FOUN 1210 TUTORIALS 10 & 11:
HEALTH & disease
Communicable Diseases
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Communicable – (infectious diseases) passed
on by contact or vector. These could be caused
Health is a state of complete by
physical, social and mental well- parasites e.g. malaria,
being and not just the absence of bacteria – cholera, tuberculosis,
disease or infirmity (WHO, 1948) gastroenteritis, salmonella, STDs such as
Disease - Pathological changes syphilis.
diagnosed by symptoms and signs viruses – flu, dengue Fever, yellow fever,
smallpox, polio, human immunodeficiency
Illness - The perception of a
virus,
disease. Hence illness is what you
feel, but disease is what the doctor
diagnoses.
QUESTIONS
1. Contemporary philosophy of health has
been quite focused on the problem of
determining the nature of the concepts
of health, illness and disease from a
scientific point of view. Some theorists
claim and argue that these concepts are
value-free and descriptive, while others
claim that the concept of health is
essentially value-laden.
Discuss these two principal rival types
of ‘theories’ and present reasoning by
which we could assess these ‘theories’.
2 In-spite of improvements being done by
the Caribbean Community (CARICOM),
there are still problems controlling the
spread of HIV/AIDS. What do you think
are the problems?
3 The great medical success story of the
20th century has been the effectiveness
of vaccinations and antibiotics in
eliminating or drastically reducing the
incidence of many diseases.
Discuss why these technologies have
not worked for all predominant ‘killer’
diseases?
4. The sudden emergence and rapid
spread of a novel coronavirus, now
called Covid-19, is a reminder of the
power of infectious diseases. It also
offers insights into how innovation and
technology are better equipping us to
handle public health emergencies and
contain the spread of diseases.
Discuss how technology can help in the
fight of future of epidemics.
FOUN 1210 SEM 1 2022-23
NON-Communicable Diseases
Non-communicable-Includes chronic or lifestyle diseases- Diabetes mellitus, Hypertension,
Heart Disease, Cancer
Includes also Genetic diseases: Sickle cell anaemia, Down's syndrome, Cystic fibrosis
Risk factors: It is necessary to speak about risk factors rather than causes, because of the
complex interrelationships between the various parameters which affect health.
Three levels (1)Causes of death and ill-health- heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer,
injuries (2) Major determinants- hypertension, diabetes, obesity (3) Risk factors - habitual
diet, physical activity, tobacco use, alcohol, marijuana etc. (substance abuse).
Lifestyle factors: Substance abuse Alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and hard drugs have had a
major social impact in the Caribbean.
Other lifestyle factors are sexual behaviour, personal hygiene and sanitation, road use
behaviour, conflict resolution.
Finally, health-seeking behaviours should be embraced e.g. vaccination, cervical cancer
smears, hypertension checks, STD treatment.
QUESTIONS
5. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as hypertension, diabetes, cancers
and chronic respiratory diseases, take a heavy toll on Caribbean societies,
accounting for approximately three out of four deaths and over US$ 1 billion
per year in direct and indirect costs.
What is the nature of the problem? What are the challenges?
Is the concern over childhood obesity unwarranted?
What can governments in the region do to address this NCD problem?
6. A new report (2019) by the Organization of American States (OAS) has found
that drug use is appearing at young ages in many countries in the region.
What do you think are the reasons for this development?
What measures would be most effective in curbing substance abuse, especially
among young people?
FOUN 1210 SEM 1 2022-23
