6. Emerging and waning health threats
While there was hope that this year would be the one when polio is eradicated, that hasn’t happened yet. The progress is there, however, and the cases are getting few and far between, so there’s still hope. The fight against HIV is also progressing quite nicely with new treatments being developed and tests being performed on patients so, with a bit of luck it should only go better from here on out.
On the other hand, there have been new Ebola flare-ups, albeit more tamed, and the Zika virus has made headlines throughout the year. The latter, however, has been slightly demoted by the World Health Organization as it is no longer considered a “global threat.” That does not mean that it’s not something serious and a virus they’re working to eradicate, but the waters have calmed down some.
