Dementia
Alzheimer's Disease International reports that the global economic cost of dementia in 2010 will be $604 billion. Worldwide, the number of patients with dementia is projected to approach 65.7 million by 2030. The organization's report concludes with recommendations that all governments increase awareness, promote earlier diagnosis, and begin to plan models of care for such patients. The full report is available online at http://www.alz.co.uk/research/worldreport.
HIV and AIDS
The 2010 UNAIDS report states that 22 of the most heavily affected countries in sub-Saharan Africa have had reductions in the incidence of HIV of more than 25%. In contrast, Eastern Europe and Central Asia have seen increases in new infections, with "the proportion of women to men living with HIV in Asia [rising] from 19% in 2000 to 35% in 2008." UNAIDS recommends that governments set aside 0.5% to 3% of their revenue for HIV, depending on its prevalence, in order to achieve Millennium Development Goals of halting and reversing the spread of HIV and providing universal access to treatment. Read the full report at http://bit.ly/9M3gCx.
Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis
An ambitious agenda for preventing and controlling multidrug-resistant tuberculosis was outlined in a review by the Stop TB department of the World Health Organization in the September 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The authors call for maximizing domestic and international financing for prevention; strengthening laboratory capacity for testing, particularly in resource-limited settings; and improved monitoring and regulation of tuberculosis drugs to decrease the use of counterfeit and substandard agents that may amplify resistance. The article is available for free at http://bit.ly/bkbk3i.
Malaria
A report released through the World Health Organization's Roll Back Malaria project estimates that the number of childhood malaria deaths in 2010 will be 18% lower than that seen in 2000. Success in preventing the disease is attributed to substantial increases in funding in 34 malaria-endemic countries. Control measures include insecticide-treated mosquito nets, indoor spraying, and "intermittent preventive treatment" (at least two doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine) during pregnancy. The full report can be found at http://bit.ly/cHheFW.