The spread of avian influenza (bird flu) to some 15 European and Asian countries and parts of Africa has raised concerns about the increasingly globalized future of infectious diseases. National governments in four continents are implementing monitoring, research, and vaccine production programs in preparation for a potential pandemic.
In the meantime, infectious pandemics of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis (TB) are already debilitating much of the developing world. In Africa, for example, approximately 53% of all deaths are directly attributable to infectious diseases [WHO, World Health Report 2004: Changing History]. Many of these diseases (e.g., measles, polio, TB) can be prevented through vaccination; encouragingly, infant immunization coverage has increased from less than 5% in 1974 to nearly 80% in 2004. Still, child mortality statistics reveal that roughly 1.4 million children died from a vaccine-preventable disease in 2004 alone [WHO/UNICEF, Immunization Summary 2006].
The global importance of human health issues is epitomized in the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Declaration, a unanimous agreement by UN member nations to significantly improve the lives of people living in extreme poverty by 2015. Three of the eight overarching goals outlined in this document pertain directly to human health and well-being: reduce by two-thirds the mortality rates of children under five, reduce by three-quarters maternal mortality rates, and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases. Advancing technologies coupled with enhanced financial funding of viable plans-of-action may go a long way toward eradication of these diseases and meeting the goals of the Millennium Declaration. The recent funding commitments by the United Kingdom government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in support of the World Health Organization’s Global Plan to Stop TB—a disease that kills roughly 2 million people each year—is one example. Strategies for the eradication of other infectious diseases will similarly require holistic assessments of available health indicators and aggressive action.
EarthTrends presents a number of the most important indicators of adult and child health: reported cases of diseases; government expenditures on healthcare; per capita alcohol consumption; and child immunization, mortality, and malnutrition. These data come directly from the World Health Organization (WHO) statistical database and the latest edition of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) State of the World’s Children report. In addition, certain facets of global health encompass environmental (air and water quality), economic (agriculture and food production), and socio-political (government stability, development) issues as well, and some specific health problems (e.g., heat stroke, malaria infection) will likely feature prominently as ramifications of global climate change. EarthTrends is an ideal tool to quantitatively assess the relationships between human health and other environmental factors.
With the approaching release of the 2006 WHO World Health Report on 7 April in conjunction with World Health Day, we encourage the use of EarthTrends resources as a means to remain informed about the state of human and environmental health.
Related Links:
World Health Organization (WHO)
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
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