Brazil has just managed the match. Just a lucky penalty shoot-out rescue the defeat in the second round against Chile. Santiago is crying. Rio celebrates.
But when the memory of the World Cup is faded in a few weeks and the worries regain the upper hand, then the nation of the world champion will no longer be the winner in real life.
Why? Because the quality of real life depends on many small ingredients. Whether there is war or peace, fresh water and sufficient food supply. But also whether the access to medical care is given. To medicines. To the all-important ambulance.
In terms of health spending for the population (based on a purchasing power parity) the winners of the last sixteen nations are therefore already fixed:
World Champions are the fans from the United States: $ 8,233 per year are available to them for their health.
Vice World Champion is Switzerland: $ 5,297 per year are invested in the health of each individual.
The third place goes to the Netherlands: $ 5,112 are spend in this quite small country each year.
On the following places are …
4 Germany: $ 4,342
5 France: $ 3,997
6 Belgium: $ 3,975
7 Greece. $ 3,069
8 Argentina: $ 1,321
9 Costa Rica: $ 1,197
10 Chile: $ 1,191
11 Uruguay: $ 1,132
12 Brazil: $ 1,009
13 Mexico: $ 962
14 Ecuador: $ 635
15 Colombia: $ 614
16 Algeria: $ 364
Source: Wikipedia / WHO
Ok – It would be a huge surprise if the 2014 World Cup in Rio ends with Klinsmann holding up the cup in the sky … Even Colombia is closer to this moment.
However, it is no surprise that in many regions of the world the health spendings should be higher. In Senegal – unfortunately not qualified for the 2014-World Cup – there are even only $ 111 per inhabitant and year. An unimaginable little amount of money. For life.
That is why I am committed to buying an ambulance in Senegal. I’m running for the Children’s Hospital Bilbassi in M’Bour. Made up of purely private funds.
Please support me in this run. You can find the donation account here.
Running for … an ambulance. 