Health Advocacy
Health is one of the essential part in human life as good health defines a stable and long term survival of an individual. In our society, it is often that majority of people remain unaware of existing health issues. It is due to this reason that there has been a call for health advocacy. Health advocacy is a strategy that improves the familiarity with existing health issues to promote access to quality public and health care services for both community and individual level. One way of understanding health advocacy is through gaining political commitment, social acceptance, health goal and a combination of social and individual actions to effect change. Adopting health advocacy aims at identifying emerging health issues and identify the necessary cause of action to be taken. Currently, the world is at bay due to the COVID 19 global pandemic. Therefore, most of the health advocacy and policies are directed toward curbing the pandemic. This essay will discuss one of the advocacy developed during United Nations meetings about COVID 19 and experiences I attained from participating.
- Advocacy Topic
Global Humanitarian Response Plan (GHRP)
Following a series of meetings held by United Nation members, GHRP policy was adopted as a measure to fight the accelerating spread rate of Covid-19. The policy focuses on Ensuring a Covid-19 local-gathered and led feedbacks that satisfies the need of the people inclusive of those who are constantly left behind. To implement that policy, UN secretary general and other leader agreed for a total of $ 2.01 billion to be allocated to humanitarian as a way of preparedness to the consequences of the pandemic. The humanitarian response team advocated the following;
- Ensure people in need continue to access urgent services in line with principles of humanitarian.
- Accelerate the adoption of working at home policy
- Increase NGO funding to increase flexibility for COVID-19 response.
- Maintain a gender front-Centre
Importance of the Issue to the health care, nursing and public policy
Covid-19 pandemic is not sparing any gender, age, or race. Therefore, focusing on the issue has the benefits to both health, nursing body, and the public
Importance to the HealthCare
The topic is important in healthcare as it will enable meet the health needs of the community, identify health determinants as well as specify the required health needs of the patients, population and the communities.
Importance to Nursing
The advocacy has advantages to the nurses as it will help them make informed decisions on how to deal with COVID-19 patients. This will help them to translating medical terms and assist patients to make ethically right decisions. Therefore, the advocacy will help nursing fraternity to keep themselves safe and that of their patients to promote recovery of the patients.
Importance to Public
The advocacy will help the general public to understand the COVID-19 disease, how it is spread, and ways of protecting themselves. Furthermore, advocacy calls for medical access for all hence, even those who are continually left behind will access medication in case of attack.
Issues discussed
Controversy discussed
The controversy emerged when China was accused to be the source of the virus. However, the UN recommended that the pandemic to be taken as a global issue and not one country war.
Debates
The general debate was on how to curb the spread of Corona virus and help those already affected. Miroslav Lajcak concluded the debate by urging for efforts to be put forward in protecting people first. As a result, the GHRP program was launched with over 2.01 billion US dollar to offer humanitarian support to the affect people by the pandemic.
Presentations
UN secretary general presented the first speech by pointing out the emerging issues about coronavirus. “The new coronavirus is attacking and affecting the general core society claiming their lives and people’s livelihood.’’ UN chief on his part pointed out that Corona is the biggest test in the last century, therefore, calling for all nations to come together and fight the disease.
- My experience during the Activity