The Alma Ata Declaration Still Relevant

The Alma Ata Declaration Still Relevant The Alma Ata Declaration was formally adopted at the International Conference on Primary Health Care in Alma Ata (in present Kazakhstan) in September 1978 (WHO, 1978). It identifies and stresses the need for an immediate action by all governments, all health and development workers and the world community to promote and protect world health through Primary Health Care (PHC) (ibid). This has been identified by the Declaration as the key towards achieving a level of health that will allow for a socially and productive life by the year 2000. The principles of this declaration have been built on three (3) key aspects which include: Equity It acknowledges the fact that every individual has the right to health and the realisation of this requires action across the health sector as well as other social and economic sectors. Participation It also identifies and recognises the need for full participation of communities in the planning, organisation, implementation, operation and control of primary health care with the use of local or national available resource. Partnership It strongly supports the idea of Partnership and collaboration between government, World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF, other international organisations, multilateral and bilateral agencies, non-governmental organisations, funding agencies, all health workers and the world community towards supporting the commitment to primary health care as well as increasing financial and technical support especially in developing countries. Other important principles identified by the Declaration include: health promotion and the appropriate use of resources. The declaration calls on all governments to formulate strategies, policies and actions to launch and sustain primary health care and incorporate it into the national health system. It was endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 1978 hence enshrining it into the policy of the WHO (Horder, 1983). Background Back in the 1960s and 1970s, many developing countries of the world gained independence from their colonial leaders. In efforts to provide good quality healthcare service for the population, these new governments established teaching hospitals, medical and nursing schools most of which were located in urban areas (Hall Taylor, 2003) thus creating a problem of access to good quality health service especially for people that reside in rural communities. Successful programmes were initiated by Tanzania, Sudan, Venezuela and China in the 1960s and 1970s to provide primary care health services that was basic as well as comprehensive (Benyoussef Christian, 1977; Bennett, 1979). It is on the basis of these programmes that the term Primary Health Care was derived (Hall Taylor, 2003). In low income countries, the primary health care strategy as described by the Alma Ata was very influential in setting health policy during the 1980s however in high income countries such as the United Kingdom, it was considered irrelevant on the presumption that the level of primary care service was already well developed (Green et al., 2007). Primary health care has been defined in the Declaration of Alma Ata as; essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford to maintain at every stage of their development in the spirit of self reliance and self-determination. It forms an integral part both of the countrys health system, of which it is the central function and main focus, and of the overall social and economic development of the community. It is the first level of contact of individuals, the family and community with the national health system bringing health care as close as possible to where people live and work, and constitutes the first element of a continuing health care process. (WHO, 1978) The Alma Ata Declaration brought about a shift on emphasis towards preventive health, training of multipurpose paramedical workers and community based workers (Muldoon et al., 2006). In order to achieve the global target of health for all by the year 2000, goals were being set by the WHO (WHO, 1981) some of which include: At least 5% of gross national product is spent on health. A reasonable percentage of the national health expenditure is devoted to local health care. Equitably distribution of resources At least 90% of new-borne infants have a birth weight of at least 2500g. The infant mortality rate for all identifiable subgroups is below 50 per 1000 live-births. Life expectancy at birth is over 60 years. Adult literacy rate for both men and women exceeds 70%. Trained personnel for attending pregnancy and child birth and caring for children for at least 1 year of age. It has been over 30 years now that the Declaration of Alma Ata was adopted by the WHO. A look at the current health trend around the world especially in developing countries such Nigeria, Ghana, Niger, Zimbabwe and so many others will reveal that the goal of achieving health for all by the year 2000 through primary health care has not been a reality. Although there have been reasonable improvement in immunisation, sanitation and access to safe water, there is still impediments in providing equitable access to essential care worldwide (WHO, 2010) What went wrong? Lawn et al. (2008) explain that the Cold War significantly impeded the desired impact expectation of the Alma Ata Declaration in the sense that global developmental policy at that time was dominated by neo-liberal macro economical and social policies. The effect of this on poorer countries of the world particularly in Africa was implementation of structural adjustment programmes in effort to reduce budget deficit through devaluations in local currency and cuts in public spending. This resulted in the removal of subsidies, cost recovery in the health sector and cut backs in the number of medical health practitioners that could be hired. The introduction of user charges and encouragement of privatisation of services during this period had an untoward effect on poor people who could not afford to pay for such