TOP TEN INFECTIOUS KILLERS
Worldwide, millions of people die every year of infectious diseases. According to NATURAL HISTORY magazine, the following infectious diseases were the most deadly in 1997. Acute lower respiratory infections, such as Pneumonia, topped the list by killing 3.7 million people. Second was Tuberculosis, causing 2.9 million deaths. Cholera and other diarreic diseases were third, with 2.5 million deaths. AIDS killed 2.3 million. Between 1.5 million and 2.7 million people died from Malaria. Measles accounted for 960,000 deaths. Hepatitis B caused 605,000 deaths. Whooping cough claimed 410,000 lives. Another 275,000 died from Tetanus. And 140,000 died from Dengue/dengue hemmorrhagic fever. In spite of man´s best efforts, infectious diseases of the past still threaten human health throughout much of the world today.
In Sub-Sahara Africa during the past decade, life expectancy at birth has dropped by nearly six years, and it is expected to fall further. Why the change? Because in countries in this area, "the AIDS pandemic is raging", reports the UNESCO COURIER. Presently, more than 10% of the population in this region are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The worst hit countries are Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Moreover, the United Nations says that "there are 5,500 AIDS-related funerals every day in Africa", reports the NEW YORK TIMES.
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