CNN: Singapore, Nordic countries outrank U.S. in achieving U.N. health goals
“Are nations around the globe on track to meet health-related Sustainable Development Goals for the year 2030? A new analysis finds outstanding achievements — but a great deal of work still needed — before the goals can be reached. This is based on measurements of 37 of 50 health-related targets proposed by the United Nations that include infant mortality, vaccination, rates of various diseases (tuberculosis, HIV, and malaria, among them), smoking, child abuse, violence, and universal health coverage. The study, published Tuesday in the journal The Lancet, also ranks 188 nations. Singapore is at the top of the list, followed by Iceland, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Finland, Israel, Malta, Switzerland, and the U.K. The United States trails these standout nations, landing in the 24th spot on the index…” (Scutti, 9/12).

VOA News: World’s Nations Make Progress on Some, But Not All, Health Goals
“…The news comes in a report published Wednesday by the British journal The Lancet that analyzed health-related Sustainable Development Goals in 188 countries. The 17 wide-ranging goals spearheaded by the U.N. focus on improving health and education, ending poverty, combating climate change, making cities more sustainable, and protecting oceans and forests. They were adopted at a U.N. summit in 2015. … The report, which was funded by the U.S. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said the findings should help shape policies in order to address long-standing and emerging health challenges. Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the Institute of Health Metrics Evaluation and a professor of global health at the University of Washington, was the lead author…” (Pearson, 9/13).