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Disease and Health
Each culture or era, we suggest
in Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism, has
its characteristic or signature disease, and that AIDS is the signature disease of the
culture of capitalism. Dealing with illness has been one of the great achievements
of our culture; worldwide, life expectancy has risen dramatically over the past half
century, only to decline in the past decade because of AIDS. In the following sites
you will find up-to-date information on the AIDS epidemic, as well as information on other
diseases (e.g. drug resistant malaria and tuberculosis), that threaten us.
1998 Guidelines
for the Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Disease
www.cdc.gov/nchstp/dstd/STD98TG.HTM
PDF
version (118p.)
The Center for Disease Control report on the treatment and
prevention of sexually transmited diseases. "Included are new recommendations
for treatment of primary and recurrent genital herpes and management of pelvic
inflammatory disease; a new patient-applied medication for treatment of genital warts; and
a revised approach to the management of victims of sexual assault."
AIDS Economics
www.worldbank.org/aids-econ/
"This web site focuses on the economics of HIV/AIDS
prevention and treatment. It is intended as an information resource for researchers and
policymakers dedicated to defining and implementing effective AIDS policy. The site will
continue to develop so please visit again, or subscribe to our electronic
newsletter to be periodically informed by e-mail about new materials added to the
site." Check out the report on the state of AIDS in
developing countries.
AIDS Knowledge Base
hivinsite.ucsf.edu/akb/1997/
A comprehensive online textbook about AIDS, its origins,
transmission, and rates of infections. Some techinical articles, but most are clearly
written and informative. Check out, for example, the article on AIDS and HIV in Africa.
 Atlas of Cancer Mortality in the United States,
1950-94 [.pdf, .dbf]
http://www.nci.nih.gov/atlas/
Recently published by
the National Cancer Institute (NCI), this unique resource tracks cancer death rates in
over 3,000 counties through more than four decades. Containing over 250 color-coded maps,
the atlas allows users and researchers to view patterns of cancer death rates at both the
state and county level. For the first time, separate maps are also available for both
white and black populations. Users can view the complete atlas online in both HTML and
.pdf formats, view maps, download data, and create customizable maps. (Scout Report,
12/17/1999).
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention
www.cdc.gov/
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the CDC is a branch of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. The site contains health information, news
events, and data and statistics on a wide range of issues including AIDS/HIV,
tuberculosis, and other sexually transmitted diseases.
CDC National
Prevention Information Network (NPIN) [.pdf]
http://www.cdcnpin.org/
"Sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), this new site serves as "a national reference, referral and
distribution service for information on HIV/AIDS, STDs, and TB." Professionals and
researchers working in HIV, STD, and TB prevention, treatment, and support services will
find a wide selection of frequently updated authoritative material. The site is divided
into seven sections. The HIV/AIDS, STD, and TB sections offer new featured publications,
related links, bulletin boards, news, and related reference materials. Another major
resource at the site is the NPIN databases section, which contains news abstracts,
organization contact information, funding and educational materials, and conference
announcements. In the NPIN Publications section, users will find a large listing of
reports and briefs, organized by topic, most of which are available for free download in
.pdf format. Please note that this section currently contains a number of broken links.
Other resources at the site include Prevention News updates, CDC press releases,
prevention research highlights, related links, and a Resources by Topic section. Anyone
wishing to stay current on HIV/AIDS, STDs, and TB prevention and treatment will
undoubtedly want to monitor this site." (Scout Report, 1/29/99)
Center for International Health
Information
http://www.cihi.com/
The CIHI Website provides data on current status and trends
in population, nutrition, and health for developing countries that receive USAID
assistance. Country, regional, and time series data are available in tables in either text
or .pdf format for sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Near East, and Latin America and the
Caribbean. Indicators include infant and maternal mortality, nutritional status,
vaccination coverage, contraceptive use, and population and fertility rates. Users can
download Global Health Data Viewer (GHDV) software containing over 60 indicators from 200
countries from the site. GHDV allows users to display a selected single point in time or
time series data in spreadsheet or graphic form for manipulation or export to other
programs. Other sections of the site contain reports of USAID projects and links to
international population and health information sources. (Scout Report, 9/18/98)
Emerging
Infectious Diseases_--CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/index.htm
A peer-reviewed journal sponsored by the Center for
Infectious Diseases, with access to past issues. The articles are fairly technical
in nature, but you can get a good overview of the problem of emerging infectious diseases
by going over the press releases that contain links to the original articles. Check
out the story on the re-emergence of malaria in Kenya.
epidemic! The World of
Infectious Disease—AMNH [.pdf] http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/epidemic/index.html
"This new online exhibition from the American Museum
of Natural History offers a captivating account of the physical and social environments
that allow disease-causing microbes to emerge and spread. Throughout the exhibit, which
references both historical and contemporary outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics, users
learn about the human and environmental changes that contribute to the rise and decline of
certain diseases, the microbes that carry these diseases, and how they infect us.
Essentially a collection of short, illustrated passages, the exhibit is best viewed in the
order presented, although users may jump to specific sections. The text of the exhibit is
frequently hyperlinked to glossary terms and short sections offering further information
on selected topics. Additional features at the site include a collection of high-quality
online resources, teacher’s guides (in .pdf format), a Kids Magazine, and a link to a
partner site at Discovery Online. (Scout Report, 3/26/1999)
Global HIV/AIDS & STD
Surveillance--WHO UNAIDS [.pdf, Excel, .dif]
www.who.ch/emc-hiv/
You can get the latest HIV/AIDS reports from UNAIDS and WHO
(also see below), as well as a country
by country profile of the AIDS/HIV epidemic.
HCUPnet
http://www.ahcpr.gov/data/hcup/hcupnet.htm
HCUPnet is an online statistical tool created as a part of
the Health Care Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), an initiative of the US Department of
Health and Human Services Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR). HCUPnet
allows users to generate customized statistical reports in order to identify, analyze, and
track national data on "hospital utilization, access, charges, quality and
outcomes." Data in the customized reports are derived from the latest Nationwide
Inpatient Sample (NIS). Explicit instructions for using this interactive online tool are
available at the site. (The Scout Report for Social Sciences, 7/13/99)
HIV/AIDS: The
Global Epidemic--UNAIDS and WHO
www.us.unaids.org/highband/document/epidemio/situat96.html
The 1996 report on the state of AIDS in the world. Most
of the figures in this report have been modified upward, as the data on which it was based
was found to have seriously underestimated the scope of the problem. However, this
will give you some idea of the affect AIDS/HIV is having in the world. You can find
more up-to-date information below in the Report on the Global
HIV/AIDS Epidemic: December 1997--UNAIDS WHO.
HIV/AIDS Policy Compendium Database
http://209.27.118.7/
Constructed and maintained by USAID, this site indexes
"2,400 annotated citations from policy papers from over 50 countries" relating
to AIDS-related policy. The database is searchable by keyword or subject as well as
region. Extensive information about the selection procedures and criteria are available
on-site. Full-text copies of the policy documents must be requested by fax, email, or
phone. (The Scout Report for Social Sciences, 7/13/99)
HIV Insite: Gateway to AIDS
Knowledge
hivinsite.ucsf.edu/
Up-to-date information on AIDS/HIV treatment, interviews with
authors, along with a section on AIDS
Basics, that explains the difference between AIDS and HIV, how people get AIDS, how to
protect yourself against it, a description of symptoms, and worldwide rates on infection.
Influenza 1918
www.pbs.org/amex/influenza/
In 1918 an influenza epidemic spread around the world; its
mortality rate among the young and the lack of ways to treat it led leading health
authorities in the United States to believe that it might wipe out most of the
population. But it ended almost as mysteriously as it appeared after killing
hundreds of thousands. This is the companion site to a PBS special on the
epidemic. It contains, in addition to a transcript of the show, supporting
documents, phots, and interviews. Read, for example, some of the measures people took to
prevent or cure the disease, all of which proved ineffective.
Project Inform (Site for AIDS
information)
www.projinf.org
"Project Inform is a national, non-profit,
community-based organization working to end the AIDS epidemic. Its mission is: To
provide vital information on the diagnosis and
treatment of HIV disease to HIV-infected individuals, their caregivers, and their
healthcare and service providers. To advocate for enlightened regulatory, research, and
funding policies, affecting the
development of, access to, and delivery of effective treatments, as well as to fund
innovative
research opportunities. To inspire people to make informed choices amid uncertainty, and
to choose hope over despair."
National Center for Health
Statistics [.pdf]
http://www.cdc.gov/nchswww/
Statistics, fact sheets, and news stories regarding health
and disease in the United States. Check out, for example, the information on the relationship between
health and income in the United States.
National Institutes of Health
www.nih.gov/
The Website for the National Institutes of Health contains
recent news and health information, as well as information about grants and links to other
health agencies and sites.
- Netherlands
Institute for Social Sexological Research (NISSO) Database
- www.niwi.knaw.nl/guests/nisso/ndbeng.htm
-
Report on the Global
HIV/AIDS Epidemic: December 1997--UNAIDS WHO
www.unaids.org/highband/document/epidemio/report97.html
- US Mirror
- www.us.unaids.org/highband/document/epidemio/report97.html
The latest figures on the AIDS/HIV epidemic worldwide.
There are some 16,000 new HIV cases each day, of which 90% are in developing countries,
1,600 are in children under 15, while 40% of the adults infected are women.
- Supercourse: Epidemiology, the
Internet and Global Health--GHN
- www.pitt.edu/~super1/
Tobacco Industry Documents
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/industrydocs/index.htm
Announced by US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Donna E. Shalala on November
18, the day of the Great American Smokeout, this important new site will allow the public,
for the first time, to conduct searches of key tobacco industry documents "made
public by state lawsuits, congressional subpoenas, and the November 1998 master settlement
agreement." (Scout Report, November 19, 1999)
WHO
Global Tuberculosis Page
www.who.org/programmes/gtb/GTB_Homepage.html
In spite of the attention being given to HIV/AIDS as a killer
of young people, tuberculosis is now the greatest killer of young women
in the world. This site provides information about TB worldwide, the measures that
are being taken to address it, and the problems many countries are having trying to deal
with it.
Women
and Disease: How the Status of Women Affects Disease Emergence
http://biology.beloit.edu/emgdis/papers/copy.html
This site contains links to articles and resources that
relate to the relationship between gender roles and disease. "Across the globe,
gender inequity in health care, access, and research reflects the lower status of women
socially, culturally, and economically. From developing countries to first world nations,
women struggle to have their health needs acknowledged and met. This page hopes to provide
a general outline of this issue as well illustrative examples of diseases which reflect
the effect of women's disadvantaged status. We have included links which either help
clarify the disease discussed, promote advocacy for women, or define women's rights in
health."
World Health Organization
www.who.ch/
The home page of WHO. The site is loaded with
information. One of the most valuable features is an Online course, Health, Environment, and Sustainable Development.
The course is based on the fact that it "has become clear that health and environment
must be understood within the context of social and economic development, which was
stressed especially in the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. Investing
in improvement to people's health and their environment is a prerequisite for sustainable
development."
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