Module - 5
Preventing & fighting against diseases for
good health
➢ How to protect from different types of infections
➢ How to reduce risks for good health
➢ Reducing risks & coping with chronic conditions
➢ Management of chronic illness for Quality of life
➢ Health & Wellness of youth : a challenge for upcoming future
➢ Measuring of health & wealth status
➢ Disease is something that needs to be cured, such as infection, injury, toxic exposure, cell
degeneration, etc.
➢ Illness is something that needs to be managed such as feelings of pain, discomfort, distress,
weakness, fatigue, etc.
➢ Germs are a part of everyday life and are found in air, soil, water and in and on our bodies.
➢ Many germs live in and on our bodies without causing harm and some even help us to stay
healthy.
➢ Only a small portion of germs are known to cause infection.
➢ An infection occurs when germs enter the body, increase in number, and cause a reaction in the
body.
Three things are necessary for an infection to occur:
1. Source: Places where infectious agents(germs) live (e.g., sinks, surfaces, human skin)
2. Susceptible Person with a way for germs to enter the body.
3. Transmission: a way germs are moved to the susceptible person.
Sources of Infections
➢A Source is an infectious agent or germ and refers to a virus,
bacteria, or other microbe.
➢In healthcare settings, germs are found in many places.
➢People are source of germs including:
➢Patients
➢Healthcare workers
➢Visitors and household members
➢People can be sick with symptoms of an infection or colonized with
germs (not have symptoms of an infection but able to pass the germs
to others).
Germs are also found in the healthcare environment.
1. Dry surfaces in patient care areas (e.g., bed rails, medical equipment,
countertops, and tables)
2. Wet surfaces, moist environments, and biofilms (e.g., cooling towers, faucets
and sinks, and equipment such as ventilators)
3. Indwelling medical devices (e.g., catheters and IV lines)
4. Dust or decaying debris (e.g., construction dust or wet materials from water
leaks)
Susceptible People for infections
➢A susceptible person is someone who is not vaccinated or a person with a
weakened immune system who has a way for the germs to enter the body.
➢For an infection to occur, germs must enter a susceptible person’s body
and invade tissues, multiply, and cause a reaction.
➢Patients in healthcare who have underlying medical conditions such as
diabetes, cancer, and organ transplantation are at increased risk for
infection because often these illnesses decrease the immune system’s
ability to fight infection.
➢Certain medications used to treat medical conditions, such as antibiotics,
steroids, and certain cancer fighting medications increase the risk of some
types of infections.
➢ Lifesaving medical treatments and procedures used in healthcare such as
urinary catheters, tubes, and surgery increase the risk of infection by
providing additional ways that germs can enter the body.
Transmission of infection
➢Transmission refers to the way germs are moved to the susceptible person.
➢Germs don’t move themselves. Germs depend on people, the environment,
and/or medical equipment to move in healthcare settings.
➢Contact moves germs by touch. Touching the eye, nose, mouth or wounds
after contact.
➢Sprays and splashes occur when an infected person coughs or sneezes,
creating droplets which carry germs short distances (within approximately
6 feet). These germs can land on a susceptible person’s eyes, nose, or
mouth and can cause infection
➢Inhalation occurs when germs are aerosolized in tiny particles that
survive on air currents over great distances and time and reach a
susceptible person.
➢Sharps injuries can lead to infections (example: HIV, HBV, HCV) when
bloodborne pathogens enter a person through a skin puncture by a used
needle or sharp instrument.
Types of Infectious Agents:
➢ Bacterial Infections:
➢ Streptococcal
➢ Staphylococcal (Tuberculosis, Urinary tract infections)
➢ Viral Infections:
➢ AIDS Common cold
➢ Ebola
➢ Herpes
➢ Influenza
➢ Measles
➢ Chickenpox
➢ Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
➢ Fungal Infections :
➢ Candidiasis
➢ Mucormycosis
Types of Infectious Agents:
➢Protozoal Infections:
➢Malaria
➢Amoebiasis
➢Giardiasis
➢Toxoplasmosis
➢Helminthic Infections :
➢Helminths are among the larger parasites
➢Tapeworms, Roundworms, Hookworms
Preventing infections and avoid spreading infections
through simple tactics
➢Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
➢ Cover coughs and sneezes.
➢Avoid touching your face.
➢Stay home if you’re sick.
➢Clean and disinfect surfaces that are touched often.
➢Avoid contaminated food and water.
➢Prevent contaminated medical equipment.
➢Avoiding the contact with the body fluids of infected.
➢Hand-washing, Medicines and Vaccines.
➢Prevent infections by sexual transmission
How to reduce risks for good health
➢Be a non-smoker and avoid second hand smoke. If one smokes need
to get help to quit.
➢Be physically active everyday.
➢Eat healthy foods.
➢Achieve a healthy weight.
