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United States: We're Number Twelve! Go Twelve!
Posted by Pile
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[Beating Dead Horses]
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Despite spending $230m an hour on healthcare, Americans live shorter lives than citizens of almost every other developed country. And while it has the second-highest income per head in the world, the United States ranks 42nd in terms of life expectancy.
These are some of the startling conclusions from a major new report which attempts to explain why the world's number-one economy has slipped to 12th place - from 2nd in 1990- in terms of human development. |
The American Human Development Report, which applies rankings of health, education and income to the US, paints a surprising picture of a country that spends well over $5bn each day on healthcare - more per person than any other country.
The report, Measure of America, was funded by Oxfam America, the Conrad Hilton Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. It shows each of the 11 countries that rank higher than the US in human development has a lower per-capita income.
Those countries score better on the health and knowledge indices that make up the overall human development index (HDI), which is calculated each year by the United Nations Development Programme.
And each has achieved better outcomes in areas such as infant mortality and longevity, with less spending per head.
Japanese, for example, can expect to outlive Americans, on average, by more than four years. In fact, citizens of Israel, Greece, Singapore, Costa Rica, South Korea and every western European and Nordic country save one can expect to live longer than Americans.
There are also wider differences, the report shows. The average Asian woman, for example, lives for almost 89 years, while African-American women live until 76. For men of the same groups, the difference is 14 years.
One of the main problems faced by the US, says the report, is that one in six Americans, or about 47 million people, are not covered by health insurance and so have limited access to healthcare.
As a result, the US is ranked 42nd in global life expectancy and 34th in terms of infants surviving to age one. The US infant mortality rate is on a par with that of Croatia, Cuba, Estonia and Poland. If the US could match top-ranked Sweden, about 20,000 more American babies a year would live to their first birthday. |
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While the US is the greatest contributer of World Health & Food
Posted by P. Shahir on 2008-07-17 19:36:36 | Thank you for this issue - for a change !
Russia's reform has also lead to horrific disintegration of health, as narco-cartels and corrupt schemes made a rush on Russia - and some drug routes passed from Afghanistan etc through Russia
Unfortunately, when certain ultranational Europeans were scoffing at the USA, ( even since WW2 horrors ..... ), things had not gone that bad yet ...... The USA has been increasingly under attack by narco-terror gangs, and people living in misery have often been forced out crime and misery of due to lack of inspiration, extortion and addiction, further into world's most dangerous horror of drugs and related illnesses - physical and psychological ..... This is the 'main battle' and orignal core of all miseries and all social obstacles to progress !!
We must remember that the OBL terrorist horror was a drug cartel leader ... reinvesting his family's and his oil interests.
While the USA had to bear the brunt of huge anti-terror operations expenses, certain cartels just profited and funded refurbishing their war machines and vastly expanded efforts to dominate Internet media and corporations .......
I hope and pray for the day when ALL people all around the world will come to appreciate that Americans have risked their lives in struggles they truly believed in - liberating Europe, and Humanity and against tyrannies - and not for exploitation as certain would falsely claim - Through world wars, liberating Europe. ( where was the oil in the Balkans and in Somalia ?? )
However, health care cannot be merely created out of the pockets of a Nation under attack and under siege by various corrupt interests ( multinational crimes that pass the blame on 'US foreign policy etc - as if OBL and other hate cartels cared that much ! )
I have repeatedly written calling for a Global Subsidy and Tax system so that ALL natural resources ( and not 'JUST' carbon energy sources ) that could obligate any exploiters of any resources ( natural or human) , to help contribute to the entire world environment and health, - as well as the various deserving and needy people around the world ( rightfully including US Americans ! ), and to subsidize ALL governments engaged in ensuring that resources are used to advance health, education and global security !!
US taxpayers can otherwise not go on and on in face of this horrific oil extortion ! - Where should the money come from ? - other than peoples' enterprise and workers productivity ? US govt has recently statuated with treaties to obligate industries to limit POPs ( Persistant Organic Pollutants ) that the other major culprit of deteriorating health, besides lifestyle problems such as drug abuse, alcohol and tobacco etc .
Stress is another horrific factor.
I call on all good people to think and realize what it means to US Americans who have funded the most of UN activities ( over 25 % of UN budget at very least - not to speak of protection security operations, - and over 50% of all world food aid !! , while US Americans are less than 5 % of the world population ?? !! - and only small oil reserves ..... )
Thanks to all kind hearted people around the world who could ponder on this, and the fact about oil supply extortion - and come with their suggestions and initiatives towards sharing burdens together .....
Thank you again, for this crucial theme relevant to our time -and the continued sufferings of people who strive -
Best wishes from P. Shahir |
US Health Statistics
Posted by Shadus on 2008-07-24 12:11:26 | | One of the reasons the US Health statistics have dropped is because of the lack of insurance for so many people and the increase over the last 10 years of unemployement. Another reason is our lack of preventative care like most other first world countries. Our increasing problems with obesity aren't helping either. America-- the only first world country where doctors get paid for denying needed medical procedures... and we wonder why Americans are living shorter lives. |
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