Health Human Rights and Intervention Flashcards
What was the Soviet Union?
single party state governed by the communist party
union of 15 subnational republics
It controlled ‘satellite countries’ in Eastern Europe, such as East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria. All these nations had communist governments
What happened to the satellite countries in the late 1980’s?
they began to shake off Soviet control
change began in Poland and spread to Hungary, East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia
What happened to the Berlin Wall in 1989?
It was pulled down - it had previously separated communist East Berlin from capitalist West Berlin
The peace treaty that had ended the second world war saw the whole of Germany divided into two
The fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for Germanys reunification
What happened in December 1991?
The world watched as the Soviet Union disintegrated into fifteen separate countries
The collapse was hailed by the West as a victory for freedom and democracy, and as proof of the superiority of capitalism over communism
Three of the republics - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - quickly aligned themselves with the West
What was the remarkable feature of this political rupture?
It was achieved without any significant military intervention or bloodshed
Its outcome was that some ten states in Eastern Europe achieve independence and became democracies and market economies
What is all that is left of the Soviet Union?
The Russian Federation
it has moved towards capitalism but retains a one party government
Who does political power lie with now?
Power rests largely with one man, Vladmir Putin, who has held power since 2000, alternately serving as president and prime minister
Where are China ranked in the world according to the size of its GDP in 1976?
124th in the World
Where was China ranked economically in 2019?
2nd largest economy - US 13.6 trillion dollars
China’s population now compared to 1976?
Expanded by just over half since 1976, from 0.9 - 1.4 billion
Where are China in GDP rankings today?
Climbed up rankings from 160th to 66th place due to per capita GDP being modest
Today’s figure is US 10,200 per capita
What does per capita mean?
‘Per person’
Is China still communist?
Yes - but is now gradually involved in the capitalist global economy which is a major factor in its economic progress
What tensions does China becoming involved in the capitalist global economy create?
political tension due to the population becoming increasingly aware of a very different (much freer) world outside their boundaries
How has China’s economic success been at the suffering of human rights?
Massive environmental pollution, largely thanks to its expanding manufacturing industries, and the persistent abuse of human rights
What happened in 2015 in China?
‘Economic Miracle’ showed the first signs of slowing down
By this time many Chinese people had come to enjoy consumerism
This economic downturn could lead to widespread protests thus sharpening the focus on human rights
When was the Ebola outbreak in West Africa first reported?
March 2014 and rapidly became the idealised occurance of the disease since its discovery
In 2014-15 the epidemic that swept across the region killed five times more than all other known Ebola outbreaks combined
When was Ebola discovered?
1976
Eighteen months on fro the first confirmed case, recorded on 23 march 2014 what happened?
12,000 people had been reported as having died from the disease in six countries - Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria, Mali and the USA (One aid worker)
Where were the bulk of the deaths?
Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea
When was the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) set up?
6 months after the first confirmed case - with the spread of the disease reportedly out of control
What was the UNMEER’s purpose?
To lead and coordinate the international responses of NGOs such as MSF
Other tasks included:
- informing everyone about the disease
- locating and monitoring everyone had had come into contact with an Ebola patient
- overseeing the safe burial of Ebola victims
- establishing and equipping treatment centres for the safe treatment of the sick
- organising the transport of medical supplies and personnel
- accessing adequate food supplies in a situation of decreasing food production, rising food prices and closed national borders
What happened as a result of the help from UNMEER and NGO’s?
There was a sharp fall in the number of new cases of Ebola during the first half of 2015
However, the decline had stalled not stopped
What factors allowed the virus to spread?
- Fear of reporting to authorise that a family member or friend might have contracted or died from Ebola
- Fatigue with the 24/7 task of carefully following the necessary stringent precautions
- Denial by a hardcore of the population who were strongly resistant to the idea that they needed to change their behaviour
When did the region declare they were Ebola free?
January 2016
Was UNMEER a success?
it is the first ever mission deployed by the UN to tackle a huge health security challenge
it since has been admitted that its creation came rather late in the day, however, and that action needs to be taken much sooner in any similar future emergencies
How are vaccines finally formed?
It is clear that such outbreaks will continue until ways are found to totally eradicate the disease
It will involve the commitment and co-operation of governments as well as the efforts of medical research scientists to come up with with a vaccine
it bodes well if this cooperation continues and possibly expands into a much broader concern about other aspects of human development
What are the human costs of military intervention?
Damage to Humans (Social Costs)
Interventions can negatively impact people’s lives, health, and livelihoods.
• Displacement – Large-scale conservation projects or infrastructure developments (e.g., hydroelectric dams) can force communities to relocate.
• Example: The Three Gorges Dam (China) displaced over 1.3 million people.
• Job Losses – Shifting to sustainable practices can harm industries reliant on traditional methods.
• Example: The decline of the coal industry in the UK led to unemployment in mining towns.
• Health Impacts – Some interventions may introduce new health risks.
• Example: Afforestation in dry areas can increase mosquito-borne diseases like malaria.
What are the economic costs of military intervention?
Damage to Humans (Social Costs)
Interventions can negatively impact people’s lives, health, and livelihoods.
• Displacement – Large-scale conservation projects or infrastructure developments (e.g., hydroelectric dams) can force communities to relocate.
• Example: The Three Gorges Dam (China) displaced over 1.3 million people.
• Job Losses – Shifting to sustainable practices can harm industries reliant on traditional methods.
• Example: The decline of the coal industry in the UK led to unemployment in mining towns.
• Health Impacts – Some interventions may introduce new health risks.
• Example: Afforestation in dry areas can increase mosquito-borne diseases like malaria.
What are the environmental costs of military intervention?
Damage to the Environment (Environmental Costs)
Even environmentally focused interventions can sometimes cause unintended harm.
• Biodiversity Loss – Large-scale renewable energy projects can disrupt ecosystems.
• Example: Palm oil plantations for biofuel production have led to deforestation and loss of orangutan habitats in Indonesia.
• Pollution and Waste – New technologies, like electric vehicles, require materials that contribute to pollution.
• Example: Lithium mining for EV batteries depletes water sources and contaminates soil.
• Carbon Emissions from Infrastructure – Building renewable energy systems requires resource extraction and transportation, which still produce emissions.
• Example: Concrete production for wind turbine bases contributes to CO₂ emissions.
