Health Around the World: Feel free to introduce yourself and let us know what you are doing or would like to do to improve health around the world.

Welcome

As a child, I use to watch the starving children on TV or those that were stricken with diseases and wish I could help them. I saw images of adults that seem so helpless. I wanted to send money, but I didn't have any. I did make up my mind then, that when I grew up I would help these people. That time has come! Even though I have been on mission trips, I have come to realize that I can make a difference right here where I am. I can do that simply by understanding what is going on around me, voicing my opinion through voting, lobying etc. I can help those around me by furthering my education, participating in research, sharing information, being proactive in providing interventions and prevention and a whole lot more. Guess what? So can you! I invite you and welcome you to join me in this quest for a better world by starting right in your corner.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Feel free to introduce yourself and let us know what you are doing or would like to do to improve health around the world.

6 comments:

Milton Mesa said...: Elsie, great videos! I am planning to use some of those in my on campus class also. Thanks for sharing those links!
Milton; November 1, 2007 at 5:27 AM
Rosie said...: Wow, this was deep. It's good to see how some older women feel about this and how they want to change these practices too. Their stories are heart breaking. This ridiculous practice does need to stop!; November 4, 2007 at 12:33 PM
Rosie said...: Hey! Let's move to Canada!!! hehehe.

Argentina is this way too, you don't pay in public areas, but waiting lists can take your patience off.

So how are the doctors in Canada?

I've had my fits with some Argentine and also American doctors. Seems when your case is the least bit complicated, they want to get it off their backs by saing it's hypochondriac and that it's all in your mind. I hate those idiots!!! I sometimes have to go through 2, 3 or 4 until one finally diagnoses my problem. I had to go through 2 last month because I was sick and didn't know why. The first doctor was an idiot and all the medical expenses totaled more than $400, hopefully my insurance will cover that.
I still didn't know what my problem was. A Nurse Practitioner saw me next and was convinced I had parasites and gave me Flagyl right away. That med was the most disgusting thing ever. But hey, my problems are gone!!! I'm perfectly fine now!!!; November 7, 2007 at 1:03 PM
CambodianTim said...: Just a question, Elsie -
Who pays for the Universal Health Care? The government? In the US that's the people (us) and we're always complaining about high taxes and that's where the money would have to come from, right?

My sister-in-law is a nurse in an emergency room and she complains that many of the poorer people come into the emergency room to get treatment for colds and minor problems because in her state there is a law that requires them to treat anyone who comes in. The do ask how it is going to be paid for - but these people show welfare cards and proof that they don't have any money - thus the hospital ends up charging those with money a high rate to help cover the costs. At least this is the story she tells me.; November 8, 2007 at 6:15 AM
Elsie Owens said...: I haven't been in Canada for quite a while, so as far as the attitude of the doctors, I am not sure. I do know that here in the states sometimes you do have to go to multiple doctors until you find someone who is willing to listen and check what your problem is. Sometimes wholistic practitioners are better than your mainstreams doctors. I am glad they found what the problem was.; November 15, 2007 at 4:29 AM
Onias Muza Taruwinga said...: Hie. This is OT. I really enjoyed reading your blog.; December 7, 2007 at 9:33 AM

Obesity around the world

Obesity has definitely taken its toll on the well being of men and women around the world and inevitably on the health care system. As we have moved into industrialized system, our foods are now being processed differently. More and more children suffer from being overweight because of the food they eat, the quantity and quality. Children in developed country suffer from malnutrition because of foods that are devoid of nutrients. These children also do not exercise as much as they should which makes their risk for being overweight higher. The common saying that overweight kids make overweight adults is definitely true. Look at the obesity trends from 1985-2006 and see how in the United States, we have grown “proportionally” wider. Click on the following site: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/maps/index.htm

The CDC suggests that there are several factors that may contribute to the obesity trend in the United States. These are as follows: energy consumption, calories burned, environment, genetics, drugs.

