Blog 1: Uganda

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to my first blog post! Throughout HS courses we have learned about different plans/goals being created and initiated like the healthy people 2020. Some plans focus primarily on one issue, while others like the Sustainable Development Goals incorporate a variety of issues. In 2015, 17 Global Goals also known as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were set and adopted by all United Nations members (2015a). The goals would apply universally to all in order for countries to have guidance on what issues have to be fixed and where they stand in their overall progress. I believe these goals are set on a broad spectrum ranging from issues like climate change, gender equality, social needs, economic growth and even urbanization. These goals will apply to underdeveloped/poor, middle, and rich income countries (United Nations, 2015a).

I wanted to choose a goal that interconnects with my interests which concerns women and children’s health. Sustainable Developmental Goal #3 is named good health and well-being which “ensures healthy lives and promotes well-being for all ages,” (United Nations 2015b).  Even though we are living healthier and longer lives compared to the past decade, “people are still suffering needlessly from preventable disease, and too many are dying prematurely,” (2015b). The good health and well-being goal includes 3 subtopics which are: 1) reproductive, maternal and child health 2) infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases 3) health systems and funding (2015b).

According to the sustainable development progress report, births treated by skilled health providers increased globally, deaths under the age of 5 have fallen, HIV incidences for women are higher in certain areas of the world, and the world is not on track to end malaria by the year 2030 (2015b). This information is coming from the SDG’s annual progress report worldwide and not any specific location. The first country I will be researching is Uganda. According to the CIA, Uganda has a high reproductive rate, but since a mother’s mean age at first birth is estimated to be 18 years of age, the maternal mortality rate is high with 343 death/100,000 (2018). As of 2016, the degree of risk for infectious diseases was at very high including hepatitis A/E, malaria, rabies and denue fever (2018). In comparison to the world, Uganda is at number 7 with 1.3 million people living with HIV/AIDS. Since there is a high mortality rate, high risk of infectious diseases and a questionable health system, Uganda has to make improvements towards their good health and well-being goal. Compared to the U.S, Uganda is not surpassing this specific goal and needs a lot of improvements. 

References

CIA. (2018). The World Factbook: Uganda. Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/librarY/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ug.html

United Nations. (2015a). Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs

United Nations. (2015b). Sustainable Development Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg3