Geography 101B Lab

1.

A) Location and infant mortality rate B) Language and trade C) HIV spread and impact

2.

European vs. African Neonatal and under 5 causes of death

3. Due to many resource advantages, such as health care, clean water, and food supply, the European Unions infant mortality rate is far lower than Africas. 4. a. ) Sources Books

i.) Caral, I., & Glynn, J. R. (2007). HIV, resurgent infections and population change in Africa. Springer Verlag This book, while focusing mainly on the spread and impact of HIV in Africa, holds a large amount of information about infant mortality due to other diseases as well. Approximately fifty-three percent of sub-Saharan deaths are caused by infectious diseases; however, over sixty percent of neonatal and child (under five) deaths are caused by those same diseases. This emergence and return of infectious diseases is influenced by factors such as urbanization, poverty, and underdevelopment. (Caral, and Glynn, 2007). ii.) Rechel, E., Shapo, L., & McKee, M. (2004). Millennium development goals for health in Europe and Central Asia, relevance and policy implications. World Bank Publication Although this book focuses mainly on Central Asia and Europe, it holds specific data about the mortality issues in central and Eastern Europe. It contains information about HIV and other infectious diseases, as well as the potential solutions for these problems; it is, however, focused on general population mortality, as opposed to infant mortality. (Rechel, Shapo, and McKee, 2004) b.) Visual Supports

i.) Major causes of death in neonates and children under five AFRICAN REGIION -- 2008. (n.d.). http://www.who.int/. Retrieved September 18, 2011, from www.who.int/child_adolescent_health/media/CAH_death_u5_neonates_afro_2008.pdf This visual (attached), from the WHO Child and adolescent health and development: Data, statistics and epidemiology page, gives an overview of the various causes of neonate and child under five deaths in Africa, such as HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Pneumonia, and a number of other health concerns. It displays

epidemiological data which could be used to form health policies, programs and interventions that are critical to the progression of health care in Africa. ii.) Major causes of death in neonates and children under five EUROPEAN REGION -- 2008. (n.d.). http://www.who.int/. Retrieved September 18, 2011, from http://www.who.int/child_adolescent_health/media/CAH_death_u5_neonates_euro_2008.pdf This visual (attached), from the WHO Child and adolescent health and development: Data, statistics and epidemiology page lists the neonatal and child under five deaths in Europe. The causes of death vary from HIV/AIDS (1% of postneonatal deaths) or Pneumonia (11% of postneonatal deaths), to prematurity and low birth weight (17.5% of neonatal deaths) (WHO Intl, 2011). The epidemiological data found in WHO research could be used to solve future health risks to Europe. Academic Journals i.) Steenkamp, V., Stewart, M. J., & Zuckerman, M. (2003). Death due to use of traditional medicines in Africa: a preventable cause of neonatal and infant mortality. Journal Of Pediatric Gastroenterology And Nutrition, 36(2), 294-295. This study, conducted by the Department of Chemical Pathology: Indigenous Toxicology Unit of the University of the Witwatersrand Medical School in South Africa, shows a link between patient death and traditional medicine usage. Although not conducted specifically conducted on neonates or young children, sixty-six percent of the patients were less than one year old, with the average age being approximately eight months. All had received traditional medical treatments (muti), some of which have been found toxic; there was a thirty-three percent in-hospital mortality rate, with causes of death being liver failure, renal failure, HIV, and other major health concerns. ii.) Kieffer, M. (2005). Mortality of infants born to HIV-infected mothers in Africa. Lancet, 365(9454), 120-121. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. This article discusses the connection between HIV-infected mothers and the mortality of their children in Africa. A mother who has tested HIV-positive has a major risk of passing the infection to her child, ending in the neonates death; however, there are also high mortality rates in infants whose mother had died in childbirth or had carried the HIV virus without being infected. The article also communicates an option of a prophylactic treatment that has proved effective in preventing mother to child transmission of HIV, treating the mother for her disease and, in doing so, reducing the risk of disease transfer from mother to infant. iii.) Zimbeck, M., Mohangoo, A., & Zeitlin, J. (2009). The European perinatal health report: delivering comparable data for examining differences in maternal and infant health. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, 146(2), 149-151. DOI: doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2009.07.017 This editorial reviews the European report on perinatal health (ERPH) indicators of perinatal and neonatal health and care, as well as maternal care, throughout the European Union (EU). Looking at indicators such as low birth weight, congenital anomalies, stillbirths, and episiotomies, the ERPH

