Current control strategies for infectious diseases in low-income countries

Abstract

The burden of communicable diseases is ten times higher in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in terms of mortality rate and of years of life lost. Most of the LMCIs are in tropical or subtropical areas with vector-favorable climate conditions and poverty impeding access to improved water supply, sanitation, and efficient health care coverage. Public health strategies to control infectious diseases can be sorted by prevention level. Infectious diseases control strategies often combine actions from different prevention levels according to the stage of a disease. At the individual level, actions and interventions are succeeding in a logical cascade following the stage of the disease as community-level actions are implemented. We present strategies that have been implemented to control infectious diseases, their limits and the needs to attain successful control of infectious diseases in LMICs.