On Wednesday 13 February 2008 11:33, Craig White wrote:

> As for what constitutes a socialized health care delivery system and how
> they behave or are funded, there are many different concepts in place
> throughout the world and they do differ.
>
> A simple question for those who assert that the health care system as
> practiced in the United States is the best, why are infant mortality
> rates so much higher here than elsewhere?

looks at that one a "per capita" basis. you will find that the mortality rate 
per percentage of population is actually about the same. the numbers only 
appear higher because there reports that don't include the other facts.

your question as asked is in error Craig. I have included below a 
representative sample of some countries. now, countries like in the EU and 
canada are lower, but not substantially so, while in other places (the 
upcoming economic superpowers like india and china) are SUBSTANTIALLY higher.

if you were to take a rating of the top 100 countries on the planet, you would 
see that the US rates in the top 15 percentile for lowest infant mortality 
rates (with japan having the lowest rate I have yet found at 2.8 per 1,000 
births). so? you asked "why are infant mortality rates so much higher here 
than elsewhere?" the answer is: they aren't (at least not substantially). 

please take a look at some of these numbers below. I have taken a brief sample 
of some of the richest and poorest contries and a few places across the 
planet (these are also places that seem to show up in the news more 
frequently) and note the rates.....

so? what was that question again?

infant mortality rates in a brief sample from various countries on the planet

in the us: the infant mortality rate is thus:
total: 6.37 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.02 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
 per: 
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html>

in india it is thus:
infant mortality rate
total: 34.61 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 39.42 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 29.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
per: 
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html>

and in russia:
infant mortality rate:
total: 11.06 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 12.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
per: 
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html>

and in the UK:
infant mortality rate:
total: 5.01 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
per: 
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uk.html>

france:
infant mortality rate:
total: 3.41 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
per: 
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html>

china:
infant mortality rate:
total: 22.12 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 20.01 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 24.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.).
per: 
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html>

canada:
infant mortality rate:
total: 4.63 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Japan:
infant mortality rate:
total: 2.8 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
per: 
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ja.html>

Ethiopia
infant mortality rate:
total: 91.92 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 101.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 81.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/et.html>

Zimbabwe
infant mortality rate:
total: 51.12 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 53.87 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 48.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/zi.html>

Kenya
infant mortality rate:
total: 57.44 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 60.44 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 54.38 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ke.html>

Saudi Arabia
infant mortality rate:
total: 12.41 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 14.24 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sa.html>

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