services. The combination of these factors hence resulted in part to the crippling of the quality of service that can be provided at the primary care level. People who could afford such service resorted to health service offered at secondary or tertiary care which in most cases is difficult to access. The introduction of a new concept of Selective Primary Health Care as proposed within a year of the adoption of the Alma Ata Declaration by Walsh Warren (1979) changed the dimension of primary health care. This interim approach was proposed due to the difficulty experienced in initiating comprehensive primary health care services in countries with authoritarian leadership (Waterston, 2008). Walsh Warren (1979) argued that until comprehensive primary health care can be made available to all, services that are targeted to the most important diseases may be the most effective intervention for improving health of a population. The measures suggested include; immunisation, oral rehydration, breast feeding and the use of anti malarias. This selective approach was considered as being more feasible, measurable, rapid and less risky, taking away decision making and control away from the community and placing it upon consultants with technical expertise hence making it more attractive partic ularly to funding agencies (Lawn et al., 2008). An example of a selective primary care approach is the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI). Selective primary health care is concerned with providing solutions to particular diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis while comprehensive primary care as proposed the Alma Ata begins with providing a strong community infrastructure and involvement towards tackling health issues (Baum, 2007). The shift in maternal, new-borne and child health as a result of programmes that removes control from the community hinders the actualisation of the goals of primary health care as emphasized by the Alma Ata Declaration. The reversal of policy in the 1990s by the WHO and other UN agencies to discourage traditional birth attendants and promoting facility based birth with skilled personnel (Koblinsky et al., 2006) is an example of such. The World Banks report Investing in Health which was published in 1993 saw the World Bank become a great influence and major key player in international public health as such robbing the WHO of the prestigious position (Baum, 2007). It considers investments for interventions that only have the best impact on population health as such removing local control and advocating a vertical approach to health. This move counteracts the process of the social change described by the Alma Ata Declaration which is necessary for realisation of its goals. These go to show that consistency both in leadership (locally and globally), policy as well as good evidence (to drive policy making and actions), are important ingredients for global initiatives to succeed. What went right? Even with the several elements that prevailed against the achievement of the collective goals of the Alma Ata Declaration, several case studies show that when provided with a favourable environment, primary health care as prescribed by the Alma Ata is sufficient to bring about a significant improvement in the health status of any population or country. Case study 1: Primary Health Care in Gambia Using data obtained from a longitudinal study conducted by the United Kingdom Medical Research Council over a 15 year period for a population of about 17,000 people in 40 villages in Gambia, Hill et al. (2000) compared infant and child mortality between village with and without primary health care. The extra services that were provided in the villages with primary health care include: a village health worker, a paid community nurse for every 5 villages and a trained traditional birth attendant. Maternal and child health services with vaccination programme were accessible to residents of both primary health care and non primary health care villages. There was marked improvement in infant and under 5 mortality in both sets of villages. After primary health care system was established in 1983, infant mortality dropped from 134/1000 in 1982 83 to 69/1000 in 1992 94 in the primary health care villages and from 155/1000 to 91/1000 in non primary health care villages over the same period of time. Between 1982 and 83 and 1992-94, the death rates for children aged 1-4 fell from 42/1000 to 28/1000 in the primary health care villages and from 45/1000 to 38/1000 in the non primary health care villages. However, in 1994 when supervision of primary health care was weakened, infant mortality rate in primary health care villages rose to 89/1000 for primary health care village in 1994 96. The rate in non primary health care village fell to 78/1000 for this period. The implementation and supervision of primary health care is associated with a significant effect on infant mortality rates for these groups of villages that benefitted from the programme. Case study 2: Under 5 mortality and income of 30 countries To assess the progress for primary health care in countries since Alma Ata, Rohde et al. (2008) analysed life expectancy relative to national income and HIV prevalence in order to identify over achieving or under achieving countries. The study focused on 30 low income and middle income countries with the highest year reduction of mortality among children less than 5 years of age and it described coverage and equity of primary health care as well as other non health sector actions. The 30 countries in question have scaled up selective primary care (immunisation, family planning) and 14 of these countries have progressed to comprehensive primary care which has been marked with high coverage of skilled birth attendants. Equity with skilled birth attendance coverage across income groups was accessed as well as access to clean water and gender inequality in literacy. These 30 countries were grouped into countries with selective primary care; mixture of selective and comprehensive primary health care; and comprehensive primary health care