malaria
Deforestation 101
Forests cover about 30% of the planet, but deforestation is clearing these essential habitats on a massive scale. What is deforestation? Find out the causes, effects, and solutions to deforestation.
Tracking the Global Burden of Vector-Borne Disease
The burden of vector-borne diseases (VBDs) is one of public health’s most pressing challenges. VBDs are caused by pathogens such as arboviruses (arthropod-borne virus), bacteria, and parasites that are transmitted to humans and animals through the bites of infected arthropods including mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, and fleas, among others. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) , “vector-borne diseases account for more than 17% of all infectious diseases, causing more than 700,000 deaths annually worldwide”.
Beyond these broad statistics, attempts to quantify the global burden of VBDs is extremely challenging – for a number of reasons. At the highest level, even “burden” has an underlying complexity in public health terms: burden may refer to the number of cases of a given disease as well as the number of deaths.
Burden can also represent Disability-adjusted Life Years (DALYs), a measure that accounts for the long-term effects of disability among the afflicted, as well as the economic impact of disease from regions and countries all the way down to households and individuals. These economic impacts can be further scrutinized as reduced productivity among the populace, increased healthcare costs, and negative impacts on tourism; all of which can directly affect the GDP and economic growth of local and regional economies. And that’s just the beginning.
Study: Digitally Managed Larviciding
A new study has found that larval source management (LSM) – treating mosquito breeding habitats – can still be effective in malaria elimination operations, especially with the aid of new digital technologies. LSM has been replaced in Africa by long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS), but these methods are becoming less effective due to mosquitoes’ growing resistance to insecticides.
Urban Africa Faces Invasive Challenge
Malaria numbers are surging in the Horn of Africa, but not in rural settings.
Djibouti is a small country of around 900,000 inhabitants on the Horn of Africa that rests on the shores of Bab al-Mandab strait, just 20 miles from the coast of Yemen and southwest Asia. Ten years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) proudly proclaimed that Djibouti was entering the “pre-elimination phase” in its longstanding battle against malaria. Pre-elimination status is reached when a country’s number of confirmed malaria cases approaches zero.
Malaria’s Long Tail
The impacts of severe malaria cases on children are well documented, but the effects of mild infections on child development are less understood. The statistics …
WMR 2015 Celebrates Successes, Highlights Challenges
2015 WORLD MALARIA REPORT MARKS END OF MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS ERA In her forward to the 2015 World Malaria Report (WMR), World Health Organization (WHO) …
The Neglected Public Health Threat of Chagas Disease
The term “vector-borne disease” usually brings to mind a familiar list of names: malaria, West Nile virus, dengue, chikungunya, onchocerciasis, yellow fever. But there’s another …
The Changing Nature of Disease Management
As conditions in Southeast Asia continue to evolve, public health officials are constantly monitoring the transmission of multiple vector borne diseases and adjusting their strategies …
Zika Roundtable Brings Together Public and Private Sectors
On July 13, the State Department hosted a roundtable discussion surrounding the private and public sector involvement with Zika at which a number of stakeholder …
WMR Highlights Successes, Stresses Need for More Funding
The 2016 World Malaria Report (WMR) follows a familiar theme: a positive accounting of successes to-date with a strong undercurrent regarding the need for better …