Diabetes between Australia and Saudi Arabia - Term Paper Example

Diabetes between Australia and Saudi Arabia Name Institutional Affiliation Professor’s Name Date Introduction The paragraph deals with the introduction and definition of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus is a term which refers to a number of diseases affecting metabolism whereby a person suffering experiences high levels of sugar in their blood system. As countries develop, it is apparent that some diseases appear to be gaining a foothold rather than disappearing despite the advancement in medicine. Diabetes is one of the conditions that continue to give many people and governments and people worldwide a big headache. It is apparent that cases of diabetes seem to defy the trend whereby increase in the standards of living should naturally result in healthier populations. Governments have sought ways through which they can combat this emerging problem. The paragraph introduces what diabetes is and what it entails in additions to introduction to efforts put in by the government. The paragraph deals with the studies that have been carried out with respect to the epidemic that is diabetes. Various studies have been conducted so as to inform the necessary responses by the various governments and this has been informed by the fact that there is an urgent need to stem the rising cases of diabetes. The headache that is diabetes does not seem to be ready to go away soon but this has not dampened the spirits of those in positions of in trying to combat the condition. This essay examines the policies that have been put in place by the governments of Australia and Saudi Arabia with regard to combating the rise of diabetes in the populations of the two countries. It is worth noting that the two countries have high incidences of people suffering from diabetes. In a summary, the paragraph looks at some of the studies and the challenges that have faced the government agencies in trying to comprehend the condition and find ways of combating it. Discussion The paragraph deals with the cause of diabetes in Saudi Arabia. The problem of diabetes in Saudi Arabia can be attributed to the fact that the country is one which is fast developing (Mahal, Debroy B. & Bhandari, 2010). The changes in Australia have been felt even in the lifestyles of the populace. The Saudi government decided to carry out a health survey whose aim was to establish the prevalence of diabetes and coronary artery disease. The study was carried over a period of five years and involved some 20,000 participants. The criterion used in choosing those to participitate in the survey was whether they came from a rural or an urban setting (Taha & Aljoudi, 2009 pp 15-19). The paragraph is concerned with the fast rate of increase in cases of diabetes and the studies that have been carried out to establish it prevalence in Saudi Arabia. The paragraph looks at the measures taken during the study on the prevalence of diabetes. The study took a number of measures. These included a measure of various measures such as blood pressure, height, weight and circumferences of the waist. The researchers took the measurements as accurately as possible and also under strict supervision and the data collected were taken to a central laboratory for analysis. This enabled the researchers to establish the number of participants who suffered diabetes mellitus through thee latest methods and equipment. The results of the study indicate that there is no significance difference in incidents of diabetes between males and females but increase in age increase the probability of a person suffering from diabetes. People living in the urban areas were found to have incidents of diabetes which were significantly higher than those from the rural areas. This paragraph can be summed as has explored the various ways that the research was conducted to establish prevalence of diabetes. The paragraph explores the reasons why Australia is experiencing an increase in cases of diabetes. According to Clarke et al. (2009 pp 199-205) Australia has also acknowledged that the problem of diabetes is quite a difficult one and also costly to manage. Researchers in Australia have realized that the rate of diabetes in Australia cannot be solely blamed on the population that is ageing. The rise in incidents of diabetes has also been complicated by the fact that life expectancy is quite high since treatment and good conditions of living have ensured that people are able to live longer. Projections paint a somewhat bleak picture in relation to diabetes cases in Australia and it is estimated that up to about two million Australians should be suffering from diabetes by the year 2025. Apart from the ageing population, the high rates of diabetes in Australia are also attributable to immigration from countries which have high rates of diabetes (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012). The battle against diabetes in Australia needs a lot of effort for the government to make any headway. To sum this paragraph, it is evident that immigration and an ageing population are the main contributors of growth of cases of diabetes in Australia. This paragraph explores the rate of diabetes among the young people. It is also evident that rates of diabetes are on the rise for the younger generation. This has the cause for worry about the figures for diabetes since this will result in a heavier burden to the country in terms of managing the health care needs of the people affected since it is quite costly to manage diabetes. With this background in mind it is therefore evident that urgent measures need to be put in place so as to ensure that the governments of Australia and Saudi Arabia are able to manage cases of diabetes in their countries. It is therefore important that the government tries to manage cases of young people contracting diabetes and giving proper care to those who are already suffering from diabetes. It is evident that younger and younger people are contracting diabetes and the governments of Saudi Arabia and Australia are trying to find ways to stem this problem. The paragraph examines the attitude of Australia and Saudi Arabia with regard to diabetes. Both Australia and Saudi Arabia have realized that something has to be done and done fast so as to stem the rise of diabetes in the countries. In Australia, major organisations including The National Association of Diabetes Centres, Australian Diabetes Society are increasingly getting concerned over the incidences of diabetes and have realized