Holism and Health

I found the National Human Development Report to be a very refreshing and through method of analyzing Guatemala. Many of the topics we had directly address in class are referenced in the analysis, and strongly tie back to Sen’s notions of development. As such, I thought the way in which the report took into consideration the economic and political history of the country was integral in it’s effectiveness in developing new conclusions about the current status of the country. For example, the report states that “macroeconomic stability increased [in the years of 2007-2008], internal integration increased, and the country moved towards a more democratic political model”(21). This point blank conclusion makes it sounds as if Guatemala has always had a relatively stable and established economic system for the duration of its history. If I were to read these conclusions without any background, I wouldn’t be able to make correct conclusions about the progress of the country. However, this is where the report goes deeper than just numbers, and informs the reader that this “increase was rather low” and only occurred after a debt crisis and internal armed conflict. By analyzing this data holistically, the report is more effective at estimating the improvements within the country and pinpointing productive solutions for current problems.

As the goal of the NHDR is to generate growth and measure human development in its evaluation, I was struck by some of the numbers and conclusions about the conditions of health among children and adolescents. Children are the future of any country, and their well-being is vital for the growth and success of a society. However, the malnutrition rates of children measure 55% in some rural areas of Guatemala. Health is a fundamental basis for freedom and development, and Guatemala undernourished children limits the chances of a better future. Furthermore, practically “half of the years of potential productive life (YPPL) of the working-age population (age 15-24) are lost as a result of external causes (violence and accidents), tumors, and cardiovascular diseases”(27). These numbers also suggests that Guatemala’s younger population suffers from many preventable heath related problems that in turn adversely affect the development of their country. This relationship between health and human development is an important factor for the youth of Guatemala, and represents one aspect of development that has specific implications, which need to be addressed for a brighter future in the country.