Learning unit 3
Changing pressures on health and the environment
Outcome
Are as they are in page 5 of your study guide
Introduction
I am sure you will agree that health is not only limited to the provision of quality
comprehensive health services, included is access to a clean and healthy
environment. It means that human beings cannot be healthy if the environment
surrounding them is not conducive or does not promote good health and therefore the
significance of the environment for human health cannot be understated
Population growth and poverty
Hinrichsen( 2010: 269) posits that Population growth exerts an inexorable pressure on
the ecosystem as resources are depleted and as human settlements alter and
fragments habitat. If you can just look around, you are sure to find the impact of
population growth in your neighbourhood.
The growing world population could be more than 8 Billion by now and this pose a
serious threat to the resources. It is documented that half of the population is under the
age of twenty five and 90% of this young people are found in developing countries.
This is very interesting. Who are these developing countries???. Africa is generally
referred to as a developing continent as the majority of its countries, especially in sub-
Saharan Africa are poor states. Remember South Africa is also a developing country.
If the majority of young people are in developing countries, population growth will be
determined by whether this young people access reproductive health and family
planning services. Literature shows that in Sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of young
people drop out of school and some of them are forced into arranged polygamous
marriages. They have children that are not planned, and some are not even allowed to
use contraception or even condoms. As a result, they have children they are not able to
1
Changing pressures on health and the environment
Outcome
Are as they are in page 5 of your study guide
Introduction
I am sure you will agree that health is not only limited to the provision of quality
comprehensive health services, included is access to a clean and healthy
environment. It means that human beings cannot be healthy if the environment
surrounding them is not conducive or does not promote good health and therefore the
significance of the environment for human health cannot be understated
Population growth and poverty
Hinrichsen( 2010: 269) posits that Population growth exerts an inexorable pressure on
the ecosystem as resources are depleted and as human settlements alter and
fragments habitat. If you can just look around, you are sure to find the impact of
population growth in your neighbourhood.
The growing world population could be more than 8 Billion by now and this pose a
serious threat to the resources. It is documented that half of the population is under the
age of twenty five and 90% of this young people are found in developing countries.
This is very interesting. Who are these developing countries???. Africa is generally
referred to as a developing continent as the majority of its countries, especially in sub-
Saharan Africa are poor states. Remember South Africa is also a developing country.
If the majority of young people are in developing countries, population growth will be
determined by whether this young people access reproductive health and family
planning services. Literature shows that in Sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of young
people drop out of school and some of them are forced into arranged polygamous
marriages. They have children that are not planned, and some are not even allowed to
use contraception or even condoms. As a result, they have children they are not able to
1
