WHO allocates $16m from contingency fund to tackle cholera

The World Health Organization (WHO) has allocated $16 million from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies to combat cholera.

This was announced by Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, during an online press briefing.

ThePressNG gathers that WHO is actively delivering vital resources, collaborating on-the-ground responses with partners, aiding countries in cholera detection, prevention, and treatment, and educating individuals on how to safeguard themselves.

He noted that WHO recently released fresh data indicating that the number of reported cases in 2022 more than doubled compared to 2021.

Also, earlier data for 2023 strongly suggested that the situation was likely to be even more severe hence the appeal for the release of more funds to curb the epidemic.

He said,

He explained that the most severely impacted nations and communities are those characterized by poverty and lack of access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities.

Additionally, these areas are grappling with shortages of oral cholera vaccines and other essential resources, compounded by healthcare workers who are stretched thin while managing numerous disease outbreaks and additional health crises.

In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic and seasonal illness occurring each year, primarily during the rainy season, and most prevalent in regions with inadequate sanitation facilities.

While the infection is frequently mild or asymptomatic, it can occasionally become severe and pose a life-threatening risk.

In July 2023, Nigeria recorded a total of 55 deaths from cholera, as 2,052 people were suspected to have been infected with the disease from January to July 2, 2023, according to the report from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report disclosed that suspected cases were reported in 24 states across 96 local government areas, resulting in a case-fatality ratio of 2.7 per cent.