Archive for category: Health

Information and stories on health topics.

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Solutions for Common Diseases in Belarus

Common Diseases in BelarusBelarus is a small country located directly west of Russia. The country was a former member of the Soviet Union and is not a member of the European Union. Today, Belarus is undemocratically ruled by President Alexander Lukashenko and is heavily dependent on Russia.

The population of Belarus is 9.5 million, just smaller than the population of North Carolina. The life expectancy for men is 75 years, while the life expectancy for women is 83 years. As a result of common diseases in Belarus, however, the actual average ages at death for men and women are significantly lower than the life expectancy: 65 for men and 77 for women.

The top 10 causes of death in Belarus are noncommunicable diseases or injuries, which is common for a developed country. Cardiovascular diseases and cancer are by far the most common causes of death in Belarus. Cardiovascular diseases account for 61 percent of death, and cancer accounts for 14.7 percent.

The most common cause of death is ischemic heart disease. In 2013, ischemic heart disease killed about 653 people for every 100,000 people in Belarus. The mortality rate for ischemic heart disease in Belarus has increased 61 percent since 1990. The number of premature deaths caused by ischemic heart disease in Belarus is the highest of any Eastern European country.

While communicable diseases are not a main cause of death in Belarus, the country has an anomalous relationship with tuberculosis. According to the World Health Organization, Belarus had the highest recorded incidence of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. Additionally, the mortality rate for tuberculosis has increased by 80 percent since 1990, and the mortality rate for HIV/AIDS has increased by 16336 percent since 1990.

The most common risk factors for disease in Belarus are mostly either behavioral or metabolic. Behavioral risk factors include poor diet, alcohol and drug use and tobacco smoke. Metabolic risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high body mass index (BMI). The highest environmental risk is air pollution.The three most common risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Belarus are poor diet, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Smoking is at least partially responsible for 30 percent of cancer cases in Belarus, making smoking the most common cause of cancer. Additionally, the radiation from the Chernobyl accident in neighboring Ukraine in 1986 has resulted in a dramatic increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer. The incidence of thyroid cancer was very prevalent among children and teenagers living in the most affected areas.

The government of Belarus is actively trying to alleviate these causes of death. In fact, Ministry of Health has worked out a national program devoted to the prevention of noncommunicable diseases. This program, titled “Health of the Nation and the demographic security of the Republic of Belarus” will take a cross-sectoral approach to strengthening population health, reducing premature death and reducing disability attributed to noncommunicable diseases.

Furthermore, the government has pledged thirty percent of Belarus’s healthcare budget to fighting cancer. Regarding tuberculosis, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided support to Belarus that gave them the resources to revise national tuberculosis guidelines and policies.

While the statistics surrounding common diseases in Belarus and their mortality rates are concerning, there are still positives. Lifestyle changes can easily reduce most risk factors for common diseases in Belarus. The government is investing in healthcare and receiving support from USAID. Belarus will hopefully continue to see positive trends in the prevention and reduction of common diseases.

– Christiana Lano

Photo: Flickr

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Five Common Diseases in Spain

Diseases in SpainLocated on the Iberian Peninsula, Spain has a population of 46.56 million. Similar to patterns around the world, morbidity and disability in Spain are increasingly caused by non-communicable diseases. Below are five common diseases in Spain.

  1. Cardiovascular Disease
    Cardiovascular disease is responsible for 33 percent of deaths in Spain. Risk factors include smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes. In Spain, about 23.9 percent of adults and 21.7 percent of youth smoke. About 26.6 percent of Spaniards are obese.
  2. Neoplasms
    Following world trends, the number of cancer cases in Spain increased 15 percent between 2012 and 2015. The most common types of cancer in Spain are bowel cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer and bladder cancer. Respectively, every year there are 41,000, 33,000, 28,000, 27,000 and 21,000 new cases. It is estimated that about one-third of these cases can be prevented through improved lifestyle choices such as reducing alcohol and tobacco consumption, increasing cancer screenings and decreasing obesity rates.
  3. Chronic Respiratory Diseases
    Chronic respiratory diseases most common in Spain include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. About 80,000 adults aged 20 to 44 are diagnosed with asthma every year. Eighty percent of these cases do not result from allergies and instead result from lung disorders developed from chewing and smoking tobacco, obesity, air pollution, respiratory infections suffered during childhood, genetics and high risk occupations. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes 18,000 deaths per year in Spain or about 50 deaths per day. There are about two million people in the country with COPD but the majority go undiagnosed. A main cause of COPD is smoking. About one-third of Spaniards smoke, and 40 to 55 percent continue to smoke following COPD diagnosis. COPD can lead to emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
  4. Mental and Behavioral Disorders
    Mental illnesses are the second most common cause of temporary and permanent leave from work in Spain. Depression is the most prevalent. About five to 10 percent of Spaniards suffer at least one depressive episode in their lives. Depression and other mental health illnesses have high social impacts because of missed work, costs, morbidity and care.
  5. Alzheimer’s Disease
    In Spain, more than 800,000 people live with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia. Risk factors include age, genetics, mild cognitive impairment and traumatic brain injury. Studies also suggest that education may be linked to Alzheimer’s as well as cardiovascular disease. Between 2005 and 2015, the death rate due to Alzheimer’s increased by 11.9 percent.

