Nursing And Millennium Goals
Contents
TOC o “1-3” h z u Millennium development goal 5A: Reduction of maternal mortality PAGEREF _Toc380751982 h 1Millennium development goal 5B: Universal access to reproductive health PAGEREF _Toc380751983 h 2Application of millennium development goal 5 to the community PAGEREF _Toc380751984 h 2Monitoring and Measuring the Progress towards the Millennium Development Goal 5 PAGEREF _Toc380751985 h 3Nursing Role in Attaining the Millennium Development Goals. PAGEREF _Toc380751986 h 3
This paper looks at UN millennium development goals focus being on the fifth millennium development goal which is improvement of maternal health. This goal is divided into two parts the first part deals with reduction of maternal mortality and the second the second part deals with universal access to reproductive health. The paper elaborates on the importance of improvement of maternal health to the nation. It further highlights on the importance of this goal in the community. Nurses have a great role in working towards achieving the millennium development goals these roles are also elaborated in the paper.
Millennium development goal 5A: Reduction of maternal mortalityAlmost half a million lives of women and children are lost during pregnancy and child birth. A large percentage of these deaths can be avoided or are preventable.The reduction of maternal mortality is not only an issue because of its effect on development of a nation but also since it posses a challenge in human rights. If the mortality rate cases are reduced then it means that the nation is better placed in terms of health. This means that there are measures that have been put in place to ensure a decrease in this maternal mortality rates. If there is a risk of transfer of HIV from an infected mother then caution is taken to prevent this transfer at the end of the day deaths due to HIV among infants will decrease. This decrease in child mortality rate will have a positive effect on the health of the nation since there will be no deaths due to HIV and further more new cases of HIV are not registered. (Hunt, p., & Bueno, 2000.). Reduction of maternal mortality is also important since it promotes the right to life. This means that the nation will be a healthy one with no individual mother or child denied the right to life.
Millennium development goal 5B: Universal access to reproductive healthThe access to universal health is important in terms of the health of a nation. Pregnant women are entitled to effective and sufficient health in the preconception period, the prenatal stage and also the postnatal stage. Access to this reproductive health ensures that there are no complications in child birth and also after child birth. Both the mother and the child are expected to be perfectly healthy after delivery. This therefore means that the health of the nation will be improved since there will be reduced cases of pregnancy related deaths.
Application of millennium development goal 5 to the communityThis millennium development goal is very important to the community in various aspects. The World Health Organization has the expectation that in each community this goal can be fully realized. The goal is applicable in the community since there is the general need to reduce the mortality rate of children and mothers in cases that relate to pregnancy and child birth. Therefore proper care should be given to the expectant mother in terms of check up and advice during the time they are pregnant. There should be adequate health providing facilities within the community that offer prenatal and post natal clinics for pregnant women which arrest any emergency case and hence prevent mortality. The existence of quality education on issues pertaining to reproductive health is also a way in which the community can work towards attaining the goal. Members of the community should be educated on family planning, way to prevent mother to child HIV transmission. They can also access information on how they can take care of themselves and the child after birth. Therefore there is building of health institutions and employment of qualified workers in these institutions who will help in realization of this goal. Through this the goal becomes a reality that can be achieved within the community.
Monitoring and Measuring the Progress towards the Millennium Development Goal 5For there to be realization of the millennium development goal five the process of putting it into force has to be carefully monitored and measurement of the progress constantly done. There are various international bodies that help in monitoring the process third can be the WHO. The Centre for Disease Control can also be a body that measures the progress.Commuinty
health workers within a community can be of great aid in monitoring the implementation (Tanzania, A. 2012). There can be regular checkimg of the population which should be done carefully and the records used to compare with previous ones and check if there is a decline in pregnancy related deaths within a community. The equipment within health facilities should be checked constantly and any outdated ones should be replaced with new effective equipment. The employees in these health facilities should also be very qualified and fresh talent should be constantly incorporated into this institutions.
Nursing Role in Attaining the Millennium Development Goals.Nurses play crucial roles in achievement of millennium development goals. There are various ways through which they aid in achievement of these goals this may be for instance; achieving goal three which is promoting gender equity and empowering women. They can develop understanding of the instruments and the various declarations of human rights. They can educate the public using examples such as violation of human rights this can take forms such as discrimination based on gender, crude practices such as female genital mutilation and other violences.they can do this through demonstration of their harmful consequences on the health. They can also encourage women to acquire skills that will make them elevate their economic and social status (Christi, 2011). They should also lobby for equity in access and to affordable and effective health.
Nurses also have a role in achieving the fourth goal which is to reduce child mortality. They do this through putting emphasis on the child immunization and highlighting the risks that are associated with lack of immunization which can be causes of deaths. They also encourage parents to attend antenatal and postnatal care. They can also make formal teachings to parents on health and illness where they are the main information providers. They can also provide health services or be supervisors in the process of health service provision (Christi, 2011). They can also organize for door to door immunization services which will reduce the child, mortality rate.
From the paper we can see that there are serious measures that are undertaken in achievement of the various millennium development goals and the key stake holders in the achievement of these goals. The importance of realizing these goals are also highlighted and the effect they have to the community.
References
Hunt, p., & Bueno, j. (2000.). REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY. The contribution of the right to the highest attainable standard of health. Retrieved September 27, 2012, from www.unfpa.org/webdav/site/global/shared/documents/publications/reducing_mm.pdChristi, L. (2011). Roles of Nurses in Achieving Millennium Development Goals | Healthmad. Healthmad. Retrieved September 27, 2012, from http://healthmad.com/conditions-and-diseases/roles-of-nurses-in-achieving-millenium-development-goals/Tanzania, A. (2012). Community Health Workers – an important resource towards achieving the MDGs. Community Health Workers – an important resource towards achieving the MDGs. Retrieved September 27, 2012, from www.who.int/workforcealliance/forum/2011/hrhawardscs36/en/index.htmlUNEP & the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – Goals # 4, 5, 6: Improve Public Health – United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) –. (2008.). United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – Home page . Retrieved September 27, 2012, from http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=448&ArticleID=4893&l=enAchieving Millennium Development Goal 5: Reproductive Health, Poverty Reduction and Health Sector Reform | World Bank Institute (WBI). (2012). World Bank Institute (WBI). Retrieved September 27, 2012, from http://wbi.worldbank.org/wbi/event/achieving-millennium-development-goal-5-reproductive-health-poverty-reduction-and-health-secto
Crawford, B. (2008). Global Health 1. http://www.nwc.cc.wy.us/waw/essays/essay84.pdf. Retrieved September 27, 2012, from www.nwc.cc.wy.us/waw/essays/essay84.pdf
