PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Developed Countries”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Medical technologies in developing countries: issues of technology development, transfer, diffusion and use.

The difficulties experienced in transfer of medical technology to developing countries are aggravated by partial and incomplete understanding of the cultural, social, economic, and institutional factors affecting technology development, transfer, dissemination and use. In this paper, it is argued that a more dynamic and comprehensive approach is needed for the analysis of these factors. Such an approach would provide the basis for linking existing information stemming from partial analyses of problems related to individual users, the health services or systems, and the technology itself. The starting point of any comprehensive analysis must be the structure of the society in which the technology is to be used. The value of a comprehensive analytical approach is illustrated by discussion of a medical technology still under development, a vaccine against malaria. This discussion further indicates that consideration of cultural, social, economic, and institutional factors in the developmental phases of a technology can contribute to ensuring acceptability and sustainability of the technology under the multifaceted conditions in which it is to be used.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed1992

Injury surveillance in developing countries.

In both developed and developing countries, injuries have a substantial effect on the public's health and on quality of life. Although epidemiologic data regarding the occurrence of injuries in developing countries are limited, recent studies have documented substantial injury-related morbidity and mortality in some of these countries. For example, recent studies in rural Papua New Guinea showed that injuries are the leading cause of death for persons ages 15-44 years. Similarly, injuries are the leading cause of hospitalization in Indonesia and Egypt. Surveillance of injuries is necessary in order for public health practitioners and planners in developing countries to direct and allocate scarce resources appropriately.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

The use of ultrasound in developing countries.

In many developing countries ultrasound services are either nonexistent or inadequate, although the diagnostic problems for which ultrasound is particularly suited are common in such countries. In view of this, the World Health Organization (WHO) has outlined the indications for diagnostic ultrasound together with the technical specifications for equipment. Where there are larger hospitals the basic ultrasound services should be complemented with the proposed general-purpose ultrasound scanner while at the level of major medical centres there will be need for a variety of special purpose ultrasonic units, e.g. for cardiac, intraluminal and interventional investigations. The usefulness of any ultrasound appliance depends to a great extent on the skill and experience of the operator. Therefore, WHO provides guidance on the training of general practitioner and expert sonographer that is necessary for proper implementations of this technology. In this review the authors discuss the various problems affecting the use of ultrasound in developing countries.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed1978

Provision of medicines in a developing country.

In many developing countries the money spent on drugs could often be used more effectively to prevent disease. A large proportion of the drug budget of one developing country is spent on expensive proprietary preparations for use mainly in the larger hospitals, draining resources from health care in rural areas. A major factor in determining the country's expenditure on drugs is the promotional activities of pharmaceutical companies; the number of drug company representatives in the country is proportionately five times that in Britain. Many drugs are promoted for diseases for which they are not indicated and in which their use may be hazardous, and information on side-effects and contraindications is inadequate. Information supplied by drug firms to health workers in different countries must be standardised and the purchase and use of drugs in Third-World countries made more appropriate to their needs.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed1990

Management of medical technology in developing countries.

To help developing countries to improve their medical use of physical technology, it is essential to study their difficulties and real needs. The greater severity of equipment problems in the third world, relative to the developed countries, indicates the important influence of an established technological culture. Strategies such as the training of technicians cannot succeed in the absence of this culture unless effective national policies to manage technology are implemented. The training of high-level staff in medical technology management must be a priority for international action. Below this level it is necessary to train engineering graduates, rather than technicians, to manage and maintain equipment.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed1990

Who dies of what? A comparative analysis of mortality conditions in developed countries around 1987.

The developed countries are often viewed as being relatively homogeneous in terms of health conditions. This is not the case, however. Whilst the overall level of life expectancy in these countries (73.7 years) is well in excess of that observed in the majority of developing countries, there are nonetheless very substantial differences in health status among and between the developed countries. Female life expectancy is typically 6-8 years longer than that of males. The gap in life expectancy between Japan and some countries of Northern Europe, on the one hand, and the nations of Eastern Europe on the other, is of the same order of magnitude. Of the 11 million deaths reported in the developed countries each year, roughly 5.5 million or almost exactly 50% are attributable to cardiovascular diseases. Of these deaths, 2.4 million are coded to ischaemic heart disease and 1.5 million to stroke (cerebrovascular disease). Cancer (all forms) accounts for 2.3 million deaths (21%), 500,000 of which are due to lung cancer alone. External causes of death claim 750,000 lives each year in the developed countries, with suicide and motor-vehicle accidents each accounting for around 180,000 deaths. This pattern of mortality, when viewed in conjunction with the epidemiological evidence about the principal risk factors associated with these causes of death, strongly suggests that national health-for-all strategies must continue to emphasize individual health consciousness as the primary means of achieving national health goals.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Laboratory diagnosis of iron deficiency in a developing country, Pakistan.

