SHAABAN BILAL (CAIRO)

The year 2023 witnessed the emergence and spread of numerous deadly viruses and epidemics, particularly mutated coronaviruses, respiratory diseases, and fevers, claiming millions of lives worldwide.

Despite efforts to combat these diseases, factors such as poverty, inadequate health precautions, environmental conditions, and climate change contributed to their proliferation.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) issued warnings about the severity of these diseases, emphasising the need for enhanced global efforts to confront them.

Yellow Fever: The WHO first warned about Yellow Fever, which was linked to decreased immunity, population movements, viral transmission dynamics, and climate and environmental factors that led to the spread of mosquitos.

The disease surfaced in several African countries, including Chad, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, and Cameroon. Children, particularly those in areas with lower vaccination rates, were significantly affected by Yellow Fever due to weakened immunity.

Ebola: While Ebola has been endemic in several African countries since 1976, its spread in 2023 was notable in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ebola, often lethal, affects both humans and primates.

Bird Flu: In January 2023, the WHO reported a human infection with the bird flu virus in a nine-year-old girl in a rural area of Bolivar Province, Ecuador. The girl had been in contact with poultry.

Measles: Despite numerous health measures that were put forward, measles appeared in many countries, especially in Africa and Asia, including Ethiopia, South Sudan, Paraguay, Indonesia, Nepal, and Chile. Measles, a highly contagious viral disease, affects individuals of all ages and is a major cause of child deaths worldwide. It is commonly transmitted through air or respiratory droplets of an infected person by means of sneezing, coughing, or talking.

Meningitis: In 2023, a meningitis outbreak, a serious infection of the meninges covering the brain and spinal cord, spread in Niger, with about 600 reported cases and deaths in the first three months. Seasonal outbreaks often recur, but this year, the disease appeared more severe in some countries, including the United States and Mexico.

Marburg Virus: The Marburg virus spread in several African countries, with reported cases in Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania. The mortality rate among those infected with Marburg is around 88%. The virus was first discovered in 1967 following outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany, and Belgrade, Serbia.

Cholera: Since mid-2021, the world has been facing a sharp surge in the seventh wave of the cholera pandemic. The number of reported deaths has surpassed those recorded in previous years, especially in Sudan, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, East Asia, and elsewhere.

Lassa Fever: In 2023, Nigeria experienced a major outbreak of Lassa fever, with 4,702 suspected cases, 877 confirmed cases within days, and 152 deaths. Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria and parts of West Africa, where the multimammate rat, a rodent species native to sub-Saharan Africa, serves as the primary infector for the Lassa virus.

Myocarditis: In April 2023, the WHO observed an increase in severe myocarditis among newborns in the United Kingdom, associated with enterovirus infection in Wales. While viral infections are common in newborns and infants, the rise in infections among newborns is unusual.

Dengue Fever: Since the beginning of 2023, widespread outbreaks of dengue fever have been reported in the Americas. Approximately three million suspected and confirmed cases of dengue fever were reported until July of this year, surpassing the total cases recorded in 2022, which amounted to 2.8 million. The disease also appeared in Bangladesh, Chad, Sudan, and other regions.

Diphtheria: In 2023, Nigeria witnessed the spread of a diphtheria outbreak, where thousands of infections were reported. Diphtheria is a highly contagious disease that can be prevented through vaccination. It is primarily caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Diphtheria is fatal in 5-10% of cases, with a higher mortality rate among children.