Health Assessment (Master's)

Health assessment 1

Question 1

Public health is a science that deals with protection and enhancement of health standards in the community. It accomplishes this task through intensive research, promotion of healthy practices, detection, and prevention of infections. In this regard, public health professionals recommend the appropriate policies and programs after doing comprehensive research as far as the state of health in the community is concerned (Schneider, 2001). Therefore, health assessment professionals mainly deal with the prevention of occurrence, or recurrence of health issues, as opposed to nurses and doctors who deal directly with patients.

Public health differs from personal health in that the latter is primarily the task of an individual. One’s health is their concern, and public health comes in when the health hazard or infection or condition occurring is affecting a community, or important geographical region (Schneider, 2001). A classic example is the AIDS epidemic which continues to be a global public health concern that has sparked mass education, free or cheaper health support and intensive research to find a remedy.

Question 2

Benefits of Public Health Assessments

1. They identify the health hazard and concerns in the community and respond accordingly to them after proper investigation (Schneider, 2001).

2. Prevent the occurrence of such hazards in future, and if detected earlier, public health assessments recommend ways to thwart or limit these health situations from occurring through the promotion of healthy lifestyles and avoidances of exposure.

3. The reports presented through public health assessments are fundamental for legislation and policy by the government on environmental health standards.

4. Evaluate the nature of health implications thus validating or nullifying myths and misconceptions that come them. Through their findings, people can be educated to understand the health situation and handle it appropriately. For example, it is through public health assessment that AIDS was understood comprehensively and myths and misinformation were discarded.

5. These assessments foster a healthy and safe environment for people. The strategies recommended because of public health assessments, is the reason people live and work in a conducive healthier environment.

6. As an economic booster, these assessments save the government a significant amount of money that would have been used in treating affected and infected people, due to health hazards and promotes preventive medicine awareness (Schneider, 2001).

Disadvantages of Public Health Assessments

1. At times these assessments tend to take too long before the real cause of health problems is known because research is all about approving or disapproving speculations by carrying out tests and investigation. This can be disastrous for instance the Ebola outbreak in West Africa had killed thousands before a vaccine was invented.

2. Sometimes public health assessment involves quarantine of affected or infected people which can cause social stigma and unrest for the victims (TSD, 2015).

Potential health conflict.

A potential health conflict that could arise due to assessment is the friction between users of or dealers in tobacco and government. The WHO has guidelines such limiting cigarette commercials and including warning messages on packaging. This has not been received well by the manufacturers. Ironically, most governments realize good annually due to this business despite tobacco killing thousands globally (Schneider, 2001).

Question 3

The result of assessment is a detailed report with findings and recommendations. This can be used as a template to legislation as far public health is concerned (TSD, 2015).

Question 4

Child abuse refers to the neglect; physical, sexual or psychological abuse of a child by a parent or caregiver. This is a social problem all around the world which is a threat to human rights. It’s difficult to mitigate because it happens behind closed doors. However, policy-making, legislation, and education by governments worldwide have helped in significantly reducing child abuse cases compared to previous years. Child abuse has been recognized as a felony and persons found guilty can be sentenced, charged, put on probation or even denied custody of a child depending on the severity of the situation. Furthermore, child abuse as a thorn to human rights protection initiatives is being taught in schools so that children can recognize their rights (Hoyano and Keenan 2007). This has helped seeing most of the child abuse cases reported either to authorities, a neighbour or to the teachers. It also instils a good culture in their young minds, and their generation will do better than their predecessors. In Africa for example, female genital mutilation was recognized a child abuse exercise and efforts to end it have seen a reduction over the years. All in all, child abuse is a difficult social problem to end due to several unreported cases. Threats by offenders to the affected children creates fear in them, and they choose to keep quiet about it.

References

Schneider, Mary-Jane. (2001). Introduction to Public Health, 4th edition. Burlington: Mass.

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. (2015). Public health assessment manual. Retrieved from https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/

Hoyano and Keenan. (2007). Child Abuse: Law and Policy Across Boundaries. Oxford, UK. Oxford Press.

(Schneider, 2001) (TSD, 2015) (Hoyano, 2007)