- NURS FPX 8014 Assessment 1 Nongovernmental Agencies Involved in Global Issues.
Nongovernmental Agencies Involved in Global Issues
The world’s ever-involved nature provides the field of public health an invaluable opportunity to understand that the communities’ shared health issues are really beyond their boundaries. In the era of global health, these demands reinforced collaborative efforts and creative approaches to tackle the associated complex problems.
Indeed, NGOs on the front lines of implementing these projects contribute to increasing the cultural mix, and their initiatives complement the ones of government in the global community (Jones et al., 2019). This evaluation highlights the pivotal differences that exist between NG0s and government-funded programs about global public health issues and devotes its treatment impacts to health delivery services worldwide.
Public Health NGOs from Governmental Public Health Organizations
Despite their distinct structures and characteristics, public health NGOs and governmental health organizations share a common goal in addressing the global health crisis. This shared mission underscores the importance of their collaboration in tackling global health issues.
Structure and Governance:
Public health NGOs are independently run, non-profit entities that are governed by their boards of directors or trustees that report independently to the legislature (Jones et al., 2019). The autonomy of a non-profit organization allows it to have a more agile organizational structure, which makes it possible to have immediate reactions and adaptations to the healthcare dynamics of different communities. Take, for example, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), which strives to alleviate approximately all sorts of emergencies like civil brawls, epidemics, and natural calamities globally.
In contrast, the governmental ones are part of the agencies or departments, which come under the authority of the government and are responsible for public health at state, provincial, or national levels. Due to the rules and policies of the government, they handle work duties in a bureaucratic way that can slow down decision-making processes and make the project difficult to follow.
Funding and Financial Support:
Public health NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOs) use different funding sources like grants, contributions from individuals, and organizations, and money earned from funds or activities that promote awareness. (Smith & Johnson, 2020). Such a dynamic process of looking for financial sponsors and maintaining existing levels of operations is what the resource mobilization concept stands for.
To exemplify, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (GFATM) is a financing mechanism that brings together governments, private sector partners, and philanthropic organizations to support programs encouraging the fight against these diseases in low- and middle-income countries.
NURS FPX 8014 Assessment 1 Nongovernmental Agencies Involved in Global Issues
In contrast, local public health authorities are financed through the government’s budget and allocated to the organizations by the Republican Act passed by the legislature. Whilst such financial support can help plan activities, it is often influenced by political priorities and the availability of funds. This can lead to either a reduction in the scope or scale of public health programs.
Scope of Operations and Services:
Assuming the role of public health NGOs, the essence of such organizations lies in targeting particular health issues, particular groups of people, or both, which allows for tailoring specific programs and intervention techniques.
They reach out locally and internationally and engage with partners and communities to initiate healthcare delivery nationwide (Adams & Brown, 2019). By taking examples like Partners In Health (PIH), the organization that aims to provide quality health care service to communities with the most difficult access in the world, we can see the whole process of putting the root cause of poor health before applying community-based agreements.
On the contrary, when we compare this to the wide mandate of governance health organizations to guard and enhance the health of their population, we will realize that community health organizations pursue a limited scope of activities that focus on preventive services for their target population.
They offer a range of services that the public might not be aware of, such as early detection of disease, health promotion, environmental health regulation as well and emergency response. The tracking, detention, and management of communicable diseases in South Africa is one of the portfolios of the NICD (National Institute for Communicable Diseases).
Advantages Public Health NGOs
Along with NGOs’ structural uniqueness, operational agility, and targeted method, they also outshine government programs in terms of increasing public awareness and accountability in public health issues. These advantages make them very effective in delivering medical services, especially in poor countries or during humanitarian crises.
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Flexibility and Agility:
Public health NGOs draw their strengths from their ability to speedily and flexibly respond to changing demands (Jones et al, 2019). Unlike government-sponsored programs, which are very likely to face bureaucratic processes and regulations, NGOs can rapidly mobilize sources and respond to a health crisis.
For example, during the outbreak of disease or natural disaster, NGOs such as MSF can deploy a medical team comprising doctors to the affected areas within the shortest time, cutting out those bureaucratic barriers that may hinder the quick delivery of the services by the government.
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Innovation and Experimentation:
With less bureaucracy and exacting standards, public health NGOs can be more inventive and courageous in trying different methods of healthcare delivery (Smith & Johnson, 2020).
In contrast to government-funded methods, which could be limited by strict standards and rigidly enforced regulations, NGOs can roll out different experimental interventions and technologies for health complications. The variation in time offers the NGOs the leeway to explore untraditional solutions and to change their approach based on field feedback.
