Health Inequalities and Human Rights in New Zealand

Health Inequalities and Human Rights in New Zealand Health inequalities preventable by reasonable ways are not fair, and in health are indicators of distributional imbalance. Worldwide people experience different social conditions that result in manageable differences in health, well-being, quality and length of life. The health system can help in establishing a fairer society and ensuring a fairer distribution of health resources. However, this needs a universal commitment of all people within the health system, including those responsible for policy, resource distribution, service provision and evaluation, hence; attempts to address health and social equity are evident in legislations formulated and implemented by the government. Like other countries, New Zealand legislations safeguard the right to health of its people. Of these legislations, the most significant is New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000, which establishes a framework for the delivery of personal and public health and disability support services. PHDA sets strategic objective and goals for health and disability services to improve health and disability outcomes for New Zealanders, to minimise inequities by improving the health ofMaoriand other population groups, to facilitate community participation in personal health, public health, and disability support services and to facilitate access, and the distribution of information for the delivery of health and disability services. Health Act 1956 embodies provisions for environmental health, infectious diseases, health emergencies, and the national cervical screening programme. It gives the Ministry of Health the function of improving, promoting and protecting public health.[1] Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 ensures that health practitioners are fit and competent to practice their profession to ensure the public’s safety. As stated by the Ministry of Health, â€Å"The right to health is further protected by the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (BoRA) (which applies to discrimination in the public sector); and the Human Rights Act 1993 (HRA) (which applies to the private sector); the Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994 (HDC) (which provides a complaints system to deal with issues of informed consent, the rights of consumers and the duties and obligations of health care providers identified in aCode of Health and Disability Services Consumers Rights); and the Privacy Act 1993 (which, together with the Health Information Privacy Code 1994, protects individuals privacy).†[2] New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 It is commonly called as â€Å"The Bill of Rights†. It protects people from violations of their civil and political rights by the government, other public bodies and officials. Moreover, it reflects New Zealand’s commitment to the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on which the rights and freedom it covers are based. The Act protects a wide range of rights grouped into the following categories: Life and security rights Democratic and civil right Non-discrimination and minority rights Search, arrest and detention rights Criminal procedure rights Justice rights Non-discrimination rights refers to the freedom from discrimination on any of the prohibited grounds of discrimination included in the Human Rights Act 1993 Human Rights Act 1993 The Act aims to protect an individual’s human rights and seeks to do this in line with various United Nations conventions and covenants on human rights. It states that it is unlawful to discriminate against an individual because of personal characteristics. The act also provides a number of exemptions that allow discrimination when it would otherwise be unlawful under the Act. The rules in the Human Rights Act apply to discrimination by private organizations and individuals. On the other hand, New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 covers the discrimination by the government and other public bodies. Consumers of any health or disability services are protected by rights contained in the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights. Codes of Rights are as follows: Right 1: Respect- the right to be treated with respect (privacy, needs, values and beliefs. Right 2: Fair treatment – the right to be free from discrimination, coercion, harassment and sexual, financial or other exploitation at all times. Right 3: Dignity and Independence- the right to services rendered in such a way that respects their dignity and promotes independence. Right 4: Service of proper standard- consumers have the right to have services with reasonable care and skill, meet legal professional, ethical and other relevant standards, in correspondence to their needs and ensure minimization of potential harm and maximizes quality of life Right 5: Effective communication- the right to be given information on their health in a way the consumer comprehends, if needed, he must be provided with an interpreter Right 6: To be fully informed- to be fully aware of their situation or condition, to be given with sufficient information to make an informed choice Right 7: Informed choices and informed consent- consumers can only be given services if they have made an informed choice and informed consent unless there are reasonable grounds to believe they are not competent, also includes the right to withdraw at any time Right 8: Right to support- consumers have the right to have a support person or people with them when they are receiving services provided it is safe and will not unreasonably affect another consumer’s rights Right 9: Teaching and research- consumers are to be informed and have the right to refuse when subjected to research or studies Right 10: Right to complain- consumers have the right to complain, may it be about the healthcare provider or organization. Health Information Privacy Code 1994 The code sets down specific policies that health professionals must follow when collecting information from consumers and when they can release information to other people. It also specifically enables consumers to have access to their own health information. Health professionals must collect health information directly from the consumer, not from other people, unless the consumer is deemed not to be competent to provide information. Furthermore, information must be gathered in a manner that is fair and does not unreasonably intrude to their personal affairs. Generally, heath professionals cannot divulge a consumer’s health information to others unless doing so puts the consumer or another person’s safety and wellbeing at imminent danger.[3] REFERENCES: (2013).Community Law Manual: A practical guide to everyday New Zealand law. Community Law Wellington and Hutt Valley New Zealand Ministry of Health. Retrieved 15 June 2014 http://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system/overview-health-system/statutory-framework Human Rights Commission. Retrieved 15 June 2014 http://www.hrc.co.nz/report/chapters/chapter14/health01.html [1] New Zealand Ministry of Health. Retrieved 15 June 2014 http://www.health.govt.nz/new-zealand-health-system/overview-health-system/statutory-framework [2] Human Rights Commission. Retrieved 15 June 2014 http://www.hrc.co.nz/report/chapters/chapter14/health01.html [3] (2013).Community Law Manual: A practical guide to everyday New Zealand law. Community Law Wellington and Hutt Valley

