Such organizations as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are tasked with the mandate of safeguarding public health. As part of executing this mandate, these organizations advise the public to embrace healthy lifestyles. The members of the public are called on to take such measures as eating healthy and managing stress. These measures are effective in promoting health and preventing death. Despite these measures, the world still witnesses millions of deaths every year.
An important part of promoting public health is data collection. Various parties are involved in this activity. Epidemiologists are among these. Essentially, epidemiologists are primarily concerned with examining the root causes and origins of illnesses. As regards data collection, epidemiologists are involved in gathering the data needed to identify the source of a disease (CDC, n.d). For example, an epidemiologist may conduct interviews to identify the first individual to develop an illness. Analyzing the data for the purpose of developing interventions is another role that epidemiologists perform as regards data collection.
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As noted earlier, the world records millions of deaths every year. These deaths have been attributed to various factors. The top ten leading causes of deaths across the globe according to WHO are as follows: Ischemic heart disease, stroke, lower respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, trachea, bronchus and lung cancers, Diabetes mellitus, diarrheal diseases, tuberculosis and road injury (WHO, 2017). In addition to these diseases, there are other conditions that are related to stress which causes immense pain and death every year. These diseases include heart disease, obesity, diabetes, depression and gastrointestinal problems. These diseases have been listed in order of their importance.
In the human body, physiological processes work together to maintain balance. Walter Cannon captured this in a theory that he developed. The theory shed light on homeostasis. According to Cannon, the brain is responsible for coordinating such states as blood sugar level. He observed that when an event occurs, the brain triggers the production of adrenaline (Goldstein, 2009). This is intended to return the body back to a state of homeostasis. Cannon developed another theory in which he argued that the fight or flight response helps to maintain balance in the body (Goldstein, 2009). This response is the result of external occurrences which trigger the brain to release adrenaline.
It was noted in an earlier section that WHO is among the organizations that strive to enhance public health. This organization issues guidelines to healthcare professionals. The WHO has provided a definition for engineering controls. According to this organization, engineering controls refer to “methods to reduce the concentration of infectious respiratory aerosols… to reduce the presence of contaminated surfaces and items according to the epidemiology of that infection” (WHO, 2007). This definition mostly applies to respiratory illnesses but can be extended to cover other illnesses. In a broader sense, engineering controls are the tools and methods that are used to eliminate the source of a certain hazard or illness. The use of safer devices, protective clothing, eye protection, use of latex gloves and requiring individuals to stay away from the hazard are five of the most commonly used engineering controls (CDC, 2016). For the most part, these controls are effective in arresting the development or spread of an illness. Protective clothing appears to be the most effective. This is because it allows healthcare providers to remain involved in the intervention to prevent the development or spread of a disease without contracting the disease. Isolating the individuals entirely from the source is least effective. While it allows these individuals to stay safe, it holds them back from launching interventions.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2017). Bloodline Infectious Diseases:
HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C. Retrieved 4 th August 2017 from
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bbp/controls.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (n.d). The Importance of Epidemiology.
Retrieved 4 th August 2017 from https://www.cdc.gov/eis/downloads/epidemiology-factsheet.pdf
Goldstein, D. (2009). Walter Cannon Homeostasis, the Fight-or-Flight Response, the
Sympathoadrenal System, and the Wisdom of the Body. Retrieved 4 th August 2017
From http://brainimmune.com/walter-cannon-homeostasis-the-fight-or-flight-response-the-sympathoadrenal-system-and-the-wisdom-of-the-body/
World Health Organization (WHO). (2007). Infection Prevention and Control of Epidemic- and-
Pandemic-Prone Acute Respiratory Diseases in Health Care. Retrieved 4 th August 2017
From http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/WHO_CDS_EPR_2007_6c.pdf
World Health Organization (WHO). (2017). The Top 10 Causes of Death. Retrieved 4 th
August 2017 from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310/en/