This has now become a problem worldwide. According to World Press about 1.2 billion around the world are now overweight. But this is not the end, there is proof that: “In developing countries, it is now estimated that more than 115 million people suffer from obesity-related problems, including Type II Diabetes, heart disease and obesity-related cancers. In the US alone, child obesity has increased by more than 1 per cent per year over the past decade with an estimated 99.2 billion dollars in future health care costs, according to the National Institutes of Health…” (Source: http://www.worldpress.org/Africa/1961.cfm Retrieved on December 13, 2007)

http://obesity1.tempdomainname.com/subs/fastfacts/obesity_global_epidemic.shtml

According to Health line overweight or obesity are determined in different ways, “but experts believe that a person's body mass index (BMI) is the most accurate measurement of body fat for children and adults.
Adults with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 are considered overweight. There are exceptions. For example, an athlete may have a higher BMI but not be overweight.
Adults with a BMI greater than 30 are considered obese.
Anyone more than 100 pounds overweight is considered morbidly obese.” (Source: http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/overweight?utm_term=overweight&utm_medium=mw&utm_campaign=article)

According to Business week Africa, there are nine things to do to reduce weight:
Eat Regularly – Three Small Meals Daily
Avoid Big Meals
Get Plenty of Vitamins and Minerals
Avoid Eating Between Meals
Chew Food Thoroughly
Avoid salt, caffeine, alcohol etc.
Avoid Slimming Drugs
Lose Weight Slowly
Take Regular Exercise

Source http://businessweekafrica.com/how-to-reduce-weight.html
Retrieved on December 13, 2007

AIDS among us

The first time I heard about HIV/AIDS was as a preteen. It was this family in church who the husband went on vacation to Haiti. He came back home. Apparently he had an affair while there and no one knew about it until years later when he confessed. He died years later of what we thought we were told was pneumonia. Back then, AIDS was not talked about. A few years later his wife also died. This is how I came to know about AIDS and what it did and who were most likely to get infected. It was sad to see this family disappear one after the other, but that is the crude reality of HIV/AIDS. There were quite a few myths linked to AIDS and how it was transmitted. I did not want to touch an AIDS person, go to the same bathroom as they did, eat from their dishes, utensils etc., even after washing. The list of what not to do just went on and on. Then the story about Magic Johnson made headline news in 1991. click here to view this 39 second video.

It seemed that Magic Johnson had allowed us to see people with HIV AIDS in a different light. His wife remained HIV negative and so did his children. By the way Magic Johnson was raised as a Seventh Day Adventist.
Read this brief synopsis of his life after HIV as found on Wikepedia:

“In the 1991-92 NBA season, Johnson missed the first three games with an unspecified "stomach ailment". On November 7, 1991, Johnson made the shocking announcement that he was infected with HIV and would immediately retire. Johnson discovered his condition when he tried to obtain life insurance and failed the compulsory HIV test conducted by Lakers team doctor Dr. Michael Mellman.[5] Johnson gave a grave but affirmative statement, stating he was happy that both his wife Cookie and her unborn child were HIV-negative and that he was going to dedicate his life to spreading the word about HIV prevention and promoting safer sex. The NBA world was in shock, and even U. S. president George H. W. Bush mourned: "For me, Magic is a hero, a hero for anyone who loves sports." Johnson immediately was listed as an injured reserve on the roster, but due to his valid contract, he continued to be paid by the Lakers franchise.[5]
Nonetheless, Johnson was still voted into the 1992 All-Star Game, and the press speculated whether he was going to make a comeback. Moreover, many colleagues were wary: as HIV can be transmitted by blood contamination, they argued that Johnson would be a deadly risk if he suffered a bleeding wound while on court. One of the most vocal proponents of this viewpoint was Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone.[9] Johnson won the skeptics over and made a triumphant return, leading the West to a 153–113 win and being crowned All-Star MVP. The game was also a curiosity, ending prematurely when he drained a last-minute three-pointer and his colleagues refused to play further, instead running collectively onto the court, hugging him and exchanging high-fives.[10] However, it remained Johnson's only NBA game for a long time.[2]”

I went to Atlanta to do a seminar on AIDS. During the seminar, different people came and were tested for HIV/AIDS. It was unfortunate that out of 40 people that got tested, one person tested positive. Can you imagine how that person must have felt that day? This is the reality for some people right here in the United States. We must be informed if we want to make a difference in people’s lives.

