Global Learning Final Paper

Liberia is in a health crisis, starting with the huge corruption in the state and many health workers strikes. The issue of Ebola struck the country and left behind a crisis that is still hard to control. Despite this, the population suffers from malnutrition, AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. The problems related to the health sector in this country are based on poor planning. The government decided to eliminate sanitary inspections and the primary health care that are paramount. It, however, advocated for the tertiary health care. The health disparities are also brought about by the improper implementation of funds aimed at improving the health care system (Dunn, 2011). Some funds allocated to this sector are used in other personal ways by corrupt politicians and government officials. The aim of this paper is to explain the factors influencing global health system and the disparities experienced in the health sector in Liberia. Solutions of these problems will also be provided.

The situation is worse because of the low payment given to health care workers and the few facilities available for the increasing population. This resulted in the introduction of private health centres and clinics that are so expensive. Most people cannot afford them and end up succumbing to their illnesses because of the inadequate facilities and lack of quick medical attention. Only a few of the private hospitals are well-equipped with the necessary facilities. However, due to their limited number and expensive nature, most of them end up being underutilized or used by well-off people in the society. The health sector faces many issues starting from poor health policy formulations, lack of modern technology, outdated facilities, and infrastructure. There are also other challenges including political instabilities and poor economic growth that has led to adverse effects on other sectors such as that of health.

The overall effects of these issues are inadequate medical equipment, personnel, and drugs (James & Russwurm, 2010). The presence of infectious diseases in the country is thanks to the poor water supply and sanitation issues. The vast growth experienced in urban centres contributes to the emergence of slums and congestion. The hospitals are poorly managed and cannot keep up with the city population that is infringing on the limited facilities available. There are various aspects that influence the Global Health Systems, for instance, the limited funds offered to these health centres. Despite the presence of USAID and its programs aimed at enhancing community participation, the issue of illiteracy and corruption affect their activities. Health infrastructure is another factor that impacts the health enhancement process in Liberia by Global Health Systems (Kebede-Francis, 2011). There is a need for better hospitals, health insurance companies, and labs to facilitate productivity and operative health systems in the country.

The United Nation Development Index reveals that the population in Liberia is approximately 4.2 million. By 2040, the projected population will be about 2.2 million of people staying in cities. Statistics from the United Nations Population Fund suggested that maternal mortality level per 100,000 births in the country was 770 in 2013. This means that about 770 women who go to deliver in hospitals die per 100,000 women. Childbirth mortality rates are on the rise, and this is due to the absence of enough midwives and quality medical attention in rural areas of Liberia. This information reveals that country is still a long way away from achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Solutions for Better Health Care

The health sector in Liberia needs immediate action from the government to provide proper health care systems. Medical research is inadequate in Liberia because of the limited funding. For this reason, the government should ensure that universities and healthcare facilities share information about trends in the medical field (White, 2014). The other essential solution is the provision of quality water supply and sanitation equipment. The issue has always been given limited consideration, especially in schools. Improving them, would revolutionize the health sector in the country. There should be effective diagnostic equipment and laboratories in ever health care facility. Graduates of health sciences should be trained for some period and later employed in rural health facilities. They will deal with the common illnesses such as malaria, coughs, diarrhea, and typhoid. Furthermore, the primary health care needs to be enforced and become operational so as to save the poor healthcare system of Liberia.

The National Health Insurance Scheme should be implemented immediately to cover every person in the country (World Bank, 2013). The scheme will help poor citizens’ access health care even if they cannot afford it. The government should also consider placing the required facilities to enhance the environment and health care of people. The political goodwill and support of local hospitals are required because this will increase the confidence of people in their hospitals. It is encouraging when seeing political leaders use these facilities whenever they require medical attention, rather than flying to other countries for medical purposes. Finally, every person necessitates heath care, and this should be a motivation for the government to fund every project related to this sector. If the government of Liberia considers all these recommendations, then the nation is likely to guarantee productivity and economic growth.

Conclusion

The health burden in Liberia remains high, especially with the recent Ebola epidemic. Efforts to eliminate the disease are underway, although malaria and infectious disease are still prevalent. It is vital for the government to consider improving the health care system immediately because the mortality rate is high. The maternal mortality rate has increased because of the lack of accessibility of health facilities, especially in rural areas. For this reason, Liberia needs to ensure a healthy nation to guarantee productivity and development in all other sectors.