Global Health

Today's topic comes from the article "The Challenge of Global Health" by Garrett, Laurie, Foreign Affairs, 0015720, Jan/Feb2007, Vol. 86, Issue 1. This article focused on global health as mentioned in the title, but mainly the lack of resources we have available to the world's poor and sick citizens. In this article they discuss a variety of different issues that are affecting the world's health in countries like Botswana, Ghana, Haiti, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kadoma, Mozambique, and Guinea-Bissau. The government does not have enough money to fund for all of these countries as well as others that were mentioned in this article. In order to fun for these countries there has to be a donor organization that will provide money for these government agencies. As government agencies sometimes raising money or have trouble receiving money from donors, most people just donate money independently of their government. For example, the article mentions "Americans donated $7.4 billion for disaster relief in 2005 and $22.4 billion for domestic and foreign health programs and research." This was more money than the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had given away, they gave away $6.6 billion. I think that when it comes to global issues, Americans are absolutely amazing for raising money. As it is a little off topic, Haiti was recently hit by a devastating earthquake, and Americans are working hard to raise more and more money in order to provide relief for people in Haiti.
In this article that author suggests many reasons why in spite of the enormous monetary resources now available for global health, but we continue to see worsening of public health globally in the developing world. The reason I believe is most valid is health-care systems. The article states various times that in developing countries a lot if their doctors and nurses are either a) dying from HIV/AIDS or b) being removed by emigration and education to the United States. "One out of five practicing physicians in the United States is foreign-trained." I do agree with this statement. A lot of people learn and study medicine and come to the US for a better life. The shortage of doctors and nurses is a result of death possibly from exposure to TB and possibly infected needles from working with HIV/AIDS infected patients. In a recent reading, I can't remember what it what as of now, but when it comes back to me I will post it, but I read that in some poor countries, doctors and physicians use the same needles for their patients. I am not 100% sure if that is still happening, but it could be a possibility.
The two markers that are considered the most important indicators of the status of health care systems in developing countries are funding and health-care workers. These markers are so important because they determine the future for people in developing countries. Funding is important because these countries need money in order to provide their citizens with health care, medicine, and treatments. Without funding there is no hope for these countries. As far as health-care workers are concerned, if there are no doctors who's going to treat the ill people? There have to be doctors in order for the citizens in these countries to be taken care of.
Throughout the article, the author provides several examples of how faulty systems and lack of sustainability of current donors practices lead to more deadly states than initially encountered. Two of these diseases are HIV/AIDS and TB. The current donor of these two diseases are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation recently starting donating as of August 2006 and so far they have donated $6.6 billion. The Bush Administration as also donated toward these two diseases with $11.4 billion in 2001 and increased to $27.5 billion in 2005.

Until next time, I hope you've enjoyed my blog. Stay healthy!
Kiara