The geography of health with special reference to small island states

Abstract

The objectives of this dissertation are primarily to map the occurrence of different diseases in small island states in different parts of the world. The focus is on communicable diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The dissertation also investigates whether small island states themselves differ in terms of the incidence of diseases. The five hypotheses tested in this dissertation are the following: - Small island states in different regions have different types of major diseases and risk factors; - There is a relationship between GDP per capita and the incidence of communicable diseases; - There is a relationship between the incidence of communicable diseases and life expectancy; - There is a difference in the relationship between GDP per capita and communicable diseases in small island states when compared to larger countries, and - There is a difference in the relationship between life expectancy and communicable diseases in small island states when compared to larger countries. Information was mainly gathered from the World Health Organisation databases and involved establishing and determining relevant data which justified the hypotheses. The dissertation sheds light on the regional realities regarding different diseases. It highlights the existing correlation between the economic development of countries and their incidence of communicable diseases. It also establishes a connection between life expectancy and communicable diseases. Subsequently, it investigates whether or not there is any difference in the connection between communicable diseases and life expectancy in small island states when compared to larger countries. The dissertation concludes with a list of policy implications derived from the results and a number of suggestions for further research.