Key Public Health And Healthcare Trends To Watch In 2018

Post date: Mar 28, 2018 7:40:29 AM

Health care all over the world is benefiting from many innovations and tech disruptions, from better deployment of artificial intelligence and augmented reality to IoT and computer vision. Below are the trends outside technology to pay attention to this year.

One is the change in global disease patterns. In part a result of a growing middle class globally, lifestyle-related diseases are on the rise. While infection-related diseases like TB are disappearing, cancer and cardiovascular disease are becoming more common. This puts a strain on local healthcare systems, extending treatment and making medical expenses more expensive.

Image source: besthealthmag.ca

The world is on the brink of an opioid crisis. Even though issues with antibiotic use is now being dealt with on a global level, the opioid problem is sweeping through developed countries, evidenced by rising addiction to prescription medications.

The quality of healthcare provision and access around the world is polarized, with 70 percent of the people in the world having too little access and 5 percent of people having too much. This ongoing global disparity in healthcare results in unwarranted variation. Addressing this inequality is a primary global concern.

Image source: solidstategroup.com

Finally, undiagnosed diabetes is now rampant, and public health systems throughout the world need to acknowledge that it is an impending epidemic fueled by high obesity rates. The problem is that most people don’t know that they have pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome; governments all over must launch bigger and better awareness campaigns to curtail this.

Captain Martin Lloyd Sanders, Ph.D., is an officer in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. He has rendered more than a decade of service in occupational safety and health. More health-related reads here.