Overview of Global Health: Difference between revisions

No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 19: Line 19:
# Population aging<ref>The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation: 11 global health issues to watch in 2023, according to IHME experts. 2022.  Available from: https://www.healthdata.org/news-events/insights-blog/acting-data/11-global-health-issues-watch-2023-according-ihme-experts</ref>
# Population aging<ref>The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation: 11 global health issues to watch in 2023, according to IHME experts. 2022.  Available from: https://www.healthdata.org/news-events/insights-blog/acting-data/11-global-health-issues-watch-2023-according-ihme-experts</ref>


== Social Determinants of Health ==
=== Low-Resource Countries ===
The ultimate goal of global health is to promote health, improve health equity and reduce health disparities.<ref name=":0" />  To effectively improve health and reduce inequities, social determinants of health needs to addressed.  Social determinants of health (SDH) are non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. <ref name=":3">World Health Organization. Social Determinants of Health. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1</ref> These factors are conditions in which individuals are born, grow, age, live and work that shape their daily life.<ref>Saraswathy SY. [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23779497.2021.1929387 Global Health Security: Addressing Social Determinants of Health through programmes and other initiatives]. Global Security: Health, Science and Policy. 2021 Jan 1;6(1):38-48.</ref> SDH's account for 30-55% of health outcomes demonstrating that they may be more important in influencing health rather than health care or lifestyle choices.  Therefore, addressing SDH is a critical component to improving global health.<ref name=":3" />
The ultimate goal of global health is to promote health, improve health equity and reduce health disparities.<ref name=":0" />  Research shows the lower the individuals' socioeconomic position, the worse their health outcome is. <ref name=":3">World Health Organization. Social Determinants of Health. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1</ref>Because of this, lower resource countries are particularly susceptible to poor health outcomes.  Some staggering statistics on low-resource countries are listed below:
* over 2 billion people lack access to clean water


The following are examples of social determinants of health which can have either a positive or negative consequence on health:
*over 4.2 billion people lack access to safely managed sanitary services
*over 3 billion people lack basic handwashing facilities<ref>World Health Organization.  Available from: https://www.who.int/news/item/18-06-2019-1-in-3-people-globally-do-not-have-access-to-safe-drinking-water-unicef-who</ref>
*41 million people die each year from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) (equal to 74% of global deaths)
**77% of all NCDs deaths are in low-and middle-income countries


* Education
* Most common NCDs
* Income and social protection
*#Cardiovascular disease (17.9 annually)
* Food Insecurity
*#cancers (9.3 million)
* Social inclusion
*#chronic respiratory disease (4.1 million)
* Early childhood development
*#diabetes (2.0 million)<ref>World Health Organization.  Noncommunicable diseases. 2022.  Available from: [https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases#:~:text=Key%20facts,%2D%20and%20middle%2Dincome%20countries. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases#:~:text=Key%20facts,%2D%20and%20middle%2Dincome%20countries.]</ref>
* Unemployment and job insecurity
* Working life conditions
* Housing, basic amenities and the environment
* Structural conflict
* Access to affordable and quality health services<ref name=":3" />  


Research shows the lower the individuals' socioeconomic position, the worse their health outcome is. <ref name=":3" />Because of this, lower resource countries are particularly susceptible to poor health outcomes.  Their SDH affect them negatively due to their environmental conditions.  Some staggering statistics on low-resource countries are listed below:
*''Of all NCD deaths, 77% are in low- and middle-income countries.''


* over 2 billion people lack of access to clean water and sanitastion
== Determinants of Health ==
Health outcomes of individuals and communities result from a combination of many factors.  The environment and circumstances that people live play a large role in whether they are healthy or not.  These factors are referred to as the [https://www.physio-pedia.com/Determinants_of_Health determinants of health] and can be grouped into the following categories:


*
# the social and economic environment
# the physical environment
# the individual's characteristics and behaviours


''Lack of access to water and sanitation highlights some of the greatest inequities in global health. Approximatel.   high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases at the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2011, only the second such meeting devoted to health, emphasized how these diseases now dominate health worldwide (37). More than 60% of preventable deaths worldwide are now attributable to noncommunicable diseases (cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases); in low-income and middle-income countries, 48% of such deaths occur in persons <70 years of age, compared with 26% in high-income countries (38). The incidence of these conditions is also increasing rapidly in Africa, a region in which urbanization and population growth are most extreme.''
The following list expands on these categories and demonstrates how each relate positively or negatively to health outcomes.
 
* Income and social status:
** higher social status and high income correlated to better health
** larger the gap between the wealthiest and poorest people, the greater the differences in health
* Education:
** lower education levels are correlated with poorer health, less self-confidence and more stress <ref name=":4">Gumà J, Solé-Auró A, Arpino B. [https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-7054-0 Examining social determinants of health: the role of education, household arrangements and country groups by gender.] BMC public health. 2019 Dec;19:1-9.</ref>
* Physical environment;
** safe water/houses/communities/roads all attribute to good health
** clean air, healthy workplaces, employment lead to healthier outcomes
* Social support networks:
** more support from families, friends and communities relates to better health<ref name=":4" />
** customs, beliefs and traditions affects health  
* Genetics:
** plays a role in determining likelihood of developing certain illnesses
 
* Personal behaviour:
** healthy eating, staying active, smoking and drinking all affect health
 
* Health services:
** access and the use of services that prevent and treat disease influences health
* Gender:
** different types of diseases affect men and women differently and at different stages of life<ref>World Health Organization.  Determinants of Health. 2017. Available from: [https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/determinants-of-health#:~:text=Income%20and%20social%20status%20%2D%20higher,stress%20and%20lower%20self%2Dconfidence. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/determinants-of-health#:~:text=Income%20and%20social%20status%20%2D%20higher,stress%20and%20lower%20self%2Dconfidence.]</ref>


