Health in Peru: Difference between revisions
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*Demand for health workers in Peru has increased over time. The number of health workers per area is not evenly distributed, and many rural areas lack the amount of health workers they need. The country has been working to solve this problem by incentivizing health care providers to remain in rural areas, however this has yet to solve the issue<ref name="who3">{{cite web|title=WHO | Peru|url=http://www.who.int/countries/per/en/|date=|publisher=Who.int|accessdate=2014-02-28}}</ref> |
*Demand for health workers in Peru has increased over time. The number of health workers per area is not evenly distributed, and many rural areas lack the amount of health workers they need. The country has been working to solve this problem by incentivizing health care providers to remain in rural areas, however this has yet to solve the issue<ref name="who3">{{cite web|title=WHO | Peru|url=http://www.who.int/countries/per/en/|date=|publisher=Who.int|accessdate=2014-02-28}}</ref> |
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*Climate change also has a significant impact on the quality of health in Peru today. Small changes in climate allow for the vectors that spread diseases like dengue and yellow fever to thrive<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Campbell-Lendrum|first=Diarmid|last2=Manga|first2=Lucien|last3=Bagayoko|first3=Magaran|last4=Sommerfeld|first4=Johannes|date=2015-04-05|title=Climate change and vector-borne diseases: what are the implications for public health research and policy?|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4342958/|journal=Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences|volume=370|issue=1665|doi=10.1098/rstb.2013.0552|issn=0962-8436|pmc=4342958|pmid=25688013}}</ref>. Deforestation that contributes to climate change may also be a factor<ref name=":2" />, as it allows more carriers of pathogens to move between previously unaffected areas.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Climate Change Impacts Revealed: Disease in Peru|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/climate-change-disease-peru/|last=Fraser|first=Barbara J.|website=Scientific American|language=en|access-date=2020-04-25}}</ref> |
*Climate change also has a significant impact on the quality of health in Peru today. Small changes in climate allow for the vectors that spread diseases like dengue and yellow fever to thrive<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Campbell-Lendrum|first=Diarmid|last2=Manga|first2=Lucien|last3=Bagayoko|first3=Magaran|last4=Sommerfeld|first4=Johannes|date=2015-04-05|title=Climate change and vector-borne diseases: what are the implications for public health research and policy?|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4342958/|journal=Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences|volume=370|issue=1665|doi=10.1098/rstb.2013.0552|issn=0962-8436|pmc=4342958|pmid=25688013}}</ref>. Deforestation that contributes to climate change may also be a factor<ref name=":2" />, as it allows more carriers of pathogens to move between previously unaffected areas.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Climate Change Impacts Revealed: Disease in Peru|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/climate-change-disease-peru/|last=Fraser|first=Barbara J.|website=Scientific American|language=en|access-date=2020-04-25}}</ref> |
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=== Indigenous health === |
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Many of the people that comprise Peru’s indigenous population experience health issues due to the environments in which they live. Many of these places are extremely isolated and there is often reduced access to food, water, and shelter, as well as to basic healthcare. According to one study, infant mortality in indigenous communities can be 3-4 times higher than national averages{{citation needed|date=December 2013}}. |
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In recent years, there has been a trend of migration to urban areas, which has subjected some indigenous people to the effects of acculturation. There have been increased reports of health issues such as alcoholism, obesity, and hypertension, which are generally observed more often in urban populations. Perhaps{{Original research inline|date=December 2013}} because of these health risks, many indigenous people choose to live in voluntary isolation from mainstream society.<ref>Raul A Montenegro, Carolyn Stephens. (2006)</ref> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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Revision as of 03:37, 7 May 2020
Health in Peru has changed drastically from pre-colonial times to the modern era. When European conquistadors invaded Peru, they brought with them diseases against which the Inca population had no immunity. Much of the population was decimated, and this marked an important turning point in the nature of Peruvian healthcare. Since Peru gained independence, the country's major healthcare concern has shifted to the disparity in care between the poor and non-poor, as well as between rural and urban populations. Another unique factor is the presence of indigenous health beliefs, which continue to be widespread in modern society.
