Prevention of Disease in Modern Britain (Edexcel GCSE History): Revision Note

Modern approaches to the prevention of disease - Timeline & Summary

• The government abandoned laissez-faire attitudes and became more involved in preventing disease

  • There were more compulsory vaccination programmes in the 20th century, targeting diphtheria and tetanus

  • The government to pass anti-smoking laws in 2006

  • Healthy living campaigns like Change4Life provided people with advice about maintaining good health

• Despite major successes, not all diseases are preventable

• Some people resist government advice

  • Without herd immunity, there are more cases of childhood diseases like measles

End of laissez-faire attitudes

Laissez-faire attitudes ended in the 20th century due to:

• Better scientific understanding

  • Germ Theory proved illness was not caused by miasma or sin

• New ways to prevent disease

  • Compulsory vaccination for:

    • Whooping cough (1950)

    • Tetanus (1961)

    • Measles (1968)

    • Rubella (1970)

  • Public Health laws

    • The Clean Air Act to improve air quality

    • Adding fluoride to the water supply to prevent tooth decay

    • Enforced quarantine and travel restrictions during pandemics like COVID-19  (2020-2022) and epidemics such as Ebola (2014-2015)

  • Healthy Living campaigns

    • Ensured that the public knew the risks of unhealthy habits

    • Supported by charities like the British Heart Foundation

New approaches to prevention: Mass vaccinations

• Diphtheria (1942)

  • 3000 children died each year from the disease

  • Now, the disease is nearly wiped out

• Polio (1962)

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

  • The last case of polio in Britain was in 1984

• HPV (2008)

  • A vaccine against a disease that causes multiple illnesses

  • The HPV vaccine 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

The Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968

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

• London experienced bad periods of smog in 1952

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

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

• 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) which increased the charges for older, higher polluting vehicles

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

• The demand for the NHS increased to unmanageable levels

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

Healthy Living campaigns

• 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

Improvements in technology

• The government used TV and radio campaigns to communicate to the nation

• The government have a website dedicated to public health

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