Israel’s “level of living”–as judged by statistics regarding births, infant mortality, crude death rate and life expectancy–is, on the whole, far above the comparable level of the other countries in the Middle East, In some respects, Israel’s “level of living” compares very favorably with those of the most advanced countries in the world, like the United States, Switzerland and Sweden.
These were among the outstanding facts derived here today from the ninth edition of the United Nations Demographic Yearbook, published yesterday by the statistical office of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Israel’s infant mortality rate–the number of deaths under one year old, per 1, 000 population–was 35. 9 for Jewish children in 1956. The comparable rates in some of Israel’s neighboring countries are reported in the Yearbook as 148. 5 for Egypt; 73. 6 for Jordan, and 53. 6 for Syria.
Israel’s “crude” death rate–the number of deaths per 1, 000 population-was 6. 3 for the Jewish population in 1956. Over a period of 20 years in Israel, and in Palestine under the British Mandate, the death rate declined by 31. 6 percent–while the rate in the United States during the same period declined only by 13. 6 percent. Live births in Israel in 1956 ranked at the rate of 28. 8 per 1, 000 population–even the United States rate was lower than Israel’s, standing at 24. 9.
Viewing the “level of living” from the angle of life expectancy, Israel is one of the world’s leaders. In Israel, a one-year-old male infant can reasonably expect to live to nearly 70. Israel’s tuberculosis death rate is far lower than those of the neighboring states. On the other hand, in such “sophisticated” diseases as heart failure and cancer, Israel’s picture is darker than Egypt’s. In 1954, Egypt’s cancer death rate was only 25.6 per 100, 000 deaths, while Israel’s was 89. 8 in 1955 and 94. 5 in 1956. The U.S. cancer death rate–still higher–was 1,465 per 100, 000 in 1955.
Israel has made “remarkable” strides in the field of public health, the World Health Assembly was told here this week-end by Israel Barzilai, Minister of Health in the Israel Cabinet.
Addressing the Assembly as head of Israel’s delegation to the session of the United Nations specialized agency, Mr. Barzilai reported that his country has raised life expectancy, in the last decade, to better than 70 years. Israel’s infant mortality rate, he said, ranks with the lowest in the world, it has cut tuberculosis deaths to a low figure, and the country has eradicated malaria, one of the most dreaded killers in former Palestine.
Mr. Barzilai announced that he has invited Dr. Jonas Salk, American discoverer of anti-poliomyelitis vaccine, to visit Israel, and that Dr. Salk had promised to make every effort to accept the invitation this year. According to Mr. Barzilai, the incidence of polio in Israel has been reduced by 90 percent, thanks to the use of Salk vaccine.
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