Introduction and Thesis The health impacts of globalization and development are simultaneously positive and negative, depending on various socioeconomic factors. Globalization allows for the creation of a “global village” where people, goods, and information are able to more easily transcend national borders. Coupled with economic development, globalization has altered the human health and disease exposure by altering the relationship between disease, its treatment, and people’s immune systems. Once a certain degree of development has been reached, an epidemiological transition occurs, greatly improving the mortality and fertility rates of a population.
Aging, Infectious and Chronic Diseases The evolutionary theory of aging proposes that …show more content…
This development is controlled by various economic and social influences. From an economic standpoint, the level of wealth generally dictates the degree of advancement in a country’s biomedical field, therefore providing better access to health technologies (Wiley & Allen, 2013). In a study by the World Health Organization, it was revealed that the low-income groups have the highest mortality rates due to communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as due to injury (World Health Organization, 2011). It is an unavoidable reality that economic capacity within societies is a key determinant of the quality of health of the population. Cultural attitudes and practices also play a role as societal influences such as religion can positively or adversely affect an individual’s drive to pursue healthy lifestyles. Globalization has exacerbated this social influence through mass media, the advertising industry, consultancy firms, and any and all institutions geared towards altering people’s wants or perceived needs, values and beliefs. Again, in this respect, globalization plays a role by creating a “global village” of shared thoughts and ideas. Thus, the very cultures of different peoples that were once distinct are being transformed into something more universal. One positive aspect of globalization is that due to the present albeit limited transparency between countries and …show more content…
This is usually brought about by medical innovation in disease treatment and can be best seen through changes in birth and death rates. As countries develop, they move through various stages of demographic transition following an inverse line, from high to low birth and death rates. These dramatic changes and transitions in a population’s health needs, translate to a corresponding shift in its burden of disease. Typically, the traditional causes of death, especially in developing ‘countries are infectious diseases and malnutrition. As these countries develop, the lifespan and life expectancy increases, triggering shift to chronic and non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and
Aging, Infectious and Chronic Diseases The evolutionary theory of aging proposes that …show more content…
This development is controlled by various economic and social influences. From an economic standpoint, the level of wealth generally dictates the degree of advancement in a country’s biomedical field, therefore providing better access to health technologies (Wiley & Allen, 2013). In a study by the World Health Organization, it was revealed that the low-income groups have the highest mortality rates due to communicable and non-communicable diseases, as well as due to injury (World Health Organization, 2011). It is an unavoidable reality that economic capacity within societies is a key determinant of the quality of health of the population. Cultural attitudes and practices also play a role as societal influences such as religion can positively or adversely affect an individual’s drive to pursue healthy lifestyles. Globalization has exacerbated this social influence through mass media, the advertising industry, consultancy firms, and any and all institutions geared towards altering people’s wants or perceived needs, values and beliefs. Again, in this respect, globalization plays a role by creating a “global village” of shared thoughts and ideas. Thus, the very cultures of different peoples that were once distinct are being transformed into something more universal. One positive aspect of globalization is that due to the present albeit limited transparency between countries and …show more content…
This is usually brought about by medical innovation in disease treatment and can be best seen through changes in birth and death rates. As countries develop, they move through various stages of demographic transition following an inverse line, from high to low birth and death rates. These dramatic changes and transitions in a population’s health needs, translate to a corresponding shift in its burden of disease. Typically, the traditional causes of death, especially in developing ‘countries are infectious diseases and malnutrition. As these countries develop, the lifespan and life expectancy increases, triggering shift to chronic and non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and