A new international report has declared that Americans are not living as long as citizens in many other industrialized nations. In the last twenty years, America has dropped from 11th on the list of longest living people to 42nd, as our people now live an average of 77.9 years. Even though there are 41 nations above us on the list, the highest life expectancy is only 83.5 years, which is only 3.6 years longer. The report listed many countries in sub-sahara Africa as having the lowest average life spans, with Swaziland taking last place with an average of 34.1 years. This report also named America as having one of the worst infant mortality rates of any industrialized nation: 6.8 deaths for every 1000 births. One final note from the report: it found a startling difference between black and white Americans in both subjects. According to its findings, the average black American lives five years shorter than white Americans, and there are 13.7 african america child deaths per thousand births.
I found this report relevant to our class because it highlights one of the most important aspects of development; life expectancy. Oftentimes developed nations are demonized for this and that and everything else that they're doing wrong (and granted that can be a lot at times) but it seems very few people talk about the benefits that being developed has brought us. How about the fact that we in the developed nations are living twice as long as those in underdeveloped nations? Or how about the fact that our infant mortality rate is 6.8 per thousand, but the rates in Angola and Sierra Leone are 184.44 and 158.27 respectively? When I see statistics like these, I feel all the arguments about loss of culture by becoming developed go right out the window. How can you compare loss of traditions with loss of life? I personally feel that life is much more important, especially when it is in numbers like these.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I think most people would agree with you, there are a lot of benefits brought by the model of development that has been followed, in other words we should not throw the baby with the bath water.; owever, it is also important to remain critical. I find it troubling that despite the fact that people live long lives in the U.S. they are not so healthy lives, and I would not be surprised to see the actual life expectancy decline in the near future... We spend billions on health care to solve the problems we create and artificially prolonging our life span, I personally see that as somewhat perverted.
Post a Comment