Diseases as a social factor impacting on health in South Africa
HIV/AIDS epidemic
South Africa, accounts for 17% of the global burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (Mayosi & Benatar, 2014). This infection is also a major cause of an increase in infant, child and maternal mortality rates due to a lack of treatment and access thereto. The pandemic has effectively diminished the workforce, increased poverty rates, reduced agricultural productivity, and transformed the structure of many rural households. Despite the large numbers of primary health care centres that have been built since 1994, particularly in rural areas of South Africa, there are staff shortages and inadequate facilities for outpatient care in the face of the …show more content…
Although there are many risk factors for the disease, tuberculosis most frequently affects the impoverished, those living in rural areas and individuals with compromised immune systems. It is known that Tuberculosis has long-term health effects, therefore resulting in several social consequences such as, decreased worker productivity and increased poverty (Hart, n.d). Individuals that have contracted TB often lost months of wages due to their inability to work, this in turn affects the economy as workers are less productive (Hart, n.d). According to, Mayosi & Benatar (2014), Tuberculosis is a disease driven by the HIV infection, increasing its rates from 300 per 100,000 people in the early 1990s, to 650 per 100,000 people in 2012. South Africa reports the most extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis cases in the world. According to, Health24 (2013), there is a growing number of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) cases have been observed in South Africa. Multi-drug resistant TB is more challenging and more expensive to treat than standard TB. MDR-TB is partially due to the inadequate or incomplete treatment of TB and continues to present a challenge as we attempt to address the high rates of TB in South Africa (Hart, …show more content…
According to, Triegaardt (n.d), the government spent a considerable amount of money on the education system in South Africa. Teachers were moved into higher salary brackets and salaries rose between 12 to 15 percent, but sadly the quality of education for poor children is of great concern (Triegaardt, n.d). Bloch notes that education is not up to standard in poor, rural township schools and must be addressed (Cape Times, 2010:11).
In Appendix D, we notice than less than a third of the adult population has a matric or higher qualification. In 2007, 10% of the population aged 20 years and above had no education compared with 19% in 1996. Fixing South Africa’s education system, van der Berg argues, is therefore necessary to reduce unemployment and inequality in South Africa. The unemployed will gain access to semi-skilled and skilled jobs only if they are better educated. At the same time, an increased pool of educated workers will reduce the premia paid to the educated who are currently in short supply. Both poverty and inequality will fall as a result (Triegaardt, n.d).
The environment as a social factor impacting on the health in South
HIV/AIDS epidemic
South Africa, accounts for 17% of the global burden of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (Mayosi & Benatar, 2014). This infection is also a major cause of an increase in infant, child and maternal mortality rates due to a lack of treatment and access thereto. The pandemic has effectively diminished the workforce, increased poverty rates, reduced agricultural productivity, and transformed the structure of many rural households. Despite the large numbers of primary health care centres that have been built since 1994, particularly in rural areas of South Africa, there are staff shortages and inadequate facilities for outpatient care in the face of the …show more content…
Although there are many risk factors for the disease, tuberculosis most frequently affects the impoverished, those living in rural areas and individuals with compromised immune systems. It is known that Tuberculosis has long-term health effects, therefore resulting in several social consequences such as, decreased worker productivity and increased poverty (Hart, n.d). Individuals that have contracted TB often lost months of wages due to their inability to work, this in turn affects the economy as workers are less productive (Hart, n.d). According to, Mayosi & Benatar (2014), Tuberculosis is a disease driven by the HIV infection, increasing its rates from 300 per 100,000 people in the early 1990s, to 650 per 100,000 people in 2012. South Africa reports the most extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis cases in the world. According to, Health24 (2013), there is a growing number of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) cases have been observed in South Africa. Multi-drug resistant TB is more challenging and more expensive to treat than standard TB. MDR-TB is partially due to the inadequate or incomplete treatment of TB and continues to present a challenge as we attempt to address the high rates of TB in South Africa (Hart, …show more content…
According to, Triegaardt (n.d), the government spent a considerable amount of money on the education system in South Africa. Teachers were moved into higher salary brackets and salaries rose between 12 to 15 percent, but sadly the quality of education for poor children is of great concern (Triegaardt, n.d). Bloch notes that education is not up to standard in poor, rural township schools and must be addressed (Cape Times, 2010:11).
In Appendix D, we notice than less than a third of the adult population has a matric or higher qualification. In 2007, 10% of the population aged 20 years and above had no education compared with 19% in 1996. Fixing South Africa’s education system, van der Berg argues, is therefore necessary to reduce unemployment and inequality in South Africa. The unemployed will gain access to semi-skilled and skilled jobs only if they are better educated. At the same time, an increased pool of educated workers will reduce the premia paid to the educated who are currently in short supply. Both poverty and inequality will fall as a result (Triegaardt, n.d).
The environment as a social factor impacting on the health in South