The world has seen a 60 per cent decrease in Cholera cases in 2018, according to the World Health Organisation. The UN agency has said that this was an encouraging trend in the prevention and control of Cholera.
Noting that the decreasing trend in any of the major Cholera endemic nations was because of the increased engagement of the government’s and vital role of vaccination campaigns, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the long term solution for ending the menace lies in increasing access to clean drinking water and also in providing adequate sanitation and hygiene.
In 2018, 4,99,447 cases of Cholera were detected and 2990 deaths reported, as per the WHO report. Despite a downward trend in cholera cases around t6he world, the global organisation has warned that outbreaks were still reported in many regions.
The WHO has said that about 18 million doses of Oral Cholera Vaccine were shipped to eleven countries in 2018 as part of the drive against Cholera. Apart from this, the Global Roadmap strategy of long term cholera control and elimination by the Global task Force on Cholera Control has also helped in bringing down the cholera numbers. The strategy included early detection, quick response to contain any outbreaks, multi-sectoral approach, integrating surveillance, community mobilisation, vaccination, hygiene and sanitation, effective coordination for technical support, partnership and resource mobilisation.
The WHO has said that they have all tools for eliminating Cholera and that every death was preventable with the available mechanism. The organisation has said that Bangladesh, Zambia, Tanzania, South Sudan, Nigeria and Somalia have made great progress in tackling the disease.
