At this time the members of the WHO committee believe that this situation meets the criteria to make this a public health emergency of international concern (ABC,2016). They also do believe that the disease is spreading quickly and that it could infect as many as 4 million people in the Americas due to them hosting the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro during the summer months (ABC, 2016). At this point in time was when the CDC calls the world to action on Zika. As the virus spreads from one county to another we are likely to see more babies born with birth defects. According to the article The Pan American Health Organisation said Zika had now spread to 24 nations and territories in the Americas. It also claims Colombia has so far reported more than 20,000 cases of Zika, including 2,100 in pregnant women. (ABC,2016) At his time they are not encouraging travel to the games, but if you do need to travel make sure you take measures to protect yourself and cover up. The risk is very high for pregnant women so its best not to take the risk.Reference:ABC.net.au. (2016, February 02). WHO declares Zika virus a global health emergency. Retrieved December 5, 2018, from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-02/who-declares-zika-virus-global-health-emergency/7131800
Signs and symptoms of this disease are fever, headache, swelling, and inability to walk (Chikungunya – Sudan, 2018). The people who are affected by the disease are Kassala, West Kassala, and Rural Kassala. When samples were taken from 24 people, 22 tested positive for Chikungunya. From May through October 2018, 13,978 cases of Chikungunya were reported. The population and age group that were most susceptible to contracting this disease were children and 60% were females (Chikungunya – Sudan, 2018). This disease has infected many people from its start in May of 2018 through October of 2018. The reason for this is most likely financial and not having the proper resources to contain and eliminate this disease. Research showed that the lack of financial and technical resources leads to the escalations of the number of cases in the country (Chikungunya – Sudan, 2018). The was the World Health Organization is trying to help is mobilizing resources to support the outbreak. Providing financial needs, volunteers, and logistics is what these people need. To void the spread of this disease to other countries it must be contained in Sudan first. Containing a disease in one local area is easier than trying to contain it in a whole continent. The organization offers advice such as if outside in this area, reduce skin exposure of being bitten by mosquitos, wear insect repellent, rooms to protect from mosquitos like nets or screens (Chikungunya Sudan, 2018). Prevention is by far the better option (Chan, 2011). This idea is a way we should live our lives by in the global health way. If we work to prevent Chikungunya from spreading to other countries, we have prevented the spread. Prevention is being prepared and being one step ahead of the deadly diseases. If we begin falling behind and contracting multiple diseases in one area it becomes chaotic and overwhelmed. With the whole globe and tending to its diseases, its better for everyone and every country to stay ahead. From rising global temperatures diseases like Chikungunya are thriving as mosquitos crave this weather and thrive in this environment. With the temperature slowly rising around the globe viruses like malaria, West Nile, and the Zika virus continue to spread and will continue as the global temperature rise (Nathe, 2018). Therefore, global health is important and important to be aware about when traveling, meeting people in other countries, and just general information. Finally, I think being prepared to prevent these diseases from occurring is one of the best things we can do to keep people globally safe and protected. References:Chan, M. (2011, June 13). The Increasing Importance of Global Health. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/2011/globalhealth_20110613/en/Nathe, M. (2018, May 11). 10 Global Health Issues to Watch in 2018. Retrieved from https://www.intrahealth.org/vital/10-global-health-issues-watch-2018World Health Organization. (2018, October 15). Chikungunya – Sudan. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/csr/don/15-october-2018-chikungunya-sudan/en/
2018 marked the 100th year anniversary to the Spanish Flu pandemic. This pandemic lasted two years and killed more than 50 million people (WHO, 2018). Since then the world has seen pandemic flu in 1957, 1968, 2003, and 2009. The Swine Flu pandemic started in Mexico and quickly traveled to over 214 countries killing an estimated 105,000 to 395,000 people worldwide (WHO, 2018). Another pandemic is not a question of if but when will the next pandemic occur. The number one fight against the flu is the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) (WHO, 2018). This program monitors the flu virus as is occurs in seasonal outbreaks in both people and animals. The program tracks changes in the virus that may cause a potential pandemic. Information collected is gathered twice a year to decide which strains will be most effective in making vaccines for both the northern and southern hemispheres flu season. Getting the annual flu shot is an important step in preventing a pandemic. Other measures that help to reduce the spread of the flu and other germs include staying home when sick and frequent hand washing. Another pandemic is estimated to cost around $60 billion, the cost of pandemic preparedness is $4.5 billion (WHO, 2018). ReferenceWorld Health Organization [WHO]. (2018). Influenza: are we ready? Retrieved from http://www.who.int/influenza/spotlight
