During the modules of this course, I managed to learn a vast volume of new information that has contributed to my expertise in the field of public health. The two main concepts that I might single out are global health and determinants of health. The understanding of the interrelation between various factors on a worldwide scale and health outcomes helped me interpret health as a multifaceted, complex issue, thus contributing to my professional knowledge.
Firstly, global health as a concept is the state of health of the world’s population that is comprised of both developing and developed countries. On a global scale, people’s health in one part of the world might be affected by the issues with health in another part due to the high mobility of people under the influence of globalization trends (Kruk, Larson, & Twum-Danso, 2016). This issue is important to public health since it emphasizes the scope of globalization effects on human physical and mental health, where there are no country-specific health issues, but rather all issues impact the world.
Secondly, health determinants incorporate the factors in various domains of human life that have a direct or indirect influence on health outcomes. They include social, economic, political environment, climate, demographics, and personal characteristics (World Health Organization, 2020). The understanding of health factors is important because it helps specialists predict the outcomes under the influence of particular environments and mitigate adversities by addressing the identified factors through public health policies.
In conclusion, the issues I learned contribute to the general conceptualization of health in its complexity, where all attributes of human life play a role and result in health outcomes. In my future career, I will apply the knowledge I obtained during the course to promote awareness about global trends in public health and to research the extent of determinants’ influence on health status. It will help me do my share of work to improve the quality of public health in my country, thus contributing to the welfare of the global community.
References
Kruk, M. E., Larson, E., & Twum-Danso, N. A. (2016). Time for a quality revolution in global health. The Lancet Global Health, 4(9), 594-596.
World Health Organization. (2020). The determinants of health. Web.