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PubMed1990

[Hodgkin's disease in developing countries].

The presentation of Hodgkin's disease (HD) is not the same in western countries and in developing countries. In the latter HD remains a severe disease partly because of a delayed diagnosis. Pathology is less favorable, stages are more advanced. Young patients are even more afflicted. Despite difficulties to treat patients, oncologists have to move to treat as well as possible potentially curable disease in order to save many years of active life. HD would be a good model to promote multidisciplinary centers where patients could be cared and cured in the best conditions.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Principles and problems of environmental pollution of groundwater resources with case examples from developing countries.

The principles and problems of environmental pollution and contamination are outlined. Emphasis is given to case examples from developing countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America with a comparative analysis to developed countries. The problems of pollution/contamination are widespread in developed countries but are gradually spreading from the urban to rural areas in the developing countries. Great efforts in research and control programs to check pollution-loading into the environment have been made in the industrialized countries, but only negligible actions have been taken in developing countries. Pollutants emanate from both point and distributed sources and have adversely affected both surface water and groundwaters. The influences of the geologic and hydrologic cycles that exacerbate the incidences of pollution/contamination have not been well understood by environmental planners and managers. Professionals in the different areas of pollution control projects, particularly in developing countries, lack the integrated multiobjective approaches and techniques in problem solving. Such countries as Nigeria, Kenya, Brazil, and India are now menaced by pollution hazards. Appropriate methods of control are hereby suggested.

Africa↗

PubMed1990

The engine or the caboose: health policy in developing countries.

A discussion of health policy in developing countries is presented. It argues that developing countries must adopt a progressive approach to health policy which rejects the two-tiered system of public and private health care. However, it also points out that ideology is not sufficient to maintain support. A progressive health system must utilize administrative and social and behavioral sciences to achieve effectiveness and efficiency in health care delivery. It cannot ignore these goals any more than a private health care system can.

Delivery of Health Care↗

PubMed1989

Overview and epidemiological assessment of the current global tuberculosis situation: with an emphasis on tuberculosis control in developing countries.

This paper reviews the global epidemiological situation to tuberculosis, with an emphasis on the disappointing tuberculosis control achievements in developing countries over the last three decades. It is concluded tht in low prevalence developed countries it will take at least 35-40 years to eliminate tuberculosis because of endogenous exacerbation in subjects remotely infected. In developing countries most of the estimated 4 million new smear-positive and 4 million new smear-negative and extra-pulmonary cases with some 2-3 million deaths from tuberculosis occur each year. It is evident that a low cure rate is the most important reason for failure of tuberculosis control programmes in poor developing countries. Canetti stressed the urgent need to develop chemotherapeutic methods adapted to the conditions prevailing in developing countries. Based on a 9-year experience in IUATLD-assisted national tuberculosis programmes in 10 developing countries, it became apparent that the basic chemotherapeutic regimen consisting of Thiazina (combined tablet of isoniazid and thiacetazone) for 12 months supplemented by streptomycin for the first 2 months is not suitable for achieving a high cure rate in those countries. A high cure rate (90%) under routine conditions can be achieved with an inexpensive 8-month short-course regimen with a 2-month strictly supervised initial intensive phase with daily isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and streptomycin, followed by 6 months of self-administered Thiazina daily. A substantial decrease in the risk of tuberculous infection in developing countries is essential, since we are facing their serious problems concerning tuberculosis with the increasing number of AIDS patients. BCG vaccination alone at least with the present type of vaccine, cannot substantially influence the epidemiological situation. It goes without saying that it should be applies to children to prevent tuberculosis whenever its use is justified for its purpose.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Overview and epidemiologic assessment of the current global tuberculosis situation with an emphasis on control in developing countries.

The global epidemiologic situation of tuberculosis is reviewed, with emphasis on the disappointing achievements in its control in developing countries over the last three decades. In developed countries where prevalence of tuberculosis is low, it will take at least 30-50 years to eliminate the disease because of exacerbation by individuals who acquire infection abroad. In developing countries, 2-3 million deaths will occur among the estimated 4 million new smear-positive and 4 million new smear-negative and extrapulmonary cases of tuberculosis. The low cure rate with standard chemotherapy is the chief reason for failure of tuberculosis control in developing countries. The basic chemotherapeutic regimen (streptomycin for 2 months then a combination of isoniazid and thiacetazone for 12 months) does not achieve a high cure rate in developing countries. Under routine conditions the cure rate is high (90%) with an inexpensive 8-month regimen consisting of 2 months of strictly supervised daily administration of isoniazid, rifampin, pyrazinamide, and streptomycin and then 6 months of self-administration of a tablet containing both isoniazid and thiacetazone. A substantial decrease in the risk of tuberculous infection in developing countries is essential because of the increase in number of AIDS patients with tuberculosis. Vaccination alone, at least with the present vaccine, cannot substantially influence the epidemiologic situation but should be continued for children when its use is justified for prevention.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1987

General practice research from developing countries: health or medicine?

