The Country Health Profile

Introduction

Permanent residents and foreigners in Brazil, Syria and Nigeria have a constitutional right to access health care which is provided by government institutions.  The federal government is responsible in creating health policy and ensuring the availability of primary health care. There are private sectors which offer health care services in these countries.  Government-funded hospitals   face some challenges as a result of poor facilities and long waiting time compared with private hospitals. The countries are is facing health problems in that there is a high rate of communicable diseases non-communicable disease and humanitarian issues.  There is an epidemic of long-term diseases and the future generations are at risk. Health system in these countries is poor due to scarcity of resources; there is constrained budget and slow response. To address these issues, there should be a fundamental approach which will work best in sustaining health of people in the community. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the health issues facing these countries, the vulnerable population and measures taken to address this issues and recommendations.

Brazil

Non-communicable disease burden

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Brazil have become a health problem.  The vulnerable population is the poorest people who receive low and middle-income (Nunes et al, 2016).  A systematic search in Brazil show that in 2007, 72% of deaths were caused by NCDs. Compared with communicable diseases which  make 24%, NCDs  are contributed by 66% disease burden. The largest contributor of NCDs is neuropsychiatric disorder.  Smoking is also a major contributor of cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases.  Diabetes and hypertension are higher due to lack of physical activity and poor diet (Nunes et al, 2016). There are unfavorable trends which are increasing the NCDs and so actions and policies are needed to address the challenges.

 

Brazil is on track with Millennium Development Goals and it assigned the document in 2003.  The purpose of the indicator was to evaluate the economic indicators in order to provide quality of life and improve health conditions. The indicator has provided equitable health systems through restructuring the health system and implementing health system strategies (Nunes et al, 2016).  However, the country is unable to address these challenges since there is lack of high-quality practice guidelines (CPGs). The health care system in Brazil lack better management due to the failure of using CPGs as a special tool for decision making, drug utilization and NCD control (Nunes et al, 2016).  A systematic research in Brazil concluded that the high level of NCDs is due to lack of multidisciplinary team, lack of concern on patients’ preferences and lack of formulation of recommendations.

 

 

Recommendation

First, healthcare providers should be provided with tools for evaluating high-quality clinical practice guidelines.  For example, (AGREE II) tool is effective in CPGs evaluation.  Other tools such as flowcharts and implementation instructions would work best in promoting adherence. The point is that healthcare provider should use high-quality clinical practice guidelines and this will be achieved through creating a multidisciplinary group, consider patients’ preferences and use selection criteria (Molino et al, 2016). Even though the country has developed health care system through Millennium Development Goals, the government should improve management and coordination of care through quality spending of public health resources (Molino et al, 2016). There are challenges and obstacles in access to health care services and so the government should use the right direction and expand the primary care coverage in order to eliminate the burden of diseases.

 

Syria

Humanitarian issues and complex emergencies

The country is facing humanitarian crisis where 4.5million people have emigrated from Syria to countries like Lebanon and Jordan (Akbarzadeh & Conduit, 2016). Others are internally displaced and about 70% of people are suffering due to lack of food, water and education.  Since the Second World War, Syria has faced biggest displacement and more than 12million people need assistance so that they can sustain their lives. The issue has highly affected children where 2.7million are not in school for about three years. Children are forced to carry out dangerous task to sustain their lives and the condition has affected them physically and mentally (Akbarzadeh & Conduit, 2016). There is a slow response to the humanitarian crisis and millions of innocent people are suffering from sexual violence, deadly hazards and food shortages. The vulnerable populations affected by this issue are children. According to the U.N, 2.5 million children who are under 18 have been highly affected by the humanitarian crisis. These children are half of the total refugees from Syria who comprise more than 50% (Akbarzadeh & Conduit, 2016).   

 

Syria is on track with MDGs following that in 2000, it committed to accomplish 8 targets and 60 indicators. The goals are to eradicate poverty, reduce child mortality, and develop environmental sustainability and more (Akbarzadeh & Conduit, 2016). In addressing the humanitarian crisis in Syria, Canada is offering a quick response to these issues. It has provided support to Syrian refugees and to date, the country has provided security assistance and addressed humanitarian issue by spending 1billion. In 2015 and 2016, 25,000 refugees were offered settlements (Canada, 2016). Canada has created social networks and organizations for the purpose of proving long-term success to refugees. Canada is collaborating with humanitarian partners in meeting the basic needs based on shelter, food and security. Canada is also offering assistance through development projects which are aimed at helping the countries with refuges cope with challenges. The crisis has not only impacted Syria but also the countries where refuges are living (Canada, 2016). Canada is offering security and stability funds for the purpose of supporting civil society, civil administration security forces and non-humanitarian aspects in these countries.

 

Recommendations

Canada (2016) asserts that intervention towards the humanitarian crisis in Syria should comprise humanitarian interventions, national defense and collective self-defense.  In corrective self-defense, third parties should assist and use military force in fighting the ISIS military attacks.  In national Self-Defense, Syria should defend itself from external aggression.  Humanitarian intervention means that the government in Syria should protect the country from tyranny and oppression (Canada, 2016).. Other recommendation is that since children are the vulnerable population, the UNICEF should create a friendly environment in Turking, Lebanon, Jordan and other regions where children will receive psychological support (Canada, 2016). Children should be helped in accomplishing new path through fostering social interaction and meeting their basic needs.  UNICEF organization should also create education programs so that children can learn and eliminate poverty in their future life.