➢Control your blood pressure.
➢Limit your intake of alcohol.
➢Reduce your stress.
➢Be screened or tested regularly.
➢Practice Hygiene.
➢Remain Social
➢Chronic diseases are defined broadly as conditions that last
for one year or more and require ongoing medical attention,
as well as limit activities of daily living.
➢They are also leading drives of the nation’s large scale
health care costs.
➢They are caused by a number of different health factors
affecting simultaneously
➢They take some time to develop
➢They last for a long time and often lead to other health
problems
➢It is not just physical symptoms that affect a chronically ill.
➢They can affect the limits on life styles and living with
constant pain can impact mentally too.
➢Based on the latest data from C D C (centre for disease
control), 10 most expensive chronic diseases are:
1. Cardio vascular diseases
2. Smoking related health issues
3. Alcohol related health issues
4. Diabetes
5. Alzheimer’s disease
6. Cancer
7. Obesity
8. Arthritis
9. Asthma
10. Stroke
Demands of chronic illness
➢Need to find ways to deal with the stress involved with chronic
illness
➢Understand the condition
➢Know about the treatment and therapy
➢Maintain trust and confidence in the doctors
➢Especially when recovery isn’t possible – Know how to control the
symptoms
➢Maintain social relationships and a strong Support network when
faced with an uncertain medical future or when symptoms arise
➢Avoid social isolation.
Here are 10 helpful strategies for coping with a chronic condition
1. • Get a prescription for information.
2. • Make your doctor a partner in care
3. • Build a team.
4. • Coordinate your care.
5. • Make a healthy investment in yourself.
6. • Make it a family affair.
7. • Manage your medications.
8. • Beware of depression.
9. • Reach out. (Doctors, nurses)
10. • Plan for end-of-life decisions
Quality of life
➢“Quality of life is defined as an individual’s perception of their position in
life in the context of the culture and value systems, in which they live and
in relation to their goals, expectations, and standards”.
➢Standard indicators of life:
➢Wealth
➢Employment
➢Environment
➢Physical and mental health
➢Education
➢Recreational and leisure time
➢Social belonging
➢Religious beliefs
➢Safety, security and freedom
➢Simply quality of life means the degree to which an individual is healthy,
comfortable, and able to participate in or enjoy life events.
➢Quality of life has a wide range of contexts. It includes the field of
international development, health care, politics and employment
➢Quality of life has several components. Specifically,
➢Physical functioning
➢Psychological status
➢Social functioning
➢Disease or treatment
Assessment of quality of life in chronic illness
Till now the assessment of the quality of life of chronically ill was based on
how much the disease and treatment interferes with the activities of daily
living such as –
➢ Sleeping
➢ Eating,
➢ Going to work
➢ Engaging in recreational activities
Why we should study quality of life of chronically ill?
➢This provides an important basis for interventions designed
to improve quality of life.
➢Assess the impact of treatments of the chronically ill
➢To compare therapies and their outcome
➢Can inform decision makers about care that will maximize
long term survival
➢To assess the cost effectiveness of different interventions
How to maintain better quality of life in the chronically ill?
Chronic conditions are not cured completely. So looking after our self about good
medical advice, living healthy life style, and having positive attitude help in
maintaining better quality of life
The measures adopted are:
• Finding reliable information about diseases, its treatment and management.
This will help the chronically ill patient to feel that he/she in taking positive step
and give a feeling of control over their illness
• Understanding the medication. This includes what it is specifically for. It
provides special instruction to be followed in taking medicine/ treatment and
potential side effects
• Setting the patient’s goal- short term goals will give a sense of how the person is
progressing
• Developing skills to manage the chronically ill patient’s pain and fatigue
• Getting emotional support. Speaking to others who are going through what the
patient is going through, and leaning on family and friends when there is need
• Planning for the future
Pain management
➢Taking pain relieving medicine. Medication includes both non-
prescription medication and prescription medication
➢Under going physical therapies. A combination of treatments and
therapies (Physio therapy) is some time more effective.
➢Non drug therapies include cognitive behavioral therapy (cognitive
behavioral therapy changes how a person thinks and in turn how he
feels and behave).
➢Physical therapies also are found in stretching exercises, walking
and other exercises
➢Relaxation and stress management techniques
➢Transcutaneous electrical stimulation therapies
➢Applying heat packs and cold packs and
➢Acupuncture & Acupressure
Mental Health Management
➢Worrying or thinking negatively adds to the patient’s anxiety or
stress
➢Write down the concerns and the possible consequences even if they
are negative
➢Find out the information about prognosis
➢Talking to a friend, a supporting group or seek specialist help
➢Focusing on a variety of things each day
Health and wellness of youth – a challenge
for upcoming future
➢Youth is the time of life when one is young and often means the time
between childhood and adulthood
➢Health is a state of physical, social and mental well‐being
➢Wellness is the state of living a healthy lifestyles
➢High levels of health and wellness in youth help them flourish in life as
well as act as a protective factor against some of the challenges that may
arise during this period.
