Chronic Disease in Developing Nations

When you think of disease in Africa, you probably think of HIV, malaria, and flies in the eyes.

However, people in developing countries are also now increasingly victims of heart disease, respiratory disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes – the same chronic diseases that affect the developed world.

Unchecked, chronic disease is expected to grow rapidly, and cause an economic loss in low and middle income countries.

But most chronic diseases are not yet recognized as important in the developing world: in one study, 10% of children diagnosed with severe cerebral malaria actually had uncontrolled diabetes. That’s right: think HIV, malaria, and diabetes combined.

A child diagnosed with Type I diabetes in the developing world won’t survive long without insulin. The child can expect to live less than one year.

[FSG]