public health

Standard Assessment of Public Health in the State of Uttar Pradesh, India

Powell

08/27/2022

Standard Assessment of Public Health in the State of Uttar Pradesh, India

Introduction

This study paper sought to asses and analyzed public health in Uttar, India. It consists of the introduction, background, objective, detailed analysis, conclusion, and recommendation.

Background

To assess and monitor the public health status of India, we need to understand how it compares with other countries and what indicators are used to measure the status of public health. We also need a clear idea about the national policies that influence the health sector and its implementation at the state level.

The state of Kerala has the highest life expectancy at birth, at 74 years for men and 77 years for women, which is almost 12 years higher than Uttar Pradesh's life expectancy (Hejazi, 2022). In addition, Kerala also has a high literacy rate of almost 100% and a meager infant mortality rate (IMR) (Organization, 2022).

Objectives

The purpose of the study is;

1. To assess public health issues in India using relevant standards and tools.

2. To identify best practices.

3. To identify gaps in knowledge.

4. To increase awareness of public health issues in India.

5. To provide solutions to pressing issues and challenges.

Empirical and theoretical analysis

In this paper, World Bank estimates that around 29% of the Indian population lives below the poverty line while another 46% live at or above it. In other words, almost three-fourths (75%) of Indians live below or just above the poverty line, leading to many social problems like lack of access to education and healthcare facilities (Organization, 2022). For example, TB is one of the top ten causes of death worldwide, but it has been ranked as the second cause of death among Indians after HIV/AIDS. However, while India's population growth is impressive, it still trails behind China and Indonesia in sheer size. For example, India's population density is only about 350 people per square kilometer (compared with China's 780).

In addition, India's literacy rate is lower than China's (84% versus 90%) (Organization, 2022). Regarding economics, India is also behind China and Indonesia regarding GDP per capita—its GDP per capita is only $1,825, while China's GDP per capita is $8,526. Indonesia's GDP per capita is $1,919 (World Bank).

 Comparative Analysis

The government does not do enough about these issues because they want businesses to succeed more than anything else; therefore, there are no laws against polluting rivers/oceans/etcetera. The government does not care about their citizens' health because they know if someone dies from pollution-related diseases (Organization. 2022). The Indian government has tried to address this issue by creating unique programs for specific groups such as women, children, disabled people, and senior citizens - but these efforts have had limited success thus far due mainly to the lack of funding resources needed for implementation purposes (such as hiring qualified staff members).

Population

The population is estimated at approximately 1.3 billion people, with an average life expectancy of 67 years for males and 70 years for females. About 310 million people live below the poverty line, defined as less than $1 per day per person or less than $2 per day per person if there are two adults in the household. About 20% of these people are undernourished due to a lack of access to health care.

Territory

The territory of India includes 28 states and 7 union territories (World Bank). These states were formerly part of British India, which was partitioned into two countries—India and Pakistan—in 1947 (World Bank).

Climate

India has a tropical monsoon climate with four seasons: summer (March–June), monsoon (July–September), autumn (October–December), and winter (January–February)

Economical

India has made great strides in reducing poverty over the past few decades but still has many challenges to overcome as it works to improve health outcomes for its citizens (Hejazi, 2022). It faces many social issues that impact public health, such as gender inequality, caste discrimination, poor sanitation systems, and lack of access to healthcare facilities and resources throughout the country.

India Health Effectiveness

India's healthcare system can be divided into three categories: public sector, private sector, and private-public partnership programs within sectors and NGOs providing services. In 2018 India was ranked 130th out of 190 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI).

Demographics

India is a young nation; with a median age of 27 years old and a population of 1.34 billion people (as of 2019), it has one of the youngest populations in the world (Hejazi, 2022). it means that there are many more people who are still at risk for developing diseases like diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease—and who may not be able to afford treatment for those diseases if they develop them. Comment by Tracy Powell: Grammar

Education level

Although India is making strides toward universal education (with a 93% literacy rate in 2014), it still has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world (Vikrma, 2022). This can make accessing health care difficult for many Indians who lack access to information about their bodies or how to maintain good health practices. Comment by Tracy Powell: What are some contributing factors to the literacy rate? What is the structure of the education system? How do they compare with surrounding countries like China and Indonesia? Also, this session is not a complete paragraph.

 

Healthcare system

While India has made great strides in improving access to healthcare for its citizens since independence from Britain in 1947 (including setting up free primary healthcare centers throughout the country), it still lags behind other developed countries in terms of quality and cost-effectiveness of care delivery (Hunter, 2022). For example, according to an article published by The Lancet Global Health journal (2018) on global healthcare spending trends. Comment by Tracy Powell: Here I am not sure if the sentence is intended to stand alone or be connected the sentence above. Also, there I would like to more of a comprehensive overview of India's healthcare system. For example, what does the infrastructure look like, who has access to the hospital, how is healthcare funded, does the rural and urban populations have the same access etc.

Reasons for death in India

India's most significant public health issue is its citizens' lack of access to healthcare. Only one in five Indians have access to healthcare, and even when they do have access, it can be challenging to find quality care or services (Organization. 2022). Other issues include: Comment by Tracy Powell: What are some challenges? Comment by Tracy Powell: These rates are high in comparison to who?

-High rates of communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis

-High maternal mortality rates (MMR) at around 230 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2015

-Child malnutrition rates (severe acute malnutrition or SAM) are high at around 36% among children under 5 years old in 2016; however, this number has been steadily declining since 2012

Reason for public health disability in India's health

India faces a variety of public health issues. According to the United Nations, the country's population is expected to reach 1.6 billion by 2050, making it the world's most populous country. It also faces infectious diseases endemic to India, including poliomyelitis (polio), dengue fever, and Japanese encephalitis (Puri, 2022). India has experienced outbreaks of cholera and leptospirosis as well as several epidemics of hemorrhagic fevers, such as Ebola virus disease (EVD) and Lassa fever, over the past decade (Puri, 2022).

Conclusion

The public health system in India is underfunded and overburdened, which causes long waiting periods for patients seeking treatment from these facilities (WHO).

Recommendation

India requires changes to address the growing needs presented by these factors. The country's public health system should be comprised of national and state-level programs designed to provide universal access to healthcare services for all Indians (Vikrma, 2022). The health system should be divided into three levels: Comment by Tracy Powell: Is there evidence this recommended model/recommendation will work in Indian? Has it worked in other similar counties?

· primary health care centers, which provide essential healthcare services

· secondary care centers, which provide more specialized care such as dental care or surgery

· tertiary care centers, which provide complex medical services such as organ transplants or neurosurgery (WHO)

 

References

Hejazi, M. M.-R. (2022). Attitudes and Perceptions of Health Leaders for the Quality Enhancement of Workforce in Saudi Arabia.  In Healthcare (Vol. 10, 50-78.

Hunter, B. M. (2022). Decentred regulation.  The case of private healthcare in India. World Development, 155- 105889.

Organization, W. H. (2022).  Report on the evolution of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana., 45-50.

Organization. W. H. (2022). Integrated care for tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) comorbidity in Asian countries.  Health system challenges and opportunities. 199-203.

Puri, P. S. (2022). Identifying non-communicable disease multimorbidity patterns and associated factors : a latent class analysis approach. 053981.

Vikram, a (2022). Health Risk Assessment of Gurdaspur, Punjab, India Using Field Experiments and GIS : A Groundwater Perspective. Journal of the Geological Society of India, 933-936.