PHA-Exchange> The neglected epidemic of chronic diseases

[Claudio]

From: "Othmar Arnold" <ofarim at hotmail.com>

 It is recognized that the lack of inclusion of prevention of chronic
disease is
a severe oversight in the Millennium Development Goals as a key global
policy. It is also has been discussed that a reduction in death rate from
chronic disease of 2% is an achievable goal within the next ten years under
the contemporary global economic circumstances.
Chronic disease is not correlated to affluence in industrialized societies,
but
predominantly prevalent among low and middle income countries. Within the
US, a similar debate is ongoing.  Reports from India and China,
nation that represent a substantial percentage of the world population,
support the global call for action in fighting chronic disease.
These efforts are all based on similar assumptions: (1) Chronic disease is
something that happens to an individual, (2) Chronic disease is largely
preventable, (3) Lifestyle and personal choice do influence the occurrence
of chronic disease, (4) Medical treatment of chronic disease will reduce the
associated mortality rate. These assumptions fail to convince as absolute
truth beyond the bio-medical sciences.
Healing from chronic disease requires not only medical treatment, but also
the taming of century-old demons of oppression . In order to do so, the
scientific community needs to consider expanded categories of causation in
health research.
The epidemiological evidence points more towards the social
standing of the affected populations in relation to the dominant elite in
the New Economic World Order.
Chronic diseases are not diseases of affluence. 80% of  the chronic diseases
and the associated deaths occur in low and middle income countries. Is it
coincidental that the wealthy top 20% of the world population is less
affected by chronic disease, when it is known that this elite controls 80%
of the world's assets.