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High Rates Of Poverty : Sierra Leone Essay

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Following the end of a decade-long Civil War in 2002, the West African country of the Republic of Sierra Leone began a period of rebuilding, which has only been slowed by the recent Ebola epidemic. The total population of Sierra Leone hovers around 6,453,000, with about 1,004,000 of these children under five years old. The majority population is poor, with a GDP per capita at 1,600 USD, which ranks them in place 214 when compared globally. According to a 2004 estimate, 70.2% of the population is below the poverty line. Although Sierra Leone as country is fairly resource-rich, with resources including mining for diamonds and bauxite, “nearly half of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. ” High rates of poverty can place a significant burden on the health of a country. In the following situation brief, topics including burden of disease, key determinants of health, and analysis of equity will be discussed in order to assess the state of health in Sierra Leone.
Burden of Disease Summary:
In Sierra Leone, the life expectancy at birth is 56.5 years for men, and 57.7 years for women . Although these statistics are low when compared the global average of 71.4 years and countries in the region like Liberia with an average life expectancy of 63.2 years , the average life expectancy in Sierra Leone has increased 5.5 years since 1990 . However, overall, the life expectancy at birth is much lower than global averages.
The most significant cause of death in

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