Agence France-Presse: Mixed report for global health progress
“The world has made progress in curbing infant mortality, stunted growth, and other poverty-driven problems, while obesity, alcohol abuse, and partner violence has risen, a major review of U.N. health goals said Wednesday…” (Le Roux, 9/21).

Bloomberg News: America Is Not the Greatest Country on Earth. It’s No. 28
“…Iceland and Sweden share the top slot with Singapore as world leaders when it comes to health goals set by the United Nations, according to a report published in The Lancet. Using the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals as guideposts, which measure the obvious (poverty, clean water, education) and less obvious (societal inequality, industry innovation), more than 1,870 researchers in 124 countries compiled data on 33 different indicators of progress toward the U.N. goals related to health…” (Roston, 9/22).

The Guardian: World lagging behind on global health targets, researchers warn
“…According to the report, published in The Lancet, no country has met any of the nine global health targets — including the elimination of major disease epidemics and the reduction of health issues like childhood obesity and intimate partner violence — laid down as part of the U.N.’s sustainable development agenda…” (Hodal, 9/21).

New York Times: Maternal Mortality Rate in U.S. Rises, Defying Global Trend, Study Finds
“One of the biggest worldwide public health triumphs in recent years has been maternal mortality. Global death rates fell by more than a third from 2000 to 2015. The United States, however, is one of the few countries in the world that have gone against the grain, new data show. Its maternal mortality rate has risen despite improvements in health care and an overwhelming global trend in the other direction…” (Tavernise, 9/21).

Reuters: Obesity, violence hamper U.S. progress on U.N. health goals: study
“…More than 60 percent of the nations assessed have already met targets on reducing maternal and child death rates, the study showed, but none have met nine other targets including the elimination of tuberculosis and HIV or reducing prevalence of childhood obesity and violence. The United States ranked 28th, below many other wealthier nations, due to its relatively high rates of death caused by violence, HIV, alcohol abuse, childhood obesity, and suicide…” (Kelland, 9/21).