vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe suffered occasional outbreaks of acute diseases ( such as plague in 1994 ) . The gains on the national health were eroded by structural adjustment in the 1990s , the impact of the HIV / AIDS pandemic and the economic crisis since the year 2000 . In 2006 , Zimbabwe had one of the lowest life expectancies in the world according to UN figure -- 44 for men and 43 for women , down from 60 in 1990 , but recovered to 60 in 2015 . The rapid drop was ascribed mainly to the HIV / AIDS pandemic . Infant mortality rose from 6 % in the late 1990s to 12.3 % by 2004 . By 2016 HIV / AIDS prevalence had been reduced to 13.5 % compared to 40 % in 1998 .
Famine
Despite repeated stated intentions by the world 's leaders to end hunger and famine , famine remains a chronic threat in much of Africa , Eastern Europe , the Southeast , South Asia , and the Middle East . In July 2005 , the Famine Early Warning Systems Network labelled Niger with emergency status , as well as Chad , Ethiopia , South Sudan , Somalia and Zimbabwe . In January 2006 , the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization warned that 11 million people in Somalia , Kenya , Djibouti and Ethiopia were in danger of starvation due to the combination of severe drought and military conflicts . In 2006 , the most serious humanitarian crisis in Africa was in Sudan 's region Darfur .
West African Ebola virus epidemic
Denial in some affected countries also made containment efforts difficult . Language barriers and the appearance of medical teams in protective suits sometimes increased fears of the virus . In Liberia , a mob attacked an Ebola isolation centre , stealing equipment and `` freeing '' patients while shouting `` There 's no Ebola . '' Red Cross staff were forced to suspend operations in southeast Guinea after they were threatened by a group of men armed with knives . In September , in the town of Womey in Guinea , suspicious inhabitants wielding machetes murdered at least eight aid workers and dumped their bodies in a latrine .
West African Ebola virus epidemic
On 30 September 2014 , the CDC declared its first case of Ebola virus disease . It disclosed that Thomas Eric Duncan became infected in Liberia and traveled to Texas on 20 September . On 26 September , he fell ill and sought medical treatment , but was sent home with antibiotics . He returned to the hospital by ambulance on 28 September and was placed in isolation and tested for Ebola . He died on 8 October . Two additional cases stemmed from Thomas Eric Duncan , when two nurses that had treated him tested positive for the virus on 10 and 14 October and ended when they were declared Ebola - free on 24 and 22 October , respectively .
Human rights and development
The Rio + 20 Conference took place in 2012 produced the Future We Want outcome document and created the UN High - level Political Forum on sustainable development which issued the Global Sustainable Development Report in 2013 its special theme the convergence of climate , land , energy , water and development issues . `` The unabated rise in the scale of materials consumption has increased global environmental , social and economic pressures . There is increasing evidence that we are jeopardizing several of the Earth 's basic life support systems . Countries and people trapped in persistent poverty have probably suffered most from these impacts . And future generations will most likely face much greater challenges to meet their own needs '' .
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
In a poll conducted in 27 countries by GlobeScan for BBC World Service , 15 percent of respondents named the tsunami the most significant event of the year . Only the Iraq War was named by as many respondents . The extensive international media coverage of the tsunami , and the role of mass media and journalists in reconstruction , were discussed by editors of newspapers and broadcast media in tsunami - affected areas , in special video - conferences set up by the Asia Pacific Journalism Centre .
West African Ebola virus epidemic
On 5 April 2016 , it was reported that there had been 9 new cases of Ebola since the virus resurfaced , out of which 8 were fatal . On 1 June , after the stipulated waiting period , the WHO again declared Guinea Ebola - free , after which the country entered a 90 - day period of heightened surveillance that was concluded on 30 August 2016 .
