6 GLOBAL HEALTH ISSUES AND WAYS TO TACKLE THEM

Global health refers to the well-being of the population worldwide. It emphasizes promoting good health and attaining equity in health for all people around the globe. Global health integrates specific clinical treatment for different populations, focuses on international health challenges, causes, and solutions, and incorporates various academic fields inside and outside the health sciences.

Global health aims to improve health outcomes for marginalized groups and communities everywhere.

The World Health Organization (WHO), one of the most well-known organizations focusing on improving global health, prepared a list of various global issues with cooperation from international experts. It gives a general overview of the “urgent, global health concerns.” According to WHO, the challenges on the list require a response from more than simply the health sector.

Governments, communities, and international agencies must work together to solve these serious problems. Every issue on this list is urgent and interconnected.

Some of these issues are as under:

  • LACK OF INVESTMENT IN HEALTH WORKERS:

There is a global scarcity of health professionals due to poor compensation and persistent underfunding in their employment and education. Health workers are unwilling to pursue higher education, mainly because of a lack of funds and the unavailability of educational facilities in their locality.

 

These shortages endanger health and social care services and have a detrimental impact on the viability of health systems. According to the WHO, an extra 18 million health professionals should be required globally by 2030, including nine million nurses and midwives.

To inspire action and encourage investment in education, skills, and jobs for healthcare professionals, healthcare departments should encourage employees to continue their studies. After completing a bachelor’s in science, students can enroll in MHA online programs that facilitate equal accessibility of higher education to students across the country. It is also crucial for the healthcare sector to invest in the proper training of healthcare professionals and pay them compensation and benefits.

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  • POOR HEALTHCARE ACCESSIBILITY AND ECONOMIC DISPARITIES:

All across the world, communities continue to lack access to vital healthcare and health education despite the advancements in medicine. As a result, health inequalities correlated with location, such as high infant death, exist. The inability of certain people and families to afford health care that would otherwise be accessible is because of other economic disparities, including income inequality and unemployment.

 

To solve this issue, health professionals must look into ways to improve the status of understated communities in public health forums. Medical professionals must be encouraged to practice in rural areas and implement policies that lower obstacles and broaden healthcare accessibility to address these economic challenges.

 

  • PANDEMICS:

A pandemic is the global spread of a newly discovered illness. Some influenza outbreaks, COVID-19, and other viral threats are examples of pandemics that highlight our susceptibility to widespread diseases. There are fresh hazards from pandemics every year, including previously unheard-of dangers to food systems, public health, and the workplace. Tens of millions of people are at risk of developing life-threatening illnesses and living in abject poverty.

 

Although vaccination programs might be helpful, it’s crucial to tackle problems at their root by focusing on vital areas like health education and ethical agriculture practices. Experts have suggested precautions for reducing the worldwide risk that may be helpful even after a pandemic. It’s crucial for people to follow a pandemic response strategy. Understanding how to physically distance oneself will aid in halting the spread of a pandemic.

 

  • ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS:

Environmental factors, including climatic change, desertification, and depletion of the ozone layer, have dangerous health implications for our global society. Many health specialists believe that the greatest threat to human health is the change in the climate. According to the WHO, air pollution kills around seven million people every year. The same emissions that cause global warming are also to blame for over 25% of deaths by heart attacks, lung diseases, dementia, and chronic respiratory problems.

 

To manage the problem, WHO is trying to provide policies and alternatives for countries to reduce the health hazards brought on by air pollution. To improve air quality and lessen the effects of climate change on our health, leaders in the public and commercial sectors must collaborate and devise strategies to minimize human activity’s impact on climate change.

 

  • SPREAD OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES:

Infectious diseases spread from person to person, creating a global health threat. According to the WHO, four million people will die this year from infectious diseases that may include HIV, STIs, viral hepatitis, and others. Over the next ten years, we can expect thousands more deaths. We can prevent these diseases through vaccination. The poor health systems in third-world countries and insufficient funding contribute to the spread of infectious illnesses.

 

There is an urgent requirement for more political willingness and higher financing for vital health services. There is also a need to strengthen regular vaccination and take measures to minimize the consequences of drug resistance that help prevent the spread of such infectious diseases.

 

  • USAGE OF UNSAFE PRODUCTS:

Exposure to easily accessible, unsafe chemical products like lead, air fresheners, and bleach has become a global health issue. Around the world, 800 million children have blood lead levels that are dangerously high, endangering their health, impeding their ability to study, and keeping them from realizing their full potential. Formaldehyde, a potent (and perhaps cancer-causing) chemical that irritates the skin, eyes, and throat, is an ingredient in air fresheners. They include additional hazardous compounds that might harm the neurological system or result in pulmonary edema in sensitive people. On the other hand, bleach can harm your lungs if inhaled, causing pulmonary edema and lung failure.

 

The IPCS (International Programme on Chemical Safety) promotes national initiatives aimed at preventing and treating poisonings brought on by both synthetic and organic chemicals. Organizing awareness programs among the masses also helps to limit exposure to toxic household chemicals.

 

CONCLUSION:

The prime concern of global health is to enhance health outcomes for underprivileged people and groups worldwide. With the help of worldwide specialists, the World Health Organization has compiled a list of significant global challenges.

 

WHO claims that collaboration of government, social NGOs, and the health industry is required to address the issues on the list. There are connections between each serious topic on this list. Even if the number of global health problems is expanding, treating them as soon as possible would minimize the damage.