Global Health

Semester Elective Unit

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Course Description

This unit is designed to offer a global perspective on health. Students will consider how youth health issues, such as vaping and mental health, impact young people within Australia. They will explore the dimensions of health and wellbeing and examine health status variations across different population groups within Australia and beyond. Additionally, students will investigate various global health issues, such as poverty and access to safe water, and learn about community projects aimed at improving health and wellbeing worldwide. This elective builds on the knowledge gained in Year 8 Health, where students research Australian health issues, and complements the Year 9 C-Change program, which focusses on global health issues. Furthermore, this elective prepares students for studying VCE Units 1-4 Health and Human Development.

This unit provides students with a global perspective on health and wellbeing. They will investigate how youth health issues such as, vaping and mental health affect young people in Australia, while also exploring the broader dimensions of health and wellbeing. Students will examine variations in health status both within Australia and across low, middle and high income countries. They will analyse how factors such as poverty, gender inequality, access to safe water and sanitation, global distribution and marketing, social action, mass migration and climate change contribute to health outcomes worldwide. By engaging with health data, students will identify trends and interpret statistics at both national and international levels. The unit also introduces global health issues and highlights community based projects aimed at improving health and wellbeing and health status across the globe. Building on the foundation of Year 8 Health, which focuses on Australian health concerns and complementing the globally oriented Year 9 C-Change program, this elective prepares students for further study in VCE Health and Human Development Units 1–4.

Essential Questions

What are the dimensions of health and wellbeing and how do they interrelate?
What health status variations exist in Australia?
What health status variations exist between high, middle and low-income countries?
What factors influence these health status variations that exist?
What are some of the challenges faced when improving these factors?
What are ways in which individuals in high-income countries can take social action to address these global health issues?

Areas of Study

Unit 1 : Understanding health and wellbeing

Understanding health and wellbeing
Exploring the biological, sociocultural and environmental factors that impact overall health and wellbeing.
Youth health issues experience such as, mental health, alcohol, drugs, gambling, smoking, sexual health, stress, discrimination and injury.

Unit 2 : Australian Health

Measuring health status
Variations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health and wellbeing
Health promotion programs

Unit 3 : Global Health

The classifications of high, middle and low-income countries and health variations present.
Exploring how factors such as, clean water and sanitation, social action, poverty, gender inequality, global distribution of marketing, climate change and mass migration impact health outcomes of people in low and middle income countries.
Investigation of the causes of global health issues
Investigation of ways of taking social action

Assessment