For weeks 5, 6, and 7, you will be acting as a relief worker for a new public health clinic opening in sub-Saharan Africa to help combat communicable and noncommunicable diseases.
Address the following in your paper:
- Determine the major communicable and noncommunicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Analyze why these diseases are prevalent.
- Assess the challenges to prevention, transmission, and treatment of communicable diseases.
- Evaluate the risk factors for the burden of noncommunicable diseases.
- Investigate the costs to the population for both communicable and noncommunicable diseases.
- What is needed to prepare a public health employee for working in this kind of environment?
Your paper should be 3–4 pages in length, and include a minimum of 3 scholarly sources. Use current APA formatting to style your paper and to cite your sources. Integrate your sources into the paragraphs. Use internal citations pointing to evidence in the literature and supporting your ideas. You will need to include a reference page listing those sources.
See the rubric for specific grading criteria.
Due: Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time)
Points: 100
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
Sub-Saharan Africa is grappling with a high burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases. Public health workers play a crucial role in preventing and managing these diseases. In this paper, we will analyze the major communicable and noncommunicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa, assess the challenges to prevention and treatment, and evaluate the risk factors and costs to the population. Additionally, we will discuss what is needed to prepare a public health employee for working in this kind of environment.
1. Determine the major communicable and noncommunicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.
Sub-Saharan Africa has a high burden of communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. Noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes also pose significant health challenges. These diseases are prevalent due to social determinants of health such as poverty, malnutrition, inadequate sanitation, and inadequate access to healthcare.
Analyze why these diseases are prevalent.
The high prevalence of communicable and noncommunicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa is due to several factors, including poverty, food insecurity, poor housing conditions, inadequate access to clean water and sanitation, inadequate healthcare services, and weak health systems. These factors contribute to poor health outcomes and increase the population’s vulnerability to communicable and noncommunicable diseases.
2. Assess the challenges to prevention, transmission, and treatment of communicable diseases.
The challenges to preventing, transmitting, and treating communicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa are significant due to inadequate healthcare infrastructure, inadequate funding of public health programs, and high rates of poverty and malnutrition. Other factors include limited access to clean water and sanitation, inadequate health education, and stigma associated with some diseases such as HIV/AIDS.
3. Evaluate the risk factors for the burden of noncommunicable diseases.
Risk factors for noncommunicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa are similar to those in developed countries and include lifestyle factors such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, and alcohol consumption. However, sub-Saharan Africa also has unique risk factors such as exposure to environmental pollutants, chronic infections, and genetic predisposition.
4. Investigate the costs to the population for both communicable and noncommunicable diseases.
The costs of communicable and noncommunicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa are significant and include economic costs such as loss of productivity, healthcare costs, and social costs such as stigma and discrimination. The burden falls most heavily on the poorest and most vulnerable segments of society.
5. What is needed to prepare a public health employee for working in this kind of environment?
To prepare for working in sub-Saharan Africa, public health employees need to be familiar with the local culture and healthcare practices, have an understanding of the socio-economic conditions that contribute to disease prevalence, have training in infectious disease control and prevention, and be equipped with appropriate tools and resources such as personal protective equipment, transportation, and communication devices. Additionally, they need to be resilient, flexible, and culturally sensitive to be effective in working within communities.
Conclusion:
The burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases in sub-Saharan Africa is significant and requires a multi-faceted approach to prevention and treatment. Public health workers play an essential role in addressing the health challenges and will be better equipped to do so by understanding the major challenges, risk factors, and costs associated with these diseases. Adequate preparation of public health employees is critical to their effectiveness in addressing these health challenges.
