Archive for category: Global Health

Information and stories about global health.

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Causes of Common Diseases in Botswana

Common Diseases in BotswanaBotswana, located directly north of South Africa, has been victim to epidemics of deadly diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria. Prevention and treatment of these diseases is a top priority for Botswana’s ministry of health. Since these diseases have high mortality rates, it is important to look at the root causes and risk factors associated with common diseases in Botswana.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the deadliest common diseases in Botswana and the percent of deaths for which they are responsible are the following: HIV (32 percent), malaria (7 percent), tuberculosis (6 percent), diarrheal diseases (4 percent), cancer (4 percent), pre-term birth complications (2 percent), Ischemic Heart Disease (2 percent), stroke (2 percent) and STDs (2 percent).

The top three common diseases in Botswana — HIV, malaria and TB — are all communicable diseases, meaning that they are transmitted through contact. Communicable, maternal, neonatal and nutritional diseases comprise the deadliest category of diseases in Botswana. The next two categories of diseases with the highest mortality rates are non-communicable diseases and injuries, respectively. Cardiovascular diseases and cancer account for nearly half of deaths from non-communicable diseases. The top causes of deadly injuries in Botswana are self-harm and interpersonal violence, unintentional injuries and transport injuries, respectively.

Unsafe sex is the most prevalent risk factor for deadly diseases, accounting for about 60 percent of behavioral risk factors for contracting a deadly disease. It is by far the most common risk factor for HIV/AIDs and TB. Unsafe water, sanitation and handwashing habits account for 46.3 percent of environmental risk factors, followed by air pollution accounting for 37.1 percent of environmental risk factors. These are the most common risk factors for contracting diarrheal and infectious diseases. Alcohol and drug use is also a prevalent risk factor for contracting a deadly disease, such as HIV through needle sharing, or for certain injuries.

Several projects have been implemented for disease prevention and treatment, specifically for HIV as it causes almost one in three deaths in Botswana. Areas of focus for the national HIV program include high-quality prevention, care and treatment services; HIV counseling; blood safety and early infant diagnosis.

Evidence-based public health procedures are effecting change in Botswana for preventing HIV. The Botswana Combination Prevention Project evaluates the effect of proven HIV-prevention measures to reduce the number of new HIV infections over time.

Some procedures for prevention and treatment that have decreased the incidence of HIV cases. These include HIV testing, which positively changes behavior, prevention of mother-to-child transmission and antiretroviral treatment for those infected with HIV, which can cure the patient while also preventing the transmission of the disease to another partner.

Additionally, the CDC works to strengthen healthcare systems in order to sustain an effective HIV program. Strengthening healthcare systems includes improving workforce development, disease surveillance and epidemiology, health information systems and program monitoring.

As of 2012, 96 percent of men, women and children in Botswana in need of HIV treatment received it. The mother-to-child transmission rate of HIV has decreased to less than 4 percent. Botswana has integrated their TB and HIV programs, which improved the quality, impact and coverage of both programs.

Education for prevention and access to these services are very important. These steps for prevention and treatment, however, require resources that developing countries like Botswana do not have. This is where foreign aid strongly benefits a developing country. Through PEPFAR and the establishment of CDC Botswana, the U.S. government has had a significant impact in ameliorating common diseases in Botswana, specifically HIV. Foreign aid will continue to be a key component in tackling global health crises.

– Christiana Lano

Photo: Flickr

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Noncommunicable Diseases: The Impending Global Health Crisis


The WHO’s “Ten years in public health 2007-2017” report chronicles the “evolution of global public health” over the past decade. The report emphasizes the escalation of chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCD) as the largest threat to global health.

Chronic NCDs are categorized as diseases that progress slowly. The four main NCDs are cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease, all of which share common risk factors abundant in non-health sectors. NCDs have only recently been recognized as a main component in the impending global health crisis. These chronic diseases share four risk factors: tobacco use, excessive alcohol use, unhealthy diet and minimal physical activity.

