Tropical medicine
Encyclopedia
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
that deals with health problems that occur uniquely, are more widespread, or prove more difficult to control in tropical
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
and subtropical
Subtropics
The subtropics are the geographical and climatical zone of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropical zone, which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, at latitudes 23.5°N and 23.5°S...
regions.
Many infection
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
s and infestations that are classified as "tropical diseases" used to be endemic in countries located in temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
or even cold areas. This includes widespread epidemirom developed countries, as a result of improvements in housing, diet, sanitation
Sanitation
Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes. Hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. Wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal feces, solid wastes, domestic...
, and personal hygiene. Since climate is not the main reason why those infections remain endemic in tropical areas, there is a trend towards renaming this speciality as "Geographic Medicine" or "Third World Medicine."
Training
The training in Tropical Medicine is quite different between countries. Most doctors are trained at Institutes of Tropical Medicine. For example, the training of Dutch tropical doctors consists of two clinical years (Obstetrics & Gynecology, Paediatrics or General Surgery) and a three months course at the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT) in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
Recently, the government of Bangladesh established the Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases in the port city of Chittagong.
See also
- American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)
- Anton Breinl CentreAnton Breinl CentreThe Anton Breinl Centre for Public Health and Tropical Medicine is a constituent discipline of the School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, and specialises in public health and tropical medicine...
for Public Health and Tropical Medicine - Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical MedicineBernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical MedicineBernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine; is a medical institution based in Hamburg, Germany which is dedicated to research, treatment, training and therapy of tropical and infectious diseases....
- Disaster medicineDisaster medicineDisaster medicine is the area of physician medical specialization serving the dual areas of providing medical care to disaster survivors and providing medically related disaster preparation, disaster planning, disaster response and disaster recovery leadership throughout the disaster life cycle...
- Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical MedicineTulane University School of Public Health and Tropical MedicineThe Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine is part of Tulane University of Louisiana. It is the oldest school of public health in the United States and the only American school of Tropical Medicine.-Departments:...
- Liverpool School of Tropical MedicineLiverpool School of Tropical MedicineThe Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is a research and teaching institution focused on neglected tropical diseases and the control of diseases caused by poverty. It is a registered charity affiliated to the University of Liverpool...
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineThe London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a constituent college of the federal University of London, specialising in public health and tropical medicine...
- Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical MedicinePrince Leopold Institute of Tropical MedicineThe Institute of Tropical Medicine , previously known as Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine is located in Antwerp, Belgium. The ITM is one of the world's leading institutes for training and research in tropical medicine and the organisation of health care in developing countries...
- Antwerp, Belgium - Research Institute for Tropical MedicineResearch Institute for Tropical MedicineThe Research Institute for Tropical Medicine was conceptualized through the Philippine Executive Order 674, authorizing the Philippine Department of Health to establish a research facility within the country for health advancement and medical research...
- Philippines - Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and HygieneRoyal Society of Tropical Medicine and HygieneThe Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene was founded in 1907 by Sir James Cantlie and George Carmichael Low. Sir Patrick Manson, the Society's first President is generally acknowledged as the father of tropical medicine. He passed the presidency on to the Nobel laureate Sir Ronald Ross ,...
- The Australasian College of Tropical MedicineThe Australasian College of Tropical MedicineThe Australasian College of Tropical Medicine is an Australasian medical association.It was founded on 29 May 1991 at a meeting of 10 interested clinicians, scientists and researchers at the Anton Breinl Centre in Townsville, Australia. Professor Peter A...
- Walter Reed Tropical Medicine CourseWalter Reed Tropical Medicine CourseThe Walter Reed Tropical Medicine Course at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is one of the many Tropical Medicine Training Courses available in the US and worldwide . It is an intensive 5-day course created to familiarize students with tropical diseases they may encounter overseas...
- Silver Spring, Maryland, USA - Travel medicineTravel medicineTravel medicine or emporiatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention and management of health problems of international travelers.-Globalization and travel:...
- Tropical diseaseTropical diseaseTropical diseases are diseases that are prevalent in or unique to tropical and subtropical regions. The diseases are less prevalent in temperate climates, due in part to the occurrence of a cold season, which controls the insect population by forcing hibernation. Insects such as mosquitoes and...