Illnesses of global importance/Pandemics

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This page is under construction and edited by Peter Friedl EMBA09. In case of any questions/remarks, feel free to contact me

Description:

In developed countries the main causes of death are coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer. These illnesses are not infectious and therefore not dangerous for the general public. But they have to be considered as the most important for the development of new drugs, as it affects the people that can affort the cost of medication most easily.

In contrast to that are infectious diseases, which can be transfered from one person to another. The World Health Organization WHO, characterises three conditions responsible for the start of a pandemic:

  • emergence of a disease new to a population;
  • agents infect humans, causing serious illness; and
  • agents spread easily and sustainably among humans.

A disease or condition is not a pandemic merely because it is widespread or kills many people; it must also be infectious.

Enablers:

  • Changes in society and human demographics
  • Contamination of water supplies and food sources
  • Poor populaiton health (e.g. malnutrition)
  • International trade
  • International travel
  • Evolution of the pathogen
  • Failure of public health programs
  • Increased life expectancy

Inhibitors:

  • Access to medical treatment
  • Availability of medication
  • Access to clean water
  • Good general physical condition

Paradigms:

The fear of pandemics like the swine influenza looks disproportional compared with the actual mortality rate.

Experts:

  • World Health Organisation
  • European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Robert Koch Institut

Timing:

Current pandemics:

  • HIV / AIDS
  • Swine influenza (2009 influenza A/H1N1)


Important epidemics and pandemics through history:

  • Plague
  • Cholera
  • Typhus
  • Smallpox
  • Measles
  • Tuberculosis
  • Malaria
  • Yellow fever

Tuberculosis is still one of the most important health problems in the developing world.

Web Resources:

  • [1] WHO - World Health Organization
  • [2] ECDC - European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
  • [3] CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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