Communicable and Non-communicable Diseases

Jackim M. Nyamari
Kenyatta University
Department of Environmental & Occupational Health

1. Communicable
& Non-communicable
Diseases
Jackim M. Nyamari, Ph.D.
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2. Outline
Communicable Diseases:
•Risk Factors,
•Prevention
Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases
•Factors contributing to re-emerging and Emerging
Diseases.
•Global health Lessons
Non-Communicable Disease
•Risk Factors
•Prevention
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3. Communicable/Infectious Diseases
•A communicable disease is an illness due to a
specific infectious (biological) agent or its toxic
products capable of being directly or indirectly
transmitted from man to man, from animal to
man, from animal to animal, or from the
environment (through air, water, food, etc..) to
man.
•Communicable are transmitted directly or
indirectly
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4. Types of Communicable Diseases
•Respiratory Infections: Tuberculosis,
Influenza
•Intestinal Infections: Salmonella, E.coli
•Vector-borne: Malaria, Bilharzia
•Contact/non-traumatic: Anthrax
•Sexually /blood-borne: HIV, Hepatitis
•Traumatic Contact: Rabies
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5. Risk Factors –Sub-Saharan Africa
•Overcrowding
•Malnutrition
•Poverty
•Alcoholism
•Poor housing
•Poor water sanitation and hygiene
•Inefficient Health Care Systems
•Lack of adequate surveillance systems etc
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6. Control of Communicable Diseases
•Improvement of personal hygiene
•Improvement of social hygiene
•Health education & Behavioural Change
•High immunization coverage
•Good Nutrition
•Water and Food Sanitation
•Vector control
•Proper health care systems -Treatment
•Behaviour change
•Effective disease surveillance systems
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7. Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases
•Emerging infectious diseasesare infections
that have recently appeared within a
population (such as COVID-19 or
•An emerging infectious disease is a one
that is caused by a newly discovered
infectious agent.
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8. Re-emerging Diseases
•A re-emerging infectious disease is a one
which was previously controlled but once
again has risen to be a significant health
problem.
•This term also refers to that disease which
was formerly confined to one geographic
area, has now spread to other areas.
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9. Factors Contributing to the Emergence
and Re-emergence of Infectious
Diseases
•Human demographics
and behavior
•Technology and industry
Economic development
and land use
•International travel and
commerce
•Microbial adaptation and
change
•Breakdown of public
health measures.
•Human susceptibility to
infection
•Climate and weather
•Changing ecosystems
•Poverty and social
inequality
•War and famine
•Lack of political will
•Intent to harm
(bioterrorism)
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10. Examples of Re-emerging Infectious
Diseases
•Diphtheria-Early 1990s epidemic in Eastern
Europe(1980-1% cases; 1994-90% cases).
•Cholera-100% increase worldwide in 1998 (new
strain eltor, 0139).
•Human Plague-India (1994) after 15-30 years
absence.
•Dengue/ DHF-Over past 40 years, 20-fold increase
to nearly 0.5 million (between 1990-98)
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11. Examples of Emerging Infectious
Diseases
•2000: Rift Valley fever (Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Yemen);
Ebola fever(Uganda).
•2002: Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
(United States).
•2003: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
(multiple countries); monkeypox(USA).
•2004: H5N1 influenza (Southeast Asia)
•2019: Corona Virus (COVID-19) -China
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12. Global Health Lessons Learnt from
COVID-19
•An infectious disease in one country is a threat to
all
•Important role of air travel in international spread
•Tremendous negative economic impact on trade,
travel and tourism
•High level commitment is crucial for rapid
containment
•WHO can play a critical role in catalyzing
international cooperation and support
•Global partnerships & rapid sharing of
data/information enhances preparedness and
response
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13. Control of Emerging and Re-emerging
Diseases
•Controlling the reservoir
•Interrupting the transmission
•Protecting the susceptible host
•Strengthening of the disease surveillance
system
•Encouraging research initiations for
treatment regimens and diagnostics
•Encouraging research for new methods of
control measures
•Establishment of drug resistance
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14. Role of Public Health Authorities
•National program for prevention and
control of vector borne diseases
•Legislations for elimination
•Communities awareness of the disease
•Minimizing transmission of infection by
Risk communication to the family members
•Minimizing vector population
•Minimizing vector –individual contact
•Reporting to the nearest public health
authority
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15. Non-Communicable Diseases
•A Non Communicable Disease (NCD), is a medical
condition or disease which is non-infectious.
•NCDs are diseases of long duration and generally
slow progression.
•Worldwide NCDs currently represent 43% of the
burden of disease.
•NCDs are the leading cause of death in the world!
responsible for 63% of all annual deaths globally.
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16. Types of Communicable Diseases
•Cardiovascular diseases: heart attacks,
stroke.
•Cancers: Breast, liver, lung, cervix,
prostate etc.
•Chronic respiratory diseases: chronic
obstructed pulmonary disease, asthma)
•Diabetes
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17. Risk Factors
•Tobacco use
•Unhealthy diet
•Physical inactivity
•Drug and alcohol abuse
•Genetics
•Environmental factors
•Radiation
•Age –degenerative disorders
•Stress
•High salt intake
•Obesity
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18. Prevention and Control
•Multisectoral collaboration and cooperation
at national, regional and global levels
•Reduce harmful use of alcohol.
•Reduce prevalence of physical inactivity.
•Reduce salt intake.
•Reduce tobacco use.
•Reduce prevalence of raised blood pressure.
•Halt the rise in diabetes and obesity.
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19. THANK YOU
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