Assignment 1
Kindly answer the following questions based on the slides
presented. Responses can be from your own opinion and
perspectives. Write ups to be submitted before 1pm today.
GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1. Describe the community where you came. What are its
demands in relation to health and healthcare?
-I live in the west coast of city of Zamboanga. Our community is
filled with different cultures and each one of us is living
harmoniously. Of course, all communities have problems may it
be social, political or environmental – and our community is not
exempted. I live in a community where polluted water, teenage
pregnancy and poverty are the main concern. The demands of
the community are environmental demand, physiological
demand, and psychosocial demand.
2. Identify the relevant social determinants of health in your
community.
-Poverty
- Difficulty living due to insufficient access to clean water and
food
-relationship to family. This pertains to teenagers who were
pregnant at early age.
3. Give ideas and scenarios on how to help improve the
healthcare system in your place.
There are many ways on how to improve the healthcare system
in our area. However, I suggest the following:
a) Reduced healthcare fees / making certain healthcare services
free through government healthcare funding (UHC Act). This
will enable for the poor families to have access to quality
healthcare services.
b) Training and teaching our communities about health (e.g sex
education, campaign about drugs, etc.)
4. How would you describe the timeline of the potentials of
the Meikirch model. (Slide No. 12)
-In the powerpoint presentation, the graph describes the two
potentials. Namely the biologically given potential (BGP) and
personally acquired potential (PAP). The BGP is the highest in
the beginning starting from the day we are born and decreases
over time or as we age. The good prenatal care and genetic
constitution constitutes to BGP that’s why it is high. However,
this might not be true to all infants as some may develop
disease at that stage. The PAP on the other hand is increasing
over time due to the development of our social skills, our
learning, etc.
5. Do you agree with the Meikirch model hypothesis? And
why?
-The Meikirch model hypothesizes that for each person to be
healthy, one must have enough resources to meet the demands
of life in our entire life. Starting from infancy to death. The
resources will keep us abreast in the upcoming demands. As
what J. Briger said, “the different determinants of health all
interact and influence each other, but at different times
different determinants may be the main focus of interventions”.
That’s why I support this model because it encompasses all
aspects of health not just the physiological aspect.