Study, Diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis, Other Rare Western Diseases on the Rise in Eastern Countries

While some prevalent diseases, such as cancer and heart disease, appear to be equally distributed throughout the world, other diseases tend to be more regional, based on both genetic predispositions and environment. In the case of diseases spurred on by environmental factors, such as Neglected Tropical Diseases, which are caused by poor living conditions, and COPD, which in the third world is often caused by poor ventilation and toxic cooking fuels, improved education and sanitation can help mitigate disease prevalence. With genetically predisposed diseases like Cystic Fibrosis, however, the rise and spread of the disease is more common in certain ethnic groups, such as in people with northern European lineage. For this reason, the U.S. has the largest population of CF patients, numbering between 30,000 and 40,000, while smaller countries in the northern hemisphere, like Ireland, have a high proportion of the disease within their general population.

However, increasing globalization is contributing to a spread of genetic diseases like Cystic Fibrosis as well, leading to public health organizations in parts of the world previously unaffected by the disease to begin addressing best practices for researching, diagnosing, and treating CF.

According to a news release posted on the New Indian Express, Kanchi Kamakoti Child’s Trust Hospital in Chennai, India recently held a Cystic Fibrosis symposium. Hosted along with the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, the program was designed to highlight increased diagnostic efforts for the disease, encouraging physicians to make CF diagnoses early (since the earlier the diagnosis, the better the outcome), and familiarize themselves with health management options for CF patients in India.

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In addition to the presentation, the Hospital has also recently launched a new clinic specifically for Cystic Fibrosis patients, which is designed to serve as a “one-stop service” and centralize treatment for the disease.

This news joins another recent report on affiliate news site Multiple Sclerosis News Today, which reported on how the Middle East North Africa Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis recently announced the first MENACTRIMS Congress for professionals to be held in Dubai on the 17th and 18th of October. Like Cystic Fibrosis, MS is another disease that traditionally affects a disproportionate number of people in the West, with over 300,000 MS patients in the U.S. alone. However, the disease is becoming more prevalent in the Middle East.