1.13: World Health
- Page ID
- 116083
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)The U.S. is not separate from the rest of the world, and while in this book we don't spend a lot of time on world health, health problems do not respect borders, and ideally, neither does our compassion or concern for health equity.
One review of pressing global health issues, conducted at the end of 2022 by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington (Seattle) highlighted eleven key challenges to watch:
- Long covid, with its unknown effects on different biological systems and on population rates of disability.
- Mental health, as a leading cause of disability and loss of quality of life worldwide
- Climate change, with effects on air quality, drought, heat injuries, infectious disease distribution, and natural disasters
- Cardiovascular diseases, now responsible for more than one quarter of all deaths worldwide
- Lower respiratory infections, especially influenza
- Poverty's role in health -- considering both the gaps between rich countries and poor countries, and between rich and poor within any country
- Health systems strengthening -- especially given the strain on health systems experienced during the most acute phases of the covid pandemic
- Diabetes, a preventable and treatable disease that still causes immense loss of quality of life
- Road injuries, the leading cause of death for people 15-49 worldwide
- Dementia, both expanding treatment and addressing the risk factors in order to reduce its prevalence
- Aging populations, as an increasing proportion of the world's population is over 65 and that trend is likely to continue
I would add to that four classic issues of global health:
- Communicable diseases, including emerging infections
- Poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water
- Hunger
- Impacts of migration
What connections do you see between each of these issues and our health here in the U.S.? What public health efforts are you aware of to, to respond to these challenges around the world?
World Health Organization
This video from the World Health Organization gives a snapshot of how international health organizations work to build the pillars of public health -- the conditions, services and actions that promote health for all. As you watch this, ask yourself, how do these actions relate to what you have already learned in this chapter about the priorities and tools of public health?
It's Not All Bad News!
Despite covid, climate change, and other concerns, there is some good news too, when we look at health in the 21st century. Take a moment to watch this 4-minute video that highlights advancements in global health, in particular, how quickly life expectancy grew (people got healthier) after most countries gained independence from colonialism in the mid-20th century. I am quite fond of the videos of the late Hans Rosling and his organization GapMinder, as he provided an amusing way to visualize health data while challenging out-dated ideas about the "developing world". No one country or region has a monopoly on excellence in public health!
The 4-minute video below is optional - but quite interesting!