Archive for category: Global Health

Information and stories about global health.

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Bill Gates on Why Global Health Must Be a Global Priority

global healthSince 1983, J.P. Morgan has hosted an annual healthcare conference to unite industry leaders, fast-companies, innovative technology creators and people willing to invest in these technologies. Though the company is known for being a global leader in financial services, J.P. Morgan has made global health a priority by donating nearly $200 million a year to nonprofits globally, leading volunteer services and using its access to capital to help local communities suffering from poverty.

J.P. Morgan has made the following its core values:

  1. Corporate responsibility
  2. Health initiatives
  3. Strengthening communities
  4. Environmental sustainability

In January 2018, Bill Gates made an appearance at the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference to discuss his thoughts. At the conference, Gates’ speech discussed recent progress in global health and what else still needs to be done. Initially, he pointed out how global health has been the focus of his foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, for the last eight years. He explained how child mortality has decreased by 50 percent and credited new vaccines to reducing deaths due to rotavirus, pneumonia and malaria.

Afterwards, he expressed the need for more innovation, explaining how funding research is the most elementary step in improving global health. He mentioned the current gap between the tools that are currently available to eliminate stubborn diseases and poverty and the tools that are needed, explaining that the only solution is innovation. He emphasized how “the tools and discoveries companies are working on can also lead to breakthrough solutions that save millions of lives in the world’s poorest countries.”

He concluded his speech by emphasizing the need for more research into preterm births, as they account for half of newborn deaths. It has also become clear that a child’s nutrition and the microbiome in their stomach, or rather the interactions between the two, are the largest factor in determining the child’s survival rate. The best solution to this is ensuring that children have the proper ratio of microbes in their stomach, a problem Gates and his partners have started to tackle.

Gates and his foundation have always made global health a priority. They work with partners globally to improve the following five program areas:

  1. Global health, which focuses on developing new tools to reduce the spread of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, malaria and HIV.
  2. Global development, which aims to finance the delivery of high-impact solutions, providing people with healthy, productive lives.
  3. Global policy and advocacy, which promotes public policies and builds alliances with the government, the public and the private sectors.
  4. Global growth and opportunity, which works to break down economic barriers in an effort to lift people out of poverty.
  5. U.S. programs, which focuses on ensuring all students graduate from high school and have the opportunity to go to college.

Thanks to Bill Gates, his foundation and the J.P. Morgan healthcare conference, investors and advancements will continue to increase, alleviating the burden of global poverty and improving global health.

– Chylene Babb

Photo: Flickr

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The Nation With the World’s Lowest Life Expectancy

The widespread poverty, hunger and disease in Central Africa has consistently resulted in the lowest life expectancy in the world. While the global average of life expectancy has risen by roughly five years in the past two decades, central African countries continue to dwell at the statistical bottom. At a typical life expectancy of 50 years, the global community must increase funding and accountability to ensure that poverty and disease cease their decimation of central African populations.

The central African country of Chad was estimated to have the lowest life expectancy in the world for 2017. Chad is a country of 12 million people, 40 percent of which live below the poverty line. While the country began oil production in the early 2000s, Chad’s poverty rate is expected to continue its rise. In part, this is due to the country’s high mortality rate and low life expectancy. To gauge the ability of the U.S. and other developed nations to help increase Chadians’ average lifespan of only 50.60 years, it is first necessary to examine the causes of death.

Early Deaths

Children in Chad die from all sorts of illnesses, from malaria and respiratory infections to prematurity and diarrhea. Because so few Chadians have access to birth control, as only approximately five percent use contraception, the birth rate in Chad is growing. 43 percent of the population is aged 14 or younger, and that figure is rising. The risk of dying by this young age is 44 percent for boys and 39 for girls, as of 2012.

Furthermore, Chad has the third highest maternal mortality rate in the world. Extreme poverty, poor to no maternal health care and adolescent pregnancy has contributed greatly to the high maternal death rates. In a country with the lowest life expectancy in the world, the extreme poverty rates must decrease and better access to maternal healthcare is essential if the country is to improve.

Diseases

Chad, like many African nations, is no stranger to disease. Lower respiratory diseases, malaria, HIV/AIDS and diarrhoeal infections are dangerously common. Lower respiratory infections alone killed 24,700 people in 2012. The risk factors for falling prey to these diseases are lack of adequate healthcare, a rarity of potable water and the hot and arid climate. As the largest of Africa’s landlocked countries, Chadians are forced to walk long distances for water.

