Reducing the Rate of Infectious Diseases by 2030

Reducing the Rate of Infectious Diseases by 2030

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Abstract

Over the years, the prevalence of infectious diseases, their implications, and the policies developed to combat them have raised controversies and debates among different groups of people worldwide. Contagious diseases threaten public health because they spread so fast and easily take an individual’s life if not properly handled. Various governments have worked hand in hand with healthcare stakeholders to minimize the spread of infectious diseases in many countries. So far, the efforts of concerned and active governments that prioritize contagious diseases have been felt in different parts of the world. However, some countries still report severe and deadly types of infectious diseases. This project aims to evaluate the decrease in infectious diseases over the years and its implications for the population by 2030.

Introduction

Infectious diseases refer to disorders brought about by organisms such as fungi, bacteria, parasites, and bacteria that live within our bodies. Their severity and commonness depend on various factors, including climate and geographical region. High rates of infectious diseases recorded have their origins in developing countries. 77% of deaths linked to infectious diseases come from low and middle-income countries. Developing countries are faced with multiple constraints like socio-economic disadvantages and adverse climate conditions, which makes their population vulnerable to infectious diseases. According to World Health Organization WHO, non-communicable diseases claim the lives of 41 million people annually, a figure that is equivalent to 79% of total deaths worldwide. Most governments put qualified medical practitioners and researchers to combat infectious diseases and reduce the disease burden on the people. They aim to develop more resilient communities and help decrease chronic diseases. This project will break down the reduction of infectious diseases and their implications to the people.

Background

The organisms that live in the human body are usually harmless and significant to the human body under normal conditions. However, when these conditions are disrupted either by external or internal factors, some microorganisms in the body might cause mild or severe harm to an individual. Infectious diseases can be passed from one person to another in various ways. Direct and close interactions or physical contact is the most common way of spreading contagious diseases. Others can be transmitted through ingesting contaminated foods or liquids, while others move from one body to the other through insects or animal bites. Infectious diseases usually depict different signs and symptoms for their victims depending on the type of organism responsible for the infection. The most common signs of contagious diseases are fever, muscle ache, coughing, and fatigue. In cases where the infectious disease is mild, patients try home remedies and rest to suppress the infection. On the other hand, severe infectious disorders may require medical intervention as they can be fatal.

The core function of public health law is to minimize the spread of infectious diseases in the population. The severity and seriousness of a contagious illness vary depending on how quickly it can be transmitted and the transmission means. Infectious diseases have been lowering in recent years with the public health programs and planned management of the patients required per CDC guidelines. The rate was 23.7% in 2000, 14.3% in 2017, and 14.9% in 2018 for pneumonia and upper respiratory infections. There are many factors responsible for the lowering rates of infectious diseases. These factors are getting recent data, targeting the populations with higher rates, conducting surveys about responsible factors, and planning focused public health programs that have made it possible to reduce the onset and better manage existing diseases. One of the effective measures is to comply with the duty to report to the state for specific conditions. State and federal regulatory laws define the reporting statute in these cases. Some infectious diseases like polio and measles can be prevented by getting vaccinated. In contrast, others are treatable if they are detected early enough before they cause irreversible damage to the body.

Studies by the Department of Health in England DHE, suggest that the biggest fear and threat to the 2030 development agenda, especially in the health sector, is the emergence of more life-threatening infectious diseases on the scale of severe acute respiratory syndrome and AIDS. According to WHO, it is essential to call for global solidarity in this modern era because the universe is more vulnerable than ever to infectious diseases threats. The security of public health is an individual and collective responsibility. A sudden health crisis in one region in the world can turn into a public health emergency in many countries within a short period. The onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic, for instance, started in a small town in China, and within a span of one year, it had spread beyond its borders and become catastrophic. Research shows that factors like ease of international travel, under-resourced healthcare facilities, population growth, environmental degradation, intensive farming, and resistance to drugs have accelerated the transmission of infectious diseases within and beyond borders. The mentioned factors interact and demonstrate intrinsic diseases transmission mechanisms, spatially, socially, and temporarily.

