Cholera epidemics are spreading today in about thirty countries in the world, while only about twenty of them are usually affected. The year 2022 was marked by a resurgence of the disease, especially in countries like Lebanon, which had not encountered it for thirty years.
An exceptional situation which prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to recommend a change in the vaccination strategy, by injecting one dose, instead of two, for the first time since oral vaccines are used to stop the disease. , i.e. ten years.
In Haiti, very hard hit by an epidemic that affected more than 800,000 people and killed more than 10,000 between 2010 and 2019, a new wave is sweeping through a population already hit by a serious humanitarian and security crisis. At least 305 deaths have been recorded since the beginning of October. In Africa, countries such as Malawi, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo or South Sudan have reported many cases this year, as have Afghanistan or Pakistan in Asia.
“Each epidemic has its story. Those in Syria and Lebanon are linked to a situation of war, while that in Haiti is accentuated by gangs, which have hampered access to water and medicine by blocking roads.explains Renaud Piarroux, head of the parasitology department at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris, who investigated the origin of this epidemic in 2010. In others such as Bangladesh, the disease is endemic.
“Impact of climate change”
“Cholera is fueled by conflict and poverty, but in addition this year we are seeing the increasingly visible impact of climate change, which is playing an amplifying role”adds Philippe Barboza, WHO team leader for cholera and epidemic diarrheal diseases.
Since cholera is transmitted through contaminated water and poor hygiene conditions, extreme events caused by global warming contribute to the transmission of the disease. In 2022, the floods that hit Pakistan or the cyclones that hit Malawi are terrible examples. “Our concern is that there will be more and more epidemics in the future, which is why we must control this situation now”insists Mr. Barboza.
To fight cholera, the best long-term solution is to guarantee affected populations access to clean water, sanitation and health care. It is indeed a disease that can be treated easily, provided you intervene quickly and effectively rehydrate the sick person. “But the fastest method to control an epidemic remains vaccination”assures the WHO team leader.
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