Unequal Outbreak: Understanding Disparities in Disease Vulnerability

Environmental Science Grades High School 13:05 Video
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Lesson Description

Explore the social, economic, and environmental factors that contribute to the unequal distribution of infectious disease outbreaks across populations.

Video Resource

Why Do Outbreaks Affect People Unequally? Crash Course Outbreak Science #4

CrashCourse

Duration: 13:05
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • Social determinants of health
  • Zoonotic spillover
  • Globalization and disease spread
  • Environmental impacts on disease outbreaks

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify social, economic, and environmental factors that contribute to unequal outbreak vulnerability.
  • Students will be able to explain how globalization influences the spread of infectious diseases.
  • Students will be able to analyze the relationship between human activities and zoonotic spillover events.
  • Students will be able to critically evaluate solutions for reducing the impact of human activities on disease outbreaks.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by discussing recent outbreaks (e.g., COVID-19) and ask students for initial thoughts on why some communities were more affected than others. Briefly introduce the Crash Course video and its focus on the unequal distribution of outbreaks.
  • Video Viewing (13 mins)
    Have students watch the Crash Course video 'Why Do Outbreaks Affect People Unequally?'. Instruct them to take notes on the key factors discussed: social, economic, and environmental.
  • Group Discussion (15 mins)
    Facilitate a class discussion based on the discussion questions below. Encourage students to share their observations and insights from the video and their own experiences.
  • Interactive Exercise (15 mins)
    Engage students in the interactive exercise described below - 'Mapping Outbreak Vulnerability'.
  • Conclusion (7 mins)
    Summarize the key takeaways from the lesson. Reiterate the importance of understanding the social, economic, and environmental factors driving unequal outbreak vulnerability for developing effective prevention and mitigation strategies. Preview future lessons on outbreak response and prevention.

Interactive Exercises

  • Mapping Outbreak Vulnerability
    Divide students into small groups. Provide each group with a map (either a world map or a map of a specific region). Ask them to identify areas that they believe are particularly vulnerable to disease outbreaks based on the factors discussed in the video (e.g., areas with high population density, poverty, deforestation, conflict zones). Have each group present their map and explain their reasoning, fostering a discussion about the complex interplay of factors that contribute to outbreak vulnerability.

Discussion Questions

  • What are some examples of social factors that can increase a community's vulnerability to infectious disease outbreaks?
  • How does globalization contribute to the spread of infectious diseases?
  • In what ways can economic inequality exacerbate the impact of an outbreak on a community?
  • How do human activities like deforestation and resource extraction increase the risk of zoonotic spillover?
  • What are some strategies that could be used to reduce the unequal distribution of outbreaks?

Skills Developed

  • Critical thinking
  • Data analysis
  • Collaboration
  • Problem-solving

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

Which of the following is an example of a social factor that can influence the likelihood of an outbreak?

Correct Answer: Living in crowded urban conditions

Question 2:

What term describes the process of diseases jumping from animals to humans?

Correct Answer: Zoonotic spillover

Question 3:

How does globalization contribute to the spread of infectious diseases?

Correct Answer: By increasing the trade of goods and services

Question 4:

Which economic activity carries a high risk of spreading pathogens, like the bacteria that causes cholera, across the world?

Correct Answer: International shipping using ballast water

Question 5:

Deforestation can lead to outbreaks of diseases like Hantavirus by:

Correct Answer: Driving animals out of their natural habitats and closer to human populations

Question 6:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing guidelines were less effective in low-income neighborhoods because:

Correct Answer: People in low-income neighborhoods were more likely to have jobs that required them to leave their houses

Question 7:

Shame and stigma surrounding HIV epidemics have worsened their effects by:

Correct Answer: Preventing people from identifying themselves and accessing treatment

Question 8:

What percentage of goods traded between countries are carried on ships?

Correct Answer: 80%

Question 9:

Wars and conflicts can increase the likelihood of an outbreak by:

Correct Answer: Destroying physical infrastructure and displacing populations

Question 10:

What is a potential consequence of extreme weather events, like floods, in the context of disease outbreaks?

Correct Answer: Creation of reservoirs of water-borne pathogens

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

The term for the process of diseases jumping from animals to humans is called __________ __________.

Correct Answer: zoonotic spillover

Question 2:

The increasing trade between different countries is known as __________.

Correct Answer: globalization

Question 3:

__________ is the cutting down of woodlands for land or wood.

Correct Answer: Deforestation

Question 4:

Outbreaks of SARS were linked to travellers flying back from abroad in Vietnam, Singapore, and __________.

Correct Answer: Canada

Question 5:

In some countries, work undertaken outside of the house involving close contact with nature is more often done by __________.

Correct Answer: men

Question 6:

The fear of disapproval and lack of support means that those who do have HIV avoid identifying themselves, which makes it harder for them to access __________.

Correct Answer: treatment

Question 7:

Shipping vessels use __________ __________ that fill up and discharge with water, a potential hazard for spreading pathogens.

Correct Answer: ballast water

Question 8:

In 2013, refugees from the war in Syria experienced an outbreak of __________ because of the poor sanitary conditions in their camp in Lebanon.

Correct Answer: Hepatitis A

Question 9:

Wars are often driven by social differences and __________ __________ between different groups, which spark into open conflict.

Correct Answer: economic inequalities

Question 10:

Rodents driven out from natural woodlands near deforestation sites in Brazil have been linked to the outbreaks of __________.

Correct Answer: Hantavirus

Educational Standards

EN.LS2.7:[Standard] Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.* EN.ESS3.1:[Standard] Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate effect human activity. EN.ESS3.4:[Standard] Evaluate design solutions for a major global or local environmental problem that reduces or stabilizes the impacts of human activities on natural systems.*

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