Why child-killer diseases like dengue, cholera and mpox have surged worldwide

Special Why child-killer diseases like dengue, cholera and mpox have surged worldwide
A mother holds her son as he receives his daily injection while being treated for mpox at the Kavumu health center in Kabare territory, South Kivu region, DR Congo, on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Updated 26 January 2025
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Why child-killer diseases like dengue, cholera and mpox have surged worldwide

Why child-killer diseases like dengue, cholera and mpox have surged worldwide
  • Three child-killer diseases witnessed major resurgences in 2024, fuelled partly by climate crises and conflict
  • Poor sanitation, displacement, and war-damaged infrastructure left millions vulnerable to fatal illnesses

DUBAI: When the UN launched the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, it set out a bold action plan to eliminate premature death and needless suffering caused by preventable diseases by 2030.

With just five years to go, the world appears to be moving backwards. Indeed, 2024 actually witnessed an alarming surge in a triad of preventable or manageable child-killer diseases.

Dengue, cholera and mpox returned with a vengeance, claiming the lives of thousands of children. With their weaker immune systems, the young are particularly vulnerable to infection and often fatal complications.





Bangladeshi children suffering from dengue fever rest at a ward at the Mugda Medical College and Hospital in Dhaka on August 8, 2019. (AFP file)

This multifaceted health emergency has compounded the suffering of already stricken communities in impoverished countries and conflict zones, where climate change, inequality and underfunded health systems have left many without access to basic care or sanitation.

“Currently, about half of the world’s population is not fully covered by essential, quality, affordable health services, denying them their right to health,” said Dr. Revati Phalkey, global health and nutrition director at Save the Children International.

“Health systems are under enormous pressure to deliver universal health coverage, with the majority of countries experiencing worsening or no significant change in service coverage since the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015.”

According to the World Health Organization, dengue fever — a mosquito-borne disease that causes severe fever, pain and in some cases death — saw an alarming spike in 2024.

Dengue cases doubled from 6.65 million in 2023 to 13.3 million in 2024. The total number of dengue-related deaths globally last year was 9,600. The WHO estimates some four billion people are now at risk of dengue related viruses. 




A woman carries her children while workers spray mosquito repellent as part of a prevention campaign against dengue fever in Banda Aceh on January 22, 2025. (AFP)

Children who play outside with limited protection against mosquitoes are often more exposed and therefore more vulnerable to the virus than adults. The absence of mosquito nets where children sleep is also a key contributing factor.

In developing countries in Southeast Asia, parts of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, dengue fever is especially prevalent. Informal settlements in these regions often lack basic infrastructure for waste management, sewage or clean water.




Infographic courtesy of US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

These conditions offer a fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes and for the disease to spread. Meanwhile, rising temperatures associated with climate change have expanded the range of mosquito habitats, allowing them to flourish across a wider region.

The spread of dengue, sometimes known as “breakbone fever” due to the severe fatigue it causes, represents “an alarming trend” according to WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebereyesus, with 5 billion people at risk of being infected by 2050.

FASTFACT

13,600

Deaths from dengue, cholera, or mpox in 2024.

Dengue is not the only danger. In Yemen, Sudan and Gaza, where conflict has displaced thousands and destroyed critical civilian infrastructure, cholera has become a major threat to adults and children alike.

A deadly bacterial infection spread through contaminated water, cholera is another consequence of poor sanitation. The infection causes rapid dehydration through severe diarrhea and vomiting, which can quickly lead to death if left untreated.

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East released a statement in June warning of a cholera outbreak in the Gaza Strip amid severe water shortages and damage to sanitation services.




A woman and children sit outside tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 8, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. (AFP file)

Several UN agencies have issued warnings about the high risk of infectious diseases in overcrowded refugee camps across the Middle East and North Africa, where displaced households have limited access to clean water and proper sanitation.

In Sudan, as of last November, the WHO reported more than 37,514 cholera cases across the country and at least 1,000 deaths. “We are racing against time,” Sheldon Yett, the UN children’s fund representative to Sudan, said in a statement in September.

“We must take decisive action to tackle the outbreaks as well as invest in the health systems underpinning the essential services vulnerable children and families in Sudan so desperately need.”




A health care worker attends to a young patient at a cholera treatment center in Gedaref state, Sudan,  November 2024. (Photo courtesy of UNOCHA / Yao Chen)

Despite efforts by the international community to provide vaccines and clean water, outbreaks in conflict zones have proven difficult to keep under control. The collapse of sanitation services, in particular, has left millions of children vulnerable to the disease.

Although the overall number of cholera cases worldwide fell by 16 percent in 2024, there has been a 126 percent spike in the number of deaths as a result of the disease.

Another health crisis threatening the world’s children is mpox, formerly known as monkeypox. The virus reemerged in 2024 to devastating effect across parts of Africa, with children suffering the most severe consequences.

Once a rare disease confined to rural areas of Central and West Africa, mpox has now become a significant public health crisis with thousands of reported infections, particularly among children under the age of five.