At the 11th WONCA conference in June 1986 13% of the first authors of presentations came from developing countries. Presentations from or about developing countries were analysed in an attempt to compare the external resources with those in industrial countries, and to find out how primary care physicians in the developing countries see themselves, their work and the health care system. Solo works were presented equally often from authors in industrial and developing countries, but groups from industrial countries were more often multidisciplinary and larger. Most studies from developing countries were done in urban surroundings. Half of the presentations studied material from primary health care, while 44% were oriented more narrowly toward medical care. Most of the techniques described were suitable for primary care. Teamwork and intersectoral collaboration were discussed in half of the studies coming from primary health care, while traditional medicine was mentioned only occasionally.

Developing Countries↗

PubMed1988

Epilepsy in developing countries: a review of epidemiological, sociocultural, and treatment aspects.

In this report, aspects of epilepsy that differ in developing and in developed countries are reviewed. This is inevitably an incomplete and impressionistic survey, because data on many aspects in developing countries are scarce, and because it is difficult to generalise meaningfully about the enormous diversity of countries and populations that make up the developing world. Epidemiological studies of prevalence and incidence are reviewed with an emphasis on the problems inherent in work in this area in developing countries. Data concerning seizure type, aetiology, and severity of seizures in the Third World are contrasted with those from developed countries. Sociocultural aspects of epilepsy have been poorly studied, and yet are fundamental to effective medical management. The social effects of epilepsy and the local perceptions of cause and of treatment are discussed from work in Africa, Asia, and South America. The principles and success of treatment in the Third World may differ considerably in developing and developed countries. In the Third World, medical manpower is scarce, and epilepsy is managed essentially by primary care resources, without specialised investigations or personnel. The principles of drug therapy may not be understood by patients, and the supply of drugs is often erratic; and these are major reasons for poor compliance with treatment. World Health Organisation (WHO) initiatives have stressed the extensive use of paramedical personnel and of an essential drugs list, but this emphasis may be misdirected, and in practice neither proposal has achieved much success. The recommendation that phenobarbital be extensively used in the Third World, because of its cheapness and efficacy, is also of doubtful merit, as there are well-known and major drawbacks to the widespread use of this drug. Computations of treatment gap figures in three developing countries suggest that between 80-94% of patients with active epilepsy are not receiving anticonvulsant therapy, and cost is only one of a number of reasons for this. The key to improvements in medical treatment lie with a better understanding of the patients' cultural concepts of epilepsy and its treatment, improved drug supply and availability, and efforts to improve education amongst general practitioners and other primary care medical personnel.

Anticonvulsants↗

PubMed1988

Hypertension in developing countries.

Population surveys carried out since the 1970s in 15 developing countries including 23 population groups show that the prevalence of hypertension ranges from as low as 1% in some African countries to over 30% in Brazil. A trend analysis of the mortality statistics for 35-74 year-olds from 16 countries in which data are available shows a downward trend in mortality from hypertension and cerebrovascular diseases in most of these countries. In spite of the current low prevalence in some countries, the total number of hypertensives in the developing world is high, and a cost assessment of possible antihypertensive drug treatment indicates that developing countries cannot afford the same drug treatment levels as developed countries.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

[Modern health care systems in industrially developed countries].

The present paper characterizes the health care systems in several chosen capitalistic countries with developed industries. The health care systems are referred to in USA, Sweden, Japan and Great Britain. Mentioned countries are now able to subsidize their public health care with 6.5 to 11% gross national products and about 1,000 dollars for 1 citizen a year in average. The health care tends to be provided generally from governmental sources, though in lesser extent in USA, being still covered there with almost 50% from national budget. Nowadays a certain trend is manifested in providing better health care as well as health status of population without rising costs. This was notably achieved in Sweden. In industrially developed countries, no straight relation has been found between the cost-expenditure of the health care and the level of health status achieved as measured with the use of population health characteristics. The extent of health investments is directly dependent of country's economical level and that of national budget which is created there.

Delivery of Health Care↗

PubMed1979

Treatment of epilepsy: with special reference to developing countries.