West African Ebola virus epidemic
In addition to the loss of life , the outbreak had a number of significant economic impacts . In March 2015 , the United Nations Development Group reported that due to a decrease in trade , closing of borders , flight cancellations , and drop in foreign investment and tourism activity fueled by stigma , the epidemic resulted in vast economic consequences both in the affected areas and throughout Africa . A September 2014 report in the Financial Times suggested that the economic impact of the Ebola outbreak could kill more people than the disease itself .
Modern history
Worldwide prosperity changed dramatically with the onset of the Great Depression in 1929 . The Wall Street Crash of 1929 served to punctuate the end of the previous era , as The Great Depression set in . The Great Depression was a worldwide economic downturn starting in most places in 1929 and ending at different times in the 1930s or early 1940s for different countries . It was the largest and most important economic depression in the 20th century , and is used in the 21st century as an example of how far the world 's economy can fall .
World Health Organization
In 1967 , the World Health Organization intensified the global smallpox eradication by contributing $2.4 million annually to the effort and adopted a new disease surveillance method . The initial problem the WHO team faced was inadequate reporting of smallpox cases . WHO established a network of consultants who assisted countries in setting up surveillance and containment activities . The WHO also helped contain the last European outbreak in Yugoslavia in 1972 . After over two decades of fighting smallpox , the WHO declared in 1979 that the disease had been eradicated -- the first disease in history to be eliminated by human effort . In 1974 , the Expanded Programme on Immunization and the control programme of onchocerciasis was started , an important partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO ) , the United Nations Development Programme ( UNDP ) , and World Bank . In 1967 the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases was also launched . In 1976 , the World Health Assembly voted to enact a resolution on Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation , with a focus on community - driven care . In 1977 , the first list of essential medicines was drawn up , and a year later the ambitious goal of `` health for all '' was declared . In 1986 , WHO started its global programme on HIV / AIDS . Two years later preventing discrimination against sufferers was attended to and in 1996 UNAIDS was formed . In 1988 , the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was established . In 1998 , WHO 's Director - General highlighted gains in child survival , reduced infant mortality , increased life expectancy and reduced rates of `` scourges '' such as smallpox and polio on the fiftieth anniversary of WHO 's founding . He , did , however , accept that more had to be done to assist maternal health and that progress in this area had been slow .
West African Ebola virus epidemic
A fourth case was identified on 23 October 2014 , when a physician , who had treated Ebola patients in West Africa , himself tested positive for the virus . This case , however , had no relation to those originating from Thomas Eric Duncan -- he recovered and was released from hospital on 11 November .
World Health Organization
In 1947 the WHO established an epidemiological information service via telex , and by 1950 a mass tuberculosis inoculation drive using the BCG vaccine was under way . In 1955 , the malaria eradication programme was launched , although it was later altered in objective . 1965 saw the first report on diabetes mellitus and the creation of the International Agency for Research on Cancer .
West African Ebola virus epidemic
An observational study , done roughly 29 months after the 2007 Bundibugyo outbreak in Uganda , found that long - term sequelae ( i.e. consequences ) persisted among survivors . Symptoms included eye pain , blurred vision , hearing loss , difficulty swallowing , difficulty sleeping , arthralgias , memory loss or confusion , and `` various constitutional symptoms controlling for age and sex '' .
Non-communicable disease
The United Nations Interagency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases ( UNIATF ) was established by the United Nations Secretary - General in 2013 in order to provide scaled up action across the UN system to support governments , in particular in low - and middle - income countries , to tackle non-communicable diseases ( NCDs ) .
West African Ebola virus epidemic
A number of Ebola Treatment Centres were set up in the area , supported by international aid organisations and staffed by a combination of local and international staff . Each treatment centre is divided into a number of distinct and rigorously separate areas . For patients , there is a triage area , and low - and high - risk care wards . For staff , there are areas for preparation and decontamination . An important part of each centre is an arrangement for safe burial or cremation of bodies , required to prevent further infection . In January 2015 , a new treatment and research center was built by Rusal and Russia in the city of Kindia in Guinea . It is one of the most modern medical centers in Guinea . Also in January , MSF admitted its first patients to a new treatment centre in Kissy , an Ebola hotspot on the outskirts of Freetown , Sierra Leone . The center has a maternity unit for pregnant women with the virus .
