Barriers in the Health Care System that Impede Care

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According to the 1996 Report of the World Health Organization (WHO) Ad Hoc Committee on Health Research, the world community faces four critical health issues:
1. Infectious diseases, malnutrition, and poor maternal and child health will continue to
account for a significant portion of unnecessary deaths and illness (particularly in countries
with fewer economic resources), despite the health advances and public education during
the past century.
2. Inequitable and inefficient health care delivery systems prevent access to health care for
many individuals.
3. Epidemics of non-communicable diseases, injuries, and violence such as cardiovascular
diseases, neuro-psychiatric conditions, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory infections
are affecting greater numbers of people.
4. A growing number of drug-resistant microbes are creating new health emergencies and a
resurgence of diseases (e.g., tuberculosis, malaria, and pneumococcal disease) that were
once considered to be under control.

Twenty years ago the field of public health education strived to persuade legislators, the business community and the population at large about the dangers of smoking to the individual and others in a smoking environment. After steadfast pursuits, smoke-free regions began to emerge. Eventually, policies and laws were established to create widespread smokeless areas, especially in the public sector (post offices, airports, etc.). Eventually, even private companies began disallowing smoking. While there was plenty of research that indicated that smoking was a health risk, the lobbying efforts of the tobacco industry far outweighed the monies available and spent on educating the public about the adverse physical effects on the body, and to change the laws.

There are a LOT of stakeholders for smoking. The tobacco industry courts the smoker ...