http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(11)61428-1/fulltext
A big problem that's been hitting developed countries recently is the rise drug-resistant strains of previously treatable diseases. Due to the overwhelming numbers of unnecessary antibiotics being prescribed to the public, we have selected for drug-resistant bacteria and viruses. Much of Eastern Europe is still developing and due to their lack of solid healthcare and infrastructure, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is on the rise.
This is another example of how weak country infrastructures prevent proper healthcare. Eastern Europe's case is different than Haiti's, though. Their predicament is not due to inability to get aid everywhere, but that people do not seek aid at their local hospitals. Their programs are also failing to screen and detect cases of tuberculosis in vulnerable population. Because of the inadequate system they have in place, those who seek help are not well educated about things like antibiotics. Not using antibiotics to full term selects for these multi-drug resistant strains, creating Europe's fear that multi-drug resistant tuberculosis will become a huge problem all across Europe. Another reason for Eastern Europe's lacking programs is due to their inability to fund the programs to properly educate, detect, and effectively cure cases of tuberculosis.
This is a good example of globalized health, where the developed countries have a negative effect on the developing world. Wide access to antibiotics, but misusing them has led to many drugs becoming useless against strains of certain diseases. This makes treatment much more difficult, since it would take a variety of different antibiotics to take out a single disease due to its resistances. In developing countries such as Haiti, this presents a very large problem since the population would have a hard time affording a single drug, let along 5 or 6 to treat disease. And then, due to a large amount of people having a disease, the disease spreads faster and presents a larger threat to developed countries.
ReplyDeleteIn developed countries, wide access to antibiotics had become a problem. People had overused antibiotics, and that led to drugs to become useless against strains of certain diseases. However, problem like this become a even bigger problem in the developing countries where people do not have enough money to afford their drugs. Since it would take variety of different antibiotics to take a single disease due to its resistances, and it makes treatment more expensive to people. It is important to pay more attention to this issues because this is what people in developed world had caused.
ReplyDeleteAs always, it seems, an increase in education is called for. If misuse of the drugs is the root of the problem, perhaps instructions that come with the drugs might be a viable option. This way more people will fully understand the proper risks associated with not using the drugs for their full term. As always, education is key and Eastern Europe should certainly make it a priority.
ReplyDeletethis is a very interesting case and it brings to light many of the problems we see in developed countries that can leave them vulnerable to these crippling problems such as our misuse of penicillin which has rendered it virtually ineffective for most people today. People often rely to heavily on medication to solve all of their problems, and are too quick to medicate for minor health issues. When a truly life threatening health problem arises, they have already created a drug resistant illness.
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