Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to identify important issues within this topic, recognise contrasting perspectives, suggest causes and consequences, consider possible courses of action and develop suitable questions for Global Perspectives research.
How To Use This Topic Guide
This is not a chapter to memorise. Use it to explore possible issues, practise Cambridge skills and decide whether this topic is suitable for an Individual Report or Team Project.
What This Topic Includes
Health and wellbeing includes physical and mental health, access to care, disease prevention, lifestyle, public-health policy and the social conditions that affect quality of life.
Possible Global Issues
- Unequal access to healthcare.
- Public funding compared with private healthcare.
- Mental-health awareness and treatment.
- Vaccination and individual choice.
- Obesity, diet and marketing of unhealthy products.
- Substance misuse and addiction.
- Health effects of poverty, housing and pollution.
- Pressure, stress and wellbeing among young people.
- Use of digital technology in healthcare.
Stakeholders And Perspectives
- Patients may prioritise access, dignity, privacy and effective treatment.
- Governments may balance public health, rights and limited budgets.
- Doctors and nurses may focus on evidence, workload and professional judgement.
- Pharmaceutical and health companies may support innovation but seek profit.
- Parents may make health decisions for children.
- Religious or cultural groups may interpret treatment through values and beliefs.
- Public-health organisations may support prevention and population-wide measures.
- Young people may prioritise confidentiality and freedom from stigma.
Possible Causes
- Poverty and unequal living conditions.
- Shortage or uneven distribution of health professionals.
- Limited health education.
- Commercial marketing and availability of harmful products.
- Stress from work, study, conflict or social isolation.
- Environmental pollution and unsafe housing.
- Cultural stigma around certain illnesses.
- High treatment costs and weak insurance or public systems.
Possible Consequences
- Preventable illness and early death.
- Reduced school or work participation.
- Financial hardship for families.
- Pressure on hospitals and health workers.
- Greater inequality between communities.
- Improved life expectancy when prevention and treatment are accessible.
- Discrimination and isolation linked to stigma.
- Public disagreement over personal freedom and collective protection.
Possible Courses Of Action
- Expand affordable primary and preventive healthcare.
- Improve mental-health services and anti-stigma education.
- Regulate harmful marketing and provide clear health information.
- Use targeted vaccination and screening programmes.
- Improve housing, sanitation, nutrition and environmental conditions.
- Train and distribute health workers more fairly.
- Support confidential youth-friendly services.
- Evaluate digital health tools for access, privacy and accuracy.
Possible Individual Report Questions
- Should vaccination ever be compulsory?
- Is healthcare a right that governments must provide free of charge?
- Should governments restrict advertising of unhealthy food to children?
- Does social media harm young people’s mental wellbeing?
- Is prevention a better use of health funding than treatment?
Possible Team Project Ideas
- Create a school wellbeing survey and propose one evidence-based action.
- Run an anti-stigma campaign on mental health.
- Audit availability of healthy food or drinking water.
- Develop a reliable health-information guide for students.
- Investigate barriers to exercise or healthcare in the local community.
Useful Types Of Evidence
- Health-outcome and service-access data.
- Clinical or public-health research.
- Patient and health-worker interviews.
- Government health budgets and policy documents.
- Advertising and product information.
- Surveys on wellbeing, stigma and access.
Skill Practice
Evaluate a proposed school policy designed to improve wellbeing. Consider evidence, possible benefits, unintended consequences and the perspectives of students, parents and staff.
Lesson Summary
- Health is shaped by services, behaviour and wider social conditions.
- Public-health decisions often involve tension between freedom and protection.
- Personal testimony is valuable but should be combined with broader evidence.
- Actions should be evaluated for access, effectiveness, fairness and privacy.
