NATS 1670 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Microorganism, Smallpox, Warren Buffett
9 Oct 2014
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Document Summary
Until fairly recently infectious disease was the leading cause of death. Deaths due to infectious disease (1880)- 63% of the population. Deaths due to infectious disease (today)- 6% of the population. After giving birth, 25% of women contracted infectious diseases. Antibiotics did not exist yet (body could not defend itself against infectious diseases). At the same time the world population has been rising at a rapid rate. Huge gap in life expectancy between poor and rich countries. Poor countries were thrown off development due to the aids pandemic that brought their rising life expectancy back to what it had been during the 1950"s. Bill and melinda gates foundation"s huge donations sparked donations from other foundations, organizations and countries (ex. Malaria all kill approximately 2 million people per year in central africa, and all 3 are treatable by drugs. billion would have to be spent every year to give the people of africa basic treatment against these 3 diseases.
