Sociology

Global trend
A growing interest in health inequality has been witnessed around the world. This trend has led to organizations like the World Bank, world health organization (WHO), Pan American Health Organization, UNICEF, United Nations Development Program and the UK Department of International Development. The global health communities have increasingly been interested in the issues that have caused disparity in the provision of healthcare. There has been considerable effort in devising mechanisms of reducing global health inequalities. However, lack of a sound knowledge base has greatly hampered the efforts of devising global policies aimed at closing the gap existing between the developed and the developing countries (Graham, 2000, p.12). The most crucial issue of health disparity has not been given attention which has been accorded to some of the problems such as average health determinants, social inequalities and determinants and the conceptualization and the measuring of health in all countries.

The overall effects of this trend on the widening difference between industrialized and developing countries in healthcare provision are the mortality rate. Mortality rates in developing countries have led to a slowed progress in economic development making the basic requirements for human survival to be difficult to access. Apart from adult mortality reaching the peaks in developing countries, the trend of child health provision has also deteriorated within the developed countries (Broom, 2008, p.47). Therefore, critically assessing the trend of global healthcare provision, the widening inequality reflects the further the growing gaps in the standards of living, the poor and the rich countries and different geographical areas. The individuals in developing countries have multiple deprivations which include the living on less than 1 per day, higher rate of female illiteracy and a low expenditure on healthcare is low since a few individuals can afford in-patient charges and hence prefer the outpatient option (Amandale, Hunt, 2003, p.54)

The disparities reflected between the industrialized and the developing countries in relation to healthcare provision provides a challenge of dealing with the healthcare needs on a multifaceted  fronts with an integrated strategies particularly in the sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan and the western states.

A strategy for reducing the inequalities
The main strategy which has been on focus is to develop and evaluate various policies and interventions. However, other interventions such as the research seminars, monitoring of inequalities in health, publications and the establishment of a documentation centre have been applied. Unfortunately, these methods have failed to address the problem of inequality. It is therefore important to embrace a number of quantitative methods which can diminish the problem by plotting a clear policy and can serve as the milestone for short-term strategy assessment (Evans, 2001, p.32). The working strategy will be the identification of the measures which will target the socioeconomic disadvantages and those that target the quality and accessibility of healthcare services.

The policies which tend to reduce the inequalities in health care provision need to be superimposed when considering the need to an effective reduction in the problem of health inequality. There are several government and other organizational policies which directly impact the lives of the individuals in the developing countries. These policies should be reviewed and proper action taken to either support or discourage them depending on the effectiveness on the welfare of the poor in the society (Saltman, Vrangbaek, 2007, p.19).  It should thus be considered that any effective policy stands to be supported if there should be signs of mitigating the problems of health inequality especially in the developing countries.