East Asia
Respiratory and heart diseases related to air pollution are a leading cause of death in China.
Because the urban parts of China are developing so rapidly, pollution in the country is a problem. In fact, it is one of the leading causes of death, with respiratory and heart diseases related to air pollution causing many fatalities. This is especially true in rural areas, where things like asthma and lung disease can easily lead to fatalities since people often can’t afford health care.
Pollution also affects groundwater, which millions of people in rural areas depend on for drinking. If drinking water is polluted, sickness is inevitable. The number of children who die from drinking dirty water is rising in China’s rural areas, as is the number of people contracting water-borne diseases.
The urban-rural disparities are also seen with the health of pregnant women. Maternal mortality is far greater in the rural western regions of China than it is in the urban coastal regions—UNICEF puts the number at one or two times higher. On a more positive note, since 1990 the maternal mortality rate has decreased significantly.
HIV/AIDS is also a problem. Statistics vary as to numbers of people infected—some people say 650,000, others say 1.5 million. Whatever the number, it is expected to rise, especially in rural regions where access to health care is difficult and people can’t afford medical treatment if they are sick.