CENTRO ESCOLAR UNIVERSITY MANILA

9 Mendiola St, San Miguel, Manila, 1008 Metro Manila

SCHOOL OF PHARMACY

Module 1 Overview of Public Health and Health Care Delivery System

ACCOMPLISHED WRITTEN REPORT 1

Name: Samatra, Ma. Charmia R. Date:

Year/Section: BSP3A-MNL Subject: PRPM128

Figure2. Estimated proportion of the population with no access to a handwashing station with soap and water in 2019.

Briefly summarize the articles.

 Identify a population group that become more vulnerable to COVID-19 based on

their level of water security or access to hand washing facilities
 Systematically explain how this population group made more vulnerable to COVID-
19

There are estimated higher proportions without access in low income countries
especially those in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Caribbean. In 46 countries,
more than half of the population lacked access, and in eight countries (India, Nigeria,
China, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia)
more than 50 million persons were estimated to be without handwashing access.

Many LICs still lack enough access to soap and water for handwashing, which is
likely to encourage the spread of COVID-19. Significantly fewer rural residents have
access to handwashing stations. Inadequate sanitation, limited water supplies, and poor
hygiene can contribute to the spread of diarrheal and infectious diseases. Most public
health problems, mainly in crises, occur due to inadequate quality and quantity of water.
Infectious diseases can be either transmitted by direct contact between the community
members or from the environment (contamination of water, food, soil, or from
insects). In the long-term, 707,000 deaths from diarrheal disease and lower respiratory
infections that are attributable to no handwashing access.

Identify 2 structural determinants that is linked to the vulnerability of the

population group to COVID 19

 Neighborhood/Environmental Conditions

Air quality, water quality, pollution, housing, and access to green space can all be
discussed under this section. Health disparities due to neighborhood and environmental
conditions can be understood by studying how certain population ends up in certain
geographic locations. Researchers have suggested that lack of access to clean water
can make individuals more vulnerable to acquiring COVID-19.

 Access to Health Care and Primary Care

Access to health care is described as the “timely use of personal health services to
achieve the best possible health outcomes”. Barriers include limited or no access to
transportation for health appointments, lack of health insurance, limited education about
health care, limited health care resources, provider hours limited to work hours,
etc. Reluctance to seek healthcare is associated with socioeconomic status. Hispanics
and African Americans were less likely to have health insurance compared to non-
Hispanic whites. Those who are minorities and/or have low incomes already face
difficulty-accessing healthcare. Many of them primarily depend on student-run clinics for
obtaining healthcare. Therefore, the underserved populations who already face barriers
to healthcare now face a barrier to access primary care at these student-run clinics,
which are their primary means of maintaining their well-being.

REFERENCES:

https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/EHP7200