Level: JHS, Basic 8 | Subject: Integrated Science | Strand: Humans and the Environment | Topic: Human Health
Curriculum reference: NaCCA Basic 8 Integrated Science, Humans and the Environment. These notes cover the standard scope of the topic.
1. What Is Health?
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not just the absence of disease. A healthy person feels well in body and mind and can take part in school, work and community life.
2. Diseases
A disease is a condition that stops the body or mind from working normally.
| Group | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Communicable (infectious) | Caused by germs and can pass from person to person | Malaria, cholera, typhoid, tuberculosis, measles, HIV and AIDS, COVID-19 |
| Non-communicable | Not caused by germs and cannot be passed on | Hypertension, diabetes, sickle cell disease, cancer, asthma |
| Deficiency diseases | Caused by lack of a nutrient | Kwashiorkor (protein), scurvy (vitamin C), rickets (vitamin D), anaemia (iron), goitre (iodine) |
3. How Diseases Spread
- Vectors: mosquitoes carry malaria, houseflies carry cholera and typhoid germs.
- Contaminated water and food: cholera, typhoid, diarrhoea.
- Droplets in the air: tuberculosis, colds, measles.
- Body fluids and sharp objects: HIV.
- Direct contact: ringworm, scabies.
4. Prevention and Control
- Personal hygiene: wash hands with soap, bathe daily, brush teeth, keep nails short.
- Environmental sanitation: clear gutters, cover drinking water, dispose of waste well, use toilets.
- Immunisation: vaccines protect against measles, polio, tuberculosis and other diseases.
- Insecticide-treated nets and clearing stagnant water to prevent malaria.
- Safe water and food: boil or treat water, cook food well, cover food.
- Avoiding risky behaviour: do not share sharp objects, and avoid drug and alcohol abuse.
5. A Balanced Diet
A balanced diet has all the food nutrients in the right amounts: carbohydrates (energy), proteins (growth and repair), fats and oils (energy), vitamins and minerals (protection and body regulation), water and fibre.
| Nutrient | Ghanaian food source |
|---|---|
| Carbohydrates | Yam, cassava, rice, maize, plantain |
| Proteins | Fish, beans, eggs, meat, groundnuts |
| Fats and oils | Palm oil, groundnut oil, shea butter |
| Vitamins and minerals | Fruits, vegetables, kontomire, oranges, mangoes |
6. Drug and Substance Abuse
Using drugs wrongly harms the body and mind. Examples are alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and misuse of prescription drugs like tramadol. Effects include liver and lung damage, mental problems, poor school performance, accidents and crime. Always take medicines as prescribed by a health worker.
7. First Aid
First aid is the first help given to an injured or suddenly ill person before a doctor or nurse arrives.
- Cuts: wash with clean water, press with a clean cloth to stop bleeding, then cover.
- Burns: cool with clean running water for several minutes, and do not burst blisters.
- Nose bleeding: sit upright, lean forward and pinch the soft part of the nose.
- Fainting: lay the person down and raise the legs slightly.
Call for professional help for serious injuries.
8. Staying Healthy
Eat a balanced diet, drink clean water, exercise, sleep well, keep clean, go for check-ups and talk to a trusted adult about worries.
Remember: Prevention is better than cure. Cleanliness, a good diet and vaccines prevent many diseases.
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Education Always (education.inspiringalways.com). Original notes written to follow the NaCCA Basic 8 Integrated Science curriculum.