The Global Health Goals And Health Disparities
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a United Nations (UN) specialized agency promoting global health and well-being. The WHO is vital in establishing health priorities, providing technical assistance and guidance to member countries, and coordinating international efforts to prevent and control disease (World Health Organization, 2020). The WHO has been critical in addressing some of the most pressing global health issues, including smallpox eradication, polio control, and the response to the Ebola and Zika outbreaks. It has also contributed significantly to the advancement of health research and development, the promotion of universal health coverage, and the reduction of health disparities. The Global Health Goals And Health Disparities
PLACE YOUR ORDER HERE NOW
The UN General Assembly adopted the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2000 to address some of the world’s most pressing social and economic issues, such as poverty, hunger, disease, and inequality (United Nations, 2015). Three of the eight MDGs related to health, including a goal to reduce under-five mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015, which was met. The MDGs also set a goal of reducing maternal mortality by 75% by 2015. While progress has been made, an estimated 295,000 women die each year due to pregnancy and childbirth complications. Finally, the MDGs sought to combat the spread of major diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, with significant success, with a 60% reduction in malaria deaths and a 40% reduction in new HIV infections over the last two decades. The Global Health Goals And Health Disparities
The MDGs significantly impacted global health, saving millions of lives and lifting millions out of poverty. While progress has been made, much work remains to be done, and the United Nations has adopted a new set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to build on the MDGs’ achievements while addressing new challenges. The WHO will continue to play an essential role in achieving these objectives and improving global health outcomes.
The Importance of the Millennium Development Goal on Improving Maternal Health for Global Health
One of the eight MDGs focuses on improving maternal health and has played a critical role in improving women’s and children’s health outcomes worldwide. Improving maternal health is essential for sustainable development, poverty reduction, and global health.
The MDG for maternal health aims to reduce maternal mortality rates by three-quarters between 1990 and 2015. This goal has helped to draw attention to the issue of maternal mortality, resulting in many countries implementing policies and programs to reduce maternal deaths (Kurjak et al., 2022)The Global Health Goals And Health Disparities. Strategies for achieving this goal include increasing access to family planning, providing skilled birth attendants, improving emergency obstetric care, and promoting women’s empowerment. As a result of these efforts, maternal mortality decreased globally, and the goal has been met in many countries.
Improving maternal health is essential for improving child health. Women who receive high-quality maternal health care are more likely to have healthy babies and survive childbirth (United Nations, 2015). The MDG on improving maternal health has also focused on increasing access to family planning, contributing to fewer unintended pregnancies and better child health outcomes. Children born to mothers who receive quality maternal health care have better health outcomes, including a lower risk of malnutrition and infant mortality.
Brazil’s Progress towards Achieving the Improve Maternal Health MDG
Brazil has made significant progress towards achieving this MDG, particularly in reducing maternal mortality rates. Brazil’s current outcome measurement indicator for the Improve Maternal Health MDG is the maternal mortality ratio (MMR), which is the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (Leal et al., 2022)The Global Health Goals And Health Disparities. In 2015, Brazil’s MMR was 62.4, down from 141.5 in 1990, which represents a reduction of 56.0%. This significant decrease in the MMR suggests that Brazil is on track to meet the MDG.
The Brazilian government has implemented several policies and programs to improve maternal health, such as the Family Health Strategy, which provides access to primary health care services for pregnant women and children, and the Rede Cegonha (Stork Network), which aims to improve access to maternal and neonatal care (Souza et al., 2021). These efforts have helped to reduce maternal mortality rates and improve maternal and child health outcomes.
Nursing Roles in Achieving the MDG of Improving Maternal Health
Maternal and Child Health Nurses (MCHN) are specialized nurses who provide healthcare services to mothers and their children from birth to five years of age. They are essential in improving maternal and child health outcomes by providing early intervention, health education, and support to pregnant women, mothers, and young children (Rabiablert et al., 2021)The Global Health Goals And Health Disparities. By providing education and support on prenatal care, nutrition, and physical activity, identifying high-risk pregnancies and referring mothers to appropriate healthcare services, offering postpartum care and support, and providing information and support on breastfeeding and infant feeding practices, MCHNs can help achieve the MDG of improving maternal health.
Obstetric nurses specialize in caring for women during labor and delivery and work closely with obstetricians and midwives to ensure safe and appropriate care (Montaño et al., 2022). Their role in improving maternal health is to monitor and assess maternal and fetal well-being during labor and delivery, provide emotional support, administer medications and interventions as needed, respond to obstetric emergencies, and educate women on postpartum care and self-care therefore contributing to the achievement of MDG of improving maternal health.
Exploring Health Disparities and the Impact on Vulnerable Populations: A Case Study of Diabetes in Indigenous Communities
Health disparities are differences in health outcomes among different groups of people. They can be caused by socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, geographic location, and access to healthcare (Ndugga & Artiga, 2021)The Global Health Goals And Health Disparities. These variations can impact many aspects of health, including morbidity, mortality, disease prevalence, and quality of life. Such disparities can significantly impact vulnerable or underserved populations, such as low-income people, people with disabilities, the elderly, and racial and ethnic minorities. These populations frequently face barriers to healthcare access, such as a lack of insurance, culturally appropriate care, and transportation.
