The challenge and gap between agriculture and healthcare, financial resources acquisition of new customers and partners needs to be bridged. Recognising the key factors contributing to the developmental success of farms requires focusing on the role of commitment and ability to cope with environmental and healthcare barriers.

Agriculture and Healthcare

Healthcare implies medical attention at the right time to the right patient while agriculture echoes the right application of fertilizers or pesticides at the right time and place.Two of the worlds most essential industries of healthcare and agriculture are together accountable for life expectancies and distinct margins of widespread implications around the world. Agriculture produces world’s food, materials for shelter and important sources for livelihood which is essential for good health of diverse population in different countries. Miscalculations in farming can lead to food shortage and misapplications of agricultural hazardous materials, contaminated food products and healthcare errors can lead to death.Global health status is influenced by the agricultural demand and output which perpetuates poor health that reduces work performance, income and productivity in agricultural community.The multi-functionality of different strategies, degree of legitimacy and background study needs to be promoted.

Strategies and Approaches

Critical step to improve knowledge in health, nutrition and agriculture nexus includes investments in education and research systems capable of integrating information from all these sectors. This knowledge can be used to design agricultural strategies that maximize benefit and minimize risks to health and nutrition from food production to consumption by development and dissemination of fortified and nutritious food consumed, improving pricing policies, public information and awareness campaigns that address both obesity and malnutrition. The main direction of agricultural research represents the development of new and effective methods of nitrogen fixation and production of growth hormones by gene manipulations. Policy makers need to use the resulting savings and eliminate distortive subsidies to diversify agricultural production and consumption of nutritious food products like fruits, vegetables and dairy products. Such initiatives and policies should focus on improved processing practices of better storage infrastructure and transportation to reduce food waste.
Healthcare and agriculture industries are struggling to make sense and process large amount of data to be proactively used by farmers, seasoned expert and doctors with professional intuition, data quantification and security. The use of sophisticated machinery, technology and electronics has a direct corollary in agricultural sector. Progressiveness in agriculture is present by use of sensitive monitors to detect weather fluctuations and anticipate crop disease emergency.The healthcare industry through the increase use of electronichealth records can track and anticipate pandemic outbreaks.Historical and current data in surveillance system can create visualization maps that track disease epidemics. Such promising use of data provides valuable opportunity in the field of healthcare and agriculture to progressively move with descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive analytics with desired results.
Interventions or health programs with structured rehabilitation and clearly defined patient orientated goals need to be defined. Cross-sectional training and education programmes are needed with collaborative approach to target stakeholder guidelines and responsibilities. It is also necessary to determine which strategies are sufficiently innovative, favour health status and economic development, productive activity, countryside conservation, reduce risk of fire, contribute to continuing employment, promote and preserve traditions. Improving health status, crop production, diversifying the product range and forming partnerships with various organisations is crucial.

Online Course at JLI

James Lind Institute (JLI) provides an online program in Agribusiness Management and Health Integration. JLI also conducts an online Master of Science in Public Health Management (MPH) in collaboration with Universit Telematica Internazionale (UNINETTUNO), for better understanding of agriculture and healthcare systems.
For more information please visit: www.jliedu.com