As only 28 percent of the population lives in urban areas, the vast majority of Chadians do not have quick access to necessities such as water and healthcare. As the country with the world’s lowest life expectancy, it is vital that Chad provide better access to these basic human needs to the entirety of its landscape.

The U.S. is in a unique position to provide monetary and medicinal assistance. Maintaining accountability with the Chadian government regarding these resources would be the most effective way to ensure that taxpayer dollars are going to good use and can be reflected by a rising life expectancy for the people of Chad, and all over Central Africa.

– Eric Paulsen

Photo: Flickr

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Extending the Global Health Security Agenda to 2024

global health security agendaThe Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) is a partnership of nations, international organizations and NGOs that are seeking to keep the world safe from infectious diseases and maintain health security as a main global priority. The program launched in 2014 as a five-year initiative to increase country-level health security to stop disease outbreaks at their source.

In October 2017, GHSA was extended until 2024. This extension will allow the global health community to enhance data sharing, preparedness planning, epidemiological and laboratory surveillance, risk assessment and response to infectious diseases and other health issues and threats.

The Global Health Security Agenda has created a set of eleven targets and an assessment tool, which is currently being carried out in five countries: Georgia, Peru, Portugal, Uganda and the United Kingdom. In the organization’s assessment of Georgia, it noted that zoonotic diseases are a problem, as 60 percent of human pathogens are zoonotic. Much of the diseases seen in humans within the country are of animal origin, spreading, for example, through contact with veterinarians. These assessment reports contain information about immunization, biosafety and biosecurity and real-time surveillance among other things.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes that global health security strengthens United States security. The CDC works in association with GHSA to combat disease worldwide. The organization currently has partnerships with 31 countries, including the Caribbean, that are working to meet the goals of GHSA. The CDC has established Global Disease Detection Centers around the world, providing assistance to over 2,000 requests for disease outbreaks and creating more than 380 diagnostic tests in laboratories of 59 countries.

GHSA has had success stories in many countries, including Tanzania. The nation’s government is determined to play a role in ensuring GHSA’s success, both nationally and internationally. Tanzania joined the program back in August 2015, and in February 2016, it became the first country to use the Joint External Evaluation to assess its 19 capacities to prevent, detect and respond to public health issues.

In a formal event, Tanzania also launched the National Action Plan for Health Security. Held on September 8, 2017, the event was well attended, including guests such as USAID, the World Bank and the World Health Organization.

The fight to keep the world safe from disease may still be a long road, but with programs like the Global Health Security Agenda, the future seems promising.

– Blake Chambers

Photo: Flickr

Combating Female Genital Mutilation

Female Genital MutilationMore than 120 million women and girls worldwide are victims of female genital mutilation (FGM). Often referred to as circumcision, a tragic misnomer, FGM is practiced in 28 different African countries, southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula, the Persian Gulf, among Muslim populations in Malaysia and Indonesia and increasingly among immigrant groups in Europe, Australia, Canada and the U.S.

Some cultures believe a woman’s ability to be stimulated sexually is impure within the definition of their religious practices. Others believe women are unmarriageable if they have not been cut, and therefore the practice is often perpetuated by mothers to ensure their children are not cast out societally. It is also believed that having their children cut can reduce the chances of extramarital affairs. Female genital mutilation is an epidemic with little justification for its practice.

There are four types of FGM:

  • Type I: The prepuce (clitoral hood) is removed, sometimes with part or all of the clitoris.
  • Type II: The prepuce, clitoris and part or all of the labia minora are removed.
  • Type III: Sometimes called infibulation, it involves the complete removal of the clitoris, labia minora and inner surface of the labia majora. Then the raw edges of the labia majora are then stitched together with thorns, silk or catgut sutures, resulting in a layer of scar tissue covering the vaginal opening and leaving a small opening for urine and menstrual blood to pass through.
  • Type IV: Encompasses any other surgical procedures that include the manipulation of female genitalia. Examples include pricking, piercing, incision of the clitoris or labia, stretching of the clitoris and/or labia, cauterization by burning of the clitoris and surrounding tissue, introcision (defined as a tearing of the perineum followed by compulsory intercourse with a number of young men), scraping of the vaginal orifice, cuts into the vagina and introduction of substances into the vagina with the intention of tightening or narrowing the vaginal opening.

The short-term effects of female genital mutilation include severe pain, infections, abscesses and recurring cysts. Long-term effects include painful intercourse, menstrual complications, increased risk during childbirth, sexual dysfunction and psychological trauma.

