Background
The tasks of the modern healthcare system are very diverse and essential. They are primarily aimed at preserving and strengthening the physical and mental health of each person. The health care system is engaged in maintaining a healthy life and provides medical care if a person’s health is in danger. It is vital to talk about public problems related to the health system because it is a factor that determines the overall health and well-being of people around the world.
The difference between communicable disease and infectious disease
Often people use the words “infectious” and “contagious” interchangeably to describe the disease, although these words mean two different things. Infectious diseases include all diseases transmitted to a human from another human, animal, or the environment. Communicable or contagious diseases are a subcategory of contagious diseases and can be transmitted only among people (Hammaker & Tomlinson, 2011). Unfortunately, even now, in the 21st century, when medicine is at a fairly high level of development, diseases remain a real threat to the population. Statistics show that about a third of people worldwide are infected with tuberculosis bacilli (Hammaker & Tomlinson, 2011). There is an alarmingly high level of cholera in Iraq, although it was believed that the disease had been defeated. There is a constant increase in the scale of outbreaks of infectious diseases (Hammaker & Tomlinson, 2011) in Africa. Thus, diseases have always been a great danger that should be effectively dealt with.
The importance of emergency preparedness plans and their potential problems
In order to prevent global negative consequences of disasters, it is necessary to take specific steps. From a public health perspective, high-quality nutrition, access to clean water, and adequate sanitation systems can help protect the population from emergencies, such as a pandemic (Boyce & Katz, 2019). It is also necessary to carefully train medical workers since their role in emergencies is essential. Unfortunately, there is a severe problem with the health care supply chain in the United States. In addition, there are not so many opportunities for increasing production, and there are not so many sufficient stockpiles (Hammaker & Tomlinson, 2011). Moreover, it is difficult to predict what kind of disaster will happen, so it is necessary to be ready for everything at once.
The role of pigs as a common reservoir for infectious diseases
Wild pigs and wild boars are carriers of African swine fever, an infectious viral disease. Since its appearance in Georgia in 2007, the virus has rapidly spread to the territory of Western Europe and Asian countries (Mauroy, 2021). It is known that this is a septic disease with an acute course and a high mortality rate; thus, the global pig industry is under threat due to African swine fever. It is necessary to make rapid and radical changes in the population of wild boars; otherwise, their number will steadily grow, creating favorable conditions for the development of the disease. Measures to combat swine fever require numerous and expensive actions since the scale of the epidemic of this disease is constantly growing. Among the adverse socio-economic consequences, considerable losses in the export of pigs and meat products can be mentioned.
Religious exemptions from medical coverage for religious employers
In the United States, there is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It expands the scope of health insurance and obliges an employer or a citizen to purchase an insurance policy, which, among other things, includes contraceptives. On the other hand, many closed commercial corporations in the United States have particular religious views. For example, the profoundly religious owners of the Hobby Lobby firms considered the use of contraceptives unacceptable, and therefore they were freed from this need (Esbeck, 2017). Thus, citizens have the right to disobey federal law, referring to religious beliefs. Of course, religious freedoms are fundamental because everyone has the right to their ideas. However, it cannot be denied that some dishonest people can take advantage of this for their benefit.
The risks of women, STDs, and complications
Many dangers threaten women’s health and lives due to various reasons. Unfortunately, this is due to gender discrimination, which is still actively being fought to protect women’s health, safety, and well-being (Hammaker & Tomlinson, 2011). There are many risks for women, among which the following can be distinguished: conditions for which risk factors may vary (HIV/AIDS and heart disease); risks that are dangerous mainly for women (lupus and other auto-immune disorders); risks that are more serious for women (consequences of sexually transmitted diseases); risks that occur only in women (pregnancy and ovarian cancer) (Hammaker & Tomlinson, 2011). It is necessary to consider all the differences and similarities between men and women to cope with diseases more effectively.
Infant mortality and morbidity rate in the US compared to industrialized nations
In the modern world, such a concept as child mortality has not disappeared anywhere but continues to affect the demographic situation. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “infant mortality is one of the most important indicators of the health of a nation, as it is associated with a variety of factors” (Hammaker & Tomlinson, 2011, p. 628). Despite the enormous financial costs of healthcare, the United States is far ahead of developed countries in terms of child and infant mortality. According to data, in 2017, about twenty thousand children died in the United States without reaching their first birthday (Ely & Driscoll, 2019). This is a much higher level than in countries such as Greece, Slovakia, and Hungary. The highest mortality rates are among African Americans and Native Americans, and one of the leading causes is prematurity. Thus, child mortality in the United States is on the verge of a crisis.
The role of gun safety laws and the impact they can have
There are too many risks and negative consequences of carrying weapons, so this issue should be strictly regulated. Laws on the purchase and use of firearms vary from state to state, but in general, firearms cannot be sold to people with mental problems, previously convicted, and drug addicts (Sperlich, 2019). Today, the United States is almost the only civilized country where the acquisition, carrying, and use of weapons is considered the norm. At the same time, thousands of people die from gun violence each year.
In the 1980s, New York was hardly a safe place to live, and hundreds of serious crimes were committed there every day. Nevertheless, the solution was found, starting with a small thing: with the fight against graffiti. Thus, step by step, the police managed to restore order to the city, taking a tough stance even to minor offenders because it is with minor offenses that serious crime begins.
The replacement rate and how it impacts the suicide rate
There can be many reasons for suicide; it is individual for each person. The replacement coefficient is the ratio of a person’s previous income and pension (Mao & Wen, 2021). Unfortunately, many people, especially those who are single or deprived of family support, face an acute shortage of money after retirement since they receive about 40% of their previous salaries. They can no longer support themselves, fall into depression, and are at risk of suicide. It becomes evident that this problem is essential and requires serious consideration.
References
Boyce, M. R., & Katz, R. (2019). Community health workers and pandemic preparedness: current and prospective roles. Frontiers in Public Health, 7, 62.
Ely, D. M., & Driscoll, A. K. (2019). Infant mortality in the United States, 2017: data from the period linked birth/infant death file.
Esbeck, C. H. (2017). When Religious Exemptions Cause Third-Party Harms: Is the Establishment Clause Violated?. Journal of Church and State, 59(3), 357-376.
Hammaker, D.K., & Tomlinson, S.J. 2011. Health Care Management and the Law. Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Mao, H., & Wen, Z. (2021). Optimal Replacement and Investment Strategy in a Defined Benefit Pension Plan with Cyclically Changing Economic Environment. Journal of Insurance Issues, 44(1), 65-89.
Mauroy, A., Depoorter, P., Saegerman, C., Cay, B., De Regge, N., Filippitzi, M. E.,… & Dewulf, J. (2021). Semi‐quantitative risk assessment by expert elicitation of potential introduction routes of African swine fever from wild reservoir to domestic pig industry and subsequent spread during the Belgian outbreak (2018–2019). Transboundary and emerging diseases.
Sperlich, M., Logan-Greene, P., Slovak, K., & Kaplan, M. S. (2019). Addressing gun violence: A social work imperative.