Development and Health
Poverty, Disease and
Development
Despite vast improvements in health globally over
the past several decades, environmental factors
remain a major cause of sickness and death in
many regions of the world. In the poorest
regions, one in five children do not live to see
their fifth birthday, largely because of
environmentally related and preventable
diseases. That number translates into 11 million
childhood deaths each year, mostly due to
illnesses such as diarrhoea and malaria.
Hunger Facts
842 million people across the world are hungry.
Malnutrition negatively affects people’s health,
productivity, sense of hope and overall wellbeing.
Economically, the constant securing of food
consumes valuable time and energy of poor
people, allowing less time for work and earning
income. 1
Hunger leads to Poverty
leads to Disease……..
PERSON
BECOMES WEAK
DISEASE
LITTLE FOOD
TO EAT
POVERTY
UNABLE TO
WORK
Poverty leads to Disease
Inadequate Housing and Shelter
Inadequate sanitation.
Lack of Clean Water.
Lack of education.
Over Crowded Living conditions.
Lack of medical resources.
Lack of Basic Health Care.
Developing World Diseases
Water Related Disease transmitted via
an insect – River Blindness,.
Water Based Disease transmitted via an
parasites using hosts living in the waterMalaria, Yellow Fever
Water Bourne Disease transmitted
through contaminated water – Typhoid,
cholera, dysentery and diarrhoea.
Malaria
Today approximately
40% of the world's
population mostly
those living in the
world's poorest
countries is at risk
of malaria.
Today malaria is
found throughout
the tropical and
sub-tropical regions
of the world
Human Factors
The following factors encourage the spread of
the disease.
Overcrowded living conditions provide a blood
bank.
Poor sanitation and drainage encourage the
spread of the disease.
Lack of understanding and education means
people have no way of knowing how to protect
themselves against the disease.
Malnutrition means the body is less able to fight off
disease.
Migration.
Stagnant water provides a breeding ground.


Water Tanks
Irrigation Channels.
Environmental Factors
Suitable breeding sites stagnant
water provides a breeding ground.
Hot wet climate 16 degrees to 40
degrees encourages.
Areas of shade where the mosquito
can digest the blood.
Isolated settlements and the relief
of the land means limited access to
health care.
Symptoms of Malaria
Many children who survive an episode of
severe malaria may suffer from learning
impairments or brain damage
It produces fever, headache, vomiting
and other flu-like symptoms.
With out drugs it can become life
threatening.
Control Method
Effectiveness.
Insecticides – DDT and
Malathion
Mosquitoes become resistant.
Impact on the environment.
Expensive.
Anti Malarial Drugs –
Chloroquine, Malarone.
Expensive, Side effects, Resistance.
Releasing water from
Reservoirs.
Expensive, reliance on water for irrigation.
Drainage of Breeding sites.
May be only source of water for a
community.
Planting Eucalyptus Trees.
Soaks up the moisture. Expensive, soils.
Small fish in paddy Fields.
Effective and provides a source of food.
Mustard seeds drown
larvae.
Would rather eat the mustard seeds.
Egg whites suffocate
larvae.
Would rather eat the eggs..
Education campaigns such
as road shows
Very effective but expensive and often
difficult to reach isolated villages.
Reliance on foreign aid.
Preventative measures,
nets, screens on windows,
avoid going out at night with
bare skin.
Prevention is better than cure.
Expensive to buy nets and
insecticides.
Make sleeping very uncomfortable.
Used for fishing nets.
Solutions
Eradication measures have failed in the
past as the parasite becomes resistant.
Treatment, Prevention and Control.
Mosquito nets treated with insecticide
Prompt access to treatment with
effective up-to-date medicines.
Basic education.
Roll Back Malaria
Roll Back Malaria this includes traditional
sources of funding, from the national
treasury and donor community as well as
the exploration of new opportunities
through debt relief schemes and the
newly formed Global Fund to Fight AIDS,
TB and Malaria.
WHO World Health Organization.
Malaria and Development
In Africa today,
malaria is
understood to be
both a disease of
poverty and a
cause of poverty.
Economic Costs of Malaria
Personally people have to spend money on
insecticide treated mosquito nets (ITNs),
doctors’
fees,
anti-malarial
drugs,
transport to health facilities……..
Government has to spend on maintaining
health
facilities
and
health
care
infrastructure, publicly managed vector
control, education and research.
Indirect Costs
Cost of lost workdays and
earnings.
Hampers children's education.
Deters investment in an area.
Undeveloped tourist trade.
lost