In spite of legislation to end the occurrence of FGM, in some cultures, it is an ingrained rite of passage for women to enter womanhood. Mona Eltahawy, an op-ed contributor to the New York Times, interviewed a 53-year-old FGM survivor from Cairo who said, “It must be carried out because that’s the way to maintain the purity of girls, to make sure the girl is not out of control. We don’t care if it’s against the law or if they’re trying to stop it. We know doctors who are willing to continue and have done so.”

In October 2014, the U.N. Secretary-General announced a global campaign to end the practice of FGM within a generation. The government of Egypt banned it in 1959, then permitted again in some forms including “medical” genital cutting. Then a universal ban on all FGM was enacted in 2008. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has ensured that everyone within their jurisdiction has the rights and freedom defined in the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

The Guide to Good and Promising Practices Aimed at Preventing and Combating Female Genital Mutilation, written by the Steering Committee for Human Rights, outlines the Four Ps implemented to combat FGM.

The Four Ps:

  1. Integrated Policy and Data
  2. Prevention
  3. Protection
  4. Prosecution

Several countries and organizations have employed methods to fight FGM on a large scale. Senegal has been hailed as a success story not for eradicating the practice but reducing the rate at which it is performed. Their methods include alternative rites of passage into womanhood, campaigns that include brides and bridegrooms to reject the custom, involving priests and clerics and helping women to reach higher levels of education.

A group of young women in Kenya who call themselves The Restorers developed an app to prevent female genital mutilation and other gender-based violence. The Restorers entered their app, i-Cut, into the Technovation Challenge. The app includes an SOS option for those who believe they may become victims of FGM or other gender-related violence, as well as an option to report if they have been victimized.

The Restorers didn’t win the competition, and many Kenyan leaders have not embraced the app, claiming that the girls have “become too westernized and are ruining African culture.” However, they plan to submit the app to Google Play and other digital marketplaces. This type of innovation complements more traditional preventative measures by raising awareness and giving women the option of reporting FGM.

The Committee of Ministers of the Council has stressed the need to raise awareness and improve educational campaigns to combat gender stereotypes that drive discrimination against women and girls. These campaigns must involve both genders collaborating to prevent the spread of harmful ideologies fueling violence against women and specifically female genital mutilation.

The issue is not strictly legal and not entirely social. In order to truly end this custom, the underlying issues regarding gender and power dynamics must be addressed.

The causes of FGM are rooted in the promotion of misconceptions about female sexuality in addition to detrimental gender politics within societal structures. Confronting FGM and its sources requires a multidimensional approach that enacts policies that dictate preventative measures, campaigns to influence the cultural perception of the practice, programs to improve gender equality and safety for women and girls worldwide.

– Rebekah Korn

Photo: Flickr

What Is PATH and How Does it Improve Global Health?

What Is PATH and How Have They Improved Global Health
The Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) is an international, nonprofit organization that is a leader in innovating global health solutions. The program’s aim is to bring about effective and cutting edge technologies and products to underserved areas of the world and to work toward providing major healthcare needs. PATH works closely with partners around the world to bring passion and innovation to solving these problems and to scale them on a global level.

PATH has five primary vehicles of innovation, being:

  1. Vaccines, which are developed to be quickly deployed to where they are needed most. Using its own Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access, PATH brings in top innovators from around the world to work on vaccines at every stage — from testing and producing to deployment technologies that promote safe usage.
  2. Drugs, where PATH works closely with partners to provide affordable medicines targeting low-income countries. This allows life-saving medicines to be accessible by more people and more quickly where they are needed most.
  3. Diagnostics, which are an integral part of managing people’s health, is hugely developed by PATH. It is creating and implementing fast-acting, single-use “point‑of‑care” diagnostic exams in order to get fast results when time matters and to ensure sterility.
  4. Devices, which PATH helps accelerate, are primarily focused on sterilization. Water, air, food and medical supplies all need to be clean in order to be effective and safe. This is where PATH steps in, reinforcing markets for water sanitation products, developing sterilization devices and making all of these available to areas without access.
  5. System and service innovations, which involves working with the current infrastructure, or, as in many cases, strengthening the currently standing one to allow the flow of medical innovations from suppliers to the local communities in need. Included in this is the training of local personnel where there are shortages and providing them access to digital aid to help local medical systems.

PATH works hard to take the most innovative medical solutions available to countries that need it most, and in many cases, develops its own solutions to issues as well. By strengthening methods that give people access to important medical supplies, medicine, newer technologies and practices, PATH is an important ally in underserved areas.