West African Ebola virus epidemic
Ebola virus disease is caused by four of five viruses classified in the genus Ebolavirus . Of the four disease - causing viruses , Ebola virus ( formerly and often still called the Zaire virus ) is the most dangerous and is the species responsible for the epidemic in West Africa . Since the discovery of the viruses in 1976 , when outbreaks occurred in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo ( then called Zaire ) , Ebola virus disease has been confined to areas in Central Africa , where it is endemic . With the current outbreak , it was initially thought that a new species endemic to Guinea might be the cause , rather than being imported from Central to West Africa . However , further studies have shown that the outbreak was likely caused by an Ebola virus lineage that spread from Central Africa via an animal host within the last decade , with the first viral transfer to humans in Guinea .
West African Ebola virus epidemic
In a report released on 23 September 2014 , the CDC analysed the impact of under - reporting , which required correction of case numbers by a factor of up to 2.5 . With this correction factor , approximately 21,000 total cases were estimated for the end of September 2014 in Liberia and Sierra Leone alone . The same report predicted that total cases , including unreported cases , could reach 1.4 million in Liberia and Sierra Leone by the end of January 2015 if no improvement in intervention or community behaviour occurred . However , at a congressional hearing on 19 November , the Director of the CDC said that the number of Ebola cases was no longer expected to exceed 1 million , moving away from the worst - case scenario that had been previously predicted .
World Health Organization
On 10 December 2013 , a new WHO database , known as MiNDbank , went online . The database was launched on Human Rights Day , and is part of WHO 's QualityRights initiative , which aims to end human rights violations against people with mental health conditions . The new database presents a great deal of information about mental health , substance abuse , disability , human rights , and the different policies , strategies , laws , and service standards being implemented in different countries . It also contains important international documents and information . The database allows visitors to access the health information of WHO member states and other partners . Users can review policies , laws , and strategies and search for the best practices and success stories in the field of mental health .
History of West Africa
Since the start of the 21st century , more effective early warning and humanitarian response actions have reduced the number of deaths by famine markedly . That said , many African countries are not self - sufficient in food production , relying on income from cash crops to import food . Agriculture in Africa is susceptible to climatic fluctuations , especially droughts which can reduce the amount of food produced locally . Other agricultural problems include soil infertility , land degradation and erosion , swarms of desert locusts , which can destroy whole crops , and livestock diseases . The Sahara spreads up to 30 miles per year . The most serious famines have been caused by a combination of drought , misguided economic policies , and conflict . Recent famines in Africa include the 2005 -- 06 Niger food crisis , the 2010 Sahel famine , and in 2012 , the Sahel drought put more than 10 million people in the western Sahel at risk of famine , according to the Methodist Relief & Development Fund ( MRDF ) , due to a month - long heat wave .
West African Ebola virus epidemic
On 6 July 2015 , UN Secretary - General Ban Ki - moon announced that he would host an Ebola recovery conference to raise funds for reconstruction , stating that the three countries hardest hit by Ebola needed about $700 million to rebuild their health services over a two - year period . On 10 July , it was announced that the countries most affected by the Ebola epidemic would receive $3.4 billion to rebuild their economies . On 29 September , the leaders of both Sierra Leone and Liberia indicated at the UN General Assembly the launch of a `` Post-Ebola Economic Stabilization and Recovery Plan '' . On 24 November , it was reported that due to the decrease in commodity prices and the West African Ebola epidemic , China 's investment in the continent had declined 43 % in the first 6 months of 2015 . On 25 January , the IMF projected a GDP growth of 0.3 % for Liberia , that country indicating it would cut spending by 11 percent due to a stagnation in the mining sector , which would cause a domestic revenues drop of $57 million .
