5 Least Healthy Countries In The World

Organizations like the WHO, UNICEF and other prominent institutions carry out surveys and data collection to determine a ranking of the countries of the world based on the average health of the population. Various factors considered when ranking the countries include average life expectancy, infant mortality rate, immunized population, risk factors like percentage of population with high cholesterol, obesity, consumption of tobacco or smoking, etc. It is evident that a multifactor approach is necessary to sum up this ranking and most studies are detail oriented and are carried out in a methodical way. Using a few such reliable sources, five of the least healthy countries are discussed below.

1. Swaziland

Swaziland is a landlocked monarchy in Southern Africa. In spite of its small area, the weather and topology is considerably diverse. Swaziland is seen to rank extremely low on most health profile rankings. In the Bloomberg Rankings, Swaziland ranks last among the 145 countries profiled with a minimum Health Grade of 0.26, and maximum Health Risk Penalty of 8.05 and a Total Health Score of 8.31.[1]The average healthy life expectancy at birth in Swaziland is a staggering low figure of 46. Major causes of deaths are HIV/AIDS, Respiratory Infections, Tuberculosis and Stroke. In 2012, almost 37.8% deaths were caused due to HIV/AIDS while a large percentage of the remaining was due to malnutrition.[2]

2. Lesotho

Just over 30,000 sq. km. in area, Lesotho is a small country located near the southernmost tip of the continent of Africa. Lesotho is a part of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The Bloomberg Rankings has Lesotho placed in the second last position since its Health Grade is 0.37, and Health Risk Penalty is 8.00, almost as much as for Swaziland. The country’s total health score according to the same rankings is 8.37.[3] HIV/AIDS is a leading cause of death in Lesotho. In 2012, a whopping 41.4% of all deaths were caused by HIV. Healthy Life expectancy in the country is an extreme low of 43 years at birth. Although the rate of utilisation of health services has gone up, Lesotho has a long way to go in order to improve its ranking on the world’s healthiest countries list.[4]

3. Democratic Republic of Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest country in Africa. It is located in the Central region of the continent. According to the Bloomberg Rankings, it is ranked at 143 out of 145 countries. The country has a Health Grade of 0.92, Total Health Score of 7.47 and a Health Risk Penalty of 6.54 as per the Bloomberg Rankings.[5]According to the UNICEF, 43.5% children in the country are stunted while 2010 approximations suggest that it has the 17th highest maternal morbidity rate and the 2nd highest child morbidity rate.[6] Respiratory diseases and malaria are leading causes of death in this nation where healthy life expectancy is 44.[7]

4. Chad

Chad is the fifth largest African country. It is a landlocked country situated in Central Africa. The Bloomberg Rankings has Chad scoring a Health Grade of 1.01, Health Risk Penalty of 7.13 and a Total Health Score of 8.14.[8] Healthy life expectancy in Chad is about 44.[9] According to the UNICEF, infant mortality in Chad is estimated at 124/1,000 live births, neonatal mortality at 44/1,000 and child mortality at 209/1,000, among the highest in the world. Leading causes of deaths under five are malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhea.[10]

5. Mozambique

The Republic of Mozambique is a coastal country in the southeastern region of the African Peninsula with a tropical climate. Coming in at rank 141 at the Bloomberg Rankings of the World’s Healthiest countries, Mozambique has a Health Grade of 1.42, Total Health Score of 8.48 and Health Risk Penalty of 7.06.[11]The country has a healthy life expectancy of 45 at birth while the main causes of deaths are malaria, respiratory diseases and malnutrition. According to the WHO, almost 40% of children under the age of five in Mozambique are stunted, but maternal and child morbidity rates are seen to have significantly decreased over the years.[12]