Health
HEALTH INDICATORS
Key health indicators are utilized to assess the health status of a country and identify areas in which health outcomes can be improved (Slonik, 2016). It can also be used to compare and analyze health status between different populations within a country or across other countries (Slonik, 2016). Key health indicators can also play a part in influencing the creation or improvement of current health initiatives and policies (Center for Disease Prevention and Control, 2019). Some of the most commonly used key indicators include infant mortality rate, life expectancy at birth, maternal mortality rate, neonatal mortality rate, and child mortality rate (Slonik, 2016).
Life expectancy & mortality
According to “Philippines” (2017), life expectancy in the Philippines is 73.1 years for females and 66.6 years for males. Child mortality and infant mortality rates are 26.6 per 1,000 and 19.9 per 1,000 births, respectively (“Philippines,” 2017). Maternal mortality rate is 121 deaths per 100,000 live births (“The World Factbook: Philippines” 2020). According to “United States” (2017), life expectancy in the United States is higher than the Philippines at 81.1 years for females and 76.1 years for males. Child mortality and infant mortality rate are much lower compared to the Philippines at 6.7 per 1,000 and 5.7 per 1,000 births, respectively. Maternal mortality rate is 19 deaths per 100,000 live births (“The World Factbook: United States” 2020).
Leading Cause of Death
The leading cause of death in the Philippines is ischemic heart disease, followed by stroke (“Philippines,” 2017). The leading cause of death in the United States is ischemic heart disease, followed by Alzheimer’s disease (“United States,” 2017). According to Slonik (2016), stroke and ischemic heart disease are the leading causes of death in low, middle, and high-income countries (p. 30).
Risk Factors
The risk factors that most significantly affect health in the Philippines are dietary risks, high fasting plasma glucose, malnutrition, tobacco, and high blood pressure (“Philippines,” 2017).
References
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Center for Disease Prevention and Control. (2019). Leading Health Indicators. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/healthy_people/hp2020/hp2020_indicators.htm
Philippines. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.healthdata.org/philippines
Skolnik, R. (2016). Global Health 101 (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
The World Factbook: Philippines. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html
United States. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.healthdata.org/united-states