World Health Day: WHO highlights threat of vector-borne diseases

Monday, April 7 is World Health Day, and WHO is using the occasion to launch a campaign called “Small bite, big threat” — aimed at increasing public awareness and reducing the global threat of vector-borne diseases, according to a news release.

“A global health agenda that gives higher priority to vector control could save many lives and avert much suffering,” Margaret Chan, MD, WHO director-general, said in the release. “Simple, cost-effective interventions like insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor spraying have already saved millions of lives. No one in the 21st century should die from the bite of a mosquito, a sandfly, a blackfly or a tick.”

Margaret Chan

In the past 2 decades, vector-borne diseases that were once under control are now reemerging and spreading to new geographical areas, according to WHO. Events like climate change, increases in international travel and trade, new agricultural practices, deforestation and unplanned urbanization have led to increases in the number of vector-borne diseases.

For example, dengue has now spread to China, Portugal and the United States, and malaria has been reported in Greece for the first time in 40 years. According to a recent report in MMWR, 22% of US jurisdictions have stopped conducting active surveillance for human infection with West Nile virus, which may leave some states vulnerable to illness and unable to rapidly respond to the spread of the disease.

In a newly published report, WHO has outlined steps to protect the world’s population against vector-borne diseases by promoting integrated vector management, which involves numerous stakeholders, including governments, health organizations and individual families.

“Vector control remains the most important tool in preventing outbreaks of vector-borne diseases,” Lorenzo Savioli, MD, director of WHO’s department of control of neglected tropical diseases, said. “Increased funds and political commitment are needed to sustain existing vector-control tools, as well as medicines and diagnostic tools — and to conduct urgently needed research.”

The campaign’s slogan is featured on downloadable posters on the WHO website, and will be available in several different languages.

For more information:

Hadler J. MMWR. 2014;63:281-284.

WHO. A global brief on vector-borne diseases. 2014. Document number: WHO/DCO/WHD/2014.1.