In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 70 percent of global deaths were due to NCDs (39.5 million out of 56.4 million). Out of the 39.5 million NCD fatalities, 30.7 million occurred in low and middle-income countries.

Health systems traditionally rely on curing individual disease as they arise. However, current health systems are not sustainable due to insufficient disease management and care. Access to disease treatment is becoming unavailable for millions of individuals, including affluent people in wealthy countries.

A study released by the World Economic Forum states that diabetes cost the global economy nearly $500 billion in 2010 and this is projected to increase to $745 billion by 2030. Newly approved cancer treatments average $120,000 per person, causing medical care to be “unaffordable for even the richest countries in the world.”

These high costs have four severe implications:

  1. They undermine the traditionally ethical ideal that healthcare should be available to everyone;
  2. The need for social protection becomes obvious when a person has to spend much as 60 percent of their income to get diabetes medication;
  3. Prevention becomes the foundation of global health;
  4. High costs clarify that no economy can outlast the NCD global crisis by investing solely in treatment services.

The WHO report ‘Ten years in public health 2007-2017’ estimates that 40 million people die each year from NDCs, “accounting for 70 percent of all deaths worldwide.” According to Margaret Chan, Director-General at WHO, chronic noncommunicable diseases have surpassed infectious disease as the leading cause of death worldwide.

The WHO’s newly established ‘Health Emergencies Programme’, enables faster response to global pandemics and emergencies. The programme collaborates with various countries and partners to “prepare for, prevent, respond to and recover from all hazards that create health emergencies, including disasters, disease outbreaks and conflicts.” It is also focused on community engagement and increasing disease prevention in public health services.

Chan urges the world to focus on implementing universal health care to reduce noncommunicable diseases. It is the ultimate expression of equality, ensuring no one is left behind.

– Madison O’Connell

Photo: Flickr

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The Climb Towards Eliminating the Spread of HIV/AIDs

The Climb Towards Eliminating the Spread of HIV/AIDs
Since the early 2000s, organizations such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have had vested interests in setting up preventative measures aimed at eliminating the spread of HIV/AIDs. Such elimination is particularly an issue in developing countries, where the disease is most prevalent.

In working towards this goal, USAID focuses on providing better resources for healthcare workers, especially in countries where professional healthcare workers are scarce and resources are incredibly low.

According to USAID, optimizing for the “effective and sustainable” delivery of services is a pivotal strategy towards eliminating the spread of HIV/AIDs in developing countries and on a global scale. Such a strategy targets various means towards the end goal, including the efficient training of healthcare workers, effectively administering antiretroviral medicine within clinics and hospitals and providing efficient laboratory training and lab systems for HIV viral load testing.

Moreover, the U.N. has initiated a “90-90-90” plan in response to the rapidly growing HIV/AIDs epidemic. Under this plan, the end goal is for 90 percent of populations infected with HIV to have received antiretroviral therapy by the year 2020.

Currently, only 60 percent of the 36.7 million individuals living with HIV are aware of their positive status, and less than half of these individuals are receiving the medical attention necessary to help prevent its spread among unsuspecting persons.

According to the WHO, more than 90 percent of persons infected with HIV live in developing countries with poor access to medical treatment. Likewise, the highest rates of infection lie in the underdeveloped countries of sub-Saharan Africa, where money and healthcare resources are extremely limited.

To help combat the spread of HIV, the WHO remains dedicated to promoting for an increased budget in HIV vaccines, easy access to testing and counseling services and providing affordable healthcare treatments for individuals living with the virus. Taken together, these measures can be utilized for eliminating the spread of HIV/AIDs in underdeveloped countries as well as on a global scale.

– Lael Pierce

Photo: Flickr

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Top Five Neglected Tropical Diseases

Tropical Diseases
Neglected tropical diseases are transmitted diseases caused by parasites, and are usually found in tropical and subtropical regions. They mostly affect people in poverty who live in unsanitary conditions. Most of these neglected tropical diseases can be easily prevented with treatments and vaccinations that are affordable.

