The middle, western, and southern regions of Africa have experienced more than their share of turmoil, civil wars, corruption, and disease. Each country has a rich and interesting history that has contributed to its current human rights status. Governments and economies contribute the most to each country’s social progress. Civil wars have led to thousands of displaced people, making it hard to gather the monetary and human resources needed to build infrastructure for transportation, water treatment facilities, and schools. In many of these countries, addressing health care issues has been especially challenging, especially in those countries battling outbreaks of Ebola and Aids. However, these challenges haven’t prevented some progress from being made when it comes to social progress. People’s basic needs, such as nutrition, access to medical care, and food security are improving in most of the countries in these regions. While more progress still needs to be made, it is clear steps are being taken toward further social progress. Each title in this series contains a forward from the Executive Director of the Social Progress Imperative, color photos throughout, maps, charts, and back matter including: a special “Countries at a Glance” statistical section, an index, and further reading lists for books and internet resources. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series in an effort to encourage library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content rich non-fiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers are able to reference back to the definitions--building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars are highlighted graphics with content rich material within that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Text-Dependent Questions are placed at the end of each chapter. They challenge the reader’s comprehension of the chapter they have just read, while sending the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects are provided at the end of each chapter as well and provide readers with suggestions for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. And a Series Glossary of Key Terms is included in the back matter containing terminology used throughout the series. Words found here broaden the reader’s knowledge and understanding of terms used in this field.
