Health Geography

• Factors which affect LIFE EXPECTANCY in a country


  • Physical
  • Human
• Physical factors


  • Climate; Hot wet (Tropical) conditions can promote the spread of certain diseases e.g. Malaria
  • Landscape / Location: Areas near rivers, lakes or marshland are also at threat from malaria. People in isolated areas eg mountains/ desert cannot access healthcare
  • Poor conditions for agriculture reduce food supplies causing starvation and malnutrition
  • Drainage / Vegetation: marshland and thick vegetation can provide habitats for disease spreading insects
  • Natural Disasters – floods droughts and earthquakes kill people in the short term but also spread disease in the long term
• Human factors


  • Quality of Healthcare
  • Poor diet
  • Sanitation (water supplies, sewage systems)
  • Quality of housing / working conditions.(shanty towns)
  • High birth rate / Population growth.(difficult to provide healthcare for rapidly growing population)
  • Education / Literacy. Countries with poor education have a shortage of trained doctors and nurses
  • Lack of health education
• You should be able to explain why life expectancy is lower in poor countries and higher in rich countries referring to these factors
• Diseases common in Developing countries

  • Water Borne Diseases (e.g. CHOLERA)
  • Insect Borne diseases (e.g. MALARIA)
  • Air Borne diseases (e.g. Tuberculosis (T.B.))
  • Diseases spread by human contact (e.g. AIDS, Leprosy)
  • Diseases caused by poor diet (e.g. Malnutrition, KWASHIORKOR)
• Malaria


  • Causes: Spread from person to person by the Female Anopheles Mosquito. The Mosquito carries the malaria parasite in its saliva and infects a person when it bites them
  • Physical causes: Warm tropical temperatures 15 - 40C required for mosquito survival, Areas of still water / marshland required for mosquito to lay eggs (larvae) and breed, Wet / humid climate also required, Areas of shade from the sun (trees, bushes etc. needed for mosquitoes to digest blood
  • Human causes: Villages built near rivers and Lakes (Mosquito breeding areas) for water supply, Dams built to store water in dry climates create breeding grounds, Irrigation systems used for farming provide still water for mosquitoes, POVERTY Developing countries are too poor to afford healthcare for victims, Poor sanitation in shanty towns creates open sewers where mosquitos breed, Lack of health education about how to prevent the disease
• Effects of Malaria


  • Millions of people affected in poor countries: Main symptoms are Nausea, Sickness, Fever, Headache and Fatigue (Similar to very bad flu)
  • Children are worst affected age group and millions of children die from the disease each year
  • Many adults have the disease for many years (LONG TERM ILLNESS) and are never fully cured
  • Many people too weak to work so the Industry and Economy are affected
  • People can't work on their farms so they have food shortages and diet problems
  • Families spend all their money on treating the disease so end up in extreme poverty
  • Government has to pay for healthcare and sickness benefits so has less to spend on education / development etc.
• Solutions To Malaria


  • Destroy the Mosquitoes (to prevent spread of disease): Destroy breeding grounds by draining marshes and lakes, Spread oil or egg white over breeding grounds to suffocate Larvae (eggs), Introduce fish which eat larvae eg Muddy Loach to lakes and marshes, Cut down areas of shade so they have nowhere to digest blood (Trees / Hedges), Spray breeding areas and villages with Insecticide (fly poison) eg DDT
  • Health Education: Teach people how to prevent the disease; Sleep inside mosquito nets to reduce number of bites at night when most occur. Dip nets in insecticide for maximum protection, Use insect repellent Sprays e.g. Autan to reduce number of bites, Do not live near areas of still water. Build homes away from breeding grounds, Cover bare skin with clothing to reduce number of bites, Cover windows and doors with wire mesh / nets to keep mosquitoes out of homes
  • Drugs / Vaccinations: Use drugs to prevent the disease e.g. Larium,Malerone, New R21 Matrix vaccination approved by World Health Organisation. 4 doses given to young children, Use drugs to treat the disease e.g. Quinine or ACT therapy
• Reasons why countries like the UK have much longer life expectancies

  • Better healthcare (drugs, doctors, hospitals, technology)
  • Better living and working conditions
  • Better diet and food hygiene
  • Better health education
  • Vaccinations have eradicated most infectious diseases
• Most diseases which kill people in rich developing countries

  • Heart Disease
  • Stroke
  • Cancer
• Causes of Heart Disease

  • High Cholesterol levels in the blood stream which cause blocked arteries: Too much food with high levels of saturated fat(fatty foods e.g. Chips, Cheese, Sausages etc.) in diet, Too much food with high levels of sugar e.g.sweets and cakes, Lack of exercise, All of the above lead to obesity which increases cholesterol, Inherited from parents (genetic link)
  • High Blood Pressure which puts a strain on the heart: Lack of exercise, Too much salt in diet, Smoking, Drug abuse / Drinking too much alcohol, Stressful lifestyle, Also inherited from parents
  • Poverty as a cause of Heart Disease: Poorer levels of health education = Lack of awareness of healthy living, Poverty can lead to stress which causes higher rates of smoking, drug use and alcohol abuse, Fatty foods are often cheaper than healthy food e.g. sausages are cheaper than steak
• Impacts of Heart Disease

