The Fight Against The Ever-Widening Health Gap Between Rich And Poor

According to a series of studies published in the Lancet, the wealthiest American women live approximately 10 years longer than their poorest counterparts, and this gap widens to a shocking 14,5 years for men. With these figures, the USA is the most unequal country in terms of health outcome among the OECD countries. And the outlook is not great either. Researchers warn us that this difference we now see between the top and bottom 1% is only going to grow. Without intervention, the difference in life expectancy between the richest and poorest 20% will expand to 10 years in a generation’s time. There are differences between the developed world in how much inequity you face when accessing healthcare. Some countries manage the issue better. While 39% of Americans with below-average income reported not seeing a doctor for a medical problem because of its cost, this compares to a 7% figure of low-income Canadians and 1% of those in the UK. The real health gap: life expactancy at birth according to WHO. On the left the 5 countries with the highest figures. On the right the 5 countries with the lowest figures. But of course, this is not just an OECD problem. Inequities are even more prevalent between rich and poor countries. Based on the WHO’s figures, a Japanese newborn is expected to live 84,2 years, while a baby born on the same day in Lesotho will be dead before celebrating the 51st birthday. This highlights the fact that the health gap is significantly wider betwe...
Source: The Medical Futurist - Category: Information Technology Authors: Tags: TMF Digital Health Research Future of Medicine Healthcare Design Healthcare Policy Telemedicine & Smartphones health literacy democratised healthcare Source Type: blogs