The Great Debate UK
from The Great Debate:
A vaccine needed for bad statistics
- Eric Auchard is a Reuters columnist. The views expressed are his own --
If you look no further than the latest headlines, you might think a worldwide flu pandemic was already underway with a very real threat to millions of lives.
While there are many unanswered questions early on in the outbreak of flu from Mexico, it is crucial to remember that the number of deaths and reported infections remain small -- even if its spread across the globe has proved worryingly rapid.
While the infected need access to medical care and anti-viral drugs, the rest of the world needs an inoculation against scary statistics and misinformation.
The Internet Age allows facts and rumour to spread almost instantaneously. But knowing of outbreaks across the globe must not be confused with risks of catching the disease.
Already in this outbreak, Lebanon's health minister has called for a halt to the national custom of greeting one another with kisses. Several countries including Russia and China have banned pork imports from Mexico and parts of the United States in the belief that meat could spread the flu.
So far, up to 149 are reported to have died of swine flu in Mexico. The World Health Organisation has upgraded the level of pandemic threat to four on a scale of six -- sustained human-to-human transmission. Stage five signals an "imminent" pandemic.
Toll of malaria high for African women
– Ray Chambers is a philanthropist and humanitarian who has directed most of his efforts towards children. In 2008, the U.N. Secretary-General appointed him as his first Special Envoy for Malaria. The views expressed are his own. –
Malaria infects one quarter of a billion people each year. Nearly one million of those afflicted die, taxing overburdened health infrastructures and decreasing productivity in Africa, where 90 percent of cases occur.
In some countries on the continent, 60 percent of all outpatient visits are malaria related, with one quarter of worker absenteeism due to the disease. Taking all lost time and productivity into consideration, malaria costs Africa more than $30 billion annually.
The mosquito carrying the deadly malaria parasite makes no distinction when choosing its victim. Young or old, male or female, everyone in endemic regions remains at risk; however, International Women’s Day on March 8th prompts us to examine independently the immense burden women shoulder as a result of malaria.
The disease strikes infants, children under five and pregnant women in astonishing disproportion, as these segments of the population account for 90 percent of malaria deaths. Given the dual role of women as both victim and primary protector of victims, malaria clearly belongs under the umbrella of traditional women’s health issues.
It deserves particular recognition as a priority in maternal health, which the World Health Organization defines as pregnancy, childbirth and the six-week postpartum period.
An estimated 1 million people die of malaria – over 2700 deaths per day, or 2 deaths per minute, in Sub-Saharan Africa. About 90% of all malaria deaths in the world today occur in Africa south of the Sahara. This is because the majority of infections in Africa are caused by Plasmodium falciparum, the most dangerous of the four human malaria parasites. It is also because the most effective malaria vector – the mosquito Anopheles gambiae – is the most widespread in Africa and the most difficult to control. An estimated one million people in Africa die from malaria each year and most of these are children under 5 years old.
There are three principal ways in which malaria can contribute to death in young children:
1. An overwhelming acute infection, which frequently presents as seizures or coma (cerebral malaria), may kill a child directly and quickly
2. Repeated malaria infections contribute to the development of severe anaemia, which substantially increases the risk of death
3. Low birth weight – frequently the consequence of malaria infection in pregnant women – is the major risk factor for death in the first month of life
VPWA, a grassroot from Ghana dubbed by UN is currently organizing a malarial campaign in west Africa. Campaign KMO will start in Ghana with Volunteers from all over the world, including medical professionals, students, educators and various professions.
Please visit our website http://kmo2009.vpwa.org/
or you may contact us at:
Phone: 233243340112
Email: kmo2009@vpwa.org
Hi Eric,
There are lies, there are big lies and there is statistic.
You do statistic wrong
.
That looks especially nice given that you title:
“A vaccine needed for bad statistics” !!!
Check your initial data
. Most likely you mistaken number of flu related hospitalizations with total flu case count.
According to fluefacts.com
in US alone 25,000,000-50,000,000 cases with 36,000 deaths. That give ~0.1% mortality rate.
While you report:
“WHO estimates flu kills upward of 250,000 to 500,000 people year after year. “Normal” flu epidemics infect 3 to 5 million a year.”
That gives us 10% mortality rate! Worse than SARS 8300 cases and 750 deaths 9.5% rate.