High-Income Country: The United States
With a gross national income per capita exceeding $12,056, the United States is classified as a high-income country. At present, the average life expectancy in the United States is 79.3, though it is lower in Black and slightly higher in Hispanic populations. The age-adjusted death rate as of 2016 is 731.9 per 100,000 people. The birth rate has been declining between 1975 and 2015 and was 1.77 births per woman in 2016. As for morbidity, the US shows some progress in combating diseases such as hypertension: between 1988 and 2014, its prevalence decreased from 72.4 to 58.3%. At the same time, the number of people receiving prescription drugs increased and amounted to 69.6% in adults aged 45-65.
The US healthcare system is often criticized for its low administrative efficiency, decentralization, and poor accessibility. As of now, many American residents are still uninsured, and the Affordable Care Act that came into power to address it is under attack. It is the vulnerable populations and those living in remote areas that suffer inadequate health care the most (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). On the other hand, the US has some inarguable assets such as the most populous medical workforce in the world and plenty of world-class schools and research institutions.
Middle-Income Country: Russia
As of now, Russia’s GNI per capita is $11,260, which puts it into the upper-middle-income category. Institute of Modern Russia (2016) estimates the average life expectancy at 71.2, though there is a discrepancy between sexes – 76.5 for women and 65.1 for men. Russia’s mortality rate is on the rise and amounts to 1,280 per 100,000 people. At the same time, the birth rate has decreased from 2.15 in the 1980s to 1.7 in 2016 (Institute of Modern Russia, 2016). Institute of Modern Russia (2016) reports that Russia has made good progress in battling alcohol-related mortality rates and bringing it down to 6,789 per year from 28,386 15 years ago. However, the country’s cancer survivability rates are still concerning as there is only a 40% chance of recovery.
Russia’s healthcare system takes after the Soviet one: it is free and socialized. However, it fails to meet the population’s needs due to its low administrative efficiency, poor accessibility, and workforce shortages. The lack of specialists and their uneven distribution are likely to contribute to the high death rate and low survivability from diseases such as cancer. With an average salary of $500-600, Russian doctors are among the lowest paid healthcare providers in the world, which explains migration, turnover rates, and career switches.
Low-Income Country: Nigeria
Nigeria’s GNI per capita is $5,710, which means it is low-income. The World Health Organization (2016) estimates its life expectancy at 53.95, which puts it between Ethiopia and Ghana. Its death rate is on the decline (1,196 per 100,000, a 2.5% improvement from the last year). At the same time, the fertility rate is also decreasing as now the Nigerian woman has 5.46 children on average. The leading cause of death in Nigeria is neonatal disorders (13.82%), followed closely by lower respiratory (12.2%) infections and malaria (9.87%). Deaths from preventable diseases, as well as poor life expectancy, indicate the inadequacy of Nigeria’s healthcare system in place. The World Health Organization (2016) points out that the government funds primarily urban hospitals (70% of the healthcare budget) while only 50% of Nigerians live in cities. Poor health indicators may also be explained by the quality of the workforce. As of now, there is a “brain drain” of Nigerian doctors and nurses seeking better salaries and working conditions abroad.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Health United States report 2016.Web.
Institute of Modern Russia. (2016). Russia’s healthcare system: Current state of affairs and the need for reforms.Web.
The World Health Organization. (2016).Nigeria.Web.