LIRA UNIVERSITY

P.O. Box 1035

Lira, Uganda
Tel: +256 -0414-694716
Email: ahealth.faculty@lirauni.ac.ug
Web: www.lirauni.ac.ug

FACULTY: HEALTH SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC HEALTH

COURSEUNIT: POPULATION HEALTH AND DEMOGRAPHY

COURSE CODE: PHL 2203

LECTURER: MR. PULEH SEAN S.

TASK; COURSE WORK

NO; STUDENT NAMES REG NO

1. BYAWELE JAIRUS WANGUSA 19/U/0055/PHL

QUESTIONS

1. What unique qualities does the course bring into the public health program?
A discussion question. One/two paragraphs
2. There are claims that Uganda’s population will reach 100m by 2050.
Explain the impact this will have on public health.
3. Describe how the following may have a positive impact on public health in
Lira town. Give details examples, references
i. Migration-internal and external.
ii. Fertility control.
QUIZ 1.
The health and health care needs of a population cannot be measured or met without knowledge
of its size and characteristics. Demography is concerned with this and with understanding
population dynamics - how populations change in response to the interplay between fertility,
mortality and migration. This understanding is a pre-requisite for making the forecasts about
future population size and structure which should underpin health care planning. Such analyses
necessitate a review of the past. The number of very old people in a population, for example,
depends on the number of births eight or nine decades earlier and risks of death at successive
ages throughout the intervening period. The proportion of very old people depends partly on this
numerator but more importantly on the denominator, the size of the population as a whole. The
number of births in a population depends on current patterns of family building, and also on the
number of women 'at risk' of reproduction - itself a function of past trends in fertility and
mortality. Similarly, the number and causes of deaths are strongly influenced by age structure.

Demography is largely concerned with answering questions about how populations change and
their measurement. The broader field of population studies embraces questions of why these
changes occur, and with what consequences.

QUIZ 2.

Many low- and middle-income economies have industrialized and grown significantly
consequently leading to rural-urban migration, urbanization and socioeconomic change which
has resulted into increased risks of global epidemics such as SARs and the spread of health
hazards including contaminated foods and products.

With population growth, challenges continue to evolve like in light of increasing population
pressure; there is a need for the creation of more effective models of global governance for
health, and ongoing discussion platforms to influence the complex and compelling interplay
between globalization and health.

Industrial and agricultural labor is availed as a human capital hence economic development
whereby health has traditionally been seen as an end product of the economic growth process.
Wealth undoubtedly leads to health in that people with higher incomes have a greater command
over the goods and services that promote health, such as better nutrition, access to safe water,
sanitation, and good quality health services.

Food insecurity results due high population to production ration, which diminishes dietary
quality, disrupts normal eating patterns, and can have negative consequences for nutrition, health
and well-being. It is estimated that over 2 billion people do not have regular access to safe,
nutritious and sufficient food.
Growing evidence suggests that humanity is undermining the stable state of the earth’s
ecosystem. The planet is increasingly becoming unhealthy and the global south is the most
affected due to over population. The major health problem resulting is environmental
degradation with its associated consequences like desertification.

Population growth is likely to increase the burden on the public health service proportionally.
There are already big public health needs and challenges in high-fertility countries, and rapid
population growth will make it even harder to meet them in Uganda.

Growth is commonly associated with high fertility which impacts on quality of the population’s
health conditions and attendant health services. For example, African countries have the highest
fertility rates in the world and are prone to higher mortality rates.

A rapidly growing population increases the requirements of demographic investment which at

the same time reduces the capacity of the people to save for other services like health.

Increase in government expenditure in order to meet and provide the necessary social services to
the people hence little is invested in public health service delivery.

Increased population leads to overcrowding of people within a given area and thus increasing the
spread of airborne illnesses.

Increased population growth will lower the life expectancy of the people in Uganda. This is
because over population causes increasing difficulties with food supply, energy and housing
which will have major repercussions for public health, security measures and economic growth.

Rapid population growth drives resources and basic needs thus becoming scarcer. Therefore
there will be increased competiveness for resources which leads to elevated crime rates due to
drug cartels and theft by people in order to survive which affect the stability of the communities.

Over population will lead to adoption of more intensive farming practices to as to produce more
and cheaper food to sustain the growing population. However it is the greatest threat to the
global environment through loss of the ecosystem services and global warming which lead
destruction of biodiversity.

Natural resources such as fossil fuels, fresh water, arable land, coral reefs and frontier forests
will continue to over used and this places a competitive stress on the basic life sustaining
resources and leading to a diminished quality of life.
QUIZ 3(I).

Migration is the permanent change of residence by an individual or group. It excludes such

movements as nomadism, migrant labor, commuting, and tourism, all of which are transitory in
nature. It may be internal or even international(Impact of Migration - Google Search, n.d.).

Internal migration refers to the movement of people into a state, country or continent while
external migration refers to people moving to different states, countries or continent.

Internal migration

Internal migration increases the population hence helping to reduce any labor shortages in lira
town hence increased production to sustain the population.

Migrations into Lira district will bring in people of diverse skills which will enable development
of better infrastructures to improve people’s health.

Internal migration may bring in more richer who can advocate for policy change and streamline
development of health services.

New migrants are likely to bring in new energy and innovation in lira town which will stimulate
development of many sectors including health and education.

External migration.

Leads population decrease in the area where the people have left reducing on the rate of
competition for scarce resources in the district.

It reduces on the population growth in Lira district hence the population is manageable and
abundant health services available for the people.

External migration decreases pressure on jobs and resources thus creating more opportunities for
the remaining population and hence improving their quality of life and living conditions.

QUIZ 3(II).

Fertility refers to the number of children that would be born to a woman in her life time.(Impact
of Reducing Fertility on Health - Google Search, n.d.). Reducing fertility can lead to;

Fertility control refers to the birth control methods that are designed either to prevent fertilization
of an ovum or implantation of the fertilized egg in the uterus controlling the rate at which women
become pregnant. This practice is of benefit and the include the following;
The decline in fertility rates combined with increased life expectancy in most parts of the world
means not only a slowing of population growth but also reducing pressure to the health care
system.

Reduction of maternal and infant mortality rates due to limited unintended pregnancies and
availability of health services.

It has led to decreased physical and mental exhaustion resulting from large families and poorly
timed pregnancies which improves the mental health of the population.

Empower women by giving them access to reproductive health services as well as better
economic options.

Fertility control reduces the number of abortions especially unsafe abortions this helps to protect
women from complications as a result of abortion and also death.

Fertility control measures like the condoms are important in preventing Sexually Transmitted
Infections.

Minimizing the population which would otherwise render societies unstable with many social,
economic and environmental impacts.
REFERENCE:

impact of migration—Google Search. (n.d.). Retrieved July 6, 2021, from

https://www.google.com/search?

q=impact+of+migration&rlz=1C1CHBD_enUG941UG941&sxsrf=ALeKk01xgaCE9Nzt

bRyywXSZ54RmvchX0A%3A1625579839/,.;LL

impact of reducing fertility on health—Google Search. (n.d.). Retrieved July 6, 2021, from

https://www.google.com/search?

q=impact+of+reducing+fertility+on+health&rlz=1C1CHBD_enUG941UG941&sxsrf=A

LeKk00cuw8JE5V1MIgNFx-9dM9VG3L/