East Asia
In rural areas, health problems are a lot more serious because there aren’t enough doctors or hospitals to help people. Because most people are living in poverty, they can’t afford the medicine they need.
For example, about twice as many women in China die having babies in rural areas than in cities. This is mostly because they can’t afford proper care.
Here are the two main health challenges in East Asia right now. They affect people in rural areas and in cities.
Environmental Health Problems
Pollution is becoming a big problem because countries like China are growing so rapidly. Breathing and heart problems caused by air pollution are two of the leading causes of death in China.
Ground water for drinking is also being polluted. The number of children who die from drinking dirty water is rising in China’s rural areas. So is the number of people getting water-borne diseases.
HIV/AIDS
There are no reliable statistics about HIV/AIDS in China, but the experts agree it’s a preventable problem that’s getting worse. Some people say 650,000 are already infected, others say 1.5 million.
Liang’s Story
Featured Story:
Liang's Story
School wasn’t always a possibility for Liang.