alone. The major players among countries with comprehensive primary health care are Thailand, Brazil, Cuba, China and Vietnam. Overall, Thailand tops the list and it has comprehensive primary health care. Maternal, new-borne and child health in Thailand were prioritised even before Alma Ata and has been able to increase coverage for immunisation and family planning interventions. The Government investment in district health systems provided a foundation for comprehensive primary health care in maternal, new-borne and child health as well as other essential services. Community health volunteers also played a significant role towards Thailands medical advancement. They promoted the use of water sealed latrines to improve sanitation and were very instrumental towards the decline of protein calorie malnutrition in pr e-school children in the past 20 years (WHO, 2010). Participation of the community health volunteers is a major source of community involvement into health care of Thailand (ibid). The following factors were identified as important lessons from high achieving countries: accountable leadership and consistent national policy progress with time; building coverage of care and comprehensive health systems with time; community and family empowerment; district level focus which is supported by data to set priorities for funding, track results as well as identify and redress disparities; and prioritising equity, removing financial barriers for poorest families and protection against unavoidable health cost. Case study 3: Integration of cognitive behaviour based therapy into routine primary health care work in rural Pakistan Rahman et al. (2008) in a cluster-randomised control study in Pakistan shows the benefits derived when cognitive behaviour therapy in postnatal depression is integrated with community based primary health care. Training was provided to the primary health care workers in the intervention group to deliver psychological intervention. The health care workers also receive monthly supervision and monitoring. Significant benefit (lower depression and disability scores, overall functioning and perception of social support) was reported in the intervention group to suggest that this kind of measures as supported by the Alma Ata can drive the initiative towards Health for all. It is evident and clear that countries that practiced comprehensive primary health care as enshrined by the Alma Ata reaped great benefits in terms of population health improvement. Although it has been argued that comprehensive primary health care is too idealistic, expensive and unattainable (Hall Taylor, 2003), evidence suggest that it is more likely to deliver better health outcomes with greater public satisfaction (Macinko et al., 2003). This kind of care can deal with up to 90% of health demands in low income countries (World Bank, 1994). Relevance of Alma Ata in this present time Our present world that has been characterised by marked epidemiological transition in health. Low income countries as well as high income ones are faced with increasing prevalence of non communicable as well as chronic disabling disease (Gillam, 2008) hence, the existence of infectious diseases (malaria, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis etc), and diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. For low income countries such as sub-Sahara African Countries, this constitutes a major health problem because their health systems are mainly oriented towards providing services inclined with maternal and child health, acute or episodic illnesses. As such current health systems need to have the capacity to provide effective management for the current disease trend. The Alma Ata provides a foundation for how such effective health service can be provided. Because, primary health care is the first line of contact an individual has to health care, it is thus very influential in determining community heal th especially when the community is fully empowered to participate. As societies modernise, as it is the case in our current world, the level of participation increases and people want to have a say in what affects their lives (Garland Oliver, 2004). Thus, the level participation in health care is better off and more powerful in this present time than it was when it was the Alma Ata was adopted. Evidence suggest that the values as enshrined by the Alma Ata are becoming the mainstream of modernising societies and it is a reflection of the way people look at health and what they expect from their health care system (WHO, 2008). Alma Ata failed in some countries because the Government of such countries refused to put strategies towards sustaining a strong and vibrant primary health care system that is appropriate to the health needs of the community such that access is improved, participation and partnership is encouraged and health is improved in general. There is no goal standard guideline or manual on Alma Ata but individual governments have to develop their own strategies which should be well suited towards meeting their own needs. The Alma Ata founding principles is still relevant towards achieving these goals especially as it brings health care to peoples door step as it encourages training of people to efficiently and effectively deliver health services. Evidence has shown that there is a greater range of cost effective interventions than was available 30 years ago (Jamison et al., 2006). It is for these reasons that primary health care is essential towards achieving the millennium development goals e specially as it concerns child survival, maternal health, and HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other diseases. The Alma Ata emphasises the importance of collaboration as an important tool towards introducing, developing and maintaining primary health care. This partnership as supported by the Alma Ata is essential to increase technical and financial support to primary health care especially in low income countries. It is a current trend to find an increasing mixture of private and public health systems as well as increasing private-public