Unsafe water, air pollution, soil pollution, pesticides, hazardous waste, and chemicals in food are causing chronic disease, killing people, and preventing economic development, reports the World Bank. Climate change also is causing chronic disease and millions of deaths in poor regions, the report states. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 388 million people in the world will die from chronic disease in the next 10 years.




www.smh.com.au
....the World Bank says almost a fifth of all ill health in poor countries and millions of deaths can be attributed to environmental factors, including climate change and pollution. ...unsafe water, poor sanitation and hygiene, and air pollution are all said to be killing people and preventing economic development, the bank says. ....Increasing soil pollution, pesticides, hazardous waste and chemicals in food are also significantly affecting health and economies, the bank says.

..."We estimate that 388 million people in the world are expected to die from chronic diseases … in the next 10 years, and everywhere the poor are the hardest hit." ...Eighty per cent of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes were in low- to middle-income nations, contrary to the popular belief that these diseases largely afflict people in wealthy countries, a World Health Organisation report says. ..."We can stop this global epidemic of chronic diseases if we take preventative action now," said Dr Robert Beaglehole, the organisation's Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion director.

WHO Report: Preventing Chronic Diseases: a vital investment

World Bank: Environment Matters: Annual Review, 2005

World Bank: Burden Of Disease Increased By Environmental Degradation

WHO 2002: Integrated chronic disease prevention and control



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Information about chronic disease in the USA is noticeably absent in both the World Bank and WHO reports.

For the record: The top 5 chronic diseases - heart disease, cancer, stroke, COPD, and diabetes - cause more than two-thirds of all deaths in the USA. More than 90 million Americans are diagnosed with chronic disease. Over 45.8 million Americans have no medical insurance, and thus, no diagnosis or treatment.
Chronic Disease
Insuring Yourself

Note: The opposite of chronic is "acute," meaning disease that comes on quickly and often does not last long - if it lasts, it is "chronic."

People with chronic disease are more susceptible to complications and death from flu. "You're especially at risk if you are an older adult, have diabetes, chronic heart or lung disease, or an impaired immune system."
Source
Also see: www.niaid.nih.gov...

At the same time, the flu has long term impacts in survivors:

"This paper studies the long-term impact of the fall 1918 Influenza Pandemic. In the 1960-1980 Decennial U.S. Census data, cohorts in utero during the height of the Pandemic typically display reduced educational attainment, increased rates of physical disability, lower income, lower socioeconomic status, as well as accelerated adult mortality compared with other birth cohorts. In addition, persons born in states with more severe exposure to the Pandemic experienced worse outcomes than those born in states with less severe Pandemic exposures. These results demonstrate that investments aimed at improving fetal health can have substantial long-term effects on subsequent health and economic outcomes."
pdf. Is the 1918 Influenza Pandemic Over? Long-term Effects of In Utero Influenza Exposure in the Post-1940 U.S. Population. July 2005

Also see:
Smith CB, Kanner RE, Golden CA, Klauber MR, Renzetti AD Jr. Effect of viral infections on pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. J Infect Dis. 1980 Mar;141(3):271-80. PMID: 6767794
Med J Aust. 1974 Nov 30;2(22):812-4. Short and long term effects of influenza a on lung function. Ledder SR, Gill PW, Peat JK. PMID: 4456153
Johanson WG Jr, Pierce AK, Sanford JP. Pulmonary function in uncomplicated influenza. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1969 Aug;100(2):141-6. PMID: 5805258

Horner GJ, Gray FD Jr. Effect of uncomplicated, presumptive influenza on the diffusing capacity of the lung. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1973 Oct;108(4):866-9. PMID: 4741881
Gelb AF, Gold WM, Wright RR, Bruch HR, Nadel JA. Physiologic diagnosis of subclinical emphysema. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1973 Jan;107(1):50-63. PMID: 4683321
Ketiladze DI, Kniazeva LD. Pathogenesis of respiratory insufficiency in influenza. Sov Med. 1975 Nov;(11):20-4. Russian. PMID: 1221521
Rudenko AA. Bioelectric activity of the brain in influenza patients with manifest neurologic syndromes. Vrach Delo. 1976 Jul;(7):143-7. Russian. PMID: 997454
Muravskaia LV. Characteristics of functional disorders of the nervous system in influenza. Vrach Delo. 1976 Feb;(2):131-4. Russian. PMID: 1266137

pregnant women's risk for influenza-related morbidity and mortality increases during the last two trimesters (123)
persons at high risk for experiencing complications from influenza infection (e.g., immunocompromised patients; patients with asthma, cystic fibrosis, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; or persons aged >65 years)
CDC: Prevention and Control of Influenza



Chronic disease results from pollution and industrial contamination, working in combination with very slowly progressive prion diseases.
Infectious prions use the immune system to spread in the body,
and spread more rapidly when the body is fighting infection - so most people who survive bird flu will suffer increasingly debilitating chronic disease.

The most common prion-related diseases result from underlying infection with "a-smooth muscle actin" (ASMA); the stage where ASMA uses the vascular and immune systems to spread through the body is called "fibromuscular dysplasia" (FMD). Nearly 100% of Americans are infected with FMD/ASMA by adulthood. See here

The bird flu story is big. Very big. Like an iceberg.



WHO: Chronic Disease May Kill 400M by 2015

www.hindustantimes.com...

Plea for action on chronic diseases

news.bbc.co.uk...