Biomedical science and the third world. Under the volcano. Epidemiologic problems and prospects.
Rapid advances in the biomedical sciences are producing new means of intervention against many of the major tropical diseases. The discovery of new drugs, vaccines and diagnostic tests, however, is only the first, though important, step down an often long and difficult road to their effective deployment in disease control programs. The blossoming of interest in tropical diseases among those in the laboratory sciences has not been paralleled by the required expansion in the number of scientists undertaking field research in the areas where such diseases are endemic. In consequence, it may be difficult to ensure the proper evaluation of new interventions in realistic disease control situations. There is also a danger that some tools developed for research purposes may be uncritically introduced into control programs without adequate consideration of their true utility. Developing field research capacity in the tropical disease endemic areas is an urgent priority if the new tools and interventions are to be employed optimally. Some methods for achieving this are discussed and possible epidemiologic approaches to the evaluation of interventions against tropical diseases are outlined.
Smith
P G
PG
Tropical Epidemiology Unit, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, England.
D003140:Communicable Disease Control; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D012106:Research; D014330:Tropical Medicine