HEALTH AND DISEASESAre we more vulnerable than before?

BY THE END OF THE LESSON

We will be able to1. Describe the indicators used to

measure health.2. Describe the variations in the health

of people between DCs and LDCs.3. Explain the variations in the health of

people between DCs and LDCs.

INDICATORS USED TO MEASURE HEALTH

1. Infant mortality rate (IMR)– Number of infants that die before

reaching one year old per 1000 live births in year.

2. Life expectancy– The average number of years from the

time of birth that a person can expect to live.

3. Daily calories intake– The energy obtained from food

consumed per person per day.

INFANT MORTALITY RATE

LIFE EXPECTANCY

DAILY CALORIE INTAKE PER CAPITA

QUESTION• Why are there variations in the health

of people between DCs and LDCs?

REASONS FOR VARIATIONS

• Economic– Poverty/affluence, investment in

healthcare and access to health services

• Social– Diet, lifestyle, education

• Environmental– Living conditions, access to safe

drinking water, proper sanitation

POVERTY AND AFFLUENCE

• People in LDCs are more likely to suffer from poor health as they suffer from poverty, which limits their purchasing power to afford basic healthcare, hence exposing them to health risks.

• For example,• at around $850, Malawi has one of the

lowest GDP per capita in the world which prevented the people from meeting their health needs.

POVERTY AND AFFLUENCE

• People in DCs are likely to enjoy good health as they enjoy affluence, which provides people with greater access to food and better quality health services, thereby increasing their resistance to diseases and improving their ability to deal with diseases.

• For example,

INVESTMENT IN HEALTHCARE

• People in LDCs are likely to suffer from poor health as the investment in healthcare devoted by their governments is low, resulting in less hospitals, clinics, healthcare professionals and supplies.

• For example,

ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES

• People in DCs are likely to enjoy good health as they enjoy high accessibility to healthcare as health services are within reasonable distance and have sufficient capacity to meet the needs of the people.

• For example,

DIET• People in LDCs are likely to suffer

from poor health as they are more likely to have poor diets which results in malnutrition, which can lead to damaged tissues and organs.

• For example,

LIFESTYLE• People in DCs may suffer from poor

health as the more affluent people are more likely to lead sedentary lifestyles due to the easy availability of hired help and the convenience of technology that contributes to physical inactivity.

• For example,

EDUCATION• More people in DCs enjoy good health

as more people are educated, hence more likely to be informed on how to lead a healthy lifestyle. They are also able to earn higher incomes that give them greater access to medical treatment, food and living conditions.

• For example,

LIVING CONDITIONS• People in LDCs are likely to suffer

from poor health as they tend to live in poor living conditions such as in slums that are overcrowded which contribute to the spread of diseases.

• For example,

ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER

• People in LDCs are likely to suffer from poor health as the accessibility to safe drinking water is low, which contributes to the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera and also lead poisoning.

• For example,

PROPER SANITATION• People in LDCs are likely to suffer

from poor health as they do not have proper sanitation hence resulting in the dumping of sewage into water bodies such as rivers which creates pollution that led to the spread of waterborne diseases.

• For example,

HEALTH AND DISEASESWhich diseases causes more deaths in DCs and LDCs?

BY THE END OF THE LESSON

We will be able to1. Describe the variations in the types

of diseases between DCs and LDCs.

TYPES OF DISEASES• Infectious diseases are caused by

pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. These diseases can be spread directly or indirectly from one person to another.

• Degenerative diseases are diseases where the function of affected tissues or organs changes for the worse over time because of lifestyle choices, wear and tear or genetic causes. These diseases are not contagious.