Morbidity and Mortality

In the early 20th century, the specter of infectious disease lurked in every city of the world. In India, an estimated eight million people had died of cholera by 1920. The influenza pandemic of 1918–1919 was responsible for the loss of 50 million lives worldwide. In 1917, the average life expectancy in the United States was 51 years; by 1918 it was 39 years. By contrast, in the year 2020, the average U.S. life expectancy is projected to be 79.5 years. In addition to achievements in treating diseases and disseminating health information seen over the last 100 years, your grandparents and great grandparents may not have lived long enough to get the chronic diseases commonly seen in the early 21st century in industrialized nations.

For this Discussion, review the Learning Resources and the World Health Organization websites, and search the Internet for morbidity and mortality data. Consider the changes in causes of morbidity and mortality, both in the United States and globally, and how the application of theory might have influenced those changes.

Post one explanation for the reversal in morbidity and mortality during the past century, either in the U.S. or globally. Then, explain how applying community health education theories might have contributed to the reduction in morbidity and mortality.

Learning resource

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6019a5…