Click here for basic information about HIV/AIDS

Please watch this video as it explains the facts that surrounds AIDS virus in our world today.
http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=&vid=65d44750-8121-49b2-954a-1f3af5d041e5

Our first role as health educators is to inform ourselves about AIDS and secondly to unite in our fight against AIDS by promoting abstinence as one of the means of prevention.

Listen to the audio version of an interview concerning on ADRA's website.
http://www.adra.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6980&news_iv_ctrl=1381

I hope you are inspired.

Universal Health Care System in the United States? Is it such a bad idea?

I was born and raised in Canada where paying an exorbitant medical bill was absurd. We had never had to do it. At anytime and anyplace you could go to the emergency room, or to a doctor and be seen. All we had to do is present our medical insurance card. This was one of the greatest benefits that I enjoyed. Medications were free, dentists were free, everything that had to do with health was free. Then I moved to the States. Seeing that I was young, it did not really matter whether I had insurance or not. But then I got married and had children. Now 17 years later, I realize that those of us without insurance are definitely depending on God's mercy. Everything cost and everything is not cheap. A trip to the clinic will start off at about $100 and the first question you are asked is how will you pay for it. Unless, you are renowned, if you don't have cash, check or credit card, you will not be seen. You can say bill me later. In most cases that just gets you out of the building quicker. And yes, don't dare think about going to the emergency room. Okay, I will admit that I am a little biased to the Universal Health Care System because of my origin: so I will let others speak on this topic. I found this excerpt from the Minnesota Council of Health Plans to be an eye opener:

How Much Does It Cost?What does your health care cost? Your office copay may be $15 or $20, but that’s just a sliver of what it actually costs to provide the care. Here’s a sample of common medical treatments and the average charge from hospitals or clinics. These are the charges prior to any discounts negotiated by a health plan or insurer and are calculated using 2003 charges.

