Global Health and Development - Research Paper Example

Global Health and Development Introduction It is acknowledgeable that no society can exist without Health systems since if efficiently designed, they provide incredible benefits to the population that go beyond just treating or prevention of sicknesses. Some of the benefits are that people get protected against sicknesses and also have a sense that their lives are secure (Gilson et.al, 2007). A properly designed systems also ensures that every person shares in socio-economic development. Such a system also generates the necessary political aid required for the sustenance of the health care. In addition, a well-designed health system embraces equity by including people who are underprivileged, marginalized as well as those that face discrimination or stigma. A systems that is efficiently managed or designed also contributes greatly to the achievement of the Millennium Goals for Development. However, these systems have always failed to reach their potentials by allowing such vices as injustice manifest, excluding the underprivileged groups, institutionalizing health thus making it expensive for the poor, not using their skills to deliver the proper health care as well as not creating social empowerment in a bid to create equity (Save the Children, 2012). There are various elements that may cure the ill situation of health systems and strengthen it such as leveraged inter-sectoral actions; liaising with the civil society as well as population groups; financing that is geared towards achieving universality as well as reviving approach to primary health provision. Inter-sectoral engagements or rather relations refer to links created with other sectors in order to bring about enhanced health outcomes compared to if the health domain functioned alone. Therefore according to the final report submitted by the Health System knowledge network, Ministers as well as other officers in health care should champion inter-sectoral relationships (Gilson et.al, 2007). One of the ways that these officials can woe other sectors is by persuading them via the use of epidemiological or any necessary evidence in persuading them to participate. They also ought to come up with clear goals that eloquently state mandates, create morale and can be easily evaluated. It can also create trust with actors in various sectors as well as reinforcing relations with the government at the local and national levels and the media. Social empowerment also comes handy in solidifying health systems. Health officials as well as relevant Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) are at the center of providing social empowerment especially in fragile states that are have an arrested development (Commins, 2010). In that light, Health officials can come up with processes that contribute to social mobilization, finance mechanisms that boost community participation as well as devise various strategies pertaining in law, communication, the organization itself as well as in media that make it accountable for actions partaken by them. On the other hand, the civil society can offer liaison with the relevant leaders nationally or internationally in a bid to enhance political support for social action. CSO’s can also ensure that they wipe out inequalities in health care and they also offer oversight to Health systems. CSO’s are also tasked with creation of capacity for societies so that they can be able to take part in the rather bureaucratic processes in health care. Creation of universal coverage is yet the other element of strengthening Health systems (Save the Children, 2012). Therefore, there should be mobilization of more resources so as to fund health services through taxation and ensuring that corruption in handling such finances is eliminated. In a bid to achieve a universal coverage, user fees ought to be minimized to ensure that services are cost effective. Technical efficiency should also be monitored to ensure that quality is enhanced (Gilson et.al, 2007). Moreover, there should be relocation of health government resources so that they can be equitably distributed according to the needs of each society for instance in ensuring that no any single child dies because they cannot afford health care (Save the Children, 2012). Additionally, Civil society Associations can chip in ensuring universal coverage especially amongst the poor so as to ensure that there is enhanced access to health care and ensure thus avoiding inequality in availing such services especially since most fragile states are strained after encountering war strife (Commins, 2010). Universal coverage may also be achieved through insurance systems that are community based so that almost every person is covered in terms of health. Primary Health care provision is yet another element that counts heavily in strengthening health care. This element spells out that there ought to be wide support majorly at the local level to ensure efficiency and quality in health care for the communities. One of the ways through which primary care can be availed is providing support for institutions of health through funding as well as ensuring that health professionals have the required skills and resources to effect health care. Moreover, authorities should ensure that the health systems at the local level link with Civil Society bodies in order to instill quality in health care especially in the poor countries by ensuring that transparency as well as accountability reigns in the sector (Save the Children,2012). In order to avail health care there should also setting up of the appropriate infrastructures in health care as well as ensuring that managers in the sector get regular training so that they can perform well. Policy implementation is also at the core of a strengthened health system. Support is thus required in implementation of policies at each level of health care. For instance, there should be proper funding to ensure formulation of new policies. There should also be setting up of proper goals that champion for equity so as to guide policy implementation. Managers also need to be availed with proper training so as to ensure that they possess the required capacity in policy formulation. Support is required from national actors in a bid to strengthen health systems. This is in a bid to Millennium goals for development, international actors should chip in to ensure that health care is enhanced. One of the ways that they can chip in is through funding of underdeveloped countries. The other way would be through aiding in decision making as well as ensuring that equity prevails in the health domain. Rebuilding systems compared to rebuilding of services are two interrelated yet different aspects of health care. The rebuilding of services is supportive in nature and may involve such attempts as the distribution of nets or even procurement of medicines. Contrariwise, strengthening of systems is accomplished through much comprehensive transformations