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Discussion
of Case Study Themes
At
a Glance
In both Kenya and South Africa, rural poverty affects
the health and welfare of a large percentage of the
population. In each country, government is expected
to play a large role in the resolution of social and
economic problems associated with sickness and prejudice.
Throughout Africa South of the Sahara, agriculture is
the dominant mode of economic activity in terms of numbers
of laborers. In South Africa, however, the economy is
more diversified and robust; development opportunities
exist in sectors other than agriculture. Education of
the population is a key challenge facing both Kenya
and South Africa.
Case
Study 1 -- South Africa: This Land is My Land
South
Africans Wish to Return to Their Land
The forced migration of black Africans from the lands
of their birth is deeply embedded in South Africa's
turbulent history. Dictated by apartheid, this movement
of people to undeveloped rural lands severed black
Africans' connection to their homelands. Displaced
by a policy created by the white-only government,
these people have long endured unemployment, poverty,
and repression.
Because
the black majority is forced to earn its living from
just fifteen percent of the land, a great disparity
of wealth exists between whites and blacks. After
they have withstood generations of suffering as a
result of forced migration, it is difficult to compensate
black Africans through a normal civil process. The
displaced people still feel a strong bond to their
places of origin, and returning to their homelands
is a powerful, emotional experience.
Poverty
Alleviated Through Land Reform
The land reform program proposed by the new South
African government is designed to address the high
level of rural poverty and reverse the effects of
apartheid policies. This process is not easy, given
the threat of great financial loss to the wealthy,
most of whom are white, and the many issues that arise
regarding the fairness of land redistribution. The
process is further complicated by the multi-ethnic
composition of the population and the complex claims
each group makes regarding ownership.
As
they redistribute the land among the black majority,
government officials emphasize the importance of fairness.
They must be sure that people given access to South
Africa's resources will use the land to benefit the
country as a whole. Land distribution near urban areas
is likely to be especially difficult. These densely
settled suburbs have been traditionally inhabited
and owned by whites; blacks were legally only tenants
and had no ownership rights. Because blacks lacked
this right to private ownership, whites do not readily
accept their claims to the land.
Land Reform May Change the Agricultural Sector
Policies that reverse recent increases in farm size
are likely to be implemented because smaller holdings
provide greater options for a more intensive and diversified
agricultural system. These efforts to create a sustainable
agricultural system are impaired by a lack of suitable
farmland and the resistance of white farmers to give
up their farms.
The
white farmer's fear of losing land is very real and,
due to the size of the farms, the potential losses
are great. Between 1950 and 1980, farm sizes almost
doubled as a result of government policy. The smaller-scale
agriculture planned in the land reform program is
based upon more intensive and diversified systems,
and is a policy that departs from the older government's
position.
One
method aimed at redressing inequities without forcibly
removing white farmers is a "willing buyer-willing
seller" policy called Land Reform. The case study
follows geographer Brent McCusker as he explores the
impact of this type of policy on land redistribution.
Case
Study 2 -- Kenya: Medical Geography
Medical
Geography: The Spatial Distribution of Disease
The diseases afflicting the population of Kenya are
found in many parts of Africa. Environmental conditions
in sub-Saharan Africa favor a wide range of infectious
diseases, creating a deadly threat and causing suffering
in the human population. People living in the rural,
isolated, and undeveloped areas of Kenya are particularly
susceptible to contracting diseases. Because these
areas lack adequate services, infrastructure, and
on-site healthcare, efforts to control the transmission
of disease are difficult. Human factors such as poor
hygiene further aid the spread of disease, making
some diseases more common. To change these cultural
patterns, human behavior must be modified.
Understanding Geography Guides the Delivery of
Healthcare
Strategies to address public health issues rest with
the government of Kenya and present enormous challenges
for the healthcare community. Diseases like malaria
and trachoma are still prevalent in the rural areas,
which house nearly eighty percent of Kenya's population.
The growing number of people afflicted by AIDS and
infected with the HIV virus places ever-increasing
strain on healthcare programs. To reach these rural
locations, healthcare workers must travel to remote
areas supported by poor transportation services. They
rely on different approaches to deliver care to the
people and depend on educational methods to change
patterns of behavior that spread disease. By addressing
healthcare needs at the community level, the Ministry
of Public Health is attempting a broad approach to
improve the lives of Kenya's people. Kenya's neighbor
Uganda has had a great deal of success in decreasing
the infection rate of HIV-AIDS with a variety of educational
programs and serves as a role model for other countries
in the region.
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