Describe how two different types of disease can interact to affect a person's health, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).
A person living in an area with poor sanitation contracts cholera, a communicable disease. Over time, the repeated stress of illness and financial hardship leads to depression.
Model answer (4 marks)
WHO defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well‑being. Cholera is a communicable disease that causes severe diarrhoea and dehydration, damaging physical health. Depression is a non‑communicable disease that reduces mental health and social functioning. The two diseases interact because the physical stress and dehydration from cholera can worsen mood and energy levels, making depression more severe, while depression can weaken immune function and reduce adherence to treatment, increasing the severity of cholera. Thus the person fails to achieve the WHO’s definition of complete well‑being.
Examiner tips
- Include the WHO definition first to show understanding of ‘health’
- Name each disease and its main effect on a specific health domain
- Explain the interaction clearly – one disease aggravating the other
- Use terms ‘communicable’ and ‘non‑communicable’ to show depth
Common mistakes
- Mixing up the order of the diseases or not naming both as communicable/non‑communicable
- Failing to link the interaction to the WHO definition of health
- Using vague language such as ‘bad’ instead of specific effects
Mark scheme (4 marks)
- Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being (WHO definition)
- Cholera (communicable disease) negatively affects physical health, e.g. causing severe diarrhoea leading to dehydration
- Depression (non-communicable disease) negatively affects mental health / social well-being
- The two diseases interact so that one can make the other worse / having a communicable disease can increase susceptibility to or worsen a non-communicable disease, meaning the person does not achieve complete well-being
Key terms in this question
Related
- All Edexcel GCSE Biology (1BI0) revision notes →
- How to answer a "Describe" question →
- Decode the mark scheme abbreviations →
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