[Ip-health] 'Lifestyle' diseases saddle poor countries

[Aidan Hollis]

A fascinating article about the growth of chronic diseases (and the decline
of infectious diseases) in developing countries in the weekend FT:

=91Lifestyle=92 diseases saddle poor countries
By Hannah Kuper and Simon Kuper
Published: January 9 2009

....
In India today, the big problem is diabetes. Not long ago, public health
officials considered this a disease of relatively minor importance. That ha=
s
changed, mainly as people have become fatter. A diabetes epidemic typically
follows an obesity epidemic with a lag of about 10 years. Already in 2000,
there were about 171 million diabetics on the planet, or four to five times
as many as those living with HIV. India now has perhaps 32 million
diabetics, most of whom do not know that they have the condition; China has
40 million.
...
It=92s not just that people in poor countries are adopting unhealthy habits=
.
Once ill, they are much less likely than those in rich countries to see a
doctor and receive treatment.
...

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/7d6b6ec6-dd1b-11dd-a2a9-000077b07658.html


Aidan Hollis

Associate Professor
Department of Economics, University of Calgary
2500 University Dr NW Calgary AB T2N 1N4 Canada

tel: +1 403 220 5861  fax: +1 403 220 5861
email: ahollis@ucalgary.ca
web: http://econ.ucalgary.ca/profiles/aidan-michael-hollis

Incentives for Global Health
http://www.healthimpactfund.org