TOWARDS THE ENDGAME AND BEYOND: COMPLEXITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE ELIMINATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

Tuesday, 9th of July 2013

[source]Philosophical Transactions of Royal Society of London, Series B, Biological sciences[|source]

A highly contagious childhood viral infection, measles remains one of the leading causes of death of children under 5 years of age despite the existence of an affordable and effective vaccine. The Measles and Rubella Initiative has led to a 71% reduction in measles deaths from 1990 to 2011. Main challenges include the build-up of susceptibles that are repeatedly missed by routine and supplemental immunization activities. Vaccine refusals in countries where incidence has been very low for decades remains one of the significant barriers. Interested in getting past refusals? Then read details available at:  http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/368/1623/20120137.long

 

 

Abstract

Successful control measures have interrupted the local transmission of human infectious diseases such as measles, malaria and polio, and saved and improved billions of lives. Similarly, control efforts have massively reduced the incidence of many infectious diseases of animals, such as rabies and rinderpest, with positive benefits for human health and livelihoods across the globe. However, disease elimination has proven an elusive goal, with only one human and one animal pathogen globally eradicated. As elimination targets expand to regional and even global levels, hurdles may emerge within the endgame when infections are circulating at very low levels, turning the last mile of these public health marathons into the longest mile. In this theme issue, we bring together recurring challenges that emerge as we move towards elimination, highlighting the unanticipated consequences of particular ecologies and pathologies of infection, and approaches to their management.