Definition
What is global health?
Health
problems, issues, and concerns
that transcend national boundaries,
which may be influenced by
circumstances or experiences in other
countries, and which are best addressed
by cooperative actions and solutions
(Institute Of Medicine, USA- 1997)
Introduction
Reasons for interest in Global Health
Moral duty
Public diplomacy
Investment in self-protection
Problems facing Global Health
Past – Limited resources
Present – Uncoordinated efforts wasted resources
Lack of stable leadership
↑ turnover = ↑strategic uncertainty
Key factors to future direction
Expanded talent pool in developing world
Devise effective systems for disease prevention and treatment
Mend health infrastructure
Global Health Issues
Refers to any health issue that concerns many
countries or is affected by transnational
determinants such as:
Climate change
Urbanisation
Malnutrition – under or over nutrition
Or solutions such as:
Polio eradication
Containment of avian influenza
Approaches to tobacco control
Global Health
Prioritization of goals
Specific diseases vs. general health status
Funding allocation
Disconnect with local needs
Dictated by foreign bodies
Bureaucracy and corruption
Change of focus
Maternal survival
Increased overall life expectancy
Historical Development of Term
Public Health: Developed as a discipline in the mid 19th
century in UK, Europe and US. Concerned more with
national issues.
International Health: Developed during past decades,
came to be more concerned with
Data and evidence to support action, focus on populations,
social justice and equity, emphasis on preventions vs cure.
the diseases (e.g. tropical diseases) and
conditions (war, natural disasters) of middle and low income
countries.
Tended to denote a one way flow of ‘good ideas’.
Global Health: More recent in its origin and emphasises
a greater scope of health problems and solutions
that transcend national boundaries
requiring greater inter-disciplinary approach
Disciplines involved in Global Health
Social sciences
Behavioural sciences
Law
Economics
History
Engineering
Biomedical sciences
Environmental sciences
Communicable Diseases and Risk
Factors
Infectious diseases are communicable
But..
so are elements of western lifestyles:
Dietary changes
Lack of physical activity
Reliance on automobile transport
Smoking
Stress
Urbanisation
Key Concepts in Relation to Global
Health
1.
The determinants of health
2.
The measurement of health status
3.
The importance of culture to health
4.
The global burden of disease
5.
The key risk factors for various health problems
6.
The organisation and function of health systems
1. Determinants of Health
Genetic make up
Age
Gender
Lifestyle choices
Community influences
Income status
Geographical location
Culture
Environmental factors
Work conditions
Education
Access to health
services
Source: Dahlgren G. and
Whitehead M. 1991
Determinants of Health
PLUS MORE GENERAL FACTORS SUCH AS:
POLITICAL STABILITY
CIVIL RIGHTS
ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
POPULATION GROWTH/PRESSURE
URBANISATION
DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTRY OF
RESIDENCE
Multi-sectoral Dimension of the
Determinants of Health
Malnutrition –
more
susceptible to disease and less likely to
recover
Cooking with wood and coal –
lung
diseases
Poor sanitation –
more
intestinal infections
Poor life circumstances –
Prostitution
Advertising tobacco and alcohol –
STIs, HIV/AIDS
addiction and related diseases
Rapid growth in vehicular traffic often with
untrained drivers on unsafe roads road
traffic accidents
2. The Measurement of Health Status
I Cause of death
Obtained
from death certification but limited
because of incomplete coverage
Life expectancy at birth
The
average number of years a new-borns baby
could expect to live if current trends in mortality
were to continue for the rest of the new-born's
life
Maternal mortality rate
The
number of women who die as a result of
childbirth and pregnancy related complications
per 100,000 live births in a given year
The Measurement of Health Status
II
Infant mortality rate
The
number of deaths in infants under 1 year per
1,000 live births for a given year
Neonatal mortality rate
The
number of deaths among infants under 28
days in a given year per 1,000 live births in that
year
Child mortality rate
The
probability that a new-born will die before
reaching the age of five years, expressed as a
number per 1,000 live births
3. Culture and Health
Culture:
The
predominating attitudes and behaviour that
characterise the functioning of a group or
organisation
Traditional health systems
Beliefs about health
e.g.
epilepsy – a disorder of neuronal
depolarisation vs a form of possession/bad omen
sent by the ancestors
Psychoses – ancestral problems requiring the
assistance of traditional healer/spiritualist
Influence of culture of health
Diversity,
marginalisation and vulnerability due to
race, gender and ethnicity
4. The global burden of
disease
Predicted changes in burden of disease
from communicable to non-communicable
between 2004 and 2030
Reductions
in malaria, diarrhoeal diseases, TB
and HIV/AIDS
Increase in cardiovascular deaths, COPD, road
traffic accidents and diabetes mellitus
Ageing populations in middle and low
income countries
Socioeconomic growth with increased car
ownership
Based on a ‘business as usual’ assumption
5. Key Risk Factors for Various Health
Conditions
Tobacco use –
related
wide
Poor sanitation and access to clean water
to the top ten causes of mortality world
related to high levels of diarrhoeal/water borne
diseases
Extra marital affairs –
HIV/AIDS,
sexually transmitted infections
Malnutrition –
Under-nutrition
(increased susceptibility to
infectious diseases) and over-nutrition responsible
for cardiovascular diseases, cancers, obesity etc.
