An International Perspective
These determinants of health are not only important for the health of Canadians, but are key to understanding global health. Consider the following:
Approximately 1.2 million people worldwide are killed in road crashes each year and 50 million are injured.Low and middle-income countries account for 85% of the world’s road deaths.[4]
There are about 13 million people classified as refugees worldwide. Refugees settled in Western countries could be about ten times more likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder than the general population.[3]
In Sub-Saharan Africa, only 57% of the population have access to an improved water source.[5]
For more information, visit the website of the WHO’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health.
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3. Fazel M, Wheeler J, Danesh J. Prevalence of serious mental disorder in 7000 refugees resettled in western countries: a systematic review. The Lancet 2005;365:1309-14.
4. World Health Organization. The World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention. 2004. Geneva, World Health Organization.
5. Human Development Report 2004. 2004. New York, United Nations Development Programme.
