UN Health Agency- Epidemics Kill Almost 500,000 Every Year

In the 21st century, Epidemics has struck earlier, but were deadly than the previous century pandemics.

Before the new Coronavirus, Ebola the deadliest epidemic of the “Hemorrhagic” fever broke out in West Africa in December 2013 and lasted more than two years, killing more than 11,300, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. First identified in 1976, Ebola is less contagious than other viral diseases, but is particularly lethal, killing around 40 per cent. The virus re-emerged in August 2018 in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where it has so far killed more than 2,200.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says 18,500 died of so-called “Swine flu”, or H1N1, which was first uncovered in Mexico and the United States in March 2009. The Lancet medical review, however, puts the toll at between 151,700 and 575,400.

The pandemic alert was launched on June 11, 2009, and lifted on August 10, 2010, but the virus turned out to be not as deadly as first feared. Vaccines were rushed out, but in hindsight, the West, particularly Europe, and the WHO were criticized for overreacting at a time annual influenza epidemics every year kill almost 500,000, according to the Geneva-based UN health agency.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome first emerged in Guangdong in Southern China in November 2002 before sparking a health crisis in mid-2003, in particular, traumatizing Asia.