Hope for global health in 2017

The Zika virus, the proliferation of superbugs, and the revival of yellow fever and polio: 2016 was bleak for global health, but there were some positive developments, says medical expert Melvin Sanicas. Looking back on 2016, there may not seem to be much to celebrate. In terms of global health alone, the year appeared to be one of unrelenting tragedy. Beyond stories of hospitals in conflict zones being bombed, the Zika virus emerged as a growing threat. There was also the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant microbes, or “superbugs,” the continued revival of yellow fever, and the reemergence of polio in Nigeria, which had previously been declared polio-free. Hopes for a respiratory syncytial virus vaccine were dashed. And in Europe, the incidence of alcohol-related deaths increased. But, buried among all of the bad stories, there were some inspiring developments in global health in 2016. The first took place in Tanzania and Mozambique, where African giant pouched...