Population Health Concern

Population Health Concern Case Study/ Policy Paper
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Population Health Concern Case Study/ Policy Paper
Population health considers the health status of a large group of people rather than focusing on an individual’s health at a time. Public health practitioners are tasked with making a solid understanding and optimization of the health of a population to enhance the improvement of health for most individuals. Various health concerns exist in the state, making the health care system keep making reforms and strategies to address the issue. Population health concerns require the collective responsibility of individuals, the government, and society. The stability of the health system is vital in helping address the population health issues within the state (Panagiotoglou et al., 2018). Various population health problems exist within different states in the country. Addressing one health issue is a vital step in enhancing and solving other related health problems. Among the existing population health concerns in the country include the HIV/AIDS crisis, Cancer, Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and the inability to access primary and preventive care.
The Paterson, New Jersey health concern to be addressed requires excellent attention on health education and promoting prevention of chronic diseases. The population health issue to address in the case study is the HIV/AIDS disease. The condition is caused by a virus called Human Immunodeficiency Virus. The disease affects the immune system by progressively reducing the ability and effectiveness of the system to fight other infections. The health concern gives rise to many reports and policies from various organizations and departments, including The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). Other community action teams are making efforts to enlighten society about the health issue while targeting improvements for the related health concern (Panagiotoglou et al., 2018). The discussion about the population health issue of HIV/AIDS targets a specific group of both males and females in Paterson city of New Jersey. The research focuses on the city's population of youth aged between thirteen to forty-four years, regardless of gender, education, race, or ethnicity. The discussion and policy actions specifically target individuals between the ages of 13 - 44 years because most of the individuals in the age bracket identified are more sexually active. Regular HIV testing, barriers to exposure to blood-borne pathogens, protected sex, and general health education on sexual and drug-related behaviors are some preventive measures that will be addressed (Panagiotoglou et al., 2018). The health concern bears vast consequences for the health sector as it will paralyze health system operations, increase health expenditures, and lead to resource diversification.
From the census reports and demographic data of Paterson city, the median population age for Paterson is 33.5 years, compared to the New Jersey median age of 39.9 years in 2019 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019). Paterson's population as of the year 2020 ...