Management of chronic respiratory and allergic diseases in developing countries. Focus on sub‐Saharan Africa

Bousquet, Jean; Ndiaye, M.; Aït-Khaled, N; Annesi‐Maesano, Isabella; Vignola, Antonio M.

doi:10.1034/j.1398-9995.2003.02005.x

Cited by 39 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 119 publications

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“…Smith et al (1999) estimated that 25-33 % of the global burden of disease can be attributed to environmental risk factors. Many of the papers published to date that provide information on health-related particulate matter (PM) research have focussed on the impact of anthropogenically generated PM (such as PM generated by combustion engines) (Bousquet et al 2003;Bruce et al 2000;Ezzati 2005;Romieu et al 2002) while relatively little work has looked at the impact of naturally generated PM (such as PM emanating from dust storms). Winds from the nine principal desert sources transport large amounts of dust around the world (Prospero et al 2002;Tanaka and Chiba 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Desert dust impacts on human health: an alarming worldwide reality and a need for studies in West Africa

et al. 2012

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High desert dust concentrations raise concerns about adverse health effects on human populations. Based on a systematic literature review, this paper aims to learn more about the relationship between desert dust and human health in the world and to analyse the place of West Africa as a study area of interest. Papers focussing on the potential relationship between dust and health and showing quantitative analyses, published between January 1999 and September 2011, were identified using the ISI Web of Knowledge database (N050). A number of adverse health effects, including respiratory, cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary diseases, are associated with dust. This survey highlights obvious dust impacts on human health independently of the study area, health outcomes and method. Moreover, it reveals an imbalance between the areas most exposed to dust and the areas most studied in terms of health effects. None of these studies has been conducted in West Africa, despite the proximity of the Sahara, which produces about half of the yearly global mineral dust. In view of the alarming results in many parts of the world (Asia, Europe, America), this paper concludes by stressing the importance of carrying out impact studies of Saharan dust in West Africa, where dust events are more frequent and intense than anywhere else.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Desert dust impacts on human health: an alarming worldwide reality and a need for studies in West Africa

et al. 2012

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“…The ISAAC study revealed high prevalence of hay fever and asthma even in some West-African low-income countries, the reasons for which remain to be elucidated. It is also noteworthy that the assessment of asthma and atopy prevalence in Africa is complicated by concomitant infestations by helminths that are endemic in some African countries and may confound the expression of atopic disease (27).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Asthma and atopy – the price of affluence?

Hertzen

Haahtela²

2004

Allergy

122

110

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Irrespective of improved knowledge of many aspects of atopic diseases, the unfavorable trends in their prevalence particularly among children could not have been reversed. A growing body of evidence suggests that something may lack from our societal affluence that has the capacity to provide protection against the development of atopic diseases. Much attention during the last years has been devoted to the hygiene hypothesis. This review outlines the impact of environment and lifestyle, particularly from the perspective of the East–West gradient, on the development of atopic diseases, with a special emphasis on the hygiene hypothesis in its broadest sense.

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“…12 Information on causes of death among adults in sub-Saharan Africa is essentially non-existent because death certificates are often not issued. 8 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Health systems are hampered by their inability to differentiate infectious from chronic diseases. 7,8 Diagnostic tests such as hand-held spirometry or even peak flow measurements are only rarely available. Inhaled medication is included in the World Health Organization's Model List of Essential Medicines but is often limited and/or not affordable, particularly in rural areas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%