Global Health Issue Impacting the International Community - Coursework Example

Diseases have no boundaries, and they can spread from one person to another and across the countries. For instance, most of the communicable diseases are a threat to the international community. In this discussion, I will discuss Tuberculosis (TB) as one of the leading health issues affecting the global community. Epidemiological studies from international organizations such as CDC and WHO have established data regarding the prevalence and also recommended prevention and control measures. According to WHO, there are about 49 million lives that were saved following the development of effective diagnosis and treatment from 2000 through 2015 (World Health Organization, 2017). The global challenge regarding TB treatment and intervention is the presence of Multi-Drug-Resistant TB that has increased the cost of management (Cdc.gov, 2017). Concerning the funding to manage this health issue, the WHO approximated that about two billion US dollars per year are required to fund the resources used in implementing the current interventions (World Health Organization, 2017).

The healthcare delivery should employ effective measures to manage this disease by ensuring that there are reliable methods of diagnosis and treatment. Some of the prevention and control measures include "campaign for world day TB," innovation of effective diagnostic tools, and use of multidrug therapy. The above measures are part of community health practice that helps in diagnosis, treatment and spread control. The goal of community health practice is to minimize new infections, treatment, and to prolong the lifespan of those with chronic infections (Maurer & Smith, 2013). Another role of health care delivery is the provision of education to the community which will promote risk reduction thus minimizing incidence rate. Additionally, management of TB in the community health practice relies on epidemiological data, and therefore epidemiological studies play a significant role in determining the distribution, incidence rate, and possible control measures related to the disease (Muarer & Smith, (2013).

To facilitate community health, WHO established a world TB day, dated 24 March 2017 (World Health Organization, 2017). The above initiative was to facilitate unity in ending this disease. Although this disease is curable and preventable, many people still suffer from TB. The public health efforts to fight this disease according to CDC involve promoting quality diagnosis and treatment to avoid resistance (Cdc.gov, 2017). According to Maurer & Smith, (2013), financing of health care is an essential initiative that helps in prevention and control of infections in the community. Depending on the virulence factors of the disease, funding to facilitate community health practice is the key impact of TB faced by the international community. Another aspect of community health is the vulnerable populations Maurer & Smith, (2013). Concerning TB as a global health issue, people leaving with HIV are more vulnerable to this infection than immune-competent individuals. People infected with HIV have a compromised immunity that cannot resist TB infection thus making it costly to manage the disease. Following the many complications associated with TB infection such MDR-TB, co-infection with HIV, and re-infection cases, scientific measures such as research are the only community interventions for managing diagnosis and treatment (Cdc.gov, 2017).

In conclusion, TB is a global health issue that has impacted the international community in various ways including financial problems, death cases, and as an environmental risk. The healthcare delivery as proposed by Maurer & Smith, (2013), has responsibilities for care in the community setting. Public health practice involves the establishment of measures to prevent and manage diseases that involves community assessment through epidemiological studies, planning, and interventions. Through the application of scientific interventions, TB as a global issue, it will, therefore, be addressed completely.

References

Cdc.gov, (2017). TB Notes Newsletter | TB Notes 1, 2017 | TB | CDC. Retrieved 2 October 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/newsletters/notes/tbn_17/tbnotes-1.htm

Maurer, F., & Smith, C. (2013). Community/public health nursing practice. St. Louis, Mo.: Elsevier/Saunders.World Health Organization, (2017).Tuberculosis (TB). Retrieved 2 October 2017, from http://www.who.int/tb/en/