Transcript Emmerging health issues

Environment , Emerging Health issues
and recommendations
Outline Of Presentation
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Definition of Health
Emerging health issues
Reasons for emerging health issues
Examples
Recommendations
HEALTH
Recent work on the concepts of health, disease and related
notions has suggested that health in an individual is a matter of
that individual having the resources to cope with her needs
(Nordenfelt, 1987, 2001, 2007; Kovacs, 1998; Bircher, 2005).
While there are differences in the details of such accounts, the
basic idea seems plausible.
Defining health
The most commonly quoted definition of health is that formalized by
the World Health Organization (WHO) over half a century ago; “a
complete state of physical, mental and social well-being, and not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Bircher(Bircher, 2005,338).defines health as “a dynamic state of wellbeing characterized by a physical and mental potential, which satisfies
the demands of life commensurate with age, culture, and personal
responsibility”.
Emerging health issues
Emerging health issues are those that pose either a threat or
relief from threat to the overall health of the population.
An emerging issue can be a disease or injury that has either
increased incidence or prevalence in the past decade or
threatens to increase in the near future.
It can also be a “horizon issue” that has just begun to
develop in our society and the future public health effects of
which are uncertain. It can as well be an increased visibility
in a long-standing health issue that continues to obstruct
the public health goal of reducing death and disability
 Defining ……
 Re-emerging infectious disease
Infectious agents that have been known for some
time, had fallen to such low levels that they were no
longer considered public health problems & are now
showing upward trends in incidence or prevalence
worldwide
Emerging health issues contd…
The emerging issues affecting health status reflect the dramatic
changes in our society and environment.
Personal and population health status are broadly defined to
include,
 the physical environment (e.g. air and water);
 the socio-economic environment (e.g. poverty, age);
 the personal health habits of the population (e.g. smoking, use
of seat belts); and
 the presence of disease and injury.
Each of these areas evolves and affects the overall health status of
the population.
Infectious Diseases: Transitional trend
AIDS
Avian Influenza
Ebola
Marburg
Cholera
Rift Valley Fever
Typhoid
Tuberculosis
Leptospirosis
Malaria
Chikungunya
Dengue
JE
Antimicrobial resistance
UP
DOWN
Guinea worm
Smallpox
Yaws
Poliomyelitis
Measles
Leprosy
Neonatal tetanus
Climate & Environmental Changes
 Deforestation forces animals into closer human contact-
increased possibility for agents to breach species barrier
between animals & humans
 El Nino- Triggers natural disasters & related outbreaks of
infectious diseases (Malaria, Cholera)
 Global warming- spread of Malaria, Dengue, Leishmaniasis,
Filariasis
video-Protect the Environment
Poverty, Neglect & Weakening of
Health Infrastructure
 Poor populations- major reservoir & source of continued
transmission
 Poverty- Malnutrition- Severe infectious disease cycle
 Lack of funding, Poor prioritization of health funds, Misplaced in
curative rather than preventive infrastructure, Failure to develop
adequate health delivery systems
Uncontrolled Urbanization &
Population Displacement
 Growth of densely populated cities- substandard housing,
unsafe water, poor sanitation, overcrowding, indoor air
pollution .
 Problem of refugees & displaced persons
 Diarrhoeal & Intestinal parasitic diseases,
Lyme disease (B. burgdorferi)- Changes in ecology,
increasing deer populations, suburban migration of
population
Human Behaviour
 Unsafe sexual practices (HIV, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis)
 Changes in agricultural & food production patterns- food-
borne infectious agents (E. coli)
 Increased international travel (Influenza)
 Outdoor activity
Bioterrorism
 Possible deliberate release of infectious agents by dissident
individuals or terrorist groups
 Biological agents are attractive instruments of terror- easy to
produce, mass casualties, difficult to detect, widespread panic & civil
disruption
Occurrences and interactions of Emerging health issues
ENVIRONMENT
Climate change
Mega-cities
Vector
proliferation
Migration
Pollution
Exploitation
Antibiotics
HUMAN
Food
production
ANIMALS
Intensive farming
Transmission
Population
Growth
Vector
resistance
VECTORS
Examples of recent emerging diseases
Source: NATURE; Vol 430; July 2004;
www.nature.com/nature
Recommendations
 Public health surveillance & response systems
 High level commitment is crucial for rapid
containment .
 Global partnerships & rapid sharing of
data/information enhances preparedness and
response
 Rapidly detect unusual, unexpected, unexplained
disease patterns
 Track & exchange information in real time
Recommend….
 Internet-based information technologies
Improve disease reporting
Facilitate emergency communications &
Dissemination of information
 Human Genome Project
Role of human genetics in disease susceptibility, progression &
host response
Recommend….
 Microbial genetics
Methods for disease detection, control & preventio
 Improved diagnostic techniques & new vaccines
 Geographic Imaging Systems
Monitor environmental changes that influence disease
emergence & transmission
Recommend….
 Strengthened response capacity
 Political commitment & adequate resources to address
underlying socio-economic factors
 International collaboration & communication