Diseases transmitted from animals to humans on the rise in Africa According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of diseases transmitted from animals to humans in Africa has jumped by 63 percent over the past decade compared to the previous decade.

“More than 75 percent of infectious diseases occur in humans through contact with wild or domestic animals,” WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said at a briefing.. “As a result, about a billion people fall ill in the world every year, millions of people die.”.

Surge in zoonotic diseases Since 2001, the WHO has reported 1,843 public health emergencies in the African region, 30 per cent of which were zoonotic outbreaks, i.e. caused by diseases transmitted from animals to humans.

The number of such incidents has been on the rise over the past two decades, but 2019-2020 saw a particularly notable spike. Ebola, monkeypox, dengue fever, anthrax, plague and other diseases that cause blood loss from damaged blood vessels account for almost 70 percent of recorded cases.

Monkeypox Although there has been a slight increase in the incidence of monkeypox since April, statistics in this area are still below the peak of 2020, when the highest monthly incidence rate was recorded in the region.

After a sudden drop in 2021, there were 203 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the region. This zoonotic disease has spread throughout the world, but has not developed into an epidemic in any of the regions.. Available data on 175 cases of monkeypox this year in Africa show that, on average, just over half of patients are 17-year-old males.

“Africa should not be allowed to become a hotbed for the spread of new infectious diseases,” Dr. Moeti stressed at the briefing..

A five-year-old boy with monkeypox in a refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Urbanization factor Scientists believe that the current surge in zoonotic diseases, among other factors, is caused by increasing urbanization: the urban environment is rapidly encroaching on the natural habitat of animals. In addition, this trend may be related to the growing demand for food, which leads to faster road, rail and air links between remote areas and cities..

“The Ebola outbreaks in West Africa show us what can happen if zoonotic diseases enter our cities,” said Dr Moeti.

COVID-19 Plateau For COVID-19, according to the WHO Regional Director for Africa, the number of cases of this virus on the continent fell slightly last week. However, the so-called plateau persists due to the rapid increase in the number of cases in North Africa for the eighth week in a row..

“The current surge is driven primarily by the deteriorating situation in Morocco and Tunisia, which has led to a 17 percent increase in new cases in North Africa compared to last week’s statistics,” said Dr Moeti.

In the south of the continent, the situation looks more prosperous: Botswana, Namibia and South Africa managed to reverse the recent spike in cases thanks to the implementation of improved rapid detection and response.

Vaccination remains important Although the current phase of the pandemic is characterized by relatively low incidence, as well as a small risk of hospitalization and death, the omicron option remains dangerous, and the pandemic is far from over..

“Now is not the time to slow down the vaccination rate of the population, especially among healthcare workers, the elderly and people with comorbidities,” stressed Dr. Moeti.

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