Medical Treatment/Description/Cost:
A common cold, office visitYou feel rotten, go to the doctor and are told to go home, get plenty of rest and drink fluids.$80
A common cold, ER visitYou feel rotten, and instead of going to your clinic during the day, you wait until midnight and go to the ER.$181
Sore throat, office visitYour throat hurts, you go to the doctor. Price includes visit with physician and Strep test. Test was negative.$109
Sore throat, ER visitIt’s the middle of the night and your throat really hurts. You decide to go the emergency room. Includes ER charges and test for Strep. The test was negative.$406
Ear ache, office visitYour 2-year-old daughter is pulling on her ear. You go to the clinic. Office visit and exam. No infection is diagnosed.$78
Ear ache, Urgent Care visitYour 2-year-old daughter is pulling on her ear. You go to Urgent Care. Visit and exam. No infection is diagnosed.$111
Ear ache, ER visitYour 2-year-old daughter is pulling on her ear. You go to the emergency room. ER visit and exam. No infection is diagnosed.$151
Tubes in earsYour child has had chronic ear infections. The decision is made to insert tubes his ears. Price includes office visit 30 days before procedure and 30 days after, day surgery charges, antibiotics, drops and decongestants.$2,719
Diabetes check-upYou have been diabetic for six years and your diabetes treatment has been going well. This is your annual trip to the clinic to see the doctor for a diabetes checkup, including cholesterol and blood sugars (HbA1c) checks.$535
Chest X-rayYou go to the clinic with a bad cough. Your physician thinks it may be pneumonia and orders a set of X-rays to help make the diagnosis. Price includes clinic visit, X-ray and reading of the results.$183
Diagnosis and treatment of GonorrheaThe prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases is a public health concern. This price includes an office visit, test and treatment of Gonorrhea with an antibiotic injection or oral antibiotic.$215
Allergy shotsYou have been diagnosed with allergies and go to the clinic each week for a shot. The visit does not include seeing a doctor.$64
ColonoscopyFull, flexible colon scope test conducted by specialist on an outpatient basis. Includes test and reading of the results.$1,985
GI EndoscopyConducted by a specialist. Scope exam of the gastro-intestinal track on an outpatient basis. Includes conducting the test and reading the results.$1,398
Skin cancer diagnosisA black, purple odd shaped mark on your arm requires a consultation with a specialist, biopsy and removal of skin lesion.$1,533
Stress testYour primary care doctor orders a stress test. This price includes a trip to the specialist, administering test, reading results.$1,885
Eye examExam by ophthalmologist.$176
Allergic reaction to a bee stingPrice includes the ER visit and diagnosis, in addition to drugs to treat allergic reaction. Treatment could also include a hospital stay for a severe reaction.$1,050
Broken ankleYou broke your ankle playing soccer. Includes trip to the ER, X-ray of ankle and applying short leg cast.$1,386
Step on a rusty nailYou step on a nail while taking a walk. Price includes laceration on foot, ER fee, repair, tetanus shot or antibiotics if needed.$1,030
Broken armYour child jumped off the swing set. Price includes ER visit, X-ray, simple cast.$2,523
TonsillectomyYour child (under 12) needs her tonsils removed. This price includes a pre-surgical office visit, surgery at a one-day surgery and any related post surgical visits with in 30 days.$4,875
Frostbite treatment for a handYour child loses her mitten on one of the coldest days of the year. You make an urgent care office or ER visit. The price includes diagnosis and treatment and excludes critical cases.$321
Diagnose monoYour teenager is run down, extremely tired. A trip to the clinic and Heterophile antibodies test shows mono.$152
Therapy sessionYou see a licensed therapist. Does not include prescriptions drugs or psychiatrist evaluation.$152
Outpatient chemical dependency treatmentYou attend 21 to 30 days of alcohol- or drug-related chemical dependency counseling through a hospital’s outpatient program.$4,487
Cut on the handYou’re using that new knife and you slice into the tendon in your hand. Price includes an ER visit, complicated stitches, tetanus shot if needed.$3,066
PAP testWoman of childbearing age, includes exam by gynecologist, test and reading of results.$229Routine mammogramWomen 35 and older, includes the test and reading of results.$125
Prostate cancer screening test (PSA)Includes office visit for man age 50 or older, blood draw and PSA test.$285
Having a babyPrice is based on “perfect” pregnancy, including routine prenatal costs, no risk factors to mother, uncomplicated vaginal birth.$8,751
HysterectomySimple hysterectomy, not caused by trauma, cancer, etc. Includes physician charges, hospital surgical and room and board charges and follow-up visit.$21,686
General physical, charges vary by age:Exam of a person in good health. Simply a physical, not a problem-focused clinic visit.
Well-baby check$134
Age 5 to16$232
Age 18 to 39$302
Age 40 to 64$371
Age 65 and older$323
Prescription Drugs2005 Average Wholesale Price. Prices show difference between a prescription drug co-pay of $25, for example, and the retail price of the drugs received. Prices are based on common dosages for co-pay arrangements.
DrugDescription/Cost:
Ortho-Novum84, 1/35 tablet birth control pill, (standard three-month prescription with one co-pay).$141
Prozac30, 20 mg capsules, used to treat depression.$129
Generic for Prozac – fluoxetine30, 20 mg capsules$32
Zyrtec30, 10 mg tablets used to treat allergies.$70
Lipitor30, 20 mg tablets used to treat high cholesterol$114
Adderall60, 20 mg tablets. Used to treat ADD/ADHD.$179
Generic for Adderall, D-amphetamine60, 20 mg. tablets.$82
Ritalin100, 10 mg tablets used to treat ADD/ADHD.$94
Generic for Ritalin, Methylphendidate100, 10 mg. tablets.$38
Concerta60, 18 mg tablets used to treat ADD/ADHD.$182

Source: Minnesota Council of Health Plans, 2005.This document reflects Minnesota health plan commercial and government programs data, analyzed by Data Intelligence, LLC.

