase production and achieve the high growth rates that are so vital for poverty reduction."
Religion
For those hoping for a blazing row about the existence of a God, or which is the correct religion, you’re going to be disappointed. This section will look at the way religion in Sub-Saharan Africa impacts the lives of local people from an economic perspective.
There are three main religions in the sub-Saharan region. 45% of people are Christian, their beliefs brought here by missionaries from Europe. 40% are Islamic, a religion which arrived before Christianity from Northern Africa. 12% follow ‘traditional African beliefs’. Temporal studies of religion show Christianity and Islam rising in prevalence, with traditional beliefs phasing out. Very few people are atheist or agnostic.
Religion is the social backbone of all small communities in the region, and collates groups of likeminded people in the larger towns and cities. The extent to which attending church or the mosque is a critical part of life here cannot be underestimated; it is the social highlight of the week, aside from being a time to show thanks to God.
But it is not free. All devotees are expected to pay a monthly tithe, set at 10% of your salary. This is not optional and goes towards paying the pastors and the upkeep of buildings. Each week offerings are also requested as a collection is passed around. This is a personal gift with the amount donated left to the individual. ‘Church projects’ may also arise intermittently, raising funds for a specific cause or planned new development. In total the average earner is likely to contribute between 15 and 20% of their monthly income to Church.
This is not a trivial sum. If this average earner brings in $150 USD / month and $50 goes on accommodation, $50 on food and clothing for the individual and their dependants, then $50 remains for other items. The church will take $20-$30 of this remaining $50, half of the free money an individual has each month. But to put this into perspective, in the West we would spend half of our unallocated funds going out, seeing friends, and supporting the local community. Here it is the same, but presented differently.
Where religion does impact wealth generation is in death. Funerals here are expensive by local standards and attended by a whole community not just a few friends and family. They are also usually three days long, with guests required to attend between one and all three of the days. Acknowledging that the average couple will have somewhere between two and ten children, and that the average life expectancy is 46 this stacks up to a significant amount of time spent at funerals each year.
Following the funeral is a compulsory period of mourning. For Christians it is generally agreed that the spouse must stay away from the outside world at least until the body is buried. This may be 5 days if there is money in the family, or it may be many months if the burial duties cannot be paid. Ironically at this time the spouse is unable to work to bring an income. For the widows of Muslim men a 3 month period of mourning is required, without leaving the house. For a good friend of our NGO with three small shops this was a period of very significant stress, having just lost the father of her children she was forced to watch her business suffer without her.
Does religion impact the wealth of the region? Marginally, when compared with other factors. Whilst compulsory tithes and high funeral costs are uncomfortable for a Westerner to see, they are the basic costs of social life here, without which communities would not exist. Add to that that the locals believe these payments are a requirement for entry to paradise and they seem a very small price to pay indeed.
Health
The link between poverty and health is well understood from a number of Western studies. These studies have established that those with low incomes have a lower health status than those with higher incomes. The implicit implication is that low income causes lower health. However the question for this essay is the opposite: in Africa, does poor health result in less wealth.
There is no doubt that Sub-Saharan Africa shoulders more than it’s share of diseases. Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and a host of childhood diseases contribute to leave the region with 25% of the global disease burden. The average life expectancy in 2006 was 46 years of age. It is estimated that AIDS alone slashes 20 years off the life expectancy of the average person.
With such a disease problem it would seem reasonable that the training of healthcare workers be a priority for the region. Unfortunately despite efforts to develop the skills of talented individuals, the high salaries on offer for healthcare workers in the west draws the majority of skilled talent out of Africa. The region shoulders 25% of the world’s disease burden with just 1.3% of it’s health workers.
So how specifically do the lower health levels impact wealth? The average number of sick days taken by a Japanese person is 5 per year, an American 6, and a Briton 10. The equivalent figures for the Sub-Saharan region are not published, but extrapolating our office records (sample of 13) the figure would be in excess of 12 days a year. This is despite staff coming to work with a 3” open wound in their leg from a fall that morning, or so sick with fever that by lunch time they are slumped in the corner and need driving home. In other words, when they stay at home they are really sick, often from Malaria. Once in your system Malaria can strike again at any time and will take you out with fever for 2-3 days. Increased sick days result in lower productivity.
