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eviltammyDeveloping is the new term for third world countries.
You're planning a trip to a developing country. You spend most of your pre-travel time worrying about infectious diseases and getting shots. Not a bad thing - getting your shots is important.
Studies looking at the causes of death of travelers from affluent countries to developing countries show that infectious diseases account for 1% of deaths. One percent. Around half of the deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes - mostly in the elderly.
Your biggest chance of death? Road traffic accidents.
And in the US, over 60% of RTAs occur in drivers. In the developing countries, drivers account for fewer than 10% of fatalities. Urban pedestrians alone account for about 65% of auto-related deaths in developing countries.
And no 911 - no operator standing by. "You hitchhike, taxi, walk, or crawl to the nearest medical facility, which, if you are in a rural area, may consist of little more than a well-intentioned village healer."
From The Adventurous Traveler's Guide to Health by Christopher Sandford, M.D.
Interesting book, so far. Informative, with a good sense of humor.
You're planning a trip to a developing country. You spend most of your pre-travel time worrying about infectious diseases and getting shots. Not a bad thing - getting your shots is important.
Studies looking at the causes of death of travelers from affluent countries to developing countries show that infectious diseases account for 1% of deaths. One percent. Around half of the deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes - mostly in the elderly.
Your biggest chance of death? Road traffic accidents.
And in the US, over 60% of RTAs occur in drivers. In the developing countries, drivers account for fewer than 10% of fatalities. Urban pedestrians alone account for about 65% of auto-related deaths in developing countries.
And no 911 - no operator standing by. "You hitchhike, taxi, walk, or crawl to the nearest medical facility, which, if you are in a rural area, may consist of little more than a well-intentioned village healer."
From The Adventurous Traveler's Guide to Health by Christopher Sandford, M.D.
Interesting book, so far. Informative, with a good sense of humor.
no subject
Date: 2010-08-16 07:58 pm (UTC)I went back to the beginning of the book to find out why he used that term - it is supposed to be an economic term, referring to to nations whose average income is below a certain level. I guess they (whoever they are) thought it was better than 3rd world?
BTW - which are 2nd world countries? ::goes off to look::
no subject
Date: 2010-08-16 09:58 pm (UTC)I think traditionally the first world is US and its allies (the capitalist countries) and 2nd is the Soviet Union and its allies (the socialist countries). I would guess that may have changed some in the past 50+ years, but I don't know how it has.
I just looked up "third world" on wikipedia and it suggests "third world" was every country that didn't ally with one side or the other in WW2. I never knew that.
I also like their suggestion that a better term than "third world" is "majority world"