Despite its wealth, why is the United States still not as healthy as it should be?

People in the United States are watching with increasing caution. aging progresses Among Washington, DC's elected leaders, the two current leading candidates for the 2024 presidential election are currently 81 and 77 years old. But the longevity of the leadership stands in sharp contrast to the reality in other parts of the country. Americans are literally dying of disease.

Ten years ago, I led a study. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) This paper is the first to document that the United States has a disadvantage in health and survival among high-income countries.our report The United States has the lowest life expectancy of any country and has been shown to have high rates of morbidity and mortality from dozens of causes. This health and survival deficit has been growing for more than 40 years, affecting men and women, young and old, rich and poor, and of all races and ethnicities.

Average life

Meanwhile, other the study This trend has been confirmed as the life and death situation worsens. Life expectancy in the U.S., after plateauing for several years, had declined for three consecutive years before the global pandemic hit. What followed was devastating. COVID-19 has killed more than 1 million people in the United States and cut life expectancy by an additional two years, twice as much for Hispanics, Blacks, and Native Americans. This was the steepest decline in life expectancy since then. Second World War and nothing comparable happened other wealthy countries.

During the pandemic, Eight Among the 10 main causes of death, the following also increased: maternal and children and youth death. Given these harsh realities, the pressing question is why are Americans so unwell?in new scientist Ten years ago, I realized the reason was simple, yet deceptively complex. That's pretty much it.

Even a casual look at life in America today reveals an incredible situation.The country is entering its third decade of national deaths. opioid epidemic – unleashed by pharmaceutical industry – 110,000 lives were claimed in 2022 alone. And along with drugs, there are also bullets. In 2020 and 2021, Guns killed more American children It is more common among people between the ages of 1 and 17 to die from any other cause.

Circumstances that cause poor health, such as high economic levels inequality and instabilityalong with limited safety net Institutions and social support systems are found in every aspect of life. children and youth In the United States. For over 10 years now, Cross-border comparison The well-being of children and adolescents in wealthy countries shows that children in the United States are worse off than other children in virtually every area measured.

Health insurance

Given the poor health status of Americans, this country needs a reliable health care system. However, the United States is well known for being one of the most complex and fragmented nations. expensive medical system world.largely 30 million the american people No health insuranceAnd for millions of others, quality, affordable, and accessible health care is simply out of reach or effectively not available.

The final feature of the U.S. situation is one of its most important factors: systemic racism and the injustices that accompany it. In 2021, Average life For Asian Americans it was 84 years, for Hispanic Americans it was 78 years, for white Americans it was 77 years, for black Americans it was 72 years, and for Native Americans it was 67 years. native community They have long experienced some of the most severe health inequalities in this country, a direct reflection of the cumulative violence, trauma, and injustice inflicted on them over generations. . It is difficult to overstate the impact of racism in the United States today.

If health is wealth, then the United States is far from being the rich and powerful country many imagine.other countries will do well too do not have They will follow the Americans down this deadly path. And the United States should consider the many ways other industrialized democracies are achieving far better and more equitable health outcomes at far lower costs.

A longer version of this article was first published in German at Der Pragmaticus Verlag AG.