2008 Woodie Awards
RSSFormer surgeon general: U.S. health care is poor
By Farial Awan
Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: News
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Satcher compared the health care system in the U.S. versus the world in a lecture Oct. 30.
According to the 2000 World Health Organization report on quality of health care, the U.S. ranks 37 out of 191 countries in overall level of health, distribution of health in the populations, responsiveness and distribution of financing.
Satcher believes there must be more access to health care, improved quality of care, lifestyle enhancement, improved physical and environmental quality, and a balanced research agenda.
Satcher said quality of health care is responsible for 15 to 20 percent of health outcomes, while 20 to 25 percent of an individual's health is due to genetics and the environment. Human behavior counts for the remaining 40 to 50 percent.
"How we behave is critical to health outcome," Satcher said.
On the national level, the U.S. government should invest in promoting exercise and nutrition to prevent some diseases such as diabetes, Satcher said.
Satcher believes using the media to improve health behavior in U.S. citizens is necessary to promote education on nationwide epidemics such as obesity.
"If word is going to get out its because of the media," Satcher said. "Partnership with the media is critical, comparable to the civil rights movement."
Satcher said an agreement on policies to protect and improve global health, investment in research and development, and an attack on poverty will help eliminate the gap in the world health care system.
Satcher is working on Healthy People 2010, a program designed to carry out certain health objectives by the end of the decade.
According to its Web site, Healthy People 2010's two main goals are to increase the quality of health and the life expectancy rate across the U.S. and to eliminate health disparities among different racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.
Howie Bienstock, '08, said the lecture addressed a wide variety of issues.
"After learning about the problems that exist in the United States and the world," Bienstock said, "I'm glad I was able to learn what was being done to eradicate them."
