Basic health care [Archives:2004/701/Local News]

Ismail Al-Ghabiri
Of the main achievements in the last century was the increase in the average life span in the world as the average life span has increased by 20 years in the world and infant mortality in the first year reduced by almost two thirds. And yet those achievements are not comparable to the greater ones that were aspired to take place through the world's action plan for population and the declarations that were announced in the international conference for basic health in 1978. Because nations and countries and many of the populations remain handicapped with preventable diseases and illness as well as high mortality rates increasing the social and economic gaps between the various layers in the society, leading to more poverty, violence and deaths.
The increase in the average life span in many countries is evidence to the improvement in the basic health services. For example 80% of the world's children have received vaccination in order to sustain children's lives. In spite of this there are still many preventable diseases and so many sectors in the society lack basic resources such as clean water, hygienic drainage system and those people are forced to live in crowded localities and lacking of sufficient nutrition. Being by that they are subjected to various diseases such as malaria, bilharzias and others.
The decrease in spending on heath services and other social services as it has happened in many of the countries due to the decrease in the public sector, and the mismanagement of the available resources as well and the negative environments that don't encourage investment, all those lead to worsening the health situation and increasing the numbers of ill people and mortality rate.
——
[archive-e:701-v:13-y:2004-d:2004-01-08-p:ln]