Epidemiology and Population Health, Essay Example

Briefly summarize your selected population health problem and describe how principles of epidemiology are being applied—or could be applied—to address the problem.

The below paper is created to review how the current epidemic of Meningococcal

Meningitis can be eliminated. The author chose the above health issue because it has a mortality rate of around 50 percent,, according to the WHO (2015), treatments and vaccinations are already available,  therefore, with the help of international organizations, the most affected regions of Sub-Saharan Africa can be made Meningitis-free.

While the number of reported  Meningococcal Meningitis cases have dropped significantly in the past years, according to the WHO (2015), it is still a great health burden for 26 African countries with the highest prevalence of the condition. The main goal of epidemiology is to identify and treat the population in a timely manner and anticipate epidemic outbreaks and vaccinate at-risk individuals. Still, in Ghana, for example, based on Akweongo et al.’s  study (2013, p. 3), vaccination rate is only 62.5  percent.

Jafri et al. (2013) states that the epidemic is not contained, and is present in the Eastern Mediterranean and European region. This also means that prevention is important not only to protect the at-risk population, but also to contain the infectious disease. The WHO (2015) report also states that the illness occurs in small clusters all over the world, and is most prevalent between December and June in the Sub-Saharan region, due to cold nights and dust winds. Knowing these trends helps policymakers prepare prevention and intervention frameworks for dealing with the epidemics.

Are there any lessons learned from the use of epidemiology in the eradication of smallpox that can be applied to your selected problem?

The eradication of smallpox, according to Henderson & Klepac (2013) teaches current health care professionals lessons on how to manage, contain, and prevent the spreading of highly contagious diseases. Smallpox eradication started in Western Africa, and the U.S.  and its partners had little or no information about the illness, its spreading patterns, and the social conditions in the 16 countries where vaccination was introduced.

Similarly, Africa has the highest prevalence of Meningococcal Meningitis, and the program managers used surveillance-containment along with vaccination campaigns to achieve the goals of the 10-year intervention. Another important aspect of the elimination of smallpox was to develop heat-resistant, freeze-dried vaccines that can be stored in extremely hot weather. When planning a program in Sub-Saharan Africa, the WHO needs to consider not only cultural and logistic issues, but also the climate of the country. Further, as many people in the region live a nomadic lifestyle, it is important that low-density areas are monitored.

Evaluate the cost effectiveness of addressing this health problem at the population level versus the individual level.

According to the WHO’s report (2015), MenA vaccine is a cost-effective method for preventing new cases. It provides long-term prevention, and costs only 0.60 dollars per dose. It can be used effectively to vaccinate children under the age of 2. The thermostability of the vaccine also allows the vaccine to be stored safely in extreme weather. In order to contain the illness, however, due to the demographics of the 26 countries where the epidemic is most prevalent, there is a need for monitoring and search programs. As Henderson & Klepac confirms, there is a need for involving the community in discovering outbreaks, and placing health centers, nurses in small market towns, schools worked extremely well when smallpox was finally contained. The most cost-effective solution to eliminate invasive meningococcal disease is delivering vaccinations to the 26 priority countries, and monitoring outbreaks in all areas where infections are reported. The vaccination of children, due to the long term protection provided by MenA vaccination is essential for success.

References

Akweongo, P., Dalaba, M., Hayden, M., Awine, T., Nyaabba, G., Anaseba, D., Hodgson, A., Forgor, A. & Pandya, R. (2013) The Economic Burden of Meningitis to Households in        Kassena-Nankana District of Northern Ghana. Plos One. November 2013  Volume 8 | Issue 11. Retrieved from http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObject.action?           uri=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0079880&representation=PDF

Jafri, R., Messonnier, N., Tevi-Benissan, C., Durrheim, D., Eskola, J., Fermon, F., Klugman, K., Ramsay, M., Sow, S., Zhujun, S., Bhutta, Z. & Abramson, J. (2013) Global epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease.  Population Health Metrics 2013, 11:17. Retrieved  from http://www.pophealthmetrics.com/content/11/1/17

Henderson, D. & Klepac, P. (2013) Lessons from the eradication of smallpox: an interview with D. A. Henderson. Royal Society Publishing. Retrieved from http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/royptb/368/1623/20130113.full.pdf

WHO (2015) Meningococcal meningitis Fact sheet N°141. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs141/en/