According to epidemiological transition theory a society goes through three mortality stages in its transition to a modern pattern. There has been a debate about whether the third stage is the final one, and in fact fourth and fifth stages have been proposed. The biggest challenge to this theory comes from
A) the emergence of new infectious diseases & re-emergence of old ones
B) the emergence of new chronic diseases
C) the emergence of new medical technology
D) the emergence of public health concerns
E) the availability of new drug therapies that effectively treat chronic health conditions

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The emergence of new infectious diseases and the re-emergence of old ones challenge the epidemiological transition theory because it assumes that as a society progresses, infectious diseases become less of a threat and chronic diseases become more prevalent. However, the emergence of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and the re-emergence of diseases like tuberculosis have disproved this assumption. This has led to the proposal of fourth and fifth stages in the epidemiological transition theory to account for these new health challenges.

According to Epidemiological Transition Theory a Society Goes Through Three