Forum 2015 | Worldconnectors

Different projects of NCDO converge on this forum to exchange ideas and opinions about international cooperation. You are welcome to join all our discussions. Welcome Worldconnection! Please log in to start topics and post reactions in this forum. You can log in using your worldconnections account.

		VoiceOver 2015 member   Bright Echefu Nigeria 4 posts View profile 06 April 2010  19:55    Quote What can we Do to check infectious Diseases in Developing Countries Mankind has been battling infectious diseases since the dawn of the species. Though there have been many victories over the centuries, this is a war not yet won. The health systems in sub-Saharan Africa face severe challenges in addressing infectious diseases and other health care needs. In addition to the lack of physical infrastructure and financial resources to provide adequate health care, countries are beset with a crippling shortage of trained health care workers. While sub-Saharan Africa which has 24% of the global disease burden, it has only 3% of the world health care workforce and accounts for less than 17% of the global health care spending. Of every 1000 babies born in the United Kingdom, five die before they reach their first birthday. In Nigeria, nearly 350 babies out of every 1000 die within a year. The death of any infant is a tragedy but why do forty times as many Nigerian families suffer this painful loss. In the UK, thanks to better hygiene, antibiotics and vaccines, infectious illnesses are a shadow of the threat they once were. In the developing countries, however, it’s a very different story. With limited global resources available to deal with the problem, where should we focus our efforts? Should we develop new drugs and vaccines to combat these diseases? Or would we be better off addressing underlying social, cultural, environmental and economic problems? Should the rich countries do more to help the poor ones? Or are there enough solutions ahead but not enough political will and cooperation to implement them.

		VoiceOver 2015 member   Bright Echefu Nigeria 4 posts View profile 06 April 2010  20:03    Quote Re: What can we Do to check infectious Diseases in Developing Countries Better children’s education, including health education would have many benefits. Adult education such as the use of condoms to prevent sexually transmitted infections and HIV infections is another favored option but presents many difficulties. In many countries, discussing issues such as sex or contraceptives is taboo, while religious groups may argue that promoting condom use encourages promiscuity or unnatural. The persistence of smoking in the UK shows just how hard it is to change people’s behavior through health education. Others argue for greater empowerment of disadvantaged groups such as women. At present, many women in developing countries and in rich countries for that matter are afraid to say no to sex or to ask men to use a condom while they may feel there masculinity is compromised if their sexual freedom is challenged. Changing people’s attitudes is notoriously difficult. To treat patients effectively, doctors need to know what they are infected with. In the UK, that would involve a trip to the GP perhaps a sample being sent to a diagnostic laboratory or in complicated cases, referral to a specialist. Many developing countries however have no such healthcare infrastructure to call upon. Even knowing about symptoms may not be that helpful because many illnesses share similar features such as fever and febrile convulsions. There is this urgent need for simple, cheap and Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT) that could be used in rural locations without complicated equipment. As well as helping individual patients, accurate diagnosis and an understanding of how diseases are spread can suggest ways in which the cycle of infection can be broken. Prevention is better than cure and effective control strategies can save lives and money.

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