infectious diseases create a “poverty trap” that is almost impossible to escape.[16] Poor people are more likely to get ill, making them even poorer and even more prone to infectious disease. Low-income countries tend to be afflicted by more infectious diseases, which in turn undermines economic growth and makes it very difficult for them to prosper. The prevalence of infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa helps to explain why it is not only the poorest region in the world but has become even poorer in relative terms over the last few decades, as economic growth has failed to keep pace with
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