Which infectious diseases only require a one-off intervention for treatment, cure or prevention?
I am writing an article about vertical vs. horizontal health programmes. I read that vertical programmes (health care programmes that aim to combat specific diseases) are more suited for diseases that require simple & easy interventions, so that the intervention is easily distributed across the region in need. I want to give some examples of such diseases that only require one-time intervention for cure, treatment or prevention, but could only think of male circumcision for HIV so far! I'm looking at any infectious diseases but especially in the areas of NTDs and top priority infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria.
Thanks for any suggestions!
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Well there are quite a few but circumcision for HIV is not one of them. There are some reports of circumcision slightly decreasing the risk of contracting HIV but it is in no way fully protective for HIV.
There are however loads one of treatments/procedures that cure or prevent disease. For example:
1)Childhood vaccinations have virtually eliminated many serious infections in childhood and adulthood. Especially the vaccinations for N. Mengningitis (bacteria that causes meningitis), the MMR (mumps, measles, rubella), Hepatitis B, Smallpox (this one is actually no longer done because the disease has been eradicated) and polio. The TB vaccine is not as good as those mentioned but is also available.
2)Chlamydia can be treated with a single dose of azithromycin.
Although cirumcision slightly reduces the chances of getting HIV, there is another pathology that it prevents almost in its entirety: Penile cancer (still it's doubtfully enough justification to warrant a circumcision public health policy or something, since it's very rare to begin with)
Another I can think off-the-top of my head: Cholecystectomy for Vesicular cancer. Although it won't prevent ALL Gallbladder cancers, the vast majority of them is caused by gallstones.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0032543/
Penile cancer is rare in developed countries (one in 100,000 men).
Squamous cell carcinoma of the penis occurs almost exclusively in
uncircumcised men, with phimosis being the strongest associated risk
factor (OR 11.4 [95% CI 5.0 to 25.9]).[36] This finding underscores
the importance of genital hygiene and of identifying and treating
cases of phimosis and residual nonretractile foreskin in all males.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24634588 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27575712
There are plenty others.
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