Various medical researchers have conducted epidemiological studies intending to combat infectious diseases. Three critical aspects stand out in focusing on approaching and tackling such conditions. The first aspect is the evaluation of the tempo-spatial disease occurrence patterns, discovering and assessing its impact factors to the population, and exploring the appropriate intervention strategies to control its spread and ultimately bring it to a halt. Several techniques developed and employed by the government and non-profit organizations have significantly impacted society through positive outcomes and creating a safe and healthy environment for the people. Despite all the efforts by all the relevant parties in controlling infectious diseases, their prevalence of infectious diseases continues to thrive in many countries especially developing countries. Interactive effects and multiple impact factors such as ecological changes, parasite microbial genetic mutation, behavioral changes, and human socio-economic make it difficult for various governments to contain infectious diseases and promise the safety of their people. Additionally, the re-merging of infectious diseases and the emergence of new infections worsen the burden on governments as they are already struggling with other diplomatic and economic issues.

Infectious diseases can also spread through various human behavior that is challenging to monitor, like sexual contact and as they are very private. In such cases, the government has an obligation to provide a neutral legal environment that supports behaviors that prevent further transmission of an infectious disease. Patients living with HIV fall under the umbrella of human behavior because of the difficulty of dealing with its transmission and measures. Inadequate access to treatment and the high rates of HIV cases in sub-Saharan countries are a heavy disease burden to the locals and a dramatic decrease in average life expectancy. The lack of resources has aggravated the challenges for people living with AIDS in such regions. The financial constraints of HIV patients in Sub-Saharan nations limit their access to proper treatment and a healthy diet altogether. Therefore, it is necessary for the government to educate and support individuals, especially in areas where HIV is prevalent, to better their living standards, prolong their lives, and prevent further spread of the Virus. Non-governmental organizations should work hand in hand to develop strategies that would control the spread of the Virus. One of the strategies is by offering affordable treatment and free testing centers within the local healthcare facilities.

The onset of the covid-19 Pandemic drew more attention from the government, stakeholders, private organizations, and the general public to infectious diseases issues, their implication to society members, and the possible measure that can be erected to control their spread. Covid-19 Pandemic caught nearly all people by surprise. For this reason, harsh repercussions were adopted by various countries to keep people safe and prevent its further spread. The most felt measure against the covid-19 Pandemic was restricted movement since the Virus was spread through physical contact. The Pandemic constrained the movement across border lines except for cargo as many countries adopted lockdown mechanisms to control the spread of the highly contagious Virus. For this reason, many people lost their jobs while others were forced to work from home. The onset of the Pandemic proved to be far more than a health crisis as it disturbed the core of nearly all economies across the globe. The spread and longevity of the negative impacts of the Pandemic lay heavily on the shoulders of government administrations. It was an eye-opener to the loopholes in the healthcare departments for most countries.

The person-to-person transmission of infectious diseases is the most common and fastest way of spreading them. This is the case because it is inevitable for people from various societies to meet and interact daily. These interactions involve physical contact, which allows for effective communication between or among the respective parties. This closeness creates a platform where organisms can quickly move from one body to another. Infectious diseases affect all genders, people of all age groups, and countries. However, these diseases tend to burden older members of society and those suffering from chronic diseases. More often than not, infectious diseases are periodical and spread so fast among the population. This is the case because, firstly, they are unpredictable and usually get the health department of most countries unprepared. Therefore, there are no certified medications or vaccines in place to counter such infections. Secondly, infectious diseases are usually hard to detect during their early stages of development. This aspect of such conditions facilitates its fast spread because people don’t know if they have it or what they are dealing with.

Human behavior as far as infectious diseases are concerned plays a vital role in developing infectious diseases’ models. They should clearly represent the entire population to prove effective and practical. Person-to-person transmission of infectious diseases is critical because it is the leading method. Research has revealed that traditional mathematical models to control the spread of infectious diseases are becoming ineffective over the past few years due to mutations and the emergence of new infections whose cure or prevention is uncertain. According to the World Health Organization, these models limit the heterogeneous behavioral responses within the respective populations. Theories of health-related behavioral changes and psychological research state otherwise as far as inconsistency of homogeneous behaviors and human behavior over decades are concerned. Research shows that infectious diseases threaten the progress towards a decrease in the rates of pre-determined deaths by one-third as s 2030 vision and agenda for Sustainable development. A meta-analysis of the theory of planned behavior established that the theory only explained 39% of behavioral intention changes in the population linked to infectious diseases.

