Issues impacting health and development, Biology

Assignment Help:

Issues Impacting Health and Development

Poverty and malnutrition are the leading causes of high maternal and child mortality rates in developing countries. Together, they seriously impair the resistance of the body to infections. In children, malnutrition impacts their learning ability besides leading to high dropouts from schools. This reduces the returns to investment in education. The average real rate of social return on primary schooling in low income countries was estimated at 24 per cent (World Bank, 1981). If improved health status can be ensured through proper nutritional and health care, the rate of return on education can be improved. Better health implies that less resources are required to be devoted for curative health care. Resources thus spared can be spent for other productive purposes. Realising the severity of the problem, the millennium development goals (MDGs) of the UN included three goals to be targeted for achievement by 2015 in the health sector. These are

(i) reduction of under five child mortality by two-thirds;

(ii) improvement in maternal health by achieving reduction in maternal mortality rate by three-quarters;

(iii) combat diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS and other diseases by reducing their incidence by one-half reversing the spread of such major diseases.
To achieve the above goals, massive funding and policy initiatives are required. Such initiatives, besides focusing on  improvement in consumption/nutritional levels, can be centred around the major diseases. Tuberculosis and Malaria are identified to be among the major diseases contributing to adult mortality. Acute respiratory infections is identified to be a major child killer. These diseases are known to hurt rural people more than city dwellers suggesting that the focus of policy initiatives should centre more on the rural population. Some simple measures/provisions identified to prevent the mortality arising from these diseases are: bed-nets, affordable antibiotics, trained birth attendants and spreading awareness on basic hygiene.
However, due to the large magnitude of the problem, the resources required to implement even such simple measures are huge. Along with the issue of  limited resources, two other issues confronting the task of effective health delivery are
inequity and  inefficiency. While the former refers to the problem of the rural health systems not having enough staff and resources dedicated to women and children, the latter refers to the anomaly on account of non-integration of vertical
programmes for specific diseases with the general health systems. All these concerns have received wide attention everywhere and specific suggestions have been made to tackle these problems.


Related Discussions:- Issues impacting health and development

Define the utilization of most probable number techniques, Define the Utili...

Define the Utilization of Most Probable Number Techniques? The MPN technique (multiple tube technique) can be used to determine the presumptive coliform count in the food. The

Which enzyme acts on pyruvate in mitochondria, Which enzyme acts on pyruvat...

Which enzyme acts on pyruvate in mitochondria and converts it to acetyl CoA?Name its components and cofactors associated with it. Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex acts on pyruvate

Phylum cnidaria (coelenterata ), PHYLUM  CNIDARIA (= COELENTERATA )       ...

PHYLUM  CNIDARIA (= COELENTERATA )         Definition and Introduction Tissue  grade eumetazoans with  a radial  symmetry .The  term  coelenterate  signifies the  presence

Small for gestational age & intrauterine growth retardation, Define Small f...

Define Small for Gestational Age and Intrauterine Growth Retardation? Small for Gestational Age (SGA) is defined as infants affected by intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).

Plant physiology, what is the importance of lignin in xylem formation

what is the importance of lignin in xylem formation

What is the difference among living and non-living things, What is the diff...

What is the difference among living and non-living things? Living things obtain and use energy. They also grow throughout their lifetime. Living this is made of cells. Living t

Define the role of immunoglobin e in food allergy, Define the role of Immun...

Define the role of Immunoglobin E in Food Allergy? Immunoglobin E (IgE) helps to eliminate parasites (helminthes) and is responsible for classic allergic reactions commonly ref

What are plant cell vacuoles, What are plant cell vacuoles? What are their ...

What are plant cell vacuoles? What are their functions? How is the covering membrane of the vacuoles called? Ans) Plant cell vacuoles are cell structures delimited by membranes

Explain about the adipose tissue - energy balance, Explain about the Adipos...

Explain about the Adipose tissue - energy balance? At this point, it will not be irrelevant to consider how exactly an increase in the fat depot takes place. For understanding

State the basic properties of light, Question 1 State the basic propert...

Question 1 State the basic properties of light. Discuss the special features of ultra-microscopy and phase contrast microscopy Question 2 What are ultrasonic waves.

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd