Hans Rosling in this TED talk discusses life expectancy, fertility rates and incomes between the global South and North from the 60s to 2000s. The video is very animated, lively and makes statistics lucid,enjoyable and fun. It is a captivating 19 minutes that you would learn from.
The first part of the video discusses how fertility and life expectancy rates have changed among countries. His thesis is that gap in fertility rates and life expectancy in the world, perceived as We (western world, long life in small family) and Them ( third world in large family) is closing.
Rosling makes an interesting assertion at 06:08 on how the gap closed between the industrialized nations and nations in Asia and Latin America (but not Africa- that is my deduction)
He said the changes in Asia occurred because there was social change (sound education especially for girls, decrease in fertility rates) before economic change.
I think policy makers that focus on economic investments into Africa at the expense of social, cultural and values changes can learn a lesson or two.
Deuces.
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