Essay Example on Air Pollution: Comparing US & India Strategies

Introduction

Description According to WHO, outdoor pollution of air is the primary cause of diseases globally (WHO, 2019). Its health effects include high risks of deaths resulting from lung cancer and chronic pulmonary disease. (WHO, 2019). However, different countries have attempted to curb the issue by deploying various strategies. For instance, the USA has used different techniques as compared to India in reducing the spread of this epidemic, as will be discussed in this matrix.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Country United States India

Describe the policy in each country related to the identified healthcare issue In the US, the health care issue policy that is meant to curb ambient outdoor air pollution was the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) (Kelly & Fussell, 2015). It was created in 2008 by the US Congress to regulate health matters arising from the release of carcinogenic materials to the atmosphere by emitting harmful constituents (Kelly & Fussell, 2015). In India, there is The Air Act, Prevention, and Control of Pollution, which was created in 1981 (Gazette of India,2019). Its prime aim is controlling matters of air pollution as postulated by the World Health Organization within its operational framework (WHO, 2019).

What are the strengths of this policy?

DERA, as a policy, has strengths that include its operative capacity of dealing with all the health issues pertaining to air pollution since it has a limited scope of operation (Kelly & Fussell, 2015). The Air Act in India has its key strength of highlighting clear implementation structures regarding consents delimited within it; this creates an opportunity that addresses health issues that arise from huffing harmful carcinogenic substances.

What are the weaknesses of this policy? The key weakness of the policy is that it is not very effective in distinguishing the different pollutants that lead to health problems among people (Kelly & Fussell, 2015).

The main weakness of the policy is that it is not capable of offering recourse to the affected people as a result of slipshod acts by the industrial players that are incessantly emitting harmful constituents into the atmosphere.

Explain how the social determinants of health may impact the specified global health issue. (Be specific and provide examples)

In the US, the main social determinant is an age since it affects the level to which the spreading of carcinogenic substances affects human health because they are mostly spread via the air (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017). In India, age is also a social determinant that causes discrepancies in air pollution effects since, while children are habitually safe from industrial extents, the majority of adults devote their time in such areas working (WHO, 2019).

How has each country's government addressed cost, quality, and access to the selected global health issue? By endorsing DERA, the US government provides affordable healthcare to fatalities of carcinogenic emissions because they are different health problems. The is thus subsidies for cost reduction and augmentation of quality of healthcare (Kelly & Fussell, 2015). The funding also facilitates access in healthcare by expanding the amenities. In India, the policy examines cost, quality, and access by the imposition of penalties to the industrial players that have not adhered to the restrictions of air pollution, thus bringing to less harm to people (Gazette of India,2019). There is also much funding on the health sector, which guarantees access to quality healthcare to patients with air-related infections.

How has the identified health policy impacted the health of the global population? (Be specific and provide examples) The policy prescribes actions that emit harmful substances to the atmosphere hence generating a boulevard for the development of health situations of people globally (Kelly & Fussell, 2015). Specifically, by preventing gases that bring global warming, the majority of people globally are under protection from being infected with skin cancer complications (Kelly & Fussell, 2015). The Air Act in India has eliminated the harmful activities of industries, thus preserving the environment, which prevents the spreading of air pollution-related diseases to the rest of the globe.

Describe the potential impact of the identified health policy on the role of the nurse in each country. DERA has created an advocacy prospect for nurses in the US by its implementation features. The nurses are anticipated to be part of the awareness as well as sensitization on carcinogenic substance complications.

In India, the policy has allowed nursing professionals to accomplish care delivery purposes to those people with the air-related ailment that arise from carcinogenic substances. The feature in the home care is thus a specialized service within the policy

Explain how global health issues impact local healthcare organizations and policies in both countries. (Be specific and provide examples) In the US, the global healthcare issues by the WHO have enthused collaboration among healthy participants. For instance, nursing associations incessantly network with Congress in pushing for key legislative changes in addressing the health issues.

In India, the main organizations can perform scientific research and lasting remedies to the problem (Kelly & Fussell, 2015). For example, the Central Pollution Control Board in the country provides directions after consulting with the other health participants.

General Notes/Comments In the US, the ambient outdoor air pollution has been a major issue that has been effectively dealt with by the DERA policy.

In the US, the control strategies for meeting and maintaining the state ambient air quality standards are established by state governments.

Compared to the US, India has a far more challenge when it comes to ambient outdoor air pollution

The Air Act in India has much to do to curb the escalating levels of ambient outdoor air pollution from the industries.

Social Change Plan

For the purpose of including indispensable aspects of the global perspective for local practice, all the nursing professionals will be offering feasible ideas concerning the required interpositions that are meeting patients with air-related diseases (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017). Through this facet of incorporation, being a nurse leader, I am going to push for the policy formulation on the directions that exclude air pollution while still warranting that the implementation of the prevailing regulations is continuing.

Consequently, my major role as a nursing leader would encompass features of advocacy in ensuring that there is a creation of an innocuous environment (Kelly & Fussell, 2015). Correspondingly, I would perform a decisive coordination role with the local players within the healthcare industry to warrant that issues of global health like illnesses that arise from cases of air pollution are entirely forestalled (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017). Still, the primer of global outlook would distress local activities by allowing me to instruct other nursing mavens for the need of sensitization of the public regarding their right to a harmless environment just like in other parts of the world that have an atmosphere free from carcinogenic contents.

The integration of global concepts into the local training will affect my professional role as a nurse by the changing of duties from various care provision in infirmaries to advocacy at the time of policy-making progressions (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017). These changes will furthermore bring about social change by catering for the patients' needs through policy interventions in zones directly upsetting the day to day activities of such people.

References

Gazette of India. (2019). The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981 of India. Retrieved from http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/air%20act%201981.pdf

Kelly, F. J., & Fussell, J. C. (2015). Air pollution and public health: emerging hazards and improved understanding of risk. Environmental geochemistry and health, 37(4), 631-649. doi:10.1007/s10653-015-9720-1

Salmond, S. W., & Echevarria, M. (2017). Healthcare Transformation and Changing Roles for Nursing. Orthopaedic Nursing, 36(1), 12 25. doi:10.1097/NOR.0000000000000308

World Health Organization (WHO). (2019). Ten Threats to Global Health in 2019.Retrieved from https://www.who.int/emergencies/ten-threats-to-global-health-in-2019