{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-post-query-tsx","path":"/blog-post/toilet-tourism-in-kenya/","result":{"pageContext":{"post":{"slug":"/blog-post/toilet-tourism-in-kenya/","title":"Toilet tourism in Kenya","date":"Jan 25, 2014","timeToRead":4,"description":"","body":"function _extends() { _extends = Object.assign || function (target) { for (var i = 1; i < arguments.length; i++) { var source = arguments[i]; for (var key in source) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(source, key)) { target[key] = source[key]; } } } return target; }; return _extends.apply(this, arguments); }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutProperties(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded); var key, i; if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) { var sourceSymbolKeys = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(source); for (i = 0; i < sourceSymbolKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceSymbolKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; if (!Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(source, key)) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } } return target; }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = {}; var sourceKeys = Object.keys(source); var key, i; for (i = 0; i < sourceKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } return target; }\n\n/* @jsxRuntime classic */\n\n/* @jsx mdx */\nvar _frontmatter = {\n  \"title\": \"Toilet tourism in Kenya\",\n  \"date\": \"2014-01-25\",\n  \"template\": \"post\",\n  \"slug\": \"toilet-tourism-in-kenya\",\n  \"postedLink\": \"https://riceinstitute.org/blog/toilet-tourism-in-kenya/\",\n  \"old-tags\": [\"regional-comparisons\"],\n  \"description\": \"\",\n  \"tags\": \"Blog Post\",\n  \"banner\": \"\"\n};\nvar layoutProps = {\n  _frontmatter: _frontmatter\n};\nvar MDXLayout = \"wrapper\";\nreturn function MDXContent(_ref) {\n  var components = _ref.components,\n      props = _objectWithoutProperties(_ref, [\"components\"]);\n\n  return mdx(MDXLayout, _extends({}, layoutProps, props, {\n    components: components,\n    mdxType: \"MDXLayout\"\n  }), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Greetings from Kenya! For most of the past week, I have not so much been in Kenya as I have been in a \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"hotel\"), \" in Kenya, meeting with other members of the international toilet diaspora at a convening organized by the Gates Foundation. On Tuesday, however, we all spread out for a day on one of three field trips, and naturally I chose the visit organized around rural sanitation. I am generally pretty skeptical about official field visits \\u2013 usually, it is mostly an opportunity to learn about official organizations and officialness \\u2013 but, perhaps because I know so little about Kenya to begin with, this time I felt I was taking away some important lessons for our work back in India.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The most immediately striking contrast with rural U.P. was the wide open spaces and the low, low population density. Population density is important for sanitation because the closer children are to environmental germs, the more likely they are to find them and get sick. I often say that in rural Sitapur it is hard to find a place to stand outside where you cannot see another person. We had no trouble driving past green vistas to scenic spot after spot where most of the people in sight were the folks we brought with us.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"http://riceinstitute.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/low-density-1.jpg\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, mdx(\"span\", {\n    parentName: \"a\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-wrapper\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"position\": \"relative\",\n      \"display\": \"block\",\n      \"marginLeft\": \"auto\",\n      \"marginRight\": \"auto\",\n      \"maxWidth\": \"960px\"\n    }\n  }, \"\\n      \", mdx(\"span\", {\n    parentName: \"span\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-background-image\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"paddingBottom\": \"74.5%\",\n      \"position\": \"relative\",\n      \"bottom\": \"0\",\n      \"left\": \"0\",\n      \"backgroundImage\": \"url('data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDABALDA4MChAODQ4SERATGCgaGBYWGDEjJR0oOjM9PDkzODdASFxOQERXRTc4UG1RV19iZ2hnPk1xeXBkeFxlZ2P/2wBDARESEhgVGC8aGi9jQjhCY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2P/wgARCAAPABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwABAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAABA//EABQBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAU8SYCo8n//EABoQAAICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABEiECA0H/2gAIAQEAAQUCe1DjkQFb7R//xAAVEQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEv/aAAgBAwEBPwGUv//EABYRAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATEf/aAAgBAgEBPwGmKv/EABkQAAIDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAiAxMv/aAAgBAQAGPwLpGxNVP//EABsQAAICAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABESExUeGh/9oACAEBAAE/IeHEZSnpUQ6GLBUoXhGh/9oADAMBAAIAAwAAABBb7//EABYRAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARAf/aAAgBAwEBPxDaS//EABgRAAIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABETFR/9oACAECAQE/EE1ETw//xAAdEAEAAwACAwEAAAAAAAAAAAABABEhMVFBYYGx/9oACAEBAAE/ELxo7d2Ni2icp+GdKfERQGc5xByQL4E7lfqf/9k=')\",\n      \"backgroundSize\": \"cover\",\n      \"display\": \"block\"\n    }\n  }), \"\\n  \", mdx(\"img\", {\n    parentName: \"span\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-image\",\n    \"alt\": \"low density 1 1024x764\",\n    \"title\": \"low density 1\",\n    \"src\": \"/static/dfe8b638f28ab639abf02d3c23ae35e1/1fe05/low-density-1-1024x764.jpg\",\n    \"srcSet\": [\"/static/dfe8b638f28ab639abf02d3c23ae35e1/37402/low-density-1-1024x764.jpg 200w\", \"/static/dfe8b638f28ab639abf02d3c23ae35e1/91d27/low-density-1-1024x764.jpg 520w\", \"/static/dfe8b638f28ab639abf02d3c23ae35e1/1fe05/low-density-1-1024x764.jpg 960w\", \"/static/dfe8b638f28ab639abf02d3c23ae35e1/c3413/low-density-1-1024x764.jpg 1024w\"],\n    \"sizes\": \"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"width\": \"100%\",\n      \"height\": \"100%\",\n      \"margin\": \"0\",\n      \"verticalAlign\": \"middle\",\n      \"position\": \"absolute\",\n      \"top\": \"0\",\n      \"left\": \"0\"\n    },\n    \"loading\": \"lazy\"\n  }), \"\\n    \"))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"We visited Naivasha, and I don\\u2019t know \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"nearly\"), \" enough about Kenya to know how representative my experience was, but it certainly was striking: it is one thing to read population density numbers, and quite another to feel it. Our second village visit felt as empty\\u2014and as scenic \\u2013 as a national park\\u2026and indeed was much less full of people than the national park Diane and I visited last spring in Kerala!\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"http://riceinstitute.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/low-density-2.jpg\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, mdx(\"span\", {\n    parentName: \"a\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-wrapper\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"position\": \"relative\",\n      \"display\": \"block\",\n      \"marginLeft\": \"auto\",\n      \"marginRight\": \"auto\",\n      \"maxWidth\": \"960px\"\n    }\n  }, \"\\n      \", mdx(\"span\", {\n    parentName: \"span\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-background-image\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"paddingBottom\": \"74.5%\",\n      \"position\": \"relative\",\n      \"bottom\": \"0\",\n      \"left\": \"0\",\n      \"backgroundImage\": \"url('data:image/jpeg;base64,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')\",\n      \"backgroundSize\": \"cover\",\n      \"display\": \"block\"\n    }\n  }), \"\\n  \", mdx(\"img\", {\n    parentName: \"span\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-image\",\n    \"alt\": \"low density 2 1024x764\",\n    \"title\": \"low density 2\",\n    \"src\": \"/static/b97d925b0e471b69fc474f85009e4f2e/1fe05/low-density-2-1024x764.jpg\",\n    \"srcSet\": [\"/static/b97d925b0e471b69fc474f85009e4f2e/37402/low-density-2-1024x764.jpg 200w\", \"/static/b97d925b0e471b69fc474f85009e4f2e/91d27/low-density-2-1024x764.jpg 520w\", \"/static/b97d925b0e471b69fc474f85009e4f2e/1fe05/low-density-2-1024x764.jpg 960w\", \"/static/b97d925b0e471b69fc474f85009e4f2e/c3413/low-density-2-1024x764.jpg 1024w\"],\n    \"sizes\": \"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"width\": \"100%\",\n      \"height\": \"100%\",\n      \"margin\": \"0\",\n      \"verticalAlign\": \"middle\",\n      \"position\": \"absolute\",\n      \"top\": \"0\",\n      \"left\": \"0\"\n    },\n    \"loading\": \"lazy\"\n  }), \"\\n    \"))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The next contrast I noticed was the apparent satisfaction with what, in Hindi, we would call \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"kaccha\"), \" latrines (the word literally translates \\u201Craw\\u201D): informally made latrines, assembled out of organic or local material. This is in contrast with \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"pukka\"), \" latrines, formally constructed out of bricks or cement. As you saw in \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"http://riceinstitute.org/wordpress/2013/12/11/no-shame-in-a-simple-pit-latrine/\",\n    \"title\": \"No shame in a simple pit latrine\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, \"Diane\\u2019s recent post\"), \" about her fieldwork in Haryana, when we do happen to find latrines in rural north India, they are almost always quite \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"pukka\"), \". The policy discussion in India, especially in Delhi, is almost exclusively focused on expensively constructed latrines; for example, one group here at the Gates convening presented their work on a program attempting to sell $200 \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"pukka\"), \" latrines in rural Bihar.