The uniqueness of the book is not only in the care with which the data is examined but also in the emphasis upon interpreting data within a framework oriented towards the monitoring of the satisfaction of basic human needs.
Introduction - PART 1: MONITORING SOCIAL CONDITIONS - Growth: the African Disease - Which Social Conditions to Report? - The Real Population Problem - PART 2: A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF THE STATISTICAL DATA - Food Production and Food Security - Fire and Water - Child Mortality and Nutrition - Adult Health and Health Care - Children's Education - Literacy and Adult Education - Urbanisation - The Impact of State Violence and Warmongering - The Status of Women - PART 3: IMPROVING THE KNOWLEDGE BASE - Monitoring Social Conditions, top-down - Monitoring Basic Needs at the Local Level - Conclusion - Appendix 1: Analysis of Progress towards attaining Basic Needs - Appendix 2: Inequalities in Health and in Access to Health Care - Appendix 3: Equity and Inequalities in Education - Bibliography - Index