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Another area where social progress has been seen is in access to basic knowledge. Adult literacy continues to improve in most countries in North and East Africa, and so does the percentage of children enrolled in primary and secondary schools. Many East African countries have also improved in terms of health and well-being, including life expectancy. The third area of social progress for North and East African countries is in personal freedom and choice. Several North African countries participated in the demonstrations and uprisings called the Arab Spring, which resulted in some government reforms in several countries that participated. These have led to increased personal freedoms and choices for many people in these countries. In East African nations, people are experiencing improved freedoms, such as with the contraception choices available, while other freedoms, such as freedom of speech, are still repressed by the government. However, in some countries that participated, personal freedoms worsened. One area of social progress in which North and East African countries need the most improvement is in shelter and personal safety. Many of these countries have experienced conflicts within and outside their borders, which have resulted in heightened risks to personal safety. In some places, housing has been destroyed during conflicts, resulting in people being displaced and without adequate shelter. Sustaining ecosystems has also become a greater challenge for most North and East African countries in the last decade. In some cases, this is because thereareno formal government programs inplace (sometimesbecause there is no formal government in existence) to protect wildlife preserves and locations of endangered species. In other countries, increased urbanization and

12 A FRICA : N ORTHERN AND E ASTERN