The rise of chronic disease
A three-pronged health challenge is putting the squeeze on already-scarce resources in the developing world, with heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic ailments growing. At the same time, the threat from infectious diseases and neglected tropical diseases demands new attention, the head of the Institute of Medicine said Monday (Nov. 8). Institute President Harvey Fineberg, former provost at Harvard and former dean of the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), returned to the School to highlight the growing problem of chronic disease in developing nations. Chronic diseases have often been viewed as a problem of industrialized nations, while infectious diseases — largely conquered in the developed world — are considered the primary health concern in developing countries. In reality, Fineberg said, chronic diseases have always been present in developing nations, but the public’s attention has focused on the threat from infectious diseases such as AIDS. While infectious diseases remain a problem, that...