Children in the United States

Apparently, the US can do a lot better when it comes to the care of children living in the country. According to a report published in The Lancet, one of the world's most reputable medical journals, the United States comes in at number 39 in an assessment of 180 nations according to a "child flourishing" index, measured using a variety of factors. These include health, basic needs met, and education. Interestingly, this index displays a negative correlation between nations that are ranked very environmentally stable for the coming future. In other words, countries that rank worse for "child flourishing" generally displayed greater environmental awareness and measures taken than countries that ranked high for "child flourishing". For example, Burundi, Chad, and Somalia, three nations in east to central Africa, rank first, second, and third on the environmental sustainability rankings, respectively, but 156th, 179th, and 178th on the "child flourishing" index, respectively.  Norway and the Netherlands, two countries in northwestern Europe, and South Korea, a country in northeastern Asia, are all in the top three nations for "child flourishing", but rank 156th, 166th, and 160th on environmental sustainability, respectively. This suggests that there is a correlation between highly industrialized nations and a high standard of living for children, which is unsurprising. Highly industrialized nations are often very stable and can provide a high standard of living for their citizens, yet often are great contributors in fossil fuel emissions.

This data postulates a possible need for world leaders to address great discrepancies in how they treat the environment versus how they treat their citizens. Ultimately, the ideal scenario would be to have both rankings be as high, and subsequently as balanced, as possible. It is not easy, however. Countries with great care for their children make much of their money through advanced energy production, which is often harmful for the environment. However, this money goes towards welfare and living programs, especially in Scandinavian and Central European nations, who consistently rank very highly in happiness and equality indexes. Ultimately, there needs to be some way in which the margins between these two rankings can be optimally minimized.


Source:

Howard, Jacqueline. “US Ranks Lower than 38 Other Countries When It Comes to Children's Wellbeing, Report Says.” CNN, Cable News Network, 19 Feb. 2020, www.cnn.com/2020/02/18/health/children-health-rankings-unicef-who-lancet-report/index.html.

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