WHO plans to largely eliminate cholera by 2030

Every year about 95,000 people die of cholera

Cholera is a life-threatening diarrheal disease that costs about 95,000 lives each year. The World Health Organization (WHO) is now planning to eradicate cholera by 2030 to a large extent. To this end, the WHO experts, with about 50 other partners, have set up an action plan for countries affected by cholera.

The World Health Organization scientists are working to eradicate cholera as completely as possible by 2030. A new action plan should help. In general, people should have options for washing and access to toilets. It is also very important that clean drinking water is made available everywhere, the researchers explain. In future outbreaks of cholera, an effective vaccine must be immediately available and sick people should get to the required medicine faster. Today, with the resources available, every death from cholera can be avoided, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus in the WHO press release.

Clean drinking water and available toilets are important to avoid diseases due to cholera. Actually, the disease could have been eradicated long ago. Nevertheless, there are many outbreaks of cholera in many poor countries around the world. The WHO is now planning to take more action against cholera. (Image: Riccardo Niels Mayer / fotolia.com)

The number of cholera diseases is to be reduced by 90% by the year 2030

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that 2.9 million people suffer from cholera each year. Of those affected then about 95,000 people die. By 2030, it is planned that in at least 20 of the 60 countries affected by cholera, the disease will be completely eradicated. The number of illnesses should be reduced by 90 percent by this time.

Combating cholera is associated with significant costs

Of course, such an action plan is also associated with great costs. Water and sewage costs about 40 US dollars (34 €) per person, a vaccine dose costs an additional 6 US dollars, the scientists estimate. However, investments in this area not only help combat cholera but also have other major implications for the lives of people in the countries concerned.

Cholera could already be completely eradicated by now

Cholera is a disease that affects particularly poor people. Often, cholera overtakes people who live in slums and regions without fixed infrastructure. The risk of an outbreak of cholera is also increased if these poor countries are also in special conflict situations, such as a civil war. Cholera is completely preventable and could have been eradicated long ago, but sadly the disease still exists in many countries around the world, experts say.

In which countries does cholera occur??

Cholera is particularly prevalent in countries such as Central Africa and India. The disease also occurs in countries such as Central America and Asia. Alone in Africa, around 40 to 80 million people live in areas at risk of cholera, explains WHO Director for Disaster Relief Peter Salama. A particularly severe outbreak of cholera is currently found in Yemen. The country is not only affected by a terrible civil war, but the people are increasingly suffering from the dangerous disease. It is estimated that about 750,000 people in Yemen suffer from cholera.

Number of available vaccine doses is greatly increased

A few years ago, a vaccine was developed that has significantly improved the likelihood of eradicating cholera. In 2013, however, only two million doses were available for vaccination, WHO researchers say. But by the end of 2018, the number could have increased to a staggering 75 million vaccinations, the experts said. (As)