Health and Human Rights 8.2

Question 1

Why do African countries have considerably lower life expectancies?

Answer 1

• Political instability – no infrastructure so don’t have access to water and food
• Corrupt governments can block usage of water to show power

Question 2

According to the WHO, what are the countries with the highest and lowest life expectancies?

Answer 2

• Switzerland males is highest
• Japans females is high
• Sierra leone is lowest for male and female
• Central African countries have the lowest life expectancy – landlocked – trade – money – healthcare

Question 3

Factors that impact life expectancy

Answer 3

• Health care resources
• Sanitation
• Education
• Socio economic status
• Access to water
• Government stability

Question 4

Why does the USA not have the highest life expectancy?

Answer 4

Too much money = High calorie foods = drugs = tv with no exercise
-More money = more access to bad things

Question 5

What are the two indicators used to measure health of a country?

Answer 5

• Numbers of doctors per 10,000

- % of population with regular access to basic medication

Question 6

What happens if a country spends more on healthcare?

Answer 6

As you spend more money on healthcare, life expectancy will increase. However, this needs to be with other factors such as education, a happy population and a good environment.
-Rostow’s model complements this theory – basic healthcare is needed to move from stage 1 to stage 2

Question 7

Examples of lifestyle choices

Answer 7

• Drinking
• Smoking
• Exercise
• Drug use

Question 8

Reasons fo the variations in the developed world:

Answer 8

• Deprived areas – this refers to poor diet, poor housing and poor healthcare
• These are symptoms of poverty that combine to create health risks and therefore lower life expectancy
• Inequalities mean there are some very poor and some very wealthy people in each country
• The wealthy are becoming increasingly at risk due to poor lifestyles:
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Drinking
• Heart disease

Question 9

What is the most important factor influencing life expectancy?

Answer 9

More money spent on healthcare, the better the life expectancy

• There are some exceptions (USA)
• Research in Japan found that a healthy balanced diet is the most significant factor for a long-life expectancy
• Deprivation is the most significant factor in declining life expectancy – education, income, living environment

Question 10

Variations in life expectancy in the UK - south west region

Answer 10

Low life expectancy

south west due to lack of investment and little economic activity

Question 11

Variations in life expectancy in the UK - industrial areas

Answer 11

Low life expectancy

-high levels of deprivation – global shift created job loss and left unqualified people

Question 12

Variations in life expectancy in the UK

Answer 12

Clear north/south divide - more alcohol and smoking in the north
Increasing with males fast than with females

Question 13

Variations in life expectancy in the UK - Living environment

Answer 13

the top two are rural / coastal, the worst two are in Liverpool and Middlesbrough areas that have experienced high deprivation

Question 14

Variations in the life expectancy in the UK - Northern Ireland

Answer 14

-Northern Ireland has the largest number of smokers, highest proportion of males involved in heavy labouring work, and the highest perception of poor health. It also has the lowest proportion of public spending in the UK on health.

Question 15

What are the two reasons for inequalities between socio-economic groups?

Answer 15

• Occupation (full time, part time, temporary)

- Education – attitude to diet, exercise, smoking, drinking

Question 16

Reasons or examples for why life expectancy is impacted by health expenditure

Answer 16

• Switzerland – high life expectancy with high expenditure
• Could argue that it has a stable, socialist government with other good factors so this could be just one reason
• Norway – high life expectancy with high expenditure

Question 17

Reasons or examples why life expectancy is not impacted by health expenditure

Answer 17

-The USA – high expenditure but a lower life expectancy

Question 18

What are the variations in Australia of life expectancy?

Answer 18

• These variations are mainly due to ethnic differences
• South Males = 80.5 yrs. old
• North Males = 73.3 yrs. old
• Higher proportion of people in the norther territory’s
• Rate of chronic illness is higher – this impacts their ability to participate in the workforce

Question 19

What is the history of the aboriginals in Australia?

Answer 19

• Before the British colonisers came around 1788
• First nations people of Australia were spread across the land
• Only in 1962 they were given the right to vote

Question 20

What are the reasons for the variations in life expectancy for indigenous people?

Answer 20

• Isolation of settlements therefore poor access to healthcare – due to remote areas – underlying health conditions that go untreated and then escalate
• Health levels of deprivation – physical location, education, healthcare
• High levels of unemployment – few job opportunities due to remote, physical labour
• Poor education – enrolment in schools is low, quality of education is poor – impact health due to uneducated on lifestyle and diets
• High rates of chronic disease – high levels of physical labour – problems with health due to mining – diabetes, heart diseases
• High rates of alcohol, drugs and smoking – due to deprivation and they feel marginalised with lack of opportunities and feel forgotten about
• High infant mortality – prenatal and post-natal care doesn’t tend to be good due to remote location and lack of access to healthcare
• Lack of engagement with politics – indigenous population are underrepresented within the political system

Question 21

Why do the majority of indigenous people live in northern areas?

Answer 21

• Marginalised
• Forced to live in difficult conditions
• Forced into these areas by white settlers into these areas
• Many indigenous people were relocated and put into reserves where they would live – isolated areas with poor access to services

Question 22

What is an example of the income and employment inequality between aboriginals and southerners in Australia?

Answer 22

• Only 49.2% over age of 15 were employed (2011 census) in comparison to 72% of non-indigenous
• Gross median income for indigenous people 25-44 was $374 compared to $784 for non-indigenous (2006 census)

Question 23

What’s the climate like in the central and northern parts of Australia?

Answer 23

Central Australia 
-Remote are 
-Arid climate 
Northern territory 
-Remote areas
-Limited access to services (healthcare) 
-Farming 
-Takes days to travel south

Question 24

How are the aboriginal lad rights involved?

Answer 24

• Had just been freed from government control in reservations
• No freedom of movement
• No money of their own
• Didn’t have the right to raise their own children
• Government used to have very discriminate policies
• 2% of the population, 25% of prison population

Question 25

What is the stolen generation and the historical treatment of the aboriginal?

Answer 25

• 1950s and 1960s - government took indigenous babies away from families
• Due to them thinking they weren’t prepared enough to bring up children
• With poor education and healthcare
• Many children suffered from abuse with foster families
• Studies show that children living in households from the Stolen Generation are more likely to experience poor health (especially mental health), missing school and living in poverty, anxiety, depression, suicide and alcohol abuse