The top 5 health threats from chronic diseases for Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it's estimated that 6 out of 10 Americans have a chronic illness, and 4 of those 10 have two or more. Seventy percent of deaths worldwide are due to non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease. These deaths include 15 million premature deaths that occur mainly in low- and middle-income countries, according to the WHO.
The five risk factors driving the increase in non-communicable diseases are tobacco consumption, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets and air pollution, says the WHO. According to the WHO, another global flu pandemic is inevitable, but experts have yet to predict when it will occur or the severity of its effects. More than 22% of the world's population lives in fragile environments, which are defined as places where access to basic health care is minimal, often because they are in a state of crisis and have poor health services. Currently, vaccination prevents two to three million deaths a year, but it could prevent another 1.5 million deaths if more people were vaccinated, according to the WHO. For example, measles cases increased by 30% worldwide, most likely due to a decline in vaccines, according to the WHO.
However, this increase may not be due solely to a reluctance to get vaccinated. Some patients don't have access to vaccines, while others simply don't consider getting vaccinated to be essential. According to the WHO, about 40% of the world's population is at risk of being infected with dengue, a mosquito-borne disease that infects 390 million people every year and kills up to 20% of people with a severe form of the disease. Since the introduction of antiretroviral drugs, 22 million people living with HIV are following treatment regimens.
Create your free account to access 2 resources every month, including the latest studies and webinars. You have 2 free members-only resources left this month. The World Health Organization points out that obesity can cause numerous health problems, such as cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, cancers and diabetes. The Australian Medical Association is an organization that takes steps to curb the threat of obesity and overweight in its country.
He has lobbied the Australian government to impose a sugar tax and restrict junk food advertisements to help Australians make healthier choices. It has also encouraged the government to build more walking and cycling trails and to increase physical education classes in schools. Childhood obesity and early intervention programs for pregnant women are also among the recommendations of the Australian Medical Association. If these measures are implemented and proven to work, we can expect other nations to follow Australia's example. Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of illness and premature death in the United States.
UU. Tobacco use is now referred to as a disease of tobacco dependence. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that smokers who try to quit smoking are more successful when they have the support of their doctor. Substance abuse usually involves drugs and alcohol.
These are two areas that we don't usually associate with older people, but older people, like young people, can self-medicate by using alcohol and legal and illegal drugs, which can have serious health consequences. In addition, older people may mix medications and consume alcohol deliberately or without knowing it. Because of our stereotypes about older people, many doctors don't ask older people about possible substance abuse. In fact, the 10 selected threats include infectious diseases such as influenza, Ebola, HIV and dengue, as well as diseases with a high prevalence and broader risks to the health of the population, such as non-communicable diseases or climate change and air pollution.
Infection control is equally critical to addressing antimicrobial resistance. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can cause a variety of diseases, from the mildest to the life-threatening. Every year, more than 2 million people in the United States become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and at least 23,000 people die from these infections.11 Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria are more difficult to treat and require expensive and complex medications, and sometimes, neither is effective. Prevention is essential to combat antimicrobial resistance.
Antibiotics should be prescribed correctly and only when needed, and patients should be encouraged to finish their course of antibiotics. Framing the weakness of primary health care as a threat to global health may seem unexpected. However, a functioning primary health care system is crucial to effectively prevent and respond to any of the listed global health threats and to ensure the continuity of essential services during a public health emergency. At least half of the world's population lacks access to essential oral health and care services, 19, 20 By providing a first point of contact for individuals and communities, primary health and oral health care are the basis for improving access.
Primary health care is also the basis for universal health coverage, one of the central health objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Oral health care must be part of universal health coverage, 21, 22 National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike Bethesda, MD 20894. If you're passionate about minimizing and eliminating threats to global health, consider pursuing an online master's degree in public health at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. Obesity is another major threat to global health, as obesity rates around the world have more than doubled since 1980, according to the World Health Organization. Oral health professionals may be falsely comforted to assume that their daily clinical work is far removed from global health threats.
