Health human rights and intervention Flashcards
what IS GDP per capita
GDP per capita: the value of all a country’s goods and services produced in a year, divided by its population.
Why GDP is a good measure of development
Economic growth drives other types of development
Advances in health and life expectancy can only be delivered by economic growth
Why is GDP a bad measure of development
The modern concept of development focuses more improving well-being and abilities: health, life expectancy and human rights (and environment?)
for example, quality of life and contentment, life expectancy, infant and maternal mortality, literacy and healthcare
GDP increases don’t specifically include ‘human development’, though some argue it leads to it
Economic growth exploits natural resources, which negatively impacts environmental quality (which is part of development)
GDP gives a crude average which skews the income distribution. The majority of incomes could fall well below the mean, and a very wealthy minority raise the average.
The informal economy is not included in GDP or most economic measures - yet in Uganda this is estimated to produce 60% of GDP.
Countries which similar GDP may vary in life expectancy. E.g. Tajikistan 72.2 years, Lesotho 61.1
what is the happy planet index
A measure of human development, introduced by the New Economics Foundation in 2006
Combines environmental data on sustainability with social data on satisfaction and health - and doesn’t income data on income.
Uses global data.
HPI = EW x LE / EF
EW = Experienced Well-Being LE = Life Expectancy EF = Ecological Footprint
who has a high HPI
Highest: Costa Rica 64.0, Vietnam 60.4 (best in Central America)
Also, Mexico, Colombia, Thailand
Middle-income, emerging countries which balance quality of life and the environment.
who has a medium HPI
Upper Middle: UK 47.9, Japan 47.5
Lower Middle: Singapore 39.8, Ethiopia 39.2, Namibia 38.9
who has a low HPI
Lowest: Botswana 22.6, Chad 25.2
(Also, USA, Russia, Ivory Coast, South Africa)
Very wealthy but wasteful societies OR very poor developing countries. Unequal concern for social development and sustainability
what is sharia law
Creates a code of conduct incompatible with our perceptions of human rights. The legal system in most Muslim countries which dictates many aspects of life.
It is applied differently across the Muslim world: strictly in some countries and more flexibly in others.
Covers behaviour and beliefs (public and private)
It includes zakat, which means the payment of taxes to help less fortunate people. However, if perpetuates gender inequality, by denying fundamental human rights to women.
But, strict Sharia Law contains many human rights violations:
theft is punishable by the amputation of the right hand
converting from Islam is punishable by death
a man can beat his wife for disobeying him
a woman cannot speak alone to a man who is not her husband or relative
who uses sharia law
List of countries using it includes some of the richest (Brunei, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UEA) and some of the poorest nations (Afghanistan, Mauritania, Sudan, Yemen)
how is education linked to development
Education is crucial to economic development as it increases the value of ‘human capital’ - a.k.a. producing a literate, numerate, enterprising and skilled workforce.
Education gives a better job and higher wages -> material benefits -> quality of life
The relationship between years in education and income:
A low number of years in education results in a poorly educated, unskilled workforce with low earning capacity, so incomes remain low.
High incomes mean governments have the taxes to invest in education (investing in future human capital, which in turn increases future income.
how is education linked to human rights
Human rights are the rights people are entitled to simply for being human: they often include freedom, equality, the right to a fair trial, the right to education and a certain standard of living.
It informs people about personal health, diet and hygiene
It allows people to understand their human rights, so they are more likely assert them when they’re undermined.
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, is part of the UN’s International Bill of Human Rights, signed by 163 countries, recognises the right to free primary education.
describe education inequality
education varies because of poverty, and gender inequality. UNESCO has found that education is still inaccessible to over 60 million children of primary school age. 32 million of this is from Sub-Saharan Africa. 20 million can be found in Central Asia, East Asia and the Pacific.
describe poverty in the role of education
Since 1970, the highest level of education achievement has improved dramatically in Africa, but, even in 2020, 50% of 20-24 year olds are expected to leave education at the end of primary school, and fewer than 10% will have had any post-secondary education. % No education: Africa 1970: 59% 2020: 22% North America 1970: 2% - 2020: 0% % Post secondary: Africa 1970: 4% - 2020: 9% North America: 21% -> 24%
In Niger, one of the world's poorest countries, only 8% of children reached Grade 4 (where basic literacy and numeracy skills are taught, end-of primary level), and learnt the basic skills in 2013-14. Standard of achievement also varies, since in Niger 51% of children reached Grade 4, but did not learn the basic skills. In Swaziland (with a GDP per capita 9x higher), 94% of children reached grade 4, and only 2% did not learn the basic skills.
describe gender inequality in education
In low-income Sub-Saharan Africa, fewer girls than boys finish both primary and secondary school because education often costs money and boys are prioritised. Girls are also traditionally seen as working in the home. 54% of the world’s non-schooled population are girls.
Primary school completion rate: 72% boys, 66% girls
Also 6% different in secondary school completion rate.
Inequality is also clear in the Middle East and North Africa, especially in primary school: poverty plays a role but boys tend to be valued more than girls for religious and cultural reasons (so more of them finish school)
93% boys, 87% girls
South Asia is a poor region, but education is valued highly and girls get more schooling than boys.
92% boys, 94% girls (78% and 82% for secondary)
Latin America equal for primary (99) but 76% male and 81% female for secondary
why is health important for human development
Health is important for human development, since poor health can have the following consequences for development:
Childhood diseases can lead to stunting and poor cognitive development, affecting education later in life.
Diseases such as malaria and HIV/Aids reduce the capacity to work, and therefore earning capacity.
Family members may have to spend long periods looking after ill relatives (rather than working), because health services are poor
Medical costs use up income that could be spend on food, education and housing.
