Now Mosquito-borne Diseases Threaten Pakistan’s Flood Victims

An outbreak of dengue fever has hit the Pakistani coastal city of Karachi, with five reported deaths out of 1,000 confirmed cases, triggering a run on shops selling mosquito nets.

Severe Rise in Kala-azar Cases in Southern Sudan

A failed harvest and the effects of prolonged flooding may be fueling an outbreak of Visceral leishmaniasis, also known as Kala-azar, in parts of Southern Sudan, say health officials.

Elephantiasis Thrives in Kenya Amid Funding Gap

Stigma has allowed a disfiguring microscopic worm to thrive in Kenya’s coastal region, among other endemic regions, but if adequate funds were made available, the spread of lymphatic filariasis (LF), also known as elephantiasis, could easily be...

City Living Helped Humans Evolve Immunity to Tuberculosis

New research has found that a genetic variant which reduces the chance of contracting diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy is more prevalent in populations with long histories of urban living. Science Brief thanks to EurekAlert. Read more here: City...

Malaria: It’s Not All About Celebrities And Tourists

Contrary to popular belief, malaria is not just about tourists or superstars with 81% of malaria cases in United kingdom (UK) residents from visiting friends and family abroad. The main sufferers are British travelers of African descent who are not protecting...

United Kingdom to Put Fight Against Malaria At the Forefront of African Aid Efforts

The Government of the United Kingdom (UK) is set to put the fight against malaria at the forefront of aid efforts in Africa, International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell has announced. A comprehensive ‘malaria business plan’ will set out how...

COTE D’IVOIRE: Yellow Fever, Dengue Kill At Least Three

Ivorian health officials are vaccinating people against yellow fever in Abidjan, the commercial capital, and two other major cities, after the disease killed two people and struck nine others in recent weeks.

NIGERIA: Installing Toilets to Reduce Blindness

Lack of access to clean toilets or an adequate water supply, living in close proximity to animals, and poor public health awareness have helped put 2.3 million people in northern Nigeria’s Borno State at risk of contracting trachoma, a viral infection...

International NGO Battles Malaria in Oil Rich Niger Delta’s Rural Communities

As Nigeria grapples with high deaths caused by malaria, an NGO, the International Centre for Women Empowerment and Child Development (ICWECD) has taken the battle against the disease to 200 rural communities in oil rich Delta State where malaria has become...