Okay, probably by the time you read this, it will be the middle of Blog Action Day and I will be working on my post. But in case you are a nightowl and need something to read, consider this: wealth and health are intertwined.
In a few countries (Canada and Sweden, among others), a form of universal health care exists so that all citizens have access to at least a minimum amount of care. But in at least some of those places (Canada and England for sure…) if you want something done quickly, or something that isn’t completely urgent, you need to pay out of pocket, or even go to another country for care. Something not available for the average wage-earner.
In my own country, supposedly one of the wealthiest in the world, no one has a “right” to basic health care, except in emergencies, so many people without the money to pay for an actual office visit wait until ailments are no longer curable — or very expensive to treat — before seeking medical attention. At the same time, many white-collar workers can make an office visit the same day for a teenager’s pimple because office visits are “covered” with a small co-pay; an insurance company pays for most of the actual visit’s cost. There is a huge disconnect when the people who actually do the physical work can’t get medical care for their physical needs.
Here is a CNN article from 14 Oct 2008 about the WHO’s assessment of healthcare worldwide.
Poverty, a universal handicap.