to health care such as policy formulation, improvement of structures and steering relationships that lead to improved behavior and effective utilization of resources. The other difference that although both of the aspects are necessary in health care, strengthening is much technical compared to rebuilding of services and may require that all stakeholders take key steps in achieving it. Another example that may depict their difference is that proper planning may be required for planning in slums and this is a strengthening effort as opposed to aid that is availed to people living in the areas in case they suffer losses after floods hit unto them. Introduction It is indisputable that Good governance lays at the Centre of any system be it of education, health or any other. In order for there to be comprehensive development, it is also clear that good governance should be adopted. Most fragile countries entail various characteristics such as corruption that are proof of ill governance. Another aspect of a wanting governance system is the availability of looming exclusion of most of the citizens’ decision formulation. Bad governance also may manifest whereby the poor people well as the minorities or underprivileged do not get to be considered at all. Exclusion of such special groups in is thus a depiction of bad governance. That said it is clear that good governance is one that considers its citizen’s voice or rather participation in decision formulation. UNDP sought to pinpoint principles that pertain to good governance. It thus went further to identify such principles as those that ensure the rule of law, accountability measures, those advocating for efficiency and equity in the health sector. UNDP further elaborated that a responsive system is also a trait of good governance. A responsive system means a system that takes consideration of people’s views in the course of decision formulation. One of the ways through which social inclusion with regards to decision making may be promoted is through liaising between Civil Society Organizations and the communities (Franci, 2011). This is so since civil societies at the very best listen to the citizen’s needs and project them to the national government. Therefore, this will be a form of empowerment to our citizens at the grass roots (Gilson et.al, 2007). In addition, education programs offered by the Civil Society to the community members improves their literacy on how they can participate in decision making exercises. Partnering of the health sector can also be done with the media (Foresti and Wild, 2004). This is because the media assumes a very critical position in every society and has direct contact immediately with the society. Therefore, the media may be liaised with by the government to ensure that they bring literacy on the people on ways with which they can participate in decision formulation. Slum people are at the Centre of the current exclusion in health systems and their voices need to be articulated through redefining political relationship existing between the slum dwellers and the parliament (WHO Kobe Center, 2005). This is so as to ensure that there is enhanced participation of the slum dwellers to the daily running of the slums. It is for that reason that many slums continue to suffer since they cannot afford proper services or even appropriate However, although this may not occur overnight, a lot of patience is required among every person. There also needs to be reforms that model policy as well as institutional practices to be responsive to all people. In fact, there needs to be reforms that inform policy on the best ways with which underprivileged people’s opinions may be considered (WHO Kobe Center, 2005). Therefore, incorporating the necessary inclusion reforms in all health care levels ensures that people’s voices are considered in decision making. Policies at the very best regulate systems and thus coming up with guidelines that ensure that ensure that citizen’s voices get considered is a sound move. This will ensure that citizen’s side of view get considered not just because it is right but also because the various bodies are mandated to do so. In order to ensure that there is proper participation from the citizens, health systems must take note of strategizing on new metrics. In fact, all stakeholders should ensure that they get to know of health determinants as well as other dynamics in order for them to partake proper governance. This will further enable them to lay down decisions that culminate to proper governance such as inclusion of the society in the system. One such tool that has been invoked is the score card that is utilized in gauging accountability in the society (International Rescue Committee, 2014). The tool relies upon change theory and in Congo it gets influenced heavily by factors such as lack of knowledge as to what the roles the providers have to fulfill. In addition, the other factor that determines the applicability of the scorecard is that accountability norms are weakly advocated and this leads to most services users actually go their way to ensure that they acquire such services (International Rescue Committee, 2014). The other aspect influencing the application of the score card was the fact the non-consideration of citizen’s assertions. This has actually been a norm in most systems since they rarely if not at all take note of ideas of society members and thus are not informed as expected. One of the presumed outcomes of the score card is that of changed community processes such as involvement in decision making. This change is expected to crop up from the utilization of the score card in depicting the situation of health systems. Such participation will be achieved through ensuring that citizens get involved in discussions with their leaders so as to give contributions as to what they expect to be done unto them in health care. Awareness needs to be instilled in people in a bid to make them know their right of involvement in decision formulation. Increased awareness is yet the other change supposed to emanate from the utilization of the score card. Awareness is geared towards ensuring that all users or rather citizens are well informed and that they do not ignorantly give away their rights in the running of health systems. In most instances, citizens are not informed on what different organs should be doing in enhancing their lives. This has led to alienation of these citizens in decision formulation and hence they are automatically withdrawn from giving contributions on to the matters that model or shape their lives. Therefore, taking note of practices that lead to enhanced participation by the public in coming up with decisions in any system will ensure that policy formulation as well as conducting of other activities is well informed. In fact, this will ascertain that the systems are client-based and responsive. When the people are properly engaged in decision formulation, there are many benefits that come by. For