1.3 Prerequisites for health as determined by the WHO Flashcards
Prerequisites for Health as determined by the WHO.
There are 9 prerequisites for health as determined by the WHO including:
- Education
- Income
- Peace
- Shelter
- Food
- A Stable Ecosystem
- Sustainable resources
- Social Justice
- Equity
Education
Education:
Education:
- Having an education means a person is more likely to have had lessons on safe sex in schools, increasing their health literacy, and lowering the likelihood of the catching STIs
- Having an education empowers people to take control of their lives, meaning women have a say in decisions affecting their lives, decreasing stress and anxiety.
- Education empowers individuals and increases their ability to earn an income, understand health promotion messages, exhibit healthy behaviours, and find meaning and purpose in life.
- Educated people have higher levels of health and wellbeing.
- Education a key requirement for obtaining meaningful employment (promotes economic development and ability to afford resources)
- Educated individuals are more empowered to take control of their lives (e.g., Decision making)
- Education promotes literacy (literacy = reading and writing – understand health promoting behaviours)
- E.g. – Education – understand health promotion (risks associated with smoking) – don’t smoke – decreased risk of lung cancer.
Education:
Knowledge/Health Literacy - Smoking, Drugs and Alcohol (less likely to participate)
- Physical Activity (More likely to do it, lowering risks of Lung cancer, depression, and obesity)
- Sun safety (wear sunscreen, lowering risks of skin cancer)
- Water safety (swim between the flags lowering the risk of drowning)
- Safe Sex (use condom, lowering the risk of aids)
Opportunities to socialise.
Learn skills – read and write – job opportunities – sense of meaning and purpose in life – increased job opportunities – increased income so you can afford shelter, food, water, going out with friends, education gym membership – gym membership increases physical activity, increasing your likelihood of having adequate education levels.
Education on topics of smoking can decrease a student’s likelihood of participation, therefore lowering their likelihood of lung cancer.
Education on water safety can increase the likelihood of someone knowing to swim between the flags, and recognize the signs of rips, therefore decreasing their likelihood of drowning.
Income
Income:
Individual Income:
Income:
- Having adequate income means that a person can afford healthcare, meaning they can purchase blood pressure tablets, decreasing their risk of a heart attack.
- Having adequate income means that a person is more capable of paying for leisure activities, such as team sports, which will promote a sense of belonging.
- Increases the ability to afford resources such as healthcare, recreation, transportation and education.
Population Perspective: - Increases the capacity of governments to provide social services and resources such as public housing, education and healthcare, social security, infrastructure, recreational facilities such as parks and gardens, and law and order.
E.g. income – healthcare – medication ()
Income:
- Healthcare (immunisations – lower chance of measles)
- Food (nutrient dense)
- Shelter (protects us from – cold/damp – lowering pneumonia) (Protects us from mosquitoes – lowering malaria) (protects us from intruders – lowering injury)
- Bills (decreasing stress and anxiety)
- Social Activity (gym membership – fitness, lower obesity)(going out with friends, supportive network)
- Clothes
- Education
Peace
Definition: The absence of conflict
Peace:
- When there is an increase in conflict, people will flee the area, leaving behind their community, reducing their sense of belonging
- An absence of conflict increases the preservation of infrastructure, so there are safe hospitals, therefore health conditions can be diagnosed and treated lowering the rates of disease.
Peace:
- Can be defined as the absence of conflict
- When a community or country is experiencing peace, there is a decreased risk of premature death, serious injury, disability, and other adverse effects that are usually associated with conflict.
- Peace therefore promotes the health and wellbeing of all people
- Can result in a decrease in stress and anxiety for the individual, enhancing mental health and wellbeing
- Allows people to safely do as they wish, such as seek out an education, get a job, and participate in physical activity, enhancing their choices and giving them a sense of purpose.
- Peace increases access to food and water, lowering the risk of disease and injury
- Allows people to feel safe and secure
- Increases the capacity of governments to provide resources and services that promote health and wellbeing, due to them not spending as much on sustaining the war effort.
Shelter
Shelter
Shelter:
- Having adequate shelter, means the you are protected from pathogens and insects in the physical environment around you. This will lower the rates of infections diseases i.e. diareah, reducing morbidity.
Having adequate shelter increases your protection from the outdoor elements, such as rain and cold/damp conditions, lowering a person’s likelihood of catching
- Shelter describes a structure that provides protection from the outside environment
- Benefits to health and wellbeing include protection from the elements, privacy, safety and security, reduced risk of disease, reduced stress and anxiety, ability to focus on employment and education, and more time to pursue a purposeful and meaningful life.
- Adequate shelter provides protection from extreme weather events, assisting in mental wellbeing by reducing stress and anxiety as exposure to extreme weather is decreased.
- Protection from adverse weather can promote adequate sleep, which in turn can increase the ability to pursue employment and education in the waking hours.
