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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Stephen J Corber, MD, FRCPC, Division of Disease Prevention and Control, Pan American Health Organization, 525 - 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037, (202) 974-3850, corberst@paho.org
Disease Prevention and Control in the Americas
The elimination of a communicable disease requires effective collaboration among countries based on a joint and sustained commitment to a mutual goal. One hundred years ago the countries of the Americas established a mechanism for this joint collaboration with the formation of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau -- the forerunner to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). This has enabled the region to achieve marked success in the elimination of vaccine-preventable diseases, urban Rabies, Chagas' Disease, and Foot-and-Mouth Disease. It has encouraged countries to agree to adopt newly proposed disease elimination strategies for Onchocerciasis (River Blindness) and Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis). For most diseases, elimination is not feasible. PAHO has participated in the development of global strategies to address the infectious diseasses of childhood, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, and has assisted in their implementation in most countries of the region. Over the past 25-30 years new diseases, such as AIDS, Ebola Virus, and Lyme Disease have emerged. We have seen the reappearance of Cholera after an absence of almost a century and the spread of Dengue. The appearance and spread of these conditions are often facilitated by economic development, scientific advances, international trade and travel, urbanization, and lifestyle choices. These factors have required countries to develop new strategies of prevention and control. As countries have succeeded in reducing their infectious disease burden, they have experienced a relative increase in non-communicable diseases. These bring new needs for surveillance, policy making, and program planning and implementaion.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Disease Prevention, International Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.