The unhealthiest places in the world
According to a study by Clinic Compare, the unhealthiest country in
the world is the Czech Republic. The study, which compared data on
alcohol, tobacco consumption and obesity in 179 countries, found
that Czech Republic residents are among the world’s heaviest
drinkers. Indeed, nine of the ten unhealthiest countries are located
in Eastern Europe, where smoking is more common than in the rest
of the world and is increasing among teenagers. The only one
outside this region was the USA, where 36 per cent of the population
are obese. Obesity levels are lower in the Czech Republic but are the
highest in Europe.
The study must be taken with a pinch of salt, however. According to
the rankings, the healthiest country in the world is Afghanistan due
to its low obesity and alcohol consumption. In second and third place
are Guinea and Niger. But that doesn’t make them healthy places to
live. Indeed, four countries listed among Clinic Compare’s top ten
healthiest countries, Guinea, DR Congo, Malawi and Mozambique,
were among the least healthy nations in another study, the Global
Competitiveness Index.
High consumption of alcohol, tobacco and food are diseases of
affluence; that is, they are common in wealthy countries. However,
many countries, especially in Africa, are still struggling with diseases
of poverty. For example, the average life expectancy in DR Congo is
just 53 years old. Here, many people die from diseases which could
be treated in other countries. In Malawi, tuberculosis and HIV are
common. These countries lack basic medical facilities and trained
doctors. In Mozambique, where 30% of people cannot access health
services, lack of nutrients in the diet is a far more common medical
problem than overeating.
Moreover, Nepal, listed by Clinic Compare as the fourth healthiest
country, is the tenth most polluted country and Afghanistan the
fourteenth. Air pollution is a killer, with 7 million people dying
worldwide each year from diseases associated with it. It is not just
vehicle fumes and industries which are the problem. Around 2.4
billion people worldwide are exposed to dangerous levels of
household air pollution while cooking on fires or stoves fuelled by
kerosene, wood, dung and coal.
According to a different study, which measured factors such as the
cost of staying healthy, life expectancy, air pollution, obesity,
sunlight hours and crime rate, the healthiest country is Spain. This is