In developing countries, such as Pakistan, laboratories do not routinely screen for iron deficiency unless the patient presents with symptoms of anaemia. Efforts to prevent the often serious consequences of iron depletion are hampered in developing countries by the expense and impracticality of routinely screening patients using bone marrow examination. Assays for serum iron concentrations, total iron-binding capacity or haemoglobin and examinations of blood films, although more practical, cannot detect the earliest stages of iron deficiency. Serum ferritin appears to be a sensitive, early indicator of iron deficiency and can be easily and relatively inexpensively determined using an immunoassay kit. In the present study, serum ferritin levels were determined using immunoassay and compared to blood films, serum iron levels and total iron-binding capacity values in 300 apparently healthy Pakistanis. In the early stages of iron deficiency, serum ferritin appeared to be a sensitive measure of iron depletion.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Health problems after travel to developing countries.

Travelers to developing countries participated in a follow-up study of the health risks associated with short (less than three months) visits to these nations. Travelers to the Greek or Canary Islands served as a control cohort. Participants completed a questionnaire to elicit information regarding pretravel vaccinations, malaria prophylaxis, and health problems during and after their journey. Relevant infections were confirmed by the respondent's personal physician. The questionnaire was completed by 10,524 travelers; the answer rate was 73.8%. After a visit to developing countries, 15% of the travelers reported health problems, 8% consulted a doctor, and 3% were unable to work for an average of 15 days. The incidence of infection per month abroad was as follows: giardiasis, 7/1,000; amebiasis, 4/1,000; hepatitis, 4/1,000; gonorrhea, 3/1,000; and malaria, helminthiases, or syphilis, less than 1/1,000. There were no cases of typhoid fever or cholera.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The tobacco problem: commercial profit versus health--the conflict of interests in developing countries.

As smoking gradually decreases in developed countries, the tobacco epidemic is overtaking developing countries, where the legislative controls and other measures, which in industrialised countries succeed in limiting tobacco use, either do not exist or are, at best, inadequate. Of particular concern is the penetration of developing countries by the transnational tobacco companies, who with aggressive promotional campaigns and the use of political and commercial pressures, open up markets to promote foreign cigarettes. The number of smokers in developing countries will inevitably increase, due to the rise in population, increased smoking among youth and women, lack of awareness of the harmfulness of tobacco, shortage of funding for tobacco control measures, and difficulties in implementing legislation. An appalling increase is predicted in disease, disability, and death from tobacco in developing countries. Developing countries must exercise their own public health responsibility and implement measures to reduce the growing tobacco epidemic. Health concerns in Western countries can assist by bringing these issues to public and government attention in order to ensure that transnational tobacco companies, at minimum, adhere to the same standards of product, marketing, promotion, and sales in developing countries as are required in their country of origin; that these tobacco companies should desist from lobbying and pressuring the governments of developing countries to prevent the passing and implementing of antitobacco measures; that the United States and UK governments desist from helping their tobacco companies with export activities; and that Western expertise in countering the tobacco epidemic be shared with developing countries so that the West becomes an exporter of health rather than of tobacco-related diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

The health transition in developing countries: a role for internists from the developed world.

Demographic and epidemiologic changes that have occurred in the past five decades in many developing countries provide new opportunities for internists from developed countries to contribute to improvements in international health. These changes, called the "health transition," are characterized by major growth in the number and proportion of middle-aged and elderly persons and in the frequency of the chronic diseases that occur in these age groups. The health transition is the result of concentrated national and international efforts to improve maternal and child health by emphasizing primary care and community-organized outreach services. In many developing countries, such efforts have been responsible for a decrease in the birth rate; reduced maternal mortality; improved preventive services; and a vigorous therapeutic approach to infantile diarrhea and respiratory infection, which, in turn, have resulted in the reduced infant mortality and the increased life expectancy that defines the health transition. These changes, often accompanied by increasing urbanization and industrialization, are creating health problems similar to those seen in the "developed" world but are occurring in countries that have far fewer resources. Internists interested in working in developing countries can therefore bring their skills, experience, and perspective to bear on these problems, primarily by working within well-structured programs, the aim of which is to strengthen the capacity of the organizations and institutions within these countries to cope with the rising tide of chronic adult diseases.

Delivery of Health Care↗
PubMed1981

A community approach to the prevention of dental disease in the children of developing countries.

