World Health Organization ranking of health systems in 2000
Introduction The '''World Health Organization (WHO) ranked the health systems''' of its 191 member states in its World Health Report 2000.It provided a framework and measurement approach to examine and compare aspects of health systems around the world. It developed a series of performance indicators to assess the overall level and distribution of health in the populations, and the responsiveness and financing of health care services. It was the organization's first ever analysis of the world's health systems.
Ranking  Country Attainment of goals / Health / Level (DALE) Attainment of goals / Health / Distribution Attainment of goals / Health / Overall goal attainment Health expenditure per capita in international dollars Performance / On level of health Performance / Overall health system performance  Afghanistan  164  0  183  184  150  173   102  128  86  149  64  55   44  63  56  24  45  81   10  25  17  23  7  4   165  178  181  164  165  181   48  58  71  56  123  86  Argentina  39  60  49  34  71  75   41  63  81  102  56  104  Australia  2  17  12  17  39  32  Austria  17  8  10  6  15  9   65  99  103  162  60  109   109  67  64  22  137  98   61  72  58  48  30  42  Bangladesh  140  125  131  144  103  88   53  36  38  36  87  46   83  46  53  74  116  72   16  26  13  15  28  21   94  95  104  88  34  69   157  132  143  171  136  97   138  158  144  135  73  124  Bolivia  133  118  117  101  142  126   56  79  79  105  70  90   187  146  168  85  188  169  Brazil  111  108  125  54  78  125   59  42  37  32  76  40  Bulgaria  60  53  74  96  92  102   178  137  159  173  162  132   179  154  161  186  171  143  Cambodia  148  150  166  140  157  174   156  160  163  131  172  164  Canada  12  18  7  10  35  30  Cape Verde  118  123  126  150  55  113   175  189  190  178  164  189   161  175  177  175  161  178   32  1  33  44  23  33  People's Republic of China  81  101  132  139  61  144  Colombia  74  44  41  49  51  22  Comoros  146  143  137  165  141  118   150  142  155  122  167  166   67  92  88  61  95  107  Costa Rica  40  45  45  50  25  36   38  33  36  56  57  43  Cuba  33  41  40  118  36  39  Cyprus  25  31  28  39  22  24  Czech Republic  35  19  30  40  81  48  Democratic Republic of the Congo  174  174  179  188  185  188   28  21  20  8  65  34   166  169  170  163  163  157   26  35  42  70  59  35   79  97  66  92  42  51   93  133  107  97  96  111  Egypt  115  141  110  115  43  63   87  115  122  83  37  115   152  151  152  129  174  171  Eritrea  169  167  176  187  148  158  Estonia  69  43  48  60  115  77  Ethiopia  182  176  186  189  169  180   104  112  111  81  110  123   106  71  78  87  124  96  Finland  20  27  22  18  44  31  France  3  12  6  4  4  1   144  136  141  95  143  139   143  155  153  158  109  146  Georgia  44  61  76  125  84  114  Germany  22  20  14  3  41  25  Ghana  149  149  139  166  158  135  Greece  7  6  23  30  11  14   49  82  68  67  49  85   129  106  113  130  99  78   167  166  172  159  160  161   170  177  180  156  156  176   98  126  116  109  104  128  Haiti  153  152  145  155  139  138   92  119  129  100  48  131   62  40  43  59  105  66  Iceland  19  24  16  14  27  15  India  19 13 121  133  118  112  Indonesia  103  156  106  154  90  92  Iran  96  113  114  94  58  93  Iraq  126  130  124  117  75  103  Ireland  27  13  25  25  32  19  Israel  23  7  24  19  40  28  Italy  6  14  11  11  3  2   155  181  157  153  133  137   36  87  69  89  8  53  Japan  1  3  1  13  9  10  Jordan  101  83  84  98  100  83  Kazakhstan  122  52  62  112  135  64  Kenya  162  135  142  152  178  140   125  121  123  103  144  142   68  54  46  41  68  45  Kyrgyzstan  123  122  135  146  134  151  Laos  147  147  154  157  155  165   82  56  67  77  121  105   95  88  93  46  97  91   171  164  173  123  186  183   181  191  187  181  176  186  Libya  107  102  97  84  94  87   63  48  52  71  93  73   18  22  5  5  31  16   64  85  89  106  69  89   172  168  167  190  173  159   189  187  182  161  187  185  Malaysia  89  49  55  93  86  49   130  134  128  76  147  147  Mali  183  180  178  179  170  163   21  38  31  37  2  5   121  120  119  80  140  141  Mauritania  158  163  169  141  151  162   78  77  90  69  113  84  Mexico  55  65  51  55  63  61   88  64  91  108  106  101   9  30  18  12  12  13   131  148  136  145  138  145  Morocco  110  111  94  99  17  29   180  190  185  160  168  184  Myanmar  139  162  175  136  129  190   177  173  165  66  189  168   136  51  75  42  166  98  Nepal  142  161  160  170  98  150  Netherlands  13  15  8  9  19  17  New Zealand  31  16  26  20  80  41   117  96  101  104  74  71   190  184  188  185  177  170  Nigeria  163  188  184  176  175  187   85  100  102  127  108  121  North Korea  137  145  149  172  153  167   15  4  3  16  18  11  Oman  72  59  59  62  1  8  Pakistan  124  