In comparison, 27% depicted the actual conduct of individuals under the study. The National Coordination of Communicable Disease Surveillance NCCDS adds that the theories of health-related behavioral changes only illustrate less than half of behavioral changes among humans that positively correlate with infectious diseases. However, it is essential to acknowledge that these theories are still effective to some extent. More research on the effective behavioral change models, modification, or adoption of new and inclusive models should be considered by medical researchers to combat the issue. Information and understanding the current modeling of health-related behavioral changes is critical when attempting to comprehend how humans behave when there is a break out of infectious diseases. Statistics show that 90% of governments worldwide advocate for behavioral compliance when there is a break out of infectious diseases. Most people resort to behavioral changes like social distancing, handwash vaccination, and condom use to protect themselves from infectious diseases and prevent further spread. Therefore, behavioral compliance is essential for strategizing and making long-term policies to deal with infectious diseases.

Infectious diseases can be managed and lowered with planned activity. This fact is more apparent after the methods and research done during the Covid-19 Pandemic, and these practices should be applied to other infectious diseases. Continuous quality improvement CQI in contagious diseases is one of the major strategies employed to help control the spread of infectious diseases and bring them to an end. It has proved effective in the current healthcare environment because of the positive outcomes regarding infectious diseases and public safety. CQI is a general model developed in 1963 to provide quality treatment in any organization that prioritizes its patients. In this case, it is the continuous effort of healthcare departments worldwide to meet patients’ expectations, restore good health, protect them from infectious diseases and satisfy their needs altogether. For the success of this model to be achieved, organizations within a clinical setting need to identify their customers, their expectations as far as treatment is concerned, and the medication directive that will improve their customers’ health.

Continuous Quality Improvement is a long-term horizontal process that requires resources and commitment from medical facilities management to be effective. This model is practical and inclusive as it involves all the levels in a medical facility whose aim is to increase patient outcomes. Therefore, quality achievement depends entirely on strong leadership, adequate training, long-term direction, and system design. It is a perfect match and response to infectious diseases because it allows the government to uproot the problem from the root source, eliminating the challenge of re-emergence of infectious diseases in the population. Variation in the medical care includes but is not limited to the patients’ response to infectious diseases, disease differences, diagnostic states availability, same disease’ difference presentations, staff mix, and disease difference. The Continuous Quality Improvement model can be used to recognize and analyze such variations in medical facilities.

Dangers of Infectious Diseases

Infectious diseases always have a time limit to spread infection and incubation period of transmission of the disease from the vector to the host. It can be from a couple of hours to a couple of days. It always has a carrier that helps in spreading the pathogens. It can be air, blood, body fluids, etc. The level of infection and pre-existing conditions of the patients determine the fatality or adverse effects. Infectious diseases spread faster under favorable conditions like congestion and harsh climatic conditions. This characteristic renders developing countries vulnerable because they are pretty disadvantaged in various sectors, including socio-economically. For this reason, the disease burden on the population challenges their governments and the people in general. Research shows that the disease burden linked to infectious diseases in developing countries is based on the assumption that the relationship between incidences and mortality is constant.

Canadian medical researchers determined that disease burdens associated with infectious syndromes and pathogens originated from premature mortality rather than morbidity. There is a continuous fight against old pathogens like the plague and new ones like HIV and the Covid-19 Virus. Their ability to mutate has rendered most initiatives employed less effective or useless. Healthcare programs are forced to devise new strategies to counter the mutations and control the spread of these viruses. According to the World Health Organization, governments channel endless resources towards medical research to find a definite treatment and vaccine for such pathogens. WHO further states that various gender-specific differences quantify the syndrome burden resulting from multiple pathogens. The study also establishes that routine childhood vaccination is critical in strengthening children’s immunity against infectious diseases. They prevent them from getting the pathogens with oncogenic potential responsible for illnesses like S. pneumoniae, HPV, influenza virus, and HBV.

