Children tend to think of the last decades of life—when they think of such things at all—as a time of physical limitations rather than a time of active, vibrant and full participation in life. Yet as average longevity increases worldwide and medical progress enables longer healthy lives, a shift in that view is in order.
With this as background, The Economist Intelligence Unit, sponsored by Merck, undertook a study of five nations—representing both wealthy and middle-income countries—to determine the degree to which good health practices are being taught in schools and fostered in the home and in the community.
Where relevant, the research also considers whether health education is being provided in the context of the long-term benefits—that is, with the aim of achieving longer healthy life years. The five countries surveyed are Germany, South Africa, India, Brazil and Saudi Arabia.