Lymphatic Filariasis

More than 1.3 billion people across 72 countries might be at risk for this disease, and more than 120 million people are infected by it. Lymphatic filariasis is caused by infections from parasites called filarial worms and leads to abnormal enlargements of body parts, which causes great pain. The disease is better known as elephantiasis. There has been some success in stopping the spread of the disease by using preventive chemotherapy. The disease can also be treated with a care package that alleviates pain and prevents any more disfigurement.

Onchocerciasis (River Blindness)

The River Blindness disease gets its name from the black flies that are found in fast-flowing streams and rivers. Infections cause blindness and skin disease. Ninety percent of cases occur in Africa, with a lot of cases in Latin America and Yemen as well. Long-term skin damage and blindness can be prevented with a medicine called ivermectin.

Schistosomiasis (Snail Fever)

Schistosomiasis gets the nickname “snail fever” from freshwater snails carrying the disease. Children can be highly susceptible to the disease when they swim and fish in infested waters. Snail fever has spread in a lot of poor areas in Africa because of migrations and population movements, but the World Health Organization has worked to spread awareness and treat infections. The WHO even implemented campaigns to distribute praziquantel, which can be a large-scale treatment of schistosomiasis.

Ascariasis (Roundworm Infection)

Ascariasis is one of the most common neglected tropical diseases, infecting more than one billion people per year and causing 60,000 deaths each year. The disease is caused by a parasitic roundworm called Ascaris lumbricoides. More than one hundred worms can infect a human at a time. The earthworm eggs can be accidentally ingested through contaminated food, water and soil. Some symptoms can be minor, such as coughing, loss of appetite and a fever. In severe cases, it can cause malnutrition, intestinal blockage and pneumonia. There have been companies donating to help fight the disease, such as Johnson and Johnson, pledging to donate 200 million tablets of mebendazole by 2020, and GlaxoSmithKline, donating one billion tablets of albendazole a year.

Trachoma

Trachoma is another eye disease that is much more severe than River Blindness. It is one of the most infectious causes of blindness and affects about 1.9 million people. Trachoma is either spread through physical contact with the eye or nose discharge from other people. Fleets of flies have been known to carry the disease as well. This neglected tropical disease mostly affects women and young children in poor rural areas in Africa and Asia. The World Health Assembly has adopted Resolution WHA51.11 which is geared towards eliminating the disease by 2020.

With continued intervention from governments, NGOs and corporations, these neglected tropical diseases can be effectively targeted and eliminated, ensuring lives of enhanced productivity and prosperity for millions of people around the world.

– Emma Majewski

Photo: Flickr

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US Benefits of Global Health Initiatives


Healing the sick and preventing disease worldwide are more than merely altruistic goals: they contribute directly to the economic and physical prosperity of the U.S. as a whole. Here are three U.S. benefits of global health initiatives:

1. Prevention is cheap, while intervention is expensive. The Ebola crisis in West Africa between 2014 and 2016 incurred enormous costs worldwide to contain the spread of the virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. alone spent a whopping $2.37 billion responding to the epidemic. By contrast, the U.S. spends no money at all treating smallpox, because preventative measures such as vaccines and education have eradicated the disease entirely. Moreover, the cost of effective aid is surprisingly low. The less than one percent of the U.S. federal budget that goes to foreign aid has resulted in a 60% reduction in reported deaths from malaria.

2. Healthy populations overseas keep Americans healthy. The modern highly globalized environment, which includes growth in short term travel and international transport of goods, makes communicable diseases likelier than ever before to become cross-continent pandemics. Investing in global health helps to ensure U.S. citizens are kept safe from exposure to diseases with the potential to become epidemics. This is a well-known fact in the medical world, as the concept of community immunity, more commonly known as herd immunity, prevents infectious diseases from reaching those even with the most vulnerable immune systems. Each case of Ebola, SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), influenza or any other similar virulent infection prevented in Africa is one less threat to an American citizen at risk. The physical health of the American people is one more of many U.S. benefits of global health initiatives.

