About Cholera
A disease of inequity that strikes the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people
21,000to143,000 deaths
A disease of inequity that strikes the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people
While cholera has been eliminated from the developed world since decades, it continues to disproportionately affect the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities.
Cholera is a marker of inequality, striking those who have already been made vulnerable by conflict, insecurity and poverty.
Its victims are adults and children living in rural areas, peri-urban slums and refugee camps where access to clean water and adequate sanitation is sorely lacking.
Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
The short incubation period, from two hours to five days, explains the exponential rise in cases during outbreaks, leaving a high number of deaths in their wake. While most people infected with V. cholerae only show mild symptoms, some of them develop severe dehydration that can lead to septic shock and death within hours.
Most cases can be successfully treated with oral rehydration solution (ORS), but severe cases require intravenous fluids and antibiotics.
Each year there are an estimated 1.3 to 4.0 million cholera cases. However, cholera remains a neglected and underreported disease. Many cases are not recorded due to limitations in surveillance systems and fears of potential impact on trade or tourism.
Today cholera affects 47 countries across the globe. Almost every developing country faces cholera outbreaks or the threat of cholera.
The Global Roadmap 2030 outlines multi-sectoral interventions to prevent cholera through the implementation of a set of measures such as long-term WASH, oral cholera vaccines and stepping up disease surveillance in areas most affected by cholera (hotspots), and contain outbreaks through early detection and rapid response to alerts.
National governments in cholera-affected countries will take the lead with support from GTFCC partners. Multi-sectoral interventions to effectively control cholera are based on a package of measures that should be well coordinated:
To build strong preparedness and response strategies
To ensure sustainable access to safe water and sanitation solutions for populations most at risk
To improve readiness in case of an outbreak
To confirm suspected cases and track progress
To prevent cholera and protect communities
To raise awareness and promote good hygiene practices
Hotspots play a central role in the burden and the spread of the disease. By targeting these relatively small areas, we will not only reduce the burden of cholera, but also ensure that control interventions reach those who need them most.
Access to safe water and sanitation is a basic human right, yet millions of people worldwide still drink water contaminated by feces, putting them at risk for waterborne diseases, including cholera.
OCV is a game-changer in the fight against cholera. It takes effect immediately and works to prevent cholera for 2-3 years, effectively bridging emergency response and longer-term cholera control with a WASH focus.
In 2013, the WHO established an OCV stockpile. To date, over 54 million doses of OCV have been delivered in 25 countries.
The number of vaccine doses per year has increased from 2 million in 2013 (when the stockpile was created) to 7 million in 2016 and over 25 million anticipated from 2019 onwards.
