This week we turned to the World Health Organization’s general statistics on mortality and life in Sierra Leone and the United States and compared the numbers between the two countries. In comparing these two, we asked what factors could be at play causing the discrepancy in the statistics for each country. It was clear from the data that there is lack of health resources, education, and other accessibilities that would allow for longer and healthier lives for individuals living in Sierra Leone.

The spread of preventable and treatable diseases in regions such as this was something I knew existed but I had never seen the shocking mortality statistics from it. The most surprising and upsetting statistic for me personally was that lower respiratory infections are the number one cause of death in Sierra Leone. In the United States, lower respiratory infections cause the smallest number of deaths as most can be treated and cured with an antibiotic or other treatment measures. It really upset me and made the numbers more real to understand that a large portion of the Sierra Leone population is succumbing to illnesses that are seen as inconsequential in the United States.

Completing the homework for this week lead to other realizations such as the low life expectancy in Sierra Leone. It was a shock that individuals in Sierra Leone have a less than 10% chance of living past 70. In the United States, 70 years old is no longer even seen as that old of an age since health breakthroughs and practices have allowed for greater longevity to be almost expected for all. The final statistic that really stood out to me was that children in Sierra Leone have less than a 50% chance of living past the age of 15. That number is unsettling and frankly unfair. The fact that so many young children never even get to dream about their futures and what they could become for fear that they won’t live to that age is very upsetting to me.

This week has forced me to be a realist since there is no way to argue numbers such as the mortality rates of children. In doing this, I have found a new even greater passion for wanting to be a part of improving global health. I am looking forward to hopefully learning of ways in which we can help or improvements that are currently being explored or implemented in these such areas.