Essay 1: Good Health and Wellbeing

 

Health is the centre of life. Taking care of it must and should always be our priority before anything else but as the days go by, in this modern era where technological advancement being our main goal, we always overlooked the fact that our country was and still is facing major problems in term of healthcare. Every year, more than 27000 of Malaysians are killed by tobacco-caused disease. Despite the frightening numbers, more than 44000 children aged between 10 and 14 years old, and 4.5 million adults continue to use tobacco every single day. Even though we could all agree that smoking causes harm way more than its so-called benefits, the number of smokers does not seem like it would decrease in the near future.

            Smoking leads many diseases and disabilities. It also harms almost every single organ of the body. Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also increases risk for tuberculosis, certain eye diseases and problems of the immune system, including rheumatoid arthritis. This bad habit does not only affect the perpetrator itself, but it also harms those who are nearby. Second-hand smoke exposure contributes to approximately 41,000 deaths among non-smoking adults and 400 deaths in infants each year. Second-hand smoker may suffer from lung cancer and coronary heart disease. Children who are exposed to second-hand smoke are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth.

Among all that mentioned above, they are only a mere fraction from many more health problems that we are currently facing. Thus, all of us, citizens and government, must work hand in hand to overcome this problem. Sustainable Development Goal 3 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is “to ensure healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages”. The associated targets aim to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio, end preventable deaths of new-borns and children, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other communicable disease, strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, halve the number of deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, achieve universal health coverage, and reduce the number of death and illness from hazardous chemicals and pollution. To make all of the goals achievable, me must all play our part.