Caribbean Ranked Safest Destination To Travel For Level Of Disease Threat

Research has revealed which countries are the safest to travel in terms of their level of threat posed by diseases.

Using data1 from the World Health Organization (WHO), the research revealed that the Caribbean is the safest destination to travel based on the number of disease outbreaks.

The study by LetsGetChecked, delved into 24 years and more than 2,800 disease outbreaks to reveal the safest and most dangerous countries from infectious diseases.

Safest Countries Revealed

Research shows that there are 26 countries that have only had one outbreak in the past three decades with the Caribbean ranked as one of the safest areas in the world.

The six luxury destinations of Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, St Martin, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago have seen only one disease outbreak each since 1996, meaning that the area makes up nearly a quarter of locations that have seen only one outbreak.

Other islands known for being tropical retreats also fare well in terms of their reputation for avoiding outbreaks are French Polynesia and the Maldives. Like their Caribbean counterparts, both destinations have seen only one outbreak reported, each.

However, despite the idyllic settings of these locations, the other countries with the lowest reports of outbreaks are scattered across the globe.

High Risk Countries

Data shows that six of the top 10 countries which have the highest number of outbreaks are in Africa, with a combined 1,060 outbreaks happening in the continent over the last three decades.

The country with the highest risk is the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 242 outbreaks recorded in the African nation since 1996. Throughout 2020, as well as dealing with the threat of Covid-19, DR Congo has battled 110 cases of Ebola which has led to 47 deaths.

China, which reported the first instance of Covid-19, has seen 184 outbreaks in the last 24 years, followed by Indonesia (147 outbreaks), Egypt (114 outbreaks), and Uganda (77 outbreaks) also making up the top five countries.

Table of most dangerous countries:

Commenting on why some countries are more likely to see infectious disease outbreaks, Zara Fullerton from LetsGetChecked says: “Important reasons to note for these global outbreaks include climate change, for example, extreme weather events such as storms and floods are often followed by an increase in infectious diseases.

“Outbreaks of diarrheal and respiratory illnesses can occur when access to clean water and sewage systems are disrupted and people are living in crowded conditions.

“A temperature rise may also increase the spread of vector-borne infections such as malaria, dengue, Zika, and yellow fever. Other factors such as urbanization, population growth and an increase in antimicrobial resistance will also impact the spike in outbreaks arising.”

“Certain areas of the world are also experiencing rapid population growth. For example, the population of Sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, is increasing at a rate of 2.65% per year—more than twice the highest rate of population growth experienced by high-income countries since the 1950s4.

“Rapidly growing populations may increase the risk of infection due to poor sanitation, high population density and limited healthcare access.”

For more information on the study, please go to: https://www.letsgetchecked.com/articles/highest-risk-diseases-in-us/