In addition infectious diseases are wide spread, differing largely depending on geographical locations, since living conditions and standards differ in throughout the continents of the world, while some are prevalent on the African continent because of the idiosyncrasies of the African situations, those same diseases might be rare in other regions. For instance, African trypanosomiasis, malaria, measles, poliomyelitis, pertusis, tetanus, tuberculosis Guinea worm, diphtheria, are highly prevalent on the African scene, while these are rare in the western world! Although, there are now some pockets of cases of tuberculosis in some parts of Europe, while infectious conditions like Lyme´s disease, haemophilus influenzae b are more common in Europe. A close look at these conditions will point to the fact that living conditions in these parts of the world contribute a great deal to the prevalence of these conditions. Another good example is Chagas disease which is very rampart in South America due to the nature of their houses. The South American trypanosome lives in the cracks of mud houses and as such able to infect humans. So, there is a strong correlation between standards of living and the prevalence of these “negative elements”.
One might think of the United States, with its level of sophisticate health care that it would be immune from these infectious agents, but its surprising to note that “two of the ten leading causes of death are infectious diseases (HIV and pneumonia/ influenza)”. “The centre for disease control and prevention (CDC) reports that 160,000 Americana die each year with infectious diseases as the underlying cause of death. Ranging from child ear infections to measles to sexually transmitted diseases (STD)”(2).
So, there is a common enemy of humanity that is still ravaging our societies irrespective of geographical location or happenstance of birth. If advanced economies could still be a victim infectious diseases then the need for a concerted effort world wide!
“In 1996, infectious disease killed about one-third of the more than 52 million people who died that year”. “And, presently in the USA, infectious diseases account for 25% of all physician visits each year, and anti microbial agents are second to pain relievers as the most frequently prescribed class of drugs”(2)
Hence, this imposes lots of financial burden on humanity. For instance, “in the USA treatment of non-AIDS STDs alone cost $5 billion annually. The yearly costs of other infectious diseases are $30 billion for intestinal infections, and $1 billion for salmonella, $270 million for hepatitis. Together, the cost of treatment and lost of productivity associated with illness from infectious agents tops $120 billion each year”(2)
Thus, the question remains what could be responsible for the high prevalence of these infectious diseases with the attendant increase in cost?
Firstly, it would be realized that as at “year 2000 the world population was estimated at 6.1 billion, but increases at a rate of 76 million people/ year”(3). This exponential surge in human population particularly in the developing world resulted in worsening humanitarian conditions. Then, the growth of urban slums, lacking sanitation and clean water resulting in out breaks of infectious illnesses spread by food, water, and the environmental factors! This is the bane of the under-developed countries where living conditions are still precarious! The provision of portable water supply, as it is known, is the elixir of many water-borne diseases.
Secondly, population shifts and urbanization. This disturbs natural habitat and increase contact with remote environment and poorly understood ecosystems with many unknown and dangerous micro-organisms. The phenomenon of rural-urban drift is not new in the developing countries where, presumably, over one-quarter of the nation’s opportunities are concentrated at the capital cities, thus, forcing both the skilled and unskilled workers to move to the already congested urban centers and therefore leading to the spread of infectious diseases.
Thirdly, the growing phenomenon of mass migration of refugees across distinct geographic borders and of internally displaced persons from one territory to the other within the same geographic location lead to the spread infectious diseases especially to the new areas. This equally explains the concept of emerging and re-emerging of infectious illnesses world wide, for example, polio, which is believed to have nearly be wiped out worldwide, but there are still pockets of outbreaks in some countries of the Sub-Saharan Africa, northern part of Nigeria in particular due to the increasing incidence of internal displacement due to communal conflicts!
Fourthly, the globalization of the world commerce brings potential contaminants across borders daily by way of food, plants, hitchhiking insects, and other products. These invariably spread infectious diseases across borders or at least help to convey the vectors for the transmission of such illnesses.
Fifthly, human sexual behavior and substance abuse expedite the spread of infectious agents. Notable amongst the infectious diseases spread via human sexual behavior either heterosexual or homosexual acts are: HIV/AIDS, Syphilis and gonorrhea.
It is worth mentioning that the present trends of misuse and overuse of antibiotics have led to the development of new strains of infectious agents which are resistant to the presently used antibiotics, thus, increasing the prevalence of infectious diseases!
Thus, the current trends of infectious disease spread must be halted but this would require a concerted effort on the part of policy makers and the society at large. It will also require a lot of vigilance on the part on the part of the appropriate authorities for the implementation of the principles preventive practice. That is, the concept of general health promotion, improved housing condition, good sanitation and health education which will provide the information to enable the people cope with the environment. Specific protection methods should also be implemented as a matter of policy, for example, immunization of concerned age group. Also, appropriate health authorities must carry out routine screening of high risk groups and health care providers strong encouraged to notify cases of infectious diseases outbreak noticed!
Surveillance and constant monitoring of all aspect of occurrence and spread of disease is also vital.
Above all, politicians and religious leaders should depoliticize the program of mass immunization which in some quarters, for instance, in Northern Nigeria is seen “as a western ploy to spread HIV virus and anti-fertility agents to reduce the Muslim population of Northern Nigeria”(4)
When all these are put in place, the world, particularly the developing countries will be able to anticipate and cope better with the menace of infectious disease!
REFERENCE
- The Holy Bible, Song of songs 2:15
- Saturday Punch (Nigerian Newspaper). “Donot politicize vaccination, U.S tells Northern Governors.” January 24, 2004. page 10
