International Journal of Health Sciences

On The Health and Wealth of Nations
Kyle Murphy, Doug Dix

Abstract
From the Human Development Report of 2014, we calculated the product of infant mortality rate, under-five mortality rate, female adult mortality rate, and male adult mortality rate as a new measure of national health, the total mortality rate or TMR, and the ratio of per capita health spending in purchasing power parity to inequality in life expectancy as a new measure of national health, the health spending per health inequality or Health/c/IneqLE. Of the 172 nations reporting sufficient data to evaluate these parameters, 52 were healthy (TMR < 1 billion). All healthy nations were rich (Health/c/IneqLE> 101). Of the 120 sick nations (TMR > 1 billion), 108 were poor (Health/c/IneqLE< 102). We conclude that Health/c/IneqLE> 101 is a necessary condition for national health. Twelve nations were rich but sick. None of these twelve had Health/c/IneqLE> 186. All nations with Health/c/IneqLE> 194 were healthy. We conclude that Health/c/IneqLE> 194 is a sufficient condition for national health. We recommend that efforts to improve human development be directed at increasing Health/c or decreasing IneqLE. Efforts to increase Health/c should increase per capita health spending and/or diminish population growth. Efforts to decrease IneqLE should enhance primary health care for the poor.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/ijhs.v6n3a1