partnerships. Governments, donor and private organisations are now working together to promote and protect health unlike after Alma Ata (OECD, 2005). There is also increased funding and this is shifting from selective global funds to strengthening health systems through sector wide approaches (Salama et al., 2008). This kind of collaborations is a step in the right direction and when it is strengthened according to the principles of the Alma Ata, it will not only improve the buoyancy of the health care system but also improve participation and equity in the sense that health care is more qualitative and accessible to the people. The years that followed after adoption of the Alma Ata by WHO member states was characterised by unstable political leadership and military dictatorship especially among low income countries which lead to neglect of the health sector. This created unfriendly environments for the development and maintenance of stable primary health care systems. In this current times however, most countries have embraced the democratic system of leadership that promotes equity, participation and partnership. Health equity is continually enjoying prominence in the dialogue of political leaders and ministries of health (Dahlgren Whitehead, 2006). Thus, the environment being created is friendlier to the Alma Ata hence making it more relevant in this time. Thirty years ago, the values of equity, people centeredness, community participation and self determination embraced by the Alma Ata was considered as being radical but today these values have become widely share expectations for health (WHO, 2008). Our current time has been marked by gross technological advancement which was not available in the 1970s. There is also an increased wealth of knowledge and literature on health and on the growing health inequalities between and within countries all of which was not available 30 years ago. All these put together provides a relevant foundation to support the Alma Ata in the present time making it more relevant in delivering effective health care service. Conclusion The prevailing political and economic situation around the world make the Alma Ata more relevant than it was in 1978. However, there is still need for more to be done. There is need for the revitalisation of primary health care according to the tenets of the Alma Ata and progress made should be consistently monitored. There is also the need for an increased commitment to the virtues of health for all as well as increased commitment of resources towards primary health care which should be driven by good evidence base. It is important that emphasis be changed from single interventions that produce short term or immediate results to interventions that will create an integrated, long term and a sustainable health care system. Even with the challenges being faced so far with full implementation of the Alma Ata, the ideals are relevant still relevant now more than ever.

A Passage to India disseminates a horde

E.M.Forster in his celebrated novel A Passage to India disseminates a horde of messages, one of which is liberal-humanistic attitude that can help stall SEPARATION, which is again a major theme of the novel. Like Whitman’s cry â€Å"Passage to more than India†, Forster’s novel is more than an historical novel about India: it is a prophetic work in which Forster is concerned not only with the path to greater understanding of India but also with man’s quest for truth and understanding of the universe he lives in.Forster shows in the novel how man’s attempts to create unity are continually dominated and shattered by forces he cannot control. On this theme of Separation, Lionel Trilling comments, â€Å"The theme of separateness of fences and barriers , the old theme of   Pauline epistles, which runs through all Forster’s novels is in A Passage to India, hugely expanded and everywhere dominant.† The separation of race from race, sex, cult ure from   culture is what underlies every relationship.In this context, the most obvious of these separations is that between the Indians and the English. The earlier part of the novel is concerned with showing the wide gulf between the rulers and the ruled, between the white Englishmen and the colored Indians.As pointed out in the first chapter of the novel, Chandrapore is divided into two sections: the English Civil Station and the Native Section, the one having nothing to do with the other: the Civil   Station â€Å"shares nothing with the city except the overarching sky.† This division in landscape is symptomatic of the wide gulf that separates the rulers from the ruled. â€Å"Is it possible to be friends with an Englishman ?†the Indians ask and Forster’s answer in the novel is a clear NO as long as the English remain unfeeling, proud and autocratic towards the Indians. Even the Bridge Party thrown to bridge the gulf   between the English and the Indi ans ends in a fiasco. After having invited the Indians to the Bridge Party ,the English do not bother to go out and meet them.It goes without saying that after such humiliation, the Indians harbor nothing but a collective attitude of fear and hatred in response to the collective attitude of contempt shown by the Englishmen. Love and fraternal feelings could have been the right way of treating the modest Indians, feels Forster.Another dramatic   instance of separation in the novel is that which comes to exist between Aziz and Fielding. Here is a crucial situation in which an Englishman sets aside his snobbishness and attempts a genuine rapport with a warm, impulsive Indian, and yet final understanding is shown to be impossible. It is, perhaps, because the primary barrier between them had been their identities: one a member of the ruler class while the other was a member of the subject race. As Arnold Kettle points out, there are political pressures of imperialism which distort the relationship between Aziz and Fielding.But the ebb and flow   of their relationship is disturbed by more serious factors—differences of background and values by the clash of standards on beauty, propriety and emotional expression. â€Å"Kindness, kindness and more kindness†Ã¢â‚¬â€this prescription of Aziz about the racial problem does not seem to go a long way ;a trust in the power of affectionate friendship is not enough to bridge the growing hiatus between close friends even.Further there is the glaring contrast in their characters :between the liberal Englishman â€Å"traveling light† and the impulsive Aziz rooted in â€Å"society and Islam.