Posted: April 14th, 2015

Cooperate. Collaborate. Connect.

Many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and government organizations often work side by side on the same problem.

To prepare for this Application Assignment, explore the web pages of the organizations provided in your Learning Resources, this week, to learn about the work they are doing. Look for one health issue that you can see in both the NGO and government organizations for this assignment.

To complete this Application Assignment, write a 2- to 3-page paper that summarizes and compares the roles and function of one governmental and one nongovernmental organization (NGO) public or global health organization for a specific health issue. Be sure that your summary includes information about the following:

1. Where are the organizations’ headquarters located?

2. What is the mission or purpose of these organizations?

3. What populations do they serve? And what do they do?

4. How are the organizations funded? Are they part of a larger public health infrastructure?

5. Do these organizations mention collaboration with any other agencies or organizations?

6. Are there any major public health issues these organizations are currently focusing on?

7. What might be some ethical issues that are related to the mission of these organizations? (If the organizations have a code of conduct or ethics statement, provide a brief summary in your description.)

8. Summarize what you learned in researching these organizations: What were the most interesting things you learned in this application? How are the organizations you selected similar or different?

Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources, as required.

• Required Resources

Media

Video: Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response. (2009, June 15). Behind the Scenes: Emergency Operations Center. CDC TV Health Matters. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/CDCTV/BehindTheScenes/index.html
“Behind the Scenes: Emergency Operations Center” Video courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response (COTPER, Transcripts also provided by the CDC. )

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 7 minutes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is responsible for coordinating emergency response to domestic and international public health threats. This video introduces you to the command center and the various professionals responsible for coordinating emergency response to domestic and international public health threats, essential components of the public health infrastructure.

Note: You may view this course video in the streaming Media Player below (or attached) and/or linked above with each resource listed. As a reminder, additional Learning Resources for the week are listed below the Media Player. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the web page to view the complete list of Required and Optional Resources.

If you experience technical difficulties viewing the Course Video through the Media Player, please contact your Student Support Team at 1-800-WALDENU or [email protected]
Accessible player
• Readings

• Course Text: Public and Global Health Essentials

•
o Chapter 4, “Public Health Institutions and Systems”

This chapter highlights the essential services of governmental, NGO, and global humanitarian organizations that collaborate for public health initiatives.

o Chapter 5, “Ethical and Human Rights Concerns in Global Health”

Ethical and human rights issues impact populations and governments and must be considered in all public health efforts. This chapter highlights the essential elements of human rights as well as the history and challenges involved in protecting the dignity of individuals while working to improve their health.

o Chapter 6, “The Public Health Workforce”

Strengthening the public health workforce to meet the challenges of global health is the focus on this chapter. This includes an understanding of the size and distribution of the public health workforce. In addition you will learn about the essential characteristics of public health occupations.

• Websites

The public health infrastructure includes a complex network of governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that work to assure conditions in which populations can be healthy. Here are a few key organizations that work to improve public health in the U.S. and around the the world. (Hint: These organizations are all reliable sources of information for your academic and professional research needs.)

U.S. Government

• The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS)
http://www.hhs.gov

The Department of Health & Human Services is the U.S. government’s agency for protecting the health of all Americans, especially those who are unable to help themselves. HHS administers Medicare and Medicaid, which provides health care insurance to one in four Americans.

• The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
http://www.hrsa.gov/index.html

The Health Resources and Services Administration is the primary federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
http://CDC.gov

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a leader in promoting public health for all people, protecting the United States and the world from health threats, and working with global partners to realize the goal of “Healthy People in a Healthy World – through Prevention.”

• The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
http://nih.gov

The National Institutes of Health is composed of 27 Institutes and Centers. The NIH scientists investigate ways to prevent disease, understand the causes, treatments, and even find cures for common and rare diseases.

• The Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
http://www.fda.gov/

The Food & Drug Administration protects the public by assuring the safety, effectiveness and security of medications, medical devices, the food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements and products that give off radiation. They help the public get accurate, science-based information to use medicines and foods to improve their health.

• The Indian Health Service (IHS)
http://www.ihs.gov

The Indian Health Service’s mission is to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level. The HIS helps uphold the federal government’s obligation to promote healthy American Indian and Alaska Native people, communities, and cultures and to honor and protect the inherent sovereign rights of Tribes.

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association’s (SAMHSA)
http://www.samhsa.gov

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

• The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry is a public health agency that serves to protect the public from harmful exposures and diseases related to toxic substances.

• The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
http://www.usaid.gov

The United States Agency for International Development is an independent federal government agency that supports long-term and equitable economic growth and advances U.S. foreign policy objectives by supporting global health and humanitarian assistance.

Global Nongovernmental Organizations

• The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
http://new.paho.org

The Pan American Health Organization is an international public health agency working to improve health and living standards of the countries of the Americas. PAHO serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization and is part of the United Nations system.

• The World Health Organization (WHO)
http://www.who.int/en/

• The World Health Organization is the directing and coordinating authority for health within the United Nations system. WHO provides leadership on global health matters and research, and it monitors and assesses global health trends.

• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC/RC)
www.IFRC.org

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, providing assistance without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class, or political opinions. The Red Crescent is used in place of the Red Cross in many Islamic countries.

• CARE

Homepage

CARE is a humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives.

• The United Nations Infant and Child Emergency Fund (UNICEF)
http://www.unicef.org/

The United Nations Infant and Child Emergency Fund, is a global organization mandated by the UN General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights around the world. UNICEF works to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, help meet their basic needs, and expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.

• The United Nations Foundation

Homepage

The United Nations Foundation was started in 1998 with a $1 billion gift from philanthropist Ted Turner. The UN Foundation supports innovative health programs for children and other programs to; eliminate malaria deaths, eradicate polio, and reduce measles mortality.

• The United Nations Programme on AIDS/HIV (UNAIDS)
http://www.unaids.org/en/

The United Nations Programme on AIDS/HIV was started through a series of goals, resolutions, and declarations adopted by member nations of the United Nations to stop and reverse the spread of HIV.

• Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières provides aid to people whose survival is threatened by armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters in nearly 60 countries.

Other Nongovernmental Organizations

• The American Public Health Association (APHA)
www.APHA.org

The American Public Health Association has been working to improve public health since 1872. APHA aims to protect all Americans, their families, and their communities from preventable, serious health threats. The organization works to assure community-based health promotion and disease prevention activities and preventive health services are universally accessible in the United States.

• The American Red Cross
www.redcross.org

The American Red Cross offers domestic disaster relief and compassionate services in five other areas: community services that help the needy; support and comfort for military members and their families; the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products; and educational programs.

Sample of Disease-Specific Nongovernmental Organizations

• The American Heart Association
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/

The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization working to help build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

• World Heart Federation
www.world-heart-federation.org/

World Heart Federation is a nongovernmental organization committed to the global fight against heart disease and stroke. They focus their efforts on low-and middle-income countries.

• The American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org

The American Cancer Society is a nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem.

• The American Foundation for AIDS Research
www.amfar.org/

The American Foundation for AIDS Research is dedicated to ending the global AIDS epidemic through innovative research.

• Optional Resources

Websites

• What Is Public Health? Careers in Public Health
http://www.whatispublichealth.org/careers/index.html