Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 September 2009
Introduction
Are the health patterns of Papua New Guinea (PNG) changing? If so, in what ways are they doing so? Specifically, are they changing in line with theoretical models which invoke modernization, development and globalization to account for the decline of infections and the rise of lifestyle- and ageing-related health problems? Or does communicable disease – persistent, recrudescent or emergent – still predominate? In this review, I aim to discuss selected evidence on the health of Papua New Guineans, with a particular focus on examining past trends and on considering, so far as possible, future prospects – whether by projection from the past or on some other rationale. In the process, I shall consider the adequacy of conventional health modernization models to describe PNG's present situation.
To be modern is to have characteristics typical of recent times and the present day, by contrast with the more distant past. This sounds open-ended; but, in the health sciences as in the arts and social sciences, modernity is (explicitly or implicitly) expected to bring changes of a specific character. This follows usually from the concept that socioeconomic modernization, discussed by Ulijaszek (1995), is accompanied, anywhere in the world and whenever it may take place, by a demographic, health or epidemiological transition (Caldwell et al. 1990; Riley 2001). In such transitions, not only are death rates alleviated and life expectancies increased, but also one set of causes of ill-health (life-threatening and otherwise) declines in importance, to be replaced by a different set.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.