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The standard argument \\u2013 which appears to be true \\u2013 is that too many people in India simply don\\u2019t want \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"kaccha\"), \" latrines. One interpretation of this is that many of them actually don\\u2019t want latrines \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"at all\"), \", and are only willing to put up with one if it comes in the form of a fancy asset. But the parts of Naivasha that I was taken to seemed to be a different story. People had \\u2013 and used \\u2013 latrines that amounted to little more than covered holes in the dirt with walls made out of sticks and plastic bags. Lest I be misunderstood, that\\u2019s great! Widespread use of such simple latrines has helped increase average child height in Bangladesh; earlier this week I saw new evidence from a randomized experiment showing that such a basic step away from open defecation helped children to grow taller in a project in Mali.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"[\", \"caption id=\\\"attachment_1199\\\" align=\\\"aligncenter\\\" width=\\\"480\\\"\", \"]\", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"http://riceinstitute.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/latrine-outside.jpg\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, mdx(\"span\", {\n    parentName: \"a\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-wrapper\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"position\": \"relative\",\n      \"display\": \"block\",\n      \"marginLeft\": \"auto\",\n      \"marginRight\": \"auto\",\n      \"maxWidth\": \"960px\"\n    }\n  }, \"\\n      \", mdx(\"span\", {\n    parentName: \"span\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-background-image\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"paddingBottom\": \"74.5%\",\n      \"position\": \"relative\",\n      \"bottom\": \"0\",\n      \"left\": \"0\",\n      \"backgroundImage\": \"url('data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDABALDA4MChAODQ4SERATGCgaGBYWGDEjJR0oOjM9PDkzODdASFxOQERXRTc4UG1RV19iZ2hnPk1xeXBkeFxlZ2P/2wBDARESEhgVGC8aGi9jQjhCY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2NjY2P/wgARCAAPABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwAAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDBP/EABYBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAA//aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAB1Sms2ogv/8QAGRAAAwEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAESEQIh/9oACAEBAAEFArc1qroeC8eH/8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABH/2gAIAQMBAT8BiP/EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABEv/aAAgBAgEBPwG2Wz//xAAZEAACAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEQEQIUL/2gAIAQEABj8Cc4OEc1lf/8QAHhAAAgIABwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAERITFBUWFxkaH/2gAIAQEAAT8hdWWSJJ+gZuhIS1gUKpcE3p0f/9oADAMBAAIAAwAAABB0H//EABURAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR/9oACAEDAQE/EJS//8QAFBEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEP/aAAgBAgEBPxAH/8QAHBABAAMAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQARITFBYYGh/9oACAEBAAE/EMYy01VldYHvh+TEoj2yhEmq2h8EqIsxDlCwvfI//9k=')\",\n      \"backgroundSize\": \"cover\",\n      \"display\": \"block\"\n    }\n  }), \"\\n  \", mdx(\"img\", {\n    parentName: \"span\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-image\",\n    \"alt\": \"latrine outside 1024x764\",\n    \"title\": \"latrine outside\",\n    \"src\": \"/static/08b2cfc7962e8efc059324894e851331/1fe05/latrine-outside-1024x764.jpg\",\n    \"srcSet\": [\"/static/08b2cfc7962e8efc059324894e851331/37402/latrine-outside-1024x764.jpg 200w\", \"/static/08b2cfc7962e8efc059324894e851331/91d27/latrine-outside-1024x764.jpg 520w\", \"/static/08b2cfc7962e8efc059324894e851331/1fe05/latrine-outside-1024x764.jpg 960w\", \"/static/08b2cfc7962e8efc059324894e851331/c3413/latrine-outside-1024x764.jpg 1024w\"],\n    \"sizes\": \"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"width\": \"100%\",\n      \"height\": \"100%\",\n      \"margin\": \"0\",\n      \"verticalAlign\": \"middle\",\n      \"position\": \"absolute\",\n      \"top\": \"0\",\n      \"left\": \"0\"\n    },\n    \"loading\": \"lazy\"\n  }), \"\\n    \")), \" the outside view of a simple latrine\", \"[\", \"/caption\", \"]\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The picture above shows one of the latrines we saw. We asked a local woman we had met nearby if she was really perfectly happy with her latrine \\u2013 if she really had no improvement that she wanted to make. She assured us, to our fascination and gladness, that she was perfectly happy with her simple latrine. In a classic bit of comedy (\\u201CDoes your dog bite?