Relationships between development and disease

Summary The close links which exist between poverty, disease and development are surveyed, particularly with reference to the situation in Africa. Poverty may impede the correct use of the land which can in turn lead to malnutrition and a higher incidence of disease. A population in poor health cannot effectively improve its own economic condition or make full use of aid. Poor health may be due to a colonial heritage of unsatisfactory land use, inappropriate transfer of technology, short-sighted administration, or other causes. Not all development brings improvement in health, for instance, inadequate urban planning can induce health problems.The wealthy and secure nations of the world will realise that they cannot possibly remain either wealthy or secure if they continue to close their eyes to the pestilence of poverty that covers the whole southern half of the globe. They will act, if only to preserve their own immunity from infection.(McNamara, 1968)Paul Milligan, is a Research Assistant in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Salford. He has an active interest in the computer analysis of environmental data and has worked on material relating to the control of river blindness in the Volta Basin of West Africa and in a wider African context on attempts to control sleeping sickness.Dr Michael Pugh Thomas, is Deputy Director of the Environmental Institute at the University of Salford. He is actively involved in environmental education and he is the current Chairman of the Institution of Environmental Sciences. His research has been concerned with the environmental impact of economic development and has related to estuarine ecology and the ecological effects of attempts to control insect vector bourne diseases.