† While goodwill and spontaneous affection breaks down the initial barriers between them, there are signs that Fielding’s immature imagination   and Aziz’s sensitiveness are going to bode ill for their future relationship.And this is what exactly happens later. Misunderstanding crops up between th em in their attitudes towards Adela and leads to the break in their relationship.After Aziz’s release from the prison, Fielding asks Aziz to withdraw the brutally revengeful demands clamped on Adela   Ã‚  and Aziz refuses and they part ways. When they are reunited at the end ,their ways of life have changed too radically –Fielding supporting the Anglo Indians and   Aziz   ,Indian nationalism.Apart from these major schisms there are other minor separations and gaps in the novel . Men themselves are segregated from the rest of the creation. Young Mr. Sorley ,an advanced Christian Missionary ,accepts that God in his divine love brooks no separations and will extend his hospitality to the animals too, to the monkeys and jackals. But he is less sure about wasps and cannot at all admit into Divine Unity things like â€Å"oranges, cactuses, crystals and mud.Or for that matter the â€Å"bacteria inside Mr. Sorley’s head!† â€Å"We must exclude something f rom our gathering or we shall be left with nothing†, he nervously insists. And yet the forced exclusion is inane because men, after all, are only a small part of Creation: â€Å"It matters so little to the majority of living beings what the majority that calls itself human , desires or decides.†

Getting the Best Write Reports for Money

Getting the Best Write Reports for Money Academic essays are usually employed by teachers to assess a student's knowledge, and it might have an immediate influence on your grade at last. Works for you reviewing services and products, so you make the very best purchase decisions for your requirements. Works which are accepted will get a $50 honorarium. If you are searching for help with dissertation, we've got solutions available to assist you, from dissertation proposal to a conclusion. Naturally, it is possible to find many helpful tips regarding report writing, but it isn't a guarantee of a very good result. A report is a rather straightforward sort of assignment with a simple and understandable structure. There's no superior approach to make sure you get the grade you desire than to ask an expert. Don't incorporate any new info in the conclusion. The Secret to Write Reports for Money You may get anybody to compose your paper. Evidently, your work has to be original wo rk. The info is offered in a clearly structured format, using the sections and headings so the data is easy and accessible to find and follow. Make certain you keep an eye on your references, particularly for academic work. Consequently, it's sensible to search for the top essay or report makers. With these kinds of requirements, you want to buy customized reports and essays and understand how to write them. Writing reports might be long and boring procedure, especially if you didn't really enjoy the book. Writing an effective book report may be challenging assignment for many students since it requires you should analyze a large sum of information in. Before writing your book file, or even choosing the book that you would like to read (unless a particular title comes pre-assigned) you first have to understand what a.. Looking for an excellent essay writer isn't a problem we have a group of enthusiastic and seasoned writers for you! Include an overall plot summary. How to boost your writing. Pay particular attention to whether all of the info that you've included is relevant. While you need to always be professional in your company report writing style, the amount of detail you include may vary based on who's reading the report. If it's possible to write on a broad selection of topics particularly in the tech industry you will have a good deal of available work. Therefore, students must search for internet sites offering them with academic report writing help. Key Pieces of Write Reports for Money Word count on the website for your typical company or marketing article is all about 800 words. There really isn't any limit to what you could sell. Whether there are a great amount of books on the exact same subject with good reviews will let you know the niche is hungry for information. The four elements you have to have in a site for downloading of your special reports. Lies You've Been Told About Write Reports for Money All your thinking has to be focused on that, which might require you to be ruthless in your reading and thinking. Earning through blogging isn't as tough as some might love to think. Fortunately, there are numerous diverse ways people may make more cash during their time of need. Even in the beginning months, you can make some extra cash. Whispered Write Reports for Money Secrets Three kinds of reports are given to show what kindergartners. Some reports contain each one of the typical report writing components, while some contain just a few. Find out how to compose an outstanding book report. The 8 different kinds of special reports and the way to compose each. The next thing to do is to locate the report you will need for your report. In reality, the practice to get reports online is. How to generate leads on the internet by offering your distinctive report. It's quite simple to accomplish on the web, where you're able to deliver the report as a downloadable PDF file. While writing your report, you ought to be impartial. Want to discover how to receive a totally free copy of your credit report and the way to repair. Ensure to take part in the procedure for expert report writing.

