The number of cholera outbreaks around the world has gone up like never before this year, according to the World Health Organization.
This year, the disease has spread to more than 30 countries, which is a third more than usual.
Philippe Barboza, the head of the WHO team for cholera and epidemic diarrheal illnesses, says that most big cholera outbreaks have happened at the same time as bad weather and have been directly affected by it.
Extreme droughts, such as those that have occurred in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, he added.Major floods, unusually heavy rains, and a string of cyclones Therefore, once again, the majority of these outbreaks seem to be caused by the effects of climate change.
There is no imminent relief in sight. The so-called La Nina climate phenomenon is expected to continue through the end of this year, according to the World Meteorological Organization. It is anticipated that the pattern, which cools the ocean’s surface waters, will last until 2023. As a result, there will be more cyclones, flooding, and lengthy droughts.
Health officials warn that during the next six months, significant cholera epidemics are expected to persist and spread to new places. It will be difficult to stop illness outbreaks, according to Barboza.
He said that a worldwide vaccination scarcity had compelled the WHO to temporarily abandon its two-dose programme and adopt a single-dose strategy. This allows for a much larger number of people to be vaccinated against cholera.He claims that it does, however, reduce the amount of time an infection has immunity to.
So, he continued, “the scenario will persist for the upcoming months.” ” There is no magic bullet or silver bullet, and producers are operating at maximum capacity. There is therefore no prospect that it will get better in the upcoming weeks or months.
According to Barboza, it is hard to calculate the precise number of cholera cases and fatalities worldwide due to a lack of data. However, he pointed out that data from at least 14 nations shows that the average fatality rate is more than 1%. In severely affected Haiti, he claimed that the cholera fatality rate is roughly 2%.
Cholera is an acute diarrheal illness caused by eating or drinking contaminated food or drink. Oral rehydration is one of the treatments. Patients with serious conditions require immediate intravenous fluids and antibiotics. If untreated, cholera can kill in a matter of hours.
