5 Biggest Threats to Global Health Progress
Healthful Vitality | 08/11/2021 | By Guest Contributor | 5 Biggest Threats to Global Health Progress
International health, public health, and global health are terms used interchangeably, yet they are different. Here, we will look into the 5 biggest threats to global health progress. Before we delve into the details, let us look at how we can define global health.
Global Health Definition
In simple terms, global health refers to the studies and practices that give importance to improving health. Here, the focus is also on furnishing healthcare support equitably across the globe. Most global health centers are present in high-income countries. But, we can always find institutions with similar purposes in low and middle-income countries. However, they have different names, and only a few people are aware of their presence.
5 Biggest Threats to Global Health Progress
1. Pandemic and Global Health Progress
As per the Journal of Infectious Diseases, a pandemic is an epidemic that affects a large area or has a global impact. However, in the 1800s, people used both these terms interchangeably. It is only in recent years there has been a clear distinction between a pandemic and an epidemic.
While analyzing the past pandemics, we can start from the 14th century Black Plague. Since then, there have been numerous pandemics over the years. They include the Cholera pandemic of 1831-31, which spread across countries through different trade routes. We have the 1889 and 1918 Influenzas, the spread of HIV- AIDS in the late 1900s, to the current COVID-19 pandemic. When we consider pandemics, the primary issue lies at the source, where there is no focus on addressing the issue.
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Lack of preparedness is a factor that became evident when COVID-19 hit different countries. Due to this, the spread of the virus increased in a way that was way more than manageable. It happened because of lack of sanitation, disease surveillance, unavailability of fresh drinking water, and other essentials. Even though there were many mitigation measures that countries could have taken, most failed to implement them. It continues to be present in how many countries are dealing with the vaccination process.
The Global Preparedness Monitor Board(GPMB) published its review, A World in Disorder, in 2020, focusing on the pandemic. It represents how the different governments have failed to prevent the pandemic. From this, it is evident that a pandemic can affect global health progress in different ways.
2. Natural and Environmental Factors
Climate change is a crucial factor that can have a drastic impact on our global health condition. As per WHO, 250,000 additional deaths would happen due to climate change between 2030 and 2050. Climate change is happening because of human activities, which have resulted in the release of carbon dioxide and an increase in temperature. Besides that, they have also paved the way for the sea-level rise and the melting of glaciers. Because of these changes, new diseases and health concerns are forming from time to time.
Due to climate change and other activities, there has been an increase in the number of natural disasters taking place around us. Disasters like droughts and floods lead to the destruction of medical facilities and homes. Floods can result in increasing the spread of waterborne diseases. When there is an increase in temperature, it can impact agriculture, which would lower food production. It is a factor that leads to malnutrition.
An increase in pollution is one of the biggest threats to global health progress. For instance, the presence of fine particles in the air can enter our lungs, which can cause heart attacks and other ailments like asthma. It can also impact brain development in children.
3. Politics and Corruption
When the political factors are not in the correct place, it can cause social inequalities. In some countries like Sweden and Austria, the government gives importance to welfare. They spend money on healthcare and focus on improving the conditions of living. In liberal democratic countries like the US and Great Britain, there is a strong capitalist culture. Due to this, the amount spent on healthcare is low.
Corruption is a factor that continues to affect several governing bodies. In countries where there is a capitalist culture, the Market decides on the economic performance and there is a higher chance of corruption. Corruption would lead to informal payment, absenteeism, poor governance, wage and income inequality, and incentives. Because of this, the goals of equality and provision of services are lagging in many countries. It became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic even in leading economies.
4. Economic and Educational Disruptions
Economic disparities can lead to a rise in income inequalities and financial gaps. There is a correlation between economic conditions and the inability to seek medical assistance. Due to the presence of economic gaps, many people don’t have health insurance care.
As of 2020, 30 million people in the US don’t have health insurance cover as per the National Health Insurance Survey (NHIS). When there is a lack of insurance cover, people opt out of their regular checkups, immunization and have limited access to medical care.
Besides that, lack of education, especially related to health care, has a crucial impact on global health progress. The presence of inaccurate information is yet another factor that affects the global health system. Since there are countless sources through which people can avail information, it is becoming challenging to monitor them and provide the right resources.
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5. Non Communicable Diseases
As per the report published by WHO, non-communicable diseases cause 71% of deaths globally. Some of the non-communicable diseases include Parkinson’s disease, heart conditions, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, strokes, chronic kidney disease, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cataracts, and others.
Regardless of the age group, these diseases act as one of the biggest threats to global health progress. Research shows that these health conditions have a drastic impact on developing countries. It is because of different reasons that range from poverty to urbanization.
Economic conditions, environmental pollution, unavailability of resources are also causing the spread of these non-communicable diseases. However, in recent years, different governmental organizations are putting forward activities to integrate and solve the issues related to these diseases. By taking the right initiatives, we could achieve global health progress. Nevertheless, there are numerous changes that different economies have to work on to attain this milestone.
(Related Article: Global Health Definition and Its Vital Components)