Great Depression Life - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 852 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/05/03 Category History Essay Level High school Tags: Great Depression Essay Did you like this example? The Great Depression was a time of pure despair and anguish for everyone in The United States of America. It left a significant impact on men, women, children and even minorities such as African Americans; The infamous dust bowl only added to the suffering. The great depression left a significant psychological impact on men and unemployment due to the sheer amount of stress and knowing that they could no longer provide for their families because of the struggling economy of the United States. In a letter to President Roosevelt a young boy wrote: My father hasnt worked for 5 months He went plenty times to relief, he filled out application. They wont give us anything. He also stated : My father he staying home. All the time hes crying because he cant find work. I told him why are you crying daddy, and daddy said why shouldnt I cry when there is nothing in the house. This became a common theme amongst men in the United States with thousands of men turning to suicide, spiking the national suicide rates to a record high in the early 1930s. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Great Depression Life" essay for you Create order Furthermore, women and children were forced to experience the harsh realities of The Great Depression. Because of the obvious lack of money families could not support themselves with enough food, or clothing. This led to the dramatic increase in women in the workforce as they began to find jobs such as nurses, clerks and other jobs in the service field. This sudden change in lifestyle was a huge deal because the idea of a woman working was looked down apon by many. In the early 1900s society only saw women as stay-at-home moms; However women joining the workforce was only the beggining of the end of discrimination . During The Great Depression thousands of children were not being educated due to the immense closing of schools throughout the nation.The National Education Association estimated that by 1934 rural poverty had closed more than 20,000 schools. Therefore children those children were forced to try to enter the work force to help provide for themselves aswell as their families. However majority of students decided they could better benifit their families by staying in school longer to recieve a better education. However, although there was suffering on a mass scale no one suffered more than African Americans. Jobs were scarce and because racism and discrimination was still prominent in the United States, African Americans and minorites were often denied jobs simply because the white man was preferable, which is supported with Broussard stating: Dallas and Houston, provided no relief funds whatsoever to African Americans or Mexicans. In Atlanta, white supremacist organizations demanded that all African American be terminated from the relief rolls to provide assistance to unemployed whites. Therefore, African Americans did not have money to provide for themselves or their families, and they often did not have homes or even shelter. Minorities had to suffer the worst of the worst with absolutly no way of making money they had to rely on their wits and creative ways of making money. However soon after, their effors were somewhat relieved when Franklin D. Roosevelt created the New Deal progams, this idea of African American growth is supported with Broussard stating : through a succession of New Deal programs such as the Public Works Administration (PWA), the National Youth Administration (NYA), the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Works Progress Administration (WPA), and the Farm Security Administration (FSA), many Africans Americans once again gained a foothold, albeit tenuous, in the workforce. African Americans were finally being offered jobs even though they were extremely rare and labor intensive it was an improvement nonetheless. African Americans would later see another even brighter beacon of hope from President Roosevelt and even the first lady. The two would often seek guidance and knowledge on how to handle and prevent troublesome African American affairs from African American leaders. This had a major impact on the lives of African Americans becaus e no other president had sought the direct council from African Americans. All the while, as if the United States hadnt been through enough already, the infamous and devestating Dust Bowl made its appearance. Although the Dust Bowl only swept through five states, it impacted the entire nation with Colordo, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico being the most severely impacted. The Dust Bowl was an enviormental catasprophe that forced millions of american to move westward in search of a new home and a new life as people were forced to leave everything behind. How does such a phenomenon occur? Broussard suggests: The problem began during World War I, when the high price of wheat and the needs of Allied troops encouraged farmers to grow more wheat by plowing and seeding areas in prairie states, such as Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico, which were formerly used only for grazing. After years of adequate yields, livestock were returned to graze the areas, and their hooves pulverized the unprotected soil. In 1934 strong winds blew the soil into huge clouds In more recent years we have dramatically improved agricultral practices to help prevent future enviornmental catastrophies.