Blog Post #4 – Research Round 2

Hi everyone and welcome back to my Blog. My Inquiry question is, “How does disease affect the world?” but in order to fully understand the answers to this big question we first must know what disease is, which was previously discussed in my previous blog post, and we must know how disease impacts the economy and society socially; as a result, in this blog post, we will learn more about the sub question “What are the social and economic consequences of disease on communities and countries?” 

It is known that disease can have many affects on our bodies, whether those impacts are long term or short term, but they also have many economic consequences. The impact can vary based on factors such as the nature of the disease, the affected population, the level of preparedness, and the public health responses. (1) As an example, a commonly known contagious disease, COVID-19, has had many impacts both socially and to our economy in ways that are linked together. (1) The lockdown experienced in 2020 caused a reduction to economic activity and a huge change in the way we socialize with each other. Consumerism shifted towards online use rather than in-person, and so did school. The loses of many jobs and the reduction in peoples salaries is another way the outbreak of this famously known, contagious disease negatively impacted the economy. (1)

Socially, mental health during these times became a huge issue, and lack of socialization along with the growing dependence on social media and technology. People experiencing violence within their homes were having a hard time getting out of their situation due to the lack of support around the world. (2) As you can see, disease, big or small, can have a negative impact on both our community and economy.

On the other hand, COVID also brought us some postiive changes in our economy that have made a lasting impact to this day. More businesses started using computers and the internet, making things faster and better. Some people got to work from home, giving them more time for themselves. (3) People began buying things online more, and talking to doctors on the computer became normal. Scientists worked very fast to make a vaccine, which is like a medicine to help stop the virus. Businesses learned to be more flexible and ready for problems. (4) There was also more room to innovate businesses and work on areas of weakness. (4)

The outbreak of the COVID-19 disease is one of the many examples to how diseases impact the economy. It is a great representation of how the economy can be impacted so quickly and greatly by a single outbreak. Now I would like to focus on a disease that is not a contagious outbreak that appeared a few years ago.

Cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. With trillions of cells making up the human body, cancer can begin anywhere. (5) Human cells divide to create new cells when needed by growing and multiplying. New cells replace old ones when they die. This organized process that our bodies go through can malfunction, causing damaged cells to reproduce and expand. Tumours are lumps of tissue that can be formed by these “bad” cells. these tumors are often cancerous. (5)

Patients, healthcare systems, and nations are economically impacted negatively through the disease, cancer because of the costs associated with treatment, lost productivity from people who have this disease, etc. (6) The global economic burden experienced through this disease are unknown, but the individual impacts of nations are great. As an example, the economic burden of cancer in the US is approximately 1.8% of gross domestic product (GDP). (6) Other countires are also greatly impacted financially due to the amount of money that is invested in researching and the attemots in finding a cure, along with the costs or individuals needing long term treatment. But the research being put towards this disease is used to uplift the financial and social burden it has been causing. (7) As an example, the US has invested $24.5 billion of investment across 66,388 research grants, which is money and time being used to bring the economy up and help our communities socially. (7)

The image above, (6) shows the average investment in different countries.

As seen from these two examples of many, we can economically and socially be impacted by disease in many ways, both postivly and negatively. All diseases play a role in who we are globally and who we will become in face of disease over time, but by making health a key part of economic growth, we can recover from some of the burdens we have experienced these past few years and continue to learn more about the diseases that impact us everyday. (8) Poorer communities and countires are often faced with the most intense consewuences socially since they cannot afford to research and treat due to the economy.

To sum up, diseases bring big problems for communities and countries, affecting people’s lives and how they work. They can cause fear, disrupt jobs, and strain healthcare. Despite these challenges, there’s a chance for positive changes, like better healthcare and stronger communities. Dealing with these issues needs everyone working together to make societies and economies stronger in the face of health crises. Now that we know more about the impacts of disease in different aspects from this Blog Post, in my next one, we will lean about the long-term impact of disease on healthcare infrastructure, research, and public health policies. Thank you!

Sources:

1.Pak, Anton, et al. “Economic Consequences of the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Need for Epidemic Preparedness.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 18 May 2020, www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00241/full.

2.Saladino, Valeria, et al. “The Psychological and Social Impact of Covid-19: New Perspectives of Well-Being.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 3 Sept. 2020, www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.577684/full.

3.Carmen Ang, Article/Editing: “The Economic Impact of Covid-19, According to Business Leaders.” Visual Capitalist, 11 June 2021, www.visualcapitalist.com/economic-impact-covid-19/.

4.Admissions. “6 Ways That Covid 19 Has Had a Positive Impact on Businesses -.” Swiss School of Business Research, 30 June 2021, www.ssbr-edu.ch/6-ways-that-covid19-has-had-a-positive-impact-on-businesses/.

5.“What Is Cancer?” National Cancer Institute, www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer#:~:text=Cancer%20is%20a%20disease%20in,up%20of%20trillions%20of%20cells. Accessed 5 Jan. 2024.

6.“The Economic Burden of Cancer.” The Cancer Atlas, canceratlas.cancer.org/taking-action/economic-burden/#:~:text=The%20economic%20burden%20of%20cancer%20is%20substantial%20in%20all%20countries,%2C%20and%20potentially%20cost%2Dsaving. Accessed 5 Jan. 2024.

7.Michael Head Senior Research Fellow in Global Health, et al. “Billions Spent on Cancer Research Globally – but Is It Money Well Spent?” The Conversation, 20 June 2023, theconversation.com/billions-spent-on-cancer-research-globally-but-is-it-money-well-spent-201407.

8.Dash, Penelope, et al. “How Prioritizing Health Could Help Rebuild Economies.” McKinsey & Company, McKinsey & Company, 8 July 2020, www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/how-prioritizing-health-could-help-rebuild-economies.