Health is the underlying component of any society that wishes to thrive. With that in mind, let us explore four of the most important health and wellness issues currently.
Information and Accessibility
As with most things in life, the best decisions are made when the right information is available. It is especially paramount in the health and wellness industry as it deals with protecting and improving human living conditions. Without it, we are putting at risk the most fundamental component of society as a whole. And that is the people.
But how is this achieved? How can we make sure that the men and women in charge of making decisions have the best quality data available to them?
Among other things, it starts with the sharing of medical and disease-related information between all parties involved. It’s about creating patient advocacy group partnerships to treat rare diseases and doctors, nurses, and other practitioners of medicine working hand in hand to improve the industry.
It is only through collaboration that we can ensure a better, healthier tomorrow for the generations to come.
Pandemics and Global Public Health
Nobody saw the covid-19 global pandemic coming. No matter what individual leaders of different nations and epidemiologists say, if somebody had forecast what was about to happen, something would have been done. The truth is, neither developed nor developing nations were sufficiently prepared to handle a crisis of such magnitude.
Naturally, as the old saying goes, there’s no use crying over spilled milk. Engaging in an endless debate of what could have or should have been done is an exercise in futility and a waste of time. The important thing is to learn the many lessons stemming from this reality and take the necessary measures to guarantee it never happens again. And if that isn’t possible, the second-best course of action is to create a sound plan to deal with similar outbreaks in the future.
Let covid-19 be the genesis of a much-improved global public healthcare system and a reminder of what may happen if we don’t treat these issues with the seriousness they warrant.
The Urban-Rural Divide
The story of the haves and have-nots is as old as time itself. From the ancient Egyptian and Chinese civilizations of more than 5,000 years ago to the current societies across the globe, social and economic equality is something that we will perhaps never achieve. Yet, that doesn’t mean we should stop trying and accept this problem as something that cannot be changed.
From a health and wellness perspective, this lies primarily in finding ways to bridge the gap between those living in the city and households that call the countryside their home. And while it is far from easy to do it, a few things can be done to start the process.
For instance, we can offer incentives to physicians willing to work in suburban areas. Or the government can move some of its functions to less-developed places. If this happens, more people will live there, resulting in more hospitals, private clinics, and other medical facilities.
The Silent Killer
Until the end of the twentieth century, the human race had to suffer the terrible consequences of an awful disease. If you are not familiar with what it was, we are talking about smallpox, a highly contagious illness that crippled societies, killing close to 50 percent of the people it affected. And those that didn’t die were left with horrible scars all over their bodies.
Thanks to technological development in medicine and the minds of a few brilliant people, smallpox was finally eradicated in 1980. Nevertheless, the world faces a new killer, one not as visually pronounced but rather acting silently in the shadows, destroying our bodies and minds little by little. And that treacherous assassin is stress.
Stress is the number one cause of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, paranoia, and food-related ailments. It also triggers behaviors that lead to lifestyle diseases like type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and chronic heart failure. Adding to that, it makes people smoke and drink in much larger quantities.
If we are to survive as people, the government, the private sector, and ourselves must learn to deal with stress.
As we have seen, there are four key health and wellness issues today. The first is having access to health-related information. The second is preventing another covid-19 from taking place. After that is the challenge of providing equal healthcare for people in cities and the countryside. Finally, it’s about finding solutions to stress.
Our health is an essential facet of our lives. As such, we must take action to ensure we are in the best condition we can be.