Epidemiological Trends of Border Communicable Diseases

Abstract

This was a descriptive study on the occurrence of common communicable diseases along 30 border provinces and the epidemiological trends during the Ninth National Health Development Plan from 2002-2006. Overall results revealed three characteristics of common communicable diseases along the four borders including 1) common problems of every border which comprised of acute diarrhea, hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, pyrexia of unknown origin, pneumonia, food poisoning, chickenpox and pulmonary tuberculosis 2) common problems of many borders which comprised of malaria (Thai-Myanmar border, Thai-Cambodia border and Thai-Malaysia border), unspecific dysentery (Thai- Myanmar border and Thai-Laos border), influenza (Thai-Myanmar border and Thai- Malaysia border) and dengue hemorrhagic fever (Thai-Laos border, Thai-Cambodia border and Thai-Malaysia border) and 3) problems of certain border only which comprised of herpes zoster (Thai-Laos border) and dengue fever (Thai-Cambodia border). Six patterns of epidemiological trends were observed in accordance with regular and irregular increasing directions, constant direction, uncertain directions, regular and irregular decreasing directions. Recommendations relating to policies, strategies and proactive measures together with positive re - enforcement in accordance with such patterns of epidemiological trends including recommendations for further study were discussed.