Kaylin Davis

Professor Tashelle Wright

HLTH 1050
19 February 2024

International Connections Paper #1

The relations of power and privilege between Colombian peasant farmers and cartel
bosses described are characterized by the complexity of socioeconomic factors, access to
resources, and health outcomes. The core of this matter is the cultivation of coca, a plant which is
mainly grown in regions having deficient economic opportunities and poor educational access.
For many farmers, still in the marginalized spots, cultivating coca is a pragmatic choice
supported by the lack of other opportunities for generating income. The social determinants of
health, as stated by the CDC and WHO, bring to the fore the vital role of factors like economic
stability, education, and environment in neighborhoods in shaping the health and well-being of
individuals and communities.
It is known in Colombia that the social gradient of health is very clear, and those in the
lower socio-economic bracket are disproportionally affected by inequities in health. This
gradient mimics the drug misuse and abuse realm where socioeconomic disparities are
aggravated, thus resulting in vulnerabilities and negative health outcomes. While the cartel capos
enrich themselves and others engage in the illicit drug trade, peasants (farmers) have difficulty
accessing health services, suffer from severe economic instability, and are victims of educational
disparities. The theory of social determinants of health explains how these structural inequalities
continue to trigger the circle of poverty and health disparity making the challenges faced by the
vulnerable populations appear even worse.
Additionally, efforts to suppress coca bush by using defoliants have indirectly worsened
societal disparities and health inequalities. The policy goal of such efforts being to eradicate drug
production would have counterproductive impacts on marginalized communities and peasant
farmers who depend on coca cultivation for their survival. The unceasing operation of the
underground drug trade illustrates the complicated interrelationship of economic motives,
environmental factors, and social dynamics that figure out drug production and distribution
patterns.
In order to tackle the matter of social determinants of health and drug related issues,
interventions will need to be holistic and have a focus on structural inequalities as underlying
factors. This is achieved not only through tackling the drug supply chains but also by addressing
the underlying causes such as poverty, illiteracy, and limited access to health care. If these
upstream determinants are tackled, policymakers and practitioners will be able to produce more
equal health outcomes and reduce the negative consequences of drug misuse and abuse among
the marginalized. The process of reaching health equity depends on a multidimensional
comprehension of the social, economic and environmental issues influencing individual and
community health, especially in contexts where there are social and economic inequalities and
structural inequities.
 Works Cited
Wright, Tashelle. “This History of Cocaine and Amphetamines.” Salt Lake Community College, Salt
Lake City, UT.
Wright, Tashelle. “Social Determinants of Health.” Salt Lake Community College, Salt Lake City, UT.