Re: OT: Get mad


For decades, the United States has been slipping in international
rankings of life expectancy, as other countries improve health care.
Countries that surpass the U.S. include Japan and most of Europe, as
well as Jordan, Guam and the Cayman Islands.

A baby born in the United States in 2004 will live an average of 77.9
years. That life expectancy ranks 42nd, down from 11th two decades
earlier.

Andorra, a tiny country in the Pyrenees mountains between France and
Spain, had the longest life expectancy, at 83.5 years. It was followed
by Japan, Maucau, San Marino and Singapore.

The shortest life expectancies were clustered in Sub-Saharan Africa, a
region that has been hit hard by an epidemic of HIV and AIDS, as well as
famine and civil strife. Swaziland has the shortest, at 34.1 years,
followed by Zambia, Angola, Liberia and Zimbabwe.

Researchers said several factors have contributed to the United States
falling behind other industrialized nations. A major one is that 45
million Americans lack health insurance, while Canada and many European
countries have universal health care.

Black Americans have an average life expectancy of 73.3 years, five
years shorter than white Americans. Black American males have a life
expectancy of 69.8 years, slightly longer than the averages for Iran and
Syria and slightly shorter than in Nicaragua and Morocco.

A relatively high percentage of babies born in the U.S. die before their
first birthday, compared with other industrialized nations. Forty
countries, including Cuba, Taiwan and most of Europe had lower infant
mortality rates than the U.S. in 2004. The U.S. rate was 6.8 deaths for
every 1,000 live births. It was 13.7 for Black Americans, the same as
Saudi Arabia.

U.S. policymakers must focus on ways to reduce cancer, heart disease and
lung disease. The starting point is the recognition that the U.S. does
not have the best health care system. There are still an awful lot of
people who think it does.

.

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