Politics and Public Health Interventions

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The 2012 Cholera Outbreak in Sierra Leone

Stakeholders who have impacted the public health issue

The recent cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone in 2012 is the worst that has ever been witnessed in the country since its independence. According to official government report, cholera outbreak was first reported in Sierra Leone on September 24, 2012. The disease claimed lives of 392 people before it was successfully managed (World Health Organization, 2012). However, this national disaster has raised massive controversy as many sources have revealed that the outbreak was reported as early as August 10, 2012. The stakeholders who impacted on the public health issue include the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, World Health Organization, media, and political leaders. These stakeholders played different roles in managing the disease, hiding information from the public, and fighting for the truth about the disaster to be made public.

History of political support for the public health issue

Cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone in 2012 attracted massive political attention, especially when it became apparent that the government was hiding the truth from the public. The political rulers ignored this outbreak for some time, but the pressure from the opposition forced them to act. On September 24, 2012, the government declared cholera a national disaster and outlined measures that were to be taken to manage it (Singh & Zommers, 2014). The political leaders in the opposition were not satisfied with the commitment of the government. Through public rallies, they demanded that government should address the root-causes of cholera, especially in the slums of Freetown and other parts of the country. They demanded for clean water supply for all the citizens of the country. On its part, the government promised to address these issues in a long-term project. It also announced that World Health Organization had promised to help the government in managing the outbreak. By October 1, 2012, the government announced that the outbreak had been successfully contained (Banyouko, 2014).

Justification of stakeholder and political involvement in public health policy and advocacy

Cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone attracted attention of many stakeholders. The Ministry of Health and Sanitation, on behalf of the government of Sierra Leone, was justified to take part in addressing the problem because that is one of its primary mandates. Although it was criticized by media and political leaders of its sluggish response to the disaster and an attempt to conceal information about the outbreak, its actions helped in managing the outbreak (Meunier & Swanner, 2014). World Health Organization was justified to be involved in the advocacy program as an arm of United Nations responsible for assisting governments all over the world in fighting diseases. The opposition and media were also justified to be part of the health policy and advocacy program as they are the oversight authorities that must protect interest of the public.

Appling the knowledge of political agendas to assist in advocating for the issue

The knowledge of political agenda may be helpful in advocating for the fight against cholera. It is evident that the government may try to hide the truth in cases of cholera disaster as a way of protecting its image locally and in the international platform. When this happens, media and the political leaders in the opposition may play a major role in creation of awareness and demanding for immediate actions from the government. When developing advocacy programs, these stakeholders should always be involved.

Gun Violence among Youths

In this paper, the author has organized the work in a clear and concise manner. The topic is clear, and the essay has a smooth flow. The researcher is very specific when it comes to the statistics about gun violence among the youth. The age bracket of the affected group, the number of lives lost every year, and the associated costs are very clear. The stakeholders have been classified into primary and secondary players based on their role in the fight against gun violence in the country. This classification is very important. However, I believe that primary stakeholders should not just include the loved ones, but also the government responsible for developing policies about gun control. The researcher may need to redefine primary and secondary actors on the issue of gun violence. The lawmakers are primary stakeholders that the researcher did not include in the list (Cohen & Ludwig, 2003).

Gun violence among the youth is closely related to the issue of gun control that has remained controversial in the country for a very long time. The legislators have not been able to come up with effective programs that can be used to address this problem. They are primary players who ought to come together and enact policies that would regulate gun ownership and usage within the country. Teachers are also important in the fight against gun violence among the youth. They should offer guidance to the young minds so that they can develop into responsible and law abiding citizens. The researcher can visit the website for further information and investigation about the issue of gun violence among the youth in the United States (Webster & Vernick, 2013).

References

Banyouko, B. (2014). Socio-environmental signatures of cholera epidemics in West Africa. New York: Cengage Learning.

Cohen, J., & Ludwig, J. (2003). Policing crime guns: Evaluating Gun Policy. Washington: Brookings Institution Press.

Meunier, A., & Swanner, B. (2014). Tropical diseases: A practical guide for medical practitioners and students. New York: Oxford University Press.

Singh, A., & Zommers, Z. (2014). Reducing disaster: Early warning systems for climate change. Berlin: Springer.

Webster, D. W., & Vernick, J. S. (2013). Reducing gun violence in America: Informing policy with evidence and analysis. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

World Health Organization. (2012). Cholera in Sierra Leone: the case study of an outbreak. Web.

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