public health

Advertising For Public Health

Telecommunication & internet has reached miles, cross the boundaries, linked each other, disseminate information for business deals & social welfare around the globe. However, those people with illiteracy are deprived of this benefits, & still required to acknowledge information through the medium of advertisements.

UNICEF reports nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names, & two-third of them are women.Also most of the senior citizens are not acquainted with the computer operations. So advertising is the most effective medium of communication, via television, radio, & billboard to reach the audience. An idea / message can be communicated simply & swiftly, making attractive to grab the viewer`s attention, & convey the important information in an instant.

Advertising can increase public awareness about aetiological factors responsible for disease conditions, & adapt preventive measures. Safe drinking water, sanitation, & hygiene are 3 major contributing factors for prevalence & incidence of infectious diseases, such as, diarrhea, typhoid, malaria, tuberculosis, & others.

Globally some 1.8 million children die each year as a result of diarrhea, & almost 90% of children are under 5 years of age. Promoting the imperative value of oral re-hydration therapy & breast feeding serve as an emergency aid.

World bank development indicators 2008 reported each year there are 350-500 million cases of malaria,with 1 million fatalities. Africa accounts for 90% of malarial death, & African children counts for over 80% of malarial victims world wide. Elucidating the significance of environmental hygiene, use of mosquito repellents would attenuate the causative factor.

Some ethical & tribal groups of people engage in illegal practices, such as black magic, offering animal lives, god`s curse,etc, for treating diseases. It is observed that 2.2 million children die each year,because they are not immunized. Advertising can be used as powerful tool for changing attitudes,habituate to accept modern view of medicinal approach.

About 40 milion people are living with HIV/ AIDS,with 3million deaths in 2004. 15million children orphaned due to HIV /AIDS. Explaining the implication of the disease, use of contraceptive methods, & availability of drugs for treatment would reduce the incidence rate.

The world health report 2005 estimated 68000 women worldwide die each year from unsafe abortion. The propensity to induce abortion for various reasons marks the need for emergency contraception. Over 70% women favour advertising of emergency contraception helps to prevent unwanted pregnancy,& avoid complications of abortion.

Broadcast media have been shown to be effective in destigmatizing psychiatric illness & promoting acceptance of people with mental disorders.The issue of dyslexia in children has been bothering parents, & doubted mental capabilities. Over 50% of NASA employees are dyslexic. They are deliberately sought after, because they have superb problem solving skills, & excellent 3D & spatial awareness.

In the event of outbreaks / epidemics,the public awareness programs helps early diagnosis, forth preventive measures, to fight against potentially deadly & critical situation.

Ban on adverting of alcohol & smoking initiate proactive measures, & avoids exposure of teenagers & adults from life-style diseases.

American public health association 2005, reported children watch most of the commercials of advertising foods, that of fast foods, & sweets.These foods exceed RDV`s of fat, saturated fat,& sodium,yet fail to provide RDV`s of fiber & certain vitamins & minerals. Excess intake of junk foods endanger health,& leads to disease condition known as obesity.

In developing countries,only $13 U.S billions availed to spend on basic health & nutrition. The government authorities are constrained to meet the needs of large scale of population. Advertising for donations,& public -private partnership propositions can better change the situation.

There are many more challenges faced by public health officials.However,educating the entire community about health issues through documentaries, commercials, news programs, public service announcements, & other TV programs proves beneficial.

Benefits of Public Health Education

Public health education can be considered an ambiguous term. It teaches the proper way to improve one’s health, and can involve only one or two people, or the population of several countries. Anything that can seriously threaten the physical, mental, or spiritual health of a wide range of people, notably due to their interactions with one another, can be classified as a threat to the community’s public health. This is why public health education becomes a necessary tool to aid people against the spread of potential diseases and illnesses. Five of the most important reasons of how public health education can prove beneficial are as follows:

1. People are able to learn how to prevent the spread of communicable diseases through the training and methods being taught in education. People are able to have better access to information regarding general prevention of diseases, including the knowledge of what to do and how to act during epidemics in their area. Certain diseases have their own individual prevention methods that people should be well aware of, and employing these techniques lessens the risk of being infected by possible diseases. Through public health education, even simple things such as wearing a flu mask in particularly affected areas, or knowing when to take vaccines for a particular illness that is prominent at that time of the year, always proves very effective in limiting the number of people affected annually.

2. More people are able to access private and public medical institutions to prevent diseases or medical conditions, or to better treat them. Without the benefits of a public health education, most people may feel healthy enough and not find the need to go for a general check-up. Being aware that it is necessary to see your doctor regularly is one of the important things learned in a good public health education. Most medical hospitals and clinics offer immunization or vaccine shots during the flu seasons, or when a general outbreak of hepatitis is going around, and a public health education ensures that more people know to go to these facilities and avail of the treatment, thereby lessening the amount of ill people.

3. People are able to adopt a healthier behavior to lessen the risk of diseases being spread among themselves. Keeping things cleaner around the house, opting to lessen or quit smoking altogether, or exercising more are just a few of the many different ways taught in public health education to combat sickness and improve one’s lifestyle.

4. People become more aware of information relating to the disease, rather than believing in just public perception. Public health education not only deals with how to prevent illnesses, it also provides details of how a disease works, which may dispel some myths and fallacies about it in society. The HIV virus for example, can be spread through unprotected sexual intercourse, but not through activities such as kissing or touching. This also helps change a person’s views towards someone infected, promoting more empathy rather than discrimination.

5. People are able to help and contribute to disease prevention by supporting or volunteering at health care facilities. Public health education is more than just spreading information; it also calls people to actively participate in aiding others. To be able to protect one’s health, it is also necessary to protect the health of other people around you, and helps foster a more close-knit community and a better sense of camaraderie.

Florida Public Health Adjusters and Health Care Reform

The State of Florida licenses Public Adjusters to represent individuals in claims against insurance companies. Typically, a Public Adjuster works in areas of property losses, such as a home damaged by fire. The PA investigates and evaluates a claim and works to maximize the recovery of the homeowner.

A relatively unknown area of licensing in FL is the Health Public Adjuster. This job involves maximizing the recovery of health insurance benefits by a claimant. The HPA works to negotiate coverage, when coverage is limited or denied. Like other Public Adjusters, the HPA is paid a contingency fee which is a percentage of the recovery. While Public Adjusters are required to serve a 1 year apprenticeship, complete the Accredited Claims Adjuster Designation and pass the state test, these requirements do not apply to the Health Public Adjuster (3-40).

Florida Insurance University, a partner with the University of Central Florida in Orlando, is introducing a the Public Health Adjuster Designation. This designation will prepare the new HPA for the job challenges ahead with Health Care Reform. It is predicted that once health care reform is implemented, there will be an enormous volume of clients who will need assistance in getting bills for medical treatment paid.

Licensing for the Health Public Adjuster license involves applying to the Department of Financial Services for the license, submitting fingerprints and posting a $50,000 bond. The bond can be purchased from any insurance agency that sells surety bonds.

The Public Health Adjuster Designation from the University will identify those adjusters who have the training and knowledge to properly represent clients in health care claims. In a job market that is suffering from high unemployment, the Health Public Adjuster will be in great demand. More information can be obtained by calling (407) 927-1235.

See the Florida Department of Financial Services website for more information:

Do I have to apply for the 31-20 Public Adjuster Apprentice License to adjust only Health or Workers Compensation? No.

http://www.fldfs.com/Agents/Licensure/Agents-Adjusters/FAQPubAdjApprentice.htm.