
Worlds best nations to be a mother 2015
The Science of a Healthy & Happy Life
The Mother Index from Save the children returns for the 16:th year, and once again Scandinavia stands out in a positive and collected way with all 5 Scandinavian countries claiming all of the worlds top 5 positions as the best countries worldwide for a mother to give birth and raise her child in.
A wonderful testimony to the on going quality of life trend where Scandinavia more or less continually is sweeping all the important metrics regarding making life fulfilling and healthy and joyful for us human beings.
No matter if it is a study covering the worlds happy index, or like this one, a study that is taking a look at where Mothers can safely give birth and raise their children, to the happiest nations to retire in, or basic environmental issues. Equality, human rights or health aspects, infrastructure, science and technology - Scandinavia almost always finds most, if not, all of their five sword-wielding (but peaceful) Viking tribes well represented in the world's top ten nations. And perhaps there is great wisdom to learn from the Nordic way of life for the entire world.
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Changing course towards a sustainable and fulfilling World
2015 - Watershed
In our last article, the world happiness rankings, we called 2015 a watershed year, and that claim is directly reinforced by this study.
From climate change and growing sustainable views all over planet Earth, which can only be called as a worldwide rally for not just individual wealth and health, but also true global health.
All the way down to individual well-being and health, happiness and a fulfilling, equal life and world.
Nations, corporations and individuals are all coming together in a wonderful way that will benefit every single one of us. While there are people fighting the fight against this growing awareness out of fear for their current personal wealth and position in society, not even they stand anything to loose by the entire world becoming a healthier and more equal place to live in.
Not a single corporation or person actually loses in this scenario, unless all a person cares about is their paycheck for the next 8 hours.
Yes of course an entity like BP can instead of adapting and changing their product portfolio plain simply refuse to adapt their products and company - Yes, that is true. ¨
But if so, that is no ones fault but their own, change is here and there is not a single company in the world that cant change direction with it, and as such, allow their workforce a healthier job and world.
The Mother index, released by the children's rights organization earlier this week, rates 179 countries based on five indicators related to maternal health, education, income levels and the status of women.
Wealth, health and equality gap
According to Carolyn Miles, CEO of Save the Children, the most recent data confirmed that although a country's economic wealth is far from the sole factor leading to happy mothers, financial policies do need to be implemented.
there is a clear relative correlation between a person's income and being able to eat and live in a healthy way.
This does not however translate to being praise for the nations where people are forced to work themselves to unhappy death, instead it is the most visible when you look at the Scandinavian countries where people are traditionally not only empowered to work no matter their gender, but society also helps out with health care and free baby and child care.
Freeing grandparents from having to help out as free full time baby sitters, and instead allowing people to enjoy their retirement as empowered, healthy and strong, and happy folks. Just as how those nations have a wonderful track record of also taking care of students and unemployed people.
(and let me tell you - when the worlds economists take a look at the near future, there will be a lot more people in the world either being unemployed or self employed, and as such, a global security like the one found in Scandinavia is becoming increasingly important. Yes, some will claim that it´s not financially possible, but it is the other way around, unhealthy, unhappy, underpaid - or not paid at all - people burdens society far more than those that are taken well cared of, a lesson Scandinavia learned along time ago).
In Norway's case she had the following to say,
"they do have wealth, but they also invest that wealth in things like mothers and children, as a very high priority," Miles said.
The study, clearly shows that a child's chances of survival were significantly influenced by the ever-widening gap between rich and poor.
In cities across less developed nations including Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Kenya, Peru, Vietnam and Zimbabwe, poor children were found to be three to five times more likely to die than children born in Scandinavia. And it was in these poorest of urban conditions that mothers and children were also found to be most deprived of lifesaving healthcare.
Infant mortality at extremes
But it is not as clear cut dry as comparing the globally leading Scandinavian countries with the most unfortunate ones,
Even developed countries like USA that has traditionally been thought of as a highly developed and globally leading nation have in a wide range of metrics all related to quality of life, the last few years taken increasingly many steps in the wrong direction. And they did indeed show a similar negative trend in this years Mother Index, dropping all the way down to thirty-third position behind Japan, Poland and Croatia. An ongoing trend that only reinforces the Scandinavian model.
people are what is important, not headlessly chasing profit at all costs.
Death by birth
Did you know for instance that American women have a one in 1,800 risk of maternal death - the worst level of risk of any developed country in the world.
Across the world's 24 wealthiest capital cities, Washington in the US had the highest infant mortatlity rate with 7.9 deaths per 1,000. When by comparison, Stockholm (Sweden)and Oslo (Norway) had infant mortality rates at or below two deaths per 1,000.
The Bottomline.
The world's top ten countries to give birth and to raise a child in has more then a striking resemblances with our last article, the world's happiest and most fulfilling nations.
There are some changes, but I think that there is a lot to be said for the relative familiarity between these two independent studies of current day reality and the lesson to be learned for both individuals and the worldwide powers that be is that health, equality, happiness, security, environment, technology, education, health care, progressive life and open-minded societies that is guided more by science then religion - caring and empathic nations is what fosters happy, healthy people and as a result, a fulfilling and safe life and planet for every single person, as well as greatly contributing to a truly rich and developed nation.
Top 10 Nations of the world to be a Mother
1 Norway
2 Finland
3 Iceland
4 Denmark
5 Sweden
6 Netherlands
7 Spain
8 Germany
9 Australia
10 Belgium
Enjoy and have fun and remember that at the end of the day, we are all living on the same tiny globe, a globe that has run out of road and time for selfish and unhealthy behaviour, not just for you, but for all of us.
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Writer and photography
Michael A Koontz
To the daisy that is my sun and inspiration
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