4147.0: Tuesday, October 23, 2001: 12:30 PM-2:00 PM

Oral Session

The Transition from Infectious to Chronic Illnesses: a Need for Policy and Program Changes

The Transition from Infectious to Chronic Illnesses: a Need for Policy and Program Changes. The worldwide transition from infectious to chronic illnesses is taking place rapidly even in developing countries. This phenomenon combines with the overall demographic transition and trends such as urbanization. A response is needed from the international health community to focus on developing and expanding policies and programs to address chronic illnesses within community based primary health care. Data from four U.S. studies will present the impact of chronic illnesses on individuals, caregivers, communities and the country. The issues: risk reduction,responsiveness of the health care system, and opportunities to develop policies and to improve community based health and support systems are discussed. The U.S. studies will be discussed in light of their policy and program implications for the U.S. and for developing countries. Results of a seven country Latin American study on aging will be outlined in the second presentation. Research on chronic illnesses, the needs of the aging and disabled populations and the potential to meet these needs through primary health care and community based support services will be discussed. The final panelist will present demographic changes in LDCs and their financial and health systems implications. A study of ADLS/activities of daily living among Egyptian elderly and its policy implications will be presented. An active discussion will engage the panel and audience to address implications for further research, policy initiatives, and needed community based primary health and support services.
See individual abstracts for presenting author's disclosure statement.
Learning Objectives: 1. Articulate three effects of the impact of chronic illnesses on communities in the U.S. and LDCs. 2) Identify two major policy implications for developing countries to address chronic illnesses. 3) Define three primary health care and support systems changes needed to address the needs of increased chronic illnesses, disabilities and the aging populations.
Organizer(s):Rose M. Schneider
12:30 PMThe challenge of infrastructure in building a public health response to global challenges in chronic disease
David V. McQueen, ScD, Mary Hall, MPH
12:42 PMIncreasing prevalence of chronic conditions: Policy and program implications for the United States and developing countries
Laura L Summer
12:54 PMPrevalence of chronic conditions in older adults in Latin America and the Caribbean
Martha Pelaez, PhD
1:06 PMProfile of the elderly with ADL limitations in Egypt: findings and policy implications
A.K. Nandakumar, PhD, Manjiri Bhawalkar, MA, Maha El-Adawi, MD, MPH
Sponsor:International Health
Cosponsors:Community Health Planning and Policy Development; Social Work
CE Credits:CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work

The 129th Annual Meeting of APHA