By IDSE News Staff
The number of cholera cases decreased globally by 60% in 2018, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which called it an encouraging trend in cholera prevention and control in the world’s major cholera hot spots, including Haiti, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“The decrease we are seeing in several major cholera-endemic countries demonstrates the increased engagement of countries in global efforts to slow and prevent cholera outbreaks and shows the vital role of mass cholera vaccination campaigns,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We continue to emphasize, however, that the long-term solution for ending cholera lies in increasing access to clean drinking water and providing adequate sanitation and hygiene.”
There were 499,447 cases of cholera and 2,990 deaths in 2018, according to reports from 34 countries. While outbreaks are still ongoing in various countries, the caseload represents a significant downward trend in cholera transmission that has continued into 2019, according to data collected by WHO.
“The global decrease in case numbers we are observing appears to be linked to large-scale vaccination campaigns and countries beginning to adopt the Global Roadmap to 2030 strategy in their national cholera action plans,” said Dr. Dominique Legros, who heads WHO’s cholera program in Geneva. “We must continue to strengthen our efforts to engage all cholera-endemic countries in this global strategy to eliminate cholera.”
Nearly 18 million doses of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) were shipped to 11 countries in 2018. Since the OCV stockpile was created in 2013, almost 60 million doses have been shipped worldwide. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has provided funding for purchase of the vaccine and financial support for the global vaccination drives.
The Global Task Force on Cholera Control launched the global roadmap strategy for effective long-term cholera control and elimination in October 2017. The roadmap aims to reduce cholera deaths by 90% and eliminate transmission in up to 20 countries by 2030. The strategy provides a framework for national action plans that emphasize three main axes of cholera control:
- early detection and rapid response to contain outbreaks;
- a multisector approach integrating strengthened surveillance, vaccination, community mobilization, and water, sanitation and hygiene to prevent cholera in hot spots in endemic countries; and
- an effective mechanism of coordination for technical support, resource mobilization and partnership at the local and global levels.
“The Global Roadmap provides clear guidance for how to prevent and, ultimately, to eliminate cholera. Every death from cholera is preventable with the tools we have today,” Dr. Tedros said.
Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Cholera affects children and adults, and can kill within hours if left untreated. WHO estimates that each year, cholera infects 1 million to 4 million people and claims up to 143,000 lives.