Challenges Public Health NGOs Have in Comparison with Government-Sponsored Programs
The unique feature of public health NGOs is the set of challenges they possess, which distinguish them from government-led programs. The problem concerning unstable funding streams has become one of the most serious (Jones et al., 2019).
Sustainability is not an issue in government-funded programs, as taxpayers guarantee financial security. Therefore, non-governmental organizations that solely depend on donations, grants, and fundraising activities face financial problems, and most cannot sustain health interventions in the long term.
On top of that, NGOs may also face challenges resulting from a lack of resources, such as staffing, infrastructure, and technical capacity (Smith & Johnson, 2020), which might lead to delays in implementing their intervention programs and the provision of extensive services.
Political and regulatory limitations also hinder NGOs, as they can limit the scope of activities allowed to be conducted in a certain country or region (Adams & Brown, 2019), hampering the implementation of health interventions and advocating for policy changes.
In addition, NGOs often find it hard to coordinate with the government and other institutions, which may cause duplication of their efforts and service accessibility gaps. Despite their shortcomings, public health NGOs have complemented government-led programs, brought to light social injustices, and provided new approaches to global health initiatives.
Sufficiency of Data Available to Meet the Criteria Public Health NGOs
Analyzing the sufficiency of data available to meet the criteria used by public health NGOs to choose to get involved in a health issue involves assessing the comprehensiveness, reliability, and accessibility of relevant information (Smith & Johnson, 2020). Public health NGOs typically rely on various data sources and methodologies to inform their decision-making process and prioritize health issues for intervention.
One method NGOs utilize is epidemiological data, which provides insights into the prevalence, incidence, and distribution of diseases or health conditions within populations (Jones et al., 2019).
Epidemiological studies, disease surveillance reports, and health indicators are commonly used to identify priority health issues and assess their impact on communities. For example, organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collect and analyze epidemiological data from various sources to monitor disease trends and inform public health interventions.
In addition to epidemiological data, public health NGOs may also consider social determinants of health, including socioeconomic factors, environmental conditions, and access to healthcare services (Adams & Brown, 2019).
Data on poverty rates, education levels, sanitation facilities, and healthcare infrastructure can provide valuable insights into the underlying determinants of health disparities and guide the development of targeted interventions. NGOs may collaborate with academic institutions, research organizations, and government agencies to access and analyze socioeconomic data and integrate it into their decision-making process.
Practicum Research and Interviewing Experiences Challenged or met Assumptions
The practicum research and interviewing participation enabled me to gain a deeper understanding of how public health organizations work and refined my views about service delivery. I can identify gaps and eliminate biased assumptions, which will better prepare me for future practice in this field (Smith & Johnson, 2020). At first, there were ideas about public health institutions, such as easing processes, allocating resources efficiently, and working as a team.
Nevertheless, during our term research and interviews, we realized the struggles of the unmitigated forces that challenge the reality of juggling the bureaucratic processes, resource scarcity, and stakeholders’ dynamics (Adams & Brown, 2019). For instance, realizing the barrier of public health NGOs that must secure funding, coordinate the work with government bodies, and address the community’s needs shows the many aspects of public health.
NURS FPX 8014 Assessment 1 Nongovernmental Agencies Involved in Global Issues
Additionally, conversations with public health professionals working in different organizations aim to obtain the big picture of diverse views widely held in the field (Jones et al., 2019).
The colliding of various perspectives and experiences will open paths to understanding the diversity of public health practice and draw attention to the significance of cultural competence, collaboration, and adaptability for effectively dealing with complicated health matters.
Conclusion
In conclusion, nongovernmental bodies (NGOs) do take a vital role in global health issues, cooperating with government-funded plans. NGOs complement gaps in the healthcare system through distinctive organizational structures, adaptability, and pinpointed interventions.
NGOs also play a leading role in lobbying for populations with limited voices and stimulating innovation in global health initiatives. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) face the lack of precisely dedicated funds, settling problems on their way, and political difficulties that might undermine their efficiency and sole existence.
Sometimes, notwithstanding these barriers, NGOs are alongside the government systems to raise awareness, address social injustices, and bring a new method of solving complicated health problems. Hence, moving forward, it will be important for public health practitioners to acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of NGOs and government-sponsored programs and ensure that all programs are coordinated. Finally, they need to try their best to make the world a more just place by first putting the wellbeing of the people who need it the most.
Unified efforts, pooling of skills and resources from all parts of the community, and the collective goal of eradicating global health inequity can be achieved this way. Hence, joint activities will lead us to the achievement of healthier communities that are also resilient. Read more about our sample NURS FPX 8014 Assessment 2 for complete information about this class.
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