6. The Organisation and
Function of Health Systems
A health system
comprises all organizations, institutions and resources devoted to
producing actions whose primary intent is to improve health (WHO)
Most
national health systems
consist:
public, private,
traditional and informal sectors:
Changing in Health
Inequality
World Population arrange by income
Distribution of Income
82.7%
Richest 20%
Second 20%
11.7%
Third 20%
2.3%
Fourth 20%
1.9%
Poorest 20%
Source: Walley J, Wright J, and Hubley J (2001)
1.4%
Sustainable Infrastructure
Roles of developed world
Establishment of independence
Policy and legislation
Reasonable exit strategies
Roles of the developing world
Providing sufficient training
Provide incentives to remain
Shift focus to health and development
Sufficient resources to maintain implemented strategies
Training and education
Healthcare infrastructure and initiatives
Economic responsibility
Funding scheme
As defined by the WHO, Global Health is “ the health of populations in a global context and transcends the perspectives and concerns of individual nations”Addressing diseases of poverty (the developing world) has become a central topic in foreign policy among many nations. But why the interest? Stopping the spread of diseases such as HIV and malaria can be viewed as a moral duty [expand]It could also be viewed as a strategy in public diplomacy [expand]Finally, given that national boarders do not stop the propagation of disease, interest in global health can be viewed as an investment in self-protectionThe field of Global Health faces a multitude of challenges. In the past, limited resources greatly restricted the ability to provide aide to populations in need. Now, a significant influx of public and private funding has reversed this issue, and created a new one. Uncoordinated efforts between various bodies are resulting in significant waste of available resources. Global Health has also seen rapid turn-over in a multitude of high profile leadership positions within their community. These periods of transition contribute to instability and uncertainty as to major strategic endpoints. Going forward, key areas of development will dictate the future of Global Health….
There has been an extraordinary increase in public and private giving directed at public health in recent years, however it has tended to be directed towards high profile diseases such as HIV/Aids, malaria and TB rather than overall public health of populations. Of course there is no arguement that these are worthy causes to invest in, it is the narrow channelling of aid and resources that have left other major global health concerns overlooked. For example the global focus on HIV/AIDs offers little benefits to Islamic states such as Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq and Pakistan where the disease is not prevalent, however these nations have some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world.In fact the 3 top killers in most poor countries is Maternal death around childbirth, pediatric respirational and intestinal infections leading to death from pulmonary failure/uncontrolled diarahea. Still in many poor countries, governments recieve substantial funding to support ARV distribution for pregnant women to stop the spread of HIV to their babies, but have no fiancial capital to support basic maternal and infant health programmes.Which leads me to another large issue of funding allocation. Aid unforuntely is still often dictated by foreign bodies with many strings attached. Efforts can often be lacking in co-ordination, oversight and guidance and most importantly not in touch with local needs. There are often few if any provisions that allow the local communities to indicate what they want, and dictate which intiatives they need or adopt local innovations.A further detractor from addressing the general needs of the community is the bereaucracy and corruption that is all too rampant. For eg In Ghana as much as 80% of donor funds have been syphoned away. This will remain to be a huge hinderence to improving global health unless it is firmly addressed by all involved.An entire change of focus on improving Global Health is also needed. Assessing the sucess of initiatives based on short term targets such as no of people recieving drugs is not good enough. We need to evaluate on long term goals, encompassing overall public health of populations and the focus should be shifted from targeting specific diseases. Instead concentating on achieving two basic goals-Maternal Survival and Increased Overall Life Expentency. Why? Because these are important markers for overall health. Pregnant women survive where safe,clean well staffed facilities are available with sterile equipment and antiobiotics. While Life expectancy is a good indicator of child survival and essential public health services. Children survive when there is safe water to drink,good immuzination practices carried out and where food is nutritional and available. Defeating AIDS. TB and Malaria are best understood not simply as tasks in themselves, but as essential components of these two larger goals. On this basis it may well take 2-3 generations to improve Global Health but we all must realise that it is not enough to invest in the present, we must invest in the future.
While a great many health initiatives have been established all over the world, very few have been implemented with a viable plan for exit strategy. Over the course of a program, local governments can become dependent on foreign aid in order to maintain standard of care. This is because most funding is focused on aid deliverables themselves, and not on the establishment of viable infrastructure for the continued dispensation of service after foreign bodies withdraw.Foreign bodies must recognize that local governments must retain both their financial and decision-making independence if programs are to succeed after aid has been withdrawn. Policy and legislation must be enacted to protect these vulnerable populations from exploitation by enterprise.In planning a reasonable exit strategy, consideration must also be given to the resources demanded by the program, in relation to the availability of local resources. This, as well as whether or not the current rate of production can reasonably be maintained over time are crucial planning points. If the demand on local resources is too great, they can quickly become depleted, and the program is doomed to fail.It falls to the local governments to ensure that adequate spending has been allocated to both the development of basic health care building blocks, as well as local supporting industry. Health care centres require trained staff, so adequate education and training programs must be in place. As well, retention of qualified professionals will depend on appropriate incentives, such as availability of medical supplies and equipment or job security/ safety.Finally, local infrastructure needs to be strong enough to sustain the changes brought about by the program. Health care infrastructure is required to co-ordinate and carry out these programs effectively. Business infrastructure is needed to produce and supply, or at least procure, the products demanded by the programs. Therefore, it is essential that the local economy is stimulated in such a way that it can support the costs of the program, and do that in a sustainable way. This establishment of sustainable infrastructure will be key to ensuring these worthwhile programs continue to run, and benefit local communities long after the foreign bodies have left. So the question becomes…