''The risk factors for noncommunicable diseases are associated with urbanization and altered lifestyles, especially smoking, physical inactivity, air pollution, unhealthy diet, and excessive alcohol use. Hypertension, obesity, and increased cholesterol levels are measurable indicators predicting adverse outcomes, and specific chronic infections, such as those with hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, are linked to certain cancers. In<ref name=":2" />''


== SDG ==
== SDG ==

Revision as of 22:19, 30 July 2023

Definition[edit | edit source]

Global health is a broad term that entails promoting health and preventing and treating diseases for all people throughout the globe.[1] It transcends geographical, national and cultural boundaries by targeting populations in all countries. [1] Global health differs from public health in that it focuses on the entire global community versus a specific country or community. [2] Its goal is to protect the world's population against threats to health while delivering cost-effective services.[3] Global health aims to seek broad solutions including partnerships, frameworks, policies, regulations and laws that can be implemented through government and communities. [1]

Issues within global health have a global impact with the goal of seeking a global solution. With economic growth, rapid and uneven paced globalisation and technological development, more health issues are having a global impact. Some examples include, health disparities, internet abuse, spread of sedentary lifestyle, lack of physical activity, rates of substance abuse, obesity, depression and mental health issues.[1] Global solutions are not in the form of medical interventions, but in the form of policies, frameworks, laws and regulations are needed for these global issues. [1]

According to The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the following are the top current issues within global health:

  1. Long COVID
  2. Mental health
  3. Impact on climate change
  4. Cardiovascular disease
  5. Lower respiratory infection
  6. Poverty's role in health
  7. Health systems strengthening
  8. Diabetes
  9. Road injuries
  10. Dementia
  11. Population aging[4]

Low-Resource Countries[edit | edit source]

The ultimate goal of global health is to promote health, improve health equity and reduce health disparities.[1] Research shows the lower the individuals' socioeconomic position, the worse their health outcome is. [5]Because of this, lower resource countries are particularly susceptible to poor health outcomes. Some staggering statistics on low-resource countries are listed below:

  • over 2 billion people lack access to clean water
  • over 4.2 billion people lack access to safely managed sanitary services
  • over 3 billion people lack basic handwashing facilities[6]
  • 41 million people die each year from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) (equal to 74% of global deaths)
    • 77% of all NCDs deaths are in low-and middle-income countries
  • Most common NCDs
    1. Cardiovascular disease (17.9 annually)
    2. cancers (9.3 million)
    3. chronic respiratory disease (4.1 million)
    4. diabetes (2.0 million)[7]
  • Of all NCD deaths, 77% are in low- and middle-income countries.

Determinants of Health[edit | edit source]

Health outcomes of individuals and communities result from a combination of many factors. The environment and circumstances that people live play a large role in whether they are healthy or not. These factors are referred to as the determinants of health and can be grouped into the following categories:

  1. the social and economic environment
  2. the physical environment
  3. the individual's characteristics and behaviours

The following list expands on these categories and demonstrates how each relate positively or negatively to health outcomes.

  • Income and social status:
    • higher social status and high income correlated to better health
    • larger the gap between the wealthiest and poorest people, the greater the differences in health
  • Education:
    • lower education levels are correlated with poorer health, less self-confidence and more stress [8]
  • Physical environment;
    • safe water/houses/communities/roads all attribute to good health
    • clean air, healthy workplaces, employment lead to healthier outcomes
  • Social support networks:
    • more support from families, friends and communities relates to better health[8]
    • customs, beliefs and traditions affects health
  • Genetics:
    • plays a role in determining likelihood of developing certain illnesses
  • Personal behaviour:
    • healthy eating, staying active, smoking and drinking all affect health
  • Health services:
    • access and the use of services that prevent and treat disease influences health
  • Gender:
    • different types of diseases affect men and women differently and at different stages of life[9]


SDG[edit | edit source]

its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

The SDGs build on decades of work by countries and the UN, including the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs


https://sdgs.un.org/goals

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Chen X, Li H, Lucero-Prisno DE, Abdullah AS, Huang J, Laurence C, Liang X, Ma Z, Mao Z, Ren R, Wu S. What is global health? Key concepts and clarification of misperceptions. Global health research and policy. 2020 Dec;5(1):1-8.
  2. ↑ Beaglehole R, Bonita R. What is global health?. Global Health Action. 2010;3.
  3. ↑ De Cock KM, Simone PM, Davison V, Slutsker L. The new global health. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2013 Aug;19(8):1192.
  4. ↑ The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation: 11 global health issues to watch in 2023, according to IHME experts. 2022. Available from: https://www.healthdata.org/news-events/insights-blog/acting-data/11-global-health-issues-watch-2023-according-ihme-experts
  5. ↑ World Health Organization. Social Determinants of Health. Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1
  6. ↑ World Health Organization. Available from: https://www.who.int/news/item/18-06-2019-1-in-3-people-globally-do-not-have-access-to-safe-drinking-water-unicef-who
  7. ↑ World Health Organization. Noncommunicable diseases. 2022. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases#:~:text=Key%20facts,%2D%20and%20middle%2Dincome%20countries.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Gumà J, Solé-Auró A, Arpino B. Examining social determinants of health: the role of education, household arrangements and country groups by gender. BMC public health. 2019 Dec;19:1-9.
  9. ↑ World Health Organization. Determinants of Health. 2017. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/determinants-of-health#:~:text=Income%20and%20social%20status%20%2D%20higher,stress%20and%20lower%20self%2Dconfidence.
Retrieved from "https://www.physio-pedia.com/index.php?title=Overview_of_Global_Health&oldid=339402"