Health and Health Care in 3rd world
SOURCE: PHILLIPS, D. Health and Health care in the 3rd World, Chapter 2, “Epidemiological transition: the range of third world experience”, pgs.32-62, Longman group, UK Ltd and John Wiley, 1990
ABSTRACT: Phillips organized an epidemiological and demographic approach to understanding the health transitions in third world countries that dealt with mortality, morbidity, population, and life expectancy indicators. Such indicators have been focused on children’s health profiles within the third world populations because they are seen as the most vulnerable demographic group susceptible to illness.
DISCUSSION: The purpose of this article is to review and identify the changes in health profiles of third world countries in terms of demographic and epidemiological transitions in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. It is argued that changes in health profiles are influenced by socioeconomic and political changes in society. However, Phillips also argues that third world health research is often difficult because health reporting systems are inadequate to the task of morbidity and mortality surveillance. Thus, the audience that the text has been written are for health planners, reporting systems, as well as health policy makers. This article is in dialogue with other researchers such as Timaeus et al. (1988) who face similar methodological and logistical problems to collect epidemiological information. The organization of the text falls under historical (colonial era) and sociological approaches in reviewing health transitions. According to Omaran’s Theory of Epidemiological Transition, long term shift in mortality and disease patterns occur during the transition in which degenerative and man-made diseases displace pandemics of infection. Phillips uses a wide range of data to cover his research. Such data(s) are obtained from international statistical agencies (W.H.O & UNICEF), as well as literary evidence from Pyle (1979). The third world experiences a variety of
ABSTRACT: Phillips organized an epidemiological and demographic approach to understanding the health transitions in third world countries that dealt with mortality, morbidity, population, and life expectancy indicators. Such indicators have been focused on children’s health profiles within the third world populations because they are seen as the most vulnerable demographic group susceptible to illness.
DISCUSSION: The purpose of this article is to review and identify the changes in health profiles of third world countries in terms of demographic and epidemiological transitions in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. It is argued that changes in health profiles are influenced by socioeconomic and political changes in society. However, Phillips also argues that third world health research is often difficult because health reporting systems are inadequate to the task of morbidity and mortality surveillance. Thus, the audience that the text has been written are for health planners, reporting systems, as well as health policy makers. This article is in dialogue with other researchers such as Timaeus et al. (1988) who face similar methodological and logistical problems to collect epidemiological information. The organization of the text falls under historical (colonial era) and sociological approaches in reviewing health transitions. According to Omaran’s Theory of Epidemiological Transition, long term shift in mortality and disease patterns occur during the transition in which degenerative and man-made diseases displace pandemics of infection. Phillips uses a wide range of data to cover his research. Such data(s) are obtained from international statistical agencies (W.H.O & UNICEF), as well as literary evidence from Pyle (1979). The third world experiences a variety of