Question

What are social determinants of health? How do social determinants of health contribute to the development of illness? What is a communicable disease chain? Are there steps that a nurse can take to break a link within the communicable disease chain? Give a specific example.

At least one reference

Readings within your text covering international/global health and the following websites will assist you in answering these questions:

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Global Health website: http://www.cdc.gov/cogh/index.htm

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Global Health website: http://www.globalhealth.gov/index.html

Families USA - Why Global Health Matters—Here and Abroad website: http://www.familiesusa.org/

World Health Organization (WHO) website: http://www.who.int

Answer 1

What are social determinants of health?

The social determinants of health are

• Unemployment
• Social inclusion
• Education
• Early childhood development and gender
• Housing facility and environmental conditions
• Income and its percentage
• Poverty
• Health services
• Ethnicity,race
• Employment and job security
• Availability of food
• Social safety at community and work
• Individual behaviour

How do social determinants of health contribute to the development of illness?

• Due to lack of health services due to low income and poverty leads to deterioration of individual's health . When the people doesnot have health insurance , they cannot get access to preventive health care and delayed health care access . So the preventable diseases cannot be prevented leading to illness
• Lack of proper housing facilities people may get insomnia, tension, stress. Lack of sleep leads to decreased concentration in studies and work place . Decreased concentration in job leads to low productivity resulting in low income. When the surroundings is not clean , it leads to many communicable diseases and respiratory problems
• Social security and safety in community is very essential for the people to be happy and live in peace. When the social security shatters it leads to problems between neighbours
• When food is not available or food available is not of good quality it leads to many communicable diseases .The food without any nutrients leads to vitamin and minerals deficiency.
• When an individual in a community is smoking, consumes more alcohol and a drug addict , not only his health deteriorates but also his family is affected and community also get affected. Chronic diseases are also caused by the behavioural changes of an individual.When an individual consumes alcohol and drives a car or bike , accidents may occur which may be harmful to him and another person too .

All the social determinants are interlinked to cause illness.Thus these are some of the social determinants leading to illness.

What is a communicable disease chain?

Communicable disease chain is a mechanism of the infectious organism affecting a host.

ORGANISM:

The organism may be any bacteria , virus, fungi or any type of microrganisms and toxins which is capable of affecting the target host.

RESERVOIR:

Any person, animals , plant or environment in which an infectious organism lives and mutiplies.

PORTALS OF EXIT:

It is the site from where micro-organisms leave the reservoir to enter another host and cause disease/infection.

TRANSMISSION:

It is transmitted through direct contact with the microrganisms or indirect contact via water, air or surfaces.

PORTALS OF ENTRY:

It is the way through which organism enters the host, via skin, mucous membranes , respiratory tract ,etc

VULNERABLE HOST:

Vulnerable host is the human beings who is having low immune or even healthy individuals can acquire the infectious organisms and start multiplying them inside body .