West African Ebola virus epidemic
On 23 October 2014 , the first case of Ebola virus disease in Mali was confirmed in the city of Kayes -- a two - year - old girl who had arrived with a family group from Guinea , and died the next day . Her father had worked for the Red Cross in Guinea and also in a private health clinic ; he had died earlier in the month , likely from an Ebola infection contracted in the private clinic . It was later established that a number of family members had also died of Ebola . The family had returned to Mali after the father 's funeral via public bus and taxi -- a journey of more than 1,200 kilometres ( 750 mi ) . All contacts were followed for 21 days , with no further spread of the disease reported .
Non-communicable disease
The Young Professionals Chronic Disease Network , or commonly referred to as YP - CDN , is a global network of roughly 5000 young professionals across 157 countries . The organization aims to mobilize these young people `` to take action against social injustice driven by NCDs . '' .
Renaissance
One theory that has been advanced is that the devastation in Florence caused by the Black Death , which hit Europe between 1348 and 1350 , resulted in a shift in the world view of people in 14th - century Italy . Italy was particularly badly hit by the plague , and it has been speculated that the resulting familiarity with death caused thinkers to dwell more on their lives on Earth , rather than on spirituality and the afterlife . It has also been argued that the Black Death prompted a new wave of piety , manifested in the sponsorship of religious works of art . However , this does not fully explain why the Renaissance occurred specifically in Italy in the 14th century . The Black Death was a pandemic that affected all of Europe in the ways described , not only Italy . The Renaissance 's emergence in Italy was most likely the result of the complex interaction of the above factors .
West African Ebola virus epidemic
After three months with no new reports of cases , on 29 June Liberia reported that the body of a 17 - year - old boy , who had been treated for malaria , tested positive for Ebola . The WHO said the boy had been in close contact with at least 200 people , who they were following up , and that `` the case reportedly had no recent history of travel , contact with visitors from affected areas , or funeral attendance . '' A second case was confirmed on 1 July . After a third new case was confirmed on 2 July , and it was discovered that all 3 new cases had shared a meal of dog meat , researchers looked at the possibility that the meat may have been involved in the transfer of the virus . Testing of the dog 's remains , however , was negative for the Ebola virus . By 9 July 3 more cases were discovered , bringing the total number of new cases to 5 , all from the same area . On 14 July , a woman died of the disease in the county of Montserrado , bringing the total to 6 . On 20 July , the last patients were discharged , and on 3 September 2015 , Liberia was declared Ebola - free again .
West African Ebola virus epidemic
The WHO 's representative in Nigeria officially declared the country Ebola - free on 20 October 2014 , after no new active cases were reported in the follow up contacts , stating it was a `` spectacular success story '' . Nigeria was the first African country to be declared Ebola free . Mali
World Health Organization
In 1958 , Viktor Zhdanov , Deputy Minister of Health for the USSR , called on the World Health Assembly to undertake a global initiative to eradicate smallpox , resulting in Resolution WHA11. 54 . At this point , 2 million people were dying from smallpox every year .
