Population Health Advocacy

Running head: POPULATION HEALTH ADVOCACY
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POPULATION HEALTH ADVOCACY
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

Running head: POPULATION HEALTH ADVOCACY
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Introduction:
The paper will be focused on discussing the CDC policy on the prevention of the
hepatitis B infection. Hepatitis B can be described as a viral infection that affects the liver of
an individual and can lead a chronic condition, where the patients are at mortal risk. The
symptoms associated with this disease condition are the experience of extreme fatigue along
with jaundice, vomiting and abdominal pain. The hepatitis B virus is transmitted by the
transmission of the bodily fluids and the target organ for the virus is the liver. The disease is
preventable if the proper measures are adapted, such as vaccination and other habitual
changes. There are various policies in place describing the prevention guidelines. The paper
will be discussing the issue associated with the chosen policy firstly. Then it will be focusing
on determining the importance of the policy and the possible ways to strengthen the policy
further. After this the role of a nurse advocate and the impact of the chosen policy on the
population will be discussed. Finally the stakeholders will be considered to promote the
cause.
Discussion:
Answer 1: Policy Issue
According to a CDC report, there were approximately 850,000 people suffered from
the chronic hepatitis B infection in 2012. In 2016, it was found that there was more that 5%
increase in the numbers of people, who had encountered acute hepatitis B infection. This can
be considered as an issue that require major attention. The disease can be considered as a
preventable disease because it has been found from the studies that vaccination of the infants
is an effective strategy to prevent hepatitis B infection in them (Chang et al., 2016). The other
prevention strategies include changing various clinical or personal practices and behaviours
that involve the exchange of the bodily fluids. The strategies can be preventing the use of the

Running head: POPULATION HEALTH ADVOCACY
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same needles during the transfer of blood and catheter use, vaccination before travelling to
endemic areas and by restricting the sexual contact and behaviours. If the disease is
diagnosed at an early stage the adverse effects of the disease can also be easily prevented.
The center of disease control and prevention (CDC) is a government affiliated organisation in
USA, which focuses on prevention of various disease and improving the lives of the people.
They developed a guideline in the form of policy in order to address the problem associated
with this disease condition and to discuss its prevention strategies. The strategies mentioned
in the policy include vaccinating the infants, testing the pregnant woman for the presence of
hepatitis B viral DNA, vaccinating the people with chronic liver disease and various others
(cdc.gov, 2020).
Answer 2: Importance of the Policy and Strengthening the Policy
The importance of the policy lies on the fact that hepatitis B is an infectious disease
and it might proceed to a chronic clinical condition that might claim the life of an individual.
The loss of the life is a factor that should be avoided at any cost, especially if the condition is
preventable. There is a great number of people, who encounter the chronic infections every
year. The policy was developed by CDC to increase the awareness in people on the matter of
hepatitis B infection, the difficulties associated with the disease progression and finally the
strategies to prevent the disease. CDC made a few changes in the guidelines regarding the
HBV infection prevention. The new policy revised the epidemiology of the disease, the
transmission of the virus, clinical manifestation of the disease and the individuals with the
risk of encountering the infection. The policy described the prophylaxis against the HBV
infection in detail (cdc.gov, 2020). This discussion was important because the guidelines
helped the common people as well as the healthcare workers to manage the conditions arise
from the HBV infection in the pregnant women, newly born infants and in the normal adults.