Democracy linked to global health gains in low-, middle-income countries
The role of democracy in public health leads to dramatic decreases in deaths from noncommunicable diseases, HIV, cardiovascular disease and transportation injuries, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford and several other institutions.
Most studies that look at whether democracy improves global health rely on measurements of life expectancy at birth and infant mortality rates. Yet those measures disproportionately reflect progress on infectious diseases - such as malaria, diarrheal illnesses and pneumonia — which relies heavily on foreign aid.
A new study led by Stanford Medicine and the Council on Foreign Relations suggests that a better way to measure the role of democracy in public health is to examine the causes of adult mortality, such as noncommunicable diseases, HIV, cardiovascular disease and transportation injuries. Little international assistance targets these noncommunicable diseases.
When the researchers measured improvements in those particular areas of public health, the results proved dramatic.
“The results of this study suggest that elections and the health of the people are increasingly inseparable,” the authors wrote.
Read the whole article in the Stanford Medicine News Center
