Key Resource: Disease Eradication

Hi delegates!

I'm starting a series on this blog called "Key Resource". Every post in this series will inform you of a resource I think is integral to developing a thorough understanding of one of our topics.

To kick things off this week, I am sharing one of my favorite journal articles of all time; it's a publication about the nuances of disease eradication. It can be found here: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1200391

I encourage you all to think critically like the author does about the different factors that must be considered when improving disease eradication programs. During committee, I'll expect detailed and tailored solutions, not overarching, vague ones that try to tackle too many diseases at once.

Addressing issues in an analytical way is more challenging, but it's also more fun! Comment below if you have any questions about the article, and feel free to also respond with why you think it's an informative or well-written piece.

Keep in mind that this was written in 2013, so some information may have changed, but the overall aspects it discusses are still relevant.

Have a good start to your week!
Stacey

Comments

  1. Neyda SandovalFebruary 11, 2018 at 4:27 PM

    Germany appreciates to read an article that points out a few diseases and the actions taken to eradicate such diseases. It is vital that the international community understand the severity of what diseases can do. Therefore Germany believes that the article such as the one presented is able to summarize the problem at hand in a cohesive manner. The delegation of Germany finds it valuable to have mentioned the different organizations, programs, and campaigns that have been in action throughout the international community. This can help the reader understand the need for improvements that need to be taken or show the success of such actions and promote it in the future.

    Germany also recognizes the article’s contribution in clearly outlining the main challenges for eradicating each disease it discusses. Having this concise information to narrow down research can be useful for all countries within this committee to decide which strategies are most needed regarding disease eradication.

    Furthermore, the article’s estimations on funding for eradication efforts, while outdated, provide a valuable resource for determining the feasibility of taking the specified measures and acknowledging the need for increased resources for more neglected diseases. Financial aspects are always important to include when it comes to international issues and with this article being able to touch upon that as well, it portrays a very constructive and informative article to read regarding global eradication of diseases.

    Overall, Germany found this article very helpful in displaying the success and malfunctions of action that have been taken.Germany looks forward to reading the upcoming resources on the blog and believes they will make a notable impact on the quality of debate.

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    Replies
    1. BMUN ChiefFebruary 11, 2018 at 7:06 PM

      Glad you found the article helpful! It definitely is important to read literature to decide which strategies are worth focusing on.

      Additionally, funding is always a difficult topic to tackle in an MUN committee, but I encourage you and the rest of the committee to understand the way the World Health Organization is funded and the financial factors that influence global health.

      I can make another Key Resource blog post about funding soon to help with this! Thanks for taking the time to read the article and engage with the blog.

      Delete
  2. Delegation of ChinaMarch 1, 2018 at 8:18 PM

    Dr. Hopkins’ article on “Disease Eradication” provides a consensus of many individuals response to the less than successful eradication campaigns from the World Health Organization for diseases such as Malaria, Dracunculiasis, and Poliomyelitis. Based on the definition of eradication, relating to a swift process of global elimination, it is important that we learn from the failures of such programs as the GMEP or the Global Malaria Eradication program that was first launched by WHO in 1955. China strongly agrees with Hopkins that surveillance of endemic regions is a key takeaway that should be implemented when developing solutions for eradication of diseases like lymphatic filariasis. Surveillance before and during the GMEP could have had a tremendous effect on the success of the program due to the fact that insecticide known as dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane or DDT became quickly ineffective in mosquito populations that became resistant to the insecticide. A hybrid surveillance technique that China proposes to be used in future eradication campaigns could have a substantial impact on the effectiveness of eradication campaigns by monitoring the deficit of incidence once healthcare supplies such as medication, preventive measures, and vector control are implemented to the endemic region of interest.

    China believes that dedicating resources to vector control should be a top priority for dracunculiasis due to its slow symptom appearance and long incubation period. The Carter Center’s Guinea Worm eradication program has had the greatest influence on awareness and has had success when implementing village based disease reporting that is included in China’s plan for hybrid surveillance enhanced by STARS and ESSENCE.

    China would like the international community to use India as model for country wide polio immunization and their success in eliminating the disease. Though, like Dr. Hopkins states we must look at countries who may have political conflict that prevents immunization mobilization and develop individual plans of action for different endemic regions in which eradication programs are set in place.

    The three factors that should be taken into account before any type of elimination techniques and/or eradication programs are set in place are the cultural factors that may impede on mass vaccination or westernized medication practice, economic feasibility of eradication through the coordination of aid from the international community, contributions by the endemic government, and political conflict that could potentially prevent care from international healthcare workers.

    China strongly supports Hopkins’ claim that “each eradication or elimination program is different and will require its own strategies and tactic” and will be readittering this point in our upcoming World Health Organization conference.



    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3026700/
    https://www.cartercenter.org/health/guinea_worm/
    http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1200391
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4332877/


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