Health Data, Health Systems and Global Health

Health data required to be reported from each UN member country

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. There are now 192 United Nations member states, including almost every recognized independent state. Additional bodies deal with the governance of all other UN System agencies, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). UN aims to maintain international peace and security, to safeguard human rights, to provide a mechanism for international law, and to promote social and economic progress, improve living standards, and fight diseases.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations)

Health data that is required to be reported including the following:

GLOBAL DATA

Population Division
Estimates and projections of 28 demographic indicators, including birth rates, deaths rates, infant mortality rates and life expectancy.

Children
Statistical Data on Children
On population, mortality, immunization, water and sanitation, nutrition, reproductive health and education.

Cities and Urbanization
World Urbanization Prospects
Estimates and projections of the urban and rural populations of all countries in the world and of their major urban agglomerations.

Population of Cities
Capital cities and cities of 100,000 and more inhabitants.

Education and Literacy
Education and Literacy Database
National level data on educational systems, institutions, teaching staff, student enrolment, literacy, and expenditure on education.

Health
Health Statistics
Statistical and epidemiological data

Report on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic
Includes analysis on all aspects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, from the spread of HIV and treatments to the availability of resources, and provides country-by-country figures on the extent of the epidemic.

Epidemiological Fact Sheets by Country
Most recent country-specific data on HIV/AIDS prevalence and incidence and related behavioural information. Includes HIV sentinel surveillance data, maps of HIV sentinel sites, (STIs), health service indicators, and knowledge and behaviour information for most countries.

Refugees
Basic refugee facts
Estimated number of persons who fall under the mandate of UNHCR

Refugee statistics
Refugee situation worldwide

Women
The World’s Women
Population, women and men in families, health, education and communication, work, and human rights and political decision-making.

REGIONAL DATA

Africa
The 1997 African Statistical Yearbook

Asia and the Pacific
Asia and the Pacific in Figures 2000
Population and Development Indicators for Asia and the Pacific
Population and family planning in China
Reproductive health indicators

Europe
Trends in Europe and North America
UNECE Gender Statistics Database

Latin America and the Caribbean
Statistical Yearbook for Latin America and the Caribbean 2000
Demographic Bulletins for Latin America

Western Asia
Statistical Abstract
Women and men in the Arab Countries
City Data

(http://www.un.org/popin/data.html)

The Use of Chinese Medicine Treatment

Chinese Medicine is used in treatment of many diseases. Below are some of the examples:

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
http://www.yinyanghouse.com/treatments/chinesemedicine_hypertension_treatment
Chinese Medicine is used clinically for the treatment of hypertension (high blood pressure) and related circulatory issues. Our discussion of hypertension first looks at the condition from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective. We discuss the signs, symptoms and TCM diagnoses commonly found in people with hypertension. Acupuncture treatment protocols are offered for each condition along with Tong Ren Therapy, Herbal Medicine and Lifestyle/Self-Help considerations. Each section also includes western medicine information related to the condition along with information for further research.

Breast Cancer
http://www.cancerlynx.com/chinesemedicine3.html
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is becoming increasingly popular in many medical contexts, particularly among patients with cancer. TCM encompasses a range of modalities including herbal medicine, acupuncture, medical qigong, dietary recommendations and meditation (daoyin). In contrast to standard chemotherapeutic and hormonal regimens used for the adjuvant treatment of early stage breast cancer, very little data from controlled clinical trials has been generated using TCM modalities in relationship to the outcomes of recurrence or survival, or even overall quality of life and safety. As we previously reported1, the objectives of TCM modalities are manifold - the reduction of therapeutic toxicity, improvement in cancer-related symptoms, improvements in the immune system, and even a direct anti-cancer effect. The primary basis of TCM rests upon empirical evidence and case studies, as well as its theoretical principles. In some cases, laboratory or clinical data lend support to these modalities. Although TCM practices are based on ancient medical tenets founded on centuries of experience, and documented through oral and written texts, its direct relationship to breast cancer treatment in an integrative setting is very young. There is still a paucity of evidence in the clinical setting, which limits firm conclusions about the effectiveness or safety of most TCM approaches to breast cancer. This review will summarise the application of certain TCM modalities in the context of chemotherapy, enhancing immune function, and treating hematopoesis and peripheral neuropathy.

Epilepsy
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2006.12.673
Decrease of seizure frequency and severity in three epileptic patients was achieved by adding Bu-yang-huan-wu-tang to conventional therapy according to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory. This treatment mainly relied on the resolution of blood stagnation in cerebrovascular systems. Blood stagnation is an important underlying pathology of many disease processes according to TCM theory.

