‘HealthCare’ report.
Rishabh Anand Golla – 77
Introduction
Healthcare is a fundamental human right, yet disparities and inefficiencies persist in many regions. Governments, policymakers, and medical professionals continue to address these issues to improve healthcare outcomes globally.
Center for Health Care Strategies & Mathematica Policy Research states that, “For each scenario, options are presented for addressing potential duplication of services and payments across the array of partners involved in health home service delivery.”
Office of Health Economics, 1979 says that; In introducing the ‘National Health Service’, the Minister responsible, Aneurin Bevan stated that “medical treatment and care . . . should be made available to rich and poor alike in accordance with medical need and by no other criterion” (Abel-Smith, 1978).
CARE India conducted a regional workshop in Jharkhand with the following objectives in mind:
1. Sensitization and awareness building about the nutrition related services/schemes of ICDS & Health Department.
2. Assessment of gaps between availability and utilization of the available health services.
3. Discern inadequacy if any, to advocate Program / policy level amendments.
4. Sensitization and awareness generation about rights and entitlements towards enhanced demand and access of available services.
5. Awareness generation among service providers about their roles and responsibilities.
6. Enhanced efficacy and effectiveness of the government schemes/Programs.
7. Ensure commitment building and due stakeholder participation towards addressing the cause of malnutrition.
· One of the achievements by CARE India was the nutrition advocacy kit was incorporated as a part of a “Parliamentarians Welcome Kit” developed by CLRA. It was launched on the 29th of July 2009, at the ‘Constitution Club’ in New Delhi, in the presence of union and state ministers and followed by a discussion on prioritizing nutrition. The participants urged the need for political leaders and representatives to work with stakeholders at all levels. This kit is now shared regularly by CLRA with parliamentarians, especially new parliamentarians
DonHee Lee & Seong No Yoon who have published articles and journals on AI In health care industry say that “Today, many startups (e.g., Freenome, an AI genomics biotech company in San Francisco; Recursion Pharmaceuticals in Salt Lake City; Benevolent AI in the UK; and OrCam in Israel, etc.) are providing healthcare solutions and services using AI-based technologies. IBM’s “Watson for Oncology” is the most widely utilized AI application in the healthcare industry, assisting assistance to doctors by suggesting appropriate treatment solutions.”
· “IBM’s “Watson for Oncology” is the world’s first medical AI. It has a cloud-based AI platform for entering cancer patient data that helps medical staff devise treatment methods based on numerous past clinical cases, 290 medical journals, 200 textbooks, and 12 million pages of medical research”
On 8th of June 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a research paper on ‘Mental Disorders’. According to the WHO a few key facts were shared, which included;
1. 1 in every 8 people in the world live with a mental disorder.
2. Mental disorders involve significant disturbances in thinking, emotional regulation, or behavior.
3. There are many different types of mental disorder.rs
4. Effective prevention and treatment options exist.
5. Most people do not have access to effective care.
· These disorders included Anxiety, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), Schizophrenia, Eating Disorder, Disruptive behavior and dissocial Disorder, Neurodevelopment Disorder and more.
· Also according to WHO, although most people are resilient in nature but people who are exposed to adverse circumstances – including poverty, violence, disability, and inequality – are at higher risk of creating a mental disorder.
The U.S Centers For Disease Control & Prevention states the following facts in its health related problem pages:
· On August 31 of each year, International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) is recognized globally as a day to remember and grieve those that we’ve lost, take action to encourage support and recovery, and help end overdose by spreading awareness about drug overdose prevention. Join us as an IOAD partner by using your voice and platforms to spread messages about ending overdose
· Signs of an overdose may include:
– Unconsciousness or inability to awaken
– Slow or shallow breathing or difficulty breathing such as choking sounds or gurgling/snoring noise from a person who cannot be awakened
– Discolored skin (especially in nails or lips)
– Small, constricted “pinpoint pupils” that don’t react to light
In accordance to the World Health Organization (WHO) who are taking efforts to end mpox outbreak in Burundi.
