Health Care Spending: Large Differences, Unequal Results

As we have been learning all through of our public health education and last week’ lecture, we know that Global inequality in health care spending is large.

According to global GDP in 2003 America’s health statement in that year was 15.2 percent of GDP; this is equal to $1.7 trillion. Dr. Shahi once mentioned, “less than 5% of the world population live in United States” and we are reporting about half of the world's health spending money.
With that said this would be assumed that America’s health care stands somewhere between scale of 1-5 globally.

So what do you think are the reasons behind the fact that “U.S health system is ranked # 37th in the world?”

This is a real big issue, with an improved/access to technology, developments which we have, our country is still ranked 37.

Rapid Response Capabilities

The topic of last week is a one of the main challenges that field of public health faces during the man made and natural disasters.
Therefore Cori completed the concept of the “rapid response” by addressing the theory of “Triage.”
To refresh your memory;
“Triage is a system used by medical or emergency personnel to ration limited medical resources when the number of injured needing care exceeds the resources available to perform care so as to treat those patients in most need of treatment who are able to benefit first.” Wikipedia
We know that we as soon to be public health professionals are leaders of crisis situations and should be able to over come stressful, traumatic conditions by using the first-class guidance and leadership skills. According to Dr. Calderon we are leaders of catastrophes and there will be peoples that may not to follow leaders!
How do you think Public health professionals should react to disobedience individuals during hardships, wars, difficult times and disasters?

Business & Health

What is Technology Innovation?

Technology is a broad concept of new ideas that deals with a usage of knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects ability to control and adapt to its environment. In human society, it is a consequence of science and engineering, although several technological advances predate the two concepts.

Last class’ topic was comprised of a broad concept of BioBusiness, BioInnovation, Public-Private Partnership and Technology Assessments.
While I got to expose to a vast amount of information it was interesting for me to look at PUBLIC HEALTH from a business perspective.
I learned that in order to achieve success in a system, besides providing good infrastructure, facilities, policies in a business; we need to have the criteria’s listed below:
Smart People
Smart Ideas
Smart Money
Smart Alliances and Partnerships
Within the field of preventive medicine for better health result we should come up with new and different Innovation methods.
How would you incorporate these facts in promoting health in disadvantage pockets of our society and developing countries?

Having Clean Water is Everyone's Right

This week’s topic pin pointed one of the major challenges that many countries are dealing with. Approximately more than 2.6 billion people lack basic sanitation facilities and over one billion people still use unsafe drinking water sources.
Women and Children are denied their right to education because they are busy fetching water!!!
All of us have seen videos like the assigned ones for last week; pipes funnel through loads of human’s dirt and the poor down the way drinking from these filthy channels.
As a result, thousands of children die every day from diarrhea and other water, sanitation and hygiene-related diseases and many more suffer and are weakened by illness.
Poor farmers and wage earners are less productive due to illness, and national economies suffer. Without safe water and sanitation, sustainable development is impossible.
According to UNICEF report on water, sanitation and environment:
Meeting the MDG targets on water and sanitation would cost approximately an additional US$11.3 billion each year. A cost-benefit analysis undertaken by the World Health Organization found that every $1 invested in achieving the Millennium Development targets on water and sanitation would yield returns between $3-$34 depending on the region.
Since we know this issue is relevant in growing countries, what ideas would you offer to minimize the cost and maximize the outcome for cleaning water? Whose responsibility is this issue?

Mind, Behavior, Life,....

There's one sad truth in life I've found
While journeying east and west -
The only folks we really wound
Are those we love the best.
We flatter those we scarcely know,
We please the fleeting guest,
And deal full many a thoughtless blow
To those who love us best.

~Ella Wheeler Wilcox


During last week’s topic, Mind, Behaviour and Global Health, we covered many interesting aspects of this broad and important theme.
Last Thursday Dr. Shahi’s lecture refreshed my memory on psychology tactics. Of course, the readings and video clips were a great introduction toward the big picture and concept of the day.

Probably most of us have known people whom we thought were not normal, and often we have called them “ABNORMAL.”
I want to share something with you, which I found eye opening in regard to society that we in!
National Institute of Mental Health conducted a nationwide survey of over 20,000 individuals, in which over 20% of the adults interviewed had at least one psychiatric disorder during the past six months. The most common mental illnesses were found to be:

1. Anxiety disorders (10-12% of the population)
2. Alcohol and drug abuse (6-7%),
3. Affective disorders (5-6%)
4. Schizophrenia, (1%) and antisocial personality (1%)

In this study men and women were found to have an equal chance of developing a mental disorder while women suffered proportionately more from depression and men from antisocial personality.

Multiple studies have shown that all of us have a one in three chance of developing a mental illness in our lifetime. I can imagine that this number will be increasing in the next decades by growth of technology, industry, hectic life style, traffic, air pollution and etc. This issue will be one of the main challenges for society to deal with in the near future and depressive, antisocial people do not communicate well with others, which is of critical importance for a useful life.

I believe one way to help individuals in developing good mental health is to show them how wonderful life is, motivate them to get out and meet other people, have a hobby and/or a goal for the future, so they can approach life with a positive attitude! I want you to check out the website below and see what are the 10 keys to a happy life! http://iranscope.ghandchi.com/Fun/Secrets/index.htm

I am open to other thoughts you have on attaining and promoting good mental health and subsequent behavior!

Nutrition Talk

I must say the last week’s topic is one of my favorite subject matter in public health.
Growing up, while visiting my native country of Iran, there were times that my parents would take me to the villages around town and have me feed young children lived in rural area.
I saw them crying, smiling, thanking us and praying to God for the food that we had taken them. It was a really difficult and sad time as a child to experience.
As I grew older I could understand why back then, by the war that was going on between Iran and Iraq, people where facing poverty and shortage but as time went by I realized there are many other places in the world that are dealing with the issue of dearth and malnutrition.
I always thought that I have seen the worse in my life but I was wrong!
According to the case study the world has substantial amounts of food but why should 1.1 billion people are still living in entity poverty with less than a $1 a day? Why should 1 out of 8 child be severely malnourished in the world?
We are living in the 21st century with much improved technology, Internet, enhanced medications, prevention, and different communication techniques. Why should we still deal with the matter!
I strongly believe we should all come up with a revolutionary plan to over come this long lasting challenge that many countries are still struggling with! Our world should be filled with kids that are on my blog’s site not the ones that I presented you while my presentation.
So as a soon to be a Global & Leadership Public Health Professional what is/are the initial steps that you would recommend to take in order to better the life of our own kind?
I would appreciate if you share your thoughts!

Individual Oral Presentation

Hi Everyone:

I tried to post my Individual Oral Presentation power point slides on blackboard but I am getting Internal Server Error Message. I will try to post them later tonight. If you would like to take a look at them earlier please email me at lmoghada@usc.edu and I will gladly send you a copy.

Have a good day

See you Tomorrow ☺