– Rebekah Covey

Photo: Flickr

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Rihanna Raises Five Million Dollars at Annual Diamond Ball

RihannaRobyn Fenty, popularly known as Rihanna, hosted the Diamond Ball with the help of Dave Chappelle on September 14th, 2017. The event occurred at Cipriani Wall Street, and this was her first time hosting the ball in New York City. The charity event raised over five million dollars for the health and education initiatives of the Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF) for the Caribbean Islands and Malawi. The CLF promotes innovative education, health and emergency response programs around the world.

The CLF actively participates in global advocacy with the goal of improving the quality of life for young people everywhere. The CLF’s current agendas are involved with the Clara Lionel Foundation Global Scholarship Program, the Clara Braithwaite Center for Oncology and Nuclear Medicine at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados and the Barbados Micro Grants Program.

The director of the Clara Lionel Foundation, Justine Lucas, mentioned at the event that they were one of the first few organizations to aid Hurricane Harvey victims. They are also planning to invest in Irma recovery.

While the charity event was by invitation only, Rihanna’s family and many notable celebrities attended in support of the pop singer’s philanthropic efforts. Young Thug, Beyoncé, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jamie Foxx supported Rihanna’s cause. Even President Barack Obama sent in a video message where he thanked Rihanna for her work with her foundation. “You’ve become a powerful force in helping people find hope and dignity,” said a delighted Obama.

Through Dave Chappelle’s charisma and Rihanna’s ploy to get her guests influenced by alcohol (and their own compassion), the Diamond Ball raised over $5 million for health and education initiatives. “I hope that as you hear about what we are doing and what we plan to do, you too will be inspired to join our mission. The more you drink, the more inspired you’ll be to donate money … and help kids around the world,” Rihanna slyly encouraged her guests.

– Jalil Perry

Photo: Flickr

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72nd UNGA Establishes Key Goals and Aid

US Participation in 72nd UNGAThe annual General Debate of the 72nd Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was held at the U.N. Headquarters in New York City from September 19-25, 2017. This debate is a stage for world leaders to gather in discussion about the most vital global issues. The theme of the General Debate was “Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet,” which is fitting for the state of our world today.

As the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the U.N., the General Assembly provides a unique forum for universal discussion on the full spectrum of international issues. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) administrator Mark Green met with bilateral and multinational partners at the 72nd UNGA General Debate to discuss U.S. priorities in a number of key areas.

Development
As a major component of the U.S. approach to foreign affairs and national security strategy, development was a large focus of many of Administrator Green’s meetings at the 72nd UNGA. Representatives from all over the world met with Administrator Green to discuss the shared vision for increased efforts towards development assistance.

Specifically, Administrator Green met with European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica to discuss the importance of their cooperation in delivering development assistance that builds long-term resilience. The administrator and the commissioner discussed the possibility of financing future development projects through the new European Union External Investment Fund.

Administrator Green also met with Isabella Lövin, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate of the Kingdom of Sweden. The two agreed on the growing need to promote long-term development through building the capacity of national institutions and civil-society organizations to foster durable and self-reliant communities.

Global Health
Administrator Green announced that the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), led by USAID and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will launch new programs in west and central Africa, including Cameroon, Côte D’Ivoire, Niger, Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso. More than 480 million people at risk of malaria have already benefited from existing PMI programs and this new expansion is estimated to benefit 90 million more.

Additionally, Administrator Green reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to global health programs at the World Health Organization and Stop TB Partnership reception at the 72nd UNGA. Green referred to eradicating tuberculosis as not a challenge of technology or intellect but rather a challenge of political will. The U.S. invests over $240 million each year through bilateral tuberculosis programs and partners with governments in 22 high-risk countries; however, Administrator Green highlighted the need for more partnerships and assistance in order to eradicate tuberculosis.

Humanitarian Aid
Administrator Green announced nearly $264 million in additional humanitarian aid for the people of Iraq. This new money brings the total of U.S. government humanitarian aid in Iraq to nearly $1.7 billion since 2014. The assistance will benefit the people of Iraq by providing food, water, hygiene kits, sanitation, shelter, basic health care and medicines.

Just one day later, the U.S. announced more than $575 million in additional humanitarian aid for those affected by famine and violence in Yemen, South Sudan, Nigeria and Somalia. U.S. humanitarian aid in these four countries now totals $2.5 billion since the beginning of this year.

Although Administrator Green announced almost $1 billion in additional humanitarian aid in less than 48 hours, he noted that “humanitarian assistance, we all know, alone will not solve these crises.” Green reiterated the need for long-term political solutions that can only result from a common agenda for bilateral and multinational support.

