Chapter 11: Promoting Global Health

Question 1

Work of the WHO

Answer 1

• Set norms and standards, and promote and monitor their implementation
• Provide leadership and create partnerships to promote HWB
• Conduct research and provide HWB information
• Develop policies to help countries take action to promote HWB
• Monitor HWB and assess HWB trends
• Provide technical support and help build sustainable health systems

TIP: Some People Can Do More Pushups.

Question 2

World Health Organisation (WHO) priorities

Answer 2

• Achieving universal health coverage
  
  • 1 billion more people benefitting
• Addressing health emergencies
  
  • 1 billion more people protected
• Promoting healthier populations
  
  • 1 billion more people enjoying better HWB

Question 3

What does achieving universal health coverage involve?

WHO priority

Answer 3

• Developing and improving health systems so that all people worldwide can access healthcare
• Protecting people from financial hardship due to expensive healthcare by making it affordable

Question 4

What does addressing health emergencies involve?

WHO priority

Answer 4

• Preventing and preparing for health emergencies by …
  
  • Implementing the International Health Regulations (IHR) which requires countries to report certain disease outbreaks and public health events (e.g. Ebola) to the WHO
  • Supporting countries to increase their capacity to manage emergencies - detection, early warnings, preparedness, response and recovery
• Responding to health emergencies by ensuring that …
  
  • Affected people have immediate access to health services (e.g. emergency aid, supplies)
  • Lifesaving health services are available

Question 5

What does promoting healthier populations involve?

WHO priority

Answer 5

• Preventing NCDs and promoting mental health
  
  • Focusing on prevention & risk factors (e.g. tobacco) to ↓ morbidity & mortality from NCDs
  • Increasing access to treatment and care for mental health disorders
• Improving human capital across the lifespan
  
  • Focusing on critical stages of development (e.g. pregnancy and childbirth) where long-term improvements in health and wellbeing can be achieved
  • Ensuring that people can access health services across the lifespan and can thrive at any age
• Accelerating elimination of communicable diseases
  
  • Supporting countries’ elimination efforts for preventable and treatable CDs
  • ↑ countries’ capacity to control outbreaks via cost effective and high impact interventions

Question 6

Emergency (humanitarian) aid

Type of aid

Answer 6

• Rapid, short-term assistance provided after a crisis (e.g. war, conflict, natural disasters, epidemics)
• Purpose
  
  • Provide immediate relief
  • Reduce the prevalence of injury, disease, and death
• Advantages
  
  • Provides assistance for survival (e.g. food, shelter, water)
  • Can provide medical professionals to assist in a crisis
  • Improves HWB immediately
• Limitations
  
  • Does not go beyond providing survival necessitiers
  • Does not address the cause / ‘why’ aid is needed
  • Only short-term

Question 7

Bilateral aid

Type of aid

Answer 7

• The government of one country providing aid to the government of another country
• Purpose
  
  • Meet the needs of the country and its people
  • Build relationships between countries
• Advantages
  
  • Promotes health outcomes, economic growth and prosperity in an ongoing / sustainable way
  • Long term assistance focused on development
• Limitations
  
  • Can be motivated by political or strategic reasons which can limit its effectiveness

NOTE: This is the most common type of aid.

Question 8

Multilateral aid

Type of aid

Answer 8

• Provided through an international organisation (e.g UN) which is supported by the governments of multiple countries and other organisations
• Purpose
  
  • Reach and impact the lives of many people
  • Address global issues and large scale projects
• Advantages
  
  • Focused on global HWB and human development
  • Provides long term support in a sustainable way
• Limitations
  
  • Ensuring accountability can be challenging due to the involvement of many stakeholders which can create issues regarding transparency and effectiveness

Question 9

Agriculture, fisheries and water

Australia’s aid priority areas

Answer 9

• Many people in low and middle income countries rely on agriculture and fishing for employment. Productivity in these industries provides people with a source of income, empowers women and lifts people out of poverty.
• HWB – sustainable farming enables effective food production, decreasing the risk of malnutrition
• HS – safe water ↓ the risk of waterborne diseases (e.g. cholera), particularly in newborns, which ↓ infant mortality rate
• HD – employment in agriculture enables individuals to earn an income, enabling them to afford a decent standard of living

Question 10

Building resilience: humanitarian assistance, disaster risk-reduction and social protection

