Final Reflection:

I was immediately drawn to the ‘Health and Humanitarian Aid’ category, as social causes are generally my main area of interest. From there, I decided to choose the World Health Organization as my specific topic because it was something within my usual area of choice, in which I did not know much about. I was also very interested in the World Health Organization because it looks at health care from a global perspective, and emphasises the importance of unity and global support. Although I did not know a lot of information about the WHO prior to doing this investigation, I had an appreciation for the organization nonetheless. I was aware that they are extremely beneficial to many people everywhere however after obtaining this new knowledge, I have learned the depth of which it contributes towards the overall global wellbeing.
Studying this topic has increased my political knowledge because the WHO is an association of which must work alongside federal governments. In order for this organization to function properly, governments must sign on to the WHO constitution. This will than ensure that each member state will give a financial contribution as well as other resources should they be needed. In turn, they can be assured that should their country require assistance, it will be available. The World Health Organization is an essential aspect of global unity, and portrays how together we can overcome inadequate health care services, respond to natural disasters and create a happier, healthier earth.

Group Discussions:

Max, Justine and Scott have all been excellent to work with. Although we have only met as an entire group a few times, we have used our time wisely, and our ideas and our planning has benefitted as a result. The main concept we want to focus on is how each of our organizations or associations are required in order to bring unity, and enhance the overall global wellbeing. This is done by setting goals and working together to achieve them. We are going to portray the significance of this concept by comparing the state of the earth in each various area before and after the implementation of each organization. As a group, we have decided that we are going to begin the presentation by showing this historical background. However, we still need to confirm how we are going to engage the class, whether it is through a game, discussion or some other form of interaction. I feel as though our group is well on its way to having an effective presentation, one of which will clearly express the contributions these highly regarded organizations have made towards bettering the global community.

Reflection #3

The third source of which I will be reflecting on is a copy of the Canada Health Act, as well as an overview of current health care systems on an international level. This information was taken from statistics Canada. In order to fully prove my thesis, I will require a significant amount of knowledge regarding the policies and regulations of global health care. I will then in turn, use this information to create relations between these ideals and current practice, and the goals of the World Health Organization. This source will provide me with the required knowledge to do so. The overview includes useful statistics and information for the following countries: Canada, Australia, France, Finland, Germany, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom. Although these countries generally rank quite high in terms of overall health care, they are still highly involved with the WHO, and therefore need to be recognized and considered throughout my study. Most of my research thus far has focused on the history of global health care (pre WHO). This source however focuses on the current aspect of international health care. Following the actual documents, this article also includes quotes from the WHO officials, regarding existing health care systems around the world. This once again, reaffirms the accomplishments, initiatives and future goals of the organization. I have found this source to be very useful throughout my research. Although it does not directly prove my thesis, it provides me with a better understanding of health care at an international level, and therefore will be useful to me throughout my seminar.

Reflection #2

The second source I have chosen to reflect on is an article called “Evolution of the Canadian Health Care System” taken from “Canadian Nursing Faces the Future”. This text was written by Alice J. Baumgart, RN, PhD. I have found this source to be very relevant and therefore useful because just as the title implies, it portrays how health care has changed for the better throughout the years. As the article entails, Canada is currently recognized as one of the most admired health care systems on an international level. However, up until the implementation of the World Health Organization, standards were not nearly as worthy of recognition. Outbreaks of fatal diseases occurred frequently. The article explains instances such as the typhus epidemic in 1847, of which lead to 20 000 deaths. Such occurrences were common due to the lack of knowledge, research and limited access to physicians and hospitals. The World Health Organization has met these needs in the past and continues to set goals towards doing so for the future. This article is also extremely informative because although the main focus is on Canadian health care, it incorporates other countries as well such as England, Brazil, Switzerland and the United States. It provides a comparison of how significantly each country has progressed, therefore stating which countries continue to require considerable assistance from the World Health Organization, and those who appear to be relatively stable on their own. This source has provided me with a significant amount of information of which will be useful. I have gained an extensive amount of knowledge of the history of health care on a global level, through reading this article.

Reflection #1

The first source I am choosing to reflect on is the official website for the World Health Organization: “http://www.who.int/en/”. It has quite possibly provided me with the most useful information, up until this point. Throughout my research I am looking for factual data and statistics regarding overall health care around the world, before and after the formation of the WHO. This will then prove the need of which the WHO met, by creating a global health care system. The WHO was initiated alongside the United Nations following WWII, on April 7, 1948. Since then it has continually assisted countries on a global level, with varying medical issues. Currently the WHO is investigating prevention and control for malaria, HIV among older individuals (50+) and the difficulties disabled people often face when trying to access health care. This website has also provided me with all of the recent accomplishments, needs and goals for the organization. Examples include: historical world health reports, current world health reports, programs and projects, issues within different geographical regions, as well as current health topics and areas of concern. This website has given me a clear representation of everything the WHO stands for and hopes to achieve in the near future. I believe that this website is a very reliable source. I know that because it is the official website, all of the information will be valid and therefore useful for me throughout my research.

Welcome to my Blog!

This site has been created as part of my grade twelve politics independent study project. I have chosen to do an analysis of the World Health Organization (WHO) specifically focusing on global health care prior to, and following the implementation of this highly regarded association. I will also be reflecting on different sources, in order to evaluate how applicable my research is. I hope that you are able to learn from this site and can find this information useful. Enjoy!