Introduction
Discussions on whether the responsibility for citizens’ well-being in the face of social risks lies with private individuals, the state, or both have been experienced in many countries. One of the aspects that have been analyzed involves the social responsibility for health. Many people in society face challenges when trying to access healthcare services.
For instance, people from low socioeconomic families can lack adequate funds to access medical services. Individuals have also engaged in some behaviors such as smoking and alcohol consumption, leading to some diseases. The states may also fail to build adequate facilities to ensure that citizens can access health care services with ease. Therefore, one can argue that both private individuals and the state are responsible for citizens’ well-being in the face of social risks.
Reasons why Private Individuals Have Responsibility for Their Well-Being
Lifestyle is one of the significant factors that can lead to various infections. Many people in the modern world are not focusing on diet, whereby they are developing various conditions. For instance, obese people in countries such as Australia have increased since many citizens are not concentrating on healthy eating. Additionally, some sicknesses such as lung infections and heart diseases are being recorded in many areas due to increased smoking.
Therefore, individuals should ensure that they focus on their lifestyles to avoid developing such illnesses. The current COVID-19 pandemic also shows that citizens and governments have to be responsible for the well-being of individuals. In this case, residents are encouraged to focus on the measures that have been emphasized by the World Health Organization (WHO). For instance, it is the responsibility of individuals to wear masks and avoid crowded areas. Therefore, the risk of being infected with the virus primarily involves one’s behaviors.
People’s lifestyles can also lead to infections such as HIV/AIDS. Although governments have ensured that citizens are educated about the risk factors of the disease, many people have contracted the virus due to unprotected sex. Moreover, many countries have spent many funds to inform the public about the condition. Nonetheless, many cases are being recorded in various regions, which are being steered by unprotected sex.
These lifestyle-related illnesses have also largely contributed to the rising expenses of medical care. Therefore, one can argue that the relationship between lifestyle, infection burden, and healthcare costs reveals that persons are morally responsible for their health‐related choices in the face of social risks. However, people should not be held entirely accountable for their health since the government has some responsibilities to ensure that citizens’ well-being is observed.
Reasons why the States Have the Responsibility for Citizens’ Well-Being
Many countries have ensured that people’s well-being is achieved by developing policies to ensure that all persons can receive various services. For instance, contemporary Australian society has been improved by focusing on human services delivery (Carson & Kerr, 2017). However, many people have argued that they experience challenges when seeking medical services. Moreover, some health procedures are expensive, making it hard for low socioeconomic families to obtain the amenities. Therefore, the state should ensure that people can access these services easily by encouraging lower treatment costs.
The distribution of resources in various areas is also the responsibility of the state. Some public healthcare facilities in rural areas face challenges, whereby they lack some equipment and adequate staff to meet the desired healthcare outcomes. Policies have also been introduced to ensure that human rights are protected (Jamrozik, 2009). For example, the disability policy was introduced in countries such as China, the US, and Australia to guarantee that people with disabilities are not discriminated against when accessing various services (Jamrozik, 2009). Nonetheless, many disabled individuals have argued that they experienced bias in the community. Consequently, the government should focus on ways that guarantee that people adhere to the policies. For instance, the state can introduce hefty charges to any person who violates the regulations.
The government can also introduce health programs to ensure that citizens know the social risks they can encounter. For instance, states should guarantee that communities are informed about the current pandemic and ways to avoid the spread of the virus. Moreover, governments are responsible for warranting that all hospitals have adequate tools and healthcare practitioners to offer services to those infected with the virus.
Additionally, the state should ensure that vaccines are available to guarantee that people can be immunized. Issues such as family violence have also increased in many countries, whereby deaths involving domestic conflicts have been recorded. For instance, cases of people who have developed health complications, including mental conditions due to domestic family disputes, have been experienced in Australia (World Health Organization, 2019). Therefore, the government should ensure that policies to limit such issues are introduced as they primarily involve the well-being of the citizens.
The governments should emphasize other aspects such as workplace safety standards. In this case, many people have developed complications due to poor working environments. Therefore, the state is responsible for ensuring that organizations have met the required standards before starting their operations. Companies should also be issued permits after a thorough inspection to guarantee that they do not risk their workers. Increased pollution from firms has also led to many diseases in individuals (Fuller & Font, 2019). Hence, states can guarantee that policies to limit greenhouse gas emissions and poor waste management are enacted. These arguments, therefore, reveal that the state is also responsible for assuring the citizen’s well-being in the face of social risks.
Counter Argument
Although different aspects have revealed that individuals and the state are responsible for citizens’ well-being, one can argue that collaboration between the two parties should be exercised. In this case, people should ensure that they work with the government to guarantee that these risks are limited (Lambin & Thorlakson, 2018). For instance, communities can help the government eradicate drug abuse by reporting individuals who engage in drug trafficking.
Citizens can also inform their leaders about the various issues that impact their lives in the community. For example, individuals can report cases of discrimination to criminal justice officials. Governments can also encourage people to visit various public institutions to seek guidance about a particular issue. For instance, people should be encouraged to visit healthcare facilities and get tested for the coronavirus. Therefore, the collaboration between citizens and the state should be encouraged as they impact people’s well-being.
Conclusion
The well-being of citizens is an essential aspect that should be observed. Individuals should ensure that they focus on different aspects that can influence their well-being. For instance, lifestyle is a factor that can lead to the development of many conditions. The current COVID-19 pandemic has also revealed that citizens are responsible for their health. In this case, people are encouraged to adhere to the guidelines that have been introduced to limit the spread of the virus. The state is also responsible for the well-being of the citizens since policies to protect individuals should be implemented by the government. The state should also provide resources in various facilities such as hospitals. Therefore, it is the responsibility of individuals and the state to ensure that citizens’ well-being in the face of social risks is achieved.
References
Carson, E., & Kerr, L. (2017). Australian social policy and the human services (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Fuller, G. W., & Font, A. (2019). Keeping air pollution policies on track. Science, 365(6451), 322-323. Web.
Jamrozik, A. W. (2009). Social policy in the post-welfare state: Australian society in a changing world (3rd ed.). Pearson Education Limited.
Lambin, E. F., & Thorlakson, T. (2018). Sustainability standards: Interactions between private actors, civil society, and governments. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 43, 369-393. Web.
World Health Organization. (2019). Global action plan on physical activity 2018-2030: More active people for a healthier world. World Health Organization.