Chemicals and environmentally caused diseases in developing countries

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Infectious Disease Clinics of North America; (United States)

OSTI ID:5226779

Jamall, I S; Davis, B ^[1]

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1. University of California, Davis, School of Medicine (USA)

This chapter discusses international aspects of diseases resulting from exposure to chemical pollutants in the environment, with an emphasis on developing countries. These countries share many of the same problems of air, water, and pesticide pollution that face the more industrialized countries. In developing countries, however, the problems are compounded by a number of unique situations, viz., economic priorities, high burden of infectious diseases, impoverishment, and absence of a regulatory framework for the disposal of toxic chemicals. This discussion emphasizes the importance of interactions among toxicants, malnutrition, and infectious diseases for both urban and rural populations insofar as these interactions contribute to disease. Toxicants not only produce disease directly but also exacerbate diseases with other causes. Specific examples from developing countries demonstrate how human health effects from exposures to environmental chemicals can be assessed. While they do not strictly fall under the rubric of developing countries, the public health consequences of inadequate control of environmental pollution in the East European countries should demonstrate the magnitude of the problem, except that in developing countries the public health consequence of environmental chemicals will be aggravated by the widespread malnutrition and high prevalence of infectious diseases. Much needs to be done before we can adequately quantify the contribution of environmental chemicals to morbidity and mortality in developing countries with the level of sophistication now evident in the charting of infectious diseases in these countries. 52 references.

• OSTI ID: 5226779
• Journal Information: Infectious Disease Clinics of North America; (United States), Journal Name: Infectious Disease Clinics of North America; (United States) Vol. 5:2; ISSN 0891-5520; ISSN IDCAE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DISEASES
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
EPIDEMIOLOGY
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
IMMUNITY
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
MAMMALS
MAN
MATERIALS
POLLUTION
PRIMATES
TOXIC MATERIALS
VERTEBRATES