Global Health Issues - Essay Example

3.If you could only pick one indicator to describe the health status of a poor country, which indicator would you use and why?

If I could pick an indicator for the health status of a poor country, I would choose infancy mortality. Infant mortality rate refers to the number of deaths of children under the age of one year for every 1000 children born in a year. This rate is applicable because a poor nation lacks the resources to provide quality healthcare for infants. A poor country will have a high infant mortality rate (Skolnik 20).

4. Why is it valuable to have composite indicators like DALYs to measure the burden of disease?

Indicators that measure the burden of disease are important because they provide accurate information. The indicators combine various parameters to provide information about a country or a group of countries (Skolnik 25).

11. How does the burden of disease differ from one region to another?

The burden of disease differs from one region to another depending on the environment and economic factors. Regions, where people have a steady income, have a lower burden of disease compared to regions of low economic stability. The burden of disease is also higher in areas where environmental factors are adverse (Skolnik 38).

12. How will the burden of disease evolve in different regions over the next 20 years?

Over the next two decades, the burden of disease is projected to change substantially. Changes will be experienced overall income groups with a substantial shift away from communicable ailments and accidents over the period. Depressive disorders and heart ailments will be the leading cause of DALYs in the next two decades (Skolnik 39).