HEALTH 10 QUARTER 3

HEALTH
TRENDS,
ISSUES, AND
CONCERNS
( GLOBAL LEVEL)
INTRODUCTION:

For its central role in global affairs, health issues are among the
priority concerns of the United Nations. It thus designated the W orld Health
Organization to serve as the lead agency tasked to direct and coordinate with
all member nations regarding leadership, supervision, technical support and
education on matters about health, which affects many countries —including
the Philippines.
In the 21st century, public health protection is viewed both as a shared
duty and obligation. Thus, people need to understand global issues, concerns
and trends that include fair access to essential healthcare and protection
against multinational threats which directly or indirectly affect the health and
lives of billions of people worldwide.
 GLOBAL HEALTH AND
THE MILLENNIUM
DEVELOPMENT GOALS

The term “global health” rose in popularity

along with the rise of globalization. Both terms
improved public awareness of vulnerabilities and
shared responsibilities among people for the different
injustices in the world.

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.
 Millennium Development Goals
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
1. D EVELOPING C OU NTRIES PAR TICULARLY IN AFR IC A AN D ASIA SU FFER FR OM
EXTR EME POVER TY AN D H U N GER. POVER TY AN D H U N GER LEAD S TO SEVER E
M ALNUTRITION WH IC H LEAD S TO LIFELONG PH YSIC AL AN D C OGN ITIVE (LEARNING
AN D R EASONING) D AM AGE AN D AFFEC TS H EALTH, WELL -BEING AN D TH E
EC ON OMY. SOM E KEY SU GGESTIONS TO ER AD IC ATE POVER TY AN D H U NGER AR E:

* 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 crise
 * Marry and have * Practice family
2. PERSONS, PARTICULARLY their own families at planning and have
WOMEN WHO ARE EDUCATED, a later stage in life fewer children
ARE MORE LIKELY
TO SEEK MEDICAL CARE
ESPECIALLY DURING
PREGNANCY, ENSURING
PROPER
NUTRITION FOR THEIR FAMILY, * Know rights, * Seek employment
ADOPTING HEALTHY SANITARY responsibilities and and sustain personal
PRACTICES AND civic obligations and family needs
ENSURING IMMUNIZATION OF
CHILDREN. AS AN EFFECT,
INFANTS AND CHILDREN
HAVE BETTER SURVIVAL RATES, * Have decreased * Support and
ARE HEALTHIER AND BETTER
NOURISHED. IF
risk of getting protection of
THESE ARE ATTAINED, CHILDREN sexually transmitted developing and
W HO RECEIVE PRIMARY infections like vulnerable countries
EDUCATION ARE MORE LIKELY HIV/AIDS during crises
TO
 * Promotion of
* Early childhood
3. GENDER women’s political
development
EQUALITY MEANS rights and
EQUAL intervention
REPRESENTATION OF MEN involvement
AND WOMEN. IT IMPLIES THAT
ALL GENDER SHOULD HAVE
EQUAL VALUE AND
TREATMENT. EQUAL GENDER * Improved * Education and
TREATMENT EMPOWERS reproductive health integrating gender
WOMEN AND OTHER GROUPS programs and equality in school
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES IN policies curriculum
EDUCATION, WORK,
FINANCES, AND OTHER
ASPECTS WHICH IMPROVES
THE ECONOMY AND LESSEN * Support and
* Improved women’s
EFFECTS OF FINANCIAL protection of
CRISES. GENDER EQUALITY access to work and
developing and
CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH: strengthened labor
vulnerable countries
policies for women
during crises
 4. PROGRAMS * Immunization programs
AND POLICIES
WHICH HELP
REDUCE CHILD
MORTALITY LIKE
IMPROVING NUTRITIONAL
INTAKE, HEALTHCARE
* Assuring the survival and
FACILITIES AND better health of mothers
INFRASTRUCTURE,
AND OTHER FIELDS
WHICH IMPROVE
CHILDREN’S LIVES.
* Improving reproductive
STRENGTHENING LOCAL
AND NATIONAL HEALTH
health programs and policies
PROGRAMS AND POLICIES
IS ONE WAY TO REDUCE
CHILD MORTALITY. THIS * Better nutrition program for
INCLUDES:
infants, children and mothers
 * Improved and proper nutrition of mothers

