Infectious Diseases

In studies carried out by the World Heath Organisation, nearly 90% of world deaths attributable to infectious diseases are caused by the same half dozen or so culprits. Namely

• Lower respiratory infections (approx 19%)
• HIV/AIDS (approx 3%)
• Diarrhoeal diseases (approx 17%)
• Malaria (approx 8%)
• Measles (approx 4%)
• Neonatal causes (approx 37%)

A further 10% of deaths can be attributed to non infectious diseases.

What is more striking is the dispersion of these deaths around the world.

• 42% in Africa
• 31% in South East Asia
• 11% Western Pacific
• 34% Eastern Mediterranean
• 10% Americas (Central and Southern)

The rest are in Europe.

The real sadness about these figures is that the vast majority of cases are not only treatable, but are also preventable as well.

Poverty in the worst affected regions accounts for much more than the deaths which can be indirectly attributed to it. The effect on education means that people struggle to break out of the cycle. Failure to do this means that unemployment remains high, further exacerbating the problem. In short, it is nigh on impossible for the cycle of cause and effect to be broken.

In western society, illness and disease is more often visited on the old. Not so in more disadvantaged areas. People in the prime of their lives are affected, which in turn has an effect on the economy of the region. If the workforce as struck down, then the economy suffers and poverty strengthens its stranglehold. And it gets worse. Who looks after the infirm if the parents are unable to look after themselves? In all likelihood, children will be withdrawn from school to care for the family in the absence of sick parents.

It paints a depressing picture, doesn't it?

Poverty strikes early into these communities. Children born poor are often malnourished, which means that their immune systems will be weak. Lower respiratory infections are the leading cause of mortality overall and a primary cause of death for children under age five. Pneumonia is the most serious of the lower respiratory infections, despite the fact that it can usually be effectively treated with antibiotics. Unfortunately, the likelihood of them being available or affordable is small

Some Hope Still

In 1977, only 5% of the world's children were vaccinated. More recent evidence suggests that nearer 75% are vaccinated at the time of writing, and that figure still climbs. In addition to this, tools and equipment have been delivered to countries where diseases such as Malaria hold sway. Equipment such as nets treated with insecticide have helped to reduce the impact of this disease.

Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases - Current Table Of Contents
Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases - June 2008, Volume 21, Issue 3

Editorial introductions.
Page: viiDOI: 10.1097/QCO.0b013e328303bf8b

Recently identified factors predisposing children to infectious diseases.
Page: 217DOI: 10.1097/QCO.0b013e3282fa1824Authors: Arkwright, Peter D a; Abinun, Mario b

Diagnostic tests in neonatal sepsis.
Page: 223DOI: 10.1097/QCO.0b013e3282fa15ddAuthors: Arnon, Shmuel a,b; Litmanovitz, Ita a,b