The public health sector is one of the core sectors in a nation as far as the well-being of the citizens’ health is concerned. It ensures that patients receive effective healthcare services in addressing their health concerns. However, the sector has experienced many challenges, both directly and indirectly, that have a potential of causing problems in the future. This paper details some of the major challenges that the global public healthcare faces besides giving the possible future of the sector.
One of the challenges is the shortage of nurses in most healthcare facilities. Nursing shortage not only refers to lack of enough nurses in our hospitals but also the inadequacies of nursing that healthcare systems experience. Nursing shortage can be in the form of lack of nurses to occupy funded jobs. The nurses that are required for a given post may not be willing to take the job or they do not exist. Nursing shortage also encompasses lack of funds to finance some nursing positions that are essential. In cases where both nurses and funds are available, nursing shortage may refer to failure of the nurses to deliver the care that they are supposed to offer to patients. Lack of proper education and empowerment of nurses are the major causes of inadequacy in service delivery of the nurses. The other factor that has contributed to the current nursing shortage is the gap between the actual nature of nursing and the value that people attach to it. Many people, in the US and other parts of the world regard nursing as a menial job that do not have other career options. As a result, many patients have suffered to the point of death. Nations such as the US have opted to import nursing professionals in dealing with the consequences of nursing shortage (Beran, 2010, p. 146). Owing to this, the US among other nations in the world has embarked on bringing up well-educated nursing practitioners. This may improve the availability of nurses in the public health sector in the future to address the existing as well as the emerging healthcare issues.
Some emerging issues will alter the nature of the public healthcare sector around the globe. The most hazardous issue that has emerged in the recent past is global warming. Global warming presents several health concerns that call on the immediate action of the public healthcare systems. The climate change caused by the phenomenon may lead to the increases of climate-sensitive diseases especially the vector-borne diseases. Such diseases include dengue fever, malaria and yellow fever among others. The IPCC has found out that the population of people who are at risk of contacting vector-borne diseases is bound to increase significantly. The figures are expected to increase by 220 to 400 million in the next century (EPA, 2011, para.10). As far as public health is concerned, this presents a possible strain to the available resources within the public healthcare centers, which are already facing a challenge as far as the availability of sufficient nurses is concerned. Additionally, air borne diseases are also expected to rise due to the effects of global warming (Bedsworth, 2009, p. 619). This can be attributed to an increase in ground level ozone that has the potential of causing lung disease. Global warming has become a controversial issue in the public health sector. There has been an heated debate concerning the control of the phenomenon-environmental agencies or the public health systems. However, the issue concerns all the sectors in any nation since its effects are so strong in the society.
In conclusion, the public health has many challenges that need to be addressed in the future. These include, but not limited to the shortage of nurses if the systems do not act to curb the problem as well as addressing the health concerns brought about by global warming. The sector will experience an increase in its equipment as well as personnel in addressing the diseases caused by global warming as well as the other diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and multi-resistant tuberculosis among others.
References
Bedsworth, L. (2009). Preparing for Climate Change: A Perspective from Local Public Health Officers in California. Environmental Health Perspectives, 117(4), 917-623.
Beran, H. (2010). How can we Build Skills to Transform the health care System? Journal of Research in Nursing, 15(2), 139-148.
EPA. (2011). Health. Climate Change-Health and Environmental Effects. Web.