by: Julie Burton Devonne Collins Amy Iarrobino Esther Kim Rita Raturi

International Health Summer 2004 by: Julie Burton Devonne Collins Amy Iarrobino Esther Kim Rita Raturi Leader: Jaime Wilke Agency: College of Public Health

Why Study International Health? • It provides us with a push towards global issues. • Global health is increasingly approaching crisis due to: 1.) Coverage of immunization is dropping. 2.) Life expectancy of 1/5 of the world’s children is decreasing. 3.) Diseases such as AIDS continue to exist abundantly.

The Global Village: • If the earth’s population could be shrunk to a village of exactly 100 people with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, what would you imagine it to look like?

In the Global Village . . . • The population would consist of 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from both North and South America, and 8 Africans. • There would be 51 females and 49 males. • 70 would be non-white and 30 white • 50% of the world’s wealth would be possessed by only 6 people and they would be from the United States.

In the Global Village . . . • 80 people would be living in a sub-standard housing habitat. • 70 would be illiterate. • 50 people would be suffering from serious malnutrition • 1 would be near death and 1 would be near birth • Only one person would have received a college education • No one would own a computer

SARS • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome • First reported in late Winter 2003 • Spread by the Civet Cat • Identified as a Corona virus which causes the common cold • By mid June, 8000 people were infected in 29 countries with over 800 dead. About a half of these casualties were in China.

AIDS/HIV • First case reported in 1981 • It is expected that 200 million cases of AIDS/HIV will be present by the year 2010. • It is thought that a mutated form of the Simian virus was contracted by a chimp hunter in Central Africa. This mutated virus became HIV. This could have occurred centuries ago.

AIDS/HIV • Risk factors for contracting this virus include: sexual activity, multiple sex partners, and IV drug use. • It is thought by specialists that the virus was brought to the US by an infected steward who had many sexual partners. • Thus, it quickly spread throughout the homosexual and heterosexual communities. • AIDS has quickly become one of the leading causes of death throughout the nation and the world.

Marburg/Ebola • First case was reported in 1767. • These are level 4 organisms which, like AIDS, produce a lethal illness in humans and generally have no treatment or prevention.

Marburg/Ebola • Transmissions can occur from person-to-person, carried airborne, or by contaminated materials and equipment. • Monkeys can become infected with these diseases, but are not thought to be reservoirs because the monkeys quickly die. • Fatality Rates: Marburg-25% Ebola- 71%

Avian Influenza Virus • This is a virus that jumps directly from chickens to humans. • Thus, millions of chickens were destroyed. • To control the disease, individuals who were infected or exposed to the virus were quarantined.

Avian Influenza Virus • Because of these preventative measures, only 18 people developed infections while 6 people died (30% mortality). • Currently there is an outbreak of Avian Bird Influenza which has a 75% mortality rate.

Africa: Diarrhea • More than 1.5 million children under the age of five die each year from diarrhea. • Diarrhea is caused by contaminated water supplies. • Oral rehydration is used to prevent diarrhea. It consists of drinking a mixture of: 8 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 liter of water.

Measles • Measles is a respiratory infection that produces red bumps. The virus causes the death of nearly 500,000 African children each year. • Measles can be prevented through vaccinations. • We can help eradicate measles in Africa by donating to the Red Cross. Each dollar contributed can pay for one measles vaccination.

Africa: Need for Family Planning • African women experience unwanted pregnancies due to lack of contraceptives. • Some women even attempt to have an abortion with no medical assistance, which usually causes the death of both the mother and child. • Hospitals are located far from the homes of the pregnant women and often the women move to the town nearest the hospital, leaving their families. • The lack of family support only causes added stress.

Africa: Malnutrition • When African children are born one after the other, the mother, if she breastfeeds, typically gives the breast milk to the youngest while the older eats the food of the adults: beans and rice. The adult foods are not rich in the protein that the young child needs. • Poverty and lack of resources are also major contributors to malnutrition.

Haiti • Many of the Haitian population die due to the abundance of dehydration as well as contracting infections. • The majority of the population live in poverty.

Internal parasites are common within the population. As a result of the parasites, large bellies are a sign of the parasites.

Haitians may have many children because they know that many of their babies will eventually die. • Many of the poor families cannot afford to have many children. As a result, they may sell their children to a middle class family to act as a servant.

AIDS is very common in Haiti. • 20 percent of the children who are born to mothers with AIDS are likely to develop this disease… unless preventative measures are taken before birth.

INDIA • India is 1/3 the size of the United States, but has 3 times the population. • 400 million of India’s 1.027 billion people live in poverty. • 70% of India is rural and the people do not have adequate access to health facilities.

Female Infanticide • Female infanticide is a major problem in India. • Many Indian states have a higher mortality rate of female children compared to the death rate of males. • There are 933 females to every 1000 males. • The population recently started taking measures against female infanticide in 1986.

Abuse • The reason females are so disfavored is because of the dowry system. The bride’s family is forced to give cash and gifts as a precondition for marriage. • Even after marriage, the sexism continues. According to the United States Agency for International Development, one in every five Indian women are subject to domestic abuse.

HIV/AIDs • 4.5 million people in India were living with AIDs/HIV in 2002. • Globally, India is only second to South Africa in terms of how many people are living with the disease. • HIV epidemics in India will have a major impact on the overall spread of HIV in Asia and the Pacific. • Education and preventative measures must be taken.

Acknowledgements: Mrs. Ellen Kent Ms. Kathy Dunaj Mr. Joel Christian Reed Ms. Jaime Wilke Dr. Phil Marty Dr. Lynette Menezes Ms. Andi Holland & American Red Cross Dr. Jeannine Coreil

by: Julie Burton Devonne Collins Amy Iarrobino Esther Kim Rita Raturi