· Bujumbura – Since the beginning of 2025, Burundi has recorded fewer mpox cases, with an average of 70 new cases per week during the first nine weeks of the year, as efforts continue to end the outbreak.
· A total of 83 district and provincial head doctors have also been trained in clinical care protocol as well as supervision of community health workers, who are responsible for monitoring patients at home. More than 90 community health workers and 40 health promotion officers have been trained on active contact tracing, patient referral and follow-up for 21 days.
WHO says that “the cost of healthcare continues to rise due to expensive treatments, administrative costs, and pharmaceutical pricing. Also, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), global healthcare spending has increased significantly, burdening both patients and governments.
There is a global shortage of healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurses. The American Medical Association (AMA) states that physician shortages are expected to worsen, impacting patient care and hospital efficiency (AMA, 2022).
Conclusion:
The challenges faced by healthcare systems worldwide are many that are ranging from rising costs and workforce shortages to accessibility gaps and global health crises. However, various solutions are available to address these issues.
Technological advancements, such as AI-driven healthcare solutions and telemedicine, have significantly improved patient outcomes and access to medical services. Policy reforms, focusing on affordability and inclusivity, can help bridge the gap between healthcare availability and patient needs. Furthermore, investing in the healthcare workforce by expanding training programs and improving working conditions is crucial in ensuring sustainable healthcare systems.
Collaboration between governments, healthcare institutions, and private sector innovators is necessary to create an efficient, accessible, and cost-effective healthcare system. By taking proactive measures, the future of healthcare can be transformed to better serve global populations, ensuring that healthcare remains a fundamental right rather than a privilege.
References.
· American Medical Association (AMA). (2022). Physician Shortages and Workforce Challenges. Retrieved from www.ama-assn.org
· CARE India, 2012. “Prioritizing Nutrition in India, The Silent Emergency : A Strategy for Commitment Building and Advocacy,” World Bank Publications – Reports 12660, The World Bank Group.
· Center for Health Care Strategies & Mathematica Policy Research, “undated”. “Health Home Considerations for a Medicaid Managed Care Delivery System: Avoiding Duplication of Services and Payment,” Mathematica Policy Research Reports 380fbff34ec44cd386751da99, Mathematica Policy Research.
· Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (May 8th 2024). Overdose Prevention
· DonHee Lee & Seong No Yoon, 2021. “Application of Artificial Intelligence-Based Technologies in the Healthcare Industry: Opportunities and Challenges,” IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-18, January.
· https://www.cdc.gov/overdoseprevention/prevention/index.html
· Office of Health Economics, 1979. “Scarce Resources in Health Care,” Series on Health 000303, Office of Health Economics.
· World Health Organization (3rd March 2025) Sustaining Efforts to end Mpox outbreak in Burundi. https://www.afro.who.int/countries/burundi/news/sustaining-efforts-end-mpox-outbreak-burundi
· World Health Organization (WHO), 2022 June 8th. Mental Disorders. “The following are the sub-sources used to gather the health information”:
1. Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation. Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx), (https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/, accessed 14 May 2022).
2. Mental Health and COVID-19: Early evidence of the pandemic’s impact. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2022.
3. Charlson, F., van Ommeren, M., Flaxman, A., Cornett, J., Whiteford, H., & Saxena, S. New WHO prevalence estimates of mental disorders in conflict settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2019;394,240–248.
4. Laursen TM, Nordentoft M, Mortensen PB. Excess early mortality in schizophrenia. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 2014;10,425-438.
5. Mental health atlas 2020. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021
6. Moitra M, Santomauro D, Collins PY, Vos T, Whiteford H, Saxena S, et al. The global gap in treatment coverage for major depressive disorder in 84 countries from 2000–2019: a systematic review and Bayesian meta-regression analysis. PLoS Med. 2022;19(2):e1003901. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003901.
· World Health Organization (WHO). (2021). Global Healthcare Spending Trends. Retrieved from www.who.int