Global Health Challenges

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Questions and Answers

Which factor most significantly contributes to the rise of chronic diseases in low-income countries?

  • Improved air quality standards and environmental regulations.
  • Adoption of sedentary lifestyles coupled with changes in dietary patterns. (correct)
  • Increased access to diagnostic technologies.
  • Decline in infectious disease rates due to vaccination programs.

What distinguishes 'illness' from 'disease' within the framework of medical anthropology?

  • There is no distinction; the terms are interchangeable within medical anthropology.
  • Disease refers to the subjective experience of being unwell, while illness is the objective, biological condition.
  • Illness is defined as a biological condition diagnosed by medical professionals, whereas disease is the cultural and personal interpretation of that condition.
  • Disease is a biological condition; illness is the cultural and personal experience of that condition. (correct)

How does 'structural violence' influence health disparities according to Paul Farmer's work?

  • It increases the likelihood of natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes, in impoverished areas.
  • It directly transmits infectious diseases through contaminated water sources.
  • It describes how social structures perpetuate inequality, which leads to unequal access to healthcare and resources needed for good health. (correct)
  • It refers to physical acts of violence that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations.

Which intervention demonstrates a community-based approach to improving global health?

<p>Training local individuals to serve as healthcare workers within their communities. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characterized the first epidemiological transition?

<p>An increase in infectious diseases due to the development of agriculture and settled populations. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary challenge in achieving optimal maternal and child health in developing countries?

<p>Insufficient access to prenatal care, compounded by malnutrition and lack of essential vaccines. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How do food deserts primarily impact community health?

<p>By reducing access to fresh, healthy foods, leading to poor nutrition and related health problems. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the 'social gradient in health' refer to?

<p>The phenomenon where health outcomes improve with increasing socioeconomic status. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How did improved sanitation contribute to addressing the 19th-century cholera outbreaks?

<p>By preventing the spread of contaminated water, thereby reducing transmission. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Despite advances in treatment and prevention, what continues to be a significant challenge in addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic?

<p>Social stigma and limited access to healthcare in many regions. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does climate change exacerbate the risk of vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever?

<p>By expanding the geographic range and seasonal activity of disease vectors. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which strategy has proven most effective in the global effort to reduce smoking rates?

<p>Implementing regulations and anti-smoking campaigns that raise awareness and restrict tobacco use. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Why is drug resistance in Tuberculosis (TB) considered a growing global health problem?

<p>Because it complicates the treatment process, leading to longer treatment times, higher costs, and lower success rates. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was a key finding of Kleinman's Explanatory Model in medical anthropology?

<p>Patients, doctors, and cultures may have differing perceptions and explanations of illness, impacting treatment outcomes. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What critical weakness within global health systems was highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic?

<p>Significant inequalities in vaccine access and overall preparedness among different countries. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Infectious Diseases

Diseases caused by infectious agents like viruses, bacteria, or parasites.

Chronic Diseases (NCDs)

Diseases that are not infectious and tend to be long-lasting, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Healthcare Access & Inequality

The disparity in the availability of healthcare resources in different regions and socioeconomic groups.

Climate Change & Health

The effect of changing weather patterns on human health, including air pollution, rising temperatures, and food and water security.

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Disease

Objective, biological condition diagnosed by a medical professional.

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Illness

Subjective, personal experience of being unwell, shaped by cultural and social factors.

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Medical Pluralism

The use of multiple medical systems (biomedicine, traditional healing).

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Structural Violence

Social conditions (poverty, racism) that create health disparities.

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Kleinman’s Explanatory Model

Patients, doctors, and cultures have different understandings of illness.

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Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT)

A low-cost solution that saves lives by preventing dehydration due to diarrhea.

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Epidemiological Transitions

A shift in the patterns of disease, from infectious diseases to chronic diseases.

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Poor Sanitation

A lack of clean conditions leading to disease outbreaks, especially in densely populated areas.

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Food Deserts

Urban areas where access to healthy, affordable food is limited.

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Social Gradient in Health

Higher wealth equals better health outcomes.

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Cholera (19th century)

Improved sanitation success.

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Study Notes

  • Key global health challenges include infectious diseases, chronic diseases, healthcare access and inequality, climate change, and food and water security

Infectious Diseases

  • COVID-19 exposed global health system vulnerabilities and vaccine disparities
  • HIV/AIDS progresses with treatment, but stigma alongside access barriers remain
  • Malaria can be controlled using mosquito nets and medication, but remains a major killer in some regions
  • Tuberculosis is increasingly problematic due to drug resistance

Chronic Diseases

  • Heart disease, diabetes and cancer are increasing in low-income countries
  • Obesity and nutrition issues are linked to processed foods, urbanization, and poverty

Healthcare Access & Inequality

  • Developing countries lack hospitals, doctors, and medication
  • Preventable diseases disproportionately affect poorer communities

Climate Change & Health

  • Air pollution increases asthma and lung disease
  • Rising temperatures lead to more heat-related and vector-borne illnesses
  • Droughts and extreme weather cause malnutrition

Medical Anthropology & Health

  • Disease is a biological condition, while illness is a cultural experience
  • Medical pluralism involves using multiple medical systems in conjunction
  • Structural violence refers to social conditions such as poverty and racism, creating health disparities

Paul Farmer's Work

  • Emphasized structural violence and social determinants of health
  • Partners in Health provided healthcare in Haiti and Rwanda
  • Argued that inequality in healthcare is preventable and unacceptable

Key Concepts in Medical Anthropology

  • Patients, doctors, and cultures have varying understandings of illness based on Kleinman’s Explanatory Model
  • Spiritual beliefs can explain illness in some cultures

Low-Cost Health Solutions

  • Oral Rehydration Therapy has saved millions from dehydration due to diarrhea
  • Vaccines led to smallpox eradication and polio reduction
  • Community-based health programs involve training local healthcare workers

Epidemiological Transitions

  • Agriculture led to more infectious diseases, such as cholera and smallpox in the initial transition
  • Industrialization reduced infections, but chronic diseases increased during the second transition
  • Globalization resulted in new pandemics like COVID-19, and increased antibiotic resistance during the third transition

Sanitation & Population Health

  • Cholera outbreaks are linked to poor sanitation
  • Clean water scarcity persists for millions worldwide

Maternal & Child Health

  • Key problems include malnutrition, lack of prenatal care, and high maternal mortality
  • Solutions involve vaccines, midwives, and access to contraception

Climate Change & Health & Impact

  • Natural disasters cause displacement and spread diseases
  • Food production changes lead to malnutrition

Food & Nutrition & Health

  • Food deserts are urban areas that have minimal access to healthy food
  • Some populations experience undernutrition, while others experience overnutrition

Poverty & Health

  • Higher wealth correlates with better health outcomes, known as the "Social Gradient in Health"
  • Poorer communities face structural barriers, lacking access to healthcare, clean water, and good jobs

Milestones in Global Health

  • Improved sanitation emerged during the Cholera outbreaks in the 19th century
  • Smallpox was eradicated in 1980, showcased as a major vaccine achievement
  • HIV/AIDS treatment has advanced since the 1980s, but stigma still remains
  • Malaria which is controlled is still deadly in some areas
  • Drug-resistant TB remains a growing problem
  • COVID-19 highlighted global health disparities

Tobacco & Public Health

  • Regulations and anti-smoking campaigns have globally reduced smoking rates

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