Unit 2: Looking Ahead - Preventing Chronic Illness through Health Promotion

The burden of chronic conditions, such as diabetes, arthritis, depression, asthma, and heart disease, poses a severe threat to the sustainability of our healthcare systems nationally and globally as these conditions' prevalence continuously increases worldwide (Government of New Brunswick, n.d.). In addition to the negative impacts on the quality of life of persons with chronic illness, these conditions carry an expensive price tag for the healthcare system as they carry on and require health interventions over long periods (Government of New Brunswick, n.d.). While some of the predisposing factors of chronic disease, such as genetic makeup, are difficult to address, other factors, such as lifestyle, diet, and education, are more within reach with proper intervention. Health promotion through intervention in the changeable aspects of chronic disease is recognized as a viable, cost-effective alternative to the traditional reactive approach of treating these conditions by preventing them from occurring in the first place (Kumar & Preetha, 2012).

As I engage in this learning endeavour, my personal learning goals include:

· How preventable are chronic illnesses

· How effective is health promotion in reducing chronic illness

I am excited to learn more about frameworks and models developed and previously employed in other regions to support the transition to preventative healthcare in the context of chronic diseases. However, I anticipate encountering challenges in finding a viable model that is relevant both in developed and developing countries. A significant challenge of preventative healthcare is the financial burden of programs needed to curb chronic illness's prevalence and, in the same realm, finding the political will and support required to convince law- and policy-makers to approve funding and programs for something that is not tangible. Therefore, I am excited to learn how to navigate the upfront financial challenges of investing in health promotion when treating the growing population with chronic diseases is already bleeding most of the resources.

References

Government of New Brunswick. (n.d.). Chronic Disease Prevention and Management. New Brunswick Canada - Health. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/health/patientinformation/PrimaryHealthCare/What_is_Primary_Health_Care/Chronic_Disease_Prevention_and_Management.html

Kumar, S., & Preetha, G. S. (2012). Health promotion: An effective tool for global health. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 37(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-0218.94009