“As declared by the unitednations Health and well-being are important at every stage of one’s life, starting from the beginning from the very start.”
A pivotal measure that parents can undertake during the early stages of their children’s lives is to ensure they receive the necessary vaccinations. These vaccinations play a crucial role in preserving the health of the child and contribute collectively to the well-being of society.
A high vaccination rate in countries can lead to:
Decrease in individual’s Health Risks
Decrease in disease Spread and vulnerability to outbreaks
Reduce the strain on Healthcare Systems
Economic stability
Alarming Drop in Immunization Rates Among Lebanese Children:
In 2020, Lebanon witnessed a substantial decrease in the percentage of immunization against Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus (DPT), Hepatitis B (HepB3), and measles among children aged 12-23 months. After more than ten years of stability, the immunization rate dropped to 67% in 2021, marking its lowest point in recent history.
Standing Out in a Global Context of Decline:
While middle-income and low-income countries experienced a decrease in immunization percentages in 2019 and 2020, Lebanon stood out with the most significant decline. Comparatively, when pitted against low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries, Lebanon witnessed the highest decrease in the percentages of DPT, Measles, and HepB3 immunization during these pivotal years.
This raises crucial questions about the specific factors contributing to Lebanon’s distinct challenges in maintaining essential childhood vaccination rates.
Economic Struggles Impacting children Immunization:
In 2019, Lebanon experienced a significant economic crisis, resulting in widespread job losses, with the unemployment rate reaching 13% by 2020. The cost of everyday items surged, approximately 85%, creating substantial challenges for individuals to afford medical expenses and seek necessary healthcare. Accessing healthcare has now become a luxury for many citizens, including children, as parents prioritize essential goods over vaccinations for their kids.
In addition, the Lebanese government allocated similar resources in Lebanese Lira to its healthcare system in 2019 and 2020 as it did in 2018. However, the impact of inflation eroded the purchasing power, diminishing the effectiveness of the government’s support, especially given that healthcare costs are often priced in US dollars.
Shielding the Health of the Lebanese :
In the world public health, the ramifications of low vaccination rates against DPT , Measles and HepB3 are far-reaching and dire. The repercussions extend from the heightened risk of individual health issues to the vulnerability of entire communities facing outbreaks. These outbreaks not only strain healthcare systems but also impose a substantial economic burden, creating a global health threat. The gravity of these consequences becomes most evident in the specter of preventable deaths looming over communities.
Recognizing the gravity of these consequences, urgent action is essential. The government must increase its investment in vaccination programs, ensuring free and universal accessibility. It should collaborate with international entities such as World Health Organization and NGOs to get financial support.
These efforts will not only promote individual well-being but also strengthen the communal defense against potential outbreaks, paving the way for a healthier and safer future for all.
Early in the 20th century, HIV was first discovered in Africa. The virus known as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) targets the immune system of the body. AIDS can develop from HIV if it is not treated. There isn’t a cure that works right now. People who catch HIV are permanently infected. But HIV can be managed with the right medical attention. When receiving good HIV therapy, people with HIV can live long, healthy lives. Today, it is a serious public health issue and the leading cause of death in many African nations. Although the bulk of cases of HIV are located in Southern Africa, HIV rates differ dramatically between nations. HIV has increased mortality rates and reduced life expectancy among adult man in the most afflicted sub-Saharan African nations. This can be supported through the following Visualization which reflects the mortality rate among African male adults between 1990 and 2005.
This visualization shows that for example the mortality rate of African adult males in south Africa was 352.7 (per 1,000) in 1990 however it increased to 562.8 (per 1,000) in 2005 which is shown in the following visualization.
This increase in the mortality rate was due to the spread of HIV in southern African countries and this can be seen through the following visualization where the number of HIV incidence has increased from 1990 to 2005.
As seen in this visualization, in 1990 the spread of HIV was 2.23 in south Africa however in 2005 it increased to 11.43 as shown in the following graph
To reach the SDG 3 which consist of Ensuring a healthy life and promoting well-being for all at all ages, partnership with UN should be provided to raise awareness among African citizens to prevent the spread of the HIV. African citizen should be educated about HIV symptoms, treatment on how to prevent this spread and preventions to protect oneself and others. This education would help reach SDG 4 which consist of a quality education. There are more resources than ever available today to prevent HIV such as employing tactics like never sharing needles and abstinence, benefit from HIV preventive treatments including pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) (PEP) that should also be educated to African citizen.
Diabetes is a chronic health condition that has been increasing globally and in the Middle East in particular. The global estimate of people living with diabetes in 2019 is half a billion and is estimated to increase by 25 % in 2030 and reach 51 % by 2045. The below Map shows high prevalence of diabetes in the middle east with specific high levels in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon reaching an average Diabetes prevalence of 19.6%.Potential solutions can follow an Upstream approach – or addressing the problem at its source by decreasing the risk of developing diabetes from infancy. According to CDC evidence suggests that exclusive breastfeeding for a minimum of 6 months in infancy may reduce the prevalence of diabetes in later life. However, the lack of continued support for exclusive breastfeeding led to a recent decline in the practice in the Middle East according to UNICEF.
To validate this point the below map visualization shows that countries with high diabetes prevalence also have low levels of exclusive breastfeeding by mothers for 6 months. Specifically, here we highlight Saudi Arabia’s case in the Middle East which has an average value of only 4.72 %. If we take Peru as an example, the below box plot show that they have high exclusive breastfeeding levels and low prevalence for diabetes.
Recommendations:
In light of these findings, we can conclude that breastfed babies have lower risk of developing diabetes therefore one way to decrease diabetes prevalence would be to decrease the child’s risk for diabetes from infancy. Helpful implementations would include to:
Help pregnant women learn about the importance of breastfeeding for their babies and themselves.
Give mothers the support they need to breastfeed their babies
Use community-based organizations to promote and support breastfeeding
