Global Health and the Millennium Development Goals

Objectives

At the end of the lesson you are expected to:

1. Determine the different global health issues and the initiatives made to help address these
problems;

2. Show the value of global health and millennium development goals through poster making; and

3. Create a poster in relation to millennium development goals.

Motivation

Directions: I will give you 5 minutes to look the words/terms that are related to our topic for today.

Unlocking of Difficulties

To get a better understanding of the lesson, you need to know the words you may encounter
during the discussion.

Words Definitions

Millennium a period of a thousand years, especially when calculated

from the traditional date of the birth of Christ.
 WHO World Health Organization

FCTC Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

Discussion

Read the knowledge sheet, then decide how much you can recall and how much you
learned by reacting to activities.

Knowledge Sheet

GLOBAL HEALTH AND THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

• The term “global health” rose in popularity along with the rise of globalization. It is defined as
diverse health issues, concerns and trends which call for all nations to address and act on to
promote and protect health of individuals and groups across boundaries.

Ilona Kickbush (2006), director of the Global Health Program at the Graduate Institute of
International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland states that global health pertains to
various health issues, concerns, and trends which go beyond national boundaries and call for global
initiatives for the protection and promotion of peoples’ health across the world. Koplan and Associates
(2009) states that global health is an area for study, research and practice that prioritizes health
improvement and achieving impartiality in healthcare and wellness worldwide. Beaglehole and Bonita
(2010) gave a short but meaningful definition of global health: cooperative research and action of
international communities to promote health for all.

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals are eight targets that all 191 UN Member
States have agreed to achieve by 2015. The United Nations Millennium Declaration, signed in September
2000 commits world leaders to fight discrimination against women and children, disease, hunger,
poverty, illiteracy, and environmental degradation. All of these goals cannot be attained without
addressing each and everyone. All of them influence, affect and depend on better global health
programs and policies.

The United Nations Millennium Development Goals are eight targets that all 191 UN Member
States have agreed to achieve by 2015. The United Nations Millennium Declaration, signed in September
2000 commits world leaders to fight discrimination against women and children, disease, hunger,
poverty, illiteracy, and environmental degradation. All of these goals cannot be attained without
addressing each and everyone. All of them influence, affect and depend on better global health
programs and policies.

8 MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Developing countries particularly in Africa and Asia suffer from extreme
poverty and hunger. Poverty and hunger leads to severe malnutrition
which leads to lifelong physical and cognitive (learning and reasoning) damage and affects health, well-
being and the economy. Some key suggestions to eradicate poverty and hunger are:

 Education
 Promoting gender equality
 Producing more jobs
 Investing more in agriculture
 Strengthened nutrition programs for children and infants
 Support and protection of developing and vulnerable countries during
crises

Persons, particularly women who are educated, are more likely to seek
medical care especially during pregnancy, ensuring proper nutrition for
their family, adopting healthy sanitary practices and ensuring
immunization of children. As an effect, infants and children have better
survival rates, are healthier and better nourished. If these are attained,
children who receive primary education are more likely to:

 Marry and have their own families at a later stage in life

 Practice family planning and have fewer
children
 Know rights, responsibilities and civic
obligations
 Seek employment and sustain personal and family needs
 Have decreased risk of getting sexually transmitted infections like
HIV/AIDS
 Support and protection of developing and vulnerable countries during
crises

Gender equality means equal representation of men and women. It implies that all gender
should have equal value and treatment. Equal gender treatment empowers
women and other groups creating opportunities in education, work,
finances, and other aspects which improves the economy and lessen effects
of financial crises. Gender equality can be achieved through:

 Early childhood development intervention

 Promotion of women’s political rights and involvement
 Improved reproductive health programs and policies
 Education and integrating gender equality in
school curriculum
 Improved women’s access to work and strengthened labor policies for
women
 Support and protection of developing and
vulnerable countries during crises
 Programs and policies which help reduce child mortality like improving nutritional intake,
healthcare facilities and infrastructure, and other fields which improve children’s lives. Strengthening
local and national health programs and policies is one way to reduce child mortality. This includes:

 Immunization programs
 Assuring the survival and better health of mothers
 Improving reproductive health programs and policies
 Better nutrition program for infants, children and mothers

Improved maternal health is not only about mother’s health but also involves the health and
wellness of the family. Maternal health also helps eradicate other
problems like poverty, gender inequality, decreased workforce, lower
birth deaths, and disability of women. Some ways to improve maternal
health include:

 Improved and proper nutrition of mothers

 Teaching the benefits of birth spacing and small family size
 Educating young boys and girls about the importance of
maternal health
 Better and improved access to hospital care especially
obstetrics- gynecology, prenatal
and postnatal care
Emerging and re-emerging diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, influenza and other diseases affect
productivity and growth of nations. Some of the effects of disease
outbreak are loss of jobs, shortage in professional workers, and creating
social crises. Children are the most vulnerable and are exposed to
exploitation and abuse undermining their normal growth and
development. Some ways to combat diseases include effective
prevention, treatment and care like:

 Improved housing conditions

 Increased access to anti-malarial medicines
 Promoting safer sex behavior and preventive
education for all
 Promoting Tuberculosis (TB) screening of HIV/AIDS persons and
 TB - Directly Observed Treatment Short (TB-DOTS) Course therapy
 Promoting the use of insecticide-treated nets to fight mosquito-borne
diseases

Investing and supporting sustainable energy like

solar, wind and water energy help support jobs, create
business opportunities, and save remaining non-renewable
energy sources. Environmental sustainability assures peoples
to live healthier and enjoy a clean and green environment.
Some of the benefits of a sustainable environment are:

 Cleaner air and environment

  Clean, environment-friendly, and renewable energy
 New and aspiring jobs and business in energy
 Increased access to sanitation

The United Nations, World Health Organization, World Bank and

governments work together to make sure there is fair trade and
that heavily indebted countries obtain relief and funds to combat
poverty, malnutrition and funds for education and social projects.

Some benefits of global partnership are:

 Expanded international trade agreements

 Improved access to affordable medicine
 Reduced poverty through government debt relief grant
 Developed information and communication technology (ICT)
infrastructure

GLOBAL PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF TOBACCO

WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC)

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is the prime international
treaty negotiated under WHO. The WHO FCTC came into existence in reaction to the global epidemic
of tobacco use and abuse. It reaffirms the right of every individual across the world to the highest
standard of health promoting public health and providing new legal means for global health
cooperation.

The following summarizes the WHO FCTC provisions:

1. Price and tax measures to reduce the demand for tobacco, and
2. Non-price measures to reduce the demand for tobacco, namely:
• Protection from exposure to tobacco smoke;
• Regulation of the contents of tobacco products;
• Regulation of tobacco product disclosures;
• New packaging and labeling of tobacco products;
• Education, communication, training and public awareness;
• Demand reduction measures concerning tobacco dependence and cessation; and
• Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship

GLOBAL INITIATIVE FOR MENTAL HEALTH

Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020

The “Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020” is the result of extensive research
and consultations by stakeholders, member nations, academic and non-government centers across
the globe. The mental health action plan should be impartial, life-based, and preventive in nature. It
basically addresses the following:
 • To fight and alleviate negative trends in mental health,
• To improve and make mental health services and care accessible, and
• To prevent abuse of rights and unjust treatment against people with mental problems,
disorders, and disabilities which are still prevalent around the world.

ACTIVITY 1

Direction: Predict the global effects if the eight Millennium Development Goals were achieved
or not achieved.

Goal No. Millennium What if this goal is What if this goal is

Development Goals achieved? not achieved?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

GENERALIZATION

Enumerate the 9 Millennium Development Goals

Do you think the Philippines will be able to achieve these eight goals?

ACTIVITY 2

Direction: Choose one from 8 millennium development goals and create a poster on how you
will achieve that goal.
Materials:
1. 1pc white Carolina or Oslo paper.
2. Coloring materials.
3. Pencil, erasers, ruler, sharpeners, pen and etc.
4. The poster will be judged according to the following rubric:

Criteria 5 4 3 2
Craftsmanship The poster is The poster is The poster is The poster is
exceptionally attractive in acceptably distractedly
attractive in terms of attractive messy.
terms of neatness. Good though it may
 neatness. Well- construction and be a bit messy.
constructed and not very messy.
not messy.
Creativity Poster is Poster is Poster is The poster does
exceptionally creative and a creative and not reflect any
creative. A lot of good amount of some thought degree of
thought and thought was put was put into creativity.
effort was used into decorating decorating it.
to make the it.
poster.
Originality Exceptional use Good use of new Average use of No use of new
of new ideas ideas and new ideas and ideas and
and originality originality to originality to originality to
to create poster. create poster. create poster. create poster
Neatness Clean, neat, Minor issues Problems with Poster clearly
free of tears, cleanliness, cleanliness, demonstrates
wrinkles, wrinkles, wrinkles, lack of care and
smudges, and smudges, and smudges, no effort.
stray marks. stray marks. and/or stay
marks present
are very
noticeable.
Effort The student The student The student The student did
gave an effort completed the finished the not finish the
far beyond the project in an project, but it work in a
requirements of above average lacks finishing satisfactory
the project. manner, yet touches or can manner.
more could be improved
have been done upon with little
effort.
Time Plate was Student needed Student needed Student needed
management turned in on extra time (1 excessive time excessive time
time or early. day) to finish (2 days) to (3 days) to
project. finish project. finish project.