1. Epilepsy, a common chronic neurological disorder, constitutes an important medical problem especially as in the developing countries there is a great dearth and shortage of health personnel, especially trained ones, in clinical neurosciences. The prevalence of epilepsy in developing countries is probably higher than in the Caucasians although accurate epidemiological data are lacking. 2. Epilepsy is discussed with special regard to the need for accurate diagnosis, and the difficulties encountered in developing countries. 3. Pharmacotherapy should be as simple as possible and suggestions are made on the essential drugs useful in the control of epilepsy with special reference to developing countries and in the context of economics and ready availability. Grand mal and focal epilepsies could be controlled by phenobarbitone, with phenytoin, sulthiame and carbamazepine kept as reserves or adjuncts. Minor (generalised) epilepsies could be controlled by ethosuximide, with clonazepam and sodium valproate (sodium dipropylacetate) as reserve drugs and adjuncts. For status epilepticus, diazepam is effective and readily available, with clonazepam and phenytoin as alternatives. 4. The problems in the management of epilepsy in the developing countries include lack of facilities and personnel to ensure accurate diagnosis and treatment, inadequate supply or non-availability of drugs, high defaulting rate of patients, the adverse and often pernicious social stigmatisation of the epileptic. 5. Possible solutions to some of these problems include integration of management (in simple terms) of convulsive disorders into the basic health system of delivery of health care in developing countries, aggressive pursuit of health education of the public by governmental and non-governmental agencies, active, intensive and sustained promotion of training of health personnel in clinical neurosciences and research aimed at producing long-acting anticonvulsants.

Africa↗

PubMed1986

In-hospital maternal mortality risk by cesarean and vaginal deliveries in two less developed countries--a descriptive study.

Cesarean deliveries are increasing in both developed countries and less developed countries (LDCs). Recent studies in the U.S. have revealed a significantly higher mortality risk for women who delivered abdominally than for those who delivered vaginally, even when the effect of the conditions which necessitated cesarean delivery was taken into account. We chose for study from an international maternity monitoring network, five centers from two LDCs that reported an in-hospital maternal mortality rate (MMR) of around 10 per 1000 parturient women. The pooled data revealed an MMR of 5.1 per 1000 women with vaginal deliveries. For women with cesarean delivery, the total MMR was 36.2 and the MMR attributable to cesarean section was estimated to be 12.8; both rates were per 1000 procedures. The leading cause of death was eclampsia for the vaginal deliveries and sepsis for the cesarean deliveries. The risk of maternal mortality inherent with the cesarean section procedure per se (not counting the risk associated with the labor and delivery complications that necessitated cesarean section) as well as the practical avoidability of maternal deaths for either mode of delivery in these LDC hospitals are discussed.

Anesthesia, Obstetrical↗

PubMed1976

Medical treatment of sexually transmitted disease in developing countries I: Gonorrhoea.

The statistics relating to the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases in many developing countries are not available and where there are, they are unreliable. Nevertheless, the impression of many physicians is that they constitute serious public health problems as they are endemic in some developing countries. The facilities for diagnosis and treatment of the diseases have been briefly discussed. The merits and the demerits of various antimicrobial agents have been outlined with the causes of failure of treatment in the developing countries. The economic importance of the "traitment minute" in the tropical environment has been stressed because of its economic advantage in terms of time spent in overcrowded hospitals. The resultant effect of the widescale misuse of antibiotics in developing countries has been suggested as a cause of the increasing resistant strains encountered. A plea is made for stricter control of the antimicrobial agents in developing countries.

Ampicillin↗

PubMed1991

Use of intraocular lenses in cataract surgery in developing countries: memorandum from a WHO meeting.

Visual loss or disability from cataract represents a massive public health and socioeconomic problem in most developing countries. At present, some 13.5 million cases require treatment and this number will increase, as most countries in the Third World are unable to cope with both the backlog and new cases. Cataract extraction with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation is now the established and preferred method in industrialized countries. The introduction of IOLs in developing countries, however, depends on their having adequately trained manpower and facilities (equipment and supplies, including IOLs) for surgery. This will inevitably increase the cost per operated case which, despite the scarce resources for cataract surgery in many developing countries, may be justified by the improved restoration of the patient's vision. Experience has led to the following generic designs for IOLs: the one-piece or three-piece C-loop polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) posterior chamber lens, which is the current favourite; and, the flexible or rigid one-piece all-PMMA anterior chamber lens, which is a valid alternative in many situations. Further scientific evaluation of the use of these lenses in a wide variety of settings in developing countries is required. Operations research is also needed in order better to define and standardize the various steps and procedures in the surgical and post-operative management of IOL implantation in Third World settings. Meanwhile, the following should be available to ensure safe and good quality cataract surgery using IOLs in developing countries: properly trained surgeons; the needed facilities and equipment with regular supplies; a good quality lens of appropriate design; and the necessary means for careful follow-up of operated patients.

