Current inequalities in health

Current inequalities in health

It’s a fact of modern times that the wealthy in all societies, have much better physical, mental and social health than the poor. This starts at birth with the poorest members of society having the highest infant mortality rates and continues throughout life as the wealthy enjoy better access to healthcare thus having a better chance of recovering from serious illnesses and major trauma. The present world average life expectancy is 67.8 years. In most developed societies it is 78 years plus, however in the lowest income countries health is undermined by lack of food and poor sanitation and the average life expectancy is below 50 years. Approximately half the children born in these countries do not make it into adulthood.