Certain cases of the above diseases in Spain can be prevented. For example, smoking is a prevalent cause of non-communicable diseases such as asthma, COPD, cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. Because of this, improving health education in Spain is one way to reduce and prevent these unnecessary medical costs, illnesses and deaths.

– Francesca Montalto

Photo: Pixabay

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Five Facts About Period Poverty

Period PovertyOftentimes when we think of poverty, food insecurity and homelessness come to mind. What we don’t necessarily think about is the inability to afford toiletries and items such as tampons and pads – and, the reality is, people are often too ashamed or embarrassed to bring up the topic of menstrual cycles. Forty million women and girls around the world are affected by period poverty, and the silence must come to an end. Here are five facts about period poverty that are important to talk about:

  1. A year’s supply of sanitary products in the United States costs more than $70. In the U.K., there is a five percent tax on period products – in total, sanitary products cost over 5,000 pounds in a lifetime.
  2. Lack of affordability and information have led many young women to use only one tampon per day or one pad for multiple days. When proper products are not available or affordable, women are often forced to use alternatives such as socks, dishrags and newspapers during their cycles.
  3. Lack of menstrual hygiene can lead to very serious health risks such as Toxic Shock Syndrome, a life-threatening illness. In Bangladesh, India and many other countries, infections and cervical cancer are also results of poor hygiene.
  4. Many girls from low-income families around the world are skipping school because they cannot afford tampons or pads. Missing school during menstrual cycles has been a well-known pattern in developing countries, like Kenya, for years. Now, the reality is setting in that this is a trend for low-income girls everywhere, including the Western world.
  5. The stigma surrounding periods has been shown to directly affect a girl’s potential to succeed. If a girl misses school every time she has her period, she is set 145 days behind her fellow male students. Even then, most girls in the developing world choose to drop out of school altogether rather than face the embarrassment and shame of being unprepared for their periods.

Unfortunately, many people fail to recognize the effects that period poverty have on young women and girls. In times of uncertainty, sanitary needs come secondary, or even tertiary, to finding food and shelter. While this is understandable, a few organizations such as Freedom4Girls and Bloody Good Period, and many others, are fighting back against period poverty.

One of the biggest defenses against period poverty is to start a conversation and stop the stigma.

– Madeline Boeding

Photo: Flickr

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In Happiness and in Health: Causes of Poverty in Nicaragua

Causes of Poverty in NicaraguaNicaragua is the second poorest country in Latin America, behind only Haiti. Recently, the World Bank cautioned that poverty is still rampant in Nicaragua and that it “is still one of the least developed nations in Latin America, a country where access to essential services is still a daily struggle.”

Indeed, as of 2014, the national poverty rate was at 29.6 percent. What’s more, though overall poverty in Nicaragua has dropped significantly in the past 12 years, extreme poverty (earning less than $1 a day) is reported to be on the rise, going from 7.6 to 9.5 percent between 2012 and 2013. What are the causes of poverty in Nicaragua? Why does an already struggling country only seem to be getting worse, according to international studies and statistics?

According to a survey cited by the Tico Times, one reason for recent rises in poverty could be lowered export prices on agricultural goods. Much of the country is dependent on temporary farm work and agricultural products such as coffee, and as prices dip, jobs are lost and people struggle to gain a foothold as labor opportunities become harder to find.

Another reason may be stagnant enrollment in education. UNICEF estimates that around 500,000 children between the ages of three and 17 are not enrolled in any formal education. To add to the problem, the number of school-aged children in Nicaragua is at roughly two million, equal to a third of the country’s total population.

However, the causes of poverty in Nicaragua are beginning to be addressed. According to the Tico Times, “the government earmarked $1.3 billion – more than half its official budget – to finance anti-poverty programs and free health and education services. Venezuelan aid also has helped fund programs for the distribution of roof sheeting, financial credits, low-cost housing and food packages for the poor.”

