Introduction
Mexico is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It was economically very poor till 1980s. However, since then the country has made huge progress economically. Because of economic development, Mexican government was able to provide better health facilities in the last few decades. Mexico still has one of the worst medical systems among the OECD countries. This essay will discuss the life expectancy, age distribution, top health issues and top causes of death in Mexico.
Life Expectancy
The overall life expectancy of people in Mexico is 75 years as per the WHO published data in 2011. Ranked at 63rd position among all the countries in the world in terms of life expectancy, the average life expectancy of Mexican male is 72.3 years, and that of the female is 77.7 years (WHO, 2014). The average life expectancy of Mexican people has shown consistent improvements over the years. The life expectancy at birth for Mexicans is 76.91 years as per the data published in 2011. Life expectancy at birth for women is 79.36 years and that of men is 74.58 years. Life expectancy at birth has improved significantly from the earlier decades. In 1960, the life expectancy of Mexicans at birth was only 59 years (WHO, 2014).
Distribution of age of Population
With a population of around 118 million, Mexico is the largest Spanish speaking country in the world. Mexico had seen rapid population growth in the early part of the 20th century, but in the last three decades the population growth of the country has slowed down significantly. In fact, Mexico has seen only 1% population growth in last 5 years (IM, 2013). Mexico has a male to female ratio of 0.96 (AWC, 2014). This is primarily because of the greater life expectancy of the female population. As of 2013, 27.4% of the population is below the age of 14 years, 18.1% of the population is between the age group of 15 and 24 years, 40.7% of the same is between 25 and 54 years and 13.8% of the same is above 65 years (AWC, 2014). The population distribution pyramid of Mexico is fairly younger than some of its neighbors like the United States, which has a very large aged population group.
Top Health Issues
There are varied health issues in Mexico. One of the major issues in the agricultural states of Mexico is water pollution due to the use of heavy pesticides. This pesticide infused water accounts for a great many health problems in the liver, intestine, kidney and even blood stream (UNICEF). A number of diseases caused from drinking pesticide mixed water is on the rise. Another major emerging health concern in Mexico is AIDS. AIDS was not a major health concern in Mexico even in the early 1990s but now it has become one of the top three diseases in Mexico (UNICEF). Obesity has reached epidemic proportion in Mexico and it has been ranked as the number one country in the world in terms of the obese population. Obesity has led to a number of health issues including an increase in cholesterol level, high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Leprosy, unheard of in many countries now days, is also one of the growing health problems in Mexico with a large number of people suffering from leprosy and tuberculosis. Poverty is a big issue in the city suburbs and the US-Mexico border area (Ramshaw, 2011). Poverty also leads to many health issues as the pathetic condition of living in poverty-ridden areas is contributing to some health problems like dengue, Lyme disease, bronchitis, hepatitis A, dysentery and salmonellosis in the city suburbs (Ramshaw, 2011).
Top Causes of Death
Key Cultural Beliefs
One of the main problems stemming from the Hispanic culture in Mexico is the communication aspect. Mexicans are not very aggressive and assertive when it comes to health care decisions. They are more inclined to listen and obey whatever the healthcare service provider has to offer. Direct disagreement is uncommon. Disagreement is shown by silence and non-compliance. It is, therefore, not always easy to understand what the patient and his family want. Communication about family planning is especially sensitive. Mexicans do not feel comfortable discussing about family planning with anyone else apart from the family members. Most patients ask very few questions as they feel shy of discussing these topics with a male doctor or even with a midwife. Uterine cancer and other types of genital disorders often remain undetected as discussing this type of health problems with a stranger is looked upon as a social taboo.
Conclusion
Mexico has a fairly young population base. The population is not growing in recent years. Despite being a neighbor to the United States, Mexico has a very poor health quotient. The average life expectancy in Mexico is one of the worst among OECD countries. Obesity, AIDS, water pollution and poverty are some of the major health issues in Mexico. Coronary heart diseases along with diabetes are the top two reasons for deaths due to unnatural causes. There are few cultural beliefs in Mexico contributing to the rising problems related to healthcare. Overall, Mexico has an average health quotient.
References
Kemp, C. (2005). Mexican & Mexican-Americans: Health Beliefs & Practices Culture. Baylor University. Retrieved on 26th January 2014 from <https://bearspace.baylor.edu/Charles_Kemp/www/hispanic_health.htm>
UNICEF. At A Glance: Mexico. Retrieved on 26th January 2014 from <http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/mexico_statistics.html>
Allianz Worldwide Care (AWC). (2014). Healthcare in Mexico. Retrieved on 26th January 2014 from <http://www.allianzworldwidecare.com/healthcare-in-mexico>
Ramshaw, E. (2011). Major Health Problems Linked to Poverty. The New York Times. Retrieved on 26th January 2014 from <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/us/10tthealth.html?_r=1&>
World Life Expectancy (WLE). Mexico Vs Spain: Top 10 Causes of Death. Retrieved on 26th January 2014 from <http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/news/spain-vs-mexico-top-10-causes-of-death>
Index Mundi (IM). (2013). Mexico Age Structure. Retrieved on 26th January 2014 from <http://www.indexmundi.com/mexico/age_structure.html>
Country Economy (CE). Mexico - Life expectancy at Birth. Retrieved on 26th January 2014 from <http://countryeconomy.com/demography/life-expectancy/mexico>
World Health Organization (WHO). (2014). Mexico. Retrieved on 26th January 2014 from <http://www.who.int/countries/mex/en/>
