Major Development in the US Health
Life expectancy among the U.S residents at birth has been on the increase from about 47.3 years to 76.8 years within the past 10 years. This can be contributed to the major developments observed in US health care system. Public health scientists have also been assessed to give reports of the rise and improved health care in the U.S hospitals and other health related fields. Here are the major developments that can be observed as improvements in the U.S Health sector.
First, the vaccine-preventable diseases in the past there has been a real decline in the some cases, deaths, hospitalization and even the health-care costs associated with the deadly vaccine related diseases (Marin, 2011). The introduction of new vaccines like rotavirus, herpes zoster as well as tetanus diphtheria has helped to cut the cases and effects of such vaccine-preventable diseases. This diseases, in the past, were causing serious deaths and in turn population decline. Resent economic analysis result claims that vaccination of each U.S cohort with the current childhood immunization schedule can prevent 42,000 deaths and 20 million cases of disease causing a nearly large net saving to the societal cost that could have been spent in direct cost of treatments.
Another field that has experienced development in the U.S health sector is the maternal and infant health. There has been a significant drop in the number of registered infants born with neural tube defects (NTDs). Moreover, there has been expansion in the newborn screening for any metabolic and other disorders that can be heritable from mother to child during birth. Folic acid fortification in the cereal grains was put mandatory in the U.S in 1998. This has had a greater impact of 36% fall in NTDs in 1996 to around 2006. It also prevented an estimate of about 10,000 NTD- affected pregnancies in that decade thereby resulting to a net saving of almost 4.7 billion in the direct cost of living (Marin, 2011). Improved technology in the U.S health sector has also assisted in the reduction of the infant and maternal health related deaths. That is, the technology improvement and endorsement of a uniform newborn-screening panel in the U.S hospitals has led to earlier life saving procedures, and intervening to almost 3,400 extra newborns in every year.
A third reason and probably most important is the motor vehicle safety. Motor vehicle accident incidents were among the top death causing factors among the U.S residents. Motor vehicle death caused incidents were ranked 3rd behind cancer and heart disease. It accounted for about for about 99 billion dollars lost in the medical and lost work cost annually. The major improvement that has been implemented by the U.S is introduction of the safer vehicles, and safer road use. Protective policies have also been put I place including the effective seat belt that has aided in health development in the U.S health sector.
Another aspect that has been improved on is the Occupational safety measures. This has been put in place for improving the working conditions and reduction of any workplace related injuries. Introduction of the mechanical patient-lifting equipments has led to a fall in the youth farm injuries and the inputs of safety stability hazards have led to an improved working environment. Importantly, the cancer prevention measures recommended by the U.S health body have also aided in reduction of life loss due to cancer. Improved cancer screening rates has created an impact in the health awareness among a large part of the U.S population.
Public health preparedness and response has also been a major improvement in the U.S health sector. Tremendous improvements such as, public health system response to drug supply has been improved to reduce shortages in the public hospitals (National Center for Health Statistics, 2011). The support by laboratory constructions in most public hospitals has also led to an improvement in the health sector of the U.S economy.
In conclusion, the government of U.S through the ministry of Health and sanitation has greatly made several achievements towards the development of the U.S Health sector. Although it has not been observed to the latter, the government through tax imposition on behaviors that could lead to health problems is aimed at shaping citizens to take part in health sector improvement and thereby reduced life loss with an increase in life expectancy level.
Reference;
Marin M, Zhang JX, Seward JF (2011). Near elimination of varicella deaths in the US following implementation of the childhood vaccination program. Pediatrics. In press.
National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2010: with special feature on death and dying. Hyattsville, MD: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, 2011. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus.htm. Accessed February, 2nd 2016.
