Impediments to global surveillance of infectious diseases: consequences of open reporting in a global economy
Globalization has led to an increase in the spread of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. International efforts are being launched to control their dissemination through global surveillance, a major hindrance to which is the failure of some countries to report outbreaks. Current guidelines...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The World Health Organization
2000-11-01
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| Series: | Bulletin of the World Health Organization |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862000001100012&lng=en&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1797283832079056896 |
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| author | Richard A. Cash Vasant Narasimhan |
| author_facet | Richard A. Cash Vasant Narasimhan |
| author_sort | Richard A. Cash |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Globalization has led to an increase in the spread of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. International efforts are being launched to control their dissemination through global surveillance, a major hindrance to which is the failure of some countries to report outbreaks. Current guidelines and regulations on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases do not sufficiently take into account the fact that when developing countries report outbreaks they often derive few benefits and suffer disproportionately heavy social and economic consequences. In order to facilitate full participation in global surveillance by developing countries there should be: better and more affordable diagnostic capabilities to allow for timely and accurate information to be delivered in an open and transparent fashion; accurate, less sensationalist news reporting of outbreaks of diseases; adherence by countries to international regulations, including those of the World Trade Organization and the International Health Regulations; financial support for countries that are economically damaged by the diseases in question. The article presents two cases - plague in India and cholera in Peru - that illuminate some of the limitations of current practices. Recommendations are made on measures that could be taken by WHO and the world community to make global surveillance acceptable. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T17:36:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f41dfbf759ac48d690c8f38f69401f52 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0042-9686 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T17:36:31Z |
| publishDate | 2000-11-01 |
| publisher | The World Health Organization |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bulletin of the World Health Organization |
| spelling | doaj.art-f41dfbf759ac48d690c8f38f69401f522024-03-02T16:46:26ZengThe World Health OrganizationBulletin of the World Health Organization0042-96862000-11-01781113581367S0042-96862000001100012Impediments to global surveillance of infectious diseases: consequences of open reporting in a global economyRichard A. Cash0Vasant Narasimhan1Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityGlobalization has led to an increase in the spread of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. International efforts are being launched to control their dissemination through global surveillance, a major hindrance to which is the failure of some countries to report outbreaks. Current guidelines and regulations on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases do not sufficiently take into account the fact that when developing countries report outbreaks they often derive few benefits and suffer disproportionately heavy social and economic consequences. In order to facilitate full participation in global surveillance by developing countries there should be: better and more affordable diagnostic capabilities to allow for timely and accurate information to be delivered in an open and transparent fashion; accurate, less sensationalist news reporting of outbreaks of diseases; adherence by countries to international regulations, including those of the World Trade Organization and the International Health Regulations; financial support for countries that are economically damaged by the diseases in question. The article presents two cases - plague in India and cholera in Peru - that illuminate some of the limitations of current practices. Recommendations are made on measures that could be taken by WHO and the world community to make global surveillance acceptable.http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862000001100012&lng=en&tlng=enepidemiological surveillancedisease outbreakscommunicable disease controlemerging diseasesplaguecholeraPeruIndia |
| spellingShingle | Richard A. Cash Vasant Narasimhan Impediments to global surveillance of infectious diseases: consequences of open reporting in a global economy Bulletin of the World Health Organization epidemiological surveillance disease outbreaks communicable disease control emerging diseases plague cholera Peru India |
| title | Impediments to global surveillance of infectious diseases: consequences of open reporting in a global economy |
| title_full | Impediments to global surveillance of infectious diseases: consequences of open reporting in a global economy |
| title_fullStr | Impediments to global surveillance of infectious diseases: consequences of open reporting in a global economy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impediments to global surveillance of infectious diseases: consequences of open reporting in a global economy |
| title_short | Impediments to global surveillance of infectious diseases: consequences of open reporting in a global economy |
| title_sort | impediments to global surveillance of infectious diseases consequences of open reporting in a global economy |
| topic | epidemiological surveillance disease outbreaks communicable disease control emerging diseases plague cholera Peru India |
| url | http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0042-96862000001100012&lng=en&tlng=en |
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