6.1 How does globalisation impact on health?
You will now look at the different ways that globalisation might impact on health.
Activity 6 Globalisation: benefits and risks to health
Listen to Audio 2 by Professor Ilona Kickbusch on the impact of globalisation. Using information from this audio and the article by Lee that you read in Activity 5, start to fill out the table below on how globalisation can affect health. If you have any additional ideas, add these to the table too.
Transcript: Audio 2 The impact of globalisation
| Dimension | Benefits for health (direct and indirect) | Risks to health (direct and indirect) |
| Economic integration | ||
| Technological innovation | ||
| Increased mobility | ||
| Environmental factors |
Discussion
The table below shows how globalisation can impact health, including what you may have gathered from the audio and reading, as well as some additional points you may have thought of.
| Dimension | Benefits for health (direct and indirect) | Risks to health (direct and indirect) |
| Economic integration | Rising living standards Investments in education and health | Economic recessions likely to impact globally, threatening living standards Increasing gap between poor and rich nations Companies in high-income countries exporting health-damaging products (for example, tobacco and fast food) to low- and middle-income countries |
| Technological innovation | Decline in production costs – cheaper food and medicines, for example ICT communications can support education and economic development Improved management of global health risks as can respond quicker | Digital divide – poor do not have access to innovation More effective marketing of health-damaging products (such as tobacco) |
| Increased mobility | Economic migration boosts poor countries’ income Travel promotes cultural exchange and innovation Migration of healthcare professionals fills gaps in receiving countries | Easier spread of infectious diseases (perceived threat from low- and middle- to high-income countries) Financial burden of high-income countries providing care for ‘unhealthy’ migrant population from low- and middle-income countries Migration of healthcare professionals results in understaffed systems in origin countries |
| Environmental factors | Better housing, amenities and transport as national incomes rise | Energy-intensive production and consumption (air and car travel) increases pollution and climate change Depletion of natural resources, decline in open spaces and biodiversity |
| Cognitive factors | Transfer of ideas regarding healthcare provision | Change in lifestyles resulting from advertising and marketing of health-damaging products |