Cholera Alert: The Deadly Disease Spreading Across Africa
- yanabijoor
- Feb 25, 2024
- 2 min read
What is Cholera and its Impact
Cholera is a highly virulent infection that happens when you ingest food or water contaminated with the bacterium vibrio cholerae. Cholera can cause severe watery diarrhea, and severe forms of the disease can kill a person within hours if left untreated.
Cholera significantly affects malnourished children. Not only do their weakened immune systems leave them more susceptible to falling ill, but malnourished children are also five times more likely to die if they do. Most people infected with cholera have mild or moderate symptoms, and an oral rehydration solution provides relief. Severe cases can lead to acute watery diarrhea with severe dehydration; without timely treatment with IV fluids and antibiotics, these patients can die in a matter of hours.
Countries across Africa are battling some of the worst cholera outbreaks seen in decades. UNICEF is working alongside government and local partners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and elsewhere to contain the spread of the often deadly waterborne disease. According to UNICEF, Since 2023, 13 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa have been battling some of the worst cholera outbreaks to hit the region; for some, their worst in decades. As of Jan. 15, 2024, there are reports of over 200,000 cases and more than 3,000 deaths. While safe drinking water and advanced sanitation systems have made Europe and North America cholera-free for decades, the disease still affects at least 47 countries, resulting in an estimated 2.9 million cases and 95,000 deaths per year worldwide.
Prevention and Treatment
Regular handwashing with soap and maintaining separate water and sanitation facilities prevents Cholera. Monitoring and surveillance activities are critical for containing the spread.
Most people can be treated successfully with an oral rehydration solution (ORS). The WHO/UNICEF offers an ORS sachet dissolved in 1 liter of clean water.
Rapid access to the ORS treatment is essential during a cholera outbreak. Oral rehydration should be available in communities, including at specific oral rehydration points (ORPs), in addition to larger treatment centers that can provide intravenous fluids and 24-hour care. With early treatment, the case fatality rate can be below 1%.
Cholera kills the poorest and most vulnerable people.
The map of cholera is essentially the same as a map of poverty. Every death from cholera is preventable with the tools we have today, putting the goal of ending its public health impact within our reach. Controlling cholera requires a multi-sector approach—including clean water, sanitation, hygiene services, oral rehydration solutions (to treat cholera), and oral cholera vaccines (to prevent cholera).
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