Dangers to Health Posed by Rapid Urbanization - Essay Example

Dangers to Health Posed by Rapid Urbanization College: Introduction Research has shown that by 2030, almost 75% of the people in the world will be living in urban areas (World Health Organization, 2006). Rapid urbanization has been on the rise especially in the developing countries. People are moving away towards the cities from rural places. Although efficiently running cities are a mark of development, rapid urbanization is a double-edged sword. It brings with it the benefits of urbanization but on the other hand, it has disadvantages. Poorly designed urban areas have led to risks such as unstable social relationships, water crises, pollution and the spread of diseases. The problems are made worse as migration increases. WHO, through their Global Outlook report 2015, identified health as one of the areas that posed a challenge due to rapid urbanization (World Health Organization, 2006). Some of the dangers imposed on health are the spread of infectious diseases and communicable diseases such as tuberculosis. Lifestyle diseases like cancer cannot be left out. Public health interventions have established plans on how to manage some of the illnesses; however, others are recurring and very resilient. The propelling factor behind all the challenges is the poor urban planning in rapid urbanization. Poverty, overcrowding, and pollution are also substitutes to the menace posed by the health of urban dwellers (World Health Organization, 2006). Health Effects Pollution is one of the effects of rapid radicalization. It is primarily attributed to the rising number of industrialization in the developing countries (Who Regional Office For The Eastern Mediterranean, 2013). It has led to water and air pollution. Apart from industries, another cause of water pollution in the poor planned urban centers are poor management of human waste (Who Regional Office For The Eastern Mediterranean, 2013). The slums found in developing countries like Kenya do not have sufficient latrines and elaborate sewage systems. The waste flows into rivers and other water bodies (Who Regional Office For The Eastern Mediterranean, 2013). The water from these sources is used to, cook, drunk and for other domestic purposes. Waterborne diseases for example typhoid, cholera, and dysentery are the result. In restaurants and cafes, the water used is usually contaminated. A recent case in New Delhi reported cases of cholera in one village because of the consumption of polluted water (Who Regional Office For The Eastern Mediterranean, 2013). The primary source of the contamination was a sewage that was drained directly into the river (Who Regional Office For The Eastern Mediterranean, 2013). The people who migrate from the rural areas to urban centers settle near the industrial zones. The poisonous gases emitted from these industries have been proven to be among the leading causes of cardiovascular diseases in both adults and children (World Health Organization, 2006). The exposure to ozone gases for an average of six to seven hours is enough to cause impairments in the functioning of the lung (World Health Organization, 2006). The scarcity of employment prompts more people to work in the industries, exposing them to more health risks. In the workplace, they are not offered apt protective gear. As a result, they develop acute respiratory illnesses due to the inhalation of poisonous fumes while working. Urban transport and the combustion of fossils also contribute to air pollution. This is a health risk not only to the people living in the cities but also globally. However, the people experiencing this at first hand are those in the urban areas. Most people in the rapid urban areas in the developing countries are adapting to the western methods of living. They try to fit in the big picture of the urban life. Fast foods are replacing the indigenous meals of the populace. People are consuming more foods rich in cholesterol and fats without including a portion of vegetables (World Health Organization, 2006). Due to the poor nutrition, people are developing lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Populations transiting from the rural lifestyle to the urban lifestyle are the most susceptible to diabetes. A study was carried out in the Asian continent comparing the prevalence in diabetes between the people living in the urban areas and rural areas. The primary aim of the study was to find out the effect of modernization the native Indians. The main subjects for the study were adults above twenty years. Type 2 diabetes had 11.6% prevalence in the urban areas and only 2.4% in the countryside (World Health Organization, 2006). A second observation drawn from the study was that the people who were living in the urban areas had an impaired glucose tolerance. In growing cities, people are not involved in hard tasks. They take part in sedentary activities that do not put them under the pressure to exercise their bodies. Lack of exercise has lead to obesity cases and the rising levels of blood sugar. Diabetes prevalence, therefore, keeps rocketing (World Health Organization, 2006). Besides the occupation undertaken by people in the urban areas encourages diabetes. They take too much food concentrated in refined sugars yet people spend most of the day in their offices. Smoking is another factor of diabetes. Most of the people who smoke in the developing countries settle in the urban areas. This may be attributed to their exposure to the tobacco in schools at a young age or due to the vices in the society. However, a habit is a disease, and the people who indulge in smoking are usually at the risk of getting diabetes and lung cancer. Modernization is one of the root causes of diabetes (Huapu, 2008). Urbanization relates to many factors that cause cancer. There are four