1. Demographic Convergence Unit III – Subtopic 7 Students will be able to describe demographic convergence and cite evidence that demonstrates it.

2. The gaps between developed and developing countries for major indicators such as fertility rates and life expectancies have narrowed significantly in the past half-century and are projected to become smaller in future decades. This trend is known as demographic convergence

4. Life will continue to improve for people in poor countries as those countries finish the demographic transition (entering Stage 4, with low fertility rates, low death rates, and long life expectancies)

5. In wealthy developed countries, people are living longer and healthier lives than at any time in history. For example, most of the illnesses that killed many people a century ago (such as tuberculosis, tetanus, and polio) have been brought under control in developed countries.

6. Most deaths in developed countries are now caused by chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and stroke –Ex: tobacco use causes more deaths in the United States each year than HIV, alcohol use, illegal drug use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined

7. Many chronic diseases develop slowly, and many are linked to personal choices such as diet. This means that effective public health programs must increasingly focus on long-term prevention and reducing risky behaviors such as smoking (Fig. 18).