Israel Slips To 5th Place In 2020 Bloomberg Health-Efficiency Index Amid Pandemic

Israel slipped to 5th place in the newest Bloomberg Health-Efficiency Index of 2020 as the world continues to grapple with the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

The country dropped two spots from a pre-pandemic index, which showed Israel in third place behind Hong Kong and Singapore.

The Bloomberg Health-Efficiency Index, which was first conducted in 2013, tracks life expectancy and medical spending to determine which health-care systems have the best outcomes. 

Adjusments were made to the ranking formula to include the impact of COVID-19 on mortality and gross domestic product (GDP) in 57 of the world’s largest economies. Countries were ranked in categories such as life expectancy, percent of GDP, and cost per capita.

According to the newly adjusted ranking formula, the 2020 table includes the one-year change in GDP, based on an October forecast by the International Monetary Fund, as well as the COVID-19 toll on each economy, Bloomberg said.

The adjusted measures helped many Asian territories improve their standing on the list, since “aggressive coronavirus responses kept cases and deaths low,” Bloomberg said.

These measures helped many Asian territories improve their standing on the list since their generally aggressive coronavirus responses kept cases and deaths relatively low.

Eight of the world’s 10 most-efficient health systems were in the Asia Pacific. Singapore took first place, rising from its second place position pre-pandemic. Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea rounded out the top four. After Israel, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Japan made up the top 10.

According to the 2020 survey, the rankings of France, Spain, and Peru tumbled among the 57 economies. Brazil and Russia joined the US in the bottom tier, with relatively low life expectancies along with high COVID-19 mortality and a weaker economy. India didn’t meet the minimum metrics to be included, according to Bloomberg.

All but two of the 57 economies in this index are expected to shrink in 2020, according to forecasts by the International Monetary Fund. But China and Taiwan are projected to post year-on-year growth.

The average lifespan in Israel is 82.80 years, which is high compared to the US’s 78.5 years. Cost per capita ranks high at $3,145. According to the index, there have been more than 26,000 new cases of COVID-19 since September 2020, higher than most countries on the list. The COVID-19 mortality rate in Israel stands at 335.

“Efficient health systems are often in places that have limited natural resources and therefore prioritize policies that rely on people potential,” said Pisonthi Chongtrakul, a professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

“Success in combating Covid-19 has come in places that coordinated among government bodies and were willing to let health experts call the shots, which helped create a clarity of public messaging,” he added.

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