types cancers whose leading cause is urbanization. Digestive, breast, respiratory and gastrointestinal cancer. In India, the modern women have been diagnosed with cancer compared to their rural counterparts. According to DR.Ravanshikar of the Indian cancer research institute, the primary cause of the increased levels of breast cancer among the urban women is the modernized and irregular lifestyle. In addition, people in the living in the rapid urban area face a high level of poverty. They, therefore, delay in the diagnosis of cancer. The disease usually has gone to an advanced stage by the time they get to visit a doctor (Galea, 2007). The cost of treating cancer in most developing countries is high and most patients die each year due to the various types of cancer. Respiratory cancer is also more prevalent in the urban areas due to high smoking levels and the pollution from industries. The release of chemical matter such as anthropogenic substances in countries like China causes the rise of cancer. Rapid urbanization has led to the growth of nutrition problems. Infants in the urban areas usually suffer from growth retardations at an earlier age while compared to the rural children. Rickets have also been diagnosed more among the children in the urban areas (Rushing, 2010). This difference is attributed to the difference in diet. In the urban area, diet includes meat products while in the rural areas they take more of calories and total protein. Most children in the rapid urban areas are underfed and their nutrition is worse. People living in slum areas face these problems because they find it difficult to cope with the fluctuating levels of food prices (Galea, 2007). Food competes with other necessities such as transport to work and rent. Most of the families opt to purchase their food from the local shops to avoid the transportation costs to the market at central places. Furthermore, they lack time to set up and cook food properly. The cooking space is limited. The slum dwellers have no choice but to depend on the local food vendors. They do not have second thoughts on the hygiene of the food as long as they have something to put in their tummies. Most of this food is unhealthy, and is another cause of diseases (Bonilla-Chacín, 2013). Most of the women in the rapid urban settlement take the role of the heads of their families. In Latin America, most women have been taking lead over the years, according to the United Nations. Unlike in the rural areas, the support given to them is minimal. The low-income earners have to go to work early in the morning and go home late at night. This has necessitated the feeding of children using bottles. Some of the mothers continue to give milk powder to their children, usually prepared in an unhygienic manner. It is a very dangerous to the health of the infants despite the availability of health facilities (Semba & Bloem, 2008). There are many communicable diseases in the developing countries urban areas. Overpopulation and inadequate housing give a boost to the spread of the disease (Galea, 2007). Common cold and tuberculosis are some of the conditions that reports from the public health services indicate to be on the rise (Lai & Mak, 2007). Tuberculosis is spread through the sputum of an infected person. The medications used to treat the disease are now more available in the developing countries, but the people in rapid urban centers do not complete the medication because they have no follow up. Common cold in the digital age remains a challenge in the developing countries. Urbanization has led to the spread of social vices like prostitution and drug abuse (Galea, 2007). Indulging in these activities leads to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases like HIV /Aids, Syphilis and others. Statistics have shown that Africa and Asia record the largest cases of sexually transmitted infections especially among people between the ages of 16 and 35.The spread has been attributed to inadequate sensitization in the urban areas. Conclusion Rapid urbanization has caused significant dangers to health, especially in the developing countries. The communicable and lifestyle diseases are still posing challenges to the populace. Unless the various governments come up with intervention, strategies, the problem will not fade. Some of the suggested solutions to the problem are rural development, improved primary healthcare delivery and nutritional programs. All relevant stakeholders should come together to implement the changes. References Bonilla-Chacín, M. E. (2013). Promoting healthy living in Latin America and the Caribbean: governance of multisectoral activities to prevent risk factors for noncommunicable diseases Coulthart, A., Nguyen, Q., & Sharpe, H. (2006). Urban development strategy: meeting the challenges of rapid urbanization and the transition to a market oriented economy. [Hanoi?], World Bank in Vietnam. Finkel, M. L. (2011). Public health in the 21st century. Santa Barbara, Calif, Praeger. http://www.credoreference.com/book/abcpubhealth. Galea, S. (2007). Macrosocial determinants of population health. New York, NY: Springer. Huapu, L. (2008). Sustainable urban mobility in rapid urbanization: theory and practice in China. Beijing, China Railway Publishing House. Lai, P. and Mak, A. (2007). GIS for health and the environment. Berlin: Springer. Rushing, W. (2010). Urbanization. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. Semba, R. D., & Bloem, M. W. (2008). Nutrition and health in developing countries. Totowa, NJ, Humana Press. World Health Organization, (2006). Guidelines for the Safe Use of Wastewater, Excreta and Greywater. Geneva: World Health Organization. Who Regional Office For The Eastern Mediterranean, (2013). Effects of urbanization on incidence of noncommunicable diseases. [S.l.]: World Health Organization. Read More