Diabetes As A Public Health Priority In Singapore †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Diabetes As A Public Health Priority In Singapore. Answer: Introduction There have been a revolutionary change in the health care industry in the past decade and the technological advances coupled with the pharmaceutical progress. However, with the advances in the health care industry, the lifestyle characteristics of different socio-economic groups have changed as well. In the present age of acute competition and struggle for existence, the society and the inhabitants of the society, rarely has time left for the personal care and health promotion. Along with the modernization in the society, the impact is visible on the health of the populations by the virtue of lack of health promotional and preventative behaviour and bad lifestyle choices (Png Yoong, 2014). As a result, the health care needs of the target populations are diversifying every day and in form of new challenges, new public health priorities and diseases are becoming rising concerns for the health care authorities. For instance, diseases like obesity, cardio-vascular diseases, renal diseases, hypertension, anxiety, and much more are rising every hour; and among all the rising health concerns, diabetes can be considered a very grave public health priority that has raised the concerns of global health authorities. The prevalence of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are enhancing every day, regardless of age, sex, socio-economic conditions and even demographics (Ng et al., 2015). This essay will focus in the current status of diabetes as a public health priority in Singapore, a prime example of a developing nation with alarming incidence rate of diabetes; and will attempt to evaluate the government initiatives taken and its progress linking it with Ottawa charter and the psychosoc ial developmental stages of Erikson. Literature review Elaborating on the current status of diabetes in Singapore, it has to be mentioned that diabetes can be considered as one of the most growing concerns in the health care scenario of the nation (Wang et al., 2012). As per the recent statistics, Singapore is the nation that is considered to be the microcosm of the Asian continent, and the lifestyle characteristics of the rapidly aging population of the nation is a more or less sedentary, the concept of health promotion behaviours and exercise is not very popular in the Confucian society of the nation. As a result, obesity and related health problems like diabetes, cardiovascular and renal diseases are a growing concern for the national health and welfare authorities (Phan et al., 2014). According to the Odegaard et al. (2010), Singapore is a rapidly progressing nation with the second highest diabetes incidence rate among the developing nations and the annual percentage of diabetes incidence has mounted to an alarming figure of 400000. It has to be mentioned in this context that the health surveys have revealed that one in three adults aged 18 to 69 in the Singapore are at very high risk of developing the disease (Yang et al., 2011). The health survey has indicated the fact that the number of type two diabetics under the age of 70 is predicted to rise to a surprising number of 670000 in the coming decade and very alarmingly, it has been predicted to rise to one million by the year of 2050. On a more elaborative note, it has to be mentioned that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is significantly higher for the Singaporeans than that of type 1 diabetes or as popularly known as juvenile diabetes. Along with that, a recent survey report from the national health and welfare authorities has indicted at the fact that the total population of diabetics in the nation constitutes of more than 90% of type 2 diabetes and only close to 8% of type 1 or juvenile diabetes (Brostow et al., 2011). Hence, from the statistics that has been analysed for this assignment, it can be concluded that the burden of type 2 diabetes is far more on the target population in case of Singapore. Now type 2 diabetes targets the adults and the major contributing factors behind the development of this health adversity is the sedentary lifestyle, lack of proper dietary plan, junk eating and most of all obesity. Hence the promotional and preventative strategies or measures for controlling the ever rising concern of type 2 diabetes in Singapore needs to focus on changing the health behaviours and enhancing the awareness of the target population involving the adults belonging to the age group of 18 to 69 (Odegaard et al., 2010). In order to fight the battle against the alarmingly rising statistics of diabetes in the nation, many measures and strategies have been taken by the government. The ministry of health or MOH has focused on programs and plans that urge the citizens to take control of their lifestyle and in turn their health. There have been preventative initiatives taken by the health promotional board in the hopes of incorporating healthy changes to the lifestyle and dietary preferences in an attempt to reduce the risk of type two diabetes in the target population. These initiatives include Healthier Dining Programme, Healthier Ingredient Development Scheme and the Healthier Choice Symbol identifier programs. The main focus of these programs are to propel the awareness in the target population about the risk of diabetes and incorporate healthier eating habits and according to the authors, Eat, Drink, Shop Healthy Campaign has been very effective in propelling the general awareness in the target popul ation (Mcqueen De Salazar, 2011). Aside from the preventative campaigns, the diabetes management