Human Trafficking and its Impacts on the Health Care Industry

Human Trafficking
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Introduction
Globalization and the international political economy have resulted in a rapid interconnection between the nations therein. Nowadays, countries are so interconnected that the world has become more like one global village. It has made life more convenient and business ore expansive. However, there has also been a rapid rise in an underworld and dark economy that operates in vices. Such vices include human trafficking, drugs, illegal arms and even counterfeits. Human trafficking in particular, has been quite prevalent over the years. It continues to be a pertinent issue since it happens in so many ways and has devastating results on not only the victims but also the family to these victims. While the criminals continue enjoying the handsome returns from the trade, they leave behind a trail of destruction that tears right down into the soul of the society.
Human Trafficking
In the 19th century, the term human trafficking was only used to refer to labor and sex trafficking. However, in recent years, that definition has changed because human trafficking occurs in many forms (Parreñas et al., 2019). The vice has continued evolving over the years to become quite intricate, complex and broad. Recent estimates by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime show that there are approximately 24.9 million victims enslaved by human traffickers worldwide. 64 percent of all victims are subjected to forced labor, 16 percent are part of state sponsored slavery, and 19 percent are sexually exploited. Just like any illegal business, the hidden and intricate nature of human trafficking makes it difficult for law enforcement and health care workers to identify victims. For instance, the trafficking of children does not occur on the streets but rather through the Internet. As a result, it is difficult to identify the culprits and where the children are housed. Therefore, human trafficking can only be addressed through policies that clearly define its characteristics. Additionally, healthcare institutions and individual medical professionals can successfully tackle human trafficking if they collaborate with government agencies that have powers and the capability to question suspects and identify victims. Governments also need to come up with ways in which they can be more controlling in their operations, so that there is a keen eye on what is going on within their boundaries. Such is especially the case with liberal democracies. They need to be a little bit tight when it comes to how commerce is done.
Cultural Impact
Various elements of culture such as spirituality and family structure combine to establish a common set of perceptions, ideas, and values in communities. In many ways, culture is what dictates how and why people behave in certain ways. However, in some circumstance...