The aim of this essay is to demonstrate an understanding of the world pattern of disease.

This will include the five biggest fatal diseases malaria, tuberculosis, respiratory disorders (i.e asthma), diarrhoea and HIV/AIDS. A description of at least 4 of these diseases are in detail. This will also include the top 5 causes of death. According to The World Health Organization (WHO) the top 5 causes of death in the world are coronary heart disease, stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases, lower respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diarrhoeal diseases.

Respiratory disorders or lung diseases are disorders which affects the airways and the other structures of the lungs. These include asthma, pneumonia, tuberculosis, lung cancer, and others. Asthma is a chronic lung disease which causes episodes of difficult breathing. The exact cause of asthma is not known yet. But different factors such as genetic or the environment play a role. Asthma is not curable, but can be controlled by learning to avoid asthma triggers (allergens or other stimuli) and by taking medicine regulary.

Another disease is malaria which is a mosquito-borne infectious disease found in tropical areas such as Africa, South and Central America, Asia and the Middle East. The disease is caused by the four species Plasmodium P. Falciparum, P. Ovale, P. Vivax and P. Malariae of the genus Plasmodium. It is naturally transmitted by the bite of a female Anopheles Mosquito. The Mosquito bites an infected person, and takes a small amount of blood which contains malaria parasites. When the mosquito bites the next person the parasites are transferred to him and multiply in the liver, and also subsequently infect the red blood cells. The incubation period varies between the types of parasites the mosquito was carrying. Symptoms of malaria include fever, headache, shivering, vomiting, diarrhoea and dry cough. (Health protection agency, 2007) Malaria is a huge worldwide problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 243 million cases and nearly 1 million deaths from malaria in 2008. Most deaths occur in African countries close to the equator and below the Sahara desert (Sub-Saharan Africa). Many babies and children die from malaria. WHO estimates that a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds.

In 2008, there were 1,370 cases of malaria reported and six deaths in the UK. Most of the malaria imported to the UK is caused by the falciparum parasite acquired in Africa. Malaria is diagnosed by taking a blood test and looking it under a microscope for malaria parasites, which may be seen inside infected red blood cells. This should be done three times over a period of 48-72 hours and if the result is negative one is unlucky to be infected.

Every person should be aware of the risks of malaria, especially pregnant and asplenic patients. Prevention can be attempted by using mosquito repellents, wearing long sleeved shirts and trousers and sleeping under a mosquito net.

The effectiveness of antimalarial drugs differs in species of the parasite and with the stages of the parasite's life cycle.

Tuberculosis is a deadly contagious disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It usually attacks the lungs but also other parts of the body. It is spread through the air and when people that are infected cough, sneeze, or spit others only need to inhale a small number of these droplets to be infected. Mycobacterium tuberculosis move very slowly, so a person may not experience any symptoms for many months, or even years, after becoming infected.

Symptoms of tuberculosis in the lungs may include a persistent cough, fever, tiredness, loss of appetite, weight loss, night sweats or chest pain when breathing in. One-third of the world's population is currently infected with the TB bacillus. Tuberculosis is most common in sub-Saharan Africa, India, China, and the islands of Southeast Asia and Micronesia. WHO estimated that 1.7 million people died from TB in 2009 and the highest number of deaths were in the Africa Region. Someone who is HIV-positive and infected with TB bacilli is more likely to become sick with TB. This is due to the damage the HIV virus does to the immune system. It destroys the white blood cells which makes it easier for TB to enter tissue and affect cells. Tuberculosis can be completely cured by taking antibiotics. The two most commonly antibiotics are rifampicin and isoniazid, which you must take for six to nine months. The treatment takes long because the pathogens grow very slowly when entering the body and therefore also die very slowly. Diarrhoea is loose, watery, and frequent stool. Acute diarrhoea usually occurs suddenly and only lasts for a short time. Chronic diarrhoea continues for a long period of time. Diarrhoea gets dangerous if a person becomes dehydrated. Common causes of diarrhoea include food poisoning, gastroenteritis, anxiety, excess alcohol, functional bowel disorders, some foods and side effects of certain drug treatments.

According to the WHO, diarrhoea causes 4% of all deaths and 5% of health loss to disability. A high proportion of the 2.2 million people that die from diarrhoea are children. There are complicated and uncomplicated symptoms of diarrhoea. Symptoms of uncomplicated diarrhoea may include stomach pain, watery stool, sense of urgency to have a bowel movement, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms of complicated diarrhoea may include presence of blood, mucus or undigested food in stool, fever, weight loss, piles by chronic diarrhoea and the most common and serious complication of diarrhoea - dehydration. Dehydration can lead to dry and lax skin, fainting, kidney failure, hypovolemic shock and coma. They are different ways to prevent diarrhoea like accessing to safe drinkingwater or rotavirus vaccination. To treat diarrhoea you need to replace your lost fluid and electrolytes. Depending on the cause of the problem, a person might also need medication to stop the diarrhoea or treat an infection.

HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus which can be passed through sexual contact, from mother to baby or by blood to blood contact. The HIV infection attacks the immune system, increasing the risk of infection, serious illnesses and some cancers. AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is called a term in which the immune system has been weakened by the HIV and the immune system cannot fight any more life-treating infections and illnesses. Symptoms of primary HIV, the first few months after you get infected are fever, swollen glands, sore throat, rash on your body or face, painful muscles or joints, headache, ulcers in your mouth, sweating at night and feeling generally unwell. At this stage passing the infection to another person is very high. This is followed by the Advanced HIV infection stage in which your Immune system is seriously damaged and cannot protect your body from serious illnesses such as tuberculosis, pneumonia and certain cancers of the lymph glands. HIV and AIDS have a vital impact on human population. According to new data in the AIDS epidemic update 2009 there are Worldwide, approximately 33.3 million people living with HIV and 2.5 million of these are children under the age of 15.

According to the UNAIDS organization there have also been 2.6 million people newly infected with HIV in 2009 and 1.8 million have died of AIDS. HIV/AIDS is most common in Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East and North Africa, South and South East Asia, East Asia, Central and South America. HIV is not curable. Though treatment with anti-HIV medicines can help to reduce the HIV-viruses in your body and decrease the chances of getting lifethreatening infections. Several combinations of drugs need to be taken, which is known as antiretroviral therapy, combination therapy, or HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy).

Malaria, tuberculosis, diarrhoea, respiratory disorders and HIV/AIDS are the 5 biggest fatal diseases. The human population is growing from year to year and as our transport systems are developing we tend to travel more to other countries than few years ago. This changes the epidemiology and also gives diseases the advantage to spread more effectively. The diseases are spread in many ways and in order to minimise the risk of infection we have to inform ourselves about prevention methods and make sure these are followed strictly. The diseases have killed many people in the past and still have a massive impact on our present but with the development of new prevention methods and therapies the morality decreases gradually and gives us reasons for hope.

References: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310/en/index.html accessed: 20/11.2010 http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/malaria/Pages/Introduction.aspx accessed: 22/11/2010 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs104/en/ accessed: 24/11/2010 http://www.who.int/topics/diarrhoea/en/ accessed: 26/11/2010

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/aids.html accessed: 28/11/2010

http://www.hpa.org.uk/NewsCentre/NationalPressReleases/2008PressRel eases/080704UKTravellerstoAfricaandAsia/ accessed: 30/11/2010

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaria accessed 01/12/2010