Course
NURS-6050N POLICY & ADVOCACY FOR POP HEALTH
Understanding Cultural Beliefs and Global Health
Healthcare is influenced by cultural beliefs, traditions, religion, language, and social customs. Some cultures believe that discussing illness can cause it to occur, while others avoid eye contact or personal touch during care. These beliefs may seem unusual to healthcare workers trained in Western medicine, but they are meaningful within certain cultures. When healthcare providers fail to understand cultural differences, communication problems can occur, leading to misunderstandings and poor health outcomes.
Global health issues are affected by these cultural differences as well as economic conditions, education levels, and healthcare access. For this assignment, the focus is on selecting one global health issue from the World Health Organization (WHO) global health agenda and comparing how the United States and another country address that issue. This comparison helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement in healthcare policies across different regions.
Possible Global Health Issues to Select
| Infectious Diseases | Chronic Diseases |
|---|---|
| HIV/AIDS | Diabetes |
| Tuberculosis | Heart disease |
| Malaria | Cancer |
| COVID-19 | Hypertension |
| Hepatitis | Obesity |
| Maternal & Child Health | Public Health Issues |
|---|---|
| Maternal mortality | Mental health |
| Child malnutrition | Substance abuse |
| Infant mortality | Access to clean water |
| Prenatal care access | Vaccination coverage |
Good Topic Choices (Very Common):
- HIV/AIDS
- Maternal mortality
- Tuberculosis
- Mental health
- Vaccination programs
Questions to Address
Part 1: Global Health Comparison Matrix
- Consider the U.S. national/federal health policies related to the global health issue selected and compare them to the policies of another country.
- Explain the strengths and weaknesses of each policy.
- Explain how social determinants of health impact the global health issue selected, including specific examples.
- Analyze how each country addresses cost, quality, and access related to the selected global health issue.
- Explain how the selected health policy impacts the health of the global population.
- Explain how the selected health policy impacts the role of the nurse in each country.
- Explain how global health issues impact local healthcare organizations and policies in both countries.
Part 2: Plan for Social Change
- Explain how you would advocate for incorporating a global perspective into local nursing practice.
- Explain how incorporating a global perspective might impact local nursing practice.
- Explain how incorporating a global perspective contributes to social change, including specific examples.
Sample Solution
| Global Healthcare Issue | HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC |
| Description | HIV is a virus that affects the body’s immune system and, if left untreated, can cause AIDS (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). HIV/AIDS (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is a viral infection that attacks the immune system, leading to the loss of immune function and the development of opportunistic infections and cancers. HIV is……… |
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