5. IMPROVED MATERNAL * Teaching the benefits of birth spacing and

HEALTH IS NOT ONLY ABOUT
MOTHER’S HEALTH BUT small family size
ALSO INVOLVES THE HEALTH
AND WELLNESS OF THE * Educating young boys and girls about the
FAMILY. MATERNAL HEALTH importance of maternal health
ALSO HELPS ERADICATE
OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE
POVERTY, GENDER * Better and improved access to hospital care
INEQUALITY, especially obstetric-gynecology, prenatal
DECREASED WORKFORCE,
LOWER BIRTH DEATHS, AND
DISABILITY OF WOMEN. and postnatal care
SOME WAYS TO IMPROVE
MATERNAL HEALTH INCLUDE:
6. EM ER GING AND R E- EMERGING D ISEASES LIKE H IV/AID S, M ALARIA,
IN FLUENZA AN D OTH ER D ISEASES AFFEC T PR OD UCTIVITY AN D GR OWTH OF N ATION S.
SOM E OF TH E EFFEC TS OF D ISEASE OU TBREAK ARE LOSS OF J OBS,
SH ORTAGE IN PR OFESSIONAL WOR KERS, AN D C R EATING SOC IAL C R ISES. C H ILDREN
AR E TH E M OST VU LN ERABLE AND AR E EXPOSED TO EXPLOITATION AN D ABU S E
U N D ERMINING TH EIR N ORMAL GR OWTH AN D D EVELOPMENT. SOM E WAYS TO
C OM BAT D ISEASES IN C LUDE EFFEC TIVE PR EVEN TION, TR EATM ENT AN D C AR E
LIKE:

* Promoting safer
* Increased access sex behavior and
* Improved housing to anti-malarial
conditions preventive education
medicines for all

* Promoting * Promoting the use

Tuberculosis (TB) * TB - Directly of insecticide-treated
Observed Treatment
screening of nets to fight
HIV/AIDS persons Short (TB-DOTS) mosquito-borne
Course therapy
and diseases
7 . INVEST ING AND SUPPORT ING SUSTAINABL E
ENERGY L IKE SOL AR, W IND AND
W AT ER ENERGY HEL P SUPPORT J OBS, CREATE
BUSINESS OPPORT UNIT IES, AND
SAVE REMAINING NON -RENEW ABL E ENERGY
SOURCES. ENVIRONMENTAL
SUSTAINABIL IT Y ASSURES PEOPL ES T O L IVE
HEALT HIER AND ENJ OY A CL EAN
AND GREEN ENVIRONMENT. SOME OF T HE
BENEF IT S OF A SUSTAINABL E
ENVIRONMENT ARE:

 Cleaner air and environment

 Clean, environment-friendly, and
renewable energy
 New and aspiring jobs and
business in energy
 Increased access to sanitation
TH E U N ITED N ATION S, WOR LD H EALTH OR GANIZATION, WOR LD BAN K AN D
GOVER NMENTS WOR K TOGETHER TO M AKE SU R E TH ER E IS FAIR TR AD E AN D
TH AT H EAVILY IN D EBTED C OU NTRIES OBTAIN R ELIEF AND FU N DS TO C OM BAT
POVER TY, M ALNUTRITION AN D FU N DS FOR ED U C ATION AN D SOC IAL PR OJ ECT S.
SOM E BEN EFITS OF GLOBAL PAR TN ERSHIP AR E:

 Expanded international trade

agreements
 Improved access to affordable medicine
 Reduced poverty through government
debt relief grant
 Developed information and
communication technology (ICT)
infrastructure
 Quick W ins are actions that
can be immediately used
within the community or
THE UNITED locale to produce effective
NATIONS results.
DEVELOPMENT If applied continuously, Quick
PROGRAM’S Wins could change people’s
views, and beliefs and
QUICK WINS trigger actions which could
lead to helping millions of
lives and countries
 1. No school fees and free access to
educational materials and facilities in
schools to ensure that all children attend
classes. This eliminates poor families’
concept that education is only for those who
can afford it. Finances can include donor
THE UNITED assistance from partnerships with private
groups.
NATIONS
DEVELOPMENT 2. Children are provided with free school meals
PROGRAM’S and take-home rations using locally produced
food.
QUICK WINS
3. Regular annual deworming for all school
children especially in impoverished areas to
improve health and education.
 4. Provision for poor farmers of affordable
supplies of soil nitrogen and other soil
nutrients.
THE UNITED 5. Design community nutrition programs for
NATIONS pregnant, nursing mothers and children
below five years of age. These includes
DEVELOPMENT breastfeeding, feeding programs and
PROGRAM’S micronutrient supplements like vitamin A
and zinc.
QUICK WINS
6. Offer basic skills training of community
members in health, farming,
technical-vocational, and infrastructure
 7. Free basic health services sponsored by
private organizations.

THE UNITED
8. Expanded access to sexual and reproductive
NATIONS health information and services. These
DEVELOPMENT includes family planning information campaign
PROGRAM’S and services.

QUICK WINS
9. Distribution of free, effective and efficient
insecticide-treated bed nets to families
especially in malaria and dengue-endemic
areas.
 10. Active national and local campaigns to
reduce violence against women and children.
THE UNITED
NATIONS 11. Reform and enforce legislation protecting
DEVELOPMENT and empowering women’s and children’s
PROGRAM’S rights.

QUICK WINS
12. Empowering women to play an important
role in formulating and monitoring poverty
reduction strategies, programs and policies.