Type 2 Diabetes
http://www.chinesemedicaldiabetes.com/articles/articles/article_type2.html
According to the Chinese authors of this study, this disease’s pathomechanisms are mainly yin vacuity, dryness, and heat. Therefore, within this formula, Tai Zi Shen, Mai Men Dong, Wu Wei Zi, Sheng Di, Shu Di, Huang Qi, Shan Yao, and Huang Jing are meant to enrich and supplement the spleen and kidney qi and yin. Tian Hua Fen, Zhi Mu, and Ge Gen are for the purpose of clearing heat and engendering fluids. These are assisted by Da Huang and Huang Lian in order to clear heat and drain fire. When these three types of medicinals are used together, there is attacking within supplementation, and root and tip (or branches) are treated simultaneously. In addition, modern pharmacodynamic research has shown that Huang Qi, Ren Shen, Ge Gen, Di Huang, Mai Men Dong, and Huang Jing all have blood sugar lowering effects in humans, while Tian Hua Fen is able to improve insulin secretion.

Malignant Lymphoma
http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=28009&MERCURYSID=adad9d4349307d4393a1e36c6f00aaad
In China, it is believed that when it comes to the treatment of cancer, Western medicine alone is too heroic and often damages the patient's own immunity, while Chinese medicine alone is too slow even though it takes the whole patient into account. Therefore, most Chinese patients with cancer use what is called zhong xi yi jie he, or integrated Chinese-Western medicine, thus attempting to get the best of both worlds. While even in China it is believed that radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the most effective treatments for malignant lymphoma, the side-effects of these therapies inevitably lead to a decrease in the body's immunity. Therefore, it is important to protect the righteous qi of the body at the same time as combating the cancer.3 Such supporting of the body's righteous or healthy qi is referred to by the words fu zheng pei ben, which means "supporting the righteous and banking the root."

Culture - East vs West (something to relax)

Understanding of Chinese/Asian culture vs. Western.........interesting research.

It also applies to all Asians, including the Indians, Japanese, Thais, Koreans, Indonesian, Malays, Dayaks, etc...

These icons were designed by Liu Young who was born in China and educated in Germany.
Blue --> Westerner Red --> Asian

Opinion


Way of Life


Punctuality


Contacts


Anger


Queue when Waiting

Sundays on the Road

Party

In the restaurant

Travelling

Handling of Problems

Three meals a day

Transportation

Elderly in day to day life

Moods and Weather

The Boss

What's Trendy

Relationship of Traditional Chinese Medicine with Western Medicine

Within China, there has been a great deal of cooperation between TCM practitioners and Western medicine, especially in the field of ethnomedicine. Chinese herbal medicine includes many compounds which are unused by Western medicine, and there is great interest in those compounds as well as the theories which TCM practitioners use to determine which compound to prescribe. For their part, advanced TCM practitioners in China are interested in statistical and experimental techniques which can better distinguish medicines that work from those that do not. One result of this collaboration has been the creation of peer reviewed scientific journals and medical databases on traditional Chinese medicine.

Outside of China, the relationship between TCM and Western medicine is more contentious. While more and more medical schools are including classes on alternative medicine in their curricula, older Western doctors and scientists are far more likely than their Chinese counterparts to skeptically view TCM as archaic pseudoscience and superstition. This skepticism can come from a number of sources. For one, TCM in the West tends to be advocated either by Chinese immigrants or by those that have lost faith in conventional medicine. Many people in the West have a stereotype of the East as mystical and unscientific which attracts those in the West who have lost hope in science and repels those who believe in scientific explanations. There have also been experiences in the West with unscrupulous or well-meaning but improperly-trained "TCM practitioners" who have done people more harm than good in many instances.

As an example of the different roles of TCM in China and the West, a person with a broken bone in the West (i.e. a routine, "straightforward" condition) would almost never see a Chinese medicine practitioner or visit a martial arts school to get the bone set, whereas this is routine in China. As another example, most TCM hospitals in China have electron microscopes and many TCM practitioners know how to use one.

Most Chinese in China do not see traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine as being in conflict. In cases of emergency and crisis situations, there is generally no reluctance in using conventional Western medicine. At the same time, belief in Chinese medicine remains strong in the area of maintaining health. As a simple example, you see a Western doctor if you have acute appendicitis, but you do exercises or take Chinese herbs to keep your body healthy enough to prevent appendicitis, or to recover more quickly from the surgery. Very few practitioners of Western medicine in China reject traditional Chinese medicine, and most doctors in China will use some elements of Chinese medicine in their own practice.

A degree of integration between Chinese and Western medicine also exists in China. For instance, at the Shanghai cancer hospital, a patient may be seen by a multidisciplinary team and be treated concurrently with radiation surgery, Western drugs and a traditional herbal formula. A report by the Victorian state government in Australia on TCM education in China noted:

Graduates from TCM university courses are able to diagnose in Western medical terms, prescribe Western pharmaceuticals, and undertake minor surgical procedures. In effect, they practise TCM as a specialty within the broader organisation of Chinese health care.

