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There are several health indicators for which the United States ranks lower than other nations. In particular, one can speak about life expectancy and child mortality. The first criterion life expectancy can be defined the average number of years that people will live. It is measured on the basis of death rates in a country during a certain period (Poston & Micklin, 2006, p. 683). In turn, infant mortality refers to the death rates among children whose age is lower than 12 months (Poston & Micklin, 2006, p. 260). These are the main indicators that should be examined.
In terms of life expectancy, the United States occupies the twenty-ninth place in the list of countries (Herbes-Sommers & Smith, 2008). Certainly, the country performs much better than many other states such as India, Turkey, or Argentina. Nevertheless, there are several developing countries where life expectancy is higher than in America, for instance, Macau, Israel or Singapore (Central Intelligence Agency, 2013b, unpaged). Furthermore, infant mortality rates in the United States are higher than in New Caledonia, Belarus, or Slovenia (Central Intelligence Agency, 2013, unpaged). These are the main statistical data that should be considered by policy-makers.
There are various trends that should be considered when explaining these indicators. It is possible to identify two factors that determine the relative standing of the United States. In particular, one can mention the quality of health care services and their accessibility (Herbes-Sommers & Smith, 2008). It should be mentioned that the quality of healthcare care services can be dependent on such variables as the competence of medical workers or the use of technologies. Furthermore, one should remember about the ability of people to afford treatment and their income.
It should be taken into consideration that in terms of life expectancy, the best results are achieved by such countries as Monaco and Macao. In turn, the highest mortality rates are registered in Chad and Guinea-Bissau (Central Intelligence Agency, 2013b, unpaged). As far as infant mortality is concerned, one should focus on such states as Monaco and Japan. In contrast, the highest mortality among children can be observed in Afghanistan and Mali (Central Intelligence Agency, 2013, unpaged). To a great extent, these differences can be affected by social determinant of health. For instance, one can speak about the income level of individuals and their ability to afford medical treatment. Moreover, close attention should be paid to the competence of healthcare professionals working in these countries and the resources that they have.
On the whole, this comparison throws light on the possible differences between different countries. The economic strength of the United States may not result in the highest life expectancy and the lowest infant mortality rates. In part, this problem can be explained by the inability of many individuals to afford proper treatment. This issue is particular important if one speaks about people who do not have medical insurance.
Nevertheless, this argument has certain limitations, because various health indicators can dependent on other social phenomena that are not related to the work of medical organizations. For example, one can mention that violent crime rate in a country can influence its average life expectancy (Levinson, 2002). The issues should be considered by policy-makers and legislators who develop programs that are supposed to improve the health of people. Therefore, the health situation in a country can be affected by multiple variables. This is the main lesson that I have learned.
Reference List
Central Intelligence Agency. (2013). The World Factbook: Infant Mortality. Web.
Central Intelligence Agency. (2013b). The World Factbook; Life Expectancy. Web.
Herbes-Sommers, C. (Producer), & Smith, L. M. (Director). (2008). Health in America In L. Adelman (Executive producer), Unnatural Causes: Episode 1—In Sickness and in Wealth. United States: Public Broadcasting Service.
Levinson, D. (2002). Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment. New York: SAGE.
Poston, D., & Micklin, M. (2006). Handbook of Population. New York: Springer.
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