Venezuela
The recovery of oil prices after 2001 boosted the Venezuelan economy and facilitated social spending . With social programs such as the Bolivarian Missions , Venezuela initially made progress in social development in the 2000s , particularly in areas such as health , education , and poverty . Many of the social policies pursued by Chávez and his administration were jump - started by the Millennium Development Goals , eight goals that Venezuela and 188 other nations agreed to in September 2000 . The sustainability of the Bolivarian Missions has been questioned due to the Bolivarian state 's overspending on public works and because the Chávez government did not save funds for future economic hardships like other OPEC nations ; with economic issues and poverty rising as a result of their policies in the 2010s . In 2003 the government of Hugo Chávez implemented currency controls after capital flight led to a devaluation of the currency . This led to the development of a parallel market of dollars in the subsequent years . The fallout of the 2008 global financial crisis saw a renewed economic downturn . Despite controversial data shared by the Venezuelan government showing that the country had halved malnutrition following one of the UN 's Millennium Development Goals , shortages of staple goods began to occur in Venezuela and malnutrition began to increase . In early 2013 , Venezuela devalued its currency due to growing shortages in the country . The shortages included , and still include , necessities such as toilet paper , milk , and flour . Fears rose so high due to the toilet paper shortage that the government occupied a toilet paper factory , and continued further plans to nationalize other industrial aspects like food distribution . Venezuela 's bond ratings have also decreased multiple times in 2013 due to decisions by the president Nicolás Maduro . One of his decisions was to force stores and their warehouses to sell all of their products , which led to even more shortages in the future . In 2016 , consumer prices in Venezuela increased 800 % and the economy declined by 18.6 % . Venezuela 's outlook was deemed negative by most bond - rating services in 2017 .
Famine
In certain cases , such as the Great Leap Forward in China ( which produced the largest famine in absolute numbers ) , North Korea in the mid-1990s , or Zimbabwe in the early - 2000s , famine can occur because of government policy . The
1854 Broad Street cholera outbreak
Whitehead 's work with Snow combined demographic study with scientific observation , setting an important precedent for epidemiology .
Bubonic plague
The first recorded epidemic affected the Eastern Roman Empire ( Byzantine Empire ) and was named the Plague of Justinian after emperor Justinian I , who was infected but survived through extensive treatment . The pandemic resulted in the deaths of an estimated 25 million ( 6th century outbreak ) to 50 million people ( two centuries of recurrence ) . The historian Procopius wrote , in Volume II of History of the Wars , of his personal encounter with the plague and the effect it had on the rising empire . In the spring of 542 , the plague arrived in Constantinople , working its way from port city to port city and spreading around the Mediterranean Sea , later migrating inland eastward into Asia Minor and west into Greece and Italy . Because the infectious disease spread inland by the transferring of merchandise through Justinian 's efforts in acquiring luxurious goods of the time and exporting supplies , his capital became the leading exporter of the bubonic plague . Procopius , in his work Secret History , declared that Justinian was a demon of an emperor who either created the plague himself or was being punished for his sinfulness .
Famine
Numerous factors make the food security situation in Africa tenuous , including political instability , armed conflict and civil war , corruption and mismanagement in handling food supplies , and trade policies that harm African agriculture . An example of a famine created by human rights abuses is the 1998 Sudan famine . AIDS is also having long - term economic effects on agriculture by reducing the available workforce , and is creating new vulnerabilities to famine by overburdening poor households . On the other hand , in the modern history of Africa on quite a few occasions famines acted as a major source of acute political instability . In Africa , if current trends of population growth and soil degradation continue , the continent might be able to feed just 25 % of its population by 2025 , according to United Nations University ( UNU ) 's Ghana - based Institute for Natural Resources in Africa . Famine
West African Ebola virus epidemic
After having completed the 42 - day time period , Liberia was declared free from the virus on 14 January 2016 , effectively ending the outbreak that had started in neighbouring Guinea 2 years earlier . Liberia began a 90 - day period of heightened surveillance , scheduled to conclude on 13 April 2016 , but on 1 April , it was reported that a new Ebola fatality had occurred , and on 3 April , a second case was reported in Monrovia . On 4 April , it was reported that 84 individuals were under observation due to contact with the 2 confirmed Ebola cases . By 7 April , Liberia had confirmed 3 new cases since the virus resurfaced and a total of 97 contacts , including 15 healthcare workers , were being monitored . The index case of the new flareup was reported to be the wife of a patient who died from Ebola in Guinea ; she had traveled to Monrovia after the funeral but succumbed to the disease . The outbreak in Guinea , in turn , had begun when a man , who had survived Ebola , had sexual intercourse with a woman and passed the virus to her , even though he had recovered more than a year earlier .