The ten worst world health inequalities
29 Aug 2008, 1602 Hrs

Add comment          Mail          Print          Write to Editor

London, Aug 29 (ANI): In India, 140 of every 1000 children born to the poorest households die before the age of five - and the rate is three times higher than among those born to the richest - of which 45 of every 1000 will die under five, that's one of the conclusions of a three-year analysis of the quality of life around the world.

The report has been presented by the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH), an advisory body to the World Health Organisation.

From the analysis, the CSDH found that quality of life, health and life expectancy varied dramatically worldwide, depending on socioeconomic conditions, reports Times Online.

The ten worst world health inequalities are:

1. In Australia, Aboriginal men live an average of 59.4 years - over 15 years less than the average Australian male at 76.6 years. Aboriginal women live 64.8 years on average, while the overall female life expectancy is 82 years

In the United States, 886,202 deaths would have been averted between 1991 and 2000 if mortality rates between whites and African Americans were equalised.

2. Black men living in Washington DC live an average of 63 years - white men living in the affluent Washington suburb of Montgomery County live an average of 80 years.

3. In Indonesia, death during childbirth is three to four times higher among the poor than the rich

4. In the UK, a boy born in the Calton suburb of Glasgow is likely to live, on average, 28 years less than one born a few miles away in Lenzie.

5. Life expectancy at birth for men in Hampstead, north west London, is on average 11 years longer than for men born in the vicinity of nearby St Pancras railway station

6. Worldwide, infant mortality rates are higher among children born to uneducated mothers than those born to mothers with a secondary education. In the Congo, infant mortality is 60 per 1000 live births for educated mothers and 135 per 1000 for the uneducated.

7. In Niger, 260 of every 1000 children born will die before reaching the age of 5. In Portugal, this figure is less than five

8. In India, 140 of every 1000 children born to the poorest households die before the age of five. The rate is three times higher than among those born to the richest households, of which 45 of every 1000 will die under five.

9. In Russia, a 20-year-old male who is university-educated can expect to live an average of 52 years - over a decade longer than his elementary-educated counterpart at just 40 years

10. Average life expectancy across Africa is the lowest of all the world's regions at 48 years. The highest is found in North America, where people can expect to live an average of 77 years. European life expectancy is 74 years, while in Latin America and Asia it is 71 and 67 years respectively.

Among individual countries, Sierra Leone has the world's lowest life expectancy at 40 years. The highest is in Japan, where people can expect to live an average of 83 years. (ANI)