52% believe that developing nations with poor public health records have a greater risk of armed conflict than those nations who have been successful in managing infectious diseases
Of the thousand-plus participants to a recent Science Advisory Board snap poll, 52% believe that developing nations with poor public health records have a greater risk of armed conflict than those nations who have been successful in managing infectious diseases.
Increases in drug-resistant types of infectious diseases, the migration of peoples due to natural and manmade disasters, and deficient health care systems in many societies have raised alarming concerns for the international community. "The erosion of public health systems brought about by these and other factors in developing countries threatens to undermine the economic stability of countries, which can lead to political unrest," says Tamara Zemlo, director of scientific and medical communications for Science Advisory Board.
Even in such developed countries as the United States, strengthening the public health infrastructure would help to ensure overall security by preventing the spread of infectious diseases and enabling a quick response to bioterrorism.
However, this strengthening must occur at all levels: local, national, and international in order for any country, rich or poor, to triumph over the challenges posed by infectious disease outbreaks such as Sars and emergency threats of bioterrorism like the anthrax mail scare.
