Good for Society vs. Individual Freedom - Essay Example

 Good for Society vs. Individual Freedom Abstract This paper aims to present a discourse to analyze and evaluate the statements: “if there is an issue that goes to the heart of the balance between “good for society vs. individual freedom”, it’s safety. All of these issues have community-health implications. So what do we do?” The essay would examine the importance of safety in the delivery of health care, the agencies responsible for its incorporation in health institutions and the actions that these agencies take. Safety is one of the main problems and concerns investigated and controlled by the society and the government. The main health-care problem that the government is obliged to tackle is proliferation of diseases (namely pandemics and viruses). In contrast with traditional viruses such as smallpox and poliomyelitis, new viruses of fearful scope have now appeared. HIV/AIDS and avian influenza are the main threats to safety and existence of mankind. The threat can be explained by the fact that the alterations of mutation, resentment, and recombination, viruses could have evolved their own genetic structure. According to statistical results, 448,871 people live with AIDS in America. Annually, 17,047 cases of Hepatitis A are notified by the Health Department; and about 3.9 million people in the United States live with Hepatitis C (National Center of Health Statistics 2009). The agencies responsible for tacking relevant issues pertaining to safety are the US Department of Health and the Human Services and Immunology and Virology Agencies. These agencies are responsible for control over the proliferation of diseases and preventive measures against these diseases. Vaccination is the medical strategy for stimulating the immune system to protect against a specific disease agent prior to exposure. Provoking an immune response before a natural viral infection occurs acts to "blueprint" immunologic memory so that cells involved in making the potential antiviral immune response are primed and held alert. When confronted with the full strength infectious virus, these primed cells react quickly and with greater intensity than unprimed cells, thus enhancing the host's ability to successfully combat and control the infection. The recent appearance of the hemorrhagic fever viruses and HIV provide current challenges to a new generation of microbial hunters. Smallpox, poliomyelitis, measles virus, and yellow fever likewise challenged medical researchers in the past (Willis and Adelowo 1997). Evolving viruses, whose mutations cause changes in their genomes, combined with the intrusion of human populations in new agricultural and forest lands, generate new infectious agents and new infectious diseases. With the appropriate resources to do the work, talent to undertake the task, and continuing technologic advances, the viruses causing hemorrhagic fevers should be as controllable as smallpox, yellow fever, measles, and poliomyelitis viruses (Smith 2001). In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), “provides leadership in helping control the HIV/AIDS epidemic by working with community, state, national, and international partners in surveillance, research, and prevention and evaluation activities. These activities are critically important, because CDC estimates that over one million Americans are living with HIV, and 24 to 27% of these people are unaware of their HIV infection.” (CDC 2009) This agency ensures implementation prevention strategies such as utilization of new and more effective drug therapies, diverse programs and divisions which entail comprehensive research work to support people afflicted with AIDS. In order to pacify the opponents, the HHS ensures that it is the principal agency in charge of “protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.” (HHS: What We Do 2009) It undertakes the implementation of 300 programs of which disease prevention, including immunization services, is one of its highlights. The importance of safety in health care is duly recognized by the State Occupational Safety and Health Plans by encouraging each state to develop job safety and health programs (State Occupational Safety and Health Plans 2009). Further, a commission oversees, evaluates and accredits health care organizations in the US through the Joint Commission whose mission is “to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission has maintained state-of-the-art standards that focus on improving the quality and safety of care provided by health care organizations.” (The Joint Commission 2009) CONCLUSION Safety concerns and problems can be eliminated by the concerted efforts of the state and the local health communities. Governing agencies of the country ensure that health organizations comply with safety standards for patient care. It is only through constant monitoring that these organizations do the right thing and do them effectively and efficiently, would patients be assured that they are accorded the best health care. Indeed, safety is the primary concern which balances issues between which are considered good for society given individual freedom when delivering health care to those who need it most. References CDC Responds to HIV/AIDS. (2009).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved on March 25, 2009 from HHS: What We Do. (2000). U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved on March 25, 2009 from National Center of Health Statistics. (2009). Retrieved on March 25, 2009 from Smith, G.L., Irving, W.L., McCauley, J.W., Rowlamds, D. J. (2001). New Challenges to Health: The Threat of Virus Infection. Cambridge University Press; 1 edition. State Occupational Safety and Health Plans. (2009). Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Retrieved on March 25, 2009 from The Joint Commission. (2009). Facts About The Joint Commission. Retrieved on March 26, 2009 from Willis, J. Adelowo, A., (1997). Reporting on Risks: The Practice and Ethics of Health and Safety Communication. Praeger Publishers. Read More