It was reported recently that the number of people below the poverty line in Malta has increased considerably in recent years. While this index is a relative one, depending as it does on the median wage of the population – which is continuously rising – it certainly has an effect on the population, not only economically but particularly when it comes to health and happiness.
It has been well documented now that the relative income is more important than the absolute size of the pay-packet in determining one’s resultant position within society.
The health of a nation is very much dependent on how equal (egalitarian) a society happens to be. In a more equal society (like Sweden or Denmark), where the difference between the best and worst paid is relatively small, the degree of ill-health is very much less than in those societies which are more unequal (like US or Britain). This holds for a number of parameters which are meant to assess the well-being of society and not merely physical health.
Several sociological studies have now confirmed that environments, much more than individual effort, are responsible for the overall health status of a nation
Which seems to lead to the rather ironic conclusion that, once a certain base income is established, a decrease in the income of the richer 10 per cent is more likely to have a beneficial effect on society than an increase in the income of the lower 50 per cent.
Several sociological studies have now confirmed that environments, much more than individual effort, are responsible for the overall health status of a nation. In practically all studies done, there is a very close link between low socio-economic status and tendency to conditions like stress, overweight, high blood pressure, diabetes and tendency to adverse health habits like smoking and drinking.
It is accepted, of course, that some of us, more than others, have a greater tendency to certain afflictions. This can be attributed to our genetic endowment about which, so far at least, there is nothing we can do.
On the other hand, superimposed on this is a whole social structure that determines whether one goes on to develop habits which bring out the worst in our genes or which interfere with our capacity to prevent or deal with untoward health issues.
One of the most significant factors which determine social status and, hence, health is, no doubt, the level of education one achieves. There is a linear relationship between level of education obtained on the one hand and several markers of health, including longevity and tendency to disease.
Statistics published recently by the Italian Institute of Statistics (ISTAT 2010) compared the rates of early school leavers in different countries in Europe. Malta is top of the list when it comes to the proportion of school leavers: 36.9 per cent fall into this category, with the proportion of males at 41 per cent being significantly higher than that for females (32.4 per cent).
In comparison, the proportion of school leavers in other countries in Europe is well below that in Malta (Italy 18.8 per cent; UK 14.9 per cent; France 12.8 per cent; Germany 11.9 per cent; Denmark 10.7 per cent; Netherlands 10.1 per cent; Sweden 9.7 per cent; EU 27 14.1 per cent; Slovakia 4.7 per cent). It is obvious there is still a lot of work to be done to catch up with the EU average, let alone with the best.
Another marker of level of education reached within a society is the proportion of those reaching tertiary level. In 2008, Maltese students in tertiary institutions constituted 37 per cent of those in primary schools.
According to data comparing proportions of people with tertiary qualifications within the EU (Eurostat, 2012), the number of people in the 25-34 age group having a tertiary qualification was one of the lowest in Europe (25 per cent of the population –compared to Cyprus at over 50 per cent and several other EU countries above 40 per cent).
When we look at the older age group (55-64), Malta falls to the very bottom of the list. So while there has been some interge-nerational increase in the proportion of people with a tertiary qualification, we still have a long way to go.
We cannot hope to achieve equality as a nation unless and until we can say that educational facilities are not merely available to all, but that indeed there is more equal participation by all sections of the population.
One aspect where statistics are not as readily available is the distribution of educational achievements within various geographical areas of Malta. Studies in the past have shown considerable variation between one locality and another.
One thing no nation can afford to have is ghettos, where groups of citizens fail to achieve the standard as the average for the nation as a whole.