Public Health Inconvenient Truth

Public Health Inconvenient Truth
Article Summary
The article describes the public health sector as an institution that was established with altruistic motives, while businesses are considered as profit-oriented. This presents a ground for skepticism on the part of the public health sector, especially to protect the financial interest of its clients/beneficiaries. However, considering the current hike in the cost of care and health research, the public health sector may no longer resist such a partnership due to the observed need for financial support available through businesses (Majestic, 2009). This expected partnership between the two bodies is also seen as slightly mutually beneficial. The public health sector gets the funding it needs, while businesses get top/priority medical considerations for its staff and an improved public image. However, sharing of other resources or brand promotion in favor of the public health system is not usually inclusive of such partnerships (Majestic, 2009).
Changes in the public health landscape
Various changes in the current public health sector can mostly be attributed to the recent economic crisis, which has forced the government to cut the public health budget continually. Along with budget cuts come new and deadly diseases (COVID-19, for example) that put pressure on public health care and push its administration towards failure. Finally, unprecedented changes in the political and social landscape of the country have caused a general re-orientation about the efficiency and need for collaboration across all sectors in the country; this is significant for public health as well (Majestic, 2009).
Trends underscoring public health's need for partnership
Three main trends in public health administration have shown its need for collaboration with the private business sector: first, public health has become a significant market. This is implied by the high numbers of its beneficiaries who, even at discounted rates, still contribute a significant amount in their care. Between 1960 and 2006 alone, the US per-capita spending on public health has reached as high as $7,026 (Majestic, 2009). As of 2019, this figure has increased to $11,172 with an expected upward projection in the coming years. This appeals to such industries as pharmaceuticals, and other sectors that have an interest of capitalization on the market opportunities. While public health needs collaboration, checking the intentions and activities of their partners is equally important.
Secondly, the economic downturn has led to an ever-decreasing government purse, which consequently depletes resources available to public health. This is mostly attributed to an increasing budget deficit and reducing the workforce across the nation.
Finally, demographic shifts and increased dependence on state-sponsored healthcare has unbalanced the expected healthcare practitioner to beneficiary ratio. The shortage of skilled workers in various specializations of public health is the trend and another consequence of inadequate funding. Top physicians, nurses, etc. prefer to work in private health institutions that have commensurate compensations, with the most evident shortage being that of nurses in various aspects of public health care.
Public Health – Business Partnerships
Across the past 15 years (in the US), there have been a few notable partnerships between public-health care and businesses. The 2005 partnership between the Durham Fitness and Nutrition Council and the local Herald-Sun Newspaper is an example of a positive partnership. It fostered an intervention program for weight loss in the local community, with successful participants of the program featured in the "healthy living" column of the newspaper publications. Another example is from 2007 between the Illinois public health department, the Chicago White Sox, and "Ed Randall's Bat for the Cure"—a prostate awareness group. This alliance was formed to promote prostate awareness and screening among men in the state. As an incentive, basketball tickets to watch the Chicago Sox was given to the first 100 participants of the program, and the screening was done by Ed Randall's at the Sox stadium. In 2009 as well, Austin public health department collaborated with local transportation organizations in a community-oriented health awareness and promotion program. These examples show the significance and potential for a harmless (or mildly benign) collaboration between public health and private businesses, and such partnerships should be sought in the best interest of the public health beneficiaries.
References
Johnson, T. D. (2009). Public health benefiting from private-sector partnerships: Health departments reaping results. The Nation's Health.
Majestic, E. (2009). Public health's inconvenient truth: the need to create partnerships with the business sector. Preventing chronic disease, 6(2), A39.