why poverty?

I had a funny story to tell you tonight.  I relayed it to Frank over tea tonight and it seemed perfect for the blog.

Then we watched 'Why Poverty? Welcome to the world' on ABC2, and it's driven the funny story from my head.  Plus after watching a show about babies being born, and often dying, around the world... a joke doesn't seem appropriate somehow.

There were the usual shocking statistics about infant mortality rates in Africa (82 in every 1000 babies born in Africa dies before their first birthday), but did you know the maternal mortality rate has worsened in the USA in the last twenty years?  I find that rather astounding - the world's largest economy has the worst rate of maternal mortality in the developed world.

I'm incredibly grateful to have been born in Australia - we have the second lowest rate of infant mortality in the world.  And if I should end up having a baby, even as an older mother I'm in good hands... Australia has the fourth lowest rate of maternal mortality in the world.

If I can get iview to work with our current internet service to play iview, I think I'm going to watch the other 'Why Poverty?' episodes (there has been one every night this week).  It's always good to be reminded of how incredibly blessed I am, and to revisit what I can do to contribute to the redistribution of the world's resources so everyone has a fair go in life.