About this episode:

A new report from the Bloomberg American Health Initiative finds that the U.S. lags behind many other high-income countries in life expectancy. In this report, researchers found that babies born 40 years ago in the U.S. and U.K could expect to live to the same age. Today, however, life expectancy is nearly three years shorter for those on our side of the Atlantic Ocean. In this episode: a look at the four main causes of death driving this gap—all of which are preventable—and how one of the world’s richest countries that spends the most on healthcare is continually failing to improve the health of its people.

Guest:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

• A Tale of Two Countries: The Life Expectancy Gap Between the United States and the United Kingdom—The Bloomberg American Health Initiative

• Americans Die Younger Than U.K. Counterparts Due to Four Preventable Causes—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

• Expanding Access to Methadone Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Carceral Settings—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

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