that a change in policy is required. With about 100,000 people being diagnosed with diabetes every year it is evident that the public, researchers, politicians, media practitioners and those who make policies are brought in to ensure success in trying to combat cases of diabetes (Qin et al, 2010 p 125). People should understand the fact that diabetes and the complications which accompany have a huge cost on the society and also a huge negative effect on the economy. It is therefore important that the governments act before the problems escalates and gets out of hand. The gist of this paragraph is that there are many organizations which are taking up the challenge of trying to stem the rise of diabetes and deal with the current issues appropriately. The paragraph examines who gets burdened when incidents of diabetes tend to rise. Various families, individuals and the government bear the brunt of the pandemic that is diabetes. There have been many plans made before but they have borne no fruit owing to poor implementation strategy. Though the cost of failing to take action on the issue of diabetes is pretty obvious many people have chosen to turn a blind eye. Funding should be made available to ensure that the treatment available is of the right quality and also that people enjoy the right quality of life (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2012 p 65). It is important that those who cannot proper treatment are aided by the government as this would cause less agony and financial strain. It is evident therefore the relatives of a diabetic and the government have the greatest burden when it comes to dealing with diabetes. The paragraph deals with the policy developed by the Australian government. According to Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2012 pp 20-30) the Australian government has developed a policy with respect to diabetes. Among the policy decisions of the government with regard to diabetes is to have all cases of young people who have type 1 diabetes to be identified. The government also seeks to ensure that every young person aged between 15 and 24 years should be screened and those who have diabetes to be identified. The government aspires to have a health assessment which is comprehensive and this should include screening of the mental health of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years. The policy framework by the government also seeks to develop a transition care plan with the aim of planning the transition of services of the young people when they become adults. The paragraph is clear that there is policy framework put in place by the Australian government in dealing with diabetes. The paragraph deals with some of the measures that are being put in place so that people can be encouraged to participate in management of diabetes. In order to encourage more people involved in the provision of health care to participate in developing of the transition care plan, such people would receive rebates on Medicare. These rebates were only available to general practitioners but it has been realized that it is important that the program includes other people who play a vital role in managing diabetes such as diabetes educators who have been approved and also endocrinologists. The government also seeks to ensure that medical care programs for service providers offering services to people with type 1 diabetes can claim more funding from the relevant government agencies. Another policy position is that diabetes educators who are funded by Medicare should be able to handle cases emanating from endocrinologists unlikely the case where only general practitioners would be charged with such a responsibility. Proper policies are the only way that a government can combat this major health issue. It is clear that more people have access to government funding as part of ensuring that more practitioners are involved in the fight against diabetes. The paragraph examines the type of a system that the Australian government seeks to establish. The government of Australia also seeks to have a system that is coordinated centrally. Such a system would be charged with the responsibility of not only identification but also keeping track of those young people who have type 1 diabetes and are aged between 15 and 24 years and who get into the services for adults (Qin et al, 2010 pp 45-50). This should be achieved through the use of registers which record cases of diabetes. There should be officers who are charged with the purpose of facilitating the movement of young people from the pediatric to services offered to those adults suffering from diabetes. There is also a need to have further funding provided to people who are in the transition care plan and such funding should be for period of three years and the money would be used to ensure that a program which involves different disciplines and covering young people is developed. Central coordination is an assurance that the services offered by the government can be properly monitored. It is clear from above that a system that is centrally controlled is seen as the most effective way of combating diabetes. The paragraph examines the role that people would play in developing a plan to manage diabetes. Development of a centrally managed plan would require people to submit models which they think would be appropriate. The programs developed would have to meeting certain criteria which should included the transition from pediatric to adult care and such a program should be demonstrated as being effective in ensuring that collaborations and partnerships with services that are important in the region are maintained. The acceptable model should be the one which would ensure that there is an improvement is provision of services and that the results of health care services are acceptable (Taha & Aljoudi, 2009 p 18). The paragraph is clear that people would be critical in submitting plans which are in line with the government’s position of having the fight against diabetes be controlled centrally. The paragraph looks at the situation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a result of the diabetes pandemic. