San Francisco Health Issues - Report Example

SAN FRANCISCO HEALTH ISSUES Introduction The UnitedStates of America comprises of several cities and counties, whose record of accomplishment in terms of growth and development has a wealth history. All the cities and counties in the US are so developed such that one can think their growth rates and patterns is similar in some way; on the contrary, all the cities and counties have diverse similarities. The geographical attributed and development models differ from one city to another, including opportunities for social, economic and environment growth. This is means that health issues, which are the main subject in this paper, are also diverse in many ways in these cities and counties. San Francisco is one of the cities and county in United States of America, and a leading cultural and financial hub of the larger California Bay Area, In fact, currently, San Francisco is the only consolidated city that can be found in the entire California. This Area enjoys a large geographical area of about 121km2 to the northern end of San Francisco Peninsula, with all this size, the area has managed to accumulate a population density of about 6898 people per km2. With all this people participating in different economic activities, it is evident that this city forms the backbone of the economy of California, with different investors from many parts of the world having chosen to invest in different sectors in this city. San Francisco has been able to attract the interests of different people across the world because of its vast infrastructure that facilitates commerce as well as tourism activities. There are various social amenities as well, which makes this city a choice of many. A railway network boosts connectivity between places, including road as well as sea transport which makes many systems smooth and efficient. At the same time, health issues are also among issues top on priority, with different state of the art health facilities and extensive research and development plans into effective ways of handling health and other related issues affecting people and their daily activities in this city. Health issues in San Francisco Being a city with different economic and social activities, it is evident that the environment in this city can be a source of various health issues. This is exactly the case, in as much as these area has extensive development in health and related issues including research and development, there is still much to be achieved with regard to the health of both children, young and older people. In this city, most of the people depend on processed foods, which can be found everywhere in most of the retail shops, restaurants as well as fast foods outlets. In the recent past, most of these foods have been said to be responsible for a number of sicknesses and ailments that continue to affect most children to a large extent as well as other people. It has been reported that children in San Francisco are suffering in increasing numbers from different ailments and diseases including asthma, autism, ADHD as well as different kinds of children cancers (Evans 2004). In addition, there has also been different cases in different hospitals of children suffering from behavioral and developmental disabilities that have the ability to last for a lifetime. A research about the potential causes of all this cases by different health practitioners and experts has linked an exposure to various consumer home products. These products have been cited as having toxic chemical substances whose exposure react with the body to cause some of these cancers and other diseases affecting children’s tender bodies. In the same research, it was discovered that home products that were causing potentially harmful included fresheners, cleaners as well as pesticides that are almost in every home among the residents in San Francisco. Others include furnishings and drapes as well as products used for personal care and cosmetics, clothes among many others. There have been many efforts in preventing the spread of these ailments in small children because of different reasons (Mechanic 2006). First, it is because of the fact that small children are more susceptible to illnesses because of their tender bodies that does not have a much-developed immune system like adults. Secondly, saving children from these illnesses is a better way to save future generations (Stanton & Rutherford 2005), if cancers and this other harmful diseases can sweep away children, then the future may not be good, not only for San Francisco, but also for the entire country. Beginning as fetuses, children are much more vulnerable to toxic chemical exposures, which largely affect their brain development as well as proper biological processes. At this time, the nervous, respiratory as well as reproductive systems are just beginning to develop and thus such exposure often distorts them leading to excessive harm and damage. When a child is still a fetus, it is in a state of development that can be said to be dynamic because the body cells are rapidly multiplying and other body organs are developing at a rapid rate. The reason why exposure to hoe products is harmful to children is because children, unlike grown-ups breath more rapidly, thus inhale more air (Rahman, Cushing & Jackson 2011). At the same time, they eat more food and drink many liquids; this means that if what they are eating or inhaling has large proportions of these chemical compounds, the up take is extremely high in children, causing them many kinds of illnesses and diseases alike. Health intervention mechanisms to address health concerns in San Francisco Considering the extent of harm that exposure to different consumer products has on children and other people in the society. It is necessary that a proper and effective intervention mechanism be created. This mechanism aims at creating awareness about proper health practices as well approaches to treat those affected by these diseases. Health practitioners and experts as well as the San Francisco community has developed a community-driven health process that is expected to create and oversee the implementation of different activities that will see the area enjoy a better and healthy environment, devoid of health hazards for all people including children and older people. For this case, community efforts by different stakeholders have seen the development of a framework referred to as Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP). This framework is said to have been thought out and developed by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) in conjunction with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and follows this approach; MAPP cycle Source; (San Francisco Department of Public Health 2012) MAPP is simply a community-wide strategic planning process that is geared towards improving general health of all people in San Francisco. Various public health officers as well as different health departments from across the country facilitate it. The basic objective for MAPP is to help members of the San Francisco community to develop and apply strategic thinking to prioritize different public health issues and identify resources needed to address them effectively. With effective implementation of set goals, MAPP can be said to be an interactive process that can improve efficiency, effectiveness and performance of local public health systems, ensuring that people enjoy health facilities as well as health environments for their daily activities in their private and personal lives. References Evans, G, W. (2004). “The Environment of Childhood Poverty,” American Psychologist 59(2), 77–92. Mechanic, D. (2006). The Truth about Health Care: Why Reform Is Not Working in America. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press. Rahman T, Cushing R A & Jackson R J. (2011). Contributions of built environment to childhood obesity. Mt Sinai Journal of Medicine. 78(1), 49–57. San Francisco Department of Public Health (2012). San Francisco Community Health Assessment + Profile. Retrieved from, < http://www.cdph.ca.gov/data/informatics/Documents/SF%20Community%20Health%20Profile_Final.pdf> Stanton M. W & Rutherford, M. K. (2005). “The High Concentration of U.S. Health Care Expenditures,” Research in Action, 19(6), 1-10. Read More