Explanation the vicious cycle of low population in East Africa population

INTRODUCTION

The geographical region encompassed by the East Africa community (EAC) covers an area of 1,820,664 square kilometers (702,962 sq mi), with a combined population of about 149,959,317 but these countries of Eastern Africa region differ significantly in terms of population, cultural, ethnic patterns, and in the availability of natural resources. However, these countries have in common some of the lowest economic indicators and standards of living and face severe development challenges. 

Natural disasters and wars have left the majority of the region's 180 million people struggling under extreme poverty. Recurrent food shortages and droughts have also added to the devastating effects of civil war on the population, where as poor governance, corruption and human rights abuses have stunted the development opportunities of these countries dramatically, according to (H. Okello Ayot, 1976).

DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS,

Population; is a collection of individual organisms of the same species that occupy some specific area according to Oxford Dictionary (2007).

Population; is a summation of all the organisms of the same group or species who live in the same geographical area, and have the capability of interbreeding

Vicious cycle; a repeating situation or condition in which one problem causes another problem that makes the first problem worse according to Turchin, P. (2003).

Vicious cycle; refers to the sequence of reciprocal cause and effect in which two or more elements intensify and aggravate each other, leading inexorably to a worsening of the situation, Kenny, M.G. (1981).

A population cycle; is a phenomenon where populations rise and fall over a predictable period of time, Dictionary of the English Language (2000),

A population cycle; is a phenomenon where populations of given entities fluctuate over a predictable period of time according to H. Okello Ayot, (1976).

The followings are the explanation about vicious cycle of low population in East Africa population,

Poverty; this is the one of the factor that cause the low population cycle in East Africa population because poverty derive people into poor nutrition that limit the increase of population in a specific area. In east Africa the millions of people dying due to the poor nutrition that cause life expectance to be low,   that’s why this cause low population cycle in east Africa. For example many children they die below the age of five (5) years due to poor nutrition.  

Low birth rate; refers to the decreasing the number of birth rate due to the poor provision of health services, the uses of family planning methods and biological problems. This is the leading factor to be the cause of low population cycle in east Africa to because be low, For example most of hospitals doesn’t have enough equipment’s that may help to serve the life of many people suffering from diseases also the uses of family planning methods contributed to the low population cycle because now people they refused to have large number of children due to the cost of providing basic needs to them.

High mortality rate; This is the situation of increasing the death rate of people within the country where by this situation is very common in east Africa where by the high death rate occurs due to poor health services, shortage of foods, political instability, accidents, tropical diseases such as malarial as well as climatic problems where those problems influence much the occurrence of low population in East Africa.

Emigrations; This is the situation of the people moving outside of their origin countries, majority of people most in developing countries like Kenya Tanzania and Uganda they prefer most moving abroad for aim of searching good living condition such as employments opportunities, good health services as well as political instability for improving their individual development where the result of emigration influence much the low population in East Africa as well as underdevelopment of those countries.

Accidents; poor infrastructure in East Africa resulting to the high number of accidents that is occurring and causing the death rate to be high, this can be found in the roads that we use as the means of transport there some part that have no road sign to direct drivers. Also in other way of transport the problem is same the infrastructures are not improved.  

Diseases; This is the major factor which influence much the low population in developing countries mostly in East Africa where those countries which are found in East Africa characterized by tropical areas which associate the tropical diseases such as malarial and mar ale as well as other diseases like Hiv/aids, cholera, kwashiorkor and TB where the presence of those diseases influence much the low population in East Africa countries.

Natural hazards; this is the another factor that contributing to the low population in east Africa because there are some part of east Africa that are not conducive to settlement due to its consequences for example in central part of Tanzania Singida and Dodoma where there is sem- desert so people in this area are few in number they migrate in other area for the searching of fertile land. 

Political instability; This is the misunderstanding of political parties which political instability within the countries political instability is very common in developing countries such as in East Africa where by the results of political instability is like civil wars which result high death rate, shortage of foods, and poor social services. For example of political instability is like Kenya during national election 2007 more than 500 reported.

RECOMMENDATION,

Today approximately 132 million people are born each year, while only 53 million people are dying each year. Therefore the population of the world is continuing to grow. The population of countries in Africa increasing rapidly while those in Europe, America, and Japan are increasing slowly, so this is the point of view that shows that even if there are some reasons for the low population in east Africa the trend of population is still increasing day to day.

CONCLUSION

Even though developing countries are characterized by high population but the vicious cycle of low population in East Africa associate due to different reasons which contribute the decrease of population and those problems are poverty, low birth rate, high mortality rate, emigration, accidents, diseases, natural hazards as well as political instability.

  

REFERENCES

H. Okello Ayot, (1976), Topics in East African history, 1000-1970 (East African Literature

Bureau:), p.13

Turchin, P. (2003). Complex Population Dynamics: a Theoretical/Empirical Synthesis.

Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press

Kenny, M.G. (1981). “The Dorobo as an image of the other in Africa” journals of the

international African institute, vol. 51, no.1.  Population and Development Review (Journal)

Oxford Dictionary (2007), Second Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company

Dictionary of the English Language (2000), Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company

Written By AUSI CHIWAMBO (2014)-Teofilo Kisanji University