PLANET IN PERIL

World Health Organization After unprecedented global success in malaria control, progress has stalled, according to the  World malaria report 2017.   There were an estimated 5 million more malaria cases in 2016 than in 2015. Malaria deaths stood at around  445 000, a similar number to the previous year. A female malaria mosquito ( Anopheles albimanus),   feeding on a human host.  Photo Credit: James Gathany, Centers for Disease Control “In recent years, we have made major gains in the fight against malaria,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “We are now at a turning point. Without urgent action, we risk going backwards, and missing the global malaria targets for 2020 and beyond.” The WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria [ii]  calls for reductions of at least 40% in malaria case incidence and mortality rates by the year 2020. According to WHO’s latest malaria report, the world is not on track to reach these critical milestones. A major pro

New Scientist A new prediction says 2017 and 2018 will see major Lyme  disease  outbreaks in new areas.  This could lead to lifelong  consequences ,  so where's the vaccine?   Story here.

The Washington Post In a world characterized by rising temperatures, deforestation and other human influences on the environment, the spread of infectious disease is a hot topic. Many recent studies suggest that environmental changes can affect the transmission of everything from malaria to the Zika virus — and it’s increasingly important to understand these links, scientists say. Story here.