In other countries it is not necessarily the case that traditional Chinese and Western medicine are practiced concurrently by the same practitioner. TCM education in Australia, for example, does not qualify a practitioner to provide diagnosis in Western medical terms, prescribe scheduled pharmaceuticals, nor perform surgical procedures. While that jurisdiction notes that TCM education does not qualify practitioners to prescribe Western drugs, a separate legislative framework is being constructed to allow registered practitioners to prescribe Chinese herbs that would otherwise be classified as poisons.

It is worth noting that the practice of Western medicine in China is somewhat different from that in the West. In contrast to the West, there are relatively few allied health professionals to perform routine medical procedures or to undertake procedures such as massage or physical therapy.

In addition, Chinese practitioners of Western medicine have been less impacted by trends in the West that encourage patient empowerment, to see the patient as an individual rather than a collection of parts, and to do nothing when medically appropriate. Chinese practitioners of Western medicine have been widely criticized for over-prescribing drugs such as corticosteroids or antibiotics for common viral infections. It is likely that these medicines, which are generally known to be useless against viral infections, would provide less relief to the patient than traditional Chinese herbal remedies.

Traditional Chinese diagnostics and treatments are often much cheaper than Western methods which require high-tech equipment or extensive chemical manipulation.

TCM doctors often criticize Western doctors for paying too much attention to laboratory tests and showing insufficient concern for the overall feelings of patients.

Modern TCM practitioners will refer patients to Western medical facilities if a medical condition is deemed to have put the body too far out of "balance" for traditional methods to remedy.

Chinese Medicine Treatment

The below methods are considered as part of the Chinese medicine treatment:

1. Chinese herbal medicine(中藥)
2. Acupuncture and Moxibustion (針灸)
3. Die-da or Tieh Ta (跌打)
4. Chinese food therapy (食療)
5. Tui na (推拿) - massage therapy
6. Qigong (氣功) and related breathing and meditation exercise
7. Physical exercise such as T'ai Chi Ch'uan (太極拳) and other Chinese martial arts
8. Mental health therapy such as Feng shui (風水) and Chinese astrology

Specific treatment methods are grouped into these branches. Cupping and Gua Sha (刮痧) are part of Tui Na. Auriculotherapy (耳燭療法) comes under the heading of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Die-da or Tieh Ta (跌打) are practitioners who specialize in healing trauma injury such as bone fractures, sprains, and bruises. Some of these specialists may also use or recommend other disciplines of Chinese medical therapies (or Western medicine in modern times) if serious injury is involved. Such practice of bone-setting is not common in the West.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a range of traditional medical practices originating in China that developed over several thousand years. TCM practices include theories, diagnosis and treatments such as herbal medicine, acupuncture and massage; often Qigong is also strongly affiliated with TCM. TCM is a form of so-called Oriental medicine, which includes other traditional East Asian medical systems such as traditional Japanese and Korean medicine.

TCM theory asserts that processes of the human body are interrelated and in constant interaction with the environment. Signs of disharmony help the TCM practitioner to understand, treat and prevent illness and disease.

In the West, traditional Chinese medicine is considered alternative medicine. In mainland China and Taiwan, TCM is considered an integral part of the health care system. For example, TCM treatments may be prescribed to counter the side effects of chemotherapy, cravings and withdrawal symptoms of drug addicts, and a variety of chronic conditions.

TCM theory is based on a number of philosophical frameworks including the theory of Yin-yang, the Five Elements, the human body Meridian system, Zang Fu organ theory, and others. Diagnosis and treatment are conducted with reference to these concepts. TCM does not operate within the contemporary scientific paradigm but some practitioners make efforts to bring practices into a biomedical and evidence-based medicine tramework.

Traditional Asian Health Practices

At the dawn of the 21st century, there has been a rapid revival of Asian traditional health practices in both Asia and beyond. From India to the Philippines, to China and the western world, Asian traditional health practices and herbal medicines have taken centre stage and become alternative modes of healings to the well-established cosmopolitan and clinical-based treatments.

Some of the traditional Asian health practices have been used as complementary and alternative medicine, for example, the use of traditional Chinese medicine. Western health practices are starting to look into traditional Asian practices. Researchers are still doing research on combining Asian traditional treatment and Western medicines.

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Welcome to my Blog

Welcome!

I'm glad to be here to post my first blog. This will be a challenge for me but I'm looking forward to learn more new things.

I did my nursing in Australia and now I'm back in Malaysia to work in Penang Adventist Hospital. Since I have the chance to experience two different cultures, I'd decided to choose this topic 'Impact of traditional Asian health practices in the western world'. I'm sure we all will be able to learn together and share our experience together.

Look forward to share together.