Illnesses of global importance/Pandemics

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Description:

In developed countries the main causes of deth are coronary heard diseas, stroke and cancer.

The World Health Organization WHO, characterises three conditions responsible for the start of a pandemic:

• emergence of a disease new to a population;
• agents infect humans, causing serious illness; and
• agents spread easily and sustainably among humans.

A disease or condition is not a pandemic merely because it is widespread or kills many people; it must also be infectious. That means that cancer, for example, is not classified as a pandemic as it is not infectious.

Enablers:

• Changes in society and human demographics
• Contamination of water supplies and food sources
• Poor populaiton health (e.g. malnutrition)
• International trade
• International travel
• Evolution of the pathogen
• Failure of public health programs
• Increased life expectancy

Inhibitors:

• Access to medical treatment
• Availability of medication
• Access to clean water
• Good general physical condition

Paradigms:

Changes in ways of thinking about the world due to the driving force.

Experts:

• World Health Organisation
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Robert Koch Institut

Timing:

Current pandemics:

• HIV / AIDS
• Swine influenza (2009 influenza A/H1N1)

Important epidemics and pandemics through history:

• Plague
• Cholera
• Typhus
• Smallpox
• Measles
• Tuberculosis
• Malaria
• Yellow fever

Tuberculosis is still one of the most important health problems in the developing world.

Web Resources:

• [1] WHO - World Health Organization

• [2] ECDC - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

• [3] CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• [4] HealthMap - Global Disease Alert Map

• [5] Diseases - Ignored Global Killers - article on Global Issues