Prevention of Disease in Modern Britain (Edexcel GCSE History)

Modern Approaches to the Prevention of Disease - Timeline & Summary

End of Laissez-Faire Attitudes

There are two main reasons why the government dropped their laissez-faire attitudes in the 20th century:

1. They understood what caused disease

2. There were more methods to prevent disease

Better Understanding of the Causes of Disease

• The acceptance of Germ Theory over miasma in the late 19th century meant the government understood what caused diseases to occur

• With this knowledge, the government knew their actions could have an impact on the health of the nation

More Methods of Prevention

• Compulsory vaccination

  • The 20th century saw the implementation of more compulsory vaccination programmes. These included:

    • Whooping cough (1950)

    • Tetanus (1961)

    • Measles (1968)

    • Rubella (1970)

• Public Health laws

  • The government aimed to improve air quality to reduce the number of citizens suffering from lung diseases

  • The addition of fluoride to some parts of the nation's water supply. This aimed to prevent tooth decay

• Better communication about health risks

  • Healthy living campaigns ensured the public knew the risks of unhealthy habits

    • These encouraged people to improve their lifestyles

    • Charities like the British Heart Foundation supported the government in their campaigns

  • During pandemics like COVID-19  (2020-2022) and epidemics such as Ebola (2014-2015), the government enforced quarantine and travel restrictions to slow the spread of the diseases

    • The government communicated the causes of the diseases

    • They also publicised information about the  preventative actions people should take

New Approaches to Prevention: Mass Vaccinations

• Inspired by the success of the smallpox vaccination programme, the government decided to target other diseases through vaccination

  • They focused on diseases which caused serious illness or death in children. Vaccines tend to be more effective on children

• Diphtheria (1942)

  • 3000 children died each year from the disease

  • The government feared that cramped air-raid shelters in the Second World War would spread diphtheria among children

  • The national vaccination campaign led to the categorisation of diphtheria as a disease of the past by the mid-20th Century

• Polio (1962)

  • In the early 1950s, there were 8000 cases in Britain each year

  • The last case of polio in Britain was in 1984. This shows how successful the vaccination programme was in Britain

• HPV (2008)

  •  This shows the development of vaccines against diseases which can transform into multiple illnesses

  • A report in 2021 stated that the HPV vaccine had resulted in an 87% reduction in cervical cancer cases

• Some people choose to not vaccinate their children. This is because:

  • They are angry that the government is interfering in their life

  • They do not trust medical professionals

  • They believe that vaccines are unsafe

New Approaches to Prevention: Government Legislation

• Governments of the 20th and 21st centuries have used their legal powers to improve the health of the nation

The Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968

• London experienced bad periods of smog in 1952

  • Smog is a mixture of fog and smoke created by air pollution

  • Large cities like London relied upon coal for heating and running factories

  • The smoke from burning coal produced excessive pollution in the air

• The poor quality of air triggered an increase in respiratory diseases

  • Bronchitis killed between 800,000 and 1.4 million people from 1840-1900

• The Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968 aimed to improve air quality

  • The law allowed local authorities to create 'smokeless zones'

  • Payments to households who swapped using coal for gas or electricity (which did not create smoke when burnt) helped them convert their houses

• Whilst air quality improved, there are still issues with pollution today

  • The government continue to limit car emissions. In 2019, London Mayor Sadiq Khan introduced ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone). People who drive petrol or diesel vehicles have to pay a charge to enter Central London

  • In 2020, a nine-year-old girl called Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah was the first person to have air pollution listed as her cause of death. Ella was exposed to "excessive" levels of pollution living in Lewisham, South-East London

Anti-Smoking Laws

• The Health Act of 2006 established new restrictions on smoking.  People were no longer allowed to smoke in:

  • All enclosed workspaces

  • On public and work transport

  • In pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurants

  • In shopping centres and hotels

•  A study found that between 1996 and 2007, children's exposure to second-hand smoke declined by almost 70%

New Approaches to Prevention: Government Lifestyle Campaigns

• There was a larger emphasis in the 21st century on the public attempting to prevent some diseases themselves

  • The science that linked lifestyle to illness was much more detailed in the 21st century

  • The demand for the NHS increased to unmanageable levels

  • There was a need to reduce the amount of people suffering from preventable diseases

• The government introduced healthy living campaigns. These campaigns aimed to educate the public about the health implications of certain habits. Examples of these are:

  • Adverts warning about the dangers of smoking, binge drinking and unprotected sex

  • National events, such as Stoptober, which encourage people to give up smoking

  • Campaigns which promoted healthy eating and regular exercise. The government introduced Change4Life in 2015

• Developments in technology helped these campaigns spread across the nation

  • Most households have TV and radio. The government used these modes of communication to show their healthy living adverts to the nation

  • A government website dedicated to public health. Initially, this was Public Health England. It is now the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the UK Health Security Agency

  • Change4Life has a SugarSmart app which helps busy families determine the amount of sugar in everyday items