1. Population, Epidemiology
and the Demand for Health
Services

2. Organ Development Curve
• show that our organ systems, although
develop at different rates, fully develop at
the same time. This is during ages 18 to
20.
• Lymphoid tissues - for body defense
develops rapidly from birth to about 12
years old.
• 100% development at ages 18 to 20.

3. Organ Development Curve
• Nerve tissues
– rapidly develop between birth and 4 years
slows down between 4 years to 10 years then
flattens until 18 to 20 years.
• General type tissues have a biphasic
growth.
– First happens between birth to 4 years, then
flattens, then another spurt happens 12 to 18
to 20.

4. • Reproductive organs develop only very
slightly from birth to 2 years, and then
flatten.
• Reproductive growth spurt happens during
adolescence then fully matures between
18 to 20 years.

5. • Conclusion:
– We become fully developed at 18 to 20 years
and therefore we are healthiest also at this
time.

6. Different Ages: Different
Probabilities of Illness
• Being healthiest between 18 to 20 also means that we
are least sickly within the vicinity of these ages
• The lowest probability of getting sick between
18 years until late adulthood (about 30 years old).
• The probability of getting ill is highest in the extremes of
ages: the very young, and the
very old.

7. • Concept # 1:
– At different ages, there are different
probabilities of getting ill, which is highest in
the extremes of ages.
• Concept # 2:
– At different ages, individuals experience
different types of illnesses.

8. Different Ages: Different Types of
Illness Experienced
• 0 to 5 years • Later Ages
– Respiratory infections; • Hypertension
– Pneumonia • Diabetes Mellitus
– Diarrheal Diseases • Osteoarthritis
– Nutritional Disorders • Malignant Neoplasms
– Sepsis & other • Infections
infections • Degenerative /
Psychogenic

9. • Concept # 3:
– At different ages different individuals will
experience demand different types of health
goods and services.

10. Different Ages: Different Types of Health
Goods & Services Demanded
• 0 to 5 years • Later Stages
• Antibiotics • Anti- Hypertensives
• Vaccines • Oral Hypoglycemics
• Milk formulas and
• Anti-
other nutritional
hyperlipidemics
• Diarrheal therapy
• Prostheses
• Rehab services
• Surgery

11. Population/Demographic Transition
& the Demand for Healthcare
• Different ages will have different health stocks
and exposure to health risks.
• Therefore, different age groups will have
different probabilities of getting ill. The
highest occurs at the extremes of ages, lowest
in adolescence and early adulthood.

12. Population/Demographic Transition
& the Demand for Healthcare
• Different age groups will experience
different types of illnesses.
• Different age groups, experiencing
different types of illness will demand
different types of health commodities.

13. Philippine Population
• Ages 0 to 19 year olds represent about
45% of the population
• 20 to 64 year olds represent about 50%
• ages 64 and above represent about 5%.

14. • 0 to 19 year olds = “investing stage”
• where a lot of time, money, and resources are
used to make sure that they are fully
developed to be very productive in the future.
• Their role is to prepare for the future.

15. • 20 to 64 year olds = “working or
productive population”
– who are carrying the economic burden.
– Their role is to produce and contribute to
GNP.

16. • above 65s = “burden”
– not expected to produce or contribute
anything, but they consume a lot.
– They are rewarded and accorded respect and
care because at one period in time, they were
the ones who carried the economic burden of
the country.

17. Exercises:
In a clean paper, answer the
following questions.
To be submitted at 4pm

18. 1. If you were the Health Secretary of the
Philippines and you have a P 20B budget,
which health programs will you prioritize?
2. If you are a businessman who has P 1B
to invest in the Philippines, what goods
and services will you produce and sell?

19. In answering the mini exercises above, remember the 3
concepts:
3. At different ages, different age groups will have
different probabilities of getting ill.
2. At different ages, individuals experience different types
of illnesses. Acute in the young, chronic in the older
ages.
3. Therefore at different ages people will demand different
healthcare goods and services.