3. Healthy people make good consumers of American products. Every person living in extreme poverty can result in an opportunity to create a productive member of economic society. As people emerge from struggling with subsistence living and gain access to more money, they create demand for products and services that can be created in America. This directly results in a financial boon to the local U.S. economy. Foreign aid is not just charity; it is an investment in the expansion of the free market. In fact, global health experts estimate that for every one dollar invested in global health, the U.S. is repaid 20 dollars.

Recent political shifts in the U.S. and England have caused concern among philanthropists that the issue of foreign aid, which has long been bipartisan, is at risk of being politicized. Bill Gates told USA Today on February 14: “If you interpret America First (the campaign tagline of President Trump) in certain ways, it would suggest not prioritizing the stability of Africa and American leadership.” Despite these fears, hope remains among experienced proponents of global health initiatives that these new administrations will view global health initiatives as long term investments in their home countries.

– Dan Krajewski

Photo: Flickr

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President Obama and the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA)

Health Security Agenda
On Nov. 4, President Obama signed an executive order advancing the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), which the administration started in 2014. As a result, the United States will now prioritize the GHSA on a presidential level.

As part of the GHSA, the United States has joined with 55 different countries, nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies.  The GHSA’s top goals include the improvement of research accountability and outbreak detection, and 22 countries have already begun to evaluate outbreak responses and identify areas to improve upon.

Philippe Douste-Blazy, the under-secretary general of the United Nations, suggests that the WHO needs to focus on outbreak response as one of its five main priorities in order to ensure that the global health goals will be met by 2030.

According to USAID, the “GHSA promotes global health security as a national priority through targeted capacity building activities, such as improving laboratory systems, strengthening disease surveillance, improving biosafety and biosecurity, expanding workforce development, and improving emergency management.”

USAID also proposes to support the GHSA initiative by addressing animal health, human health and the environment. USAID’s Bureau for Global Health Assistant Administrator, Dr. Ariel Pablos Mendez, says that USAID’s attention to animal health is particularly important: 70 percent of new infectious disease outbreaks begin in animals.

WaterAid also celebrates the GHSA’s anticipated role in improving the safety of drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. WaterAid explains that the spread of infectious diseases such as cholera could end with access to safe water.

The GHSA’s intent to combat antimicrobial resistance relates directly to water quality. Access to safe water could prevent up to 60 percent of diarrhea cases. These cases require treatment with antibiotics, and increased use of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance among bacteria.

People and diseases travel rapidly due to the spread of globalization. The CDC summarizes, “A disease threat anywhere can mean a threat everywhere.” The GHSA is designed to detect and prevent this spread of disease. “No single nation can be prepared,” the order declares, “if other nations remain unprepared to counter biological threats.”

– Madeline Reding

Photo: Flickr

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Major Diseases in Malta: A Continuing Struggle

Major Diseases in Malta: A Continuing Struggle
Known for being a premier island for holiday travel, Malta is an island located in the Mediterranean Sea between North Africa and Europe. Since gaining its independence from Great Britain in 1964, the island of Malta has made substantial improvements to all sectors of government, including their health care system.

Diseases in Malta are generally under control in part due to the fact that the country has made extensive progress in improving its health care system. According to the WHO, “The health care system is relatively equitable and comprehensive. The health care reforms are well focused on sustainability and quality based on an integrated and holistic approach.”

However, even with these advances to their health care system, many diseases in Malta are still present and increasing within the nation. Major diseases in Malta fall under the category of non-communicable diseases. These diseases range from bronchial asthma to obesity, to heart disease and cancer.

In 2003, ischaemic heart disease was the most deadly disease in Malta, killing almost 22 percent of the population that year. Studies have shown that both Maltese women and men over the age of 30 have a higher percentage of dying from ischaemic heart disease than the average European individual.

Uterine as well as breast cancer is also a major concern in Malta. Research indicates that death rates for these particular types of cancer, in Malta, are above average than other European nations. Additionally, death rates for cervical, ovarian and pancreatic cancer have decreased within Malta, but the percentages are still above European averages.

