Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives (0457): Topic: Health and wellbeing — Revision Notes

These notes condense the Health and wellbeing study guide. Test yourself afterwards with the Health and wellbeing practice questions.

They follow the Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives (0457) syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027, Version 2 (published April 2025): the topic list in section 3, the assessment objectives in section 2 and the component details in section 4. The topic list is for all components, so Health and wellbeing could be the context for Component 1 Written Exam, Component 2 Individual Report or Component 3 Team Project. Knowledge of this topic is not assessed. These notes show how to use it to practise the skills that are: research, analysis and evaluation, reflection, communication and collaboration. See also the Global Perspectives hub and the 0457 checklist.

What each component wants from this topic

Component	What you do with Health and wellbeing
Component 1 Written Exam (1 hour 25 minutes, 70 marks)	Analyse unseen sources on a health issue; evaluate research and evidence; judge arguments; assess actions. AO1 only.
Component 2 Individual Report (1500–2000 words, 60 marks)	Choose a health issue that divides opinion; devise a global research question; local and/or national and global perspectives; causes, consequences, one proposed course of action
Component 3 Team Project (70 marks)	Pick a local health issue; research different perspectives; plan, carry out and measure an action; write a Reflective Paper

Key terms

Term	Meaning (syllabus wording where printed)
Issue	“an important subject or problem for discussion”
Perspective	“a viewpoint on an issue based on evidence and reasoning”
Research	“the systematic study of a global issue to find evidence and develop understanding”
Evidence	“information about a global issue that helps to develop understanding or prove that something is true or false”
Argument	“a series of statements containing reasons and evidence which support a claim about a global issue”
Claim	A statement put forward as true, which may or may not be supported
Fact	Something that can be checked against evidence
Opinion	A personal view or judgement that cannot be checked in the same way
Generalisation	A broad conclusion drawn from too few cases
Prediction	A statement about what will happen in future
Value	A belief about what matters, such as access, choice or fairness
Vested interest	A personal or financial stake in the outcome
Bias	A one-sided presentation, often linked to a vested interest
Public health	Action to protect the health of a whole population
Health inequality	Differences in health between groups, such as rich and poor areas

Real examples at a glance

Use these only as practice material or as research starting points. They earn no marks on their own.

Example	What it is	Why it is useful	One evaluation point
WHO Constitution (adopted 1946, in force 1948)	Defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”	Shows a global perspective that includes mental and social health	Critics say “complete” well-being is an unrealistic standard
UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 (2015)	“Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”	Shows global recognition of the issue	A goal is a value statement, not evidence of progress
Mexico sugary drinks tax (2014)	One peso per litre on sugar-sweetened drinks	A national course of action using price	Critics argue it falls hardest on poorer households
UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy (April 2018)	Charge on producers by sugar content	Many manufacturers cut sugar before it began	Targets drinks only, not the whole diet
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (adopted 2003, in force 2005)	International treaty on tobacco	Global cooperation on a health issue	Each country still decides how strongly to apply it
Smallpox eradication (declared by WHO in 1980)	Global vaccination campaign	Strongest example of global health action	Few diseases are as easy to target
Antimicrobial resistance	Bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics; WHO calls it one of the top global public health threats	Clear causes and consequences across levels	Needs action by doctors, farmers and governments at once

Perspectives to look for

• Patients and families: cost, distance, waiting, dignity.
• Health workers: workload, safety, resources.
• Governments: health versus budget, jobs and public support.
• Businesses: vested interest in sales; may fund research.
• International bodies: global patterns, cooperation, fairness between countries.
• Cultural and religious groups: values about the body, diet and treatment.

Always add why: the reason or value behind each view.