History
Before the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in the early 1500s, the population of the Inca Empire which covered five countries - Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, northern and central Chile, northwest Argentina - is estimated at between 9 million and 16 million people. The Andean people had been isolated for millennia and therefore had no reason to build up any sort of immunity against foreign diseases. This meant that the introduction of a non-native population had the potential to spell disaster for the Andeans. Even before Francisco Pizarro arrived on the coast of Peru, the Spaniards had spread diseases such as smallpox, malaria, typhus, influenza, and the common cold to the people of South America. Forty years after the arrival of European explorers and conquistadors, Peru’s native population had decreased by about 80%. Population recovery was made almost impossible by the killer pandemics that occurred approximately every ten years. Additionally, the stress caused by war, exploitation, socioeconomic change, and psychological trauma caused by the conquests was enough to further weaken the indigenous people and render recovery impossible.[1]
Health in Peru today
In many ways, health in Peru has been improving. In 2010, the World Health Organization collected data about the life expectancy of people living in Peru. It found that, on average, life expectancy for men at birth is 74 years, while for women it is 77. These values are higher than the global averages of 66 and 71 years, respectively.[2] The mortality rate of this population has been decreasing steadily since 1990 and now stands at 19 deaths per 1000 live births.[2] Regardless of this improvement, health in Peru still faces some challenges today. Marginalized groups, such as individuals living in rural areas and indigenous populations, are especially at risk for health related issues.
Healthcare system
Peru has a decentralized healthcare system that consists of a combination of governmental and non-governmental coverage. Health care is covered by the Ministry of Health, EsSalud, the Armed Forces (FFAA), and National Police (PNP), as well private insurance companies. The Ministry of Health insures 60% of the population and EsSalud covers another 30%. The remaining population in Peru is insured by a combination of the FFAA, PNP, and private insurance companies.[3]
Current issues
- The risk of infectious disease in Peru is considered to be very high. Common ailments include waterborne bacterial diseases, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, dengue fever, malaria, yellow fever, and leptospirosis.[4]
- In the population under five years of age, common causes of death are congenital anomalies, prematurity, injuries, pneumonia, birth asphyxia, neonatal sepsis, diarrhea, and HIV/AIDS. The mortality rate of this population has been decreasing steadily since 1990 and now stands at 19 deaths per 1000 live births.[5]
- Demand for health workers in Peru has increased over time. The number of health workers per area is not evenly distributed, and many rural areas lack the amount of health workers they need. The country has been working to solve this problem by incentivizing health care providers to remain in rural areas, however this has yet to solve the issue[6]
- Climate change also has a significant impact on the quality of health in Peru today. Small changes in climate allow for the vectors that spread diseases like dengue and yellow fever to thrive[7]. Deforestation that contributes to climate change may also be a factor[7], as it allows more carriers of pathogens to move between previously unaffected areas.[8]
See also
References
- ^ "History of Peru, The Colonial Period, 1550-1824". Motherearthtravel.com. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
- ^ a b "WHO | Peru". Who.int. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
- ^ "WHO | Peru". WHO. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
- ^ "The World Factbook". Cia.gov. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
- ^ "WHO | Peru". Who.int. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
- ^ "WHO | Peru". Who.int. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
- ^ a b Campbell-Lendrum, Diarmid; Manga, Lucien; Bagayoko, Magaran; Sommerfeld, Johannes (2015-04-05). "Climate change and vector-borne diseases: what are the implications for public health research and policy?". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 370 (1665). doi:10.1098/rstb.2013.0552. ISSN 0962-8436. PMC 4342958. PMID 25688013.
- ^ Fraser, Barbara J. "Climate Change Impacts Revealed: Disease in Peru". Scientific American. Retrieved 2020-04-25.