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Nonprofit Organizations and Community Health

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Nonprofit Organizations and Community Health

Introduction

The mission of nonprofit organizations in the field of public health is to ensure that all

members of society have the same opportunities to obtain and use health care services. The

health, well-being, and availability of nutritious food are just a few of the many issues that these

groups tackle. By concentrating on an underprivileged group, these initiatives improve

community health and reduce health inequalities. This concentration aids in enforcing social

justice and bringing about substantial improvement for the neglected. Nonprofit health

organizations also provide specialized assistance to address humanitarian situations, such as

those caused by disease epidemics and natural catastrophes. UNICEF is one of the nonprofits

working to enhance health and ensure everyone can access it.

The Health Problems that Children Face

A disproportionate amount of attention should be paid to children because of the

increased risk of illness and unfavorable health outcomes due to several personal and social

variables. Firstly, children have weak immune systems and spend much time in places where

they could be exposed to germs, like schools and daycares (Clark et al., 2020). Due to their age

and inability to provide for themselves financially or physically, children and teenagers in

humanitarian situations suffer additional health threats. Accidents, unintended pregnancies, and

the psychological, social, and financial effects of HIV/AIDS pose a more significant threat to

adolescents than adults. Moreover, children's reliance on adults makes them susceptible to

adverse health outcomes in the event of the death or abandonment of a parent or guardian.
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Due to their unique physical, behavioral, developmental, and emotional needs, children

and teens need more attention than grownups do. Regular preventative care and age-appropriate

vaccines, frequent monitoring and surveillance of general health and developmental progress,

and skilled treatment for acute diseases and traumas are only some of the unique requirements of

pediatric healthcare (Kuruvilla et al., 2018). Additionally, children need extra attention since

they cannot always look out for themselves or articulate their discomfort. Children under the age

of ten are especially vulnerable to the effects of catastrophes because they lack the mental

maturity to cope with the situation and the physical strength to flee the area. Health problems are

more common among children living in underprivileged areas than those from wealthier

communities.

UNICEF’s Community Health Improvement Strategies

UNICEF's primary mission is to ensure that all children and pregnant women, regardless

of economic status or location, have access to adequate healthcare. ChilThe organization also

supports children in rural areas who may be disadvantaged due to poverty or geographic

isolation. The organization also starts community health projects to provide much-needed

pediatric healthcare to underserved areas. To enhance the health and well-being of children,

UNICEF collaborates with respected members of society and community health professionals to

disseminate information to families. It also offers emergency response teams to assist locals in

times of crisis. When it comes to improving children's health, these interventions are crucial,

especially for those living in marginalized communities.

The Success of UNICEF’S Health Policies

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UNICEF's health strategy takes a multifaceted approach to remove the obstacles that

prevent women and children from receiving necessary medical treatment. The strategy includes

measures to improve community involvement and local healthcare infrastructure. Health

promotion, chronic illness prevention, and the greatest possible good for the most significant

number of people in a community may all be achieved by healthcare interventions at the

community level, as stated by Haldane et al. (2019). Healthcare firmly rooted in the community

pushes its members to act as a unit, improving the health of everybody involved. As a result,

improving children's health via UNICEF's strategy of emphasizing community-based health

initiatives will be successful.

UNICEF's philosophy of emphasizing data and information for action is another strategy

that will assist the organization in reaching its objectives. Care in the medical field that is

grounded on scientific evidence relies heavily on data collection and analysis. According to

UNICEF (2021), collecting, analyzing, and using high-quality data as the foundation for program

action is a central tenet of its strategic strategy for 2022–2025. The organization aims to become

the go-to source for worldwide information and statistics about children. This strategy of

collecting extensive data and information in the realm of interventions will aid in monitoring and

assessing development and determining the most effective interventions. By facilitating the

delivery of the highest-quality treatment possible, this policy will aid in doing so. This means the

policies are likely to produce the intended outcomes.

The Principles of Social Justice in UNICEF’s Intervention

Equity, access, participation, and rights are the pillars upon which healthcare delivery is

based on social justice principles (Dukhanin et al., 2018). These ideas form the basis of every
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health promotion strategy worth considering. These actions provide the basis for UNICEF's work

to improve children's health, and they improve care for everyone. By bringing medical treatment

to underserved populations in far-flung locations, this organization works toward realizing the

ideal of universal healthcare access. By prioritizing marginalized communities and working to

bring them up to par with the general population, UNICEF's initiatives also include equality

(Goldhagen et al., 2020). The organization also employs reliable persons, community nurses, and

healthcare professionals in the area to offer information and guidance to the people they are

trying to aid.

Conclusion

UNICEF is an essential organization in the fight for children's health, especially in

neglected areas. Helping kids get their hands on healthy food, expanding healthcare to rural

regions, and shoring up the local community healthcare system are just some of the agency's

actions. UNICEF's programs have a high potential for success since they prioritize health in the

community and use a data- and evidence-based approach. The agency's commitment to ensuring

everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in decision-making and enjoy their fundamental

human rights is vital to advancing social justice.

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References

Clark, H., Coll-Seck, A. M., Banerjee, A., Peterson, S., Dalglish, S. L., Ameratunga, S., ... &

Costello, A. (2020). A future for the world's children? A WHO–UNICEF–Lancet

Commission. The Lancet, 395(10224), 605-658.

Dukhanin, V., Searle, A., Zwerling, A., Dowdy, D. W., Taylor, H. A., & Merritt, M. W. (2018).

Integrating social justice concerns into economic evaluation for healthcare and public

health: A systematic review. Social Science & Medicine, 198, 27-35.

Goldhagen, J. L., Shenoda, S., Oberg, C., Mercer, R., Kadir, A., Raman, S., ... & Spencer, N. J.

(2020). Rights, justice, and equity: a global agenda for child health and wellbeing. The

Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 4(1), 80-90.

Kuruvilla, S., Sadana, R., Montesinos, E. V., Beard, J., Vasdeki, J. F., de Carvalho, I. A., ... &

Bustreo, F. (2018). A life-course approach to health: synergy with sustainable

development goals. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 96(1), 42.

UNICEF (n.d.). UNICEF mission statement. https://www.unicef.org/about-us/mission-statement