This paper analyzes five different articles that address community health-related issues.
The first article was retrieved from an online portal of the University of Wisconsin (College of health sciences). The article spells out what community health entails. Health education, as outlined on the university’s website, is a social science that is anchored on not only medical and biological but also environmental, psychological, and physical sciences. Community health education aims at promoting health, as well as, preventing diseases (UW, 2014). In addition, community health education seeks to minimize premature deaths and disability through campaigns that encourage people to observe healthy habits. On a broader scale, this diverse discipline engineers strategies that enhance the knowledge, health know-how, and attitudes of individuals and communities. Successful implementation of sound community health strategies improves the health status at all levels starting from the individual to the national level. Community health focuses on the prevention of diseases, a phenomenon that leads to a significant reduction in medical costs (UW, 2014).
The second article, which was retrieved from New York Times, outlines a strategy that was employed in Mali to enhance community health. According to the author of this article, Mr. Donald McNeil Jr., posting community health workers in communities to treat sick children can lead to a significant reduction in mortality rates of children. According to a study conducted by PLOS, infant mortality in a community living on the outskirts of Bamako, reduced by 90 percent between 2008 and 2011 (McNeil Jr., 2013). Such success has also been registered in other regions such as Rwanda and India.
In line with this, McNeil Jr., (2013) contends that deploying community workers is a milestone achievement in the reduction of mortalities in any given community. This view is seconded by Dr. Johnson Ari, the lead doctor who championed the study in Mali. Dr. Ari contends that the rapid delivery of healthcare to children in their homes was the source of the study’s success. Consequently, McNeil Jr., (2013) authored this article in the world’s most popular online magazine, New York Times, to echo the significance of deploying community workers as a strategy of reducing mortalities among children.
The third article was also retrieved from New York Times. It provides additional information on the significance of community health education. According to the author of this article, Tina Rosenberg, the success of community healthcare is dependent on the deployment of enough community health workers. Rosenberg (2011) uses the example of India. She argues that training members of a given community on matters about community health are the first step towards having a healthy community. Taking India as an example, Rosenberg (2011) reports that uneducated women underwent comprehensive training on community health and later deployed in their respective communities. It was discovered that those women played a significant role in improving community health. Rosenberg (2011) believes that if this strategy is employed, it can empower many communities around the world.
Furthermore, in the fourth article, Phillip Dunn reports the significance of Obamacare. Dunn (2013) notes that community health centers are playing a vital role in the realization of the goals of Obamacare. Dunn (2013) reports that over 21 million Americans are beneficiaries of the services rendered by community health centers. According to Dunn (2013), Obamacare has enabled many Americans to gain access to medical insurance. Consequently, this has lessened the medical burden of many Americans of the middle-level class. Dunn (2013) emphasizes the significance of Obamacare as a community health policy; it is in line with the goals of community health education. Obamacare plays a vital role in enhancing access to medical care for all Americans. However, Dunn (2013) warns that community health centers must be adequately equipped so that they are not overstretched.
Lastly, the fifth article highlights a national community health strategy that seeks to improve people’s health. Physical activity is an important routine that has many health benefits. In line with this, President Obama declared May as the physical fitness month. In this month, policymakers drum support for a fit nation. This article reports the activities that were organized in May 2013 by the President’s direction. The goal of this program is to encourage all Americans to engage in physical activities regularly. Four programs were developed. They included the PALA test, adult and physical fitness tests, and the presidential champions challenge.
To sum up, this paper has analyzed five articles that address community health-related issues. Article one spells out what community health entails. Health education, as outlined in the first article, is a social science that is anchored on not only medical and biological but also environmental, psychological, and physical sciences; it aims at promoting health, as well as, preventing diseases (UW, 2014). The second and third articles highlight the significance of community health education and the deployment of community health workers. Article four highlights the relevance of Obamacare concerning community health. The last article drums support physical activities as a means of improving health.
References
Dan, O. (2013). May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. Web.
Dunn, P. (2013). Community Health Centers: On the Front Lines of Obamacare. Web.
McNeil Jr., D. (2103). A Simple Community Health Remedy in Mali. Web.
Rosenberg, R. (2011). What Makes Community Health Care Work? Web.
University of Wisconsin (UW) (2014). What is Community Health Education? Web.