Political and Economic Relationship on Health Care - Term Paper Example

 Political and Economic Relationship on Heath Care Introduction Over years, economic issues, equality, as well as various forms of governance, have been the at the center of societal health. The cross- sectional relationship between health and the distribution of income has been a compelling evidence of this association. Nevertheless, this relationship does not illuminate the various structures and policies that produce the desired effect since the stability of a country is critical. It is imperative to note that a country’s income levels, social levels, and political levels play a significant role in determining the health care of a country. This research paper will discuss the association of public health with the politics, equality and economic stability of a country by analyzing the Japan’s heath situation after the WWII and comparing it with that of US. History of the Phenomenon After the WWII, Japan experienced an economic decline that crippled almost every part of its health sector. This economic decline made Japan to be recognized as the worst country in health management issues. Currently, the country stands as a leader in health-related matters. Ultimately, the country’s life expectancy is considered to be among the highest in the world. This drastic change is accredited to the political and economic equality that have continued to improve Japan’s health sectors. Notable reasons for Japan’s radical improvement include drives to uphold low levels income disparities, greater control and security in workplaces. Japan started noticing a reduction of mortality rate in the late 1980s. This was brought about by the realization that its mortality rate was starting to decrease even for conditions that were not directly amenable to any medical care. These reasons made the government lower levels of income disparities as well as improve workplace securities and control (Bezruchka, Namekata, & Sistrom, 2007). The national health can be determined by examining various elements including child mortality rate, adult mortality rates, and prevention or protection mechanism among others. Additionally, the health of a country is mostly related to a country’s political system and more importantly its economic influence. The nature of social influence is also critical in determining the health of a country .Despite the fact that Japan had low levels of inequality, the country’s situation is relatively unique. This is because the country was able to re-establish its social systems as well as its governing systems after the WWI from a very poor situation to the very best. Health issues are, to a great extent, related to political freedom. Political freedom entails the institution of democratic policies to ensure that people are at liberty to do as they will provided it’s legal. Japan’s democratization policy was carried out by the drafting of appropriate political policies. This process started back in 1945 when the country allowed women to get involved in politics. Ultimately, Japan’s constitution was arguably more liberal compared to the Constitution of the US. Some of the issues that were addressed during the democratization process include; Provision of universal free education, improving the rights of workers to bargain and organize collectively as well as the provision of academic freedom. This freedom had a significant effect on the improvements of health. Essentially, the correlation between education and health is exceptionally close, especially the mortality rate. Free education was a wake-up call to the Japanese in terms of the various problems they were facing. The mortality rate of educated individuals grew significantly. They literate popularion is aware of the health issues that face them and consequently seek medical attention. Some of the major effects of education on the economy of Japan includes; access to health care insurance, good sanitation, good nutrition among others (Muney, 2014). The economic progress is also connected to the health issue of a country. If a country’s economy is poor, in terms of infrastructure and low productivity rates, it means that people will care less in terms of their nutrition, sanitation and more importantly, they will have no access to health care programs. Affordability of the same is also a problem. Similarly, Japan experienced a great hit during the WWII which destroyed their infrastructure, health facilities and more importantly, their economy was massively crippled. An economic hit made it challenging for the Japanese nationals to access good health care (Bezruchka, Namekata, & Sistrom, 2007). Solutions/Recommendations Controlling the healthcare should be done in a very sensitive way considering the articulateness and urgency involved in health issues. In a democratic country like Japan, putting strict rules to impose health care guides to the nationals cannot work. In fact, they will be regarded as laws and every individual will strive to break them either willingly or unwillingly. Over the last decades, health reforms have swept the continent by giving health care a priority. This has prioritized provision of health care in rural areas. Although these strategies have mainly focused on child care and maternal health, they have played a significant role in improving the health care of other individuals outside these brackets. The government, together with health agencies, should develop strategies on how they would improve health care in rural communities, not only for expectant mothers and children, but also to the general public. This strategy will not only consider lowering the cost of health care, but also improve the economic stability by encouraging a healthy nation (Bradshaw & Timaeus, 2011). A healthy population is more economically active. Changes in the educational hierarchy in the society have profound effects on health. The economy of a country can be improved by various factors including improvement of the education system and provision of free academic support. In general, access to educational materials and education is very critical when it come health matters. It is through education that people learn good sanitation methods and more importantly, how to deal with various health issues. Additionally, economic changes are also linked to health problems. A recent study conducted by Bradshaw & Timaeus (2011) indicated that economic instability is the primarily linked to health problems, especially in developing countries. It is undeniable that most health issues are caused by poor nutrition and sanitation. These factors are often related to low income earners since they cannot maintain the required standard of nutrition and sanitation. To solve this problem, the concerned government agencies should find ways and schemes of improving the economic stability of a country. This can be done by promoting economic development through innovation which can help in creating employment opportunities. A country’s political and social environment is very critical in implementing health strategies. The effectiveness of social and political policy changes may, to some extent, depend on the culture, values and history of the country. For instance, as compared to US, Japan has an elevated tax threshold and much-elevated levies. This means that rather than laying off workers, managers and CEOs are taking pay cuts. Additionally, the wage ratio between the entry-level workers and the CEOs is very high in Japan. The tendency of laying off has adverse effects on the health. The government should institute laws that protect workers from being abused or being denied their rights in their respective workplaces (Addler & Rehkopf, 2008). Conclusion Fundamentally, it is vital to eliminate health disparities. Despite the fact that elimination is not always the explicit goal of the public health, it is critical to prioritize the health of individuals before implementation of other strategies. Currently, the health gap that exist between US and Japan cannot bridge even by eradicating some of the leading cause of deaths such as the heath problem. This discrepancy has been brought about by poor health implementation policies, poor economic policies and more outstandingly, inadequate political and social involvement. There ought to be changes in the education reforms, economic priorities as well as political interventions. References Addler, N. E., & Rehkopf, D. H. (2008). US disparities in health:Description, Causes and Mechanism. Annual Review of Public Health, 235-252. Bezruchka, S., Namekata, T., & Sistrom, M. G. (2007). Interplay of politics and law to promote Health: improving economic equality and health: the case of postwar Japan. American Journal of Public Health, 589-594. Bradshaw, D., & Timaeus, I. M. (2011). Diseases and Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. New York: Pearson. Muney, A. L. (2014). The relationship between education and Adult mortality rates in the United States. Journal on mortality, 7-15. Read More