Tropical Disease and Africa
Africa not only lacks economic but the internal infrastructure to deal with the crisis of tropical diseases. Africa also has a refugee problem that increases the population further impoverishing the country.
Africa continues to be a hot spot for tropical diseases. Weather conditions, poverty and global disinterest all contribute to the manifestation of the widespread problems associated with tropical diseases in Africa.
Part of the problem appears to be an economic one. Poor countries such as Africa are just not big players in the global economy and therefore are not given that much attention by industrialized countries. Other tropical areas (Brunei, Hong Kong, Singapore, Hawaiian Islands and the northern part of Australia) have more stable trade or other economic opportunities like tourism making them capable of providing their citizens and visitors with better opportunities for protection.
Africa not only lacks economic but the internal infrastructure to deal with the crisis of tropical diseases. Africa also has a refugee problem that increases the population further impoverishing the country.
Africa also is sensitive climate-wise. Diseases like malaria, schitosomiasis, river blindness and yellow fever are difficult to control because the lack of seasonal change encourages breeding of mosquitoes. Poor countries do not have the R&D investments needed to combat tropical diseases. Opportunities usually exist for topics that are more wide-spread like balding hair concerns rather than tropical diseases that only affect a smaller number of countries, especially when those countries are poor without political or economic clout.
Two elements that Africa has are the dramatic birth rates and the substandard living conditions of the people of Africa. Workers who do not wish to venture out of doors when mosquitos are active paralyse the economy; this creates unstable work times, contributing to the economic woes of Africa.
|
The ten diseases are:
African trypanosomiasis, chagas disease, dengue fever, leishmaniasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, malaria, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis and also tuberculosis. cholera, leprosy, tuberculosis and yellow fever are not only tropical diseases because they do occur elsewhere than just the tropics, they have a very high incidence in the tropics which is why they are included.
There are some occurrences of epidemics such as the Ebola hemorrhagic fever, and the Lassa fever or the Marburg virus which are not considered tropical diseases but do occur in the tropics in epidemic form. Besides Ebola other epidemics have been West Nile disease, Guinea Worm, and Mapucho hemorrhagic fever.
The consistent hot climate and large volume of rains creates the environment that breeds tropical disease.
Tropical Disease Research
|
Disease in Africa is not just a health concern; it is a socioeconomic development issue. Tropical disease creates instability within the continent of Africa; high rates of poverty, inadequate nutrition and the inability to recover economically are all by-products of the tropical disease that riddles Africa.
Another contributing factor to Africa's inability to combat tropical disease is that the refugees who come to Africa often comes from countries that do not comply with international laws and guidelines to protect those who seek asylum in other countries. Some countries do not allow their refugees to work, this adds to the poverty problem. Disease runs rampant in the temporary settlements that are set up for refugees (refugee camps) and these places have inadequate water and food supplies. Shelter during the rainy season also poses health conditions that are ideal for the spread of tropical disease due to the unsanitary living conditions.
Africa faces a lack of community cohesiveness, which adds stress and destroys the ability of healthcare workers to initiate community programs.
Malaria is a huge problem in Africa that is aggravated by the fact that it is becoming resistant to antimalarial drugs. Africa needs to control the efforts better by following strategic plans and fostering coordinate partnerships with African scientists and Northern partners. The strategic plans should include future development of new antimalarial drugs, the understanding of the pathogens that cause malaria, vector dynamics and the logistics of the spread of the disease.
Tropical Disease Dangers!
09/02/2010
Novartis Malaria Drug May Yield First New Treatment in 30 Years
An experimental Novartis AG medicine that killed drug-resistant malaria in laboratory studies may become the first new class of treatment against the disease in 30 years, researchers said.
Novartis Malaria Drug May Yield First New Treatment in 30 Years
09/04/2010
Medicines For Malaria Venture MMV Joins The Pool For Open Innovation Against Neglected Tropical Diseases
1888PressRelease Global Health Progress supports MMV's decision to contribute its intellectual property.Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV - Global Health Progress GHP is pleased to highlight the announcement that the not-for-profit public-private partnership Medicines for Malaria Venture MMV will became the first product development partnership PDP to contribute intellectual property to The Pool for...
Medicines For Malaria Venture MMV Joins The Pool For Open Innovation Against Neglected Tropical Diseases
09/04/2010
Novartis and collaborators discover novel antimalarial drug candidate
Novartis announced that scientists at the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD), in collaboration with researchers from the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF), the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a novel compound that shows promise as a next generation treatment for drug resistant malaria.
Novartis and collaborators discover novel antimalarial drug candidate
09/04/2010
Single-dose of experimental malaria drug clears parasites in mice, represents potential new class of drugs to treat ...
An experimental malaria drug was shown to effectively treat the disease in mice with only a single dose, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science, Reuters reports (Kelland, 9/2). The new drug, known as NITD609, "represents an entirely new class of medicines to treat malaria ... Human trials, backed by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG, could begin later this year," the ...
Single-dose of experimental malaria drug clears parasites in mice, represents potential new class of drugs to treat ...
09/02/2010
Dr. Reese Halter: Stupendous Tropical Rainforests Offer Medicine and Fight Global Warming
Tropical forests are felled at approximately 55,000 square miles a year. This is equivalent to the area of Switzerland and the Netherlands combined -- the size of a football field every second.
Dr. Reese Halter: Stupendous Tropical Rainforests Offer Medicine and Fight Global Warming
09/04/2010
Novartis and collaborators discover novel antimalarial drug candidate
Novartis announced that scientists at the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases (NITD), in collaboration with researchers from the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF), the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a novel compound that shows promise as a next generation treatment for drug resistant malaria.
Novartis and collaborators discover novel antimalarial drug candidate
08/30/2010
Tropical Storm Fiona May Get Slightly Stronger
Tropical Storm Fiona could strengthening slightly during the next 24 hours, followed by little change in intensity after that. FIONA: Computer Models | 5-Day Path
Tropical Storm Fiona May Get Slightly Stronger
| 