What’s more, the 2017 World Happiness Report noted that Nicaragua had made the largest gains in overall happiness out of 155 countries analyzed.

To trace all the causes of poverty in Nicaragua is a complicated job. As the government continues to fund anti-poverty programs and foreign aid continues to pour in, it seems Nicaragua is on the precipice of moving away from the abysmal poverty rate it now has.

It will take more than mere happiness to combat poverty, but the groundwork has been laid. As global poverty rates continue to fall and markets continue to rise, Nicaragua just may be able to pull itself out of poverty.

– Joseph Dover

Photo: Google

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Common Diseases in Serbia

Diseases in SerbiaThe landlocked Republic of Serbia has made significant progress in implementing legislation to make the country safer, from a health standpoint, for its residents. With favorable agricultural conditions and stable governance, the nation has pushed its way past most harmful diseases and is now considered a second-world country. Nevertheless, there are still common diseases in Serbia that prevail, such as cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and waterborne diseases.

Serbia’s 56 percent mortality rate in 2007 is attributed to cardiovascular disease, making it the number one cause of death. High cholesterol, smoking, lack of exercise and obesity are some of the main factors contributing to the prevalence of the illness. With focused lifestyle changes, the better part of this percentage can be decreased to create a healthier nation. Transitioning into eating organic foods and increasing physical activity are two changes that could help tremendously.

A close second when ranking the common diseases in Serbia is chronic respiratory disease. With a 61.7 percent tobacco exposure rate, this does not come as a surprise. On average, 33.6 percent of the Serbian adult population smokes, thus adding to the likelihood of developing a respiratory-related illness. Nevertheless, this rate has dropped by 6.9 percent over a period of six years, highlighting a significant positive shift.

Waterborne diseases also contribute to a noticeable percentage of diseases in Serbia. The Serbian government has joined forces with the United Nations, and has been implementing other programs to help eradicate this disease. They set water quality targets in 2013 and focuses on small water resources.

Some of the sustainable development goals they have implemented are: SDG 3.3 to combat waterborne disease, SDG 3.9 to decrease the number of deaths and illnesses due to contamination and SDG 6.1 to provide universal access to clean water.

With risk of contamination in rural areas, these programs have mainly centered around those regions. Holistically, Serbia has made tremendous advancements when it comes to the health and safety of its residents. This sturdy base will help ensure that these improvements are maintained.

– Tanvi Wattal

Photo: Google

Autism in Developing Countries

Autism in Developing CountriesAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is “a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This disability has become increasingly common in children in the United States. CDC estimated that as of March 2013, about one in every 50 school children is diagnosed with autism.

However, outside of Western civilization, and into more under-developed countries, the number of people diagnosed with ASD is significantly lower.

Why is this? It is not necessarily because children in non-Western countries do not have ASD, but because the children are not being diagnosed with it. There are multiple reasons for this. Some of these include a lack of professional doctors, cultural skepticism and mere unawareness of the problem.

Lack of physicians is one of the main reasons why people are not being diagnosed with autism in developing countries. Harvard’s Global Health Review gives the example that “in South East Asia, there is one psychiatrist per 100,000 people, making mental health services or diagnoses extremely difficult to access.”

To combat this absence of doctors, the organization Autism Speaks funded a research study to help people in developing countries become aware of autism and teach them how to screen for this disorder within their community. The simple screening process involves a tool called Rapid Neurodevelopmental Assessment (RNDA). The screening device was tested in Dhaka, Bangladesh and showed tremendous potential. Autism Speaks points out that “while global infant mortality has decreased in recent decades, malnutrition and extreme poverty continues. This puts hundreds of millions of young children at risk for developmental disabilities.”

Another potential reason why autism in developing countries is so low is because of the culture’s views on developmental disabilities. Continuing with its example of South East Asia, the Global Health Review said, “In South Korea, the stigma of autism is so intense that many families of children with developmental delays will intentionally avoid diagnosis of ASD.”

Habits such as not looking someone in the eye or being brief in conversations could be signs of autism in children, but in some cultures it is seen as a cultural norm rather than a disability.

Whether parents are concerned they will be judged for having in autistic child or unwilling to admit that they do have one, ASD is not a matter that should be taken lightly. Although not a fatal disease, autism spectrum disorder is a serious condition that could affect even the simplest daily tasks.

With more resources and in-depth education, autism in developing countries can be addressed and families can become informed about how to treat ASD.

