The Third World: Diseases, Explanations, Trends and Implications, Slides of Medical Sciences

Download The Third World: Diseases, Explanations, Trends and Implications and more Slides Medical Sciences in PDF only on Docsity! Lecture 4: The Third World Overview • OVERVIEW • DISEASES – Food- And Water-Borne – Air-Borne – Vector-Borne • EXPLANATIONS – Environmental Factors – Medical Services – Poverty • TRENDS AND IMPLICATIONS Overview Under Developed Countries are characterised by: • High death rates and low life expectancies; • High rates of infant and childhood mortality; • High mortality from infectious diseases; • Low life expectancy. Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest life expectancies. However, there is considerable variation between: • Different Third World countries; • Urban and rural areas; • Affluent and less affluent areas within the same city. EPEC EET EEE TERETE 2 if = ry oF oH 4 * Ee HEH EL : aa ee 42 et £ ge = oT ee oe on 3 as : FS » Oo e JO He 33 ee eas To 9 SB o Dw: it~ g 8 g= 5 3: 2s eae g: a7 oO 20 4 @: ~— oon ®&: ™ = 5 @ 2: t €&acs: H J : =F: 504 ELB. in years  Explanatory Factors • Environmental factors. The tropical or semi-tropical climates found in many Third World countries are conducive to the reproduction of germs and vectors. • Medical provision. The paucity of medical services, especially in rural areas reduces the likelihood of effective treatment. • However, the main common factor is poverty. Poverty influences health in several ways: – Resources are not available for sanitation – Migration to major cities results in overcrowding – Malnutrition Trends • Life expectancies improved in the colonial era due to public health interventions by colonial governments. • Similar improvements followed independence in the mid- 20th century due to the activities of the World Health Organization. • The rate of improvement declined in the 1970s/1980s, suggesting that there is a limit to what can be achieved by high cost western medicine against a backdrop of poverty. • Much could be achieved given the proper utilisation of existing resources, especially in the context of preventive measures. • Clean water supply is a major priority.