Despite the majority of diseases in Malta being non-communicable, the CDC also recommends that for those traveling into the country to have their routine vaccines as well as vaccines for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, yellow fever and rabies current and up to date.

In 2013, both an improved Mental Health Act and a general Health Act were approved by the government of Malta. These improvements have helped to steadily decrease rates of cancer and obesity while also helping those with mental diseases. The new Mental Health Act has seen tremendous success by promoting community treatment and securing the rights of mental health patients.

The government of Malta has sequentially promoted a plethora of health strategies such as the Non-Communicable Disease strategy in 2010, the National Cancer Plan in 2011, the Sexual Health strategy in 2011, the Tuberculosis Prevention strategy in 2012 and the Healthy Weight for Life strategy in 2012. These strategies were designed in order to promote health and prevention methods on a national scale.

Moreover, efforts to reduce diseases in Malta are both ever-constant and ever-changing thanks to the participation of the Maltese people and their government. These positive changes will ensure that rates of non-communicable diseases will continue to decrease while promoting a happy, healthy and well-engaged society.

– Shannon Warren

Photo: Flickr

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Vaccination Can Combat Poverty by Saving Lives

Vaccination can Combat Poverty
Vaccination has perpetually been a vital aspect of the fight against poverty. Global health is one of the most imperative causes and immunization is the foundation for global health. Consequently, organizations like GAVI, WHO, MSF and UNICEF have put in their combined efforts into promoting this cause. Their endeavors have also highlighted how vaccination can combat poverty.

The efficient provision of vaccination and immunization schemes has been augmented by the exponential progress that the medical field has experienced over the past few years.

An estimated 2-3 million children, 1.5 million of which are under the age of five, die every year due to diseases that could have been averted by more readily available vaccines.

There are numerous underlying reasons for why vaccination can combat poverty. These mainly revolve around lowering infant mortality rates, dedicating more medical facilities and improving health care services.

Moreover, the rapid yellow fever outbreak that has plagued Angola, along with neighboring Kinhasas and Kwango, is being closely monitored by MSF. As yellow fever can lead to death for 15-50 percent of associated cases, Congolese people in the region are especially threatened.

Fortunately, the entire city of Matadi was successfully vaccinated. This move has culminated in the establishment of more vector-control activities for the people. This will especially be efficacious in improving awareness on household protection.

The inaccessibility of the pneumococcal vaccine has endangered the lives of countless children in developing countries. This malady affects millions of children all over the world.

Despite Pfizer’s advancement in this aspect, MSF has tried to rebuff its patent application as it sees it as a form of monopolistic competition because it restricts the development of the vaccine by other entities.

Furthermore, higher prices for the vaccine will be detrimental as it would not be affordable for people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Therefore, it is imperative that vaccines of this nature be both affordable and easily accessible.

Vaccination has also played a pivotal role in the U.N. health agency’s emergency response in Nigeria. The polio vaccination programs have been an integral aspect.

Similarly, the Gombe state government of Nigeria approved the polio immunization of 900,000 individuals who have traveled from disputed areas under the control of the Boko Haram militant group. Vaccination can combat poverty by this method as it is a precautionary regulation that can alleviate the pressures of mass influx.

In addition to this, the steady progression that has been made with regards to Zika vaccine trials has accentuated the sense of urgency that is needed to address this crucial issue.

Consequently, the recently proposed approval for the performance of Zika clinical trials on humans will pave the way for a breakthrough that could help thousands of communities in the Americas. The upcoming launch of the leprosy vaccine in India also echoes this resonance of hope.

The GAVI Alliance has invested an exorbitant amount of $800 million for bolstering health care sectors in developing countries. Such maneuvers will hopefully result in stimulating the interests of private and public sectors in the country towards the cause.

– Shivani Ekkanath

Photo: Flickr

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What is the Global Health Innovation Act?

