Philathropy in Global Healthcare - Essay Example

 Global Health Global health involves the health problems of the citizens across the world. It is concerned about the problems similar to diseases such as infection or insect-borne which has a possibility to spread from one nation to another nation. Global health endeavors to tackle health problems that can be dealt with cooperative measures and solutions which require initiative from different countries. As health problems spread and affect the population globally, thus it can be controlled by conducting different programs related to health. It is essential for every country to participate in these programs as they can help a country to prevent diseases before spreading. The support and initiative from every country is beneficial as it evaluates the crises of health care and then takes a precautionary measure for diseases to stop them from spreading globally (Global Health Initiative, 2011). It can also be said that the problem related to health go beyond the boundary of a country and extend up to another country which has economic as well as political impact. In this context, this paper intends to identify the role of philanthropy work such as the role played by Bill Gates through his benevolent activities in health related initiatives. The paper also intends to identify role of such initiatives in the context of existing WHO policy priorities. Global Health Challenges The challenge for global health is to study the real life cases and try to produce an innovative idea for the solution of the problems for health. The students or leaders or corporate or an individual can participate to overcome challenges against global health (UBN Global Health challenge, 2011). The Global Health Council is a non profit making organization and its mission is to develop better health globally by assisting, the one who works for improvement and progress of global health. The council secures the information required to work effectively. The Global Health Council is the globe’s largest membership association which consists of corporation, NGO’s, academic institution, foundation and government agencies that coordinates for the improvement of the global health (Global Health Council, n.d.). WHO (World Health Organization) is an institution which takes initiatives for the protection of health of the global populace. It is operating since 1948 and there are more than 190 countries as the members of WHO (World Health Organization). Every country has joined WHO to fight against certain threats related to health which may be harmful for other nations as well (World Health Organization in Belarus, n.d.). Philanthropy Philanthropy is the ethical event in response to ‘human problems’. It is essential for free civil society. Philanthropy is love for mankind which does not have any motive to earn profit. It is done for the society and to support them for development of the economy. The practice of philanthropy is the act of random kindness (Payton & Moody, 2008). The act of donation is called philanthropy and it can be money, services or property. The sum can be given to an individual straight or through the non profit organizations. An individual who donates is known as philanthropist. Many corporate and institution also practice philanthropy. The corporate are socially responsible towards the society, so they donate towards the development of the society (Velasco, n.d.). There is individual philanthropy but it is not entirely accepted as it is informal. This can be partly accepted due to lack of general incentive such as tax benefits and a formation of wealth-creation which is mainly corporate based. In the cultural context, individuals prefer to contribute something for the society. The wealthy individuals are expected to contribute in the society, to those who are needy and donate during the time of natural calamities. In this context, it can be observed that corporate philanthropy, in Asian countries, is diminutive as well as has inadequate scope. The different sectors in Asian countries are growing speedily. The region has prospect in future for becoming the resource base related to nonprofit work (Velasco, n.d.). The corporate philanthropy is the donation by the corporate towards the societal causes which have become important in American business as well as other countries. As for example, Avon Corporation had made a donation of $22 million for awareness of breast cancer. American Express had taken a scheme for the relief and prevention of hunger and contributed around $20 million. The objective for corporate philanthropy is to improve image of the corporate and augment its visibility. It is a responsibility of a firm to contribute for the well being of the society as a charity or the activities related to social services which are not associated with the business (Ricks Jr, 2002). The policy for global health involves the plans for attaining the health goal which is specific for a particular society. The leaders of different countries necessarily have to take an initiative for the global health care. The World Health Organization had issued awareness globally with respect to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which is a type of virus that may transfer from human to human. This disease was reported from China in the year 2002 (Ricks Jr, 2002). Global Health Initiative Life and health are the main basic rights of a human being. However, there is an inequality among individual as well as within countries and is continuously growing which is upsetting political security along with global stability. Previously, there was no solution or institutions which deal with the various health issues around the world. The Wilson Centre is one of the institutions which promote health care initiative by discussing and appreciating the approaches with practitioners, scholars, communities, leaders and policymakers (Wilson Center, n.d.). The initiative mainly focuses on three global health parts: 1. Maternal health 2. Health care related financing 3. Health in post-disaster and post-conflict scenarios In many developing countries, there are many mothers