Global Health Insights
Normally global health definition has a broad definition but to be specific, it can be explained in the following words. It is an area of study, research, and practice that has a priority to improve healthcare quality for all people universally. Global health requires collaborative trans-national research and action for promoting health for everyone in the world. Global collaboration focuses on the critical importance of addressing all health issues and especially global issues which have commonly affected the large population of the globe (Beaglehole & Bonita, 2010).
Global Health Insights
Epidemiology is the medical field that deals with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health. Simply, it is all of the factors needed to control the presence or absence of a disease or pathogen in a given population for general wellness of community (Merriam-Webster, n.d.).
International Health Regulations (IHR) are protocols to prevent, protect against and control the international spread of diseases in ways that are appropriate with restricted to public health risks. They also avoid unnecessary interference with international traffic and trade (WHO, n.d.).
Tropical diseases are diseases that are widespread in or unique to tropical and subtropical regions. They include all diseases that occur solely in the tropics especially infectious diseases that thrive in hot, humid conditions such as malaria, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, and African trypanosomiasis (WHO, n.d.).
Cause and prevalence of malaria: Malaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite, and the parasite can be spread to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. There are were 214 million cases of malaria globally in 2015 and 438 000 malaria deaths (WHO, 2017). The mosquitoes which transmit the parasite are female mosquitoes called Anopheles, and it is one of the tropical diseases which affect sub-Saharan regions to the high extent.
Women health concerns: As Bustreo (2015) noted, the top women health issues globally are reproductive and maternal health problems, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Sexual and reproductive health problems concern women between 15 and 44 years, and the biggest issue is unsafe sex among 222 millions of women and girls in developing counties. The maternal health issue is another problem in women health because almost 300 000 women died from complication in pregnancy and childbirth in 2013. The third issue is STIs, and the common is HIV and syphilis. For instance, untreated syphilis cases are more than 200 000 stillbirths and early deaths every year, for the deaths of over 90 000 newborns.
Children health issues: the key health dangers for children include lack of quality care during pregnancy, lack of hygiene and sufficient breastfeeding, and malnutrition. According to WHO (n.d.), nearly 6.9 million children died under the age of five in 2011 because of less pregnancy care, hygiene, and deficient breastfeeding. Also, from one month to five years of age, malnutrition contributes to more than 1/3 of all child deaths.
Five Health Organization
Organization
|
Its Focus
|
Example of Its Work
|
WHO
|
WHO focuses on combating diseases – infectious diseases like influenza and HIV and no communicable ones like cancer and heart disease. It cares for women and children health because it helps mothers and children survive and thrive so they can look forward to a healthy old age. It ensures the safety of the air people breathe, the food they eat, the water they drink – and the medicines and vaccines they need for the healthy world (WHO, 2007).
|
WHO accomplishes thousands of activities to improve the quality of global healthcare, but 21 May 2003 was a historic day for global public health. The World Health Assembly totally adopted WHO’s first global public health treaty after almost four years of intense negotiations. The treaty is designed to reduce tobacco-related deaths and disease around the world (WHO, 2007). This is one of its best achievement because tobacco pollutes the environment and harm the life of smokers and non-smokers.
|
Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
|
It works in communities affected by war, natural disasters, diseases outbreaks, chronic neglect, and other places. They treat people only with medical need regardless of race, religion, political affiliation, and other reasons. They mainly work in emergency cases by sending medical support as soon as possible to save a life (Doctors Without Borders, n.d.).
|
MSF responded first to the Ebola outbreaks in West Africa 2014-2015. Between March 2014 and December 2015, MSF responded in the three most affected countries - Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia – and also to the spread of cases to Nigeria, Senegal, and Mali. At the peak of the epidemic, MSF employed nearly 4,000 national staff and more than 325 international staff who ran Ebola management centers as well as conducted surveillance, contact tracing, health promotion and provided psychological support (MSF, 2016).
|
American Red Cross
|
The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in cases of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. They focus on disaster relief, lifesaving blood, and international services to save lives ( American National Red Cross, n.d.).
|
Recently, they have started the Hurricane Harvey Immediate Assistance Program ended on October 10, 2017. They have supported more than 477 000 households in Hurricane Harvey flooding ( American National Red Cross, n.d.).
|
CDC
|
It is the nation's health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. CDC focuses on conducting critical science and provides health information that protects the nation against expensive and dangerous health threats and responds when these arise (CDC, n.d.).
|
CDC supports a project to strengthen the delivery, coordination, scale-up, and monitoring of HIV services throughout the faith-based health sector of Malawi (CDC, n.d.).
|
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
|
It focuses on improving people’s health and wellbeing, helping individuals lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty in developing countries. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people especially those with fewer resources can access the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life (Gates Foundation, n.d.).
|
Gates Foundation has recently provided $51 Million grant themselves to support small dynamic high schools to boost student achievement. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and New York City Department of Education partner to support 67 new schools as part of the city's overall plan to create 200 effective and rigorous small high schools (Gates Foundation, n.d.)
|
References
American National Red Cross. (n.d.). News & Events | Disaster Relief News | American Red Cross. Retrieved from http://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/latest-news
Beaglehole, R., & Bonita, R. (2010, April 6). What is global health?. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2852240/
Bustreo, F. (2015, March 8). WHO | Ten top issues for women's health. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/life-course/news/commentaries/2015-intl-womens-day/en/
CDC. (n.d.). Strengthening the Delivery, Coordination, Scale-up, and Monitoring of HIV services in the Faith-Based Health Sector in Malawi. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/stories/staffing-for-success-malawi.html
Gates Foundation. (n.d.). $51 Million Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Support Small Dynamic High Schools to Boost Student Achievement - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2003/09/New-York-City-Department-of-Education-Receives-Grant
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Epidemiology | Definition of Epidemiology by Merriam-Webster. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epidemiology
MSF. (2016, March 23). Report: Ebola 2014-2015 Facts & Figures | Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International. Retrieved from http://www.msf.org/en/article/report-ebola-2014-2015-facts-figures
Stock Sector. (2015, May 8). Medical News Today: What overall impact will the Ebola crisis have on global health security? | Stock Sector. Retrieved from http://stock-sector.com/medical-news-today-what-overall-impact-will-the-ebola-crisis-have-on-global-health-security/
WHO. (2007). Introduction to WHO. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/about/brochure_en.pdf?ua=1
WHO. (2017, April). Malaria. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs094/en/
WHO. (n.d.). International Health Regulations (2005). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/ihr/publications/9789241580496/en/
WHO. (n.d.). Tropical Diseases. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/tropical_diseases/en/
WHo. (n.d.). What are the key health dangers for children?. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/features/qa/13/en/
Comments
Post a Comment