An Ancient, But Still Neglected Disease

Kira Mengistu, Staff Writer

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Since its first documentation, leprosy has been one of the most heavily chronicled diseases. Unfortunately, some aspects of the disease and its treatment have remained obscure for thousands of years. It was not until the early years of modern medicine, in 1873, that Dr. Armauer Hansen of Norway made the astonishing discovery that leprosy was caused by a bacterium (Mycobacterium leprae) that this disease became known as a public health issue instead of a curse from God.

Over a hundred years later, technological advances have facilitated a greater understanding of the science behind the disease. Leprosy is a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and that it causes extensive damage to the skin, limbs, nerves and eyes. Fortunately, research has led to development of effective multidrug therapies (MDTs). The MDT treatment course consists of 2 – 3 powerful drugs that, taken together, can prevent transmission after the first dose and can cure patients within 6 – 12 months.

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The Cholera Epidemic in Zimbabwe

Lavinia Mitroi, Staff Writer

Courtesy Julien Harneis

Exceeding original worst-case scenario figures proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the ongoing cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe has infected over 93,000 individuals and taken the lives of over 4,000, according to a March 27 WHO update.

Since the outbreak began in August 2008, the Zimbabwean population’s needs have been difficult to meet with a heath care system that has been in decline since 2006, evidenced by the nation’s life expectancy at birth of 36 years, the lowest in the world.

Inadequate water treatment and sanitation systems have only provided an impetus for the spread of the infection, which has seen a cumulative death rate of over 5 percent, five times greater than the usual death rate from cholera, according to a report released in January by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR). The situation has only worsened with a spread of the epidemic to all ten of Zimbabwe’s provinces and exponential growth.

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Foundational Approaches to Global Health

Rajarshi Banerjee, Staff Writer

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Bill Gates made headlines earlier this year when he released a jar of mosquitoes onto an influential and unsuspecting audience during a talk on malaria at the Technology Entertainment Design (TED) Conference in Long Beach, California. After a few moments of nervous laughter from around the auditorium, Gates had to assure everyone the insects were not infected, drawing his loudest round of applause.  Over the last couple of years his foundation, as well as The Clinton Foundation, has invested heavily in the fight against a disease that continues to affect millions annually. While both non-governmental organizations (NGOs) claim they will achieve significant success against malaria by 2015, they have taken very different approaches to eradicating the disease.

Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in many countries: there were over 247 million cases in 2006 alone, compared to 3.2 million cases of HIV/AIDS the previous year.  The Gates Foundation carries out malaria control programs in several sub-Saharan countries, and Gates-funded initiatives have led to progress in malaria control in Zambia and Ethiopia. However, the foundation focuses much of its efforts on researching drugs, developing vaccines, and exploring new prevention strategies. This has occasionally led to controversy.

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Targetting drug users in HIV prevention in China

Marianna Tu, Staff Writer

Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

In 2007, 729 needle exchange programs were established in the People’s Republic of China as part of the effort to combat HIV/AIDS epidemic among intravenous (IV) drug users. These programs contribute to growing optimism surrounding government responses to HIV/AIDS, as demonstrated by UNAIDS public acknowledgment in July of 2007 of China’s Vice Minister of Health, Dr Wang Longde, and Qingdao University professor, Zhang Beichuan, for their HIV/AIDS work (UNAIDS). Countrywide, HIV/AIDS interventions are being scaled up. The 729 needle exchange programs of 2007 represent over an 800% increase from 2004, when only 90 needle-exchange programs existed country-wide (harm reduction journal).

Today, although China’s AIDS epidemic has spread throughout the nation and touched all provinces, advocacy and intervention campaigns continue to heavily target a few sub-populations. These groups notably include IV drug users, sex workers, men who have sex with men, and ethnic minorities. Experts worry that focused interventions, though innovative and localized, threaten to further harm already marginalized populations. In particular, as Chinese health workers, within and without the government, struggle to reach IV drug users in particular, legal and moral controversy abounds.

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