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C HAPTER 1 B ASIC H UMAN N EEDS

Words to Understand Child mortality rate: the number of children that die before their fifth birthday for every 1,000 babies born alive. Communicable diseases: diseases transmitted from one person or animal to another. Also called contagious or infectious diseases. Drug cartel: a criminal group in the business of transporting and selling illegal drugs. Food desert: a neighborhood or community with no walking access to affordable, nutritious food. Food security: having reliable access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food. Income inequality: when the wealth of a country is spread very unevenly among the population. Maternal mortality rate: the number of pregnant women who die for every 100,000 births. T he first thing to look at when judging a country’s social progress is how well the basic human needs of its citizens are being met. Basic human needs are the things people need to keep them alive: enough food, clean water, improved sanitation, adequate shelter, and access to basic medical care. People also need to be safe and to feel safe. If your neighborhood is controlled by criminals, if your country is at war, if you are homeless or have a violent home life, your basic human needs aren’t being met. To compare how well countries around

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B ASIC H UMAN N EEDS