Global Health and the Challenges (Essay Sample)

Global Health
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Global Health and the Challenges
Introduction
Access to healthcare aids in saving lives; it has been one of the most compelling reasons for development. While several communicable diseases, health diplomacy, maternal and child health, non-communicable diseases and disabilities are the recent major challenges affecting global health; implementing effective global policies around the globe should also be a concern. There are one hundred ninety five countries in the world. Each of these countries is affected by global health issues, however;
"Sub-Saharan Africa faces the greatest challenge and proportionately, is the most heavily affected region of the world” (Global Health Workforce Alliance, 2006). It is estimated that in 2013 there are about fifty countries that are part of the least developed list of countries also known as third world countries (Beaglehole, & Dal Poz, 2003). These countries were classified as the world´s most impoverished countries based on three criteria; low-income estimate of the gross national income (GNI) per capita, their weak human assets and their high degree of economic vulnerability (Beaglehole, & Dal Poz, 2003).
Health disparities exist around the world; the fifty countries listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) are listed in the United Nations comparative analysis of poverty, thirty four African countries, ten Asian countries, five Pacific Island Nations and one Caribbean nation (Merson, Black & Mills, 2006). These impoverished countries have limited healthcare resources, often for a few dollars, the disease can be prevented; a life can be improved and are saved, furthermore preventive care, particularly minor surgical procedures, can save millions more. Yet, lack of health care access and preventive programs have not always communicated with simple methods, nor have medical professionals and government agencies tried to research ways to preserve their country's most valuable assets "the people" (Whiteford & Manderson, 2000).
In health care, complexity of administration is another impending challenge. In some cases, excessive spending has been noted while attending to government or other accrediting companies due to inefficient and bureaucratic procedures private health insurance agencies (Reisman, 2007). Improper ways and procedures of standardization are among the instances arising in this category. They sometimes results to the inconveniences from complex billing work for physicians and health care staff.
This review article will explore the details surrounding key issues facing global health and the challenges in developing effective world health policies. Furthermore, it will explore how global health issues are handled and the importance it plays an increasingly crucial role in global security and the security of the United States citizens living in America (Whiteford & Manderson, 2000).
* Communicable Diseases
Recent reports compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal that there is an infinite list of communicable diseases, which can be transferred from person to person (Merson, Black & Mills, 2006). Most notable among them include: Chancroid, Gonorrhea, Granuloma Inguinale, Leprosy (infectious), Lymphogranuloma Venereum, Syphilis (infectious stage), and Tuberculosis (active), Malaria, Mumps, Measles, Rubella, Polio, Tetanus and Diphtheria Toxoids, Pertussis, Influenza type B and Hepatitis B. (Philip J. Rosenthal, M.D., 2013), (Binder et al, 1999)
* Global safety and water supply
When it comes to improving global health issues, clean water and sanitation plays a significant role (Binder et al, 1999). Water is essential to life in many aspects. Inadequate water supplies are responsible for the lives of approximately four million people each year (Whiteford & Manderson, 2000). Seven Hundred Million people lack access to safe drinking water in the world; which causes widespread damage to human health, decrease survival rate for children, and increase pollution (Pasquale Seduto, 2008).
* Maternal and Child Health
Since the discovery of Human Deficiency Virus (HIV) and AIDS in the early 1980’s maternal and child health issues have been one of the major concerns in global health. With more than two millions pregnant infected women a year in Africa alone, this is evidence alone that maternal death and mother to new newborn transmissions are increasing (Binder et al, 1999)
* Noncommunicable Diseases
More than thirty six million people die each year from non-communicable diseases which are slow progression diseases. Among these diseases are cancer, heart and lung diseases, hypertension, diabetes. Recent studies conducted by the World Health Organization (2013) show that these diseases are the leading cause of deaths in the world. Low to middle income countries reported more deaths than other countries (Merson, Black & Mills, 2006). Other than cancer, (Binder et al, 1999), these diseases are treatable and even preventable with proper health management, nutrition and preventive medicines. In countries with limited resources the outcome can be a little more challenging for those with low income where access to health care is not prevalent (Merson, Black & Mills, 2006).
* Disabilities:
People from all walks of life, age group, national origin, sexual orientation and ethnicity are affected with disability. Disability has no boundaries; unfortunately those with less access to health care have a greater chance of becoming disabled (Merson, Black & Mills, 2006). There are approximately more than one billion disabled citizens around the globe and that number is increasing as the population is aging and with other factors set in, such as poor health, low education and economic development (Global Health, 2013). In the United States people with disability have access to health care and are treated with respect; whereas in other countries such as the Caribbean discrimination and exposure to violence are more prevalent (Global Health, 2013).
* Health Diplomacy
Improving human lives, fostering sustainability, improving all nations’ health care systems are amongst a few of the US government and other countries top priorities they are working on and are collaborating to achieve with their offshore partners (Merson, Black & Mills, 2006).
A country’s greatest assets are its people; the wellbeing of the people can have a myriad of social, economic and political implications (Global Health, 2013). A sensitive area for most country has to do with public health, securing medicines; preventing epidemics are a few challenges that affect third world countries disproportionally. Preventable diseases that strike the poor in developed countries have rendered society to remain unequal in all aspects (David P. Fidler, 2010).
In conclusion, it has been determined that global health issues is the larger killer than conflict worldwide, access to healthcare, nutrition, clean and safe drinking water can be a few of the greatest gifts a country can provide to its citizens. The recent major challenges affecting global health are of great importance, developing effective global policies to improve the citizens’ lives around the globe should be of great importance to world leaders. There are one hundred ninety five countries in the world, each of these countries population is somehow affected by communicable and non-communicable diseases (Whiteford & Manderson, 2000). The World Health Organization listed fifty countries as the world’s least developed places where health disparities are more prevalent than other countries; these impoverished countries made the list due to their low-income estimate of the gross national income (GNI) per capita, their weak human assets and their high degree of economic vulnerability (Whiteford & Manderson, 2000).
Global health policy and health care financing role
In most developed countries, health care is paid for largely by the government or an organization associated with it, using taxes collected from citizens (Rothgang, 2005). For instance, the United Kingdom has a "single-payer" system in which the government pays directly for care; in France and Germany, the government collects taxes to fund part of the government health care system, and employers and individuals pay for the remainder of the costs directly.
In other countries, such as the United States, a portion of the health care system is market-based, that is, paid for by private entities such as employers and individuals. Even in market-based systems, the government may provide health care to vulnerable people. For instance, in the U.S., federal funds support Medicare, which covers the elderly and disabled, and state and federal funds support Medicaid, which covers low-income people (Rothgang, 2005).
There are two approaches to financing health care and those include the market-based and government financed. A closer study will reveal that they both offer different advantages and disadvantages and neither is perfect in all aspects (Kwon, 2003). All societies have to make choices between how broadly to provide access to basic and advanced care, how much to pay for health care and how much and which innovations to make available to patients (Rothgang, 2005).
In market-based systems, care is generally delivered by private organizations and individuals and all parts of the system are subject to some level of competition (Kwon, 2003). There are many different payers, providers and suppliers, and people with insurance can choose which ones serve their needs best. Doctors may have the benefit of best-practice guidelines that indicate when and for whom different treatments should be used, but they’re free to make care decisions...