The question we could ask is how does universal healthcare work in other countries versus the current health care system in the United States. Wikipedia sheds some light on the matter:

Universal health care

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaUniversal health care refers to guaranteed access to most health services at government subsidized cost. Broadly, implementations of universal health care are either single payer, where governments manage the financial aspects of health care services, or socialized medicine, where governments manage the finances and directly manage health care service providers. In both cases, legislators define what care will be provided, for whom, and on what basis. Patients pay at the time of treatment but are heavily subsidized by taxpayers and/or by compulsory insurance.In the 1880s, most Germans became covered under the mandatory health care system championed by Bismarck. The National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom was the world's first universal health care system provided by government. It was established in 1948. The most comprehensive today is in France [citation needed], and the second most is in Italy[citation needed]. Other examples are Medicare in Australia, established in the 1970s, and by the same name Medicare in Canada, established between 1966 and 1984. Universal health care contrasts to the systems like health care in the United States or South Africa, though South Africa is one of the many countries attempting health care reform.[1]Some government health care systems allow private practitioners to provide services, and some do not. In the U.K., doctors are allowed to provide services outside the government system; in Canada, some services can be offered and some cannot.Let's compare what the United States currently has to offer as well as United Kingdom and Canada.

United States
The United States does not have a universal health care system, and in part because of this, the World Health Organization ranked the U.S. at #37 in its 2000 international comparison of the health systems of member nations.[6] The government covers a little over one-quarter of the population[7] through health care programs for the elderly, disabled, military service families and veterans, children, and the poor.[8] Federal law ensures public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay.[9] However, this unfunded mandate has contributed to a health care safety net that some analyses say is increasingly strained.[10] Certain types of medical spending and particularly health insurance benefit from significant tax subsidies; in particular, employer-sponsored health insurance is a non-taxable benefit. In all, government spending accounted for 45.1% of total health spending in the U.S. in 2005.[11]Current estimates put U.S. health care spending at approximately 15% of GDP, the highest in the world.[12] Despite this, only an estimated 84.2% of citizens have some form of health insurance coverage, either through their employer, purchased individually, or through government sources.[7] In 2003, approximately 61 million adults, or 35 percent of individuals ages 19 to 64, had either no insurance, sporadic coverage, or insurance coverage that exposed them to high health care costs.[13] Employers that do provide insurance, on average, spend between 4.6 and 8.7% of their payroll in health insurance premiums. The cost of health care premiums is rising much faster than the general rate of inflation or employee wages. Since 2001, premiums for family coverage have increased 78%, while inflation has risen 17% and wages have risen 19%, according to a 2007 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.[14]In the absence of a national program, more localized efforts are under way. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is implementing a near-universal health care system by mandating that residents purchase health insurance by July 1, 2007.[15] The City of San Francisco is also undertaking a universal health care system for uninsured residents.[16][17] California, Maine, Vermont and Hawaii are also considering or seeking to implement universal or near-universal systems.[18]

Canada

In 1984, the Canada Health Act was passed, which prohibited user fees and extra billing by doctors. In 1999, the prime minister and most premiers reaffirmed in the Social Union Framework Agreement that they are committed to health care that has "comprehensiveness, universality, portability, public administration and accessibility."[19]The Canadian system is for the most part publicly funded, yet most of the services are provided by private enterprises or private corporations. Most doctors do not receive an annual salary, but receive a fee per visit or service. About 30% of Canadians' health care is paid for by the private sector or individuals. This mostly goes towards services not covered or only partially covered by Medicare such as prescription drugs, dentistry and optometry. Many Canadians have private health insurance, often through their employers, that cover these expenses.Canada is the only industrialized country that has outlawed private medical care for services covered by the public health plan.[20] The government has exercised this monopsony power in an attempt to control costs. People cannot pay out of pocket for treatment and must wait their turn on waiting lists. However, in 2005, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled, in Chaoulli v. Quebec,[21] that the provincial ban on private health insurance was unconstitutional. The ruling is expected to lead to greater privatization, thereby eroding the cost benefits of Canada's single payer system.[20][22]