Mpox, contracted through contact with infected people and animals, bodily fluids and contaminated objects, causes fever, rashes, and painful lesions that in turn can lead to other illnesses and afflictions such as pneumonia and blindness.

While it can be controlled using vaccines, such resources remain scarce in parts of Africa. Having already been overwhelmed by Ebola and malaria, the region’s health systems are stretched to the limit, leaving treatment out of reach for thousands of children.

Moreover, poor sanitation, crowded living conditions, and rapid urbanization have increased the risk of transmission.




Dr. Robert Musole, medical director of the Kavumu hospital, visits patients recovering from mpox in the village of Kavumu, 30km north of Bukavu in eastern DR Congo on August 24, 2024. (AFP file)

Children in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo have been the worst affected by the mpox virus, with the WHO declaring the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Around 75 percent of cases are in children under the age of 10.

The surge in these diseases reflects the broader, interconnected crises faced by the world, where the most vulnerable populations are left with limited means to recover and adapt.

In wealthier countries, child deaths resulting from cholera and dengue have dropped significantly thanks to well-functioning sanitation services and accessible healthcare systems that have weathered the blows of the coronavirus pandemic.




A boy carries a child to receive treatment at a medical centre near a camp for people displaced by conflict in Abs in Yemen's Hajjah province on August 27, 2024. (AFP)

However, in low income countries, particularly those in the midst of conflict, healthcare systems are extremely vulnerable, with medical staff overstretched, medicines in short supply, and wards overwhelmed by the sick and wounded.

The grim reality for millions of children across the world underscores the urgent need for global action.

“We need greater global investments to build strong health systems that are able to deliver essential health services, especially vaccines and essential medicines, while responding to global health emergencies including emerging issues like mpox,” said Dr. Phalkey.




A medic gives the cholera vaccination to a child in the town of Maaret Misrin in the rebel-held northern part of the northwestern Idlib province on March 7, 2023. (AFP

“It is time for governments and the international community to step up and ensure all children are protected against disease and have access to adequate health services when they need them and where they need them.

“Every child has the right to survive and thrive, and it is our collective responsibility to deliver on this.”
 

 


Saudi ambassador urges Bangladeshi companies to join FIFA World Cup 2034 projects

Saudi ambassador urges Bangladeshi companies to join FIFA World Cup 2034 projects
Updated 8 sec ago
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Saudi ambassador urges Bangladeshi companies to join FIFA World Cup 2034 projects

Saudi ambassador urges Bangladeshi companies to join FIFA World Cup 2034 projects
  • Ambassador cites Bangladeshis’ experience of 2022 World Cup Qatar projects
  • Bangladeshi expat workers in Saudi Arabia are hardworking and intelligent, he says

DHAKA: Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Dhaka has invited Bangladeshi companies to bid for FIFA World Cup construction projects as the tournament, to be hosted by the Kingdom in 2034, will require the construction of new stadiums and supporting infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia won the bid to host the world’s largest sporting event, with plans to hold games across 15 stadiums in five cities. Many migrant workers will be involved in building new sports facilities, transport networks, and hotel infrastructure.

“Bangladeshi workers already have experience with the World Cup in Qatar,” Ambassador Essa Al-Duhailan told Arab News at his office in the Bangladeshi capital on Tuesday.

“I urge the construction companies from Bangladesh to go to Saudi Arabia because we will build 11 stadiums and renovate five other existing stadiums. So this will also be a big opportunity for the companies and for the workers to go and participate in this ... And not only the construction of stadiums, but hotels and resorts. This will be a very good opportunity for Bangladesh.”

Some 2 million expatriate workers in Qatar were crucial in making the 2022 World Cup mega-projects a reality. Most of them were Bangladeshis. They have constructed and renovated eight stadiums, a whole new city, Lusail, the Doha Metro, hotels, and new transportation routes.

“You have enough numbers of skilled workers. We are happy to accommodate them and to welcome them. And they will have very good opportunities,” Al-Duhailan said.

“Bangladeshi workers and migrants are hard workers, and they are intelligent, and you can rely on them.”

Around 3 million Bangladeshi nationals live and work in Saudi Arabia. They are the largest expat group in the Kingdom and the largest Bangladeshi community outside Bangladesh. Many are employed in the construction sector and more are likely to find jobs in the industry in the next few years, as the Kingdom prepares to host not only the 2034 World Cup, but also the AFC Asian Cup in 2027, the Asian Winter Games in 2029, and the World Expo in 2030.

“The business of construction will be in high demand (of workers),” Al-Duhailan said.

“We already started preparations ... We are processing 5,000 to 7,000 visas (for Bangladeshis) every day. And we are (willing) to accommodate more.”


