Why do health status and human development differ between countries?
Similarities and differences in health status and human development in low-, middle- and high-income countries, the Human Development Index, and the factors that contribute to health inequalities between countries
VCE HHD Unit 4 AoS 1 on global differences in health status and human development, the HDI, and the factors behind health inequalities.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point asks you to compare health status and human development across countries grouped by income, to explain and evaluate the Human Development Index, and to analyse the factors that create health inequalities between countries. You should be able to use data to describe differences and then explain why they exist.
Human development
Human development is about creating an environment in which people can develop to their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests. It is about expanding people's choices and freedoms, not just raising income.
The Human Development Index (HDI)
The HDI is a summary measure used to compare levels of human development between countries. It combines three dimensions into a single value between 0 and 1:
- a long and healthy life - measured by life expectancy at birth
- knowledge - measured by mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling
- a decent standard of living - measured by gross national income per capita.
A higher HDI value means higher human development.
Low-, middle- and high-income countries
High-income countries generally have higher life expectancy, lower mortality, lower burden of disease and higher HDI. Low-income countries generally have lower life expectancy, higher infant and under-five mortality, a higher burden from infectious and maternal conditions, and lower HDI. Middle-income countries sit between the two and often face a "double burden" of both infectious and chronic disease.
Factors that contribute to health inequalities
Differences between countries can be explained by factors such as income, access to and quality of healthcare, education (especially of women and girls), gender equality, sanitation and clean water, food security, housing, peace and political stability, and global trade. For example, low female education can raise birth rates and infant mortality, while poor sanitation increases infectious disease.
When you compare countries, quote indicators or HDI values, state the direction of the difference, then explain it with two or more clearly named factors linked to the health outcome.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of VCAA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
2023 VCAA10 marksUsing sources on Afghanistan and Australia (life expectancy, HDI, maternal mortality, gender inequality and an NGO suspending operations) and your own knowledge, discuss the contribution of inequality and discrimination to variations in health status between low-income countries such as Afghanistan and high-income countries such as Australia. (excerpt of a 10-mark question)
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This bullet is part of a criteria-marked 10-mark response. Use the data to compare and explain.
First establish the variation using the data: Afghanistan has far lower female life expectancy (67.6 versus 85.8 years), a much higher maternal mortality ratio (638 versus 6 per 100000) and a lower HDI (0.478 versus 0.951) than Australia, showing markedly poorer health status.
Then explain how inequality and discrimination contribute: gender inequality limits women's access to education, income and healthcare; with few female health workers and restrictions on women working (Source 3), many women cannot reach maternity care, raising maternal deaths. Discrimination and conflict reduce women's autonomy and economic participation (the gender pay gap and lower workforce participation noted in Source 2), entrenching poverty that further worsens health. In Australia, greater gender equality and access to services support far better health outcomes. Link each point clearly to a difference in health status.
2022 VCAA2 marksA table shows the share of births attended by skilled health staff and the maternal mortality ratio for Australia (96.7%, 6), Ghana (78.1%, 308) and Haiti (41.6%, 480). Using data from the table, outline the relationship between access to skilled health staff and maternal mortality. (2 marks)
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Two marks: state the relationship and support it with figures from the table.
There is an inverse (negative) relationship: as the share of births attended by skilled health staff increases, the maternal mortality ratio decreases (1 mark). Support with data (1 mark): Australia has the highest skilled-attendance rate (96.7%) and the lowest maternal mortality ratio (6 per 100000), whereas Haiti has the lowest attendance (41.6%) and the highest ratio (480 per 100000). This shows greater access to skilled health staff is associated with fewer maternal deaths, reflecting better health status in higher-income countries.