A synopsis of human pandemics

Abstract

Pandemics have been an important part of human history and have caused widespread morbidity and mortality as well as economic devastation in their wake. As the world struggles to contain its latest pandemic coronavirus disease 2019, it is important to look at all the human pandemics that have been recorded. The PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched for, all in English language literature, using the search words “pandemics” and “history of pandemics.” Further references were obtained through cross-referencing the bibliography cited in each work. Available literature showed pandemics are a recurrent feature in human existence globally. Detailed description of effects of pandemics in Africa were few. The pandemics were classified according to the periods they occurred. From 430BC to 2020AD, different epidemics largely caused by bacteria and viruses have affected the human. With the recurrent patterns of earlier pandemics and advances in international travel, it is obvious that for the foreseeable future, pandemics will remain a global health challenge.