  • Most common cause of death in the UK
  • Sudden death is most common in men who are main household earners so often has financial impact on families leaving them in poverty
  • Sudden death of loved one also has psychological impact on families e.g. anxiety, depression and PTSD
  • People who survive heart attacks are often left unwell and unable to work. This can also lead to family poverty, Government need to pay for sickness benefits, Businesses may suffer due to long term absence of employees
  • In some cases, survivors may be severely disabled and need permanent carers. Family members may need to give up work to care for relative, Government may need to fund carers
  • Treating the disease is complicated and very expensive, costing NHS millions of pounds each year
• Methods to control Heart Disease

  • Prevention: Improved Lifestyle - Encourage people to exercise TO REDUCE OBESITY / PREVENT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, Reduce smoking (smoking banned in all Scottish pubs cafes etc.) TO PREVENT BLOCKED ARTERIES AND REDUCE BLOOD PRESSURE, Reduce alcohol intake (Minimum pricing for alcohol introduced) TO PREVENT HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, Encourage healthy eating: Reduce salt, fat and sugar in diet - (healthy school meals, sugar tax introduced on sweets and fizzy drinks) TO REDUCE CHOLESTOROL AND BLOOD PRESSURE, Encourage regular check-ups at doctor, again through advertising campaigns
  • Medical Care: Prevention - Patients at risk have regular checks of Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and blood sugar levels, High tech scans (such as CT and MRI) used to detect early signs of heart disease
• Prevention: Improved Lifestyle


  • Best prevention is to improve peoples' lifestyles
• Encourage people to exercise

  To reduce obesity / prevent high blood pressure
• Encourage people to exercise

  • Cheap gym membership for 'Glasgow Club' city council sports centres; new facilities built for Commonwealth games e.g. Emirates Arena
• Reduce smoking


  To prevent blocked arteries and reduce blood pressure
• Reduce alcohol intake


  To prevent high blood pressure
• Encourage healthy eating


  Reduce salt, fat and sugar in diet - (healthy school meals, sugar tax introduced on sweets and fizzy drinks)
• Encourage regular check-ups at doctor

  Through advertising campaigns
• Medical Care: Prevention


  • Patients at risk have regular checks of Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and blood sugar levels
  • High tech scans (such as angiograms and ECG heart monitors) to detect disease earlier
  • Drugs can be taken to reduce Blood Pressure eg.ACE inhibitors
  • Drugs called STATINS can be taken to reduce cholesterol
• Medical Care: Surgery


  1. Heart By Pass surgery to repair arteries

  2. Blocked arteries can be cleared with devices called STENTS
• Death rates have fallen by 40% in the last 10years
• People are now much more aware of healthy living, better diets, smoking and drinking less and exercising more than 10 years ago
• Still the most common cause of death in Scotland
• Death rates are still much higher in poor areas of Glasgow than rich areas
• AIDS


  Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, caused by the HIV Virus (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
• Immune system


  Gets worn down as a person tries to fight the HIV virus by making antibodies, making it difficult to fight disease
• AIDS


  A group of health problems that develop as the person cannot fight disease, eventually leading to death
• It is possible for a person to live for a long time with the HIV virus before it develops into full blown AIDS
• Distribution of AIDS


  • Two thirds of AIDS cases in the world occur in Sub Saharan Africa
  • The South and South East of Africa is the worst affected area
  • AIDS is very unevenly distributed throughout the rest of the world
• Main ways of contracting HIV

  • Sharing a needle with an infected person
  • Having unprotected sex with an infected person
  • Babies drinking the breast milk of an infected mother
• Causes of AIDS epidemic in Africa

  • Lack of Health Education
  • Illiteracy
  • Lack of Healthcare
  • Drugs are extremely expensive and poor countries cannot afford them
  • Poor General Health
  • Malnutrition
  • Culture / Religion
  • War
• Effects of AIDS


  • Many victims in poorer countries will die young
  • In Africa, many children have inherited HIV from their mother and will develop AIDS in later life
  • Victims are ill for the rest of their life and cannot work
  • The government need to pay for sickness benefits
  • People in rural areas may not be able to grow enough food and will starve
  • The economy of the country will be badly effected as there will be a shortage of workers in offices and factories
  • The government will need to pay for expensive drugs, health education programmes and testing programmes
  • There will be less money to treat other serious health problems such as Malaria
  • Children will need to look after their parents and their education will suffer
  • There are many AIDS orphans in Africa who have lost their parents and must be looked after by the government
  • With so much cost from AIDS, the government has little money to invest in developing the economy and improving living standards
• Solutions to AIDS


  • Educate young people about the need to use Condoms for safe sex
  • Many health clinics in Africa provide free condoms
  • Encourage mothers in Africa to use powdered milk rather than breast feeding to avoid passing HIV onto their babies
  • Free powdered milk can be provided in local clinics
  • Avoid contact with blood from an infected person
  • Contact sports such as rugby and football require blood injuries to be cleaned up or players must leave the pitch
  • Drug users should not share needles and dispose of them carefully
  • Many health centres in Glasgow provide free needles for addicts
  • Drug addicts in Scotland can be prescribed methadone liquid from pharmacies so they don't use infected needles
  • Many clinics in Africa now provide AIDS testing so victims do not spread the disease unknowingly
  • There is no cure for AIDS but victims can be effectively treated with ARV (Anti-Retro-Viral) drugs
• AIDS has been successfully controlled in most areas of the world especially in Developed countries
• ARV drugs are so successful that most victims in Developed countries can now survive into old age
• Health Education campaigns about Safe Sex have been very successful throughout the world
• Up to 20% (1 in 5) people are infected in some African countries
• ARV drugs are very expensive and unavailable to many Africans due to poverty