United Kingdom

The NHS is the world's largest centralized health service and the world's third largest employer after the Chinese army and the Indian railways. It provides a very wide range of health services to virtually the entire population. Unlike most health systems, it does not bill its services to either its patients, an insurance fund or to the government. Even in-patient medicines, hospital supplies such as bandages and hip joints, as well hospital supplied meals and refreshments all are free to in-patients, and even outpatients receive free loans of medical aids such as crutches. This is a factor which reduces administration costs considerably over insurance based systems. It is entirely funded from general taxation. It was created in the aftermath of World War II, by Clement Attlee's Labour government, based on the proposals of the Beveridge Report, prepared in 1942.[3] The structure of the NHS in England and Wales was established by the National Health Service Act 1946 (1946 Act). Governments since 1997 have spent more money on the NHS and UK spending on health is now closer to (but still below) the European average. The new money has reduced waiting times and modernized the infrastructure, and has improved the salaries of medical staff. The outsourcing of medical services and support to the private sector is a recent innovation. Hospitals may have both medical services (such as "surgicentres"),[4] and non-medical services (such as catering) provided under long-term contracts by the private sector. Capital projects such as new hospitals have been privatized through the Private Finance Initiative, enabling the public sector borrowing requirement to be reduced.Because most developed and many developing countries already have systems for universal health care that have been in place for many years, universal health care per se is not a matter of political debate. However, health care systems throughout the world face sustainability challenges that may require far-reaching changes in national policy.[31]

Over the last decade, health spending has been accelerating as a percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.[31] Many industrialized countries have aging populations, with resulting increases in health care utilization, while others face rapid population growth. One recent study, by global consulting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers, projected that global health care spending would triple in real dollars by 2020, consuming 21% of GDP in the U.S. and 16% of GDP in other OECD countries.[31]
Back to the United States

Whether a government mandated system of universal health care should be implemented in the U.S. remains a hotly debated political topic. Those in favor of universal health care, such as the non-partisan Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, which has called for the U.S. to implement universal health care by 2010, argue that the current rate of uninsurance creates direct and hidden costs shared by all, and that extending coverage to all would lower costs and improve quality.[32] Americans have a lower average life expectancy than those in other industrialized nations with universal health care, such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Sweden.[33] Infant mortality rates also remain higher in the U.S., despite declines in recent decades, and are higher than the average of the European Union.[34][35]Critics of this argument note that there is very little correlation between life expectancy and infant mortality with the quality of health care, due to such factors as alternate causality and variations in the way countries collect their statistical data.[36] In fact, the U.S. led the world in life expectancy twenty years ago with virtually the same health system. Rather, many analysts attribute the lower life expectancy to the astronomical surge in obesity rates.[37][38][39]Opponents of government mandates or programs for universal health care, including conservative think tanks such as The Cato Institute, argue that people should be free to opt out of health insurance[40] and that government programs would require higher taxes, increase utilization, and reduce health care quality. Opponents also claim that the absence of a market mechanism may slow innovation in treatment and research, and lead to rationing of care through waiting lists.[41] Both sides of the political spectrum have also looked to more philosophical arguments, debating whether people have a fundamental right to have health care provided to them by their government.[citation needed]Debate in the United StatesIt has been suggested that some of the information in this article's "Criticism" or "Controversy" section(s) be merged into other sections to achieve a more neutral presentation.

Common arguments forwarded by supporters of universal health care systems include:

1. Health care is a basic human right[42][43][44] or entitlement.[45]
2. Ensuring the health of all citizens benefits a nation economically.[46]
3. Coverage should be provided to all citizens regardless of ability to pay.[citation needed]
4. About 60% of the U.S. health care system is already publicly financed when federal and state taxes, property taxes and tax subsidies are included A universal healthcare system would merely replace private/employer spending with taxes. Total spending would go down for individuals and employers.[47]
5. A single payer system could save $286 billion a year in overhead and paperwork.[48]
6. Administrative costs in the U.S. health care system are substantially higher than those in other countries and than in the public sector in the US: one estimate put the total administrative costs at 24 percent of U.S. health care spending.[49]
7. For-profit healthcare has been shown to have higher expenses and worse results.[50][51]
8. Several studies have shown a majority of taxpayers and citizens across the political divide would prefer a universal healthcare system over the current U.S. system[52][53][54]9. Health care is increasingly unaffordable for businesses and individuals.[55]
10. Universal health care would provide for uninsured adults who may forgo treatment needed for chronic health conditions.[56]
11. Providing access to medical treatment to those who cannot afford it reduces the severity of epidemics by reducing the number of disease carriers.[citation needed]
12. Wastefulness and inefficiency in the delivery of health care would be reduced.[57]
13. America spends a far higher percentage of GDP on health care than any other country but has worse ratings on such criteria as quality of care, efficiency of care, access to care, safe care, equity, right care and wait times, according to the Commonwealth Fund.[58]
14. A universal system would align incentives for investment in long term health-care productivity, preventive care, and better management of chronic conditions.[59]
15. By reducing paperwork a universal system would allow doctors to spend more time with patients, thereby increasing physician productivity.[60]
16. Patients would be encouraged to seek preventive care, enabling problems to be detected and treated earlier.[55]
17. A centralized national database would make diagnosis and treatment easier for doctors.[55]
18. Universal health care could act as a subsidy to business, at no cost thereto. (Indeed, the Big Three of U.S. car manufacturers cite health-care provision as a reason for their ongoing financial travails. The cost of health insurance to U.S. car manufacturers adds between USD 900 and USD 1,400 to each car made in the U.S.A.)[61]T
19. he profit motive adversely affects the cost and quality of health care. If managed care programs and their concomitant provider networks are abolished, then doctors would no longer be guaranteed patients solely on the basis of their membership in a provider group and regardless of the quality of care they provide. Theoretically, quality of care would increase as true competition for patients is restored.[62]
20. The profit motive adversely affects the motives of healthcare. Because of medical underwriting, which is designed to mitigate risk for insurance providers, applicants with pre-existing conditions, some of them minor, are denied coverage or prevented from obtaining health insurance at a reasonable cost. Health insurance companies have greater profits if fewer medical procedures are actually performed, so agents are pressured to deny necessary and sometimes life-saving procedures to help the bottom line.[citation needed]
21. According to an estimate by Dr. Marcia Angell roughly 50% of healthcare dollars are spent on healthcare, the rest go to various middlemen and intermediaries. A streamlined, non-profit, universal system would increase the efficiency with which is money spent on healthcare.[60]

Common arguments forwarded by opponents of universal health care systems include:

1. Health care is not a right.[63][64][65]
2. Providing health care is not the responsibility of government.[66]
3. Universal heath care would result in increased wait times, which could result in unnecessary deaths.[63][67]
4. Poorer quality of care.[63][55]
5. Unequal access and health disparities still exist in universal health care systems.[63]
6. Universal health care would reduce efficiency because of more bureaucratic oversight and more paperwork, which could lead to fewer doctor-patient visits.[68]
7. Advocates of this argument claim that the performance of administrative duties by doctors results from medical centralization and over-regulation, and may reduce charitable provision of medical services by doctors.[65]
8. Profit motives, competition, and individual ingenuity lead to greater cost control and effectiveness.[55]
9. By law, uninsured citizens receive emergency care regardless of ability to pay. The health care safety net, which includes free medical clinics, charity care, and nonprofits and government-run community hospitals provides necessary care to the uninsured.[55]
10. Government-mandated procedures would reduce doctor flexibility.[55]
11. Healthy people who take care of themselves should not have to pay for the burden of those who smoke, are obese, etc.[55]
12. Loss of private practice options and possible reduced pay would dissuade many would-be doctors from pursuing the profession.[55]
13. Likely loss of insurance industry jobs and business closure in the private sector.[55]
14. Universal health care would eliminate the right to privacy between doctors and patients.[69]
15. Empirical evidence on single payer-insurance programs demonstrates that the cost exceeds the expectations of advocates.[69]
16. Universal health care systems, in an effort to control costs by gaining or enforcing monopsony power, sometimes outlaw medical care paid for by private, individual funds.[70]

The bottom line is when I am sick and I need treatment. I do not want to have to make a decision based on the amount of money I have and the service I can afford. I do not want to put my family in that position either. What about you?