- Adequate sleep also increases in capacity of individuals to participate in activities that add value to life, such as socialising and participating in the life of their community. This promotes social health and wellbeing.
- Inadequate shelter is a key contributor to crimes against other people such as assault and theft.
- Shelter acts to promote physical health and wellbeing by providing protection against the spread of infectious disease, such as malaria spread by mosquitoes, children are particularly susceptible to such conditions, resulting in premature death, or a reduced ability to gain an education and lead a fulfilling life.
Food
Food:
Food:
- Having an adequate food source can increase adequate nutritional intake increasing immune function and lowering rates of disease
- Having an adequate food source means less time is spent trying to source food, therefore more time for socializing increasing a person’s supportive network of friends.
- ‘The state in which all persons obtain nutritionally adequate, culturally appropriate, safe food regularly through local non-emergency sources’ (VicHealth) is referred to as food security.
- Important for the functioning of the human body
- Provides energy to complete daily tasks.
- Some nutrients in food are important for increasing immunity to disease.
- Reduces the risk of undernutrition.
- Reduces stress and anxiety, due to individuals being less stressed because they know there is food available.
- Many foods and the nutrients within them are necessary to prevent undernutrition. This includes stunting (a low height for age), wasting (a low weight for age) and nutritional deficiencies (insufficient amounts of nutrients such as protein, vitamins and minerals.)
- Adequate nutrition promotes optimal immune system functioning.
- Access to safe food decreases the risk of foodborne diseases.
A Stable Ecosystem
Definition: A stable ecosystem is when there is a balance between the environment and the species that live in an environment.
Stable Ecosystem:
- A stable ecosystem means that a person has more access to clean water available for consumption, decreasing the likelihood of contamination, lowering the prevalence of diarreah
Having a stable ecosystem means that the natural environment, and forests are preserved, where people can go to experience recreation and relaxation, increasing their connectedness to the world.
A Stable Ecosystem:
- An ecosystem is a community that consists of all the living and non-living components of a particular area.
- Includes living components i.e., plants, animals, and micro-organisms such as bacteria, and non-living components such as weather, rocks, soil, and watercourses.
- A stable ecosystem occurs when balance is achieved between the environment and the species that live in an environment.
- Stability indicates all living things are having their needs meet for food, water, shelter and reproduction, without causing detrimental effects to the natural environment.
- Humans, as living beings, are part of an ecosystem.
Sustainable resources
Definition: Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Sustainable resources:
- “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (United Nations)
- Resources such as oil, gas, and coal can take millions of years to regenerate, once these resources are used they are not available for future generations.
- Transitioning to sustainable energy production such as wind and solar power, will assist in satisfying energy needs of the future.
- This allows future generations to have things such as heating, cooling, electricity and transport.
- Having these resources can promote health and wellbeing as these resources are often required for education, employment, sleep, food production and recreation.
- i.e. adequate heating and cooling can promote productivity at school and this in turn can promote emotions such as contentment, which enhances emotional health and wellbeing.
Social Justice
Definition: Equal rights for all, regardless of personal traits such as sex, class and income, ethnicity, religion, age or sexual orientation.
Social Justice
- Can be defined in several ways, but most common underlying theme is equal rights for all, regardless of personal traits such as sex, class, and income, ethnicity, religion, age, or sexual orientation.
- Social justice means that all people are treated fairly, including women and girls in both their public and private life.
- A key aspect of this is the ability of all people to earn a decent wage and build material wealth.
- Social justice includes celebrating diversity and promoting the health and wellbeing of all people.
- When society is just, all people have the same access to resources and opportunities including: formal education, meaningful employment and fair pay, adequate shelter, social security, food and water, healthcare, recreation and leisure activities, and community participation.
Equity
Definition: relates to social justice but has a greater focus on fairness, meaning that those who are disadvantaged receive more support
Equity:
- A concept which relates to fairness and social justice but has a particular focus on disadvantaged groups.
- In basic terms, equity means that disadvantaged groups are targeted to improve their quality of life and achieve minimum standards of living.
- All people in the community should have access to fundamental resources, and governments should implement laws and policies that ensure no person is disadvantaged in their ability to access such resources.
- Equity goes beyond enforcing laws and ensures that all people can share in the benefits of a society. This can work to reduce feelings of segregation and thereby enhance feelings of belonging and promote spiritual health and wellbeing.
- Equity promotes health and wellbeing by ensuring access to: education, employment, human rights and resources such as healthcare
Equity as a concept is fundamental to health and wellbeing. Billions of people around the world, such as the homeless, Indigenous people and those living in poverty, do not experience the same level of health and wellbeing as the rest of the population. Promoting equity improves opportunities for these groups and increases their ability to achieve optimal health and wellbeing. For example, equity means that all people can achieve a minimum level of income. This money can be used for food, shelter and healthcare, which can reduce the risk of developing disease, promoting physical health and wellbeing. It can also mean that they feel valued, which can promote self-esteem and enhance mental health and wellbeing
