VCE HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT UNIT 3 AOS 2

IMPROVEMENTS IN AUSTRALIA’S
HEALTH STATUS SINCE 1900
Presented by Gillian Parker

Study design dot points:

• improvements in Australia’s health status since 1900 and reasons for these
improvements, focusing on policy and practice relating to:
– ‘old’ public health.
– the biomedical approach to health and improvements in medical technology.
– development of ‘new’ public health including the social model of health and
Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion.
– the relationship between biomedical and social models of health.
© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 1
Old public health and the ‘new’ public health

Source: Wikipedia Commons

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 2

Public health (n.) Australia's ‘old’ Public Health
The health of the Theory summary
population as a When first established, the ‘old public health’ had a focus on improving hygiene, sanitation, and
whole, especially as
monitored, environmental health, as a result of the range of different infectious diseases causing ill health
regulated, and and mortality at the time.
promoted by the
state. The priority of public health was illness prevention and the treatment of conditions.

Access to clean water, as well as increased access to toilets and sewerage systems, lead to a
decrease in infectious diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea.

3.2.1.2
1
N

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 3

Public health (n.) Australia's ‘old’ Public Health
The health of the Theory summary
population as a Australia’s first evidence of Public Health was established with the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, with the
whole, especially as establishment of the NSW public hospital system. Several medical staff arrived with the first fleet, and a
monitored, temporary hospital was set up on Sydney cove before permanent hospitals were built.
regulated, and
promoted by the It wasn’t until 1850 that public health administration commenced in NSW, with the focus on infectious disease
state. and sanitation.

In 1881, the first board of health was formed in response to the smallpox epidemic.

The first Commonwealth department of health was formed in 1921, with a focus on dental services, health,
quarantine and medical research.

3.2.1.2
1
N

Source: https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/e7aaefca-e725-
4f2e-81bc-b594853ea4e8/motca.pdf.aspx?inline=true

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 4

Australia's health status in early 1900’s
Theory summary
Poor housing and inadequate environmental conditions can lead to dangerous health problems
for those in middle and working class families.

A lack of safe water and sanitation was the major problem, and lead to infectious diseases such
as whooping cough, smallpox, tuberculosis, diphtheria, pneumonia and diarrhoea.

Without a nationally-funded medical system such as Medicare (1984), health care was very
expensive, so many of people’s diseases were left untreated. The health care system provided
assistance to only those who could afford it.

Increased risk of infectious diseases was due to:

• poor air quality due to the rise of factories.
• inadequate food storage and preparation.
• waste collection being performed by ‘nightmen’,
who deposited it into main waterways, which
resulted in an increase of diseases such as cholera.

Source: Flickr

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 5

 Life expectancy
Life expectancy
(n.) Improvements over time
The number of years
Theory summary
a person is expected
to live (from birth) if Public health in Australia is responsible for a
current death rates 27 year increase in life expectancy this
do not change. century (approximately).

Life in the 1900’s was very different Recap:

[Does this
compared to Australia today. connect to a
previous
The living conditions in 1900 were very poor, Knowledge
overcrowded, and unhygienic, allowing Unit? If so,
which one?
infectious diseases – such as typhoid, How?]
smallpox, influenza, and cholera – to claim
the lives of millions.

The Bubonic plague in 1900, bought in by Source: https://www.aihw.gov.au

Chinese and Indian ships, affected many
people. Suburbs with lower socio-economic
statuses were affected most, due to the
spread of disease from rats.

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 6

Life expectancy
Infectious disease rates 1900–2000

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 7

 Patterns in mortality over time
Infectious disease
(n.) Vaccine-preventable conditions
Disorders caused by
organisms, such as; Theory summary
bacteria, viruses, With the invention of vaccines, many infectious diseases now had a treatment; in the 1930’s,
fungi or parasites. Australia began the first mass vaccine program. The vaccines for the conditions below are now
Some infectious carried out within the first 18 months of a child’s life.
diseases can be
passed from person
to person. Since the introduction of vaccination for children in Australia in 1932, deaths from vaccine-
preventable diseases have fallen by 99%, despite a threefold increase in the Australian population
over that period.

