More than half the world's population is at risk from diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, flies, ticks, water snails and other vectors.

Every year, more than one billion people are infected with malaria, dengue, leishmaniasis, Lyme disease, schistosomiasis, or yellow fever while more than one million die from vector-borne diseases, informed the World Health Organization (WHO).

It is estimated that schistosomiasis, transmitted by water snails, is the most widespread of all vector-borne diseases, affecting almost 240 million people worldwide, in particular, children.

However, environmental changes, a massive increase in international travel and trade, changes in agricultural practices and rapid unplanned urbanization are causing an increase in the number of cases of other diseases, said the UN agency.

Mosquito-borne dengue, for example, is now found in 100 countries, putting more than 2.5 billion people, over 40 per cent of the world's population, at risk, indicates WHO.

"No one in the 21st century should die from the bite of a mosquito, a sandfly, a blackfly or a tick", says Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General,simple, cost-effective interventions like insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor spraying have already saved millions of lives.

Source: National News Agency of Malaysia