\\u201D \\u201CNo.\\u201D \\u2026 \\u201COw! You said your dog didn\\u2019t bite!\\u201D \\u201CThat is not my dog.\\u201D) in the van back to Nairobi we subsequently realized that we weren\\u2019t exactly sure that the latrine we were looking at was indeed \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"her\"), \" latrine. Although this certainly illustrates the dangers of doing fieldwork in a language that you do not understand, to me, the existence of that \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"kaccha\"), \" latrine itself was proof that Naivasha is a different sanitary world.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"[\", \"caption id=\\\"attachment_1201\\\" align=\\\"aligncenter\\\" width=\\\"480\\\"\", \"]\", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"http://riceinstitute.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/latrine-inside1.jpg\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, mdx(\"span\", {\n    parentName: \"a\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-wrapper\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"position\": \"relative\",\n      \"display\": \"block\",\n      \"marginLeft\": \"auto\",\n      \"marginRight\": \"auto\",\n      \"maxWidth\": \"764px\"\n    }\n  }, \"\\n      \", mdx(\"span\", {\n    parentName: \"span\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-background-image\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"paddingBottom\": \"134%\",\n      \"position\": \"relative\",\n      \"bottom\": \"0\",\n      \"left\": \"0\",\n      \"backgroundImage\": \"url('data:image/jpeg;base64,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')\",\n      \"backgroundSize\": \"cover\",\n      \"display\": \"block\"\n    }\n  }), \"\\n  \", mdx(\"img\", {\n    parentName: \"span\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-image\",\n    \"alt\": \"latrine inside1 764x1024\",\n    \"title\": \"latrine inside\",\n    \"src\": \"/static/5a53376e4f4100bf4e24db3d02b4c137/321b5/latrine-inside1-764x1024.jpg\",\n    \"srcSet\": [\"/static/5a53376e4f4100bf4e24db3d02b4c137/37402/latrine-inside1-764x1024.jpg 200w\", \"/static/5a53376e4f4100bf4e24db3d02b4c137/91d27/latrine-inside1-764x1024.jpg 520w\", \"/static/5a53376e4f4100bf4e24db3d02b4c137/321b5/latrine-inside1-764x1024.jpg 764w\"],\n    \"sizes\": \"(max-width: 764px) 100vw, 764px\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"width\": \"100%\",\n      \"height\": \"100%\",\n      \"margin\": \"0\",\n      \"verticalAlign\": \"middle\",\n      \"position\": \"absolute\",\n      \"top\": \"0\",\n      \"left\": \"0\"\n    },\n    \"loading\": \"lazy\"\n  }), \"\\n    \")), \" inside the same simple latrine\", \"[\", \"/caption\", \"]\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"My last lesson came from statistics, as I was sitting in an office in Nairobi yesterday, participating in a discussion of the importance of sanitation for infant and child mortality. Somebody brought up the high infant mortality rates in Sierra Leone and Liberia, citing figures that seemed a little too high to me. Sitapur district is only one of over 70 districts in Uttar Pradesh, and about 600 in all India, and is noteworthy in this context only because it is the site of our rural home. I realized that, with a population of 4.5 million people, Sitapur falls squarely between the 4.2 million and 5.9 million that \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"https://www.google.com/search?q=population+of+Sierra+Leone&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&rlz=\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, \"Google reports\"), \" for Liberia and Sierra Leone, respectively.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"http://riceinstitute.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/sitapursierraleoneliberia.png\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, mdx(\"span\", {\n    parentName: \"a\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-wrapper\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"position\": \"relative\",\n      \"display\": \"block\",\n      \"marginLeft\": \"auto\",\n      \"marginRight\": \"auto\",\n      \"maxWidth\": \"960px\"\n    }\n  }, \"\\n      \", mdx(\"span\", {\n    parentName: \"span\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-background-image\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"paddingBottom\": \"42%\",\n      \"position\": \"relative\",\n      \"bottom\": \"0\",\n      \"left\": \"0\",\n      \"backgroundImage\": \"url('data:image/png;base64,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')\",\n      \"backgroundSize\": \"cover\",\n      \"display\": \"block\"\n    }\n  }), \"\\n  \", mdx(\"img\", {\n    parentName: \"span\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-image\",\n    \"alt\": \"sitapursierraleoneliberia 1024x432\",\n    \"title\": \"sitapursierraleoneliberia\",\n    \"src\": \"/static/7ee4cd4707641a9427aebe52d8f2f947/fde0f/sitapursierraleoneliberia-1024x432.png\",\n    \"srcSet\": [\"/static/7ee4cd4707641a9427aebe52d8f2f947/36ca5/sitapursierraleoneliberia-1024x432.png 200w\", \"/static/7ee4cd4707641a9427aebe52d8f2f947/25cf9/sitapursierraleoneliberia-1024x432.png 520w\", \"/static/7ee4cd4707641a9427aebe52d8f2f947/fde0f/sitapursierraleoneliberia-1024x432.png 960w\", \"/static/7ee4cd4707641a9427aebe52d8f2f947/658fc/sitapursierraleoneliberia-1024x432.png 1024w\"],\n    \"sizes\": \"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"width\": \"100%\",\n      \"height\": \"100%\",\n      \"margin\": \"0\",\n      \"verticalAlign\": \"middle\",\n      \"position\": \"absolute\",\n      \"top\": \"0\",\n      \"left\": \"0\"\n    },\n    \"loading\": \"lazy\"\n  }), \"\\n    \"))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"So, Sitapur is about the size of these African countries. How does its infant mortality compare? According to the \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"http://www.measuredhs.com\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, \"DHS app\"), \" on my ipad, 73 per 1,000 babies born die before their first birthday in Liberia, and 89 do in Sierra Leone. Sitapur, according to the \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"http://www.censusindia.gov.in/vital_statistics/AHSBulletins/ahs.html\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, \"Annual Health Survey\"), \", is again in the middle, with an infant mortality rate of 82. Moreover, according to the same AHS data, out of the only nine states surveyed, 18 other districts suffer infant mortality as high as Sitapur\\u2019s or higher, and 8 of these cases exceed even Sierra Leone. Of course, there is nothing making Liberia or Sierra Leone especially appropriate comparison cases; they just happen to be what came up in conversation.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Economists and political scientists have \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=artificial+states+easterly&btnG=&as_sdt=1%2C5&as_sdtp=\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, \"theorized and cataloged\"), \" the disadvantages that a country inherits from the arbitrary colonial carving of artificial national borders. I would be interested in the same scholars\\u2019 reflections on the consequences of the inattention a population receives from not counting as a country at all.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"[\", \"caption id=\\\"attachment_1196\\\" align=\\\"aligncenter\\\" width=\\\"300\\\"\", \"]\", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"p\",\n    \"href\": \"http://riceinstitute.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ruralbihar.jpg\",\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener noreferrer\"\n  }, mdx(\"span\", {\n    parentName: \"a\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-wrapper\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"position\": \"relative\",\n      \"display\": \"block\",\n      \"marginLeft\": \"auto\",\n      \"marginRight\": \"auto\",\n      \"maxWidth\": \"300px\"\n    }\n  }, \"\\n      \", mdx(\"span\", {\n    parentName: \"span\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-background-image\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"paddingBottom\": \"74.5%\",\n      \"position\": \"relative\",\n      \"bottom\": \"0\",\n      \"left\": \"0\",\n      \"backgroundImage\": \"url('data:image/jpeg;base64,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')\",\n      \"backgroundSize\": \"cover\",\n      \"display\": \"block\"\n    }\n  }), \"\\n  \", mdx(\"img\", {\n    parentName: \"span\",\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-image\",\n    \"alt\": \"ruralbihar 300x224\",\n    \"title\": \"ruralbihar\",\n    \"src\": \"/static/9bd6aa3f477684639d3ccfa1227db5cf/73b64/ruralbihar-300x224.jpg\",\n    \"srcSet\": [\"/static/9bd6aa3f477684639d3ccfa1227db5cf/37402/ruralbihar-300x224.jpg 200w\", \"/static/9bd6aa3f477684639d3ccfa1227db5cf/73b64/ruralbihar-300x224.jpg 300w\"],\n    \"sizes\": \"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"width\": \"100%\",\n      \"height\": \"100%\",\n      \"margin\": \"0\",\n      \"verticalAlign\": \"middle\",\n      \"position\": \"absolute\",\n      \"top\": \"0\",\n      \"left\": \"0\"\n    },\n    \"loading\": \"lazy\"\n  }), \"\\n    \")), \" an insightfully titled slide from the conference\", \"[\", \"/caption\", \"]\"));\n}\n;\nMDXContent.isMDXComponent = true;","tags":[{"name":"Blog Post","slug":"blog-post"}],"banner":null}}},"staticQueryHashes":["318001574","3787687951","3787687951"]}