Vulnerable and underserved populations are disproportionately affected by poor health outcomes, including chronic diseases, mental health conditions, and other health issues, as well as complications and adverse effects from medical treatments (Diaz et al., 2021). In particular, racial and ethnic minorities, as well as people with disabilities, are more likely to suffer from conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, with higher rates of infant mortality and premature death, due to higher levels of obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity.
One vulnerable group that experiences significant health disparities is Indigenous people in many countries worldwide, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. One particular health disparity experienced by Indigenous people is a higher prevalence of diabetes compared to the general population. In the United States, diabetes is nearly twice as high among Indigenous adults as non-Hispanic white adults (CDC, 2020)The Global Health Goals And Health Disparities. In Canada, Indigenous people are three to five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to the general population.
Indigenous people have higher diabetes rates due to various factors, including historical trauma, ongoing social and economic inequities, poverty, food insecurity, lack of access to physical activity, and healthcare access and delivery issues. This includes forced displacement, colonization, and the loss of traditional lands and cultures, as well as geographic isolation, a lack of transportation, and a lack of healthcare infrastructure. These factors can contribute to a poor diet and a lack of culturally competent healthcare.
Nursing Strategies for Addressing Health Disparities
Health education and promotion programs can effectively improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities among vulnerable or underserved populations. Studies have shown that health education, promotion, and screening services in rural areas of South Carolina, as well as culturally appropriate diabetes education programs in low-income, predominantly Hispanic communities in Arizona, have had a positive impact on diabetes control, blood pressure management, diabetes knowledge, self-care behaviors, and glycemic control (Gómez et al., 2019)The Global Health Goals And Health Disparities. These interventions demonstrate the potential for health education and promotion programs to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations.
Improving access to healthcare services is a crucial strategy for addressing health disparities and improving health outcomes. This may involve increasing the availability of healthcare services in underserved areas, expanding insurance coverage, and reducing financial barriers to healthcare. For example, expanding Medicaid coverage has led to significant improvements in access to care, utilization of preventive services, and overall health outcomes among low-income adults.
Conclusion
In conclusion, health disparities can significantly impact vulnerable and underserved populations, resulting in poorer health outcomes and higher mortality rates. The MDG of improving maternal health has successfully lowered global maternal mortality rates, but much work still needs to be done. Nurses play an essential role in improving maternal health and reducing health disparities. Strategies such as health education and promotion programs, culturally appropriate care, and improved access to healthcare can all help improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities.
References
CDC. (2020). National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2017 Estimates of Diabetes and Its Burden in the United States Background. In CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/data/statistics/national-diabetes-statistics-report.pdf
Diaz, A., Baweja, R., Bonatakis, J. K., & Baweja, R. (2021). Global health disparities in vulnerable populations of psychiatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. World journal of psychiatry, 11(4), 94–108. https://doi.org/10.5498/wjp.v11.i4.94
Kurjak, A., Stanojević, M., & Dudenhausen, J. (2022). Why maternal mortality in the world remains a tragedy in low-income countries and shame for high-income ones: will sustainable development goals (SDG) help? Journal of Perinatal Medicine, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm-2022-0061 The Global Health Goals And Health Disparities
Leal, L. F., Malta, D. C., Souza, M. de F. M., Vasconcelos, A. M. N., Teixeira, R. A., Veloso, G. A., Lansky, S., Ribeiro, A. L. P., França, G. V. A. de, & Naghavi, M. (2022). Maternal Mortality in Brazil, 1990 to 2019: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Revista Da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical, 55(suppl 1). https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0279-2021
ORDER HERE NOW
Montaño, M., Macías, V., Molina, R., Aristizabal, P., & Nigenda, G. (2022). The experience of obstetric nursing students in an innovative maternal care program in Chiapas, Mexico: a qualitative study. Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters, 30(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/26410397.2022.2095708
Ndugga, N., & Artiga, S. (2021, May 11). Disparities in health and health care: 5 key questions and answers. Kaiser Family Foundation; Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/disparities-in-health-and-health-care-5-key-question-and-answers/
Rabiablert, P., Noonil, N. & Petsirasan, R. (2021). Nursing roles and outcome of maternal and child health services in the primary care unit of health region 11. Princess of Naradhiwas University Journal, 13(3), 1–23. https://li01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/pnujr/article/view/243279
Gómez, R. M. G., Jaramillo, L. A. M., Svarch, A., Tonda, J., Lara, J., Anderson, E. J., & Rosales, C. (2019). Together for health: An initiative to access health services for the Hispanic/Mexican population in the United States. Frontiers in Public Health, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00273
Souza, D. R. S., de Morais, T. N. B., Costa, K. T. da S., & de Andrade, F. B. (2021). Maternal health indicators in Brazil. Medicine, 100(44), e27118. https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000027118
United Nations. (2015). United Nations Millennium Development Goals. United Nations; United Nations. https://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
World Health Organization. (2020). From MDGs to SDGs, WHO launches new report. Www.who.int. https://www.who.int/en/news-room/detail/08-12-2015-from-mdgs-to-sdgs-who-launches-new-report The Global Health Goals And Health Disparities
