The world has
been encountering the numerous public health challenges for ages. Majority of
these challenges still persists to the date & further, new series of
serious public health problems have been threatening the global community. The public health problem
that evolved with the birth of infectious diseases during the primitive ages has
now become more pronounced. On one hand, the effects of communicable diseases
have diversified & become more profound, while on the other hand, chronic
illnesses & ecological disasters are on the rise. With globalization, the
risks to public health have been changing in the recent decades. Hence, it has
become necessary to peep into the future to imagine a world that is overrun by
large no. of public health problems or perpetual war.
The public
health problems in the future depend upon the numerous factors, every one of
which is unpredictable. Hence, no one can accurately predict what health
problems are likely to occur in 10 years from now. However, if we assume that
the current trends remain to continue in the future, we may not have difficulty
to project what mega-challenges in public health the world will be facing.
With the
mankind’s industrialization ethos & changing patterns of population,
environment & diseases, the globe will be suffering from numerous public
health problems in the future. Greenhouse effect & global warming will be one
of the major issue threatening human health & survival. This in turn, is
expected to increase the threats of extreme weather changes such as glacial
melting, shore-line flooding, widespread droughts & drastic climate shifts.
Further, in the next decade, the misery effects due to air, water & soil
pollution are likely to be seen, followed by ozone depletion in the upper
atmosphere. Hence, ecological disasters, as never seen before are likely, as
the cumulative effects of population increase, resource depletion & environmental
degradation becomes a global issue.
In the recent
years, the risks to public health have changed. Although the HIV/AIDS, TB &
Influenza like infections still persists & are on the rise in the form of
pandemics, there is an undeniable fact that that the leading causes of
mortality and morbidity is slowly perpetuating from infectious diseases to
chronic one. The rising incidence of long-term chronic conditions exacerbated
by lifestyle choices together with demographic changes in the population
(including ageing) will lead to the epidemics of asthma, obesity, cancer, DM
& heart diseases. The threats of communicable diseases as well as vector
borne diseases will still not disappear within 10 years time. Further, the old
foes like syphilis, water-borne outbreaks, West-Nile are likely to re-emerge.
It is also projected that the possibilities of previous pandemics like SARS,
Swine flu & Bird flu are still inevitable in the near future.
Adolescent
health problems will be another serious public health issue. The menace of
smoking will not disappear. Moreover, the adolescent health problems will
intensify with increased rates of drug taking, eating disorders, risky sexual
behaviour and teenage pregnancy. This is expected to cause an unprecedented
rise of STIs & HIV/AIDS as well as other physical & psychological
problems. On the other hand, mental health problems will be a serious issue
among the adults. Further, the public health may be compromised by
bio-terrorism.
Another major
issue affecting the public health will be famine aggravated by food insecurity.
Food production supplies will not be able to keep pace with the increasing
population demand especially in Asia, Africa & Latin America without new
solutions to production & distribution.
Whatever
the issues may be, in the lack of proper responses to these expected threats,
the global community is sure to suffer wickedly. The direction of the future
course of these health threats may be reversed by addressing such challenges
through global commitment. What we only require is initiatives from the global
community through multi-sectoral approach.
No comments:
Post a Comment