Directed by Amanda Felton
The Central African Republic struggles to avoid economic and social chaos.
The Central African Republic is Africa's forgotten country. A landlocked former French colony of just under four million people, the country is struggling to avoid economic and social chaos. The Central African Republic is one of the least developed countries: few people there live beyond 40, 13 percent of children die in infancy and only a third of the population has access to safe drinking water. There is just one hospital bed for every one thousand people and one nurse to every 8,000 people.
Many of the CAR's problems could be solved by money. But appeals for aid have fallen largely on deaf ears. Only a handful of aid agencies continue to work there, and the amount of aid it gets is pitiful compared to other sub- Saharan countries. In 2003, it received just $12.9 USD per person. Life interviewed the President, Fran?ois Bozize, who confirms that health is the country's top priority. Bozize has pledged to restore the country's national unity and security, but foreign governments have been slow to respond to his repeated requests for assistance and support.
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