Introduction and Country Overview
Introduce your assigned country and provide relevant background information to help the reader understand its population and broader context.
You should consider:
Where is the country geographically located?
What are its key demographic characteristics (e.g., population size, age distribution)?
What relevant economic, political, religious, or cultural factors might influence
health and illness?
You do not need to address every example listed above. Focus on information that is relevant
to understanding health and healthcare in your assigned country, and explain its significance
rather than simply listing statistics.
Health and Disease
Discuss the major health concerns affecting people in your assigned country, using relevant
evidence and statistics to support your discussion.
You should consider:
What are the most prevalent illnesses or significant health concerns?
What are the leading causes of death or major contributors to poor health?
What health behaviours or habits are particularly relevant (e.g., diet, exercise,
smoking, alcohol and drug use, sexual behaviours)?
How might these behaviours and other contextual factors contribute to patterns of
health and illness?
Where possible, go beyond describing health statistics to explain what they reveal about the
health of the population.
Healthcare System and Treatment
Describe how healthcare is organized, financed, and delivered in your assigned country.
You should consider:
How is the healthcare system structured?
How is healthcare funded? Is there a health insurance system, and how does it work?
Who provides healthcare (e.g., doctors, nurses, community health workers, traditional
healers, family members)?
Where is healthcare typically delivered (e.g., hospitals, clinics, private practices,
community settings)?
Are there significant barriers to accessing healthcare?
Consider how the organization of healthcare might influence access to treatment and health
outcomes.
A Unique Aspect of Health or Healthcare
Identify something that you find particularly distinctive, surprising, or interesting about how
health and disease are understood, addressed, or managed in your assigned country.
For example, you might discuss:
Cultural beliefs or practices relating to health and illness.
An unusual or particularly noteworthy public health policy.
A distinctive approach to healthcare delivery or treatment.
An interesting approach to disease prevention or health promotion.
Explain why you selected this example, what makes it noteworthy, and how it relates to
health or healthcare in your country. Your example should be relevant to health rather than
simply an interesting fact about the country.
Conclusion
Provide a concise but comprehensive summary of the main findings of your paper.
Your conclusion should bring together the most important points about your country’s
characteristics, major health concerns, and healthcare system.
Rather than simply repeating information from earlier sections, consider what your findings
collectively reveal about health and illness in your assigned country. Avoid introducing
substantial new information.
References
Provide a reference list in APA 7th edition format.
Your paper should draw on a variety of credible and relevant sources, including academic
journal articles, national or international health statistics, and course materials where
Appropriate.
Ensure that all sources cited in your paper are included in your reference list.
references (both in-text citations and your reference list) from other sources.
Appendix
Country Reflection
Please respond to the question that applies to you. Your reflection should be thoughtful and
specific to your assigned country.
If you received one of your preferred countries:
Why did you choose this country? What interested you about researching health and
healthcare there?
If you did not receive one of your preferred countries:
What stood out to you about your assigned country? What did you find particularly
interesting or surprising while researching its health and healthcare?
This paper asks you to profile health and healthcare in an assigned country — an overview (geography, demographics, context), the major health concerns with evidence, and (per the full brief) the healthcare system. Explain significance, don’t just list statistics.
Key takeaways
- Introduce the country with context relevant to health (not every stat — the relevant ones).
- Cover major health concerns with evidence and statistics.
- Describe how the healthcare system is organized, financed, and delivered.
- Explain the significance of each point, not just the numbers.
- Use current, credible sources (WHO, World Bank) and cite.
Country overview
Introduce the country: location, key demographics (population size, age structure), and the economic, political, religious, or cultural factors that shape health. Focus on what’s relevant and explain why it matters.
Health and disease
Discuss the major health concerns — leading causes of death and disease burden (communicable vs. non-communicable), and relevant indicators (life expectancy, infant/maternal mortality). Use statistics as evidence and interpret them.
The healthcare system
Describe how care is organized, financed (public/private, insurance, out-of-pocket), and delivered, plus access and workforce issues, and major challenges.
Format
Explain significance throughout, use current sources (WHO, World Bank), and cite in your required style.