Human trafficking is a practice that regales of being termed as a legal issue, geopolitical issue or sometimes a social issue, to a greater extent it is a public health issue. Subsequently, human trafficking according to the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons is the illegal process of recruiting, harboring, transporting as well as providing or acquiring individuals for the purpose of sexually exploiting them or obtaining labor services from them. Consequently, this is attained by the use of force or coercion to make them undertake involuntary tasks or become slaves. Human trafficking has affected the public health on local, national as well as global levels. Thus this paper seeks to exploit strengths, weaknesses, opportunities as well as threats which human trafficking has in respect to public health, locally, nationally and globally.
Local
Strengths
To begin with, public health caregivers are assigned the role of attending to the victims to stabilize their situation and ensure their overall well-being as dictated in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (CDC, 2016). Consequently, human trafficking is associated with the brutal treatment of the victims which can affect them negatively. Public health caregivers, who attend to victims and survivors of human trafficking, help to give a blueprint for the local government in relations to the policies and programs which they put in place. As such they act as the voice which serves to inform any community-based programs on how to reduce human trafficking locally.
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Additionally, they help to create awareness that human trafficking is eminent in a region by statistically providing for data of the victims (David, 2007). As a result, this helps to guide the intervention procedures. They are given this privileged under the Comment on Open Rules where thy have the power of suggestions (HPA, 2012).
Weaknesses
Lack of adequate finances to purchase medical supplies and equipment that cater for the victims of human trafficking is a major weakness the public health sector is experiencing locally. Consequently, at the local levels, the public health organizations have few resources, yet the number of victims that require being attended to large. Inadequate human resources as far as public health officers are concerned, and this makes it difficult for them to address human trafficking issues. The number of individuals who are qualified as public health official is minimal and thus this makes them attend to a few people (HPA, 2012).
Moreover, lack of motivation due to poor working conditions of the public health offices also affects by large their performance in relation to handling human trafficking. The officers face many hardships such as lack of transports, which may demoralize them in giving good services.
Opportunities
The following strategic plans can aid in dealing with human trafficking issues. Continued research in the field of public health which is funded by community-based organizations and funds from the public, through a policy of publicly funded health care, will by large work towards dealing efficiently with issues resulting from public health (HPA, 2012).
Capacity building is also an opportunity which the public health is undertaking to counter the number of individuals who are offering services to the human trafficking victims. Subsequently, this helps to deliver ample human services and thus increases the survival rates of the victims as they are attended to in great numbers. Empowerment is also at the forefront for the public health as they try to motivate the health care providers to be vigilant in relation to the services they offer. As such this enables them to provide quality health services as well as raise the alarm on the increased on the increased cases of human trafficking (HPA, 2012).
Threats
Locally, public health faces several threats that make it difficult to deal with issues of human trafficking (HPA, 2012). One is the public health is given little consideration regarding its potential to deal with issues that pertain to public health. Secondly, public health derives its finances from the public money through taxes; hence mismanagement of the resource can affect their effort considerably. Thirdly, lack of collaboration with the local leaders is also a major threat to the efforts of the public health. Some of the local leaders work hand in hand with perpetrators of the perpetrators of human trafficking and as such refuse to corporate with the initiative of the public health caregivers to put to end the practices.
Nationally
Strengths
The collaboration of the non-governmental organizations and the state government to fund the public health sector is a major strength in addressing the issues related to human trafficking. The government has laid a policy whereby, budget development, as well as the execution, is carried out by the executive office (CDC, 2016). Subsequently, this ensures that there are adequate resources and supplies. Secondly, public health officers are given an opportunity to work in different parts of the countries. As a result, this enables the transfer of new skills and knowledge to other places which better helps to deal with issues related to human trafficking. Additionally, there are many institutions which offer public health course that is creating a large number of individuals with this knowledge. The course entails several ways of understanding the diversity of cultures and how to deal with such people. As such, public health becomes an efficient tool in dealing with human trafficking (HPA, 2012).
Weaknesses
At the national level, interventions which are provided by the public health are not given immediate considerations and these delays strategies to deal with the human trafficking. Secondly, many processes are involved in giving authorizations to the public health sector in order to act in particular ways. Lastly, the flow of information and policy making in both the local and the national level may delineate the relationship in these different entities.
Opportunities
Increased number of volunteers in the public health systems helps to deal with issues relation to human trafficking (HPA, 2012). The volunteers may work without being paid. Hence this reduces the cost and at the same time makes an effort to be reached to a large number of people. Secondly, interns studying public health can also help to in the field to help reach a large number of people. Lastly, with proper policies and distribution of resources, the public health sector can be able to expand its infrastructure to help reach many individuals.
Threats
The public health structures as the main threat to effective operations at the national level. Consequently, public health agencies operate in a multi-complex system both at the local level and the national level (HPA, 2012). Thus process such as funding may be greatly affected, and this may have an impact on dealing with issues such as attending to victims of human tracking. Moreover, lack of proper coordination of public health issues is also a major threat. In addition to this, embezzlement of public funds by leaders at the national levels has also resulted in the public health sector being unable to effectively deliver quality services.
Globally
Strengths
Globally, there are many strategies which have been placed to help the public health sector deal with issues relating to human trafficking (HPA, 2012). To begin with, many donations have been given in order to fund the purchase of drugs as well as to ensure programs aimed at dealing with such victims. Secondly, through the Center for Disease and Control (CDC, 2016), tourist and investors can now be altered in case of outbreaks resulting from trafficking infected individuals in an area. Lastly, a lot of humanitarian aid is also employed to help public health official in combating human trafficking and helping the victims.
Weaknesses
However, lack of corporation among some countries is also an issue that is propagating human trafficking to increasing. Moreover, in some countries policies regarding the stopping of human trafficking are not effectively implemented thus the practice is encouraged. Additionally, the fund which is dispatched to help the public health sector is embezzled by those who are placed in position (HPA, 2012).
Opportunities
One strategic plan that acts as an efficient opportunity in helping the public health deal with issues related to human trafficking globally is the adoption and effective implementation of Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (HPA, 2012). Secondly, investors can establish more institutions which are aimed at establishing more institutions for the student who would like to advance on public health. Moreover, they can fund programs globally which deal with deploying humanitarian aids committed to providing services to the victims and survivors of human trafficking.
Threats
A major threat to public health efforts to deal with human trafficking is war, which results in a lack of peace and thus disruption of these efforts. Secondly, lack of a single body which deals with issues relating to public health can lead to vital information being lost in the way. Moreover, lack of countries signing some treaties which regulate human trafficking can also act as a major threat. For example, many countries have not registered with the Inter-Agency Cooperation Group against Trafficking in Persons (ICAT) (CDC, 2016).
Conclusion
Public health practices such as offering services to victims, conducting research in the fields have acted as major boosters to controlling the level of human trafficking. Nonetheless, there are other issues such lack of resources that affect the public health sectors in their endeavor. Thus strategic plans such be employed to combat this threats and weakness that affect effort of ceasing human trafficking which then affects the public health sector.
References
CDC. (2016). CDC - Legislation, Regulations, and Policies - Policy - STLT Gateway . Cdc.gov . Retrieved 26 November 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/stltpublichealth/policy/legislation-regulation-policies.html
HPA. (2012). Human trafficking – key messages for primary care practitioners (1st Ed.). London: Health Protection Agency.
David, F. (2007). International Organization for Migration ASEAN and Trafficking in Persons:
Using Data as a Tool to Combat Trafficking in Persons. Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for Migration.