Even in developed Western countries the ready availability of sophisticated restorative dentistry has been relatively unsuccessful in reducing the prevalence of dental disease. It is therefore totally wrong to seek to impose a similar structure of dental care in the developing countries with their shortages of wealth, communications and trained personnel. Instead, the emphasis must be on education and the application of preventive methods by relatively simply trained personnel working with the support and under the guidance of a few fully trained dentists. The establishment of a dental service in the developing countries must contain the following three elements. First, the undertaking of a nationwide survey of the prevalence of dental disease. Next the establishment of training schools in each ethnic area where dental surgeons, dental therapists and dental assistants can be recruited and trained. Lastly, the recruitment and training of local instructors in dental health to work in their own schools, villages and districts, concerned with the supervision of oral hygiene, fluoride mouthrinsing and diet. This scheme is based on the principle of self help through locally recruited and trained personnel and the encouragement of community pride in positive dental health.

Child↗
PubMed1986

Medical technology and developing countries: the case of Brazil.

Developing countries, faced with severe resource limitations, are trying to develop modern health care services that deliver sensible medical technologies. Because of their lack of development, these countries must import much technology, while often lacking the expertise to make wise choices. In this article, the case of Brazil is examined. Brazil has shared many of the problems of other developing countries, including inadequate access of the population to health services, maldistribution and excessive use of technology, a relatively weak national industry for production of drugs and medical devices, a weak policy structure for dealing with medical technology, and little tradition of using research or policy analysis as a guide to action. Since the election in 1985 that returned Brazil to democratic rule, the government has taken active steps to address many of these problems. The example of Brazil is important for all of the developing world to examine and follow, where applicable. In addition, North American and European aid programs could play a much more constructive role in helping less developed countries develop their health care services. International organizations such as the World Health Organization must also be active in assisting such countries to improve their decisions concerning medical technology.

Brazil↗
PubMed1975

Assessment of national family planning programs in developing countries.

Today, 34 developing countries have policies and programs to lower fertility, and an additional 32 countries provide family planning services for health and humanitarian reasons. Specific causal relationships and linkages between social and economic development, family planning programs, and fertility levels and changes remain mostly unclear at this point. Based on percent acceptors, percent users, and changes in fertility rates (the most commonly used measures to evaluate family planning program accomplishments), however, the performance of programs on the whole has been moderately encouraging.

Abortion, Legal↗
PubMed1993

Efficacy and limitations of QBC acridine orange staining as a routine diagnostic technique for malaria in developing countries.

The recently developed QBC technique has been reported to be rapid, sensitive and specific for the detection of malaria infection. We evaluated this technique in comparison with thin and thick Giemsa stained blood films for the diagnosis of malaria in acute fever and PUO cases. The technique was slightly more sensitive than thin blood film but equal to thick blood film examination. Identification of species of malaria posed some difficulties. Due to its high cost and requirement for a fluorescent microscope this technique, in spite of its speed and sensitivity, may not have the potential to be a substitute for the conventional blood film examination for the diagnosis of malaria, especially in developing countries.

Acridine Orange↗
PubMed1990

The role of preventive medicine in developing countries.

In trying to demonstrate the importance of preventive medicine in health care promotion, previous studies involving prevention and control of diseases have been discussed. Preventive medicine is also urged as the best method to help promoting health especially in the developing countries. Developed countries are urged to support developing countries, materially and financially in promoting their health. In terms of cost analysis prevention is an investment in health that produce a reduced probability of mortality and/or morbidity, therefore, we, investors in the developing countries, have to sacrifice something today in order to gain a benefit at a later point in time.

Communicable Disease Control↗
PubMed1993

Diarrhoeal disease: current concepts and future challenges. Molecular biological approaches to the epidemiology of diarrhoeal diseases in developing countries.

Diarrhoea in developing countries is caused by an increasingly long list of bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens with rotavirus, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, Shigella, and Salmonella heading the list. Using methods to detect most of the known enteropathogens, one or more enteropathogen(s) is isolated in two-thirds of diarrhoeal illnesses in the developing world. Many of these enteropathogens are also frequently isolated from children without diarrhoea. An aetiologic agent is more frequently isolated from cases of invasive diarrhoea than from those with secretory diarrhoea. Deoxyribonucleic acid probes have proved very useful in detecting pathogens such as enterotoxigenic (ETEC), enteroinvasive (EIEC), and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), but have not yet proved to be particularly rapid or less expensive. Molecular biology has proved useful in epidemiological studies as a means of strain identification. Plasmids were initially used as convenient markers and proved useful in identifying epidemic strains of bacteria. Other molecular markers, such as ribotyping, are accurate enough to be used as taxonomic tools.

Bacterial Infections↗