– Sydney Missigman

Photo: Flickr

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Progress in the Fight Against HIV in Swaziland

HIV in SwazilandBy scaling up testing and treatment efforts in the past years, Swaziland has achieved big successes in the fight against the HIV epidemic. As a new study shows, more than 73 percent of adults living with HIV now have viral load suppression (VLS) and the rate of new infections with HIV in Swaziland has dropped by 44 percent since 2011.

With more than 27 percent of the adult population infected in 2016, Swaziland is the country with the highest HIV prevalence in the world. UNICEF reports that the epidemic’s effects are felt across all aspects of society: the high prevalence of the virus draws financial resources from other priority areas and burdens the country’s health system. It also affects capital accumulation and productivity negatively. Families and communities are disrupted by the virus and the number of orphans and vulnerable children has increased.

In the past years, prevention and treatment to fight the HIV epidemic were scaled up significantly in the small monarchy. The Swazi government received support for these efforts from the U.S. government President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief program (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Swaziland’s strategy to contain the further spread of HIV is to dose patients with antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) immediately after they have tested positive, regardless of their health status.

ARVs drive down the HIV level in the blood, therefore reducing the risk of transmission of the virus. The concept of treatment-as-prevention aims to contain the further spread of the HI virus, and is “a major part of the solution to ending the HIV epidemic”, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The number of adults with HIV in Swaziland who have their viral load suppressed has doubled in the past five years and is now at more than 73 percent, according to the second Swaziland HIV Incidence Measurement Survey.

PEPFAR director Deborah Birx emphasizes that this method does not eliminate HIV in the country, but it can “contract the epidemic on our way to vaccine and a cure.”

The Swazi Ministry of Health has also developed a plan to encourage boys and men to get circumcised voluntarily. In the past years, an increased number of males opted for circumcision. According to the WHO, there is “compelling evidence” that circumcision lower the risk of female-to-male transmissions by 60 percent.

These up-scaled efforts to fight HIV in Swaziland have come to fruition: compared to 2011, the rate of new infections was cut by 44 percent.

In addition to these successes, the incidence survey also brings light to “key gaps that remain in reaching younger men and women with HIV services,” Birx said. People aged 15 to 24 are lagging behind older age groups; they were found to be less likely to know their status, and of those receiving treatment, a quarter did not suppress their infections.

Not only does the information from the survey offer an opportunity for the Swazi government to improve its efforts further and increase focus on the population groups with the greatest need, but it also adds important scientific evidence to the research about the treatment-as-prevention method.

Sibongile Ndlela-Simelane from the Ministry of Health said, in reaction to the study’s outcomes: “We are very encouraged by this progress. We understand that the battle is not over, and therefore we must maintain the momentum.”

– Lena Riebl

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Simple Interventions Prevent Common Diseases in Cameroon

Common Diseases in CameroonThe coastal African nation of Cameroon is home to about 23.4 million people. The country has enjoyed developments in several areas, including agriculture, infrastructure and industries such as timber and petroleum. However, despite this growth, common diseases in Cameroon still take a toll on the citizenry.

According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, HIV/AIDS is the current leading cause of death in Cameroon. Following this is malaria in second and lower respiratory infections in third. Lower respiratory infections is are most often diagnosed as pneumonia or bronchitis.

For those unfamiliar with these illnesses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) contains a wealth of information. The CDC states that HIV/AIDS is a disease that weakens the immune system by attacking important cells. Though no cure exists as of today, it is preventable by avoiding contact with an infected individual’s blood or sexual fluids.

Lower respiratory infections are diseases of the lungs that are contracted by things like viruses, bacteria, and fungi. People affected by these infections will experience weakness, fever, coughing, shortness of breath, and fatigue.

Malaria is an illness that is obtained via mosquito bites and claimed the lives of 429,000 people in 2015, most of whom which were African children. Victims of this illness are affected by high fevers, chills and flu-like symptoms.

What’s notable about these three diseases is that they are all communicable; in other words, they are diseases that are contracted from person to person, or from animal to person. This means that these are diseases that can be prevented by taking precautionary actions, in most cases. In fact, seven out of the top ten causes of death are communicable, and nine out of ten in cases of premature death.

So, the common diseases in Cameroon that plague most of its population are contracted. This means that preventative measures can be taken. One example of a dramatic improvement in Cameroon’s health care comes from a very simple, yet relatively unheard of item: bed nets.

In short, bed nets are used to prevent mosquitoes from spreading malaria. Thanks to groups like One Billion Nets, malaria decreased tremendously. Back in 2005, malaria was the number one cause of death in Cameroon, but since fell to number two with a 55.8 percent drop.

