Missed Opportunities
Many research studies have reported that the incidence of AD is lower in developing countries than in Western countries. Migration studies, such as those looking at the migration of Africans to the United States, have shown a change in the risk for AD within one or two generations. This finding suggests that developing countries may have some protective factors that rapidly change on migration to developed countries. Despite this information being available for more than 25 years, no systematic efforts have been made to identify these protective factors. Given the rapid adaptation of Western lifestyles in developing countries, identifying these factors is important before the opportunity is permanently lost.
The successful use of phenobarbital for treating epilepsy was first described in 1912. Not only is it effective for many types of epilepsy, but it is also inexpensive. Nevertheless, despite its availability for more than 90 years and its modest cost, the treatment gap for epilepsy still exceeds 90 percent in many developing countries.
Indigenous systems of medicine, such as for the treatment of PD, have been used for centuries in developing countries. However, their utility has not been fully exploited.
Despite evidence of the benefit of control of hypertension in the primary prevention of stroke, most efforts in developing countries are directed at treatment of stroke. This approach not only is more expensive but also is less beneficial to the patient.
