Infectious Diseases, Non–Zero-Sum Thinking, and the Developing World

Folch, Erik; Hernández, Isabel Cristina López; Barragán, Maribel; Franco‐Paredes, Carlos

doi:10.1097/00000441-200308000-00003

Cited by 35 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Foot and mouth disease is another example of the potential devastating impact of infectious diseases in the livestock industry 93 -100 , and concerns about the spread of avian influenza have resulted in negative economic effects on afflicted countries estimated between 0.1 -0.2% of GDP, disproportionately afflicting the poor who rely more on poultry income 101 -103 . The global economic impact of a true pandemic of influenza is projected to be enormous and is likely to trigger a global recession 104,105 . The challenge of development Beyond compelling reasons of social justice, industrialized country governments and private corporations should do what it takes to drastically reduce the current burden of disease in the developing world base solely on enlightened self-interest 106,107 . Therefore, the question then remains not 'why' and 'where', but 'how' and 'what' should be the interventions to best affect the needed change.…”

Section: Wwwsciletcommentioning

confidence: 99%

The Epidemiological Transition: The Current Status of Infectious Diseases in the Developed World versus the Developing World

et al. 2008

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Wealthy, industrialized countries of the developed world successfully underwent the ''epidemiologic transition'' from infectious diseases to degenerative diseases, but developing countries have not yet achieved that transition. This article reviews the current status of Omran's Theory of Epidemiologic Transition, comparing the burden of infectious diseases in the developed world versus the developing world. The advent of modern sanitation and hygiene practices, effective vaccines, and antibiotics have significantly diminished the burden in the developed world, but infectious diseases remain the most common cause of death worldwide. The persistence of this disease burden has been due to a failure to employee effective strategies and to unforeseen developments, such as the emergence of HIV and the re-emergence of malaria and tuberculosis driven by newly developed drug resistance. The challenge in accurately assessing infectious disease burden and developing effective interventions is reviewed along with the most common diseases and current intervention strategies.

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Section: Wwwsciletcommentioning

confidence: 99%

The Epidemiological Transition: The Current Status of Infectious Diseases in the Developed World versus the Developing World

et al. 2008

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“…The current world order for people living in these conditions places them far away from the ethical and moral premise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in a sharp evolutionary disadvantage [3,4]. In the case of Latin America, many millions of people die every year as a direct consequence of a vicious cycle of poverty, disease, and underdevelopment.…”

Section: Textmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Microbes have profoundly influenced the dynamics of human societies throughout the history of humankind by playing a key role as agents of natural selection [2,4]. Tragically, in this evolutionary struggle for survival, microbes have consistently abused the most impoverished human populations who dwell in unsanitary and crowded resource-constrained settings (Figure 1).…”

Section: Textmentioning

confidence: 99%

Commentary: improving the health of neglected populations in Latin America

et al. 2007

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Neglected diseases encompass a group of pathologies that disproportionally affect resource-constrained areas of the world. In tropical and subtropical areas in Latin America, the vicious cycle of poverty, disease and underdevelopment is widespread. The burden of disease associated to neglected diseases in this region is mainly expressed through diseases such as malaria, dengue, intestinal parasitic infections, Chagas' disease, and many others. These maladies have burdened Latin America throughout centuries and have directly influenced their ability to develop and become competitive societies in the current climate of globalization. Therefore, the need for a new paradigm that integrates various public health policies, programs, and a strategy with the collaboration of all responsible sectors is long overdue. In this regard, innovative approaches are required to ensure the availability of low-cost, simple, sustainable, and locally acceptable strategies to improve the health of neglected populations to prevent, control, and potentially eliminate neglected diseases. Improving the health of these forgotten populations will place them in an environment more conducive to development and will likely contribute significantly to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in this area of the globe.

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“…Despite increasing technological innovation and advances in scientific knowledge, the health status of the world's people remains threatened by high morbidity and mortality from longexistent infectious diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis, alongside new epidemics such as HIV/AIDS and avian flu (Boutayeb, 2006;Folch, Hernandez, Barragan, & Franco-Paredes, 2003) as well as a seemingly relentless growth in non-communicable diseases related to trauma, chronic diseases and cancer, amongst others (Boutayeb, 2006). These health impacts are differentially distributed within and between countries, reflecting severe global health inequalities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%