According to One Billion Nets, millions of lives were saved thanks to bed nets and other sources of malaria intervention. This includes a 58 percent decline in the child mortality rate in Africa.

As just one example of the significant improvements made to Cameroonian and African health alike, this serves as a testament to why groups like The Borgen Project continue to keep aid for things like bed nets from being cut. With additional aid in the future, the rates of the common diseases in Cameroon are sure to fall in the future.

– Stephen Praytor

Photo: Flickr

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Six of the Most Common Diseases in Morocco

Six Most Common Diseases in MoroccoThe North African country of Morocco is currently home to more than 33.5 million individuals, many of whom fall victim to various food, waterborne and vectorborne diseases. The following list compiles some of the most common diseases in Morocco:

  • Hepatitis A interferes with the functioning of the liver and spreads through consumption of food contaminated with fecal matter. Similarly, hepatitis E affects the liver through fecal contamination of drinking water. While these types of diseases are often a result of poor sanitation, vaccines are available for treatment.
  • Typhoid fever is another one of several severe and common diseases in Morocco, characterized as a bacterial disease spread through contact with food or water contaminated by fecal matter or sewage.
  • Schistosomiasis is a water contact disease caused by the parasitic trematode flatworm Schistosoma. The larval form of the parasite penetrates the skin of people exposed to contaminated water, allowing worms to mature and reproduce in the blood vessels, liver, kidneys and intestines and ultimately manifest as either urinary or intestinal issues.
  • Leishmaniasis is an infection caused by Leishmania parasites, spread by sandflies. The vector-borne disease has become increasingly prevalent in Morocco as a major public health threat, affecting nearly two million people annually.
  • Malaria is transmitted via the bite of a mosquito. Parasites quickly spread in the liver and attack red blood cells, resulting in flu-like symptoms of fever, chills and, if left untreated, sometimes death. Malaria certainly falls under the list of common diseases in Morocco, as 90 percent of cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease and ranges in its severity. While the disease’s fatality rate is less than 20 percent, some may experience severe hepatitis and hemorrhagic fever.

A large number of deaths over the years due to common diseases in Morocco can be overwhelming and make solutions seem nearly impossible. However, it is important to recognize improvements that have been made in areas of sanitation and medical implementation while still remaining aware of those at risk.

– Mikaela Frigillana

Photo: Flickr

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Environmental Factors Affect Common Diseases in Panama

Common Diseases in PanamaDiseases in countries where there are a lot of the population living below the line of poverty are, unfortunately, more prevalent than those is developed countries. Combine a low average income with a tropical atmosphere, and infectious disease becomes more prevalent, and more dangerous. These factors contribute to the most common diseases in Panama.

Panama’s poverty levels are high. According to the Economic Commission for Latin America, nearly 29 percent of the population lives in poverty, and about 12 percent are extremely poor. In such conditions, many cannot afford to protect themselves from commonly cured diseases.

Common diseases in Panama, such as cholera and Hepatitis A, are food-borne illnesses. These can be passed through the handling of food through fecal matter. Poor sanitation from food handlers leads to the passing of the infection to the recipient. Cholera can be cured with antibiotics, and the World Health Organization (WHO) does not recommend a vaccine. Hepatitis A, however, has no cure, but fortunately, there is a vaccine.

A very common disease in Panama, also passed through contaminated water, is giardiasis. This illness is an infection in the intestine, which originates from a parasite. Giardiasis infects 25 percent of food handlers in Panama City.

As with many countries in Latin America, common diseases in Panama include a prevalence of vector-borne illness. Malaria, Dengue fever and Yellow fever are all diseases caused by environmental forces. Malaria is commonly found in tropical areas. This illness is transferred by the bite of a mosquito, and can lead to organ failure, among many other complications.

Another common disease in Panama is Leishmaniasis. This disease occurs in less-populated areas, usually in areas where there are forests. This disease has three different types: cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral. The first two types are defined by their ulcer type, the third is the most severe form. Visceral leishmaniasis causes high fever, weight loss, spleen and liver swelling and skin darkening. Untreated visceral leishmaniasis patients have about an 85 percent mortality rate.

Although, many of these diseases come from the natural environment of the country, resources and aid given to a country with a high infection rate and high poverty rate help tremendously. The U.S. does not give extensive financial aid to Panama, however, has provided assistance in regards to developmental assistance and health, but mostly only to assist with HIV/AIDS.

– Nate Harris

Photo: Flickr