183  133  142  85  122   112  66  63  47  125  82   47  93  70  53  67  95   145  157  150  137  146  148  Paraguay  71  57  73  91  52  57   105  103  115  78  119  129  Philippines  113  50  54  124  126  60  Poland  45  5  34  58  89  50  Portugal  29  34  32  28  13  12  Qatar  66  55  47  27  53  44  Romania  80  78  72  107  111  99  Russia  91  69  100  75  127  130   185  185  171  177  181  172   86  91  98  51  122  100   54  86  87  86  54  68   43  89  92  90  38  74   97  81  82  121  131  119  San Marino  11  9  21  21  5  3   132  139  138  167  117  133  Saudi Arabia  58  70  61  63  10  26  Senegal  151  105  118  143  132  59   108  73  83  52  83  56  Sierra Leone  191  186  191  183  183  191  Singapore  30  29  27  38  14  6   42  39  39  45  88  62  Slovenia  34  23  29  29  62  38   127  117  108  134  20  80   173  179  189  191  154  179  South Africa  160  128  151  57  182  175  South Korea  51  37  35  31  107  58  Spain  5  11  19  24  6  7  Sri Lanka  76  80  80  138  66  76  Sudan  154  159  148  169  149  134   77  94  105  72  77  110   164  140  164  116  184  177   4  28  4  7  21  23  Switzerland  8  10  2  2  26  20  Syria  114  107  112  119  91  108  Tajikistan  120  124  127  126  145  154  Tanzania  176  172  158  174  180  156  Thailand  99  74  57  64  102  47   159  170  156  180  159  152   75  84  85  73  114  116  Trinidad and Tobago  57  75  56  65  79  67   90  114  77  79  46  52  Turkey  73  109  96  82  33  70  Turkmenistan  128  131  130  128  152  153   119  116  120  151  128  136  United Arab Emirates  50  62  44  35  16  27  Uganda  186  138  162  168  179  149  United Kingdom  14  2  9  26  24  18  Ukraine  70  47  60  111  101  79  United States  24  32  15  1  72  37   37  68  50  33  50  65  Uzbekistan  100  144  109  120  112  117   135  127  134  132  120  127  Venezuela  52  76  65  68  29  54  Vietnam  116  104  140  147  130  160  Yemen  141  165  146  182  82  120   46  90  95  113  47  106   188  171  174  148  190  182   184  98  147  110  191  155
Methodology The rankings are based on an index of five factors:* '''Health (50%) :''' disability-adjusted life expectancy** ''Overall or average'' : 25%** ''Distribution or equality'' : 25%* '''Responsiveness (25%) :''' speed of service, protection of privacy, and quality of amenities** ''Overall or average'' : 12.5%** ''Distribution or equality'' : 12.5%* '''Fair financial contribution''' : 25%
Criticism The WHO rankings are claimed to have been subject to many and varied criticisms since its publication. Concerns raised over the five factors considered, data sets used and comparison methodologies have led health bodies and political commentators in most of the countries on the list to question the efficacy of its results and validity of any conclusions drawn. Such criticisms of a broad endeavour by the WHO to rank all the world's healthcare systems must also however be understood in the context of a predisposition to analytical bias commensurate with an individual nation's demographics, socio-economics and politics. In considering such a disparate global spectrum, ranking criteria, methodology, results and conclusions will always be an area for contention.In over a decade of discussion and controversy over the WHO Ranking of 2000, there is still no consensus about how an objective world health system ranking should be compiled. Indeed, the 2000 results have proved so controversial that the WHO declined to rank countries in their World Health Reports since 2000, but the debate still rages on. With burgeoning and ageing populations, spiralling costs and the recognition by most national governments that constant vigilance and periodic healthcare reform are necessary, the appetite for a means of measuring national performance in broader world contexts is ever increasing and all the more relevant. With this in mind, and in lieu of any further ranking information from the WHO since 2000, there are many analytical bodies now looking at national healthcare delivery in global contexts and publishing their findings. Bloomberg finds "the U.S. spends the most on health care on a relative cost basis with the worst outcome" and notes Cubans live longer than Americans, but Americans pay more than fourteen times as much for less effective health care. The Commonwealth Fund ranked seven developed countries on health care, the US ranked lowest(AU, CA, DE, NL, NZ, UK, US).
See also * Health systems – explains in some depth the concept of healthcare and its delivery on national and international scales* International comparisons of health systems – a section of the above article specifically about international comparisons* Healthcare subjects – a list of subjects detailing the complexities behind global healthcare delivery* List of countries by quality of healthcare
References
External links *  The World Health Organization's ranking of the world's health systems, by Rank