Infectious diseases have been allowed to proliferate in the developing world over decades simply because of neglect, Scottish scientists claimed last night.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh believe that in particular 3 zoonotic diseases – anthrax, brucellosis and bovine tuberculosis – have failed to be officially recognised and have therefore lacked the funding that is required to combat them.
All three have a huge impact on both human and animal health in developing nations, which causes a major threat to safe and plentiful food supplies.
For their study, which is published in the latest edition of the PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, the Edinburgh researchers reviewed every meeting of the World Health Organisation’s decision-making body since its formation in 1948.
Their findings reveal that the diseases have been neglected because they mostly arise in developing countries, where poor healthcare infrastructure can often mean that thousands of sufferers are left undiagnosed.
However, study leader Professor Sue Welburn, director of the University of Edinburgh’s Global Health Academy, said adopting a multidisciplinary One Health approach, which involves experts from a range of disciplines, could improve human and animal health and help to control the diseases.
“It is extraordinary that in the 21st century we are failing to manage brucellosis and the other neglected zoonotic diseases that impact so severely on rural communities in developing economies when, for many of these diseases, the tools to manage them are well developed,” she said.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 5 June 2014
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