Cholera: The Disease That Can Be Stopped, But Won't Be
In recent years, cholera has resurfaced with alarming frequency, claiming thousands of lives in over 32 countries. With more than 6,800 reported deaths so far this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) is sounding the alarm about a disease that was once thought to be eradicated.
Despite being a bacterial infection easily prevented through safe water and sanitation, cholera persists largely due to poverty, conflict, displacement, and climate-related disasters. The last outbreak in Britain occurred in 1866, while the United States hasn't seen an outbreak since 1911. Yet, today's outbreaks are more severe than ever, with Africa being the hotspot.
The WHO has established a Global Task Force on Cholera Control, which includes over 50 partners to provide essential supplies and work on detecting, preventing, and treating cholera. A continental emergency response plan was also launched in August. However, effective vaccines remain scarce due to limited market opportunities for developers, with only one manufacturer producing cholera vaccines at the required scale.
The WHO has a global cholera vaccine stockpile that has distributed over 255 million doses since its inception in 2013. Almost 75% of those doses were given out since 2021, largely in response to global outbreaks. However, demand continues to outpace supply, and production cannot keep up. The ICG suspended the standard two-dose vaccination regimen in favor of a single dose, which will only be temporary.
A recent development is Zambia's signing of an agreement with China's Jijia Medical Technology Company to establish a cholera vaccine-production facility. This move marks a step towards expanding vaccine production in Africa but comes with its own set of challenges, including rigorous quality assurance and clinical trials.
The solution to this crisis lies not in science or technology but politics. Cholera can be stopped if governments prioritize investing in safe drinking water and sanitation. While some diseases are inevitable, cholera is not one of them. The persistence of poverty, inequality, conflict, and displacement means that addressing the root causes of the disease is crucial.
The WHO's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasizes the need for collective action to combat this ancient disease. President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia joins forces with the Global Task Force on Cholera Control in a call to action, urging leaders worldwide to invest in the necessary measures to eradicate cholera once and for all.
The clock is ticking. We cannot afford to wait any longer. It's time for governments to recognize that stopping cholera requires more than just medical expertise but also bold political decisions. The fate of millions hangs in the balance.
In recent years, cholera has resurfaced with alarming frequency, claiming thousands of lives in over 32 countries. With more than 6,800 reported deaths so far this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) is sounding the alarm about a disease that was once thought to be eradicated.
Despite being a bacterial infection easily prevented through safe water and sanitation, cholera persists largely due to poverty, conflict, displacement, and climate-related disasters. The last outbreak in Britain occurred in 1866, while the United States hasn't seen an outbreak since 1911. Yet, today's outbreaks are more severe than ever, with Africa being the hotspot.
The WHO has established a Global Task Force on Cholera Control, which includes over 50 partners to provide essential supplies and work on detecting, preventing, and treating cholera. A continental emergency response plan was also launched in August. However, effective vaccines remain scarce due to limited market opportunities for developers, with only one manufacturer producing cholera vaccines at the required scale.
The WHO has a global cholera vaccine stockpile that has distributed over 255 million doses since its inception in 2013. Almost 75% of those doses were given out since 2021, largely in response to global outbreaks. However, demand continues to outpace supply, and production cannot keep up. The ICG suspended the standard two-dose vaccination regimen in favor of a single dose, which will only be temporary.
A recent development is Zambia's signing of an agreement with China's Jijia Medical Technology Company to establish a cholera vaccine-production facility. This move marks a step towards expanding vaccine production in Africa but comes with its own set of challenges, including rigorous quality assurance and clinical trials.
The solution to this crisis lies not in science or technology but politics. Cholera can be stopped if governments prioritize investing in safe drinking water and sanitation. While some diseases are inevitable, cholera is not one of them. The persistence of poverty, inequality, conflict, and displacement means that addressing the root causes of the disease is crucial.
The WHO's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasizes the need for collective action to combat this ancient disease. President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia joins forces with the Global Task Force on Cholera Control in a call to action, urging leaders worldwide to invest in the necessary measures to eradicate cholera once and for all.
The clock is ticking. We cannot afford to wait any longer. It's time for governments to recognize that stopping cholera requires more than just medical expertise but also bold political decisions. The fate of millions hangs in the balance.
I mean, what's surprising about this? Cholera comes back every now and then when people are too lazy to clean their water sources 
. Like, use a filter or boil it, folks! It's not that hard. And all these deaths in Africa are just a result of poor planning on the part of governments and corporations who'd rather make a quick buck off vaccines 
. One manufacturer produces enough doses for like, a fraction of the population... no wonder there's a shortage 
. Anyway, Zambia's trying to fix their own problems, I guess 
.
gotta say, how messed up is it that we're still dealin' with this ancient disease 
? I mean, we got all this tech and resources at our disposal, but cholera's still killin' thousands every year 
. It's not even like it's hard to prevent - safe water and sanitation are key 
.
. Like, 75% of those doses have been given out since 2021, but demand's still way higher 
. And now they're talkin' about investin' in Africa to make more vaccines... it's a good start, I guess 
. It's not just about throwin' money at the problem or givin' out vaccines; we gotta address the root causes of poverty and inequality 
. Cholera's not just a disease, it's a symptom of a bigger problem. So yeah, let's get to work on makin' some real changes 
. We can't afford to wait any longer 
.
! I mean, come on, it was eradicated back in 1866, and yet we're seeing outbreaks every year now 
. It's not that hard or expensive 
. The WHO has a global stockpile of vaccines, but demand is way higher than supply 
. I'm loving the partnership between Zambia and China on vaccine production though 
. We can stop cholera if governments prioritize it 
. It's time to get serious about this ancient disease 
.
I think the key is making safe water & sanitation available to all, but like, how do we make that happen? 
we need governments to step up and invest in this stuff, 'cause just throwing money at vaccines ain't gonna cut it 
]
]
]
I'm not surprised to see cholera making a comeback, it's been brewing beneath the surface for years. We all know poverty and conflict are major contributors to outbreaks, so why aren't governments doing more to address those root causes? It's not like this is a new issue or one that we can just 'hope' our way out of.
the font is all jumbled up on mobile and it's giving me a headache.
it's just so frustrating trying to find relevant info in this sea of noise.
.
but more needs to be done ASAP 
we need bold political decisions NOW 
. Cholera is NOT going away until we address the root causes of poverty, inequality, conflict, and displacement. We can't keep relying on temporary fixes and vaccines that can't keep up with demand 
. Maybe this will be a turning point in getting more vaccines out there and making them affordable for everyone. The WHO has been doing great work, but we need more voices speaking up about this issue 
.
. The WHO's trying to do its thing with the Global Task Force and all, but it's just not enough 
, like it's their fault or something. But cholera can pop up anywhere if there's no proper infrastructure in place 
!