group discussion on hans roslings discussion on aids and hiv.
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Two problems suriname faces on improving maternal health and eradicating hiv and aids
An Issue Regarding Maternal Health
Currently Suriname has a maternal mortality rate of 130 maternal deaths out of 100,000 live births. This ranks Suriname the 64th highest country out of 183 when it comes to women dying from pregnancy related issues. In recent years Suriname has had the highest maternal mortality rate in all of the Caribbean countries. The reported cause of the majority of deaths is labor induced hemorrhaging and pre-eclampsia which is high blood pressure induced by pregnancy that if not monitored could become lethal. But what is causing these issues? A study investigating these cases found that 95% of these deaths were a result of substandard health care. We saw this same issue when discussing child mortality. So evidently this problem of having inadequate health facilities is causing more than one problem. Without facilities with trained staff and standard equipment the complications that often arise in child birth are bound to happen. These issues are not caused solely by living conditions. Evidence of this is the fact that these complications occur in all countries where living conditions vary. It is evident then that the problem lies in the lack of proper Health Care. By why is this? Why does Suriname lack proper health care? There are many reasons. There is very little governmental policy regarding health care because there is very little information about the need for it. Suriname lacks facts on the health situation of the country and this leads to little to no government intervention. What is a Possible Solution? How can universal access to health care facilities be granted to all of Suriname's citizens, especially those in the remote locations of the country? What needs to happen is that these facilities need to be brought to the people or that the people need to be brought to the already existing facilities. Well, what if both could be done? Small yet efficient facilities could be erected in centralized locations with transportation to these facilities improved. This is not saying that large hospitals need to be built and major roadways need to be paved. Rather, basic health centers that have enough resources to stop hemorrhaging or monitor and treat maternal related health problems would be enough to bring the maternal mortality rate down. Because it is improbable that these facilities could be build in every village, transit systems like trains or buses could be established to bring the women to the centers. This would ensure that everyone has access to health care and health related resources. |
An Issue Regarding HIV and AIDS
Though it is common knowledge that HIV and AIDS can be transmitted a number of ways, it is mainly attributed as a result of sexual transmission. Suriname has had a steady increase in the morbidity rate of HIV and AIDS and it is reported that around 1 percent of the 15-24 year old individuals have been infected. This might not seem significant but AIDS was reported as the sixth highest cause of death in Suriname in 2007. The answer to why this is happening is found in Suriname's statistics on the subject. When surveyed, two thirds of women reported to having sexual relations with a non regular partner in the past 12 months. Of these women, only about half reported to having used a condemn when with high risk partners. But what is interesting is that only 17% of women with incomplete primary education reported using a condom while 54% of women with a complete primary education reported using a condom. The problem is quite clear, the spread of AIDS and HIV is due to an increase in sexual activity with non regular partners. What makes it even higher is the lack of knowledge about AIDS/HIV and how to properly prevent transmission. Even condom use isn't a guarantee that you won't get the disease through sexual activity. So in short, the increase in the morbidity of AIDS and HIV is due to a lack of morality and education. What is a Possible Solution? It is clear that the men and women of Suriname need to be educated about the risk of sexual relations with high risk partners and without the use of proper protection. Sex education could be implemented into school curriculum's beginning at the age of sexual activity (which seems to be around age 15). This curriculum could consist of teaching about HIV, AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases, as well as how to properly protect oneself against infection. A big emphasis should be on the fact that the only way to guarantee prevention of sexually transmitted diseases is sexual abstinence. This curriculum need not be a major course. Only a simple outline of the issues and methods to prevent these disease need to be covered to educate students. |