What is the Global Health Innovation Act?
On Dec. 18, 2015, the Global Health Innovation Act (H.R. 2241) was passed with bipartisan support in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill is projected to advance U.S. leadership in global health innovation.

Introduced by Representative Albio Sires, D-NJ, the Global Health Innovation Act aims to strengthen global health research and development programming at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) by requiring the agency to submit an annual report to Congress on the development and use of new health technologies in the agency’s programs, projects and activities.

“I am proud to support this legislation, which will help effectively address health needs around the world. As USAID continues to expand its research and development of these technologies, it is important that Congress continue to play its important role of oversight in ensuring the Agency’s investments make clear progress towards its stated goals,” said Sires.

Global health has experienced great progress over the last 50 years. Child mortality rates around the world have declined by 70 percent. In the last two decades alone, 50 million children were saved and people are living 21 years longer on average.

Yet nearly 9 million people are still dying every year from infectious diseases and other health challenges. Current technology alone is inadequate in combating systemic and emerging global health threats. New vaccines, drugs, diagnostics and other health technologies are critical in advancing global health.

The Global Health Innovation Act shines a light on and supports health innovations that are affordable, culturally appropriate, accessible and functional in settings that may have unreliable electricity, lack access to clean water and refrigeration and under-resourced health infrastructures.

The bill is currently in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

The Borgen Project is working to build support for this bill and encourages everyone to e-mail their Senators and voice their support for global health innovations.

– Rodalyn Guinto

Photo: Flickr

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Sudan Launches New Meningitis Vaccine

Meningitis Vaccine
Meningitis is an infection, either viral or bacterial, that occurs around the brain and spinal cord. The bacterial form of this disease can have very severe consequences. According to PATH, 10% of victims die even with antibiotic treatment — 80% without any treatment — and survivors can still suffer from hearing loss or paralysis. Thankfully, a new meningitis vaccine offers hope despite these daunting statistics.

Sudan is one of 26 countries in Africa located in the “meningitis belt,” an area with a total population of about 450 million that has been deeply affected by meningitis over the past century. Epidemics arose about once every eight to 12 years according to PATH, and in 1996 25,000 people were killed in the largest meningitis epidemic.

Addressing meningitis in Africa is difficult because although meningitis A is one of the main causes of epidemics in Africa, most industrialized countries have meningitis C posing the largest problem. As a result, vaccine manufacturers focus on designing vaccines for industrialized countries to net more profit, and unfortunately, African countries then fail to receive the types of vaccines they need to combat meningitis A.

MVP to the Rescue

The creation of the Meningitis Vaccine Project (MVP) via a collaboration between the WHO and PATH in 2001 did much to help the situation. MVP was able to create a meningitis A vaccine, trademarked as MenAfriVac, that could also be cheaply administered for less than 50 cents for one dose.

MVP then introduced the vaccine in mass vaccination campaigns, and as a result, 235 million people gained immunity. Amazingly, only 80 cases of meningitis A were recorded in 2015 — a huge improvement compared to the 250,000 reported cases from the 1996 epidemic.

Continuing the Success

So why then is Sudan incorporating the vaccine into its routine immunization program important if so much progress has been made in reducing meningitis outbreaks? Despite the success of the current round of immunizations, if the vaccines are not continually administered in the future, epidemics could begin again in as early as 15 years.

The fact that the meningitis A vaccine is now part of Sudan’s routine immunization program means that at birth children will automatically receive the vaccine. As long as this program remains in effect, Sudan will likely not have to worry about meningitis. This year, 720,000 Sudanese children less than one year of age are expected to receive the vaccine.

Additionally, another vaccination campaign targeting children between one and five years old will go into effect this September. These children might have missed out on the Sudanese vaccination campaign that took place in 2012 and 2013, so the additional vaccinations provide another precaution against an outbreak.

Other countries should follow Sudan in adopting the meningitis vaccine into routine immunization programs. That way, these countries will be able to suppress meningitis on their own even without vaccination campaigns and help hundreds to combat the deadly infection.

– Edmond Kim

Photo: Flickr