Every year we see many things changing around the globe. With borders disappearing, people are free to move, and with these increased movements comes global challenges and issues. We witness many international summits and conferences gathering heads of countries to discuss the upcoming challenges. Globalization has changed the outlook of the world and its operations. The protests going around the world may cease one day, but globalization is here to stay. Globalization has many challenges to overcome with the beginning of this millennium.
If you research the mortality rate worldwide, you will be surprised to see the figures. The same goes for poverty and malnutrition. Besides living in the 21st century, loaded with technology and many other modern solutions, poverty and malnutrition still exist. Out of 7.8 billion people, a fragment of the world’s population lives in underprivileged countries with minimal resources and poor conditions. Health is one of the primary aspects of concern for all the heads of states. If people fall sick and everyone will be visiting hospitals, the world will come to a halt. We, humans, are running the businesses as an owner or as an employee.
The world has many encounters and problems to face. But one of the significant issues is the increasing internationalization of health issues. Every country has healthcare officials that devise the health policies and suggest changes in the healthcare system based on the challenges ahead. People with background knowledge of health often opt to enroll in an online masters degree in public health to contribute to society. A degree in public health enables an individual to understand the health conditions prevailing in the community and develop solutions to reduce them.
We might not realize that risks are endangering global health; the following are the most significant risks to global health as listed by the World Health Organization.
- Climate changes
The air we inhale has a lot to do with our health conditions. The seasons are still four, but the climate changes are getting evident and complicated every year. With all the pollutants gathering up in the atmosphere, air quality has reduced to a minimum. We are inhaling more gases than oxygen. Air pollution alone is resulting in seven million deaths annually. Around 25% of deaths occur due to chronic respiratory diseases, heart attack, or lung cancer. The pollutants in the air are lethal when inhaled. The fuel from our cars contributes to the increasing quantity of lead in the air, and industries emit poisonous gas that affects air quality. The climate changes are also worsening the conditions of malnutrition and increasing the spread of infectious diseases.
- Access to healthcare in conflicted areas
Let’s face it; many countries are still fighting and have become conflicted areas or zones. A study of 2019 by WHO states that the disease’s outbreaks needing immediate response were in conflict zones. The previous year recorded 978 attacks on the healthcare workers in 11 countries that resulted in 193 deaths. These figures are speaking volumes about the availability of the healthcare facilities in these conflicted zones. With attacks on these workers, the chances of getting medical aid reduced to zero.
- Disparities in the healthcare system
Every country has diversity within socio-economic groups. The people with low income cannot access healthcare facilities. In many states, the people of color face disparities while looking for healthcare facilities. There is a considerable ratio of unemployed people or laborers earning minimal wages. With such low incomes, they cannot afford any health insurance, let alone afford a service directly. The World Health Organization a difference of 18 years in the life expectancy of high and low-income countries. Besides these disparities, low-income countries are dealing with an increased burden of diseases like cancer, diabetes, and other conditions that can quickly strain low-income households’ finances.
- Non-communicable diseases
Seventy percent of deaths globally are due to non-communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart diseases. With a pandemic in 2020, the mortality rate has changed triple folds. The epidemic is also a type of non-communicable conditions affecting millions of people globally. Due to these non-communicable diseases, the deaths encompass around 15 million premature deaths in countries with low-income or weak healthcare systems. Tobacco use, alcohol, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and air pollution are increasing non-communicable diseases.
- Antimicrobial resistance
Our surroundings are home to many microbes and viruses. They exist beside us, and some of them are destructive tendencies. With increasing infectious diseases, people are using more antibiotics to control these diseases. The frequent use of these medicines is slowly and gradually losing their effectiveness. The antimicrobial resistance developed due to these medicines makes it challenging to treat these infectious diseases and control their prevalence.
Conclusion
Primary care is one of the most significant aspects of any country. The health and well-being of its citizens play a crucial role in running a country’s economy. The world is facing continuous changes, and threats and risks are arising. These global health risks are alarming. A world with poor health conditions will soon be losing its population to deaths by diseases. It is appropriate for the countries to seriously consider these global health risks and develop policies with other countries’ help to overcome these challenges. They can contribute to coping with these risks by making treatments accessible to everyone and increasing their employment rate or income resources.
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