Social Evils Poverty and Health

Poverty is one of the most important social evils and a major determinant of ill health (1). From time it is known that poor social status is a major determinant of disease and reduces longevity in a big way. The Charaka Samhita recognized that community structure and functioning was an important cause of disease in individuals. The association of individual illness causing community disturbances and poverty and vice versa was noted (2). Health status is strongly determined by socio-economic positions and a large body of literature from developed ountries demonstrates that most causes of deaths occur at a greater rate in groups with lower socio-economic status (3). Pathways from adverse social circumstances to ill health are then discussed and some suggestions are made for eliminating these social evils. The Global Burden of Diseases Study reported major causes of mortality, disease burden and risk factors in various parts of the world (4). In developing countries, infections of respiratory tract, HIV/AIDS, diarreah, tuberculosis, and malaria have emerged as important causes. The reliability of mortality ata has been questioned in terms of medical classification of deaths as a large number of deaths are recorded as proof and old age. Globally, the important causes were lower respiratory infections, AIDS, heart disease, and malaria. Indian National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health (9) has reported that communicable diseases, maternal conditions as well as non- communicable diseases which are major causes of disease burden. The Second Global Burden of Diseases Study (4) quantified more than twenty health risk factors that influence health of populations. Major risk factors identified were childhood and maternal undernutrition leading to childhood and maternal underweight. , iron deficiency, anaemia, vitamin A deficiency and zinc deficiency. There was a difference in risk factors causing disease burden or mortality. Social circumstances and poverty are the major determinants of all these factors. A social problem is defined as a situation confronting a group or a section of society which inflicts injurious consequences that can be handled only properly (11). There are a number of social problems in India (11). These have been identified as poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, population explosion, communalism, youth unrest, violence against women, crime and criminals, alcoholism, terrorism, corruption, and more recently, overweight/obesity in the urban subjects coupled with changing lifestyles. Multiple efforts to accurately identify social determinants of health have been performed and some efforts have evolved recently. Social determinants of health were enumerated by Marmot and others at the Solid Facts Program of the World Health Organization (12). The factors identified were social rganization, early life events, life-course social gradient, high unemployment rates, psychological work envoronment, transport, social support, cohesion, food, poverty, and social exclusion. All of these factors are classified as social evils that directly influence health. Because non-communicable diseases are major health issues in Europe and other developed countries, these factors reveal only half the story. For example, illiteracy and low educational status is a major disease risk factor but not part of the WHO agenda as this is not as serious f a problem as it is in Europe (3). A major development to address various social issues and poverty was the landmark United Nations Millennium Declaration in the year 2000 by various Heads of States and governments. The declaration articulated Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which include specific targets for social engineering to bring about equitable prosperity and health (13). These specific targets include poverty reduction, increasing primary education, promoting gender equality, and development of a global partnership for an even bigger development.