The vast array of possible causes of endemic pathogens challenges the anticipation and responses to epidemics. Endemics refer to the prevalence of a disease over a particular group of people residing in specific areas. These are infectious diseases include illnesses like malaria and tuberculosis TB, which occur infrequently and irregularly, imposing a substantial but steady disease burden worldwide. Two hundred and forty thousand deaths reported annually worldwide are attributed to Tuberculosis. Other infectious diseases like influenza and Ebola fluctuate in intensity and pervasiveness. This aspect makes its outbreak catastrophic in industrialized and developing countries alike, causing an epidemic or Pandemic depending on how far they have spread. Dengue, malaria, HIV, and Tuberculosis are currently endemic in some regions and can spread rapidly to other parts of the world if not adequately contained, posing a threat to public health. Influenza has the potential of spreading across nations worldwide and resulting in a pandemic. However, research shows that the World Health Organization has a strategic framework ready to contain the infectious disease in case of a pandemic.

Some Viruses or bacteria are resistant to available medications and vaccines, making it difficult to contain and prevent their spread in the population. Public health organizations are faced with the challenge of developing new medicines that can suppress or decline the mortality of infectious diseases because the ones developed over the second half of the twentieth century are gradually losing their effectiveness. Thanks to the proliferation of superbugs, the world is becoming a risky place despite the unlikelihood of stubborn or resistant pathogens occurring, like in the case of pandemic threats in the future. AMR pandemics are pretty different from epidemic threats. Firstly, they are transmitted from one body to another in the form of bacteria. Therefore, they are contracted and categorized as nosocomial infections. On the other hand, pandemic threats originate from zoonotic reservoirs and tend to be viral, causing outbreaks in human populations.

Role of Prevention of Infectious Diseases for the Goal Healthy People 2030

Infectious diseases threaten the progress towards the achievement of a decrease in the rates of pre-determined deaths by one-third as s 2030 vision and agenda for Sustainable development. Therefore, both developed and developing countries have devised strategies to combat the spread of infectious diseases depending on the risk factors in the respective regions. The role of prevention of infectious diseases is apparent in a healthy community. Infectious diseases can be prevented using various techniques depending on the transmission mode and the infectious cycle of the disease. It can be achieved in multiple ways, including hospital-acquired infection prevention. Ways, childhood infection prevention and antibiotic-resistant infection prevention. Medical practitioners assist in preventing the spread of infectious diseases through the hospital. They encourage the art of washing hands or using alcohol-based sanitizers to cleanse hands before administering treatment. They also encourage patients to adopt the same habit to avoid spreading the disease type through contact.

With the onset of the covid-19 Pandemic, wearing surgical masks has been made mandatory before access to services in the hospital. Doctors and nurses interact with different patients daily. To prevent the spread of infectious diseases, doctors must wear gloves while dealing with patients and dispose of them correctly. Moreover, surgical pieces of equipment are sterilized to kill any bacteria or viruses before using them on patients. Doctors use different syringes on their patients to prevent the spread of viruses such as HIV that can be transmitted through blood. There is a need to reduce congestion in hospitals to allow social distancing among patients. This initiative can be achieved through expanding the hospital building, hiring more medical practitioners, and sub-dividing the hospital into different departments that handle various illnesses. The hospital is critical for spreading infectious diseases because many people suffering from multiple ailments meet or cross paths. If the management is not careful to develop and implement appropriate hygiene-related measures, infectious diseases can spread quickly, leading to an epidemic, and gradually turning into a pandemic.

Childhood infection prevention can be achieved through routine vaccination of children to strengthen their immune systems. Vaccines are effective against the prevalence of infectious diseases because they contain vital antigens from the respective pathogen. It is an attenuated strained version of a specific pathogen used to fight against the active pathogen. Despite a vaccine not being able to cause disease, bodies containing the respective pathogens create a conducive environment where the body’s immune system responds positively to vaccination. According to the National Institutes of Health (US); Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, most ailments are not preventable by using vaccines for various reasons. Vaccination plays a vital role in eliminating infectious diseases from the population. Currently, Countries are working towards discovering the appropriate vaccine for the covid-19 Virus that started in 2019.