instance, access to any services becomes more possible. This is because there are improvements in the infrastructure especially in local communities to ensure that they can easily benefit from services directly and easily. This further ensures that there is efficiency in health care. In addition, relationships become enhanced in health care such as between different service providers for instance managers hence bringing forth efficiency in the health sector. In addition, there are behavioral transformations in health care such as provision of more professionals in the local health domains. Increased professionals in the local sectors thus ensure that there are improved sectors in health care. 4. Introduction Climate change has had many impacts on the world populace generally. However, major repercussions that have continued to be associated with climatic changes has been increased malnutrition as well as food insecurity and diseases. The past two decades has seen approximation of 200 people suffer due to hunger (Lampis and Arabella, 2012). In addition, 805 million people have been said to suffer due to chronic critical starvation between the periods 2012-2104 (Lampis and Arabella, 2012). In fact, any society whereby there is a manifestation of food insecurity as well as malnutrition is directly linked to poverty.With regards to North Africa, it has been highlighted that there has been increased hunger amongst the inhabitants (Ramin, 2009): This could be due to the fact that people have little if not limited standards of livelihood as they may have higher spending buying food as opposed to enhancing their lives. Another report conducted in 2014, there was depiction of 805 people been entrenched in the food insecurity. Therefore, climatic changes have widely contributed to hunger among people (Rapley,2012). Climatic changes have also contributed to such situations as floods or even droughts. Such disasters have thus had to blame for the deteriorated livelihoods among people since they have to suffer irreplaceable damage whether in terms of food crops or even living structures. This therefore, takes them aback since they are left with nothing to own and may have to stay in the cold or skip meals for days. Such life depicts a situation of poverty brought along by climatic changes among these people. Extreme rains or storms may also destroy infrastructures and other properties and thus culminating to poverty. This therefore continues to make people poor and miserable in their lives even the minorities (Dowling and Chin-Fang, 2009). This is thus a clear depiction that climatic changes can be of untold suffering and loss among people and thus making them even live more poorly than they were prior to the occurrence of such unfavorable encounters. This is especially experienced in slums or congested places that entail huge populations. This is because such places are ill planned and people here have no proper sanitation. Slums are poorly governed and most of the times their hygiene is seriously wanting. The people in such cities have been literally excluded from social programs and thus continue to suffer in isolation. When Climate fluctuates, there are other repercussions that may result such as flooding being experienced in coastal fronts as well as the river deltas. The effects of floods continue to be the felt since they may affect people living alongside these areas and thus making them even poor. Therefore, climatic change entails a direct association with poverty. Statistics have it that food insecurity climatic fluctuations in most instances multiply poverty (Rapley, 2012). In fact, if not closely watched, malnutrition may be on the rise in future times. In addition, it is clear that changed climate may have adverse repercussion such as death and this may actually be a sign of poverty. This is because able people who contribute to the economy get consumed by the looming floods. The people left may also get psychological distress that may make them sick or even disturbed to the extent of not been of any aid to development. A study in France following floods experienced in 1992 at an area known Vaucluse unveiled that most adults still suffered from posttraumatic disorder because of the incidence (Few et. Al, 2004). This goes to tell us that climatic changes thus count hugely when it comes to poverty elevation. In addition, climatic changes such as floods may be associated with adverse health being experienced by the populace (Rapley, 2012). In fact, with floods comes about many life threatening ailments such as diarrhea amongst people. Flood are also closely linked to the spread of polymyelitis if people ingested any water contaminated with feacal waste as demonstrated in a case study involving the Kwazulu people in South Africa between the periods of 1987-1988 in which 51% of the people had contracted poliomyelitis through water contaminated with feacal waste after floods (Few et. Al, 2004). References Commins, Stephen. “Non-state providers, the state, and health in post-conflict fragile states. Development in Practice, 20.4–5 (June 2010): .Routledge: Taylor& Francis Group. Dowling, Jim, M, and Chin-Fang Yap. Chronic Poverty in Asia: Causes, Consequences and Policies. Singapore: World Scientific, 2009. Print. Foresti, Marta and Wild Leni. Public services at the crossroads. Ten years after the World Development Report 2004: reflections on the past decade and implications for the future. WDR 2004 anniversary conference, 28 February - 1 March World Bank, Washington DC. Franci Kebede. Global Health Disparities: Closing the Gap Through Good Governance. London: Oxford University Press. 2011. Gilson Lucy, Doherty Jane, Rene Loewenson and Victoria Francis. “Challenging Inequity through Health Systems.” Who Commission On The Social Determinants Of Health: Final Report Knowledge Network On Health Systems June 2007. Lampis Andrea and Fraser Arabella. The impact of climate change on urban settlements in Columbia. Nairobi: UN-HABITAT, 2012. Ramin, Brodie. "Slums, climate change and human health in sub-Saharan Africa." Bulletin of the World Health Organization 87. (Dec. 2009): 885-964. Web. 9 June 2015. Rapley Chris. The health impacts of climate change. Department of Earth Sciences, University College London. 2012. Save the Children. Health in the Post- 2015 Development Agenda: Save the Children’s submission to the UN consultation call for papers. London: Save the Children. December, 2012. WHO Kobe Center. A Billion Voices: Listening And Responding To The Health Needs Of Slum Dwellers and Informal Settlers In New Urban Settings1. Who Commission On Social Determinants Of Health. WHO Kobe Centre, Japan 2005 Few Roger, Mike Ahern,Franziska Matthies and Sari Kovats. Floods, health and climate change:a strategic review.Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. November 2004. International Rescue Committee. Local Accountability in Service Delivery - The Tuungane Community Scorecard Approach. Guillaume Labrecque. 2014 Read More