By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    UV damage to eyes
    Warning Signs of Long-Term UV Damage to Your Eyes
    December 9, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    The Ultimate Healthcare Recruiting and Staffing Guidebook
    March 21, 2022
    medicare part d benefits
    Everything that You Need to Know About Medicare Part D
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    Getting Back in the Game: Sports Injuries Rehabilitation Tips
    May 31, 2023
    4 Signs It’s Time to See a Therapist
    May 24, 2023
    11 Ways To Modernize Your Private Practice
    May 17, 2023
    How to Recognize the Signs of Hormonal Imbalance in Men
    May 29, 2023
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Budget Office Releases New Projection on Effect of Repeal of Reform Law
    August 23, 2017
    Florida Appeals Court Sets Date for Arguments Surrounding Reform Law’s Constitutionality
    September 11, 2017
    Status Update on Reform Law’s Temporary High Risk Pools
    April 26, 2011
    Latest News
    MRI Sedation Options: What You Should Know Before Screening
    May 17, 2023
    What is the Process of Creating Medicine from Nature?
    May 2, 2023
    Choosing the Right Treatment Option for Varicose Veins
    May 2, 2023
    What Are Wrong-Site Surgeries and How Do They Occur?
    April 27, 2023
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Non-Communicable Diseases and Communicable Diseases Interact in Global Health
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Aa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Aa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Global Healthcare > Non-Communicable Diseases and Communicable Diseases Interact in Global Health
Global Healthcare

Non-Communicable Diseases and Communicable Diseases Interact in Global Health

KennethThorpe
Last updated: 2011/09/10 at 10:07 AM
KennethThorpe
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

By Ashok Malik

It is tempting to see the non-communicable diseases/communicable diseases equation as a zero-sum game. The conventional wisdom is that as NCDs become the epidemic of the middle classes in the developing world – in the emerging economies of Asia for instance – attention and money devoted to CDs will decline. There are alarmists who believe NCDs, with a middle-class demographic profile, will crowd out CDs, which have an underprivileged demographic profile.

By Ashok Malik

It is tempting to see the non-communicable diseases/communicable diseases equation as a zero-sum game. The conventional wisdom is that as NCDs become the epidemic of the middle classes in the developing world – in the emerging economies of Asia for instance – attention and money devoted to CDs will decline. There are alarmists who believe NCDs, with a middle-class demographic profile, will crowd out CDs, which have an underprivileged demographic profile.

More Read

everest healthcare

The Everest Foundation’s Mission to Support Inclusive Healthcare

Using EHR systems in healthcare for Cost-Effective Services
Benefits of Emerging Technology in Healthcare in 2023
Simplifying the Genetic Testing Process: How At-Home Kits are Changing the Game
Why a Health Retreat Can Be the Best Medicine

I recently participated in a conference on tuberculosis (TB) in Bangalore, India and realized how specious such reasoning is. NCDs and CDs don’t exist in watertight compartments, permanently sequestered from each other. The interaction and the osmosis are far greater than we imagine.

India is the world leader in TB, a communicable disease, with two million new cases diagnosed every year. Most of these cases are pulmonary (lung-related) TB and are prevalent in lower-income populations, In recent years TB has also emerged as the number one opportunistic infection for those living with HIV/AIDS.

Now, a new form of TB is emerging: urban, upper-middle class TB, related to lifestyle changes. Although most TB cases in India are pulmonary, non-pulmonary TB numbers are growing rapidly. Doctors and others at the conference were saying “most of the middle-class TB patients we encounter seem to have non-pulmonary TB.”

Non-pulmonary TB can infect one’s stomach or genitourinary tract. A few years ago, India’s leading female movie star was rumoured to have been suffering from stomach TB, a condition she apparently discovered – as have others – only when she went to a doctor and complained she was unable to conceive.

Non-pulmonary TB tends to strike those whose immunity has been weakened by one of a series of lifestyle or NCD issues – diabetes, alcohol and tobacco use, liver disorders, hypertension and so on. Detection is difficult as it could often be confused with, say, a bad and persistent viral infection.

Taking part in a media and civil society panel discussion towards the end of the conference, I was asked what it would take for TB to get more media coverage and acquire a higher profile among journalists. My conclusion: TB, at least non-pulmonary TB, is going to piggyback on the NCD epidemic and get enormous attention in the next 10 years or so.

Increasingly, TB meetings will need to include discussions on NCDs and associated preventable lifestyle issues. Similarly, any discussion on NCDs in India needs to address TB – at least non-pulmonary TB – as a possible complication arising out of the lifestyle risk factors that cause NCDs.

For better or worse, the NCD-CD divide is being obliterated. 

By Ashok Malik

Ashok Malik is a journalist writing primarily on public policy.  Ashok is based in Delhi India and his columns and articles have appeared in several newspapers over the last 20 years.

TAGGED: CDs, NCDs

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
KennethThorpe September 10, 2011
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Copy Link Print
Share
Previous Article It’s In The Genes
Next Article Opportunities for Surgical Sealants, Glues and Hemostatic Agents

Stay Connected

1.5k Followers Like
4.5k Followers Follow
2.8k Followers Pin
136k Subscribers Subscribe

Latest News

11 ways nurses can care for patients during mental health crises
11 ways nurses can care for patients during mental health crises
Mental Health June 6, 2023
test
Essential Steps for Starting Your Journey as a Fitness Instructor
Fitness June 5, 2023
mimosa pudica
Health Benefits of Mimosa Pudica: The Marvel of Nature
News June 2, 2023
medical bills
Who is Responsible for Paying the Medical Bills After an Injury?
News June 1, 2023

You Might also Like

MRI sedation options
Global Healthcare

MRI Sedation Options: What You Should Know Before Screening

May 17, 2023
medicines from nature
Global Healthcare

What is the Process of Creating Medicine from Nature?

May 2, 2023
US healthcare system
Global Healthcare

3 Ways to Improve the U.S. Healthcare System By 2030

March 14, 2023
Clinical Studies
Global Healthcare

6 Steps To Ensure Speed And Efficiency Of Clinical Studies

March 14, 2023
//

We influence million of users and is the most authentic source of information on healthcare business and technology news.

Quick Links

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

Follow US

© 2008-2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?