Haiti and Cambodia Health Care - Research Paper Example

Haiti and Cambodia Health Overview Haiti Haiti being an underdeveloped country and with poor resources of healthcare contains a weaker health profile. The country is covered with poverty and contains the very basic infrastructure of healthcare. The adult mortality rate of the country is above average. It has been estimated that in Haiti 400 people die in every 1000 population[WHO11]. The regional structure of Haiti’s healthcare is also poor, present with less work profile people and with insufficient treatment and medication facilities. Since 2010 earthquake, Haiti has received a high amount of concentration by international health agencies. Agencies are fully focused to improve the healthcare situation by giving financial assistance and by providing basic health support such as doctors, nurse in the countries and medication. Overall, the healthcare system of Haiti is in the developing stage where contribution is coming up from the public and from the local healthcare professionals who are worried about their country’s critical health situation[Wor111]. Cambodia Cambodia accounts for 15.1 million population. The country is majorly rurally populated as majority 80% of the population resides in rural areas of the country. After 30 years of political unrest, the country has started stabilizing by building its infrastructure and system of governance. Health has always remained important for Cambodians, where both the Government and the public are coming together to improve the country’s health systems. In recent statistics, the country has shown major improvements in the healthcare. The country since 1998 has been able to reduce its mortality ratio bringing the number 690 deaths per 100,000 lives down to 290 deaths per 100,000 in 2008. Overall, the country has brought its MDGs (millennium development goals) and this is for improving the healthcare system and the healthcare access to people[Min11]. Outbreaks and Crisis Haiti Cholera outbreak caught Haiti when Hurricane Sandy affected 9 million population of the south of the country. 54 million people received death after the Hurricane hit the country. Majority population was caught by diarrhea, flue, and vomiting carrying major symptoms of chronic cholera. Similarly, after the 2010 earthquake the percentage of cholera patients was increased. It was increased to a number that emergency healthcare was required in the country. The period of outbreak is from 2010 to 2013, where different intensive cases of cholera patient were recorded in the country. According to US Central for Disease Control (2013), Cholera has taken lives of 8,231 Haitians and has hospitalized thousands of patients since from the time when it got infested in the country. Today Cholera still exists in Haiti and even is spreading to the neighboring countries such as in Cuba and to Dominican Republic[Fra10]. On further, the country received different outbreaks in different periods of both clinical and subclinical diseases[JKe05]. These may include Septicemia (a bacterial disease), Gastrointestinal (a clinical disease), Supportive parotitis (an infectious disease), and Dengue Fever or Malaria which affected the country in different segments and in different periods of time [Ste101]. Cambodia The most recent outbreak in Cambodia is of the bird flu which has caught hundreds of Cambodians in year 2013. Bird flu which is termed as H5N1 influenza by Cambodian medical experts is a disease that has infested the adolescents of the county. Fourteen chronic cases of children infected by bird flu have been recorded in the year 2013. The disease has shown intensity in the Southeast Cambodia where summers have caused the disease to prevail. The Cambodian Ministry of Health has taken certain initiative to control this mass affecting outbreak. The agency has organized mass testing and contract tracing programs to identify the population under infection. On further, it has brought cure and treatment practices as remedies to protect the people of the country from this contagious disease “bird flu”[Fai13]. Another major disease outbreak in Cambodia is of the Hand, Foot and Mouth disease (Enterorvirus 71) which has taken lives of more than 50 children in the country. Cambodian health officials have declared Enterorvirus 71 as a deadly virus, victimizing and infesting children of the country[ABS12]. Actually, it is the Enterorvirus 71 which becomes the cause of hand, foot and mouth disease- a disease more common in adolescents than in adults of Cambodia. Lab testing and investigations are being made by Cambodian health experts. This is to find out the effective cure on the killing disease[Voi13]. Mortality and the Burden of Disease Haiti According to Global Burden of Disease report (2010), premature death cases are common in Haiti, which indicates that clinical diseases such as respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, or exposure to forces of nature are major causes of mortality in the country. On further, it indicates that Haiti’s burden of disease is comprised of clinical and infectious diseases. In the GBD profile, Haiti has reduced its burden of diarrheal diseases. In between the period 1990 to 2010, the rate of diarrhea infections has fallen by 73% [Ins10]. [Ins10] The rate of Haiti’s all-cause mortality is varying based on the differences of gender, age and the nature of disease. The all-cause mortality rate between 1990 and 2010 is higher in male gender than in female. Male young and adults in Haiti are more under the burden of disease and infection. In the twenty years (1990 to 2010) period the mortality rate in female child got reduced by 25%, where the male child in age between 10-14 years increased its mortality rate by 1419%. Cambodia The Cambodia’s burden of disease is comprised of ischemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular disease and lower respiratory infections respectively. These causes of mortality are common in the country. These are clinical diseases giving the burden of contagious diseases to Cambodia. In the period between 1990 and 2010 there was a rapid decline in the rate of mortality in Cambodia. All age groups and genders showed successive decline of mortality, which indicates that Cambodian health agencies stood firm to fight the country’s burden of disease. The period of twenty years brought 73% decline in female mortality and 6% in the male mortality. Health Service Coverage Haiti After the 2010 earthquake, the healthcare system of Haiti is under devastation. There is shortage of resources, medical facilitations, hospitals and experts giving the people a very limited access to healthcare service. Pregnant women, children and orphans are getting healthcare access from the post-quake projects. Similarly, through the government agencies such as the Haitian health ministry, the free access of healthcare is tried to be provided to the people of the country. By World Health Organization’s post-quake project, Haiti has been able to establish 27 health facilities for