who die while childbirth. Most of the countries are progressing towards dipping the rate for maternal death; around 500,000 women died because of the maternal death, ninety percent of these deaths take place in sub-Saharan Africa and less than 1% in the developed nations. The death related to maternity can be prevented with care and initiatives taken by concerned authorities along with added support of philanthropic activities (Wilson Center, n.d.). The challenges for this type of death are insufficient health service, lack of emergency care, inadequate finance and financial planning. Global Health Initiative has committed for the improvement in the sector of maternal health through increasing knowledge, understanding, and communication between a wide range of stakeholders to assist in creating and integrating policies along with programs (Wilson Center, n.d.). Role of Philanthropy Philanthropy acts as an important role such as charitable as well as catalytic which deals with challenges of global health as well as other issues universally. The various developing nations require donation as a way to support the healthcare system in a country. BD, a medical technology company provides millions of Dollars to different types of health care related organizations which are located globally (BD, 2011). Philanthropy has become an important factor for assisting international health care. The main areas related to health in which funds are provided with the efforts of multinationals include The Global Fund in order to fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB), as well as Malaria and others. The donation for the health care is combined with two-sided activities of the donor. It is essential to provide direction to the professionals of global health care. The global health activity is divided as follows: Organization Focus Donors Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Global health Bill and Melinda Gate, Warren Buffet Global fund to Fight against Tuberculosis, Malaria and AIDS Financing treatment as well as prevention Government, corporations and foundation. President Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Financing as well as delivery of HIV AIDS prevention and treatment US Government Facility for International finance for Immunization Financing vaccine related delivery/GAVI UK, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden Multi-country HIV/AIDS Program Financing for the improvement of existing government and community prevention as well as treatment efforts World Bank Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization Financing as well as delivery of childhood vaccine Gates Foundation, Government Public Private Partnership Vaccines, microbicides, drugs, diagnostics governments, Philanthropists, industry Anti-Malaria Initiative in Africa To reduce malaria related incidence in half US Government United Nations Foundation Children as well as women’s health Ted Turner Source: (Markle & Et. Al., 2007). There has always been a debate between capitalism and corporate involving in giving charity and becoming philanthropist. There were many debates regarding the role of different personalities such as David Guggenheim and Andrew Carnegie. In this context, Stanley Katz stated that if charity is treated as giving alms, to reduce burden of individual-philanthropy is a strategy of doing good work in gross. A few suggest that entrepreneur act as robber who is doing charity for the conversion of economic capital into symbolic capital. Stanley Katz has also observed that the era of foundation for philanthropists has created a new lawful and managerial structure to consider private foundation as a medium to realize their goals. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation started as Bill Gates and Melinda Gates wanted to be a part of the global community and help the society to prevent from various types of diseases. There are four main concerns for addressing the global health care related issues. Firstly, according to Bill Gates, government of a developed as well as developing country has to support the fight against the diseases. Secondly, the world has to initiate a scientific research for health related issues to save the lives of millions of individuals. Thirdly, the world has to dedicate more towards funding and thinking for bringing intervention. Lastly, there is requirement to focus on world’s poor people (Pogge & Et. Al., 2010). Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft has build up a significant status as a Promethean entrepreneur in the field related to information. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been registered as a service provider with regard to charitable services and philanthropy monetary services which provide donation grants in a specific area i.e. services related to health. The main objective of the Bill Gates Foundation is to serve the people who have been left out (Pogge & Et. Al., 2010). The foundation of Bill & Melinda Gates has transformed the field of global health. It has helped to bring out the diseases related to poverty and highlight it in the economy and review the series of regulations related to parasitological to vaccine science. The foundation took first initiatives in the year 2000 by launching the ‘Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization’ with a capital of $750 million and at present it has been backed by many countries and has gone up to $8 billion. Experts reported that it is able to save the lives of millions of people by growing routine vaccination and they are of the view that it may save more 2 million lives in coming future. The problem is still there in many nations, as every year, three times of kids are dying due to causes which are avoidable. The Bill Gates Foundation is investing for the development of new technology to fight against the diseases such as pneumonia, meningitis along with other diseases (Schlünssen, 2007). Bill Gates has visited different countries such as ‘Dhaka International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research’ in Bangladesh and India, where he visited different places such as polio