Special Assignment- RX for Survival

1- How do the following influence epidemic containment and medical delivery? A) Politics and Government : Global health concerns motivates the investment in research and health members to examine and gain insights into how vaccinations can protect the world. Polio is still widespread in a few heavily populated countries. The politics of an area enclosed by affects the ability of the health organization and the delivery of medical care. Global immunizations open the possibility of eradicating certain diseases. Even partners in health such as Dr. Jim Yong Kim and Paul Farmer are changing the way the world combats multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, they have shown that MDR-TB in poor settings can be successfully treated with a complex regimen of drugs. But only a fraction of the estimated five million MDR-TB patients worldwide are getting the antibiotics they need. B) Location and Geography : There are possible great risks that threaten health today. The microbial divergence exists today, due to the increasing mobility of the population, enables contagious diseases to spread, infecting rich and poor. Viruses and bacteria have no fixed boundaries. Infection rates can increase due to ability of health workers to reach enclosed public areas. Example: Polio eradication program in India, one of the last places on earth where polio still is a problem, less than 100 cases per year, although about 20,000 more people are carriers of the disease, spreading it without exhibiting symptoms. C) Religion: This is a major logistical challenge, but the teams of doctors and trained local volunteers are still trying to win over the resistance.. The real problem is religious resistance. Example of religious resistance: Scientists in India are trying to eradicate polio by vaccinating children, but there is resistance to the vaccine due to misinformation and misguidance form religious leaders. The people have heard rumors that the vaccine causes death and impotence. Pasteur's culture was also engaged in the persuasion that God punished through disease, therefore, accepting ones fate is the holiest choice

D) EconomyAIDS, the disease caused by HIV is rampant in Africa. In the West, there are drugs that can reduce the symptoms of HIV infection, but many in Africa cannot afford to buy the drugs. 42 million infected with HIV in the world, 75% of these are in Africa.Researchers have not been able to develop a vaccine to HIV, because the virus attacks the persons immune system. HIV resists antibodies made by the person, then invades helper T-cells. Helper T-cells make chemicals that allow killer T cells to do their job so when the HIV virus invades them, it disrupts the bodys natural process of fighting off viruses. The costs associated with development and delivery of medical care are extremely expensive. Poorer nations cannot handle the demands without assistance from other countries and organizations. For example, The Peruvian government was opposed to allowing Partners in health to treat MDR-TB patients because they

did not have the funds to pay for such expensive treatments.The policy was to let MDR TB patients die. Partners in health were opposed to this because this does not protect the public from MDR strains of bacteria. Dr. Kim smuggles donated antibiotics across the border to help these people. Partners in Health had to make the effort to cure the people at their own expense

E) Personal Socio-economic Status (SES)An idividuals SES prevents their access to medical care. During the Polio and Small Pox epidemic those without the ability to afford vaccinations and health care were provided the care they needed by generous contributions. Researchers have discovered 200 sex workers that are immune to AIDS. These people have immune systems that are destroying HIV. Also,researchers have found these people have an abnormally high number of killer T cells that are recognizing proteins that HIV makes when they are hiding in T cells. These peoples bodies are destroying the HIV. AIDS patients in the West can take advantage of HIV medications because of their socioeconomic advantage II. What can we do to help prevent and control future epidemics and pandemics? Vaccines have made great strides against disease. While certain diseases are preventable or can be reduced with vaccines. Certain disease makes it clear that the world still faces major challenges in getting vaccines to all who need them. Furthermore, antibiotics have given us a powerful way to treat infections that once were life threatening. Yet, the growing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is putting this golden era of medicine at risk. Now, we find ourselves in a race to prevent bacterial infections from once again becoming one of humanitys major killers. We need vaccines more than anything to eradicate certain diseases A vaccine protects an individual, an infectious disease can only be eradicated if vaccines are used on a widespread, sustained, population-wide basis. In order to be successful into controlling and preventing disease-causing virus, we need support from proper funding, delivering vaccines, governmental stability, political will and leadership to vaccinate each new generation of children. In addition, the community must understand the need of health education and guided information.