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Malaria
Spread: Parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes in tropical areas.
Impact: Over 600,000 annual deaths, primarily young African children.
Prevention: Insecticide-treated mosquito nets, ongoing vaccine development, with some mosquitoes showing resistance to insecticides.
Tuberculosis (TB)
Transmission: Airborne infection spread through coughs and sneezes.
Historical Treatment: Antibiotics and prolonged rest.
Modern Issues: Antibiotic-resistant strains emerged, increasing TB cases, especially in crowded conditions like prisons.
WHO Campaign: Worldwide effort against TB began in the 2010s.
Cholera
Cause: Bacterial disease from contaminated water.
Impact: Causes about 95,000 deaths per year.
Prevention: Boiling or chlorinating water, handwashing, and vaccines, though severe infections require rapid rehydration to prevent death.
Polio
Cause: Viral disease from contaminated water.
Impact: Once caused 100,000 new cases annually, leading to paralysis or death.
Vaccines: Injectable vaccine (1955) and oral vaccine (1961).
Eradication: Global public health campaign since 1988 significantly reduced polio, but it persists in conflict zones like Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Emerging Epidemics
1918 Influenza
Impact: Killed 20 million people worldwide, more than soldiers died in WWI.
Spread: Along trade routes and military troops, affecting primarily those aged 20-40.
HIV/AIDS
Cause: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), spread through bodily fluids.
Impact: Over 25 million deaths between 1981 and 2014.
Treatment: Antiretroviral drugs developed by the mid-1990s; expensive and difficult to access in poorer regions.
Efforts: WHO, US government, and private groups increased funding for prevention and treatment.
Ebola
Discovery: Identified in the Congo in 1976.
Transmission: Virus from fruit bats, humans, and other primates.
Impact: Causes extensive bleeding, organ failure, and high mortality.
Outbreak: 2014 West Africa outbreak controlled through coordinated global public health efforts.
Diseases Associated with Longevity
Heart Disease
Factors: Lifestyle, genetics, increased longevity.
Advancements: Heart transplants, artificial hearts, valve replacements, artery stents, and medications improved survival rates.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Nature: Form of dementia affecting memory and bodily functions.
Impact: Leads to death due to progressive loss of memory and bodily functions.
Research: Ongoing efforts to find a cure.
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