Must-know distinctions

• Topic versus issue. “Health and wellbeing” is a topic; “Should sugary drinks be taxed?” is an issue.
• Fact versus opinion. “The clinic closed in March” is a fact; “the clinic was useless” is an opinion.
• Link versus cause. Two trends rising together does not prove one caused the other.
• Self-reported versus measured. “I exercise daily” is weaker than recorded attendance.
• Personal story versus pattern. One case is testimony, not proof of a national trend.
• Cause versus consequence. Cost of fresh food may cause poor diet; hospital pressure is a consequence.
• Course of action versus outcome. The action is what is done; the outcome is the effect it has.

Evidence checklist for any health source

1. Who wrote or funded it? Any vested interest?
2. Fact, opinion, prediction or generalisation?
3. Sample: how many, chosen how, representative of whom?
4. Self-reported or measured?
5. Comparison group or “before” figure?
6. Short-term or long-term?
7. Does the conclusion go further than the data?

Mini plan: an “assess actions” answer

Typical task: using several sources, evaluate two or more actions to improve young people’s health, and decide which is most effective.

1. Opening judgement: name the action you think is most effective and give the main reason.
2. Action 1: what it is; which cause it targets; evidence from the sources for it; one limitation (cost, fairness, side effect).
3. Action 2: same structure; compare directly with Action 1.
4. Action 3 or combination: could two actions work better together?
5. Weigh up: which criterion matters most here (effectiveness, fairness, cost, speed) and why.
6. Conclusion: a clear, reasoned judgement that follows from the points above.

For the Individual Report, keep the same core: issue, perspectives, causes, consequences, courses of action, then one proposed course of action with how it would be put into practice and its likely impact.

Quick self-test

1. What does the syllabus say about topic knowledge in 0457?
2. Give the syllabus definition of a perspective.
3. Which assessment objective is the only one assessed in the Written Exam?
4. What is a vested interest? Give a health example.
5. Is “Junk food adverts should be banned” a fact or an opinion?
6. Explain why “My uncle stopped smoking and got healthier, so smoking bans work” is a generalisation.
7. Name one global, one national and one local health issue.
8. What is the word count for the Individual Report?
9. Give two criteria for judging a course of action.
10. Why is a survey without a comparison group weak evidence that an action worked?
11. What must a Team Project action include, according to the syllabus?

Answers

1. Knowledge of content is not assessed; topics are contexts for practising skills.
2. “A viewpoint on an issue based on evidence and reasoning.”
3. AO1 Research, analysis and evaluation.
4. A personal or financial stake in the outcome, such as a drinks company commenting on a sugar tax.
5. Opinion: it is a judgement about what should happen.
6. It draws a conclusion about a whole policy from one person’s case.
7. For example: antimicrobial resistance (global); a sugary drinks tax (national); distance to a rural clinic (local).
8. 1500–2000 words, not counting the bibliography or reference list.
9. Any two of: effectiveness, cost, fairness, side effects, sustainability, who acts.
10. You cannot tell whether the change would have happened anyway.
11. The team plans and carries out the action and measures its success.

Where marks are usually lost

• Adding outside facts about health instead of using the sources provided in the Written Exam.
• Saying “this source is biased” without naming who gains or quoting the loaded wording.
• Treating a percentage as strong evidence without asking about sample size and how people were chosen.
• Missing that a health claim is self-reported.
• Describing what a group thinks without explaining the value or reason behind it.
• Explaining a consequence as “bad for health” without saying who is affected and how.
• Evaluating only one action when the question asks you to assess actions.
• Giving a conclusion that sits on the fence instead of making a reasoned judgement.
• In the Individual Report, choosing a question with only one side, or forgetting the global perspective.
• In the Team Project, choosing an action whose success cannot be measured.

For more on each component, see the Written Exam revision notes, the Individual Report revision notes and the Team Project revision notes.

Official syllabus

Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives (0457) syllabus for examination in 2025, 2026 and 2027, Version 2 (published April 2025), published by Cambridge International. See section 3 for the topic list and key terms, section 2 for the assessment objectives, and section 4 for the components and command words.