Reasons why FGM(Female Genital Mutilation) is performed on girls

FGM societies have many claims of why this procedure should be done and these are as follows:
In most FGM societies one important belief is that this procedure will reduce a women's desire for sex and in doing so will reduce the chance of sex outside the marriage. This is vital to this society as her honor for the family is depended on her not to be opened up prior to marriage.
Some view the clitoris and the labia as male parts on a female body, thus removal of these parts enhances the femininity of the girl.
It is also believed that unless a female has undergone this procedure she is unclean and will not be allowed to handle food or water.
Some groups believe that if the clitoris touches a man's penis the man will die. As well as the belief that if a baby's head touches the clitoris that the baby will die or the breast milk will be poisonous.
The belief that an unmutilated female can not conceive, therefore the female should be militated in order to become fertile.
Bad genital odors can only be eliminated by removing the clitoris and labia minora.
Prevents vaginal cancer.
An unmodified clitoris can lead to masturbation or lesbianism.
Prevents nervousness from developing in girls and women.
Prevents the face from turning yellow.
Makes a women's face more beautiful.
Older men may not be able to match their wives sex drive.
Intact clitoris will generate sexual arousal and in women if repressed can cause nervousness.

For more information go to
http://members.tripod.com/~Wolvesdreams/FGM.html

Controversial Religious and Cultural Practice: Genital Mutilation

http://www.fgmnetwork.org/index.php
This website describes the efforts that are currently being made by various groups to end the practice of genital mutilation. It is a very controversial subject as some mothers are now wanting to prevent their daughters of going through this ordeal. However, the stigma attached with not having the procedure done will more likely prevent a young girl from finding a husband. With that in mind, most girls unwillingly undergo the painful practice.

Please read the excerpts from the website below:

NIGERIA: Traditional Birth Attendants Advocate Ending Harmful Practices
Posted On: 25 Oct 2007
Chief Aderibigbe is a traditional birth attendant. His job, until recently, involved carrying out the traditional cutting ritual on the genitalia of baby girls.
Now however, he and other colleagues in Osun State are helping to encourage others to observe the recently passed law banning female genital mutilation (FGM).
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This change in role is a result of a widespread, sensitisation effort, involving the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Nigerian Ministry of Health and several local NGOs. to end to the practice of FGM in Osun State.
"UNFPA began its campaign in Osun State because it has the highest prevalence rate in all of the southwest - as high as 87%" says Stella Akinso, UNFPA Adviser in Osun State.
>> Read more

EGYPT: Egypt's Fight Against Female Circumcision Clashes With Tradition
Posted On: 22 Oct 2007
BAYAD AL-ARAB, Egypt (AFP) — Twice circumcised, Wafaa Helmy swore her own daughters would never suffer the same fate.
But one night her own mother secretly took her first-born to go under the knife in their Upper Egypt village.
Despite pronouncements to the contrary by both Muslim and Christian clerics, she believes, as do many Egyptians, that this "purification" is a religious duty that helps preserve a girl's virtue and honour.
The social stigma of not having her granddaughter's labia and/or clitoris cut off was just too strong for her.
Official Egyptian statistics say 97 percent of women aged 15 to 49, Christians and Muslims alike, have undergone what the UN prefers to call female genital mutilation, or FGM.
Women here feel they are guarantors of a certain social order and few dare question a tradition that goes back to the time of the pharaohs, in spite of the stories of bleeding, infection and other nefarious effects.
>> Read more

SENEGAL: Female Circumcision Down in Senegal
Posted On: 19 Oct 2007
A government minister said Wednesday that the west African nation of Burkina Faso has succeeded in nearly halving the prevalence of female genital mutilation in the ten years since it was banned. Burkina Faso banned the practice in 1996, and the following year it was estimated that its prevalence was roughly 80 percent. Currently it is believed around 45 percent of girls are subjected to the procedure in the country overall, Social Action Minister Pascaline Tamini said, with the practice nearly rooted out in the country's south but still widespread in the north.
>> Read more

KENYA: Woman Quits Job to Wage War Against the Cut
Posted On: 12 Oct 2007
She quit her job as a primary school teacher to save girls in her community from early marriages.
Hurt by an alarming rate of young girls dropping out of school after forced circumcision, Rose Chepchumba Kilimo, 46, one day woke up early - and decided she won't report on duty. That was 2003.
She instead decided to embark on a mission of educating communities in Kerio on the importance of educating their daughters.
>> Read more

Health Around the World

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Wednesday, October 17, 2007

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Universal Health Care System in the United States? Is it such a bad idea?

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Reasons why FGM(Female Genital Mutilation) is performed on girls

Controversial Religious and Cultural Practice: Genital Mutilation

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