June 21, (THEWILL) – The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced a spike in cholera in several regions of the world with approximately 195,000 cases and over 1,900 deaths reported in 24 countries since January 2024.
THEWILL had reported earlier that the Lagos State Government on Thursday, said deaths from the cholera outbreak in the state have increased from 15 to 21, while suspected cases of infections have also increased from 350 to 401.
In a bulletin issued on Wednesday, WHO said the Eastern Mediterranean Region recorded the highest number of reported cases, followed by the African Region, the Region of the Americas, the Southeast Asia Region, and the European Region.
Noting that there were no reported cases in the Western Pacific Region, WHO said it exhausted its global stockpile of Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV) by March.
While it was able to exceed “the emergency target of five million doses in early June for the first time in 2024″, the agency noted that the supply of the vaccine does not equate to its demand.
WHO reported that since January 2023, 16 countries had requested 92 million doses of OCV, almost double the 49 million produced during that time.
It said it was working with other partners such as the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and others to use resources to find long-term solutions for cholera.
“After decades of progress against cholera, cases are again on the rise, even in countries that have not seen the disease in years.
“The recent outbreaks have also been more deadly, with case fatality rates being the highest recorded in over a decade.
“This increase in outbreaks and cases is stretching the global capacity to respond. There is a shortage of cholera tools, including vaccines.
“The global stockpile of Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV), was depleted until early March but exceeded the emergency target of 5 million doses in early June for the first time in 2024.
“As of 10 June 2024, the stockpile has 6.2 million doses. However, demand for the vaccine continues to outpace supply. Since January 2023, 92 million OCV doses were requested by 16 countries, nearly double the 49 million doses produced during this period”, it said.
Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through food and water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, often from faeces. With safe water and sanitation, cholera can be prevented. Although it can kill within hours when not treated, immediate access to treatment saves lives.
