Community Health and Disease Prevention

This assignment focuses on different approaches to health emergency preparedness and response, including the advantages of bottom-up approach versus top-down approach. It also discusses the application of theories and models to an existing community health problem. The subject is Community Health and Disease Prevention.

Community Health and Disease
Prevention

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of different approaches to health emergency
preparedness and response.....................................................................................................1
Demonstrate the ability to critique the advantages of using a bottom-up approach versus a top-
down approach to health emergency preparedness and response..........................................3
Demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge of theories and models of health emergency
preparedness and response to an existing community health problem...................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Community health refers to focus on carrying out practices for betterment of health condition of
entire community members. It includes the criterion of evaluating common and severe health
problems to make people aware about the same along with providing information about effective
precautions to remain healthy (Duca and et. al., 2017). In context of this assignment, it is based
on Zika virus and its management among citizens living in Australia. This project will focus on
different types of approaches used for responding for health emergency. It will also include
advantages of bottom up approach and top down approach regarding health emergencies. The
theories and models of health preparedness to an existing community health problem are given
below.
MAIN BODY
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of different approaches to health emergency
preparedness and response.
The problem of Zika virus can be defined as a disease that is transmitted through Aedes
mosquitoes which bites during the day time. It has number of symptoms such as fever, rash,
conductivities, muscle, headache and joint pain. However, it has been analysed that most of the
individuals do not develop any kind of symptoms. If it occurs among pregnant women then it is
responsible for developing complications in their condition like foetal loss, stillbirth and preterm
birth (Deng and et. al., 2016). In context of Australia, the Zika virus disease is a severe problem
which has been spread among citizens towards which effective strategies are required to be
applied for improving health condition of them. It is required to utilise various effective
approaches in order to remain prepare to respond such problems in which some of them are
given here.
Engagement of citizens opinion is must in order to establish effective strategy to deliver
appropriate care for people. It is well known that problem of Zika virus can be easily sored
among people then effective precautions should be taken by them to avoid this problem for
remaining disease free. However, it includes using social mediums for making people aware
about precautions like using mosquito nets and protecting themselves from mosquito bites during
day hours specially (Abushouk, Negida and Ahmed, 2016). It is necessity to specially take care
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of pregnant women, women of reproductive age and young children to avoid future health
complications.
Consultation is an important approach while carrying out health promotion to reduce Zika virus
disease from the country. It is necessary to use the strategy by consulting from senior doctors,
specialist and other medical professionals to establish appropriate interventions regarding Zika
virus. It is necessary to make people motivated to war fill sleeves clothes to avoid mosquito bites
indoors and out to ignore occurrence of the given health issues. Basically, it is required to make
people aware of using mosquito repellents in the living areas and clean the surroundings for
remaining disease free (Lupton, 2016).
Participation can be considered as an effective approach to encourage people to understand the
important of their own contribution in terms of making entire nation free from Zika virus disease.
It includes the criterion of involving citizens and identifies their opinions as well as actual needs
which develops problem to take precautions regarding Zika virus (Darko and Mashburn, 2016).
However, it involves the strategy of providing resources to poor communities like mosquito nets
and service of fogging with mosquito killers in the surroundings for making environment clean
that helps to eliminate Zika Virus in proper manner.
Organisation includes approach of organising health promotion campaign through which
information about intervention to avoid Zika virus disease and organise free diagnosis of people.
It is favourable to diagnose the problem among those individuals who have never develop
symptoms to treat them immediately (Hamer and et. al., 2017). However, it is necessary for
healthcare organisations like NHS that they should organise health promotion program in nearby
areas for betterment of health of people of that place.
Capacity building can be considered as more effective as well as efficient approach through
which people are required to be motivated to eat healthy food items for improving their
immunity. It is observed that increased strength if immune system is much sufficient to fight
against Zika virus and facilitate to maintain better health of citizens.
Action involves the approach used by government to make sure availability of sufficient medical
staff with required resources to deliver required care services. It includes ensuring
implementation of advanced technology to quickly diagnose the Zika virus disease and provide
desired treatment immediately for wellness of an individual.
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The prevention of Zika virus in Australia can be eliminated with the collaborative effort of
citizens, healthcare professionals and government. It is necessary for government to cooperate
with medical practitioners and organisations to have clinical resources to deliver effective as well
