Often undermined, public health is one of the most important components of the health system in any given country. Key indications of how healthy a country’s population is lie in the implementation of proper public health systems. There are two facets that come into play when you consider the importance of public health policies: health promotion and health protection. Health promotion incorporates programs that are directed at the general public to foster healthy lifestyles. Health protection on the other hand, involves activities that the government puts in place to curb the spread of disease. Developing effective policies in public health is an intense and time-consuming exercise, often involving various levels of government and different humanitarian organizations with keen interest in health systems. This makes it very crucial for policy makers to have a deep understanding of public health and how this system works in the delivery of excellent health services .
There is increasing concern over the current state of health in Canada’s public health system. It is for this reason that there are several considerations being put in place to see how best policies can be used to improve the health of the citizens. This paper seeks to discuss the processes that are involved in the planning and implementation of policies to address issues affecting public health. Public health and public health systems have a unified goal, and that is to improve the general health of Canada’s population.
Planning and implementation of policies
There are several steps that are involved in the planning of policies, as well as processes that lead to their implementation. The government of Canada is keen on putting in place strategies that plan for public health. Due to the fact that this planning has long-term effects, it is important to carry out research prior to the formulation of these policies. The first step in this process is the identification of the guidelines that various counties are putting in place as far as addressing public health is concerned. This involves incorporating the goals of the public health system into comprehensive plans. There are several levels of government that have been mandated to see to it that the objectives of public health are embraced right to the grassroots level. The second step is to analyze the quality of these goals in the sampled plans. This is done to establish the clarity of the policies, in addition to determining their effectiveness. It is important that the policies that are established are relevant to the given county, bearing in mind that each county has a unique set of challenges. The last step involves carrying out case studies to evaluate the adoption and implementation processes of the planned policies.
The implemented policies should be in synchrony with pertinent global health issues, and this is facilitated by working with various organizations . In such a time when health resources are continually becoming constrained due to increased population worldwide, the government needs to work hand in hand with international organizations such as the World Health Organization. This serves to strengthen existing plans in the health system, as well as build sustainable structures that form the basis of global policies. International non-governmental organizations (INGOs) are organizations that the government works with to broker for funding as well as to establish programs which help deliver quality health services. In addition, these organizations also help to revise policies over a period of time, making sure that they remain relevant for the concerned populations .
Incorporating the community in formulation of public health policies
Health systems are continually attending to an increasingly diverse group of people from different cultural backgrounds. This may be partly attributed to the increase in migration patterns the world over, whether work related or simply for travel. Due to this, it is essential that policies that are planned are sensitive to these different cultures. Getting an in-depth insight from the target population is achieved through partnering with communities from different ethnic backgrounds. Usually, communities are groups of people with the same health concerns which can be shared with professionals in the health department. Language need not be a barrier, so this is overcome with the help of community workers who are multi-lingual.
Using an array of strategies, it is important for the government to ensure that the community is involved by informing, educating and getting people empowered on diverse health issues. This creates a two-way involvement since the members of the community also get to share their individual experiences, thus guiding the efforts of the public health policies implementation. This, in effect aids the community in making decisions that are specific to the challenges they face as far as public health is concerned. While it may take several years to realize the impact of these efforts, this is definitely a crucial inclusion in the development of public health policies.
Getting resources to support public health policies
Considering the scope of this policy plan, the access to public health care, it is important to identify sustainable resources to ensure that implemented policies are enacted. Access to public health is still a challenge in some parts of the country, so that with time organizations in the public health sector have resorted to achieving more with less. This has led to a compromise in the quality of services provided. For this reason, organizations have had to come up with ingenious ways to leverage resources, both at the local as well as at the international level . One of the well known contributors to funding of public health is the World Bank.
The same procedure is followed at the local level whereby local banks in the particular area may choose to fund projects in the implementation of public health policies. This is done with one aim in mind: to provide accessible health care to the community. One such example of this funding is the Grameen Bank, a financing institution based in Bangladesh. This bank provides community-based credit facilities to enable the groups enact these policies. It also focuses on empowering the community by educating them on social habits that enhance good health. With these funding, comes changing trends, both in the local and global scene. Due to the emergence of new diseases and the ever-present risk of biowarfare, public health has received a lot of attention, and especially on the global scene. Emerging trends in the public health sector are used to address the modern challenges posed by bioterrorism, natural disasters such as the recent Hurricane Sandy as well as violence. This has given rise to a new concept known as global health surveillance.
How does policy development promote diversity and inclusiveness?
The term diversity does not refer to a state of tolerance for the differences between the people in a community; rather, it takes into account the inclusion of those who are a minority. Inclusiveness is one of the pillars that make up a successful health policy. The values upheld by the pillar of inclusiveness include been accommodative of other people in the community, regardless of age, race, sex or social status. Health policies are implemented by bringing people together with the aim of imparting healthy behaviors. Due to this interaction, it is very important that people from diverse backgrounds are able to integrate well as this is the very cohesion that helps implement health policies.
The policy development cycle also helps to create equity between members of the community. This is because the policies that are put in place help to promote a healthy lifestyle as well as to keep preventable diseases at bay. Equity comes about because all members benefit from this scheme, regardless of their backgrounds. There is special mention for persons with disability, especially because this is a group of people which requires extra attention. Well planned policies will usually consider programs which cater for persons with disabilities. These policies seek to empower these people, while at the same time improving the quality of the lives that they lead. For this group, it is important that access to proper health care is availed, especially as far as disaster preparedness is concerned. By catering for disabled persons, the development of the policy plan seeks to instill equity in the community.
How does technology affect policy development?
Technology is indeed becoming an indispensable tool as far as the development of health policies is concerned. Gone are the days when data collection and dispensing of information was confined to television and telephone. Today, almost everything has gone digital with the use of the internet. When it comes to the plan for access to good health care, the policy makers get to interact with the community members as this ensures that the end product is relevant for the market. This interaction is carried out on the platform of social media. It has been found out that there is a vast wealth of knowledge packed in casual health-related issues on social media forums such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The accuracy of this information has been questioned, particularly because users of these social media platforms are open to contrasting opinions such as those who are against vaccination, and those who promote drinking liquor. This however, need not be the case. With prior research, it is possible to make technology, and especially social media, work for the benefit of the policy plan. Unlike conventional media, going digital with the use of social media has enabled policy makers inculcate public health advocacy in the day-to-day lives of Canadians whenever they are online. With more and more people using the internet, this is an untapped channel of communication that has a lot of potential .
Advancements are underway to develop mobile applications that will take care of those who do not have access to the computer. This way, the community is involved because the beneficiaries of the health policy plan are able to voice their concerns, co-develop content as well as rate the plan. In addition to involving the community in the development of the plan, the use of technology also increases the credibility of the various public health organizations, making them more appealing, especially to the more conservative people in society.
Conclusion
The planning and implementation of health policies is a multifaceted activity, and will often combine the efforts of the community as well as the input from the policy makers. All this is done with the aim of fostering better and healthy relationships as far as public health is concerned. To be able to do this effectively, various parameters are put in place. While the results of such a policy plan may take years to manifest, it is a worthwhile project that enables individuals lead a quality lifestyle.
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