Threats to World Health

Malaria, Tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS are the three infectious diseases that plague developing countries. In 2000, the three combined to kill 5.7 million people. These illnesses affected millions more by preventing them from holding a regular job and making a living wage for their families. What social, political, and economic resources will it take to prevent or control the progress of these diseases?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), substantial progress in fighting the diseases that are devastating the health and well-being of millions of poor people can be made. Medicines are available that can cure TB, malaria and the opportunistic infections associated with HIV (but not HIV or AIDS itself). Health commodities (condoms, mosquito nets, and safe insecticides) that can prevent HIV and malaria transmission are relatively inexpensive. And increasingly, affordable drugs are becoming available that can delay the development of AIDS and prevent mother-to-child transmission. Yet, many populations are still not reached with preventive measures, or with effective treatment because of their geographical location, the resistance of their governments, their own ignorance of health procedures, or inattentiveness of WHO agencies to cultural concepts, ideologies, or philosophies.

At the same time it is necessary to continue research and development of new drugs, diagnostics, vaccines and other essential health commodities that are even more effective than those currently in use. Extensive use of drugs worldwide can result in the ineffectiveness of certain vaccines or medicines.

The following two Web sites contain extensive information about malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS from the perspective of the World Health Organization. Read the material, then return to this page to see how much you have learned by answering the questions below.

http://www.who.int/infectious-disease-report/2002/interventions.html
http://www.who.org

Select the answer that you believe best describes the situation.

1		Nearly 50% of malarial deaths can be prevented if people have access to antimalarial drugs such as one tablet of chloroquine costing, in US dollars:
			A)	$1.20
			B)	$0.12
			C)	$11.20
2		Which of the following is extremely effective in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS?
			A)	antibacterial drugs
			B)	vitamins C and E
			C)	condoms
3		Studies in Ghana indicated that 80% of malarial patients were more likely to finish their course of treatment if the medications were:
			A)	packaged in a numbered blister pack
			B)	delivered loose in a decorated package
			C)	individually delivered every day
4		Since the start of the AIDS epidemic, the number of deaths worldwide at the beginning of 2001 reached:
			A)	4.3 million
			B)	13 million
			C)	21 million
5		Antiretrovirals, which help postpone the emergence of AIDS is unavailable to many in developing countries because they are expensive and because:
			A)	they need complicated medical systems to monitor their use
			B)	they need medical staff readily available to administer the drug
			C)	of their limited supply