Emerging infectious diseases: a new challenge

ABSTRACT

Emerging infectious diseases are defined as [diseases whose incidence has increased during the last two decades or which threaten to increase in the near future.] They may be classified into four general groups 1. Newly appearing infectious diseases, e.g. AIDS, Ebola, etc. 2. Infectious diseases spreading to new geographical areas e.g. Dengue and Dengue haemorrhagic fever, yellow fever, etc. 3. Re-emerging infectious diseases after a decline in incidence e.g Malaria Tuberculosis 4.Infectious diseases which have developed antimicrobial resistance, e.g. Enterococcal infections, Staphylococcal infections, etc. Emerging infectious diseases pose a new challenge to public health. They are already threatening the downward trend in morbidity and mortality from communicable diseases. Many of them have shown a clear epidemic potential and for some there is no treatment, cure or vaccine and the possiblity at present of preventing and controlling them is limited. Factors contributing to the emergence of infectious diseases include 1. Human factors such as population movement.2. Environmental factors such as ecological and climatic changes. 3. Microbial factors such as emergence of drug resistance. In response to this new challenge a global framework was developed by WHO. This framework has defined four goals intended to guide the collective response of all countries through national and international organizations. The four goals are 1. To strengthen the global surveillance of communicable diseases. 2. To strengthen the national and international infrastructure necessary to recognize, report and respond to emerging infectious diseases. 3. To strengthen the national and international capacity for the prevention and control of infectious diseases. 4. To conduct research in infectious diseases control. The WHO strategy includes several well defined activities within this global framework. 1-Definition and Importance.Emerging infectious diseases, according to WHO definition, are those [diseases whose incidence in humans has increased during the last two decades or which threatens to increase in the near future]. Emerging infectious diseases poses a new challenge to public health- They are already threatening the downward trend in morbidity and motrality from communicable disease, which came to be one of the great achievements in this century. - Many of them have shown a clear epidemic potential and pose a threat to the health of millions of peopl. - Several of them have no treatment cure or vaccine yet. The possibility at present of preventing and controlling them is limited. - They are appearing at a time when the problem of chronic non-communicable disease is on the rise [a double-disease burden] and the social and economic crises still affects many of the developing countries