children. Similarly, four hospitals with basic treatment facilities are established by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which provide healthcare service to the majority rural population of the country. Overall, the Haitian’s access to healthcare is weak and is demanding certain major improvements to cover up the larger population set of the Haiti’s patients[Med131]. Cambodia Cambodia stands in a much better position than Haiti when it comes to healthcare quality service coverage. The health service system of Cambodia is in the developing stage but still progressing with a decent pace to cover up the larger set population of Cambodian patients. With the Government’s support and by international agencies’ cooperation, the country is able to secure 1049 treatment facilities for treating Cambodian patients. Each single facility is covering population of 10,000 patients providing basic consultations and primary treatment services. Each facility is dealing with multiple age groups and genders. The 2011 statistics indicate that 26 hospitals are in place in Cambodia dealing with patients of surgery and clinical operation. Overall, the stats indicate that healthcare access in the country needs to be improved. It needs to be improved to cover up the larger population set of Cambodian patients[Wor122]. Risk Factors Haiti Due to weak economic profile and poor healthcare infrastructure, Haiti is surrounded with multiple health risks in the coming years. There are risks of adult malnutrition, worst AIDS situation, infant mortality, and adult mortality in the country. Similarly, the continued cholera is causing respiratory infections, and diarrhea diseases to infest the country. Due to malnutrition and bacterial viruses prevailing, risks are there for Haitian pregnant women[Ive08]. Children under the age of 5 are also vulnerable for Hand, Foot and Mouth disease which is more common in the Haitian infants’ age group[Gep04]. On further, Haiti’s rural areas are in the range of malarial infections and it is because of the disease transmitting parasites which are abundant in rural Haiti. Similarly, risks of diseases transmitted by food, water and infected people are also there for Haitian people[Net13]. Cambodia [USD03] Due to high unemployment figure, poor economic situation and high inflation rate, Cambodia as a country is containing major risks in healthcare. There are risks of hypertension, stress, depression and bi-polar which lead to Cambodians’ heart and cardio vascular diseases[USD03]. The contemporary surveys indicate that majority Cambodian population is apprehended by mental health risks, which further lead to physical health threats. The percentile of Cambodian patients with heart diseases is bigger than any of the disease found in the country and this is because of major mental health risks prevailing in the country. The surveys declare that there are direct threats of Malaria, HIV, and Non-communicable for Cambodian people. Risk of chronic clinical diseases such as Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Jaundice and Typhoid are also there for the country. Due to poor environmental situation (contamination of water and food), Cambodian population is also vulnerable for skin diseases such as Measles, Tetanus and Chickenpox. Health Systems Haiti Health care systems in Haiti are communal. They are backed and organized by Government and communal agencies to provide basic health facilities to the public. Ministry of Health and communal health agencies are mainly responsible for organizing the health management activity of the country. The agencies assert that the country is facing shortages of human resource which is the most critical challenge for Haiti’s healthcare[Dow11]. Primary health services are in focus of the Government due to which the surgical part of healthcare is being avoided. Overall, Haiti’s infrastructure requires major developments and for which the Government and health agencies are coming forward to bring their contribution. The major challenges for Haiti’s healthcare systems are of shortages of men power, equipment and facilitation centers which need to be addressed by the Government to bring the healthcare stability in Haiti[Ive10]. Cambodia Different bodies are operational in Cambodia to provide health service to the public. NGOs are functional to create awareness of healthcare, private practitioners are dealing with the section of primary care, and Government health agencies are majorly responsible for public health management[USD03]. The Cambodian system of healthcare is comprised of two healthcare models. The models are Minimum Package Model for primary care and Complementary Package of Activity for referral patients’ care service. There are some direct and indirect challenges on Cambodian health system. The challenges are of resources, men power, equipment and specialist staff to bring quality care for the public. In general, there are shortages of hospitals and facilitation centers too in order to fulfill the countrywide demand of healthcare[Wor122]. Actually, the availability of specialists is not to a level to meet the larger population set of Cambodian patients. The need is of improvising the Cambodian healthcare in order to provide sufficient care and quality care to the public[Wor122]. Conclusions The research conducted has brought a comparative analysis of Haiti and Cambodia healthcare. Both countries are contrastive to each other as far as healthcare service access and delivery is concerned. Haiti a largely populated country facing major challenges of healthcare. The country is short of resources giving poor access to public for healthcare service. Apart from all, after three years of enduring from the Earthquake, Haiti is containing epidemic outbreak of Cholera. Both young and adult populations of the country are being affected by Cholera outbreak. Cambodia is a rurally populated country upholding the very basic infrastructure of healthcare. The country healthcare system is operational under international health agencies and government authorities to provide basic healthcare service to the public. Overall, the situation of Cambodia in healthcare is better than Haiti as the country is getting on with a decent pace to improve the health service quality. The decreasing mortality rates since from 1990 to 2010, it can be said that Cambodia is picking up the strength in healthcare. Apart from all, Cambodia is containing risks of mental health and it is because of country’s economic crises situation. The contemporary researches indicate that both Cambodia and Haiti are in concentration of international health agencies. The agencies are working out to support the countries in their healthcare development. They are supportive in financial means and in providing the basic health facilities. Countries require improvements in order to get stabilized in the coming years of time. Health is the most important sector and has been considered important by the Governments of the countries. 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