Health Systems Around the World
Which country has the highest life expectancy per dollar spent on healthcare?
A) Japan
B) Cuba
C) Canada
D) Sweden
B) Cuba
The U.S. prescribes this class of medications to children at five times the rate of other developed countries.
Antidepressants
What is the leading cause of death in the United States?
A) Cancer
B) Heart disease
C) Stroke
D) Diabetes
B) Heart disease
The Berlin Conference (1884–1885) was held to:
A) Grant independence to African nations
B) Establish fair trade policies in Africa
C) End the transatlantic slave trade
D) Divide Africa among European powers
D) Divide Africa among European powers
In January 2025, President Trump signed an executive order directing the United States to withdraw from this international climate agreement.
Paris Agreement
What essential social service is the United States the only developed nation without, leaving millions to rely on private options or go without?
The Universal Health Coverage (UHC)
With the transition to democracy and capitalism, which group in Russia saw the largest decline in life expectancy?
A) Wealthy elites
B) Children under age of 5
C) Middle-aged men
D) Elderly women
C) Middle-aged men
Despite high per capita spending, how low does the U.S. rank globally for life expectancy?
46
What is the name of the Emperor infamous for his brutal exploitation of the Congo Free State?
King Leopold II (of Belgium)
Which country in Sub-Saharan Africa is known to accept toxic waste from developed nations?
Ghana
Which country spends the lowest percentage of GDP on healthcare among OECD nations while still achieving high life expectancy?
A) Japan
B) Mexico
C) Portugal
D) South Korea
D) South Korea
The term "karoshi" refers to this phenomenon in Japan.
Death from overwork
This U.S. state has the lowest life expectancy rates due to high inequality and poor healthcare access.
Mississippi
What is the name of the General who oversaw Japan’s key reforms that shaped Japan’s post-war economy, which eventually led to the "Japanese economic miracle"?
General Douglas MacArthur
Despite substantial public health breakthroughs to reduce the burden from this, what behavioral risk still contributes the most to preventable deaths globally?
Smoking
What are the two major historical events that reduce health inequalities based on the “Great Leveller” theory?
Wars and pandemics
The Dutch Hunger Winter study showed that fetal malnutrition increased the risk of:
Schizophrenia
About what percentage of gains in life expectancy is explained by medical care in the US?
About 15%
Which leaders were in power in the Soviet Union and the United States at the time of the USSR's dissolution?
A) Vladimir Putin and Donald J. Trump
B) Joseph Stalin and Bill Clinton
C) Mikhail Gorbachev and George H.W. Bush
D) Nikita Khrushchev and Ronald Reagan
C) Mikhail Gorbachev and George H.W. Bush
What is the full name of the metric adopted by WHO to account for both disability and death of population?
Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs)
The Bismarck model of healthcare, used in Germany and some other countries, is distinct because it relies on:
A) Private insurance but mandatory universal coverage
B) Government-funded hospitals and doctors
C) Fully privatized healthcare markets
D) State-controlled pharmaceutical production
A) Private insurance but mandatory universal coverage
The "predictive adaptive response (PAR)" hypothesis suggests that prenatal stress exposure can:
Prepare the fetus for a stressful environment but lead to long-term health risks
What percentage of GDP is spent on healthcare in the U.S.?
17.3%
Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs), introduced by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, required countries to implement austerity measures. What does this mean in an economic context?
A) Cutting public spending to reduce budget deficits
B) Expanding government social services and increasing wages
C) Increasing taxes on multinational corporations
D) Nationalizing key industries to control inflation
A) Cutting public spending to reduce budget deficits
What are the full names (first, middle initial and last) of the TAs for this quarter?
Hilma N. Nakambale and Julie S. Kim