The specter of cholera in Libya and North Africa: Natural disasters and anthropization threaten human health during recent years

Introduction. According to data from the World Health Organitious diseases may also spread in Morocco, which was hit by a zation (WHO), in the last year cholera has re-emerged in various severe earthquake on 8 September last. The focus of the paper is areas of the planet, particularly in Africa. The resurgence of this the awareness that the spread of epidemic diseases is very often disease is closely linked to poor hygiene, which is sometimes the linked to human actions, which may trigger or exacerbate the result of wars or environmental disasters, as in Lebanon and Syria effects of natural disasters. since autumn 2022 and today in Libya. Conclusions. Since these events have devastating effects both on Discussion. The spread of cholera is chiefly caused by the pres-the environment and on people and their psychophysical balance, ence of contaminated water, in environments with inadequate it is evident that we need to devote greater attention to the health hygiene and sanitation. Another cause, however, is the lack of of the planet, to which the health and survival of the human speaccess to adequate vaccination and treatment campaigns. cies is strictly and inextricably linked. Indeed, disasters related Method. In this short paper, the authors highlight the possibility to phenomena of anthropization facilitate the spread of infecof a resurgence of epidemic cholera in Libya, especially in light tious diseases, placing a heavy burden on local and global health of the consequences of the devastating cyclone Daniel and the organizations and the health of entire populations. A change of simultaneous collapse of two dams upstream of the city of Derna. course is therefore essential, in that human actions must be aimed They also highlight the concern that cholera and other infecat limiting rather than aggravating the spread of diseases.