1) Social justice (disparities, availability of services, cost) *who has found solutions? Are there any solutions?
Health and social justice have continued to be a major problem that affects the way people live and chance of illness, and consequent risk of premature death. The recent report from the World Health Organization shows that health disparities have continued to persist within and among countries and different regions of the world. For example, infectious diseases and undernutrition are common in poor and developing countries (WHO, 2018). The gap is even much worse between the rural and urban dwellers because of the economic differences and availability of healthcare services. Although some of the developed nations have attempted
I assume that in today’s world, there is a lot of information and scholarly research available that shows factors such as economic status, income, social situations, education, ethnicity, employment, availability of affordable housing and geographical (place where one was born and lives) conditions have a tremendous impact on the health and well-being of individuals, countries and communities (Amaro, 2014). Inequalities in health and well-being are created by social determinants and economic conditions for many in our community (Brannigan &Boss). The people that are affected the most are people with low income and minority groups here in the United States. This creates health disparities and unequal care (Brannigan &Boss). In many developing and under-developed countries, the situation is dire: lack of modern health services, illiteracy, poor economic conditions has created a cultural situation of desperation and unhealthy behaviors. Corruption by African governments is rampant. To improve the health and wellbeing of communities, we need to start thinking of how we can create a culture of health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 1978), health can be defined not only in terms of absence of disease, injury or infirmity, but also, as a state of mental, physical and social well-being. Over the last decades, many studies have emphasized the role of social circumstances on health status. The tight link between health and a wide range of socioeconomic, environmental and demographics factors have been increasingly recognized and proffer an alternative perspective on how to consider public health, social justice and even restructuring of the health care system (Daniels et. al., 2004). The increasingly acknowledgement that health is also a result of cumulative experience of social conditions and exposure to environmental
Illnesses, epidemics, and pandemics derive from the living conditions and the social stratification of a society. Poverty tends to increase an individual’s possibility of getting sick due to deficient housing conditions, malnutrition, pressure, etc. Research supports that impoverished individuals experience higher death rates due to the insufficient medical care and nutritious food available to them. “An estimated 25 million Americans do not have enough money to feed themselves adequately and, as a result, suffer from serious nutritional deficiencies that can lead to illness and death” (Tischler 383). In effect, this contributes to the overall high mortality rates among groups of social classes. Those that live in poverty experience high levels
These disparities are obvious in some key measures of wellbeing including life expectancy, the risk for disease, and access to health care (Disparities in Health, 2015). Historically, the major factors contributing to shorter longevity and high rates of disease are overcrowding, poor sanitation and low availability of treatment facilities. However, the change of theses socioeconomic
Studies show that people living in poverty face adverse living conditions which are associated with various ranges of health problems (Raphael, 2007). This means that people who live in poverty are more likely to suffer from chronic illness such as: coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and various form of cancers. As a result of poverty, individuals are more likely to have a lower life expectancy and higher mortality rate because of those facing numerous chronic illnesses. People living in poverty or in a low income bracket are more likely to be less healthy and have more medical conditions compared to their counterparts. As a result, they are more likely to be in the hospital more frequently with more complicated healthcare needs (Williamson, Stewart, Hayward, Letourneau, Makwarimba, Masuda, Rainee & Reutter, and Rootman & Wilson, 2006).
Health inequalities are preventable and unjust differences in health status experienced by certain population groups. People in lower socio-economic groups are more likely to experience health inequalities than people in higher socio-economic classes. Health inequalities are not only found between people of different
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social wellbeing, and not just the absence of disease” (WHO, 1974). Health inequalities are the differences in health or healthcare opportunities in different societies this may be due to income,
Social determinants of health incorporate early youngster improvement, globalization, health frameworks, estimation and confirmation, urbanization, occupation conditions, social avoidance, general health conditions, and ladies and sexual orientation balance (Folkman, 1993). Poverty gradient and severity As indicated by the World Health Organization, those in the most minimal financial conveyance of health, minimized and prohibited, and nations whose verifiable abuse and imbalance in worldwide establishments of force and strategy making, ensure the most exceedingly bad health outcomes. Supreme destitution is the severe hardship of fundamental human needs, for example, sustenance, safe drinking water and protect, and is utilized as a base standard underneath which nobody ought to fall paying little mind to where they live.
Health has been influenced by many factors such as poor health status, disease risk factors, and limited access to healthcare. All these factors are due to social, economic and environmental disadvantages. According to the World Organization (WHO) (2015), “the social determinants of health are mostly responsible for health inequities, which is the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries”
Through the weekly courses, lectures and readings, I have learnt a lot about racial and ethnic disparities, racism amongst minorities (Hispanics, African American-Black, Asians, Latinos). America is a nation of immigrants and their health and healthcare consists of multi-ethnic immigrant stories. I want to share some thoughts on racial and ethnic health disparities, on why I think that America is still a racist nation and racism is so insidious and pervasive. Health disparity is defined as a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage. Health disparities adversely affect groups of people who have systematically experienced greater obstacles to health based on their racial
The World Health Organisation posits that the social determinants of health (SDoH) are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life which are in turn responsible for health inequities, the unequal and preventable disparities in health within population groups and between countries (WHO 2015). This broadly means that a person’s health can be negatively impacted or enhanced depending on their social status, educational attainment, level of income, living conditions and access to resources and social support networks.
This paper discusses the ideas presented by Richard Wilkinson, in the video How economic inequality harms societies (2011). Three compelling concepts arise from the video which are that there was no longer a correlation between gross national income and health and social problems; it is also possible to attain greater equality as evidenced by what some countries are doing to reduce the income gap; and inequalities vary based on their health impact across the social gradient but nonetheless is present from top to bottom. In order to tackle the health problems and improve the health of individuals within societies, social justice actions geared at the inequalities seen in the healthcare system and other institutions are crucial. This paper also
Poverty is the single largest determinant of health. It has a widespread range of negative effects, both on the physical and the mental level, making it a significant public health concern in many countries. Poorer people tend to live shorter lives because there’s a clear correlation between income and access to healthcare. This disparity draws special attention to the significant sensitivity of health and the social environment.
Many people do not know how big of an effect poverty has on the health issues that we face. Health issues are a main concern for countries with high poverty populations. Poverty affects the way we act and live, and our health affects the way that we behave in the real world. Poverty affects our health in many ways including obesity, mental health and diseases, child development, social status, and our homes. Poverty is an important global issue because it plays a role in the estimated one billion people who lack access to health care systems (“Health Issues, Global Issues,” 2010). Developing cities, such as Beijing, are facing a widening range of health problems due to changes in lifestyle.
Health is declared as a basic human right by the universal declaration of human rights in 1948, stating that "everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of oneself and one 's family, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care." Endowment of health is a fundamental good and a moral issue because it provides opportunity to pursue life goals, reduces pain and suffering, prevents premature loss of life, and provides information needed to plan lives (Jacobson and Mathur, 2010). However, it is not later than three decades ago that health is placed high on international agenda. This international agenda has strongly passed on into almost all countries after the report of the Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, that investing in health leads to economic development. This reports emphasized health as a resource for everyday life and as driver of economy of nation (WHO, 2001).