Crisis Management
Administrator Green declared the U.S. commitment to pursuing political solutions to the massive displacement and victimization of people in the Rakhine State of Burma, the rampant violence in South Sudan, and the public health crises in Nigeria, Syria, and Yemen. With the world facing the greatest humanitarian crisis since 1945, Administrator Green met with many leaders to discuss paths to peace, stability and prosperity.

Canadian Minister for International Development Marie-Claude Bibeau and Administrator Green discussed tactics to combat corruption and promote transparency amid crisis resolution. Administrator Green also met with Secretary of State for the Department of International Development of the United Kingdom Priti Patel, where they noted the potential for much-needed increased bilateral cooperation in the wake of unprecedented crises.

In addition to the U.S. priorities above, Administrator Green addressed and discussed a variety of other priorities. The General Assembly is a unique platform for the discussion of issues that affect our world on a global scale, as it is the only one of the six principal organs of the United Nations in which all 193 member nations have equal representation. Although the world faces global challenges, each meeting and address at the 72nd UNGA alludes to global solutions.

– Jamie Enright

Photo: Flickr

Senate is Improving Global Health

Senate Committee Votes "Yes" to Improving Global HealthThe Senate Committee on Appropriations made significant progress for improving global health on September 7 by approving both the FY 2018 State & Foreign Operations (SFOPs) and the FY 2018 Labor, Health, and Human Services (LHHS) appropriations bills. Both of these bills intend to allocate money to important global health initiatives.

After months of controversy surrounding President Trump’s drastic cuts to these initiatives in his proposed FY 2018 budget, funding in the Senate’s budget for all program areas was above the President’s FY 2018 budget request and either matched or exceeded final FY 2017 levels. The proposed levels of funding are a clear rejection of President Trump’s proposals.

Politicians from both sides of the aisle came together to offer bipartisan support. One uniting factor was the $2 billion proposed increase for the National Institutes of Health and $29 million increase in funding for the Department of Education.

The funding proposed in this bill will be very important for improving global health. The budget proposes funding of $8.6 billion to the State Department and USAID, which handle all the majority of global health assistance programs. This number represents a $2.1 billion, or 32.6 percent, increase from President Trump’s proposal. The budget also allocates $433.6 million to the CDC for global health.

Many specialized global health programs will benefit from this funding. Here are some of the highlights:

  • $1,350 million as the US contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria
  • An increase to $261 million in total funding for Tuberculosis
  • An increase to $202.5 million in total funding for Global Health Security
  • $23 million in funding for Vulnerable Children, which President Trump had eliminated from his request
  • $622.5 million for Family Planning and Reproductive Health
  • Repeal of the Mexico City Policy, which President Trump had reinstated with an executive order in January

One especially important program receiving funds is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID), which is working to combat antibiotic resistant bacteria. The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance is growing at an alarming rate and especially impacts developing countries.

The Senate’s approval of these bills has important implications for the future of global health. While much work still must be done to actually approve the budget, these numbers are certainly a step in the right direction and indicative of a commitment to improving global health.

– Lauren Mcbride

Photo: Flickr

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Common Diseases in Sudan

Common Diseases in Sudan
Sudan is an East African country that has been embroiled in civil wars for several decades, leading to its split with South Sudan in 2011. The long period of instability in the country has contributed to conditions that encourage the spread of communicable diseases, which are some of the most common diseases in Sudan.

