Health Care and Environmental Science

Health Care is a major problem in developing countries more than ever. Since the US has undergone a recession, people are losing their jobs and their benefits. The people who did not have a job previously to the recession can not find work now.
Many jobs are downsizing to cut budget costs, but this idea has turned into a nightmare. This affects developing nations because some of them depend on the US for help. If the US does not have enough resources to send over to developing nations, health conditions will rise higher.

In Environmental Science, we discussed how the population is growing at a rapid rate. This rapid rate of population is adding to the number of people who do not have jobs and those who can not find work. The health care of an individual is very important to the environment because without it, parasites can weaken an individual. This means that more people will end up sick, in a hospital, and maybe death. The resources available are not quit enough for an entire population like the people in Nigeria.
Nigeria is one of the developing nations where their population growth is rapidly increasing. Many women in Nigeria are constantly having babies, but in the end this is not good for the environment. It hurts the environment because Nigeria does not have enough resources to account for all the people living there. Many parents die when their children are so young, leaving the children to care for themselves. They have to live a life with no parents, no food, no clean water, and no where to live. This is so heartbreaking to me.

Olusegun Obasanjo, author of Africa: Challenges and Opportunities, states “A major challenge in the years ahead must surely be the need to confront the challenges of ending abject poverty in Africa through the framework of wealth creation. Poverty in Africa remains a major cause for concern. Sympathy, bailouts, token programs, and perfunctory lip service will not address the challenges in this respect.” (Obasanjo 2008). Olusegun Obasnjo’s view point is that Africa is still a nation in poverty and that they need more than people feeling sorry for them. They want out of the poverty lifestyle. Denis Drechsler and Johannes Jutting have a different viewpoint on poverty. They do believe that poverty is a major deal in Africa and that the people there should have private health insurance. They also believe that “the role of private insurance varies depending on the economic, social, and institutional settings in a country or region. Private health insurance schemes can be valuable tools to complement existing health-financing options only if they are carefully managed and adapted to local needs and preferences” (Drechsler and Jutting 2007).

My viewpoint is that if we, the US, could send over the tools to make water wells and food, this country would be at a better state as far as the environment goes. Water wells and food is not much but if we send it over at least 3 times a month, it can go a long way.

Drechsler, DE and Jutting, JO (2007). Different Countries, Different Needs: The Role of Private Health Insurance in Developing Countries. Journal of Health Politics Policy and Law, Jun 2007; 32: 497-534

Obnasnjo, OL (2008). Africa: Challenges and Opportunities. Mediterranean Quarterly, Jan 2008: 19: 6-12