compares perinatal, neonatal, and maternal health and mortality between the various countries. In doing this, it allows an observer to see the variety of issues and discrepancies in healthcare throughout the EU. Another point this review illustrates is the gaps in data reporting that is evident in some countries; the rate of maternal mortality, for instance, is much higher than reported in many countries. Popular magazines i.) Aids - modern day plague. National Geographic, Retrieved from http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/health-and-human-body/human-diseases/aidsarticle/?source=A-to-Z This brief article talks about acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as the number one cause of mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Although it is not specifically about infant mortality, it goes into details of transmission and discusses the hopeful future of a vaccine. Stating that twelve million children are orphaned in Africa alone since 1982, the National Geographic focuses more on the origin of AIDS in apes, and on its discovery in the United States. ii.) Medicine: infant mortality. Times Magazine, Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,927732,00.html This short piece discusses factors that influence infant mortality, such as maternal age, month of birth, gender, gastric or intestinal disease, and others. Although not specifically stated to be written about infant mortality in a designated country or continent, it seems to be aimed more at American factors. Development Reports i.) Country comparison :: infant mortality rate. (2011). CIA World Factbook, Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html This database provides hard numbers for the infant mortality rates of every country of the world. Although some of the data on the countries is out of date, majority of the infant mortality data has been updated as recently as 2011; it does not, however, specify the causes of death. It gives a reliable comparison point on infant mortality in each of the African and European countries, as well as the rate of the European Union as a whole. ii.) Conflict resolution, peace and reconstruction in Africa. (2008/2009). AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT : THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK, Retrieved from http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/African%20Development%20Re port%202008.2009_00_Full_Report.pdf The African Development Bank provides fairly recent data on infant mortality rates in each of the African countries. It provides a cross-reference between factors, such as adult illiteracy, gross national income (per capita [GNI]), and population density, and the infant mortality rate. It does not

specify cause of death, however there is a slight correlation between the GNI, adult illiteracy, and infant mortality. 5. What causes high infant mortality rates in developed and undeveloped countries? A number of studies will show that a country with a high infant mortality rate will generally have a proportionately high adult illiteracy rate ("African development report, 2008/2009). Two continents that are geographically located near each other, and yet are hugely different in these indicators are Europe and Africa. The European Union (EU), as a whole has an average infant mortality rate of 5.61 deaths per 1000 live births, with a span of countries from Sweden, with an average of 2.74 deaths per 1000 births, to Romania, with an average of 11.02 deaths per 1000 live births; however, African countries hold statistics like Rwanda, with its average of 64.04 deaths per 1000 live births, or the Central African Republic, with an average of 99.38 deaths per 1000 live births (Country comparison :: infant mortality rate, 2011). In more developed countries, there are better health care options for perinatal care, as well as access to resources such as contraceptives and health information; this leads to a healthier population, causing the infant mortality rate to drop. In less developed countries, however, the access to these resources is limited, allowing infections and communicable diseases to spread more readily between people, and from mothers to children: HIV, AIDS, and pneumonia being just a few of these. One must look at a variety of factors to compile a well-rounded look at the quality of life is various countries; infant mortality is a very effective indicator. References: Conflict resolution, peace and reconstruction in Africa. (2008/2009). AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT : THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK, Retrieved from http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/African%20Development%20Re port%202008.2009_00_Full_Report.pdf Country comparison :: infant mortality rate. (2011). CIA World Factbook, Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html 6. Popular sources such as Wikipedia, the National Geographic, Times Magazine, and other nonacademic works are written by journalists or even, in the case of Wikipedia, by the general population. There is a limited amount of research or scientific data used in the production of these pieces; they tend to be biased, focusing on one aspect of the subject of the piece, or filled with half-truths and generalizations about topics that require specificity. Academic sources, however, are well-researched, using either original data from surveys conducted by the researcher, or citing previous articles or works on similar topics. 7. a.) There are two main forms of plagiarism: Intentional plagiarism and plagiarism due to improper citation. When an individual intentionally plagiarises a piece of work, he or she could be doing a number of things: buying a paper, for example, is considered plagiarism. Other forms of intentional plagiarism include borrowing others work, copy and pasting a paper without proper citation, re-submitting an

assignment, or selling or lending papers to another individual. (UVic, 2011) The second form of plagiarism, generally due to improper citation, includes Copying something word for word but not using quote marks (even if you cite it, it's still plagiarism) (UVic, 2011), or using anothers ideas without giving the individual due credit. There are other forms of plagiarism, but these are a few of the major issues seen in papers written by unknowing first-year students. b.) As a result of plagiarism, an individual could receive a failing grade on the paper in question, or even in the course; however, in extreme cases, it can lead to probation or expulsion from the university (UVic, 2011) c.) In general, the main mistake students make is improper citation, which leads to plagiarism charges. Improper paraphrasing, concept borrowing, copy and paste without quotation points, and even citing a source to make it look like the student did more research than was actually done are included in the umbrella term of plagiarism (UVic, 2011) d.) The easiest way to avoid plagiarism is to take detailed notes in ones own words. In doing this, and in clearly marking the paraphrasing or quoting used, plagiarism can be avoided; however, be very certain that the page the information was taken from is marked, so when writing the reference list, citations are easily found. Effective time management and an understanding of citation rules also will aid in avoiding charges of plagiarism (UVic, 2011) Reference: UVic. (n.d.). Plagiarism. In University of Victoria: Research Help. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from http://library.uvic.ca/instruction/cite/plagiarism.html.