➢Youth with strong mental well‐being are able to manage their emotions,
enjoy positive relationships with friends and family
➢Promoting healthy practices during adolescence, and taking steps to
better protect young people from health risks are critical for the
prevention of health problems in adulthood, and for country’s future
health and social infrastructure
➢ Main health issue‐ Early pregnancy and childbirth
➢ One of the Millennium Development Goals, is to achieve universal access to reproductive health, for which
one of the indicators is the pregnancy rate among the 15 to 19 age group.
➢ HIV
➢ second goal of the Millennium Development is to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS
➢ Other infectious diseases
➢ Vaccinations have prevented many however, diarrhea, lower respiratory tract infections and meningitis are
among the top 10 causes of death for 10 to 19 year olds.
➢ Mental health
➢ Depression is the top cause of illness and disability among adolescents and suicide is the third cause of
death. Violence, poverty, humiliation and feeling devalued can increase the risk of developing mental health
problems.
➢ Building life skills in children and adolescents and providing them with psychosocial support in schools and
other community settings can help promote good mental health. Programmes to help strengthen ties
between adolescents and their families are also important. If problems arise, they should be detected and
managed by competent and caring health workers.
➢ Violence
➢ Violence is a leading cause of death. Around 1 of every 3 deaths among adolescent males in the low‐
and middle‐income countries is due to violence
➢ Globally, some 30% of girls aged 15 to 19 experience violence by a partner.
➢ Promoting nurturing relationships between parents and children early in life, providing training in
life skills, and reducing access to alcohol and firearms can help to prevent violence. Effective and
empathetic care for adolescent survivors of violence and ongoing support can help deal with the
physical and the psychological consequences
➢ Alcohol and drugs
➢ Harmful drinking among adolescents is a major concern in many countries. It reduces self‐control and increases
risky behaviours, such as unsafe sex.
➢ Setting a minimum age for buying and consuming alcohol and regulating how alcoholic drinks are targeted at the
younger market are among the strategies for reducing harmful drinking. Drug use among 15 to 19 year olds is
also a concern
➢ Injuries
➢ Unintentional injuries are a leading cause of death and disability among adolescents. Young drivers need advice
on driving safely
➢ laws that prohibit driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs need to be strictly enforced.
➢ Malnutrition and obesity
➢ Many boys and girls in developing countries enter adolescence undernourished, making them more vulnerable to
disease and early death. The number of adolescents who are overweight or obese is increasing in both low‐ and
high‐income countries.
➢ Exercise and nutrition
➢ Available survey data indicate that fewer than 1 in every 4 adolescents meets the recommended guidelines for
physical activity 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily.
➢ Anemia resulting from a lack of iron affects girls and boys, and is the third cause of years lost to death and
disability. Iron and folic acid supplements help to promote health before adolescents become parents.
➢ Tobacco use
➢ The vast majority of people using tobacco today began when they were adolescents. Prohibiting the sale of tobacco
products to minors and increasing the price of tobacco products through higher taxes, banning tobacco
advertising and ensuring smoke‐free environments are crucial
➢ Cigarette smoking seems to be decreasing among younger adolescents in some high‐income countries
Health Status - Epidemiolgy
The W H O definition (2009):
The state of health of a person or population assessed with reference to
➢Life expectancy – number of years a person is expected to live
➢Morbidity - the amount of disease within a population in a certain period of time
➢Mortality - the number of deaths in a certain group of people in a certain period of time.
➢Burden of disease- cost that disease and disability exert upon the individual and society
➢Incidence- the occurrence of new cases of disease or injury in a population over a specified period of time.
➢Prevalence-proportion of persons in a population who have a particular disease at or over a specified point of time
➢Quality of life
The WHO health indicators provide internationally accepted standards for
various aspects of health status
What is the best predictor of health status?
➢Earlier rising income and subsequent improved standards of living
were thought to be the most important factors contributing to a long
and healthy life
➢New research has shown that the level of education a person has is
a much better predictor of life expectancy
What is wealth? How to measure Wealth?
➢Wealth measures the value of all the assets of worth owned by a
person, community, company or country.
➢Wealth is determined by taking the total market value of all physical
and intangible assets owned, then subtracting all debts.
➢Essentially, wealth is the accumulation of scarce resources.(Goods
that are abundant and free for everyone provide no basis for relative
comparisons across individuals)
➢Wealth can be expressed in a variety of ways. In a purely material
sense, wealth consists of all the real resources under one's control.
➢Financially, net worth is the most common expression of wealth.
➢Net worth is equal to assets minus liabilities.
