World's Healthiest Countries (Forbes): Iceland, Sweden and Finland.

According to Forbes’ website, northern Europe is home to some of the world's healthiest countries, including top-ranking Iceland, Sweden and Finland. Clean air, low rates of illness and access to food are important factors that contribute to make these the world's 15 best places to live.

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"Historically, these countries had an ethic of having more of a nationalized health care system,"

"There's this mentality that health care should be a given right for citizens."

"Everyone, needs to be aware that how we provide health care to people in a country is a critical issue."

said Kate Schecter, a program officer for the American International Health Alliance.

“Countries' success in combating pollution is likely due to a mix of policies addressing the problem, enforcement of standards and the use of clean fuel”

“But some places, such as those located along coastlines, are simply luckier than others, since crosswinds can dilute air pollution”

said Kiran Pandey, a senior environmental economist for the Global Environment Facility, an author of the research.

List of the world's 15 healthiest countries

1.Iceland
2.Sweden
3.Finland
4.Germany
5.Switzerland
6.Australia
7.Denmark
8.Canada
9.Austria
10.Netherlands
11.USA
12.Israel
13.Czech Republic
14.Spain
15.France

Methodology

To compile the list, Forbes.com attempted to gather health and environmental statistics for every nation. But due to incomplete data, they only ranked 138 nations around the world (we don't see countries such as Monaco, Norway, Malta, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Ireland and Andorra)

The examined statistics include:

• estimated air pollution in world cities
  

• the percentage of a country's population with access to improved drinking water and sanitation
  

• infant mortality rates
  

• the rate of prevalence of tuberculosis
  

• the density of physicians - generalist and specialists - per 1,000 people
  

• undernourishment rates
  

• and healthy life expectancy for men at birth

Sources (used to compile the list)

• Ambient Particulate Matter Concentrations in Residential and Pollution Hotspot Areas of World Cities: New Estimates Based on the Global Model of Ambient Particulates (GMAPS); The World Bank Development Economics Research Group and the Environment Department Working PaperWorld
  

• Health Statistics 2007; World Health Organization
  

• Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment, 2000 Report, Geneva and New York; World Health Organization and United Nations Children's Fund. Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council
  

• FAO Statistical Yearbook Vol. 2 (2005-2006) Country Profiles

Links:
Allison Van Dusen and Ana Patricia Ferrey, World's Healthiest Countries, www.forbes.com