Health
Dengue will ‘take off’ in southern Europe, US, Africa this decade, WHO scientist says
Dengue fever will become a major threat in the southern United States, southern Europe and new parts of Africa this decade, the WHO’s chief scientist said, as warmer temperatures create the conditions for the mosquitoes carrying the infection to spread.
The illness has long been a scourge in much of Asia and Latin America, causing an estimated 20,000 deaths each year. Rates of the disease have already risen eight-fold globally since 2000, driven largely by climate change as well as the increased movement of people and urbanization, Reuters reported.
Many cases go unrecorded, but in 2022 4.2 million cases were reported worldwide and public health officials have warned that near-record levels of transmission are expected this year. Bangladesh is currently experiencing its worst-ever outbreak, with more than 1,000 deaths.
“We need to talk much more proactively about dengue,” Jeremy Farrar, an infectious diseases specialist who joined the World Health Organization in May this year, told Reuters.
“We need to really prepare countries for how they will deal with the additional pressure that will come… in the future in many, many big cities.”
Farrar previously spent 18 years working in Vietnam on tropical diseases including dengue. He later headed up the Wellcome Trust global health charity and advised the UK government on its COVID-19 response before joining the WHO in May this year.
Farrar said the infection is likely to “take off” and become endemic in parts of the United States, Europe and Africa – all regions where there has already been some limited local transmission – as global warming makes new areas hospitable to the mosquitoes that spread it. That will put acute pressure on hospital systems in many countries, he warned.
“The clinical care is really intensive, it requires a high ratio of nurses to patients,” he said. “I really worry when this becomes a big issue in sub-Saharan Africa.”
Most people who get dengue do not have symptoms, meaning case rates are thought to be far higher than the reported numbers. Those who do can experience fever, muscle spasms and joint pain so severe it is known as “break-bone fever.” In severe cases – less than 1% – it can be fatal.
There is no specific treatment for dengue, although there is a vaccine available. Earlier this week, the WHO recommended Takeda Pharmaceuticals’ Qdenga vaccine for children aged 6 to 16 in areas where the infection is a significant public health problem.
Qdenga is also approved by the EU regulator, but Takeda withdrew its application in the United States earlier this year, citing data collection issues. Takeda said it was still in talks with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about the vaccine.
Preparing new regions of the world to deal with dengue means ensuring that any public health funds get spent in the right areas, Farrar said, including on the best way to control the mosquito.
Dengue is spread by infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which behave differently to the malaria-carrying kind. For example, they bite people indoors, and they bite all day rather than overnight. They also breed in very shallow water.
Farrar said proper prevention would include triaging plans for hospitals as well as scientific innovation alongside other key factors, such as urban planning, to avoid areas of standing water near or in houses.
“We need to combine different sectors that are not used to working together,” he said.
“Diabetes is a big public health problem in Afghanistan,” the World Health Organization (WHO) representative to Afghanistan has warned, saying too many people only learn they have the disease when a complication arises.
Dr. Edwin Ceniza Salvador said urgent investment is required to address and prevent diabetes, noting that screening is available in only one out of every 20 public health facilities.
In a message marking World Diabetes Day, Salvador urged people aged 40 and older to ask for a blood glucose test at their nearest health facility.
“Early action will save your sight, kidneys and prevent complications,” he said.
The World Health Organization warned on Friday of surging respiratory illnesses in Gaza, with worse expected after heavy rains flooded tens of thousands of tents housing displaced Palestinians.
“The numbers already show the pressure. Acute respiratory infections are 33,000 cases higher than at the same time last year,” Dr Reinhilde Van De Weerdt, WHO Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, told reporters in Geneva from Jerusalem, Reuters reported.
Poor living conditions and severe overcrowding are driving up infections as Gaza’s population is squeezed into an ever-smaller area, WHO said. The crunch has worsened as the Israeli military expands its control by advancing the “yellow line” — a demarcation established under October’s US-brokered ceasefire.
“That means people are living in more crowded conditions, where of course the spread between humans of a virus is much more prone to spread,” Van De Weerdt explained.
The Israeli military and COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.
Last week COGAT said that it had stepped up efforts to improve sanitary conditions before the heavy rain, in coordination with international organisations.
Respiratory infections currently make up 11% of all consultations, with the WHO expecting cold weather, flooding, overcrowded shelters and poor ventilation to push these numbers higher.
“It is shocking that just a few days of rain really showed us what the coming months will bring. And winter has not even fully set in. The worst really is yet to come,” Van De Weerdt said.
Nearly a million displaced people in Gaza live in flood-exposed areas, and 400,000 of them are in locations that are considered at extremely high risk, according to the WHO.
The agency said flooding heightened the risk of contaminated water, while standing water gave mosquitoes and pests more places to breed. Dampness encouraged mould and bacteria that are major drivers for respiratory infections, especially in young children, it said.
While the majority of medicines are getting into Gaza, the WHO faces difficulty getting laboratory supplies, which it says are vital for diagnosing patients before they can be treated.
“To prevent outbreaks, we really call to let laboratory equipment enter Gaza today, so that we can avoid a public health disaster on top of a disaster.“
Health
German medical team launches free surgical mission at Bamiyan provincial hospital
The mission is funded by volunteer doctors and partner organisations, with essential medicines and medical equipment also brought into the country.
A nine-member medical team from Germany has begun a two-week medical and surgical mission at Bamiyan Provincial Hospital, offering free specialised treatment to patients in need.
According to the Ministry of Public Health, the team arrived in Afghanistan in coordination with the ministry and in partnership with Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS).
During the mission, the specialists will provide diagnostic and surgical services, including plastic surgery, burn treatment, correction of congenital deformities, war-related injuries and other complex medical conditions.
The team is expected to examine around 200 patients, with between 100 and 150 selected for surgical procedures.
In addition to treating patients, the German specialists will conduct theoretical and practical training sessions for Afghan doctors, surgeons and medical students to strengthen local medical expertise.
The ministry said the mission is funded by volunteer doctors and partner organisations, with essential medicines and medical equipment also brought into the country.
The initiative aims to improve access to free specialised healthcare, enhance the skills of Afghan medical professionals and strengthen surgical services in Afghanistan.
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