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 8

 Patterns in mortality over time
Parasitic disease
(n.) Infectious and parasitic diseases
Infectious disease
Theory summary
caused by a
parasite; for Up until 1932, infectious and parasitic disease caused at least 10% of all deaths each year, deaths
example, diseases were highest amongst the very old and very young.
carried by
mosquitos. With improved living conditions in the early 20th century, effective water and sewerage supplies
including toilets, improvements in food quality and health education saw an increase in life
expectancy.

Chronic diseases such as circulatory disease and cancer soon replaced infectious and parasitic
diseases as the main cause of death of older people. Infection control measures and improved
medical facilities, alongside health promotion awareness and preventative action such as
handwashing had become common practice.

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 9

 Patterns in mortality over time
Parasitic disease
(n.) Infectious and parasitic diseases
Infectious disease
caused by a Age-standardised death rates for All certain infectious and parasitic diseases (ICD-
parasite; for 10 A00–B99), by sex and year, 1907–2014
example, diseases
carried by Males Females
mosquitos.
400

350

300
Deaths per 100,000

250

200

150

100

50

0
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020
Year of registration of death

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 10

Patterns in mortality over time
Circulatory diseases
Theory summary
Circulatory diseases, also known as cardiovascular diseases, involve diseases of the heart and
blood vessels such as heart attack, stroke and coronary heart disease.

Age-standardised death rates for All diseases of the circulatory system (ICD-10 I00–
I99), by sex and year, 1907–2015

Males Females

1,200

1,000
Deaths per 100,000

800

600

400

200

0
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020 2040
Year of registration of death

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 11

Patterns in mortality over time
Cancer
Number of deaths due to Breast cancer (ICD-10 C50), by sex and year, 1907–2015

Males Females
3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000
Deaths

1,500

1,000

500

0
1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020 2040
Year of registration of death

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 12

Patterns in mortality over time
Cancer

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 13

Multiple choice activity
Diarrhoea and tuberculosis were leading causes of death in Australia in the early 1900’s.

Which of the following reasons explains this?

A. Poor air quality.

B. Inadequate food storage.

C. A lack of safe water and sanitation.

D. All of the above.

E. I don’t know.

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 (Written by the author) 14

Multiple choice – Response
Diarrhoea and tuberculosis were leading causes of death in Australia in the early 1900’s.

Which of the following reasons explains this?

A. Poor air quality.

B. Inadequate food storage.

C. A lack of safe water and sanitation.

D. All of the above.

E. I don’t know.

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 (Written by the author) 15

Multiple choice activity
The introduction of immunisations in 1932 saw a significant reduction in deaths from which of
the following infectious diseases?

A. Diphtheria and tetanus

B. Influenza and malaria

C. Tuberculosis and HIV

D. Pneumonia and diarrhoea

E. I don’t know.

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 (Written by the author) 16

Multiple choice – Response
The introduction of immunisations in 1932 saw a significant reduction in deaths from which of
the following infectious diseases?

A. Diphtheria and tetanus

B. Influenza and malaria

C. Tuberculosis and HIV

D. Pneumonia and diarrhoea

E. I don’t know.

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 (Written by the author) 17

Multiple choice activity
Australia's life expectancy has steadily increased from 1900 to today. Which of the following
does not explain this increase?

A. Advances in medical technology.

B. Improvements in sanitation systems.

C. Advances in motor vehicle safety.

D. Increased access to processed foods.

E. I don’t know.

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 (Written by the author) 18

Multiple choice – Response
Australia's life expectancy has steadily increased from 1900 to today. Which of the following
does not explain this increase?

A. Advances in medical technology.

B. Improvements in sanitation systems.

C. Advances in motor vehicle safety.

D. Increased access to processed foods.

E. I don’t know.

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 (Written by the author) 19

Multiple choice activity
Rates of circulatory disease diagnosis in Australia are increasing, whereas mortality from
circulatory disease is decreasing. Which of the following may explain this trend?

A. Increased access to processed foods.

B. Increased access to medical treatments and technologies.

C. Declining physical activity levels.

D. Increased smoking rates.

E. I don’t know.

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 (Written by the author) 20

Multiple choice – Response
Rates of circulatory disease diagnosis in Australia are increasing, whereas mortality from
circulatory disease is decreasing. Which of the following may explain this trend?

A. Increased access to processed foods.

B. Increased access to medical treatments and technologies.

C. Declining physical activity levels.

D. Increased smoking rates.

E. I don’t know.

© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 (Written by the author) 21

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© Gillian Parker & Edrolo 2017 22