Australia’s aid priority areas

Answer 10

• Providing immediate aid and resources (e.g. food and safe water) in response to emergencies (e.g. NDs, famine, war) as humanitarian crises undermine growth and gains in development.
• HWB – urgent relief can ensure that individuals who may be experiencing injury are treated, ↑ physical HWB
• HS – development of risk management programs, reduces the risk of premature death due to NDs, ↓ YLL and BoD
• HD – urgent relief prevents premature death, enabling individuals to lead a long and healthy life

Question 11

Education and health

Australia’s aid priority areas

Answer 11

• Quality education and healthcare promotes people’s ability to overcome poverty, afford a decent standard of living and develop to their full potential.
• HWB – ensuring that people are treated minimises illness and disease, improving physical HWB
• HS – ↑ quality of education can improve awareness about safe pregnancies contributing to ↓ maternal mortality rate
• HD – education provides skills and knowledge to enable people to secure a job and afford a decent standard of living

Question 12

Effective governance: policies, institutions and functioning economies

Australia’s aid priority areas

Answer 12

• Poor governance prevents countries from developing and implementing good policy, decreasing citizens’ access to basic services which contributes to poorer human development outcomes.
• HWB – a productive government may develop policies around gender equality, helping individuals have a sense of belonging in their community which improves spiritual HWB
• HS – effective governance can ↑ peace in society, ↓ the risk of riots which ↓ morbidity levels due to injury
• HD – high-quality education systems enable children to enhance their knowledge and capabilities in acquiring a job

Question 13

Gender equality and empowering women and girls

Australia’s aid priority areas

Answer 13

• Females in low and middle income countries often have less opportunities in education, employment, and leadership compared to males. Their empowerment is essential for positive outcomes in human development and health and wellbeing.
• HWB – equal edu opportunities allows girls to attend school and develop meaningful relationships w their peers which ↑ social HWB
• HS – equal views can ↓ violence against women, ↓ the risk of death from injuries which ↓ mortality
• HD – women can equally engage in the workforce, enhancing their capabilities and enabling them to develop to their full potential

Question 14

Infrastructure, trade facilitation and international competitiveness

Australia’s aid priority areas

Answer 14

• Strong infrastructure (e.g. roads, energy and transport) is vital for sustainable economic development and drives economic growth as it creates opportunities for trade and investment, generates employment and provides people with access to basic services.
• HWB – Increased international competitiveness can lead to employment opportunities, therefore allowing people to
  gain an income and hence have reduced stress and anxiety about money, ultimately improving mental health and wellbeing.
• HS – developed trade increases countries’ income meaning that more money can be spent on vaccinations for children which contributes to reduced under-5 mortality rate
• HD – quality infrastructure (e.g. water, sewerage and adequate transport networks) provides individuals with resources required for a decent standard of living, enhancing their ability to participate in the community and develop to their full potential

Question 15

Non-government organisations (NGO)

Answer 15

• Developed, implemented, and funded by people or communities outside the government
• Money comes from fundraising or organisations who wish to donate (limited amount from government)
• Often focuses on communities and rural/remote areas
• Strong focus on education

Question 16

How does Tabitha Foundation Cambodia (NGO) promote human development?

Answer 16

• Provides safe and reliable water via wells
  
  • Allows for crops to be grown, specifically during the dry season, improving food security which enhances people’s capacity to lead long and healthy lives
  • Crops can also be sold, enabling people to earn an income and afford a decent standard of living which helps break the cycle of poverty, improving their capacity to develop to their full potential
• Involved in building schools in Cambodia
  
  • This improves children’s access to education, allowing them to enhance their knowledge and skills which promotes their ability to secure employment and earn an income in the future, enabling them to lead productive lives and afford a decent standard of living

Question 17

Reasons why the Australian Government provides funding to NGOs

Answer 17

• NGOs are effective in reaching the most vulnerable population groups as they work in areas that tend to be difficult to access e.g. conflict affected areas
• By combining efforts, they can create more comprehensive and sustainable solutions, ensuring that aid is tailored to the specific needs of the target group
• NGOs often have established relationships with the communities they serve, meaning that trust exists between the NGO and the community, increasing the effectiveness of programs

Question 18

Reasons why Australia would provide aid to countries across the Pacific region

Answer 18

• Many people in those regions live in poverty
• Providing aid to near neighbours can help promote regional security
• If poverty is reduced in the Pacific, Australia will have more trading partners, strengthening our economy
• To build ties between the governments of many countries
• Can promote health security and prevent the spread of infectious diseases