Most Common Diseases in Sudan

  1. Yellow Fever – Yellow fever is a common virus found in tropical areas of South America and Africa. Transmitted to an individual through the bite of an infected mosquito, yellow fever ranks as one of the most common diseases in Sudan. Symptoms include influenza-like symptoms such as a fever, chills, severe headache, back pain, general body aches, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and weakness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Severe cases can lead to internal bleeding and failure of major organs. Sudan is listed as one of the thirty countries in Africa with a high risk of yellow fever.
  2. Rift Valley Fever – From 2007 to 2010, a major outbreak of Rift Valley fever, a mosquito-borne viral disease, was recorded in Sudan. Standing water from unusual flooding allowed for infected mosquito eggs to lie dormant. Infected mosquitos also feed on livestock, which can pass the disease to humans through infected blood and meat. The Rift Valley fever outbreak devastated Sudanese agricultural communities, leading to an almost 100 percent mortality rate among young animals and high pregnancy failures among child-bearing livestock. According to the CDC, nearly 75,000 people were infected with the disease over the course of three years. Symptoms include fever and liver irregularities, but severe cases can cause hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis or ocular disease.
  3. Guinea Worm Disease – One of the most geographically specific and common diseases in Sudan is Guinea worm disease. The infection, caused by the parasite Dracunculus medinensis, the Guinea worm, is spread by drinking water containing worm larvae. Guinea worm disease highly affects poor communities in Sudan that have little access to clean drinking water. Once ingested, over the course of a year, larvae grow into full-size adults within a human’s digestive tract. Within 24 to 72 hours after reaching full-size, the infected person develops blisters on their hands or feet, out of which the worm eventually emerges. Based on research by the CDC, there is applicable treatment of Guinea worm disease and no vaccine for prevention.
  4. Meningococcal Meningitis – Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial disease that causes an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. It is a respiratory disease transmitted from person to person by close and prolonged contact resulting from crowded living conditions. Sudan lies in the region of sub-Saharan Africa referred to as the “Meningitis Belt,” where the highest rate of meningococcal meningitis occurs throughout the continent. Symptoms can include a stiff neck, high fever, headaches and vomiting. The CIA World Factbook listed Sudan as a country at very high risk of infection.
  5. Malaria – Transmitted to humans through the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito, malaria ranks as one of the most common diseases in Sudan. With cases recorded in all regions of Sudan, the risk of contracting the disease is extremely high. According to the CDC, symptoms of malaria include fever, chills and flu-like illness. Severe cases can end in death. In 2015, a confirmed 586,827 cases of the disease were treated. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, including unreported cases, there were 1,400,000 total. Estimated deaths total around 3,500.
  6. HIV/AIDS – Based on research conducted by the CDC, human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) affect an estimated 35 million people worldwide, with more than two-thirds of those living in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2015, 25 percent of adults in Sudan were living with HIV/AIDS, according to the CIA World Factbook. HIV/AIDS is most often spread through unprotected intercourse but can be contracted by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person. Symptoms are often flu-like and can progress to severe cases that can be fatal. HIV/AIDS ranks as an extremely common disease in Sudan today.

Despite the country’s high risk of contracting an infectious disease, work is being done to combat issues related to health and sanitation. The World Health Organization, in coordination with the Sudanese Ministry of Health, is taking action, such as expanding cholera emergency responses to lower future risk and training health workers in disease detection.

– Riley Bunch

Photo: Flickr

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Increased Tobacco Control Methods Implemented Globally

Tobacco Control MethodsThe World Health Organization found that the number of countries implementing tobacco control policies has quadrupled since 2007. Today, 63 percent of the population is covered by tobacco control methods. Tobacco control methods may come in the form of advertising bans, restricting smoking in public areas and other limitations on the use of tobacco.

One in 10 deaths around the world is caused by tobacco, and deaths caused by tobacco are entirely preventable. Tobacco-related illnesses also place a large burden on the healthcare system; each year the cost of healthcare and productivity loss due to tobacco is $1.4 trillion. Economic productivity is also impacted by tobacco use. Premature death and disability due to tobacco decreases the size of the workforce and potential output of a country.

The burden of tobacco-related deaths is higher in developing countries. More than 80 percent of deaths caused by noncommunicable disease, such as heart and lung disease, occur in low and middle-income countries. Tobacco is the leading risk factor for noncommunicable diseases. People of lower economic status and education levels often use tobacco at higher rates than people in a higher economic class.

The World Health Organization created the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to lay out methods for governments to limit tobacco use. Published in 2005, this was the first international public health treaty negotiated by the WHO. This framework puts forth the MPOWER tobacco control methods that aid governments in monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies, protecting people from tobacco smoke, warning people of the dangers of tobacco and enforcing bans on tobacco.

Since the framework was published many countries have taken action to reduce the prevalence of tobacco in their population. For example, after monitoring tobacco use within the country, Nepal placed the largest health warnings on tobacco packages; the warnings cover 90 percent of the package. In India, a survey showed that one in two tobacco users wanted to quit. India created a program and toll-free quit line in 2016 to support and encourage those who wanted to quit. The Philippines passed the Sin Tax Reform Law in 2012, which taxed tobacco products. A followup survey in 2015 showed that there were far fewer smokers in the country.

Today, one-third of countries monitor tobacco use. More countries need to design policies to measure tobacco use; these plans will help countries promote overall health and save healthcare costs. Upon gathering data, governments can create tailored and successful programs to reduce tobacco use.

– Sarah Denning

Photo: Flickr