Daily News Analysis

Preston Curve

stylish_lining

The Preston Curve is an insightful concept in understanding the relationship between economic development and health outcomes.

Summary of the Preston Curve

  1. Concept Origin: The Preston Curve, introduced by Samuel H. Preston in his 1975 paper "The Changing Relation Between Mortality and Level of Economic Development," explores how life expectancy correlates with per capita income.
  2. Core Observation: Preston observed that in wealthier countries, people generally live longer lives compared to those in poorer countries. This correlation is largely due to better healthcare, improved nutrition, cleaner environments, and other factors associated with higher income.
  3. Initial Gains: As a country experiences economic growth, its per capita income rises. This initially leads to significant improvements in life expectancy as people access better nutrition, healthcare, and living conditions.
  4. Broader Improvements: Along with increased income, other developmental indicators like infant and maternal mortality rates, educational attainment, and overall healthcare quality also tend to improve.
  5. Example: In India, the average per capita income increased from around 9,000 per year in 1947 to 55,000 per year in 2011. During this period, life expectancy rose from 32 years to over 66 years, reflecting the positive impact of economic development on health.
  6. Diminishing Returns: The Preston Curve indicates that while per capita income significantly boosts life expectancy in poorer countries, this relationship starts to level off in wealthier nations. Beyond a certain level of income, additional increases in per capita income yield diminishing returns in life expectancy. This plateau could be due to biological limits on human lifespan and the fact that other factors beyond income also play a critical role in health.

Additional Context

  • Economic and Social Factors: While higher income improves life expectancy, the curve suggests that income alone isn't sufficient for further gains in health. Other factors, such as healthcare systems, social equality, and lifestyle choices, also play crucial roles.
  • Policy Implications: Understanding the Preston Curve helps policymakers recognize that improving health outcomes in wealthy countries may require addressing non-economic factors, such as healthcare quality, social services, and environmental conditions.
  • Global Perspectives: The Preston Curve also highlights disparities between countries. For instance, low-income countries may see more substantial improvements in health outcomes with economic growth compared to high-income countries where the returns on additional income are less pronounced.

Understanding the Auditing of Local Bodies

Why is it in the News? The International Centre for Audit of Local Governance (iCAL) was recently inaugurated in Rajkot, Gujarat. This marks a significant step towards setting global standards for
Share It

Bavikonda Monastery: A Historical and Cultural Gem

Current Status Maintenance Issues: Due to recent budget constraints, maintenance and repairs at Bavikonda Monastery have been less than optimal. Tourism Circuit: Bavikonda is part of the '
Share It

CITES Report on Rosewood: “CITES Rosewoods: The Global Picture”

The recently released CITES report titled “CITES Rosewoods: The Global Picture” provides a comprehensive analysis of rosewood species listed under the Convention on International Trade in
Share It

Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)

Recent Developments  India recently took part in the 86th session of the Executive Committee (CCEXEC) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) held in Rome. India’s Support: Sp
Share It

Naturally Existing DNA Editing Tool: Bridge Recombinase Mechanism (BRM)

The Bridge Recombinase Mechanism (BRM) is a newly discovered naturally occurring DNA editing tool. It utilizes mobile genetic elements, commonly known as "jumping genes," to perform DNA mani
Share It

The Delhi Urban Land and Immovable Property Records Bill, 2024

The Delhi Urban Land and Immovable Property Records Bill, 2024, aims to create a unified system for managing urban land and immovable property records in Delhi. This system will be overseen by the Del
Share It

Gig Economy and Recent Developments in Karnataka

Why in the News? The Karnataka government recently published the draft Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, which aims to address the welfare and rights of gig w
Share It

India-Japan Joint Carbon Crediting Mechanism

India and Japan are set to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to establish a Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) under the framework of Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. This mechanism will facilita
Share It

Green Revolution in maize

Context: India has seen significant success with the green revolution in maize production. This success has been primarily driven by the private sector. Over the past 20 years, maize production in Ind
Share It

Captain Supreetha C.T. – First Woman Officer from Corps of Army Air Defence at Siachen Glacier

Name: Captain Supreetha C.T. Hometown: Mysuru, Karnataka Achievement: Captain Supreetha C.T. has become the first woman officer from the Corps of Army Air Defence to be operationally deployed a
Share It

Newsletter Subscription


ACQ IAS
ACQ IAS