scholarly journals Genetics of Sub-Saharan African Human Population: Implications for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald Mboowa
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Susceptible Host ◽  
Host Genetics ◽  
Evolutionary Forces ◽  
Host Genetic ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Hiv Aids

Sub-Saharan Africa has continued leading in prevalence and incidence of major infectious disease killers such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Epidemiological triad of infectious diseases includes susceptible host, pathogen, and environment. It is imperative that all aspects of vertices of the infectious disease triad are analysed to better understand why this is so. Studies done to address this intriguing reality though have mainly addressed pathogen and environmental components of the triad. Africa is the most genetically diverse region of the world as well as being the origin of modern humans. Malaria is relatively an ancient infection in this region as compared to TB and HIV/AIDS; from the evolutionary perspective, we would draw lessons that this ancestrally unique population now under three important infectious diseases both ancient and exotic will be skewed into increased genetic diversity; moreover, other evolutionary forces are also still at play. Host genetic diversity resulting from many years of malaria infection has been well documented in this population; we are yet to account for genetic diversity from the trio of these infections. Effect of host genetics on treatment outcome has been documented. Host genetics of sub-Saharan African population and its implication to infectious diseases are an important aspect that this review seeks to address.

scholarly journals Infectious disease, development, and climate change: a scenario analysis

2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 687-706 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD S.J. TOL ◽  
KRISTIE L. EBI ◽  
GARY W. YOHE
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infant Mortality ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Absolute Poverty ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Short Run ◽  
Sub Saharan

We study the effects of development and climate change on infectious diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa. Infant mortality and infectious disease are closely related, but there are better data for the former. In an international cross-section, per capita income, literacy, and absolute poverty significantly affect infant mortality. We use scenarios of these three determinants and of climate change to project the future incidence of malaria, assuming it to change proportionally to infant mortality. Malaria deaths will first increase, because of population growth and climate change, but then fall, because of development. This pattern is robust to the choice of scenario, parameters, and starting conditions; and it holds for diarrhoea, schistosomiasis, and dengue fever as well. However, the timing and level of the mortality peak is very sensitive to assumptions. Climate change is important in the medium term, but dominated in the long term by development. As climate can only be changed with a substantial delay, development is the preferred strategy to reduce infectious diseases even if they are exacerbated by climate change. Development can, in particular, support the needed strengthening of disease control programs in the short run and thereby increase the capacity to cope with projected increases in infectious diseases over the medium to long term. This conclusion must, however, be viewed with caution, because development, even of the sort envisioned in the underlying socio-economic scenarios, is by no means certain.

scholarly journals Risk Factors for Infectious Diseases in Urban Environments of Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal of Evidence

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Boyce ◽  
Rebecca Katz ◽  
Claire J. Standley
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Health Systems Strengthening ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Original Research ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Sub Saharan

Our world is rapidly urbanizing. According to the United Nations, between 1990 and 2015, the percent of the world’s population living in urban areas grew from 43% to 54%. Estimates suggest that this trend will continue and that over 68% of the world’s population will call cities home by 2050, with the majority of urbanization occurring in African countries. This urbanization is already having a profound effect on global health and could significantly impact the epidemiology of infectious diseases. A better understanding of infectious disease risk factors specific to urban settings is needed to plan for and mitigate against future urban outbreaks. We conducted a systematic literature review of the Web of Science and PubMed databases to assess the risk factors for infectious diseases in the urban environments of sub-Saharan Africa. A search combining keywords associated with cities, migration, African countries, infectious disease, and risk were used to identify relevant studies. Original research and meta-analyses published between 2004 and 2019 investigating geographical and behavioral risk factors, changing disease distributions, or control programs were included in the study. The search yielded 3610 papers, and 106 met the criteria for inclusion in the analysis. Papers were categorized according to risk factors, geographic area, and study type. The papers covered 31 countries in sub-Saharan Africa with East Africa being the most represented sub-region. Malaria and HIV were the most frequent disease focuses of the studies. The results of this work can inform public health policy as it relates to capacity building and health systems strengthening in rapidly urbanizing areas, as well as highlight knowledge gaps that warrant additional research.

scholarly journals Emerging Infectious Diseases in Pregnant Women in a Non-Endemic Area: Almost One Out of Four Is at Risk

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Giulia Modi ◽  
Beatrice Borchi ◽  
Susanna Giaché ◽  
Irene Campolmi ◽  
Michele Trotta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria ◽  
Emerging Infectious Disease ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan

We report the results of a targeted testing strategy for five emerging infectious diseases (Chagas disease, human T-lymphotropic virus 1 infection, malaria, schistosomiasis, and Zika virus infection) in pregnant women accessing an Italian referral centre for infectious diseases in pregnancy for unrelated reasons. The strategy is based on a quick five-question questionnaire which allows the identification of pregnant women at risk who should be tested for a specific disease. One hundred and three (24%) out of 429 pregnant women evaluated in a 20 month period were at risk for at least one emerging infectious disease. Three (2.9%, all from sub-Saharan Africa) out of 103 at-risk women resulted in being affected (one case of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, two cases of schistosomiasis) and were appropriately managed. Prevalence of emerging infectious disease was particularly high in pregnant women from Africa (three out of 25 pregnant women tested, 12%). The proposed strategy could be used by health care professionals managing pregnant women in non-endemic setting, to identify those at risk for one of the five infection which could benefit for a targeted test and treatment.

scholarly journals Pandemics and Burden of Stroke and Epilepsy in Sub-Saharan Africa: Experience from a Longstanding Health Programme

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 2766
Author(s):  
Massimo Leone ◽  
Fausto Ciccacci ◽  
Stefano Orlando ◽  
Sandro Petrolati ◽  
Giovanni Guidotti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Combined Treatment ◽  
Cerebrovascular Disorders ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Noncommunicable Diseases ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Health Programme ◽  
Excess Deaths ◽  
Hiv Aids

Eighty percent of people with stroke live in low- to middle-income nations, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where stroke has increased by more than 100% in the last decades. More than one-third of all epilepsy−related deaths occur in SSA. HIV infection is a risk factor for neurological disorders, including stroke and epilepsy. The vast majority of the 38 million people living with HIV/AIDS are in SSA, and the burden of neurological disorders in SSA parallels that of HIV/AIDS. Local healthcare systems are weak. Many standalone HIV health centres have become a platform with combined treatment for both HIV and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), as advised by the United Nations. The COVID-19 pandemic is overwhelming the fragile health systems in SSA, and it is feared it will provoke an upsurge of excess deaths due to the disruption of care for chronic diseases such as HIV, TB, hypertension, diabetes, and cerebrovascular disorders. Disease Relief through Excellent and Advanced Means (DREAM) is a health programme active since 2002 to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS and related disorders in 10 SSA countries. DREAM is scaling up management of NCDs, including neurologic disorders such as stroke and epilepsy. We described challenges and solutions to address disruption and excess deaths from these diseases during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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