From Air Pollution and Climate Change to Dengue and Superbugs – WHO's List of 10 Global Health Threats in 2019



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The top 10 threats to global health in 2019 (Image credit: WHO)

The top 10 threats to global health in 2019 (Image credit: WHO) & nbsp

New Delhi: The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified the top 10 global health threats in 2019, ranging from vaccine-preventable diseases to drug-resistant infections, obesity and physical inactivity to cancer and disease. environmental problems such as heart and lung problems. According to the WHO, unless measures are taken to address these threats, millions of lives are at risk.

WHO's new five-year strategic plan, the 13th General Program of Work, aims to address these and other threats. The UN health agency said its plan was based on a $ 3 billion goal, which included ensuring that 1 billion more people have access to universal health coverage, 1 billion more people protected from health emergencies and 1 billion people in better health.

The top 10 threats to global health in 2019

Here are the 10 health issues that require the urgent attention of WHO and its partners in 2019.

Atmospheric pollution and climate change: The WHO considers this year 's air pollution as the greatest risk to health related to the environment. Microscopic pollutants in the air can enter the respiratory and circulatory systems, damaging the lungs, heart and brain. Air pollution kills 7 million people each year prematurely as a result of diseases such as cancer, stroke, heart disease and lung disease. Read – India records upper Number of deaths of children due to air pollution in the world: WHO

Noncommunicable diseases: WHO data reveal that noncommunicable diseases, such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, are collectively responsible for more than 70% of deaths worldwide, or 41 million people. This also includes 15 million people who died prematurely, aged 30 to 69 years.

Global Pandemic Influenza: The world will face another influenza pandemic – the only thing we do not know is when it will hit and how serious it will be, WHO said. The WHO said it was constantly monitoring the circulation of influenza viruses to detect potentially pandemic strains, adding that 153 institutions in 114 countries were involved in global surveillance and response. Read – A new weapon against the flu found? Here's everything you need to know about the flu

Fragile and vulnerable settings: According to the WHO report, more than 22 per cent of the world's population lives in areas of protracted crisis (due to problems such as drought, famine, conflict and displacement) and poor health services. health, leaving people without access to basic care.

Antimicrobial resistance: The WHO report warned that antimicrobial resistance threatened to send us back to a time when we were unable to easily treat infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhea and salmonellosis. The inability to prevent infections could seriously compromise surgery and procedures such as chemotherapy, he added. Antimicrobial resistance is the ability of bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi to resist the effects of drugs. Read – Antibiotic Resistance: 5 Simple Tips to Prevent or Reduce the Spread of Drug-Resistant Infections

Ebola and other high-risk pathogens: In 2018, the Democratic Republic of Congo witnessed two separate Ebola outbreaks, which spread to cities of more than one million inhabitants. According to WHO, one of the affected provinces is also in an area of ​​active conflict.

Low primary health care: The WHO said many countries do not have adequate primary health care facilities, which usually constitute the first point of contact for people with their health care system. In 2019, WHO will work with partners to revitalize and strengthen primary health care in countries and to respond to the specific commitments made in the Astana Declaration.

Hesitation to the vaccine: Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective ways of avoiding the disease, but reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines may jeopardize progress in the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccination currently prevents 2 to 3 million deaths a year and 1.5 million more could be avoided if global coverage of immunization was improved.

dengue: The mosquito-borne disease that causes flu-like symptoms – such as fever, headaches, rashes, muscle and joint pains – can be fatal and kill up to 20% of people with severe dengue fever. According to WHO, about 40% of the world's population is at risk of dengue fever, a growing threat for decades. An estimated 390 million dengue infections occur worldwide each year. The WHO Dengue Strategy aims to reduce by 50% the number of deaths by 2020. Read – Dengue declared perennial infection – The 6 best foods to prevent or cure transmitted by mosquitoes disease

HIV: The epidemic continues to rage and nearly one million people die each year from HIV / AIDS, although tremendous progress has been made in terms of testing and treatment. According to the WHO, about 22 million people are currently being treated for HIV, while other people at risk of contracting the infection are taking antiretroviral drugs to prevent the infection. Today, about 37 million people in the world are living with HIV.

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