vaccination places which has been undertaken by the Rotary International and WHO since 2005. While visiting India, Bill & Melinda Gates visited Indian Aids Initiatives and donated $100 million for slowing down the spread of HIV/AIDS (Gates Foundation, n.d.). The World Health Organization has recognized its role to support the nations for providing treatments against diseases as well as preventing them in order to achieve Millennium Development Goal 6, which intends to reduce as well as to stop Tuberculosis (TB) occurrence by 2015. ‘Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’ has supported the WHO policy for TB treatment. For example, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Company has joined Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the development of Tuberculosis Drugs in order to formulate new drugs at lower cost (World Health Organization, 2008). There are certain policies to stop the HIV diseases throughout the world and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has supported many HIV initiatives such as Avahan in India which was founded in the year 2003 (Avahan, 2008). Health Initiatives Programs The aim of WHO under the new Global Health Sector Strategy on HIV/AIDS 2011-2015, is to encourage superior innovation for HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care services so that nation can attain the objective of worldwide access to services. WHO reported that, minimum 4.2 million fresh HIV infections would be prevented and lives of 2 million people could be saved if the agency’s presented HIV treatment opinions are fully executed between 2011 and 2015. The most important issues is related to the deaths of the children above 5 years, reported that in each year, there are about 830,000 and more children dying from drowning, falls, road accidents, burns, and poisoning. The Assembly agrees to a decision for providing a proposal to support act for prevention of child injuries (UN News Centre, 2011). In the year 2003, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation started Avahan in India, an initiative to cut down the spread of HIV. In July 2009, the foundation declared that it had raised its total dedication to Avahan to a figure of $338 million from an amount of $258 million. Avahan offers funding as well as support programs for HIV prevention in the six states of India with the highest HIV occurrence, and along the country’s main trucking routes. Avahan’s support for HIV prevention plan as well as serve the group to assist people who are most exposed to HIV infection which includes, user of injecting drug and sex workers their clients associates with them (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2011). Avahan has facilitated a large number of partners that includes government organizations as well as greater than 100 organizations belonging to non-governmental organizations, to considerably develop and access services related to HIV prevention (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2011). Every year, more than 100 million children are vaccinated against measles, tuberculosis, and polio along with other diseases. Conversely, millions of additional children living typically in the globe’s poorest nations are not vaccinated (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2011). Increase in Immunization Public as well as private organizations from around the globe have taken an initiative effort to ultimately immunize all children. In the year 1999, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) was formed, and at present world immunization is recorded to be high. However, there are 21 percent of children who do not have access to required vaccines. In spite of effective vaccines, there are 2.4 million children who are dying from diseases which can be preventable (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2011). Cost-Effective Vaccines The high-quality vaccines can be delivered but it requires a "cold chain", which is a complete temperature-controlled transfer system. The Vaccines are required to be transferred at the exact temperature to protect them from freezing or else exposure to heat. However, in several countries, there are difficulties in transporting vaccines from airports to the needy children who stay in villages (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2011). The success has been obtained through efforts of nationwide governments, their worldwide development associates, pharmaceutical companies, society health workers, non-governmental organizations along with parents who have coordinated. The goal of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is to enhance the use of successful but underutilized vaccines as well as launch new vaccines for the preventing deaths of around 4 million in every year globally (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2011). Conclusion Philanthropy is an important aspect for the global health to prevent individuals from various types of diseases which requires huge amount of funds for producing different types of medicines. Thus, in the 64th World Health Assembly which was held in the month of May’ 2011, it has been said that there is a requirement of funds from different countries for various vaccines and immunization systems which would prevent deaths of about 4 million people by 2015 and 10 million by the year 2020. Therefore, it can said that such initiatives taken by Bill Gates, through his foundation is of immense importance in coming future in order to sustain the effort of WHO towards making the lives of the people better by prevention of diseases and other health concerns (WHO, 2011). References Avahan, 2008. The India AIDS Initiative: The Business of HIV Prevention at Scale. Gates Foundation. [Online] Available at: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/avahan/Documents/Avahan_HIVPrevention.pdf [Accessed May 25, 2011]. BD, 2011. Role of Philanthropy. Global Health. [Online] Available at: http://www.bd.com/globalhealth/philanthropy/ [Accessed May 25, 2011]. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2011. 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