Tropical Medicine & Surgery

Variants of Tropical Diseases and their Challenges

Anthony Pavsol^* Department of Infection and Tropical Medicine, Imperial College London, North wick park Hospital, Harrow, UK
^*Correspondence: Anthony Pavsol, Department of Infection and Tropical Medicine, Imperial College London, North wick park Hospital, Harrow, UK, Email:

Received: 01-Mar-2023, Manuscript No. TPMS-23-20027 ; Editor assigned: 06-Mar-2023, Pre QC No. TPMS-23-20027(PQ); Reviewed: 20-Mar-2023, QC No. TPMS-23-20027 ; Revised: 27-Mar-2023, Manuscript No. TPMS-23-20027(R); Published: 03-Apr-2023, DOI: 10.35248/2329-9088.23.11:294.

Description

Tropical medicine is an interdisciplinary branch of medicine that deals with diseases that are more prevalent, more rare, or more difficult to cure in tropical and subtropical regions. A wide range of illnesses and disorders are diagnosed and treated by doctors in this profession. The tropics are home to the majority of the illnesses they treat. Among the most well-known are tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. They must be educated of the 18 neglected tropical diseases that are less well-known and include rabies, dengue, and Chagas disease. Non-communicable diseases are becoming more prevalent as a result of the poor living circumstances in tropical developing nations. These illnesses include cardiovascular disease and cancer, which were formerly more of a concern in industrialised nations. Tropical medicine-trained doctors must be equipped to recognise and treat these illnesses.

HIV

There are 22 million HIV-positive people living only in poor nations. Although infections are still most common in Africa, there are now also many infections in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The low-income tropical nations will host 95% of anticipated new illnesses. Three to four million new infections are anticipated each year. Danger factors including intercourse without protection and needle use are substantially more common in tropical and poor regions. As HIV enters a tropical region, it spreads among the population that engages in sexual activity. Although the rate and extent of its spread vary, 10% of African nations have an HIV prevalence.

Malaria

Malaria is a parasite disease transmitted to humans by the Anopheles mosquito. The genus Plasmodium contains the parasite that causes malaria. The signs and symptoms of malaria can vary greatly once it has been contracted. The illness is classified as either straightforward or severe. Malaria is curable if detected and treated right away. But, if they are not treated quickly and effectively, some of the more severe symptoms, such as acute kidney failure, severe anaemia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome, can be deadly.

Tuberculosis

Infectious bacterial disease Tuberculosis (TB) primarily affects the lungs but can affect any region of the body. It is a disease that primarily affects the weak and the impoverished and is far more prevalent in developing nations. TB can exist in two states: latent and active. TB can remain dormant for several years, even for over a decade. The disease has claimed more lives in the past 200 years than any other infectious disease, but receiving only 1/6^th the funding of HIV research. An estimated 9 million people contracted TB in 2013 alone, according to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. 1.5 million people perished from TB in the same year. 360,000 of those 1.5 million people had HIV Positive.

Non-communicable diseases

Non-communicable diseases are a group of chronic conditions that include, among others, cardiovascular disease, cancer, wounds, and respiratory diseases. In the past, wealthy nations have been much more affected by these diseases than developing nations. According to the Global Burden of Disease Survey from 2001, non-communicable diseases were found to be the cause of 20% of fatalities in sub-Saharan Africa. According to a 2005 World Health Organization research, low- and middle-income nations accounted for 80% of deaths from chronic diseases.

Neglected tropical diseases

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognised 18 tropical diseases as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which have a global impact of over a billion people, particularly in developing nations. Some illnesses are heterogeneous, which means they don't originate in the target organism. Viruses, bacteria, and parasites all contribute to NTDs. NTDs are undertreated because, while usually not fatal on their own, they can be incapacitating. These conditions make people more vulnerable to other NTDs and deadly conditions like HIV or malaria.