Cost-effective Innovations to Prevent and Manage CVD
India has developed an image-free device to detect premature vascular abnormalities that are not invasive and affordable to millions of Indians. The device is called the ARTSENS that detects blockages in arteries and could be useful in saving up to 2.5 million lives a year. (Krishnan, 2014). Another innovation developed in Cameroon is the Cardiopad that uses the 3G phone network to transmit a heart examination from rural areas where people cannot access a few hospitals. (Zang, 2014).
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and Medicine Recommendations
The recommendations included imposing heavy taxes on cigarettes to make them relatively unaffordable to people, regulating and reducing the contents of tobacco products, providing programs for smoking cessation and those aimed at educating people about the harmful impact of tobacco, and correct labeling of the implications of smoking tobacco. (The Department of Health, 2013).
Recommendations for Dmitri and his family would be smoking cessation where there are programs aimed at providing tobacco dependent treatment to Dmitri, his wife, and possibly his children as well. Counseling should be provided to their children to avoid picking up the habit and, at least, some advice on the effects of smoking one of which they are experiencing first-hand.
Diabetes Prevalence
Prevalence refers to the widespread occurrence of a disease within a population. According to CDC (2014) the disease is more prevalent among men than women in the ratio 6.6:5.9 per 100 individuals and affects mostly people 65 years and over at 25.9% of the total diabetes cases. Tokelau, the Federal States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands have the highest prevalence of diabetes at over 30% of the population. Since healthy foods seem to be expensive for the citizens of these countries, the communities have come up with organized health activities in urban centers to encourage physical exercise to reduce obesity which is the leading cause of diabetes. (Pacific Institute of Public Policy, 2015).
The Eje Vascular Andino Project (EVA)
The aim of this project is to reach the underprivileged populations of Latin America and train 900 health workers in these regions to reduce and prevent diabetes-related complications such as limb amputations. So far, the project has only been able to provide 10% of treatment as compared to the 90% they had projected due to a laxity in the implementation sector. (World Diabetes Foundation, 2015).
References
American Diabetes Association.(2016). Overall numbers, diabetes, and prediabetes. Retrieved online www.diabetes.org
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). National surveillance- Diagnosed diabetes. Retrieved online www.cdc.gov
Pacific Institute of Public Policy. (2015). Diabetes needs community ownership. Retrieved online http://pacificpolicy.org
The Department of Health. (2013). WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Australian Government. Retrieved online www.health.gov.au
World Diabetes Foundation. (2015). WDF10-522. Retrieved online www.worlddiabetesfoundation.org
Zang, A. (2014). How technology can ease the problem of heart disease in developing countries. The Guardian. Retrieved online www.theguardian.com
