In your responses to your peers, consider how policies can be used to respond to and reduce global health disparities. How can they counteract the social determinants of health? Compare and contrast your professional role with your peers’ professional roles in dealing with the global health issues.

Post #1

Michelle Morrill 

Measles and Rubella are highly contagious respiratory viruses that target children. (Some adult cases have been found.) Both viruses can cause significant damage to the body including: brain swelling, pneumonia, heart damage, deafness, and even death if untreated. Both viruses are spread only by humans via coughing and sneezing. The United States has eliminated both viruses by vaccination since 2002.  However, the certain parts of the world still suffer from large outbreaks of both viruses. 

“Provisional data from the World Health Organizationexternal icon (WHO) indicate that during 2019 there were more measles cases reported worldwide than in any year since 2006. More than 500,000 confirmed cases of measles were reported from more than 180 countries, many from large measles outbreaks (GMO, 2020).” Many of these outbreaks are in countries that do not have established healthcare facilities or governing bodies. The inhabitants of these countries have low literacy rates, and resources are unavailable to educated the inhabitants of the risks/benefits of the vaccines to eliminate the viruses. Healthcare facilities in these countries do not have access to the vaccines or have personnel to administer these vaccines. Many of the inhabitants of these countries do not see healthcare professionals for preventative care. Low economic status and poverty play a large role in the countries with outbreaks. 

The most effective way to support these countries with outbreaks is to provide resources and volunteers to save the lives of these children. “Because of vaccination, more than 21 million lives have been saved and measles deaths have been reduced by 80% since 2000. Additional work is required to ensure high levels of vaccination coverage in all areas. Without urgent efforts to address gaps in coverage, outbreaks like the ones occurring now will continue to occur (GMO, 2020).” Ensuring that vaccines be utilized and the resources are available to decrease the number outbreaks, is critical to the safety of the world population. As a professional working with the global organizations to establish policies similarly to the U.S. vaccination policies would be beneficial. Additionally, finding ways to provide aid, and resources is essential to reducing outbreaks. 

Global Measles Outbreaks. (2020, March 06). Retrieved July 16, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/measles/globalmeaslesoutbreaks.htm

Post # 2

Rusha Prajapati 

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease in the United States as well as projected to be the leading cause of death worldwide by the year 2030. According to the CDC (2019) CAD occurs when there is plaque that is buildup in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart as well as other parts of the body. For some people, the first sign of coronary artery disease is a heart attack (CDC, 2019). Some of the symptoms include chest pain or discomfort also known as angina, weakness, light-headedness or nausea, pain or discomfort in the arms or shoulders and shortness of breath (CDC, 2019). According to the CDC (2019) risk factors for coronary artery disease include being overweight, physical inactivity, unhealthy eating, and smoking tobacco. Prevention of heart disease consists of choosing healthy habits such as choosing healthy foods and drinks, keeping a healthy weight, getting regular exercise and quitting smoking (CDC, 2019). According to the CDC (2019) preventing heart disease also includes taking charge of other medical conditions.

Some of the social determinants consists of the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age (Kreatsoulas & Anand, 2010). CDC (2019) reported that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men of most racial and ethnic groups in the US, including African Americans, American Indians, Hispanics and whites. CDC (2019) also reported that heart disease is the leading cause of death for African American women, among American Indian and Alaska Native women. Health disparities and social determinants play a role in potential causes of this disease because not everyone has access to the same quality of care. In my role as a professional, a key step to addressing this issue is education. Increasing awareness on prevention by educating on how to maintain healthy habits such as eating healthier as well as controlling other diseases. Another important prevention step is early screening for heart disease especially for the people that are most vulnerable.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, December 09). Coronary Artery Disease. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/coronary_ad.htm

Kreatsoulas, C., & Anand, S. (2010). The impact of social determinants on cardiovascular disease. Retrieved July 14, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2949987/