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Every study ranking nations by health or living standards invariably offers Scandinavian social democracies a chance to show their quiet dominance. A new analysis published this week—perhaps the most comprehensive ever—is no different. But what it does reveal are the broad shortcomings of sustainable development efforts, the new shorthand for not killing ourselves or the planet, as well as the specific afflictions of a certain North American country.
Iceland and Sweden share the top slot with Singapore as world leaders when it comes to health goals set by the United Nations, according to a report published in the Lancet . Using the UN's sustainable development goals as guideposts, which measure the obvious (poverty, clean water, education) and less obvious (societal inequality, industry innovation), more than 1,870 researchers in 124 countries compiled data on 33 different indicators of progress toward the UN goals related to health.
The massive study emerged from a decade-long collaboration focused on the worldwide distribution of disease. About a year and a half ago, the researchers involved decided their data might help measure progress on what may be the single most ambitious undertaking humans have ever committed themselves to: survival. In doing so, they came up with some disturbing findings, including that the country with the biggest economy (not to mention, if we're talking about health, multibillion-dollar health-food and fitness industries) ranks No. 28 overall, between Japan and Estonia.
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The voluminous work that went into the paper may make measuring the UN goals on health seem even more daunting: The researchers were able so far to evaluate just 70 percent of the health-related indicators called for by the UN.
It may not be pretty, but "we have no chance of success if we can't agree on what's critical," said Linda Fried, dean of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.
(Score: 1) by jelizondo on Monday September 26 2016, @05:18AM
Oh, I love Canada! I would move there in a heartbeat, I even like colder climates except I don’t relish shoveling snow. (I now live in the tropics, hate the higher temperatures but there is no snow to shovel :-) )
What I was trying to convey is that the average Joe gets a lie as a philosophy of life: “try hard and you’ll succeed” when his chances are slim and none, particularly the way the playing field has been tilted towards corporations and big-money. And if Joe doesn’t succeed, then it his fault for not trying hard enough.
Perfectly circular reasoning that lays the blame at the feet of the victim, such as when we tell women, “Dressing like that you are asking to be raped” which absolves the rapist, “What could I do? She was asking for it”
And this carries the danger of us becoming the Eloi, food for the Morlocks who actually carry the weight of making society function.
Now, that I come to think of it, you probably weren’t raised a Canadian, you did not even once write “sorry” in your post!
Cheers