Public health beats evolution for the extension of human life-spans.
Why Are You Not Dead Yet? is an insightful look at the things that have contributed to the lengthening of life over the past 150 years. Back then, the average lifespan was 35 to 40 years. Now, we live approximately twice as long.
While medical advances have contributed to our collective longevity, the most significant leaps forward have come about because of simple improvements in things we consider to be basic:
- access to clean water
- improved personal hygiene
- heightened awareness of the importance of nutrition and the advent of food fortification
- improved hygienic standards for public areas including
- sewage processing
- aseptic practices in hospitals and clinics
- food handling practices
- infectious disease control processes including
- the development of quarantine practices
- vaccines
All of these advances are now the focus of the area of healthcare known as public health. Public health agencies throughout North America are responsible for monitoring water quality, sewage treatment standards, cleanliness in the hospitality industry, infection outbreaks, quarantines and vaccination programs.
In spite of the fact that these “basics” have been so critical to the increase in longevity and reduction in suffering throughout Canada and the United States, public health programs are constantly targeted for cutbacks. They aren’t glamorous like hospitals; their results are almost invisible because you don’t “see” prevention when it’s working.
Health programs in developing countries focus a lot on putting the infrastructure in place to support public health. It’s ironic that in developed countries we allow our infrastructure to languish. The water-safety disaster that was Walkerton has not deterred our governments from continuing to make cut-backs. If we want to continue to enjoy the longevity legacy brought about by these advances, we all need to shake off our complacency and support preventive healthcare.