Tropical medicine

摘要

Considerable progress has been made towards three key objectives in tropical infectious diseases in recent years: a clearer understanding of basic microbiology, pathogenesis, and host defence; expanded epidemiology; and new approaches to overall clinical management. However, problems have also emerged. Development of vaccines has been slow or non-existent, the efficacy of conventional treatment has fallen, HIV has affected the course of some diseases, the cost of some new drugs has prohibited their use, and drug development for tropical diseases has fallen. Inadequate vector control; poor nutrition, sanitation, and drinking water; civil war; and bare bones health budgets continue to present obstacles to preventing and controlling epidemics.