Political Science

 

Introduction

 

According to the Article 25 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has a right to a standard of living adequate for the health care and well-being of himself and of his family including food, clothing, housing and Medical care. Access to health and medical care is an international need that should be provided globally to every person irrespective of nationality, colour, sex or income levels.

Discussion

 

Due to the emergence of the poverty-health cycle, lack of medical health care has been attributed as a major factor that causes poverty worldwide. Health has been identified as an economic, social, and political phenomenon and qualities of health care in a population are related to its poverty levels (Farmer, 2004). Mechanisms that initiate poverty can clearly be traced back to moments of delivery and development of a child. This relationship between health care and poverty is further strengthened when the head of the family stops generating sufficient income due to poor health. The tracing back of the levels of poverty to the quality of health care signifies the importance of health care a basic human right.

Due to the increasing costs of health care globally, it has become very expensive for minority communities to obtain affordable medical health care. In America, some 47 million residents have no health insurance. This has been further complicated by the low staffing levels at nursing homes and other health care centers. It led to medical errors with an estimated 44,000 to 98,000 needless deaths annually in America. This has led to increased deaths due to diseases that are preventable and curable if accessible health care is delivered on time. In Africa and parts of Asia, the ratio between a doctor and patients has decreased to an extent where a single health caregiver provides health care to more than 4500 patients, leading to deaths and disease outbreaks. Such health care problems are vital since such communities have the right to efficient medical care in line with other countries.

The increased prevalence of HIV/AIDS has led to increased need of medical health care. Increase in prevalence in Africa, Asia, South America and some parts of Europe have been attributed to lack of health care. Accessibility of health care has been largely affected by low staffing in health centers, inaccurate diagnosis and high costs. It has been established that HIV/AIDS prevalence is greatly reduced by maintaining hygienic conditions, diet control and proper medical observations. However, major deaths occur daily due to lack of proper Medicare care and poor dieting by patients.

The constant outbreaks of communicable diseases have been a cause of loss of lives. This has varies from cholera and Ebola outbreaks in Africa to the recent H1N1 pandemic in Europe and USA that led to loss of lives. The recent cases of H1N1 pandemic were a scare to major governments and the United Nations as a whole. Such outbreaks can be controlled if compulsory health care encompassed in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights can be emphasized.

Proposed solutions

Different combative policies have been recommended to governments, Non-Governmental Organizations and the United Nations at ensuring that the right to health care has been provided universally. Health care reforms as a resolving policy will allow the universal provision of cheap and quality medical care (Forman, 2009). Reform will help restore the prosperity of many families since the crushing burden of health care will be reduced. Such a change will ensure that cases of death due to lack of income for heath care will cease. Health care reform policy also ensures affordability in terms of insurance premiums. It ensures that rural populations will afford costs of insurance that guarantees both preventive and curative healthcare (Patel & Rushefsky, 2006). Proposed health care policies all over the world are aimed at increasing medical staff to balance the needs of the community. By increasing training facilities and expanding health budgets, health provision will be greatly increased to the rural communities across Africa, Asia, South America and Europe.

The World Heath Organization is the United Nations authority in charge of coordinating and directing health care. In destabilizing the relationship between health care and poverty, the WHO should introduce developmental policies that give priority to health outcomes to populations that are disadvantaged or vulnerable. Treatment of major chronic diseases and addressing the neglected tropical diseases will ensure the achievement of health control.

By harnessing research, the WHO and other health research institutes globally will develop vaccines for diseases. The case of the H1NI pandemic shows the extent to which cooperation between WHO, international organizations, civil societies and the private sector can collaborate in achieving quality health care.

By strengthening immunization programmes, the World Health Organization will achieve a greater reach especially in communities where Health care is unavailable. This measures work a great deal in the prevention of diseases whose effects remain fatal worldwide. The eradication of small pox has been accredited as an evidence of the importance of immunization in the universal provision of health care.

The role of Non-Governmental Organizations in ensuring that medical care is provided universally is a necessity in establishing health care. Plagued by cholera, malaria and Aids, many countries have turned to NGOs for aid. Private voluntary organizations are based at the poorest countries where they are mainly run by missionaries. Due to the high levels of efficiency compared to government health facilities, these organizations should provide medical aid to minority communities (Gowers, et al, 2001). Due to their nearness to the deprived communities, these organizations should offer educative and empowerment forums that empower patients on the importance of personal hygiene, nutrition and diseases prevention. Funding of health care programs that emphasize on disease prevention will complement government and WHO efforts to restore health care by direct involvement in immunization programs. These organizations can further enlist community-based programmes where they finance health care using grants and provision of staff. By using advocacy and use of legal processes, NGOs actively take part in participation and decision-making. Advocacy from a community-based preservative will ensure that laws that they protect and further conserves the right to health care are passed

Conclusion

The recognition of dignity and rights of the human being has been hailed as the foundation of freedom and peace. Respect for these human rights among people of different territories has led to their universal recognition. The incorporation of medical heath care as basic human right attests to the importance of management of health care through treatment as a component of life. Organization of health care programmes is therefore important to ensure that this human right is enjoyed universally.

 

 

 

 

References:

Farmer, P. (2004). Pathologies of power: health, human rights, and the new war on the poor. California: University of California Press.

Forman, L. (2009). Health Care Reform: Essential Viewpoints. Illinois: ABDO Group.

Gowers, A. Tingle, J. & Lewis, T. (2001). Healthcare: the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998. New York: Routledge.

Patel, K. & Rushefsky, M. (2006). Health care politics and policy in America. New York: Sharpe.