 

 

Nigeria

Communicable diseases

Nigeria is facing challenges from communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDs, malaria, TB among other disease.  Nigeria is ranked as the forth country with the highest number of TB and it ranked as second country with highest HIV infection out of the countries with similar estimated incidents (Oladele et al, 2017).  TB infection is high due to nosocomial transmission. The country is not developing in terms of health system and as a result poverty and diseases are creating ill health reproductive. Poor developmental indicators are brought by socio-economic growth which is then affecting the health of people and reducing the life expectancy to 40years compared with other counties like Japan which has a life expectancy of 82years (Oladele et al, 2017).  Since there is a poor socio-economic status,   people in Nigeria   have less access to water and only 45% can aces water sources. The vulnerable population is women and their reproductive health is at risk.  There is a high maternal mortality from pregnancy risk.  

 There are many challenges in Nigeria which are hindering effective intervention to the communicable disease.  First, there are inadequate programs to address the health problems.  According to WHOM statistics which were released in 2011, per 1000 live birth, the rate of infant mortality is 86.  Per 100,000 live births, maternal mortality rate is 840 (Oladele et al, 2017).  The rates are raising due to poor response toward the health issues. Other point is that the country lacks an evidence-informed policy which acts as a tool in controlling infectious disease. There is also a high rate of HIV transmission from mother-to-child and the cause is due to poor PMTCT services.  The country face challenges in planning and implementation in that there is a heavy burden of communicable disease which makes 90% but the annual budget which is allocated in addressing the health issue is 10% (Oladele et al, 2017). The health system remains behind due to poor response on the root causes of communicable disease such as inadequate disposal, alcoholism and more. However, the country is on track with Millennium Developmental Goals with a target of reducing the higher rates of mortality by 275 per 100,000 live births and increase measles immunization (Oladele et al, 2017).

 

Recommendation

First, the health system should be restructured and ensure the availability of human and material resources.  In order to achieve the MDGs, there should be skilled health providers who will provide high quality care (Uneke et al, 2015). Communities who live in rural and urban areas should access affordable care.  Referral system should develop   so that patients can receive effective and efficient care. Given that the root cause of communicable disease is poor socio-economic status, there should be provision of safe water and sanitation and good infrastructure (Uneke et al, 2015). The health system should also develop an Informed Policy-Making where health care providers will gain interdisciplinary skills and create initiatives for strategic benefits. Health workers will practice new skills and gain insight as well as experiences and as a result create encouraging team (Uneke et al, 2015).

 

Conclusion

Brazil, Asia and Nigeria are countries with poor health system.  The health issues are brought by various factors and there is an urgent need   to address these health issues. Government, healthcare providers and communities should be in the frontline to create a workable structure with adequate and available health care in order to alleviate the adverse health issues.  In the long term, government and community should ensure quality socioeconomic status, education and reproductive health in order to achieve the set goals of health.  In addressing the health issues affecting Brazil, Syria and Nigeria, the government should join hand with health care providers and respond early to the emerging threats. They should adopt new approaches for the management as well as prevention of communicable disease, non-communicable disease and humanitarian issues. Health care provides should have a comprehensive understanding of causes of disease so that they can create future directions in protecting the population.

 

 

Reference

Akbarzadeh, S., & Conduit, D. (2016). THE SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS. Ethos, 24(2), 8-10.

 

Canada, N. (2016, March 11). Five years of crisis in Syria: Development and Peace wants Canadian

government to take greater action for peace in Syria. Canada Newswire.

 

Molino, C. C., Romano-Lieber, N. S., Ribeiro, E., & de Melo, D. O. (2016). Non-Communicable Disease

Clinical Practice Guidelines in Brazil: A Systematic Assessment of Methodological Quality and

Transparency. Plos ONE, 11(11), 1-15. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0166367

 

Nunes, H. G., Gonçalves, E. A., Vieira, J. J., & Silva, D. S. (2016). Clustering of Risk Factors for Non-

Communicable Diseases among Adolescents from Southern Brazil. Plos ONE, 11(7), 1-13.

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Oladele, E. A., Khamofu, H., Asala, S., Saleh, M., Ralph-Opara, U., Nwosisi, C., & ... Torpey, K. (2017).

Playing the Catch-Up Game: Accelerating the Scale-Up of Prevention of Mother-To-Child

Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) Services to Eliminate New Pediatric HIV Infection in

Nigeria. Plos ONE, 12(1), 1-18. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0169342

 

Uneke, C. J., Ezeoha, A. E., Uro-Chukwu, H., Ezeonu, C. T., Ogbu, O., Onwe, F., & Edoga, C. (2015).

Enhancing the Capacity of Policy-Makers to Develop Evidence-Informed Policy Brief on

Infectious Diseases of Poverty in Nigeria. International Journal Of Health Policy &

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