BlessWorld Foundation International

Affecting the World Through Health
A Global Health Initiative

Health and Politics

12.09.2016

Blog

Someone might wonder… what on earth does health have to do with politics? In case you are that someone, please read on to find out!

To begin with, health policies which are decisions, laws and actions taken to achieve specific goals in health systems, are driven by politics, parties and politicians. The governing power or authority significantly influences what happens in the health care system by determining the budget allocated to health and healthcare. They also decide the type of healthcare delivery, availability of subsidies and possibly, the availability of healthcare workers.

Laws and regulations at the federal, state and local levels of government all impact conditions that influence the health status of people and their communities. For example, a health policy that promotes free HIV testing by covering the costs and providing necessary information or support, will encourage individuals to get tested, get treated and live longer!

Therefore, it is crucial to develop policies at all levels of government that promote health and prevent conditions that threaten the life and safety of individuals and communities. Finally, inequalities in health outcomes have been associated with differences in health policies… so if these inequalities are to be eliminated, their causes- which include poor health policies and politics- must be eliminated. Keep this in mind when voting!

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