Health & Medicine

The Black Death Bacillus infected lymph nodes 1347 the black plague swept through Europe Killed 1/3 of Europe’s population in 2 years

Spread from fleas to rats to people Spread Quickly Close unsanitary living conditions People did not bath regularly The dead were left unburied

Two Groups Successfully Avoided the Plague Jews Washed hands before they ate Bathed once a week Conducted burials soon after death Wealthy - Fled to the remote country

Health risks are always unevenly distributed Some groups are more likely to get sick or die than others - Health is not just a medical question but also a social issue.

Health Problems Change Over Time http://www.st-mike.org/medicine/bs.html

Sanitation & Hygiene

Super drugs Cured many of the infectious diseases of the past. New problems from overuse. Resistant microbes

Life expectancy Life expectancy in U.S. About 47 About 79 born in 1900 About 79 Born in 2010 Degenerative conditions Acute diseases replaced by chronic

The Social Causes of Illness and Death

Human-Environmental Factors The environment humans create can pose health risks. Cancer Alley 100 oil refineries btw. Baton Rouge & New Orleans Erin Brokovitch Food deserts

Lifestyle factors Smoking Alcohol Drugs Stress Levels Social Isolation Exercise Diet Diseases of Affluence The Politics of Food Food subsidies Healthy options

Factors related to the public health and health care systems Clean water Effective sewage system Vaccinations

Health Care System We spend more than twice as much per person on health care than the average of other industrialized countries Longer life expectancies? Are we asking the right questions?