Global Launch A2 RW
Question 1
Developed and developing countries have significant social and economic differences that pose health risks to their citizens. Life expectancy is high in developed countries, with the child mortality rates being lower compared to developing countries. “Mortality rates are falling more rapidly in wealthier nations, and within a wealthy country, mortality rates are falling more rapidly for those with higher incomes” (Pakenham et al., 2013). As such, it underscores the fact that developed countries have higher disposable wealth and income that allows them to ramp up their prevention efforts on diseases, thus increasing their life expectancy and reducing their child mortality rates. Also, the disposable wealth available to developed nations allows them to eradicate infectious diseases that are the causes of premature deaths, thus strengthening their productive group of population. The citizens of developing countries are uneducated on healthy lifestyles, for instance, overeating, which may cause obesity. Inadequate income in developing countries inhibits their health efforts, thus leading to the discrepancies in the life expectancy between such developing countries and developed countries. Frankly, death is inevitable; however, developed countries are more prone to severe diseases such as diabetes, thus leading to their lower life expectancies and high child mortality rates compared to developed countries.
Question2
The citizens from developed and developing nations have different health problems that arise from the discrepancies in their own social and economic conditions. As such, global health organizations such as the World Health Organization cannot apply the same health strategies to both the developed and developing nations due to the differences in social and economic factors. “Whereas annual health spending in Europe averages between USD 3,000 and USD 4,000 per person, many developing countries spend less than USD 30 per person each year,” (Pakenham et al., 2013). As such, it is evident that the governments of developing countries are cash strapped and cannot offer any significant cover to the health of their citizens. According to Pakenham et al., the deprived social and economic conditions present in developing nation is severe that most people cannot afford the supply of insulin which is crucial to diabetes patients. Developed countries have large incomes compared to developing countries, thus enabling them to invest in modern technology essential in the prevention and treatment of diseases heavily. Also, the study of serious diseases such as cancer is more advanced in developed nations compared to developing countries in aspects such as chemotherapy. Candidly, the social and economic discrepancies between developed and developing nations will not be solved anytime soon; as such, there needs to global efforts spearheaded by developed countries to aid developing nations to tackle their health problems.