The average life expectancy of 46 also has a significant impact on wealth. It is recognized that experience counts, the average age of a board member in the west is just under 60, and in theory at least these are the people adding the most value to a business. With a life expectancy so low, few individuals gain the lifetime of experience needed to make smart, strategic decisions at the top. Poor strategic decisions, made with a lack of prior experience result in inefficiencies, and lost income.
Finally the burden of care weighs heavily on the region’s people. From child birth complications and childhood diseases to the care of AIDS patients, it is rarely just the individual affected whose life is dominated by the disease. Mothers, family members and friends are all required to help, often at the expense of their employment, and their contribution to the generation of national wealth.
To conclude this section, a quote from the WHO Regional Director for Africa:
"The link between poverty and health is no longer in doubt. In the African context, the heavy burden of disease causes a significant loss of output which, in turn, accentuates the gap between the actual and potential economic growth in the region. Reducing the burden of disease, a noble goal in itself, will directly increase countries' potential to increase production and achieve the high growth rates that are so vital for poverty reduction."
Religion
For those hoping for a blazing row about the existence of a God, or which is the correct religion, you’re going to be disappointed. This section will look at the way religion in Sub-Saharan Africa impacts the lives of local people from an economic perspective.
There are three main religions in the sub-Saharan region. 45% of people are Christian, their beliefs brought here by missionaries from Europe. 40% are Islamic, a religion which arrived before Christianity from Northern Africa. 12% follow ‘traditional African beliefs’. Temporal studies of religion show Christianity and Islam rising in prevalence, with traditional beliefs phasing out. Very few people are atheist or agnostic.
Religion is the social backbone of all small communities in the region, and collates groups of likeminded people in the larger towns and cities. The extent to which attending church or the mosque is a critical part of life here cannot be underestimated; it is the social highlight of the week, aside from being a time to show thanks to God.
But it is not free. All devotees are expected to pay a monthly tithe, set at 10% of your salary. This is not optional and goes towards paying the pastors and the upkeep of buildings. Each week offerings are also requested as a collection is passed around. This is a personal gift with the amount donated left to the individual. ‘Church projects’ may also arise intermittently, raising funds for a specific cause or planned new development. In total the average earner is likely to contribute between 15 and 20% of their monthly income to Church.
This is not a trivial sum. If this average earner brings in $150 USD / month and $50 goes on accommodation, $50 on food and clothing for the individual and their dependants, then $50 remains for other items. The church will take $20-$30 of this remaining $50, half of the free money an individual has each month. But to put this into perspective, in the West we would spend half of our unallocated funds going out, seeing friends, and supporting the local community. Here it is the same, but presented differently.
Where religion does impact wealth generation is in death. Funerals here are expensive by local standards and attended by a whole community not just a few friends and family. They are also usually three days long, with guests required to attend between one and all three of the days. Acknowledging that the average couple will have somewhere between two and ten children, and that the average life expectancy is 46 this stacks up to a significant amount of time spent at funerals each year.
Following the funeral is a compulsory period of mourning. For Christians it is generally agreed that the spouse must stay away from the outside world at least until the body is buried. This may be 5 days if there is money in the family, or it may be many months if the burial duties cannot be paid. Ironically at this time the spouse is unable to work to bring an income. For the widows of Muslim men a 3 month period of mourning is required, without leaving the house. For a good friend of our NGO with three small shops this was a period of very significant stress, having just lost the father of her children she was forced to watch her business suffer without her.
Does religion impact the wealth of the region? Marginally, when compared with other factors. Whilst compulsory tithes and high funeral costs are uncomfortable for a Westerner to see, they are the basic costs of social life here, without which communities would not exist. Add to that that the locals believe these payments are a requirement for entry to paradise and they seem a very small price to pay indeed.
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