Here is part of a presentation that the students and I did at a Medical School in Koppal India. I started off by doing a little comparison of statistics between Canada and India.
So, here goes
Landmass Area
You could fit 3 of India inside of Canada!
Population
But, with an area 1/3 the size of Canada….
You would have to multiply Canada’s population by 37 to get the population of India!!!
India has the second largest population in the world today (Canada is at #37).
Forecasted Population Growth
And by 2050 India’s population is expected to surpass China’s to become the most populated country in the world
Population Density
India has a population density of 386 people per square kilometre compared to Canada’s 4 people per square kilometre!!
Life Expectancy
How about life expectancy? What do you think?
88 years in Canada, 66 years in India
So, what are the leading causes of death?
All Cause MortalityÂ
When I asked the medical students what they thought about the All Cause Mortality. (Meaning the total number of deaths relative to the population) they looked at the list above and said “That’s good! It means more money for us”!
Well, I guess that’s one way of looking at it. But, for me, it presents a huge opportunity for health care professionals in India and Canada… These conditions are preventable!! As a healthcare professional, especially one focused on exercise and prevention, these statistics get me excited! It means there is something we can do about it!
Let’s get people moving and eating healthier!!
What else can we do? Let’s help everyone have equal access to healthcare! This should be accomplished by policy and governance. But, in the meantime let’s work on Community Based Rehabilitation Programs for under-serviced areas in Canada and India
– Phil
Phil Sheppard 