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From VOA Learning English, |
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this is the Health Report. |
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The World Health Organization says |
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women aged 50 and older |
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are generally in better health now |
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than they were 20 to 30 years ago. |
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But a new study confirms |
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that older women in rich countries live longer |
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than those in the developing world |
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and the differences in life expectancy are widening. |
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The World Health Organization says heart disease, |
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stroke and cancers are the leading causes |
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of death of women aged 50 years and older. |
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But it says women in developing countries |
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can often die from one of these problems at an earlier age. |
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The study is one of the first to examine |
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the causes of death of women aged 50 years and older |
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from several rich and poor countries. |
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It found that many women die at a young age |
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because they live in places that lack for money |
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to prevent, identify and treat non-communicable diseases. |
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Colin Mathers is head of the WHO Mortality and Burden of Disease Unit. |
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He says developed countries have the money |
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and health systems to reduce and control heart disease. |
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He says cancer of the cervix |
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is one of the leading cancers among African women. |
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He says the disease is largely preventable, |
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but African countries have fewer resources to treat it. |
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"There is simply not enough money to provide |
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high quality health care to everyone that is accessible. |
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And, also a matter of human resources, |
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that there often are not enough trained doctors |
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and nurses and other health professionals in the country." |
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Dr. Mathers says donors give comparatively little money |
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to fight non-communicable diseases in African. |
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He says most of the money goes instead |
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toward reducing the number of women dying during child birth. |
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This has helped to bring down maternal mortality rates, |
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but death rates among older women have increased. |
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The study found on average, women over 50 live at least |
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3.5 years longer than they did 20 years ago. |
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Older women in Japan now can expect to live 88 years. |
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In Germany, the life expectancy rate for older women is 84. |
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Women in many other developed countries |
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can expect to live to age 83 or 84. |
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But women in poorer countries die about 10 years earlier. |
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Dr. Mathers says major risks for older women include smoking, |
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the harmful use of alcohol, and being overweight or obese. |
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The World Health Organization says |
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the number of long-lasting diseases can be cut |
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through cost-effective methods to stop common diseases. |
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These include prevention, early identification |
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and control of high blood pressure, obesity and high cholesterol. |
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And that's the Health Report from VOA Learning English |
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. I'm Milagros Ardin. |
