This week’s blog
assignment was to choose a health topic.
Since I have been working with the community in the area of health
practices for child development programs, I chose to research the role of
public health programs because they play an integral part in providing support and
resources to families and those who work with children to ensure that health
practices are in place and followed.
Within my program, we
are provided health consultation, education and training, advocacy that leads
to a health and wellness of children and families and helps us to implement
policies and adhere to changes as needed. Public health professionals analyze
the effect on health of genetics, personal choice and the environment in order
to develop programs that protect the health of your family and community
(Turnock, 2004).
With public health,
life expectancy has increased and children develop healthy. Prevention more than treatment allows for
proper nutrition habits (encouragement of breatfeeding), stops childhood
malnutrition , reduces the spread of disease through proper immunization, fewer
sudden infant death, advances in prenatal and newborn care . In the
twenty-first century, most people live to adulthood and the world death rate in the first five years
of life has dropped about 2 percent per year since 1990, (Berger, 2012)
In Nigeria public
health exists and as the Center for Disease Control has moved globally and has
been instrumental in Nigeria to make a difference. In 2010, CDC-Nigeria helped establish
Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) housed under the Nigeria’s Federal
Ministry of Health to support and sustain critical public health activities,
(CDC, 2014). With the accomplishment of having programs available, there are
still challenges as health care facilities are available, affordable and
accessible, many prefer seeking treatment from untrained herbalist to orthodox
health care institutions, beliefs,
attitudes and the behaviors of the community on a particular health problem
usually is not sought before imposing the intervention strategy on the people, emerging and re-emerging health problems such
as HIV/AIDS pandemic, inadequate payment of health workers salaries, poor
quality of care, inequitable health care services, brain drain, and irrational
appointment of health workers among others, (Baba & Omotara, 2012). The
weight of these problems is further compounded by insufficient budget
allocation, lack of strategic plan and preparedness for epidemics/pandemics, (Baba
& Omotara, 2012).
Top
10 Causes of Death in Nigeria
1.
Malaria 20%
2.
Lower Respiratory Infections 19%
3.
HIV 9%
4.
Diarrheal Diseases 5%
5.
Road Injuries 5%
6.
Protein-Energy Malnutrition 4%
7.
Cancer 3%
8.
Meningitis 3%
9.
Stroke 3%
10.
Tuberculosis 2%
Communication is the
key to everything in life. If parents
and child care professionals are not informed properly, then children will not
be provided a safe and healthy environment.
Sustaining lives should be a
priority and the best way for this to happen is to have the right resources in
place to include dedicated professionals who provide the right services. The importance to emphasize the precautions
of health issues helps educate, develop professional policies that outline the
procedures for healthy development, allows for research to take place and to
fight for health care equity, quality, and accessibility, (Turnock, 2004). Overall, public health is concerned with protecting
the health of entire populations. These populations can be as small as a local
neighborhood, or as big as an entire country.
REFERENCES
Baba, M. & Omotara, B., (2012). Nigeria's public health: Gains and challenges. Article retrieved http://www.equilibri.net/nuovo/articolo/nigerias-public-health-gains-and-challenges-0
Center for Disease Control, (CDC), (2014). CDC in nigeria. Retrieved from: (http://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/countries/nigeria)
Turnock, BJ, (2004). Public health: What it is and
how it works, 3rd Edition. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2004. Retrieved
from http://www.whatispublichealth.org/what/index.html
Hi Patricia,
ReplyDeleteI am lucky to live in an area that is invested in the health and well-being of the members of its community. As a result, components of the public health agency can be seen just about everywhere. Recently, they have even began holding very inexpensive fruit and vegetable plant sales to encourage people to grow food at home. They have also held affordable farmers markets in the public health parking lot for many years, and last summer they started tending to their own large garden plot; they give the resulting produce to the foodbank for distribution to families. This is in addition to the typical public health services offered, such as immunizations, WIC, family case management, dental clinics, STD clinics, car seat instillation checks and distribution, and breastfeeding/lactation support and services. I'm lucky to have a public health district that is so committed to its community; others may not be so lucky and that is where we need to do our best to look for support and resources that can best help our families.
Can you tell me more about what you do, in terms of working with child development health practices and the community? It's a partnership that every community should have!
Patricia, We also have a lot of public health services here in Columbia SC and they do help families in all type of situation that families need and a lot of them are free to families.I would like to know what are the goals of public policies affecting families, and how do they mesh with predominant social values?
DeleteErica
ReplyDeleteI work for the department of defense child care programs under the Army. We have health care services that provides training and inspections. We also work with the community for additional outreach services. Tell me more about what you offer.
Patricia I enjoyed reading your very informative blog. I liked it when you said "Communication is the key to everything in life. If parents and child care professionals are not informed properly, then children will not be provided a safe and healthy environment." I work for Early Head Start program and we push health which is overall health for the family, and immunizations for the children. We do follow ups to make sure that they are receiving them. In Indiana there is a BIG push for Lead Testing and that also falls under the health category. You have a wealth of knowledge; will you incorporate this in your future? You work with the community with health practices for child development programs will you work there?
ReplyDeleteDiana,
DeleteCurrently I try to provide monthly and quarterly health tips to our patrons via educational sessions or newsletter. Out health nurse provides training to staff and keeps us updates on all health issues and concerns which is disseminated to patrons as needed.