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Visit healthymagination.comThe global health economy is growing faster than gross domestic product with a 35% growth in the world's healthcare spend in just five years. Worldwide, over 100 million people are pushed below the poverty line due to increasing healthcare expenditures.
Healthcare spending in the U.S. reached $2.4 trillion in 2008 and is expected to rise twice the amount of inflation - 6.9% or $4.3 trillion by 2016.
Overall, Europe spends the most on healthcare for its citizens, with eight out of 10 countries ranking the highest.
Eleven countries estimate that as many as 78 million people stayed or dropped below the poverty line as a direct result of personal health expenditures.
The poorest households pay up to 85% out-of-pocket for healthcare in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the 30 countries of the OECD, this average is 72%.
Nearly 60% of African countries spent less than $100 per capita on healthcare, with Burundi spending the least at $15 per person.
Healthcare spending in Australia has increased by 4.5% per year on average between 2000 and 2005.
Today, 2 billion people globally are without access to healthcare. And of the 136 million women who will give birth this year, nearly 43% will have no medical assistance, greatly endangering their lives and the lives the next generation.
In Haiti, a mere 27% of births were attended by a skilled health personnel in 2006.
Europe has the highest healthcare physician density among all the continents - one physician per 204 people.
In China's rural areas, nearly five in 100 must travel over 5 km to access the closest healthcare facility. Where access is low, infant and under-five mortality rates remain high.
In Venezuela, one year-olds continue to have low rates of immunization, with only 55% receiving the vaccine for measles. In the U.S., 93% of toddlers receive the vaccine.
For 85% of African countries, 2000 people share the services of one healthcare professional. In Switzerland the ratio is 250:1.
In Samoa, there is one hospital bed and two medical professionals (including physicians, nurses and midwives) for every 1,000 people.
A population with a higher life expectancy may not actually be the healthiest. Healthy Life Expectancy takes into account the years lived in less than full health due to disease and/or injury.
| (Numbers in Years) | Life Expectancy | Healthy Life Expectancy | Estimated Loss of Full Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| N.A. & C.A. (Average) | 72 | 62 | 14% |
| Haiti (Lowest) | 61 | 44 | 28% |
| Canada (Highest) | 81 | 72 | 11% |
| (Numbers in Years) | Life Expectancy | Healthy Life Expectancy | Estimated Loss of Full Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe (Average) | 77 | 68 | 11% |
| Russian Federation (Lowest) | 66 | 58 | 12% |
| Switzerland (Highest) | 82 | 73 | 11% |
| (Numbers in Years) | Life Expectancy | Healthy Life Expectancy | Estimated Loss of Full Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asia (Average) | 69 | 59 | 15% |
| Afghanistan (Lowest) | 42 | 36 | 14% |
| Japan (Highest) | 83 | 75 | 10% |
| (Numbers in Years) | Life Expectancy | Healthy Life Expectancy | Estimated Loss of Full Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.A. (Average) | 72 | 61 | 15% |
| Guyana (Lowest) | 64 | 55 | 14% |
| Chile (Highest) | 78 | 67 | 14% |
| (Numbers in Years) | Life Expectancy | Healthy Life Expectancy | Estimated Loss of Full Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Africa (Average) | 55 | 44 | 19% |
| Sierra Leone (Lowest) | 40 | 29 | 27% |
| Mauritius (Highest) | 73 | 62 | 15% |
| (Numbers in Years) | Life Expectancy | Healthy Life Expectancy | Estimated Loss of Full Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oceania (Average) | 69 | 59 | 14% |
| Nauru (Lowest) | 61 | 55 | 10% |
| Australia (Highest) | 82 | 73 | 11% |
All the data herein is based on the latest public data from the World Health Organization Statistical Information System. All the written descriptions, except those with specific notes, are an interpretation of the public data provided by the following three sources from WHO.
1. Statistical Information System
2. World Health Statistics 2008
3. Global Burden of Disease
Notes:
1. Study to Probe Impact of Health Spending on Asia, Asian Development Bank
2. National Health Expenditure Data, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
3. Health Data 2008: Statistics and Indicators for 30 Countries, OECD
4. Health Shocks in Latin America and the Caribbean and Their Impact on the Poorest, The World Bank
5. 2003 National Health Census, Ministry of Health of The People's Republic of China
6. Healthy life expectancy at birth (years): Average number of years that a person can expect to live in "full health" by taking into account years lived in less than full health due to disease and/or injury.
Estimated Loss of Full Health in Lifetime (percentage): (Life Expectancy - Healthy Life Expectancy)/Life Expectancy
7. Four locations in Europe have the highest life expectancy: Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Switzerland
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