4 Global Health Issues of 2020 That Need Attention

2020 is coming to a close and with Coronavirus still out there very much threatening human existence and economies, there seems to be another year of health-related difficulties that await us. Although yes, there is a glimmer of hope surrounding the seemingly bleak scenery, and that is the healthcare technology that has surpassed our expectations in a short span of time.

Digital healthcare in particular has opened avenues for progress, improvements, and higher success rates of effective diagnosis.

Speaking of healthcare technology, life sciences is another area that has progressed considerably during the age of digitization. Now life sciences consulting firms are more than active in providing the right services to the many organizations that require assistance in improving the many areas of their business.

That being said, let us explore the areas concerning healthcare that seemed to be having issues this year (2020).

First and foremost:

1. DISEASE OUTBREAKS AND PANDEMICS

We cannot crop out the current deadly pandemic that was somehow predicted by Bill Gates as he shared with Business Insider about a coming flu-like disease that has the potential to kill over 30milion people in a span of mere 6 months.

Today, we deal with just that, COVID-19, taking thousands of lives and infecting even more. An outbreak that reportedly originated from China. On January 31, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID19 to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

The pandemic has so far even taken the lives of the healthcare workers on front lines, leaving heartfelt last messages, several not even having the chance to.

The consequences of the pandemic have led to healthcare industries shift focus and work on the foundation that now seems weak.

2.
FAKE NEWS OUTBREAKS
Another deadly outbreak that requires to be debunked and eliminated before it causes harm to the consumer is fake news or misinformation. Far too many lives have been taken away with the spread of gross misinformation; especially when coming from established sources.

Such fake news can fuel and instigate epidemics, that very much include coronavirus including polio and Ebola.
Wrong influence is deadly, and false campaigns with ulterior motives or simply having the wrong information is a threat to the frontline healthcare workers and journalists. So, how we and which news we consumer and pass forward will have a great impact on wildlife, plant life, and the environment including us humans.

3. SUPPLY CHAINS

The healthcare organizations hit rock-bottom when they faced the pandemic head-on with many facilities reporting a shortage of beds, medical equipment, and even running out of basic stock. Of course, this wasn’t every nation on the globe, but many suffered and due to which COVID-positive patients lost their lives sooner.

The root cause of this is the weak supply chain that needs to manage more responsibly. If the supply chain industry cannot answer the call in due-time, then the road to any healthcare revolution is a downhill journey; no medical products mean not being able to answer day-to-day emergencies.

4. DIGITAL HEALTH

Possibly the less depressing and more hopeful section of healthcare should be taken advantage of to the fullest.

With smartphones and network availability in every nook and cranny, it is possible to make health care more accessible. Medical technology apart from cutting-edge equipment infused with software and cloud solutions– mobile apps including on-demand doctor appointments and live consultations have transformed how we access healthcare – especially for people in remote areas.

From advanced image processing algorithms that detect cancer, nanotechnology like PillCam for tough to reach internals, chatbots for catering to emergencies, and much more has enabled accurate diagnosis saving lives that otherwise would have been lost.

IN CONCLUSION

We, together, have many health issues to face coming 2021, but hopefully, there will be a rebirth of our current health care and a new approach so we are prepared for any future breakouts; hopefully none.