Cataract Extraction↗

PubMed1990

Forecasting chronic disease risks in developing countries.

Declining fertility and infant mortality has caused the population in many developing countries to age. Population ageing can produce a rapid shift in the predominant public health problems from infant mortality and infectious diseases to chronic disease mortality at later ages. Designing public health strategies to deal with the health consequences of population ageing in developing countries is difficult both because of a remaining burden of infectious diseases and because of changes in life style associated with economic development that may raise chronic disease risks. Because there are few longitudinal studies of chronic disease risks in developing countries, we investigate the use of a planning and forecasting model, which combines data from multiple sources, in six developing countries.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

Vaccines in health strategies for developing countries--priorities and technology transfer.

Millions of people in developing countries are still at risk of dying of infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, typhoid, tuberculosis and cholera despite the existence of relevant vaccines. For economical reasons commercial firms are not keen to invest in new or improved vaccines meant for the Third World market. Yet some vaccines could be made cheaply if there was more effort in transfer of knowledge and technology between scientists of the technically developed countries and the Third World. National governments and research institutions should accept a special responsibility to mobilize available manpower and technical resources to provide the right vaccines at the right cost to those who need them the most. Without rapid progress in this field, developing countries will lack some of the most cost effective tools in their strategies for preventing disease, disability and death.

Developing Countries↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pertussis in developing countries: definition of the problem and prospects for control.

Pertussis is a distinct clinical syndrome caused by Bordetella pertussis. The disease has been well characterized and largely controlled in the industrialized countries. Studies of pertussis in developing countries have been much more limited, in large part because of difficulty in culturing the organisms. Conventional whole-cell vaccine is being widely used in developing countries but without clear epidemiologic measures of efficacy. The introduction of new acellular pertussis vaccines has focused attention on the need to define the impact of pertussis in the developing world and to explore the optimal approach to control of this illness.

Child↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Simple analytic procedures for rapid microcomputer-assisted cluster surveys in developing countries.

Surveys are often deemed necessary in developing countries when routine sources of data are not considered adequate to answer important policy-related questions. Although field work often goes smoothly, many surveys become bogged down in the analysis stage. With the availability of microcomputers and contemporary software, investigators in developing countries can use rapid survey methodology (RSM) to process, analyze, and report survey findings more quickly than ever before. Presented in this paper are three simple analytic procedures for planning and doing two-stage, rapid cluster surveys. All were successfully used in three rapid surveys in rural regions of Burma and Thailand. By use of a spreadsheet and graphics software package, the three procedures (a) derive the first-stage selection of 30 cluster sites with probability proportionate to size, (b) calculate variance estimates and confidence limits for the parameters of interest and graphically present the findings as 90, 95, and 99 percent confidence intervals, and (c) estimate the necessary sample size for planning two-stage, rapid cluster surveys. The procedures can be used both in the field and in teaching workshops or courses on survey methods. Examples are given from three rapid surveys conducted in Hlegu Township, Burma, and Sisaket Province, Thailand. In both countries, local health professionals were first taught the methods in a 1-week workshop before they used the procedure for conducting the rapid computer-assisted surveys.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1990

Supporting cancer care in the developing countries: role of IAEA/WHO.

Cancer management can be expensive and constitutes a major problem in many developing countries where management standards are poor due to many factors, including non-availability of sufficient funds, equipment, and trained personnel. The incidence of cancer is rising worldwide. This is more so in the developing countries, many of whom are less equipped to deal with the problems. Radiation therapy is one of the major treatment modalities for cancer, and it is estimated that about 60% of all cancer patients require this treatment at one time or another during the course of their disease. Unfortunately, radiotherapy facilities are lacking or grossly inadequate in many developing countries. Over the past 8 years the IAEA and WHO have shown more interest in the problem and treatment of cancer in the developing countries. This paper reviews the role of these international organizations, with emphasis on research activities, education (seminars, workshops, training courses), and technical assistance programs. These include establishment or upgrading of radiotherapy facilities, provision of experts, etc. Scientific papers are published with a view to disseminating current information and research findings in the developing countries. The achievements up to date are assessed and discussed.

Africa↗