initiatives by the government are needed to be highlighted here as well. The Diabetes Prevention and Care Taskforce has allied with the beverage and packaged food product manufacturers of the nation in an attempt to reduce the rate of sugar consumption by the nation while consuming the packaged food items. Seven industry leaders including the Coca-Cola, FN Foods, Malaysia Dairy Industries, Nestle, PepsiCo, Pokka, and Yeo Hiap Seng have collaborated with the government and had been successful to reduce the consumable sugar percentage to 12%. This has been very effective in controlling the nationwide sugar consumption rate in the target group, and in turn has contributed to reduce the blood sugar levels of millions of Singaporeans (Moh.gov.sg. 2018). Lastly, the nation has been taking commendable efforts to improve the lifestyle and dietary habits of the citizens by revolutionizing the eating habits of the citizens as well. Health promotional campaigns have been devoted to this particular strategy of the nation, the healthy dining program. Along with encouraging the nation to start eating healthy, this multidisciplinary program has also emphasized on the exercising and physical activity and fitness of the target population. The National Steps Challenge has been the biggest milestone in the process of encouraging the citizens to participate more in the fitness programs. Moreover, the incorporation of the Smartphone technology and wearable devices has contributed in the success of the programs further (Moh.gov.sg., 2018). Now considering the possible benefits and the pitfalls of the elaborate diabetes prevention and management programs designed and implemented in the past couple of years it has to be mentioned that the success that the government programs and strategies has garnered is commendable. However, there is still enough room for more improvement and there are many milestones to cross before the Singapore government can sit back and rejoice in the success of their strategic actions and initiatives. According to the Marcia (2010), it can be stated that the gap left behind in the overall success of the preventative campaigning is the lack of linking to the psychosocial development and welfare needs of the target group. According to the Ottawa charter successful and effective health promotion can be subdivided into five separate areas, building healthy public policies, creation of supportive environments, strengthening community action, developing personal skills, and reorienting health care serv ices according to the prevention or illness and health promotion. Now, elaborating on the policies and programs that Singaporean government has initiated, the focus is on two of the areas, building healthy public policy and reorientation of the health care to prevent diabetes and promote healthy behaviour (Mcqueen De Salazar, 2011). However, the government is taking no sincere community oriented actions and supportive environments where the diabetics and target groups at risk are united as a community that helps and collaborates towards a unanimous and collaborative success. Along with that, the emphasis on personal skill development is also very minimal, there is need for more workshops and campaigns where the target groups should be educated to keep track of their own blood sugar levels and calories consumed. Insulin administration is also a sector that many diabetics struggle with; there is need for enhanced effort on addressing these individual health needs and skill enhancemen ts (Mcqueen De Salazar, 2011). From another point of view, any behavioural change, regardless of it being a personal or associated with health promotional behaviour, it is dependent on the psychosocial development and judgment of the individuals. According to Erik Erikson, there are 8 separate stages of psycho-social development of a human being and each stage has a different impact (Newman Newman, 2017). In this context stage 6, 7 and 8 relate with the target population under focus of this study, and there are implications of these developmental patterns are significant. It has to be mentioned that familial relationships and long-term relationships have a strong relation to the well-being and health related resilience. The promotional strategies should focus on the earlier developmental stages so that the children and adolescents can develop healthy eating habits from the very beginning and the risk factors can be avoided from the early stages (Batra, 2013). Conclusion On a concluding note, it has to be mentioned that wellbeing and better life constitutes psychological, physical, societal and spiritual health for the different individuals. The health promotional campaigns should also focus on the psychosocial and spiritual welfare of the target groups. The health strategies implemented by the Singaporean authorities focus on only physical health and behavioural change, and hence for more success scope the strategies should be aligned with the psychosocial development of the target groups. References: Batra, S. (2013). The psychosocial development of children: implications for education and societyErik Erikson in context.Contemporary education dialogue,10(2), 249-278. Brostow, D. P., Odegaard, A. O., Koh, W. P., Duval, S., Gross, M. D., Yuan, J. M., Pereira, M. A. (2011). Omega-3 fatty acids and incident type 2 diabetes: the Singapore Chinese Health Study.The American journal of clinical nutrition,94(2), 520-526. Marcia, J. E. (2010). Life transitions and stress in the context of psychosocial development. InHandbook of stressful transitions across the lifespan(pp. 19-34). Springer, New York, NY. Mcqueen, D. 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