The challenges we face after the COVID-19 pandemic

After a year of record temperatures, we should focus on the impact of climate change on the world's population in 2024 and how we will fight it together. The effects of climate change are already being felt, especially in developing countries. For example, in Bangladesh, about 300,000 people have been infected with dengue fever this year, which has become the largest outbreak in the country's history. In the Horn of Africa, a multi-year drought, accompanied by rare heavy rainfall, caused acute food shortages, putting the region on the brink of famine. This year, the World Health Day was announced for the first time at the Dubai Climate Conference. The doctors present at the event stressed the need to take urgent measures and increase public health funding. We can say that 2024 will be a key year in determining future trends.

2. More deaths from addictive drugs

As the number of related deaths increases year by year, the situation faced by drug users is becoming more and more severe, and this situation continues to evolve. The latest figures show that from January to June 2023, almost 4,000 people died from opioids across Canada, and almost 40,000 people were hospitalized with opioid poisoning. Both indicators have become record highs in the first half of the year since the start of statistics in 2016.

People are fiercely arguing about what is best to do: increase the number of harm reduction centers, treatment centers, or, as some drug addicts say.

3. The risk of transmission of the virus from animals to humans has been around for a long time.

In the summer of 2022, when the world was still trying to cope with the threat of a new coronavirus epidemic, another shock suddenly occurred: monkey pox suddenly appeared in dozens of countries around the world. Such an epidemic of monkey pox is unprecedented, and the virus spreads rapidly sexually, while people have always thought that monkey pox is mainly transmitted through contact with infected animals.

From time to time, we observe cases of human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza, which usually occurs among people who are in close contact with poultry. Scientists are closely monitoring this problem through global monitoring, field research, and even artificial intelligence technologies. Even so, predicting the next virus with pandemic potential is like finding a needle in a haystack. There are millions of animal species on Earth, and even more viruses and bacteria lurk in their bodies. We have a lot of work to do.