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Group of Eight Summit

The G8 leaders, invited leaders and heads of international organizations
www.g8russia.ru

15–17 July 2006, St. Petersburg - Russia

Through its focus on global health at this year's summit in St Petersburg, Russia, the Group of Eight is helping to ensure that existing and emerging disease threats are tackled at the very highest level.

The G8 leaders have long recognized that AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases slow economic development, perpetuate poverty, and threaten security in large parts of the world. The recent threat of an influenza pandemic has focused international attention on the need for all countries to be better prepared, in order to reduce the potential death, illness, social and economic consequences of a pandemic.

The information on this page provides a snapshot of the main infectious disease issues, and the impact the G8 has had on them.

Focus on infectious disease - the facts

Pandemic influenza & emerging diseases

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Pandemic influenza and other emerging epidemic diseases present a major threat to life, economies and security in an increasingly globalized world.

HIV / AIDS

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Over 38.6 million people were estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS worldwide at the end of 2005.

Tuberculosis

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Tuberculosis (TB) is curable but kills 5000 people every day, almost all in the developing world.

Malaria

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Malaria is a common and life threatening disease transmitted by mosquitoes, currently endemic in over 100 countries.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative

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In 1988, polio paralysed nearly 1000 children every day worldwide. The world embarked that year on a programme to eradicate the poliovirus, which cripples permanently.

Vaccine-preventable diseases

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Despite spectacular recent progress, immunization has not reached its full potential.

Health worker crisis

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Fifty-seven countries, 36 of which are in sub-Saharan Africa, have severe shortages of health workers.

Crises and emergencies

Services

Resources