Community Medicine:

Case Analysis of Rosario

Part I

Numerous health problems can be identified from the case such as the
misinformation prevalent in the community, the unsanitary living conditions, the lack
of proper nutrition among individuals, and the lack of funding in the government
health centers. In the case, the family of Rosario faces all of these health problems,
eventually leading to the untimely death of Rosario. Rosario's parents, Jaime and
Lucy, suffer from misinformation with regards to health. Lucy, although educated
until secondary school, was not educated on proper feeding practices for infants.
She dilutes her formula milk too much, does not boil the water she uses, does not
clean the feeding bottle properly, and believes that having worms will promote
digestion. Jaime, having only finished until the third grade, does not know any better
either. In terms of living conditions, the community is congested and unsanitary.
Most members do not even have their own comfort room and water source and are
forced to shed their excrements on the body of water below their houses. Proper
waste disposal is also non-existent and most garbage is also thrown on the same
body of water. Nutrition is also a problem as Lucy's children are all malnourished.
This is due to the meager salary of her husband, a consequence of his low-paying
job. Lastly, government health centers in the area lack manpower and resources, as
seen in how it could not provide Rosario with medicine.

In choosing a health problem to be solved through the development of a

health program, one must consider three things: the long-term impact of solving this
problem, the sustainability of a health program catered to this problem, and the
feasibility of such a program. In terms of long-term impact, solving any of the
problems mentioned earlier will lead to a lasting positive health outcome. What
would differentiate the importance of one to the other would be the sustainability and
feasibility of health programs directed at them. The lack of funding for medicine in
the government health centers, although alarming, should not be the priority as
prevention is still better. It is easier to stop something from happening than to repair
the damage after. Next, the lack of proper nutrition among individuals is a direct
consequence of poor economic growth. Unless the community itself improves
economically, then it cannot be solved. Solving this is unfeasible at the moment.
Feeding programs are an option, but they are not sustainable. The congested and
unsanitary living condition of the community, although it is the main cause of most
diseases within the area, should also not be the priority as it is very hard to solve. It
is not feasible as the congestion and poor sewage and waste disposal system can
only be solved by extending the area of the community and building carefully
planned, adequately spaced infrastructure. It would take too much money that the
government will not likely be able to provide. Lastly, in my opinion, health programs
directed to solving the misinformation in the area are the most sustainable and
feasible as it needs the least amount of money to implement and continue. As such,
the health problem that should be the core and priority of a health program is the
misinformation prevalent in the community.

Solving the lack of education of the members of the community will lead to a
dramatic improvement in terms of health. This is because, through education,
members of the community will be more mindful of the consequences of their
actions. They would have greater awareness that excreting and throwing their trash
on the body of water would lead to adverse effects and instead find other means to
dispose of these. They would practice basic sanitation practices. Aside from this,
education would give them an idea of basic feeding practices and help them identify
when to go to the doctor. Teaching the community about health would give them the
opportunity to be sufficiently self-reliant and empowered.

Part II
The double burden of disease is the increase in incidence of both communicable and
non-communicable diseases. Such a phenomenon is most noticeable in developing
countries such as the Philippines. This is due to the economic constraints of such
countries. With little resources to spend, these countries can prevent neither
communicable nor non-communicable diseases, causing them to increase in roughly
the same rate. Consequently, adverse effects of both types of diseases are also
strongly felt in these countries.

As a second year medical student and future health care provider for Filipino
families, I can help with this double burden by following the principles of being a five
star physician. As a health care provider, I can join medical missions and provide my
services to government health centers. As an educator, I can teach basic health
principles to those who lack education. As an administrator or manager, I can
coordinate with health groups and my own barangay so that they can provide
assistance. As a researcher, I can collate data and come up with evidence-based
solutions to present medical problems. Lastly, as a social mobilizer, I can empower
and give encouragement to individuals in my community to be more mindful about
their health. That way, they will become empowered and self-reliant when it comes
to their health.

Objective Tree Analysis

General Objective:
 To inform the community about common health
practices and their importance in their daily life

Specific Objectives:
 To make references and other study materials
regarding health available for the general public
 To inform the community about basic sanitation
principles and its importance
 To teach the members of the community about
how to prevent common diseases
 To teach mothers how to properly care for their
children
 To help them discern when to go to a health
professional
 To remove the stigma regarding vaccination

Strategies or Activities:
 References and study materials regarding health
will be made available in their health centers
 A knowledgeable health professional will be hired
to conduct weekly talks regarding health
 Conduct monthly awareness programs
 Hold seminars for specific discussions on how to
prevent certain diseases
 Integrate a health education program in schools
Problem Tree Analysis

Consequences:
 Uninformed practices leading to adverse health
outcomes that could have been prevented (e.g.
poor feeding practices leads to malnutrition, non-
vaccinated children getting sick)
 Widespread propagation of false information
 Inability to discern when to go to a health
professional
 Incompliance with medical advice

Misinformation

Causes:
 Low educational attainment
 Lack of health education
 Community-wide propagation of false beliefs
 Poor information dissemination
 Low number of reliable study material
 No health experts within the community