Question

What are the global health problems?

300- 500 words total

References are mandatory for every citation.

Answer 1

Ans) Global health is the understanding of health care in an international and interdisciplinary context. It includes the study, research, and practice of medicine with a focus on improving health and health care equity for populations worldwide. Global health initiatives take into account both medical and non-medical disciplines, such as epidemiology, sociology, economic disparities, public policy, environmental factors, cultural studies, etc.

- One of the most prominent agencies focused on advancing global health is the World Health Organization (WHO), but this agency is not alone. Researchers and leaders in a variety of fields are spearheading initiatives that form alliances between historically disassociated fields.

- One such organization is the One Health One Medicine Initiative at St. George’s University (SGU). Dr. Calum Macpherson is the Vice Provost for International Program Development at SGU. He describes the One Health One Medicine Initiative as the convergence of human, animal, and ecosystem health.

“Each of these practices are inextricably connected,” Macpherson explains, “and by learning from each other and pooling resources, great progress can be made for the benefit of human and animal kind.”

6 PROMINENT GLOBAL HEALTH ISSUES TO BE AWARE OF:
So what are the biggest challenges confronting organizations like WHO and the One Health One Medicine Initiative? The list goes on and on, but some epitomize the breadth and depth of this complex field.

1. PANDEMICS
Simply put, pandemics are global disease outbreaks. Examples of pandemics include HIV, influenza, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Ebola, and other viral threats that reflect our vulnerability to widespread diseases – many of which originate in animals.

Every year there are newly emerging pandemic threats that cannot be solved, and diagnosing symptoms may only occur after an individual is already infected. These issues must be cut off at the source by addressing important areas like health education, responsible agricultural practices, and the issues that cause viruses to spread.

2. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
Growing concerns about the environment center on climate change and air pollution. But how will these challenges directly affect the health of the human population? In most cases, the answer lies in water sources and sanitation.

When basic survival needs are disrupted by devastating storms, flooding, droughts, and air pollution, diseases are more easily spread across large groups of people. The immediate solution is to provide resources like bottled water, sanitation technology and education, but global health must also focus on the prevention of environmental challenges in the first place.

“Climate change is thought by many global health experts to be the greatest threat to human health,” Macpherson says. “Global policies to mitigate mankind’s contribution to climate change are gaining traction.”

He points to legislation in China, India, the US, and many European countries as evidence of this. They are introducing policies that regulate current vehicle use and individual household energy consumption on a large scale while encouraging industry progress toward environmentally conscious practices.

“Such changes will have profound health benefits for those who live in urban centers, which account for more than 50 percent of the world’s population,” Macpherson explains. “[They] cannot be implemented soon enough.”

3. ECONOMIC DISPARITIES AND ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE
Despite relentless progress in the field of medicine, communities across the world still lack access to basic health education and health care. As a result, they face harsh realities in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), high child mortality rates, and basic nutrition. These are all issues that could be alleviated by reducing the disparities that isolate these populations.

Some of these disparities are related to geography, with rural communities facing the greatest shortage of physicians. Other disparities are the result of income inequality, with individuals and families simply unable to afford health care that is otherwise unavailable.

To solve these economic challenges, global health professionals must explore opportunities to uplift underrepresented communities in public health forums, encourage physicians to practice in remote areas, and introduce policies that reduce barriers and increase access to health care.

4. POLITICAL FACTORS
Inadequate access to health care is exacerbated when international politics enter the mix. As conflicts within or between nations destroy critical infrastructures for transportation, water, sanitation, and waste, average citizens become more vulnerable to diseases. This leads them to seek opportunities to flee the dangerous situations that threaten their well-being.

Refugee migration can allow illnesses to quickly spread, but organizations like the WHO stress that the solution is not to simply isolate these large groups of people. Instead, they focus on improving refugee health care access by organizing efforts across borders to endorse policies that bridge short-term humanitarian crisis responses with long-term health care access improvements.

5. NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES
Heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes – these and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) account for 70 percent of all deaths worldwide. They can be attributed to genetic, physiological, environmental, and behavioral factors.

Education plays a role in the prevention of NCDs, helping populations understand and change lifestyle factors such as poor diets, inactivity, tobacco use, or alcohol consumption. But there is also a correlation between income level and the prevalence of NCDs.

Nearly three-quarters of NCD-related deaths worldwide occur in low- and middle-income countries. Reducing the number of NCDs globally means reducing the factors that disproportionately arise in lower-income communities.

6. ANIMAL HEALTH, FOOD SOURCING, AND SUPPLY
Animal health is naturally intertwined with humans’. Perhaps the clearest connection occurs within the food chain, as humans grow, process, and consume food on a large scale. But in developing areas, animals are also relied upon for transportation, draught power, and clothing. In these communities, animal health is undeniably a factor in human health.

Agricultural practices, including irrigation, pesticide use, and waste management can influence animal health, making disease transmission a concern at every stage of the food supply chain. With pathogens originating from animals or animal products playing such a significant role in disease transmission, veterinary medicine must be included in any effort to improve global health.