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The world’s healthiest and unhealthiest countries have been revealed in a global league table. Singapore topped the charts of 149 countries followed by Luxembourg, while the bottom ten consisted solely of African nations.
The Central African Republic fared worst, with Chad, Guinea, Madagascar, Benin, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Niger and Uganda in tow, reports the UK Mailonline.
The UK, US and Australia did not feature in the top ten, according to the research by the Legatum Institute.
Experts have today warned health improvements are starting to ‘flat-line’ – despite advances in recent decades.
The report, published today, judged countries on their healthcare systems, level of disease, obesity rates and other measures.
The annual prosperity index breaks down the best and worst places to live around the world for nine categories in total. One category is health.
Australia was the best performing of the major Western countries, ranking 12th, according to the research by the London-based education charity.
On the entire index, the UK was rated the seventh most successful country in the world. But health is the country’s Achilles heel.
The US also struggled to do well in the health category, which was its second worst performing area – after safety and security in which it ranked 43rd.
The Central African Republic fared worst, with Chad, Guinea, Madagascar, Benin, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Niger and Uganda in tow.
‘Having risen strongly at the beginning of the last decade, world health is now beginning to flat-line,’ said the report.
‘The long-term trends of rising life expectancy and increased access to basic sanitation continue, particularly noticeable in the Asia-Pacific region.
‘But these effects have been offset by more people reporting health problems and higher reported incidences of sadness and worry.’
The ranking was produced by measuring life and death-related factors like life expectancy, perceptions of health problems, vaccination rates, tuberculosis, obesity and diabetes.
And it also took into account feelings of joy, sadness, and worry, people’s satisfaction with their country’s healthcare, and the quality of sanitation facilities.
Big movers include Zimbabwe, which had the biggest increase in life expectancy, with it rising 15 years in the last decade.
