Six Undefeated Foes

Medical knowledge and related technologies continue to advance at an unprecedented rate. In spite of this, plagues of infectious diseases are still ravaging the world. The killer diseases listed below remain undefeated.

HIV/AIDS

Some 60 million people have been infected with HIV, and about 20 million have died of AIDS. During 2005 there were five million new infections and more than three million AIDS-related deaths. The victims included more than 500,000 children. The vast majority of HIV victims have no access to adequate treatment.

Diarrhea

With about four billion cases every year, diarrhea is described as a major killer among the poor. It is caused by various infectious diseases that can be spread by contaminated water or food or a lack of good personal hygiene. These infections result in a yearly death toll of more than two million people.

Malaria

Annually, some 300 million people get ill from malaria. About one million victims die every year, many of them children. In Africa one child dies of malaria about every 30 seconds. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “science still has no magic bullet for malaria and many doubt that such a single solution will ever exist.”

Measles

During 2003, measles killed more than 500,000 people. A leading cause of death among children, measles is a highly contagious disease. Every year some 30 million people contract measles. Ironically, an effective and inexpensive vaccine against measles has been available for the past 40 years.

Pneumonia

More children die of pneumonia than of any other infectious disease, claims WHO. About two million children under the age of five die of pneumonia every year. Most of these deaths take place in Africa and Southeast Asia. In many parts of the world, limited access to health facilities prevents victims from getting lifesaving medical treatment.

Tuberculosis

During 2003, tuberculosis (TB) caused the death of over 1,700,000 people. Of great concern to health officials is the emergence of drug-resistant TB germs. Some strains have developed resistance to all major anti-TB medications. Drug-resistant TB strains develop in patients who undergo poorly supervised or incomplete medical treatment.