Upon reading the above topic, you probably immediately asked yourself, how? How can healthy citizens contribute to their country’s economic growth? Well, in the next paragraphs, I will explain, in a snapshot, how having healthy citizens can lead to a country’s economic advancement.

Before discussing how having citizens with a healthy lifestyle can be an economic advantage to any country, let me first give you a short background on major health issues facing the world.  I will also briefly name some of the main health challenges facing South Africa.

Prevalent global diseases today are heart disease, HIV/AIDS and diabetes mellitus (high blood sugar). Heart diseases include stroke and other cerebrovascular disease. An estimated 17.3 million people died from cardiovascular disease (CVD’s) in 2008, Over 80% of CVD deaths take place in low- and middle-income countries and by 2030, almost 23.6 million people will die from CVD’s. A more shocking fact is that 1.8 million people died of HIV/AIDS in the year 2008, that’s 15.5 million people less than CVD deaths. This fact should serve as a warning on the danger of CVD’s and their potential negative impact on a country’s economy.

Just like many other nations, South Africa (S.A) today is faced with HIV/AIDS and non-communicable diseases (NCD’s- i.e. a medical condition that is non-infectious and non-transmissible between persons).  NCD’S in South Africa include obesity, diabetes, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, alcohol abuse and heart diseases. In a study done by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in 2010, it was found that 49% of South Africans do not exercise, 71% have never dieted and 17% of children under nine are overweight. Even though it might not seem as an issue to take seriously, but S.A. government, including governments of other nations who have similar health problems, should start to consider the direct and negative economic effects of such health issues as they can affect a nation’s productivity and economic performance.

The burden of disease attributed to NCD’s has been estimated at 85% in industrialized nations, 70% in middle income nations, and nearly 50% in countries with the lowest national incomes. Looking at the global population, nearly 80% of deaths due to chronic NCDs worldwide now occur in low and middle income countries. Due to significantly higher income, citizens in developed nations are able to access high quality health facilities, as compared to citizens in middle and low national income countries who have very little income to access high quality health facilities and are forced to use poor public health facilities, which results in middle and low income nations having more deaths from NCD’s compared to developed nations.

Economies worldwide are reportedly suffering huge losses because of premature deaths or inability to work resulting from heart disease, stroke and diabetes. For example, China is expected to lose roughly $558 billion in national income between 2005 and 2015 due to early deaths. In 2005, heart disease, stroke and diabetes caused an estimated loss in international dollars of national income of 9 billion in India and 3 billion in Brazil.

Mental health conditions is also felt in workplaces around the world, notably due to higher levels of absenteeism from work because of illness, and presenteeism, or productivity lost from staff coming to work and performing below normal standards due to poor health. For example, the United Kingdom experienced a loss of about 175 million days in 2006 to absence from illness among a working population of 37.7 million people. The estimated cost of absences due to illness was over 20 billion pounds in the same year.

There is hope though for a healthier world and nations. Consumers today are increasingly looking for foods to counter poor health caused by busy lifestyles, insufficient exercise and fast foods. Healthier meals, lighter snacks and exercise are what consumers are seeking to have healthier lifestyles and longer lives. One of the significant ways governments around the globe can contribute to the long term health and economic development of their nations is by establishing laws that regulate how food is marketed and prepared by fast-food stores and restaurants. For example, a regulation in New York City is that trans-fats are banned, and in 2008, the city began requiring fast-food restaurants to post calorie information on their menu. To ensure health of children, a government can have regulations for standards of food in schools and expect schools to comply with a range of nutritional regulations.

Having a healthy lifestyle is not only beneficial to the individual but also to the nation. Healthy citizens contribute to economic growth because they live and work longer, have higher energy levels and are more present at work, which contributes to increased productivity. A healthy lifestyle is preventative healthcare and disease prevention that help prevent heart diseases and save both citizen and government money on healthcare expenditure. Having a healthy population can be a great competitive advantage for economic advancement over other nations, for both developed and developing countries.