Health indicates broader socio-economic conditions because outcomes such as life expectancy, maternal mortality and disease prevalence reflect access to income, housing, education, sanitation and public services. Unequal outcomes therefore reveal wider inequalities in resources and power.
In IB Global Politics, Health is an HL extension topic area. It should be linked to core concepts and thematic studies, not treated only as a medical issue.
| Socio-economic condition | How health reveals it | Contemporary example |
|---|---|---|
| Income and employment | Low income restricts access to nutritious food, safe housing and healthcare. Illness can also reduce employment, reinforcing poverty. | In England during the first COVID-19 wave in 2020, mortality rates in the most deprived areas were more than twice those in the least deprived areas. |
| Public services and state capacity | Maternal mortality and preventable disease show whether governments provide clinics, trained staff, sanitation and medicines. | World Health Organization estimates for 2020 placed Sierra Leone’s maternal mortality ratio at about 443 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with about 2 in Norway. |
| Structural inequality | Disparities can expose discrimination in housing, environmental protection and political representation. | In Flint, Michigan, a 2014 water-source change exposed a predominantly African American community to lead-contaminated water. |
These patterns illustrate structural violence, where political and economic arrangements systematically expose certain groups to harm. They also affect legitimacy because governments may lose public trust when health systems distribute protection unequally.
A common misconception is that poor health results only from individual choices. Choices matter, but income, education, working conditions, public policy and healthcare access constrain them. Health data establish correlation, not necessarily causation, so alternative explanations must be considered.
For HL Paper 3, use a named place, date, actor and measurable outcome. Link Health to another HL topic area, such as Poverty or Equality, and evaluate whether disparities are causes, consequences, or both.
