I discovered that Africa has more government ministers whose specific role is to ensure the well-being of children than the rest of the world combined. In addition to government initiatives, children’s well-being is the focus of a large number of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and charities. Of the countries in Africa which have government ministers for children’s affairs, two have the highest birth rates in the world (Mali and Niger), and in Zambia life expectancy at birth is worse than all but two countries in the world — Angola (37.92 years) and Swaziland (31.99 years). Children in many parts of Africa suffer deprivations as a consequence of overpopulation and a lack of funding for public services. The data and world rankings shown in the table below are estimates for 2008 which come from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Tunisia and Mauritius are exceptions to the general picture. The fertility rate is defined as the average number of children born per woman.
| Country | Fertility Rate |
2008 Rank |
Life Expectancy |
2008 Rank |
| Benin | 4.96 | 32 | 53.85 | 190 |
| Cameroon | 4.41 | 45 | 53.30 | 193 |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 6.28 | 9 | 53.98 | 187 |
| Ghana | 3.78 | 55 | 59.49 | 180 |
| Guinea | 3.71 | 56 | 49.80 | 202 |
| Kenya | 4.70 | 39 | 56.64 | 184 |
| Malawi | 5.67 | 17 | 43.45 | 213 |
| Mali | 7.34 | 1 | 49.94 | 200 |
| Mauritania | 5.69 | 15 | 53.91 | 189 |
| Mauritius | 1.83 | 153 | 73.75 | 94 |
| Namibia | 2.81 | 84 | 49.89 | 201 |
| Niger | 7.29 | 2 | 44.28 | 210 |
| Tanzania | 4.62 | 42 | 51.45 | 197 |
| Togo | 4.85 | 35 | 58.28 | 181 |
| Tunisia | 1.73 | 167 | 75.56 | 74 |
| Zambia | 5.23 | 26 | 38.59 | 221 |
