Ensuring Health Services and Development of any Country - Essay Example

IS IT JUSTIFIED TO ASSERT THAT HEALTH IS AT THE TOP OF UN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENDA? Introduction In 2000, one hundred and eighty nine United Nations member countries made a commitment to free people from extreme poverty and multiple deprivations as explained by Allen and Thomas (2000, p.10). These promises came to be known as the eight Millennium Development Goals which are to be achieved by the year 2015. Goal one in the Declaration is a commitment to eradicate poverty and hunger by 2015. The second goal is to achieve universal primary education and the third goal was to promote gender equality and empower women by the end of the stated period. Moreover, the countries committed themselves towards reducing child mortality which is MDG number four, followed by a declaration to improve maternal health as the MD goal number five. This is followed by a promise to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases while a commitment to ensure environmental sustainability became the MDG number seven. The last goal in the list is the declaration to develop a global partnership for development. To fast track the achievement of the MDG, UNDP (2010, p. 10) explains that in September, 2010 there was a UN conference in which the countries reaffirmed their commitment towards achieving the MDGs and promised to accelerate efforts towards their achievement. In reference to the Millennium Development Goals one can rightly assert that health is currently top of the international agenda for development. MDGs and Health Looking critically at all the millennium Development goals shows that United Nations gives health top priority. All the eight goals contribute in one or the other in enhancing the health of global population. According to United Nations (2007, p. 23), giving each person a chance to enjoy a long and healthy life is both an essential goal of development and a means of enhancing the potential of a country to develop. Millennium Development Goal one committed nations to eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. If this goal is adequately addressed, it could lead to significant improvement in the health of the global population. Under this goal, United Nations (2007, p. 23), explains that the first target was to reduce by halve the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day from what the population was in 1990. Reddy and Heuty (2005, p. 10) argues that poverty is a multi-dimensional phenomenon and defines it as lack of options to various dimensions of the quality of life. There are many people living in absolute poverty in some parts of Asia and Africa as observed by Reddy and Heuty (2005, p. 10). Poverty deprives one a chance to quality treatment, quality housing and predisposes one to live in poor neighborhood. This consequently increases the risk of contracting diseases without access to health facility. Humberto (2006, p. 24) asserted that reducing poverty will improve the reproductive health in-turn reducing mortality rates. Reduction of poverty will enhance the quality of life and thereby contribute to better living conditions. Moreover, reduction of poverty would help facilitate access to clean water. On the other hand, eradication of extreme hunger will lead to reduction of people who die due to hunger in the Horn of Africa during drought. This goal will also ensure that cases of malnutrition which impacts on the health of most children in the poor parts of the world is significantly brought down as noted by Barro (2001, p. 407). The commitment to achieve universal primary education for all by 2015 has a critical role to play in enhancing health for all. Chulu (2009, p. 50) observes that provision of education enhances human development and is interrelated to other sectors such as health. Chulu (2009, p. 56) notes that provision of education and training is an integral step towards improving the quality of life of an individual. Chulu (2009, p. 56) explains that the envisioned areas of emphasis in basic education are on enhancing literacy, numeracy and essential life skills. Giving an individual essential life skill will go a long way in enhancing the health standards of the population since there will be higher knowledge on nutrition, hygiene and reproductive health. Basic education will also equip people with skills on the need to go for immunization and risk behaviours that can expose one to disease. Moreover, provision of education is a way towards economically empowering the poor and thereby reducing the impacts of poverty. The next MDG was the commitment to promote gender equality and empowerment of women. This goal if implemented faithfully would generally lead to substantial enhancement of health. Women in least developed countries are not empowered both socially and economically. Empowering them would lead to increasing their knowledge on different aspects of life such reproductive health. In some of the LCDs, women lack access to health services during child delivery while others have to go through tormenting cultural practices such as female genital mutilation as explained by Adam and Bevan (2005, p.39). Adam and Bevan (2005, p.39) further notes that women play a critical role in ensuring the health of their children since they spend most of the time with them and are engaged in feuding for them. This translates to the fact that empowering women would lead to better maternal health and that of their children. The fourth MDG on reduction of the child mortality targets to reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015 the number of children dying before attaining the age of five years. This goal is a clearly indicator of the priority that United Nations gives to the health of the children. According to United Nations Children’s Fund (2008, p. 10), UN proposed several strategies to ensure that children do not die before attaining five years since at this stage one is usually at a high risk of contracting several diseases. Immunizable diseases were recognized as some of the diseases leading to high children mortality and therefore countries promised to step up efforts to immunize children against measles. United Nations Children’s Fund (2008, p. 10) also observes that there are to enhance the nutrition among children with some countries offering supplements to children under the age of five. The UN in formulating this goal was informed by the fact that children form the future workforce of the any country and therefore taking for them at a tender age would enhance development. Nations promised to improve maternal health by reducing the maternal mortality by 75 percent from 1990 to 2015. Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy and at childbirth as described by World Health Organization and UNICEF (2010, p. 27). To achieve the target set countries committed themselves to ensure a 5.5 per cent annual reduction of women during childbirth and pregnancy. Enhancing the health of the expectant and women during delivery is critical in enhancing the health of the child born. UN in making this declaration observed that death of women during pregnancy or at childbirth leads to numerous problems on the family. Children are at times left orphans and in other cases families spend substantial amounts of money during this period. This in-turn cripples development and encourages poverty in some families. To achieve this goal, countries should strive to provide pre and antenatal health facilities to expectant mothers. A commitment to combat HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases is directly linked to enhancing health. By making a declaration of fight disease, UN member state had realized that diseases are a major stumbling block towards social economic development. According to United Nations Development Programme (2004, p. 19), UN had to address the issue of HIV/AIDs scourge since the disease kills many people living young children orphans. This contributes to the vicious cycle of poverty since these children have to start providing for themselves at an early age or are left under the care of the old. This limits their chances of ever going to school and cannot be engaged in any meaningful employment. Moreover the goal addressed the issue of malaria and other diseases since this also has a direct impact on development of any country. The productivity of any person is directly related to their health status and therefore addressing this issue was critical. To fight malaria and AIDs, governments and World Health Organization have initiated programs such as distribution of mosquito nets and stepped up awareness on AIDs as explained by United Nations Development Programme (2004, p. 19). In 2000, UN member states promised to work towards ensuring environmental sustainability. The goal is anchored on the realization that sustainable development is critical in ensuring the integrity of the environment and natural resources. The environment provides materials and energy that are necessary for development. Environmental conditions play a critical role in determining the health of the people. People living in areas of high environmental pollution are prone to diseases while those living on degraded areas are likely to experience effects drought. Failure to ensure environmental sustainability can be blamed for climate change which leads to diverse impacts to the humans. All the nations attending the 2000 conference in committed themselves to global partnership for development. Developed countries promised to offer official development assistance to countries experiencing slowed economic development as noted by Utting (2003, p. 50). These funds are used for development programs targeting diverse areas such as health, infrastructure and education. The goal if achieved will help reduce poverty through spurring economic growth in least developed countries. This will have a net effect of improving the quality of life for all. Conclusion Health is critical in ensuring development of any country since it impacts on an individual’s productivity and determine the resources spent in accessing health services. In 2000, United Nations made a declaration to achieve eight development goals by the year 2015. Although, only three of the eight goals expressly deal with health issues, achievement of all the millennium development goals will eventually lead to better health of the global population. Therefore it is justifiable to make an assertion that health is now top of the international agenda for development. References Allen, T. and Thomas, A 2000, ‘’Poverty and development into the 21st century’’. OUP Publisher, Adam, C., and Bevan, D. 2005, ‘Fiscal Deficits and Growth in Developing Countries’, Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, Vol. 89 (4),pp. 571-597. Barro, R., 2001, ‘Economic Growth in a CrossSection of Countries’, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 106, No. 2, pp. 407-443. Chulu, O., 2009, MDG Country Assessment: Malawi, Bureau for Africa and the Bureau for Development Policy, UNDP, New York. pp 20-56 Humberto Lopez, J., 2006, ‘The Relative Roles of Growth and Inequality for Poverty Reduction’, chapter in the book, Poverty Reduction and Growth: Virtuous and Vicious Circles, The World Bank, Washington DC. Pp 10-37 Reddy, S., and Heuty, A. 2005, ‘Achieving the Millennium Development Goals: A Critique and a Strategy, Bureau for Development Policy.’’ UNDP, New York. United Nations, 2007, ‘’The United Nations Development Agenda: Development for all; Goals, commitments and strategies agreed at the United Nations World conferences and summits since 1990’’. United Nations, New York. Pp 1-95 accessed 3rd February, 2012 http://www.un.org/en/development/devagenda/UNDA_BW5_Final.pdf Utting, P 2003, ‘Promoting Development through Corporate Social Responsibility - Does it Work?’’ Global Future, Third Quarter 2003, Profit and Loss? Corporations and Development. London: World Vision International. Pp. 50 UNDP, 2010, ‘’Beyond the Midpoint: Achieving the Millennium Development Goals’’. Pp1- 100 accessed 3rd February, 2012 United Nations Children’s Fund, 2008, ‘’The State ofthe World’s Children 2008: Child Survival’’. UNICEF, New York. Pp 1-78 United Nations Development Programme, 2004,’Millennium Development Goals Needs Assessments: Methodology, Millennium Project.’’ UNDP, New York, 20-67. World Health Organization and UNICEF, 2010, ‘’Countdown to 2015 decade report (2000–2010): taking stock of maternal, newborn and child survival’’. Geneva: WHO and UNICEF pp 1-60 Read More