Lecture Notes: Global Development Trends

Overview of the World 50 Years Ago

• World Division
  • Countries depicted as bubbles
  • Size represents population
  • Color code for continents:
    • Blue: Africa
    • Red: Asia
    • Yellow: Europe
    • Green: the Americas

Key Metrics

• Vertical Axis: Child Mortality
  • Ranges from 30% (high) to almost 0% (low)
• Horizontal Axis: Number of Babies per Woman
  • Ranges from 8 to less than 2
• Common Trends
  • High child mortality
  • Average of 6-7 children per woman
  • Frequent child deaths in most families

Current Misconceptions

• Persistent belief in a divided world between developing and developed countries
• Myth: The world has not advanced

Improvements in Last 50 Years

• Decrease in Child Mortality
  • Significant reduction across almost all countries
• Fertility Rate Reduction
  • Women choosing to have fewer children
  • More resources and time invested in each child

Case Study: Ethiopia

• 1990s Situation
  • High child mortality and fertility rates
  • Political and economic challenges
• Post-1990 Developments
  • Improved healthcare access in rural areas
  • Effective aid utilization
  • Dramatic fall in child mortality
  • Enhanced access to family planning
  • Reduced number of births

Regional Disparities in Ethiopia

• Addis Ababa
  • Significant progress in reducing child mortality and fertility
• Somali Region
  • Persistently high child mortality
• Overall Population
  • Majority centered around national averages

Future Outlook

• Potential for 2030
  • Vision of no "developing world" classification
  • Emphasis on measuring progress
  • Importance of replicating Ethiopia's path for other poor countries

Conclusion

• Importance of Measurement
  • Essential to debunk myths
  • Critical for anticipating and facilitating global improvements