as immediate care (Basile, Kok and Dwyer, 2017). Common people should follow instructions
and guidelines provided to government and healthcare professionals to remain healthy.
Demonstrate the ability to critique the advantages of using a bottom-up approach versus a top-
down approach to health emergency preparedness and response.
Bottom up approach refers to a process in which alternative ways for management are used in
order to gain success. It includes first to formulate the unique perception of an organisation along
with its goals and staff members. Secondly, it involves the criterion of carrying out measurement
of operational risk and then conduct reallocation of assets as well as decision making power.
However, it consist the giving voice to all the staff members about the specific aspect to be
fulfilled (Pastula and et. al., 2017). In respect of Australia, Bottom up approach can be used by
government and medical professionals should form a goal of eliminating Zika virus from the
country by taking opinions of knowledgeable people. It is necessary for them to evaluate risk
factors and establish strategy to deal with them at correct time. However, it is required to provide
information to citizens about interventions to protect themselves from Zika virus disease.
Advantages of bottom-up approach
 It is helpful to provide low risks and limited exposure to specific problem.
 It is beneficial in terms of yielding incremental design and enables to focus on approach
to respond emergency.
 It is responsible to requires lower level and shorter term aspects and it is effective to
deliver desired medical services in quick manner.
In contrary to this, the top-down approach includes initial step of developing clear lines of
authority in terms of improving standards of healthcare product and services. It includes the
criterion of facilitating quality control and streamlining tasks & achieving objectives in quick
manner. The Australian government can utilise this approach but it is not much effective to deal
with problem of Zika virus spread mong citizens as compared to bottom up approach.
Advantages of top-down approach
 It is helpful to break down the problem into parts that facilitate to clarify about actual
aspects required to be done for solving specific problem.
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 It includes the benefit that at each step of refinement, the new parts become less
complicated and therefore easier to sort out.
 It consists that parts of the solution may turn out to be reusable.
Demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge of theories and models of health emergency
preparedness and response to an existing community health problem.
In context of Australia, Zika virus disease spread among people including individuals belongs to
poor communities were not able to gain required medical services which leads to complications
in their conditions. It is necessary for government to make diagnosing and treatment facilities
free for them in order to enhance their quality of lives (Pooransingh and et. al., 2018). However,
health promotion campaigns should be organising such communities to improve awareness of
interventions between them for remaining disease free. It involves the utilisation of effective
models to respond emergency situation related to Zika virus.
The human caring theory: This model includes about the relationship between human caring
and nursing that consider following all desired policies. It includes the fact that patient outcomes
are depends upon caring perspectives of a nurse about their patients (Slenczka, 2016).
Meanwhile, it has been analysed that Human caring theory can be applied by motivating nursing
staff towards remain dedicated for providing more effective as well as efficient medical facilities
to deal with situation of Zika virus spread in country.
Watson Theory of Caring: The theory of caring was primarily developed by Jean Watson who
states that caring is responsible for regenerating the life energies as well as potentiates the
capabilities to deal with severe health emergencies in order to gain positive outcomes. However,
it is helpful model that can be used by care practitioner working in Australia in respect of
eliminating Zika virus by treating it effectively.
CONCLUSION
From the above assignment, it has been concluded that Zika virus disease is transmitted via
Aedes mosquitoes among people which has several symptoms including fever, rash,
conductivities, muscle, headache and joint pain. It includes the criterion of using bottom up
approach which is much effective as well as efficient deliver immediate and appropriate care
services. However, it includes the use of the human caring theory and Watson theory of caring to
respond the emergency of Zika virus problem in the country to ensure wellness of citizens.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Duca, L. M. & et. al. (2017). Zika virus disease and associated neurologic
complications. Current infectious disease reports, 19(1), 4.
Deng, Y. & et. al. (2016). Experience of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in
first case of imported Zika virus disease in China. Zhonghua wei zhong bing ji jiu yi xue, 28(2),
106-109.
Lupton, K. (2016). Zika virus disease: a public health emergency of international
concern. British Journal of Nursing, 25(4), 198-202.
Hamer, D. H. & et. al. (2017). Epidemiology, prevention, and potential future treatments of
sexually transmitted Zika virus infection. Current infectious disease reports, 19(4), 16.
Pastula, D. M. & et. al. (2017). Zika virus disease for the neurointensivist. Neurocritical
care, 26(3), 457-463.
Slenczka, W. (2016). Zika virus disease. Emerging Infections 10, 163-173.
Abushouk, A. I., Negida, A., & Ahmed, H. (2016). An updated review of Zika virus. Journal of
Clinical Virology, 84, 53-58.
Darko, R., & Mashburn, J. L. (2016). Zika Virus Disease: case report and review of
literature. Pediatric emergency care, 32(10), 705-709.
Basile, K., Kok, J., & Dwyer, D. E. (2017). Zika virus: what, where from and where
to?. Pathology, 49(7), 698-706.
Pooransingh, S. & et. al. (2018). Zika virus disease—knowledge, attitudes and practices among
pregnant women—implications for public health practice. Public health, 165, 146-151.
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