Culture Health & Illness Theme Three

Third Epidemiological Transition
  • Happening now
  • See the Mutation of Diseases to another level
  • Disease are becoming immune to Treatment (Drug Resistance)
  • Possibility HIV virus may start mutating (WHY)
TB in South Africa
  • TB was brought to South Africa during the gold rush on the 1800's by European migrants
  •  Bad working conditions in the mines
  • Workers were exposed to silica dust, overcrowded hostel living, poor nutritional status and stress, all of which were major contributors to the development of TB.
  • TB spread easily in the mines
  • A single cough can carry millions of TB Bacteria
  • Ecology plays a major role in the spread of TB
  • Today
  • See the Mutation of TB
  • Started to become more drug resistant (WHY?)
  • 6 Month treat for TB= with a cocktail of 6 drugs know as first line treatment
  • People stop taking medication once they think they are cured
  • When they contract TB again the medication does on work
  • It as Mutated
  • Developing a new Strain of mutated TB
  • Called MDR TB (MILD DRUG RESISTANCE)
  • Mutated MDR is hence spread
  • Resistance to 2 most powerful line of drugs
  • MDR is treatable by second line drugs (more expensive)= CHEMOTHERAPY
  • People on MDR treatment, if stop taking the second line drugs & get TB again it as mutated further b become mmune to the second line drug
  • - XDR (EXTREME DRUG RESISTANCE)
  • - For this the is no treatment as yet and can lead to dead in a few days
DIABETES TYPE 2 (DISEASE OF LIFESTYLE)
  • High intake of refined sugar in the blood stream
  • Affects the insulin levels
  • That Prevents the removal of extra sugar in the blood stream
  • Transportation problem
  • Case Study:
  • Cherokee Indian, Oklahoma (look in reader)
  • Looking at how diabetes spread with this once traditional Society
  • It became the number one cause of death, spread rapidly & sudden
  • 1500's First contact with Europeans
  • Lived as Hunter/Gathers
  • Mid 1700's Europeans introduced guns, iron pots, new foods
  • Brought new lifestyle
  • By 1800's conflict arose between the Indians & the Europeans
  • Their Land was taken away
  • Forced The Indians into homelands called Indian Reservations
  • They tried to maintain their way of life
  • Difficult, their was restricted movement
  • Homelands were small
  • Late 1800's, railway built through the Cherokee Homeland
  • They started growing cotton & exporting there product
  • In return for money
  • 1900's the cash economy grew
  • Lifestyle started to change
  • 1930's Homelands became overcrowded
  • During this period store bought food was on the increase
  • High intake of fatty foods
  • High intake of refined Sugar & Salt
  • Diet made up of highly processed and refined Foods
  • 1940's First case of Diabetes was documented
  • Due to dietary & lifestyle change
  • High intake of refined sugar was been consumed
  • Hence we see the rise of diabetes as result of lifestyle & dietary changes
  • CHANGES:
  • - Increase consumption of refined corn, low in fiber as compared to previously
  • - Increased consumption of bread made from refined flour n sugar added
  • - Using oils to fry foods as compared to boiling previously
  • - Increased consumption of canned foods replaced home grown fruit & veg
  • - MAJOR SHIFT IN DIET AS TIME/LIFE CHANGES 

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