Snowflake Chemistry - Common Questions

Have you ever looked at a snowflake and wondered how it formed or why it looks different from other snow you might have seen? Snowflakes are a particular form of water ice. Snowflakes form in clouds, which consist of water vapor. When the temperature is 32 ° F (0 ° C) or colder, water changes from its liquid form into ice. Several factors affect snowflake formation. Temperature, air currents, and humidity all influence shape and size. Dirt and dust particles can get mixed up in the water and affect crystal weight and durability. The dirt particles make the snowflake heavier  and can cause cracks and breaks in the crystal and make it easier to melt. Snowflake formation is a dynamic process. A snowflake may encounter many different environmental conditions, sometimes melting it, sometimes causing growth, always changing its structure. Key Takeaways: Snowflake Questions Snowflakes are water crystals that fall as precipitation when its cold outside. However, sometimes snow falls when its slightly above the freezing point of water and other times freezing rain falls when the temperature is below freezing.Snowflakes come in a variety of shapes. The shape depends on the temperature.Two snowflakes can look identical to the naked eye, but they will be different on the molecular level.Snow looks white because the flakes scatter light. In dim light, snow appears pale blue, which is the color of a large volume of water. What Are Common Snowflake Shapes? Generally, six-sided hexagonal crystals are shaped in high clouds; needles or flat six-sided crystals are shaped in middle height clouds, and a wide variety of six-sided shapes are formed in low clouds. Colder temperatures produce snowflakes with sharper tips on the sides of the crystals and may lead to branching of the snowflake arms (dendrites). Snowflakes that grow under warmer conditions grow more slowly, resulting in smoother, less intricate shapes. 32-25 ° F - Thin hexagonal plates25-21 ° F - Needles21-14 ° F - Hollow columns14-10 ° F - Sector plates (hexagons with indentations)10-3 ° F - Dendrites (lacy hexagonal shapes) The shape of a snowflake depends on the temperature at which it formed. 221A / Getty Images Why Are Snowflakes Symmetrical (Same on All Sides)? First, not all snowflakes are the same on all sides. Uneven temperatures, presence of dirt, and other factors may cause a snowflake to be lop-sided. Yet it is true that many snowflakes are symmetrical and intricate. This is because a snowflakes shape reflects the internal order of the water molecules. Water molecules in the solid state, such as in ice and snow, form weak bonds (called hydrogen bonds) with one another. These ordered arrangements result in the symmetrical, hexagonal shape of the snowflake. During crystallization, the water molecules align themselves to maximize attractive forces and minimize repulsive forces. Consequently, water molecules arrange themselves in predetermined spaces and in a specific arrangement. Water molecules simply arrange themselves to fit the spaces and maintain symmetry. Is It True that No Two Snowflakes Are Identical? Yes and no. No two snowflakes are exactly identical, down to the precise number of water molecules, spin of electrons, isotope abundance of hydrogen and oxygen, etc. On the other hand, it is possible for two snowflakes to look exactly alike and any given snowflake probably has had a good match at some point in history. Since so many factors affect the structure of a snowflake and since a snowflakes structure is constantly changing in response to environmental conditions, it is improbable that anyone would see two identical snowflakes. If Water and Ice Are Clear, then Why Does Snow Look White? The short answer is that snowflakes have so many light-reflecting surfaces they scatter the light into all of its colors, so snow appears white. The longer answer has to do with the way the human eye perceives color. Even though the light source might not be truly white light (e.g., sunlight, fluorescent, and incandescent all have a particular color), the human brain compensates for a light source. Thus, even though sunlight is yellow and scattered light from snow is yellow, the brain sees snow as white because the whole picture received by the brain has a yellow tint that is automatically subtracted. Sources Bailey, M.; John Hallett, J. (2004). Growth rates and habits of ice crystals between −20 and −70C. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences. 61 (5): 514–544. doi:10.1175/1520-0469(2004)0610514:GRAHOI2.0.CO;2 Klesius, M. (2007). The Mystery of Snowflakes. National Geographic. 211 (1): 20. ISSN 0027-9358 Knight, C.; Knight, N. (1973). Snow Crystals. Scientific American, vol. 228, no. 1, pp. 100-107. Smalley, I.J. Symmetry of Snow Crystals. Nature 198, Springer Nature Publishing AG, June 15, 1963.

The Role Of Childrens Development And Experiences

Introduction What are the most significant aspects of children’s development and experiences that contribute to their longer-term well-being? Introduction This essay will look at the most significant aspects of children’s development and experiences that contribute to their longer term well-being. This will include attachment, identity representation emotion and communication. The term well-being is ambiguous, Allin (2007) stated ‘There is no single definition for Well being’ however it is generally understood to be a reflection upon the quality of peoples lives. Statham and Chase, (2010) suggest wellbeing as a dynamic state that is enhanced when people fulfil their personal and social goals, relating to objective measures, including household income, educational resources and health status together with subjective indicators including happiness, perceptions of quality of life and life satisfaction. The Guardian article ‘Emotonal Health in Childhood ‘is the key to future happiness’ (Doward 2014) presents a simplified version of the evidence from the research paper, What predicts a successful life? Life-course model of well being’ (Layard et al., 2014) however, the article contains incorrect information including the size of the study, and who conduce the original study. The article focuses only on the points which enhance the writers point of view. One claim the article makes is that Layard (2014) says that satisfaction levels in an adult are moreShow MoreRelatedThe Effect Of Parent Child Separation On The Middle School Children With Parental Migrations754 Words   |  4 Pagesdifference for children’s psychosocial development. 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