Breaking Records, Lives: 2024 Marks a Terrible Year for Dengue and Other Infections
Dengue has devastated 2024, with the mosquito-borne virus infected 13.3 million people—double the record 2023 numbers—according to a chilling assessment by Save the Children. As climate change and urbanization spread, dengue flourishes. Today, almost 4 billion people, escalating to 5 billion by mid-century, live at dengue’s doorstep. Children are particularly vulnerable—still developing immunities and active outdoors, heightening their dengue risk.
Dengue’s Frightening Expansion
Dengue, spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes breeding in standing water, causes bone-breaking fevers, incapacitating pain, and, at worst, potentially deadly shock syndromes. "Urbanization means more standing water, perfect mosquito breeding grounds, while climate change makes these zones bigger and better for the viruses," said Revati Phalkey, Health Director of Save the Children.
Cholera’s Deadly Resurgence and Mpox‘s Global Spread
Half a million people caught cholera this year, halving last year’s case rate, but deadliness soared—283% up. Young ones, under 5, severely dehydrate the quickest.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a ‘global health emergency’ for the once-regionally confined disease, mpox, amid an African eruption. It transmits via intimate physical contact or bodily fluids and sparks oozing wounds, exhaustion, and in kids, respiratory & swallowing issues, even sepsis in severe cases. Over 5,000 mpox cases burst out this August, forcing August’s declaration, marking a three-fold global 2024 spike so far.
The Indomitable Kill: Pneumonia
Although dengue, cholera, and mpox headlines dominate, under-fives continue succumbing in half a million to pneumonia—the leading infectious kid-killer.
Despite 693,000 fewer child-deaths (2020s < 2019’s 815,000s), “as climate shifts worsen children’s respiratory infections, the divide exacerbates—hurting poor children harder” warns Dr. Unni Karunasinghe of Johns Hopkins. Inequities leave billions unprotected under the world’s current healthcare veil, said Revati Phalkey, director of Save The Children’s Global Health team, calling for governments to act before another record death year strikes again.
