Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 11:03am on 19 Dec 2024,Thursday Health & Wellness
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s mysterious "Disease X," which claimed 143 lives since October, has been identified as a severe form of malaria. The illness, primarily affecting women and children, led to 592 reported cases, with a fatality rate of 6.2%. Health officials highlighted the impact of malnutrition in worsening respiratory symptoms. WHO data reveal Congo accounts for 11% of global malaria cases and deaths. While 2.2 billion malaria cases and 12.7 million deaths have been averted globally since 2000, the disease remains a severe threat, particularly in Africa, with 597,000 deaths recorded worldwide in 2023.
