World Health Report: Life expectancy falls in poorest countries

[Karmadillo]

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/jan2004/whor-j12.shtml

Stark global inequalities in health are revealed in the latest World Health Organisation (WHO) report. World Health Report 2003 highlights “the slowing of gains and the widening of health gaps.”

A baby girl born in Japan can expect to live to 85 years of age, have sufficient food, vaccinations and a good education. On average she will have $550 spent on medication per year for her needs, with more available if necessary.

If she were born in Sierra Leone she would have a life expectancy of just 36 years, not be immunised, be undernourished and if she survived childhood would marry as a teenager and give birth to six children. Childbirth would represent a high risk to her. One or more of her children would die in infancy. She could expect only $3 a year to be spent on medication.

Life expectancy has increased globally by almost 20 years over the last half century. In 1950-1955 it was 46.5 years and in 2002 it was 65.2 years. But this overall rise masks a terrible decline in life expectancy in the poorest countries. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa adult mortality rates are now higher than they were 30 years ago.

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[papau]

1. A lot of kids dying from lack of food, and later female deaths from births

Add in the sanitation breakdown as oil money and aid money is sent to Swiss Banks by the dictators we have maintained because "they do not cause trouble", and a stupid attitude toward aids, and you get a 36 year life span at birth (those that make it to 40 - male and female - still are looking at 3 score and 10 just as the Bible says - 70 years - but there will just be fewer of them.