Sweden’s worst mass shooting leaves at least 11 dead at an adult education center

Sweden’s worst mass shooting leaves at least 11 dead at an adult education center
Updated 42 min 7 sec ago
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Sweden’s worst mass shooting leaves at least 11 dead at an adult education center

Sweden’s worst mass shooting leaves at least 11 dead at an adult education center

OREBRO, Sweden: Sweden’s worst mass shooting left at least 11 people dead, including the gunman, at an adult education center west of Stockholm as officials warned that the death toll could rise.
The gunman’s motive, as well as the number of wounded, hadn’t been determined by early Wednesday as the Scandinavian nation — where gun violence at schools is very rare — reeled from an attack with such bloodshed that police early on said it was difficult to count the number of dead among the carnage.
The school, called Campus Risbergska, offers primary and secondary educational classes for adults age 20 and older, Swedish-language classes for immigrants, vocational training and programs for people with intellectual disabilities. It is on the outskirts of Orebro, which is about 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Stockholm.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer called the shooting “an event that shakes our entire society to its core.” King Carl XVI Gustaf and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at the Royal Palace and government buildings. The Swedish news agency TT reported that officials have planned a news conference for Wednesday morning.
The shooting started Tuesday afternoon after many students had gone home following a national exam. Students sheltered in nearby buildings, and other parts of the school were evacuated following the shooting.
Authorities were working to identify the deceased, and police said the toll could rise. Roberto Eid Forest, head of the local police, told reporters that the suspected gunman was among the dead.
There were no warnings beforehand, and police believe the perpetrator acted alone. Police haven’t said if the man was a student at the school. They haven’t released a possible motive, but authorities said there were no suspected connections to terrorism at this point.
Police raided the suspect’s home after Tuesday’s shooting, but it wasn’t immediately clear what they found.
“Today, we have witnessed brutal, deadly violence against completely innocent people,” the prime minister told reporters in Stockholm late Tuesday. “This is the worst mass shooting in Swedish history. Many questions remain unanswered, and I cannot provide those answers either.
“But the time will come when we will know what happened, how it could occur, and what motives may have been behind it. Let us not speculate,” he said.
While gun violence at schools is very rare in Sweden, people were wounded or killed with other weapons such as knives or axes in several incidents in recent years.


Trump says he would love to make a deal with Iran

Trump says he would love to make a deal with Iran
Updated 05 February 2025
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Trump says he would love to make a deal with Iran

Trump says he would love to make a deal with Iran

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he would love to make a deal with Iran to improve bilateral relations, but added that Tehran should not develop a nuclear weapon.

“I say this to Iran, who's listening very intently, 'I would love to be able to make a great deal. A deal where you can get on with your lives,”” Trump told reporters in Washington.

“They cannot have one thing. They cannot have a nuclear weapon and if I think that they will have a nuclear weapon ... I think that's going to be very unfortunate for them,” He said.


Drone attack sparks blaze at oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar, governor says

Drone attack sparks blaze at oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar, governor says
Updated 05 February 2025
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Drone attack sparks blaze at oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar, governor says

Drone attack sparks blaze at oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar, governor says

A Ukrainian drone attack overnight sparked a fire at an oil depot in Russia’s southern region of Krasnodar that has since been extinguished, regional officials said on Wednesday.
A series of drone attacks by Ukraine on Russia’s energy facilities have sparked fires in recent days at a major oil refinery in the Volgograd region, as well as at the Astrakhan gas processing plant.
“The fire in a tank with oil product residues in the village of Novominskaya in the Kanevsky District was fully extinguished,” the region’s operational authorities said on the Telegram messaging app.
Earlier, Veniamin Kondratyev, governor of the Krasnodar region, said that there were no injuries in the fire that was caused by a falling drone debris. A team of 19 people wielding 19 items of equipment were fighting the flames, he said.
Kondratyev did not say which depot was on fire or detail the extent of damage.
The Russian defense ministry said that four Ukrainian drones were destroyed over the Russian territory overnight, but did not mention the Krasnodar region in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
The ministry only reports drones that its air defense systems destroy, not how many were launched.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Kyiv says that its attacks inside Russia are aimed at destroying infrastructure key to Moscow’s war in Ukraine and are in response to Russian continued bombing of Ukraine.


5 people wounded in shooting at Ohio cosmetics warehouse

5 people wounded in shooting at Ohio cosmetics warehouse
Updated 05 February 2025
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5 people wounded in shooting at Ohio cosmetics warehouse

5 people wounded in shooting at Ohio cosmetics warehouse
  • Police say five people have been wounded in a shooting at a cosmetics warehouse in New Albany, Ohio
  • A spokesperson for New Albany says victims of Tuesday night’s shooting have been transported to the hospital

NEW ALBANY: Five people were wounded in a shooting Tuesday night at a cosmetics warehouse in Ohio, officials said.
The victims have been transported to the hospital and the suspect is no longer believed to be at the building, said Josh Poland, a spokesperson for the city of New Albany.
The shooting happened at the warehouse for a company that makes products including cosmetics and toiletries. Police did not immediately provide details of the circumstances surrounding the shooting or the conditions of those wounded.
Police were working to evacuate all the employees following the shooting, which happened just before 11 p.m., police said in a statement.