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia faces demands on health services never before experienced. The demands in the health care can only increase. The reason for the projected rises is because the population is growing and changes in economic, social and demographics are taking places at unprecedented rates (Alzaid, 1997 p 12). Meeting the rising demands is not very easy and therefore it is important that the organization, planning and financing of healthcare systems should be handled with care as they are complex and challenging. It is therefore vital that policy decision reflect the urgency and the complicated nature of the health issue affecting the population of Saudi Arabia. Long term and proper planning is the only assurance that the government can manage the increased demand on resources. From the above, it is self evident that the government of Saudi Arabia is in a difficult position and the position is projected to get even trickier. The paragraph examines other problems that continue to dog the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. An additional headache for Saudi Arabia is the growing population, shortage of manpower qualified in health matters and lifestyles being more sedentary. The population of Saudi Arabia does not have sufficient knowledge regarding diabetes. The government of Saudi Arabia, faced with such a scenario, it has to brace itself for a tough battle. The government has no option but to engage in activities which ensure that people have access to information on the diabetes pandemic and also improve the funding to the health sector. The funding would come in handy in ensuring that the quality of service offered to those suffering from diabetes is improved and that there is a sufficient number of personnel in the country to handle diabetes cases and also educate the population (Qin et al, 2010 p 54). It is necessary that medical practitioners are trained in larger numbers and if possible a greater number of those qualified should be absorbed into government services. It is evident that fewer qualified people to deal with diabetes and rise in the number of diabetes cases continue to be a heavy burden for Saudi Arabia to bear. The paragraph examines some of the measures taken by the government of Saudi Arabia is dealing with diabetes. The government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has engaged in program to educate its population on diabetes which has reached levels of being referred to a stage where it is considered an epidemic (Alzaid, 1997). Since a majority of the people do not understand diabetes and what the consequences of suffering from diabetes are, they end up engaging in practices which expose them to diabetes. The government has therefore set out to educate people on the type of diet that they should consume since this has been one of the areas where the Saudis have failed leading to increased cases of diabetes. Having a population that knows the causes and how to protect themselves is one way of cutting on the challenges faced by the government. It is clear that educating people on what diabetes is and the type of lifestyle that can save them from the agony of diabetes are the highlights of the above paragraph. The paragraph examines further measures taken by the government. The government has therefore set out with the mission being to ensure that people understand diabetes is a preventable condition and it can be managed if diagnosed. Type 2 diabetes appears to be prevalent in Saudi Arabia and its causes are usually people being obese and adopting a lifestyle which is sedentary (Mahal, Debroy & Bhandari, 2010 p 65). The government therefore seeks to educate the nationals that it is possible to change one's lifestyle and ensure that they develop healthier habits and hence stop or delay the advent of diabetes. The government is seeking to fund the care of diabetics and also disseminate information which ensures that people understand how to prevent this condition which is a great threat to the economy of the country since the rate at which the infection are increasing it is evident that a lot of people in the middle class will be rendered unproductive. The outcome though expected to be positive will undoubtedly result in huge financial expenditures. It is evident from the above paragraph that the government of Saudi Arabia is determined to empower its people on ways to deals with cases of diabetes. Conclusion The final paragraph serves as a summary of the paper which has dealt at length with the issue of diabetes in Australia and Saudi Arabia. Diabetes is a condition which is increasingly causing headache the world over. It is a condition which though preventable, continues to affect and infect millions of people the world over. Australia and Saudi Arabia are just some of the countries affected. In terms of percentage of people infected by diabetes, Saudi Arabia ranks third in the world. The two countries have had to develop policies which are meant to ensure that they stem the rise of new infection and that those who are already infected are given proper care and treatment so that they lead more productive lives. Diabetes is largely a preventable condition. The rise in the number of people affected by diabetes can largely be blamed on lifestyle and lack of information by the people. It precisely for this reason that the government of Australia and Saudi Arabia are setting aside lots of money to ensure that the economies of the countries are not negatively affected by the cases of diabetes. Younger and younger people are becoming infected by diabetes and there is need for immediate action. It is saddening for economic development of countries to result in conditions which make it difficult for the populations of the countries affected to continue being productive and thus lose the gains that have been achieved over a long period of time. The final paragraph sum the whole issue of diabetes in Australia and Saudi Arabia and explore the challenges faced by the government and how the governments are responding to the challenge. References Alzaid A. (1997). Time to declare war on diabetes. New Delhi: Annals of Saudi Medicine. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (2012). Australia's health 2012. Melbourne: AIHW. Clarke, P. et al. (2009). Estimating the cost of complications of diabetes in Australia using administrative health-care data. Value in health 11(2): 199-205. Mahal, A., Debroy, B. & Bhandari, L. (2010). India Health Report, 2010. New Delhi: Business Standard Books. Qin, L., M. Knol, E. Corpeleijn, and R. Stolk. 2010. Does physical activity modify the risk of obesity for type 2 diabetes: a review of epidemiological data. European Journal of Epidemiology 25 (1):5. Taha, A. & Aljoudi, A. (2009). Knowledge of diabetes risk factors and preventative measures among attendees of a primary care center in Eastern Saudi Arabia. Annual Saudi Medicine 29(1): 15-19. Read More