Antibiotic-resistant infection prevention also aids in the fight against infectious diseases. Antibiotic resistance is a critical challenge for public health because it causes unresponsiveness of the body to antibiotics. The bacteria in play can spread from one person to another in society or through patient interactions in the hospital. Some ways of preventing antibiotic-resistant infections are avoiding overprescribing antibiotic medicines, employing reasonable infection prevention procedures, and practicing good hygiene. Completing courses of antibiotic prescription to enhance its effectiveness and prevent the development of resistance against such medications is also paramount in the fight against infectious diseases.

Connection with Other Chronic Disorders

Infectious diseases are more dangerous when chronic illnesses are present. These diseases are cancer, blood disorders, lung, and liver-related disorders, heart diseases, etc. Infectious diseases can superimpose the adverse effects of the diseases and result in severe disease onset and increase the rate of mortality. Heart disease weakens heart muscles, valves, arteries, etc. An acute infection can result in an acute, chronic heart attack. Many other dangerous effects are possible if the infection is not cured for a long time. Whether mild or severe, infectious diseases can be fatal when combined with pre-existing and chronic conditions. It is essential to acknowledge that most chronic diseases have an infectious origin. They include but are not limited to Hepatitis B and C, cervical cancer, HIV, and pancreatic cancer. Chronic conditions can either be long-term or short-term. The convergence of infectious and chronic diseases. Like infectious diseases, most chronic diseases are linked to behavioral risk factors. Infectious diseases increase the risk of hospital admission and deaths of people suffering from pre-existing conditions. Statistics show that an infectious disease like seasonal influenza has increased the admissions and death toll of elderly patients with cancer. Infectious diseases basically weaken the immune system of an individual, making them vulnerable to attacks from other pathogens

Conclusion

Different communities respond to prevention and management differently depending on the transmission agents and the seriousness of the infectious disease. Most countries focus on food safety programs, animal control programs, sewage control systems, and vaccinations problems to counter infectious diseases. It is vital to realize that healthy people goal 2030 cannot be completed without controlling acute infections. Recent learning of new methods like tracking and tracing the carriers, at-home (Telehealth) appointments, and minimum exposure treatment. This strategy helps to reduce congestion in hospitals, particularly the wards and beds. The role of vaccinations and prevention methods is essential. Telemedicine treatment of patients with acute respiratory problems such as cellulitis, urinary tract infections, and pneumonia has positive patients outcomes and satisfactory clinical results

Threats of the spread of infectious diseases have also been eliminated through animal control programs in different countries. Industrialized countries like Australia and Europe require residents with domestic animals to inspect and vaccinate them before handling them. Some domestic animals spread infectious diseases because they are carriers of diseases that affect humans. This measure ensures that diseases like Tuberculosis and brucellosis do not spread to the human population.

The data collected over the past five years shows that infectious diseases are well controlled in the USA. Life expectancy has increased by 24 years. These diseases were tracked by providing vaccinations like Covid vaccines, Influenza vaccines, RSV vaccines, etc. The chances of the onset of disease are higher in those not vaccinated. The government of the United States has mandated the routine vaccination of children. Parents are obliged to get their children vaccinated and retain written proof from the doctors. This document is then presented to day-care facilities and public schools before a child joins the respective institutions. Vaccination of a large percentage of the population will prevent the reproduction of more pathogens hence the inability to maintain high levels in the populations and its eventual death and elimination. Phenomena called herd community suggests that once a host to the pathogen survives or dies, there will be no more transmissions in the remaining vaccinated population.

Infectious diseases are dangerous, and they should be controlled by management and vaccination. There should always be more aware of the recent measures and implement them using any health model. Healthy People 2030 will be more successful in lowering diseases and improving the community’s health. Countries use different agencies to create awareness in society regarding the various infectious disease, their implications to society, and collective preventive measure that can control their spread and eases disease burden on the people. Governments have also spared resources to expand health care facilities and equip them with modern and advanced equipment necessary for the research and treatment of patients altogether. Collective responsibility, together with appropriate strategies by the government, will see the government achieve its goal of eliminating infectious diseases and improving the health of its people by 2030.

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