Urbanisation and Infectious Diseases in a Globalised World

Overview

Journal Lancet Infect Dis

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2011 Jan 29

PMID 21272793

Citations 233

Authors

Emilie Alirol

Laurent Getaz

Beat Stoll

Francois Chappuis

Louis Loutan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The world is becoming urban. The UN predicts that the world's urban population will almost double from 3·3 billion in 2007 to 6·3 billion in 2050. Most of this increase will be in developing countries. Exponential urban growth is having a profound effect on global health. Because of international travel and migration, cities are becoming important hubs for the transmission of infectious diseases, as shown by recent pandemics. Physicians in urban environments in developing and developed countries need to be aware of the changes in infectious diseases associated with urbanisation. Furthermore, health should be a major consideration in town planning to ensure urbanisation works to reduce the burden of infectious diseases in the future.

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