Progress and Challenges in Modern Medicine

The twentieth and twenty-first centuries have seen many developments in medicine, but also the arise of numerous challenges.

• New Diseases - AIDs is an example of a disease which has become a major issue in recent years. It is known as the world's fourth most fatal disease, for which there is no known effective cure or vaccine.
• Return of Old Diseases - Due to unsuccessful vaccination campaigns, diseases for which there are vaccinations - including measles, mumps and tuberculosis - are again becoming an issue. This is also a consequence of the growth of the travel industry; people are travelling further and so diseases can more easily enter national borders. 
• Superbugs - MRSA and other similar illnesses are beginning to thrive within hospitals and nursing homes, and so thousands are consequently dying each year. They are particularly damaging in that they resist most antibiotics.
• Growing Cost - Contemporary medical technology is of great expense. Furthermore, people are living longer, and so the costs of…