Cholera is making a comeback. Syria, Lebanon and Haiti are all facing outbreaks ImmediatelyWith millions of people at risk of disease.
More than 13,000 cases of cholera were reported in Syria last month, with at least 60 deaths, and the outbreak has now spread to Lebanon where there are more than 50 suspected cases. It has been specified, and Millions are at risk from infection.
On the other side of the world, in Haiti, one person died More than 50 cases have been confirmed in the capital, and international health authorities say more than a million children, as well as millions of adults, are in disease risk.
These outbreaks occur in areas where there have been no cases for several years (three cases in Haiti, more than a decade in Syria, and about 30 years in Lebanon). They add to the growing number of cholera cases worldwide, in areas where the disease is most common, as the impact of the disease is made worse by climate change. Altogether, the outbreaks provide a preview of the near-future health consequences of climate change.
Cholera is on the rise
“We are not only seeing more outbreaks, we are seeing more and more deadly outbreaks,” said the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO). Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus last week at a press conference. Current estimates by the World Health Organization indicate that the number of cholera cases this year is three times the average annual rate During the past five years.
Cholera, transmitted through contaminated water, is highly treatable and preventable. There are effective vaccines and antibiotics, and simple interventions such as oral rehydration therapy are often enough to keep victims alive. However, it can be killed within hours without access to these life-saving measures, especially clean water.
The World Health Organization has a stockpile of 27 million cholera vaccines, but they are there not enough To keep pace with the increasing number of cases and expand areas of vulnerability. The sudden rise in cases and deaths points to a complex of interrelated risk factors, including poverty and lack of access to clean water sources and health care, all of which have been exacerbated by the conflict. in Haiti, violent tensions After last year’s presidential assassination led to the collapse of basic services including garbage disposal and sanitation issues. In Syria and Lebanon as well, the conflict is making it even more difficult to get clean water.
Cholera is affected by climate change
But there is one mitigating factor that public health authorities are particularly interested in: climate change. “Cholera is thriving because of poverty and conflict, but it is now increasing due to climate change,” Tedros said at the press conference. “Extreme weather events such as floods, cyclones and droughts reduce access to clean water and create the ideal environment for the spread of cholera.”
Any event that leads to population movement and reduces access to clean water can exacerbate the risks. For example, following the catastrophic floods that occurred in Pakistan Affected 33 million people, killing at least 1,200 people, people were forced to drink flood water in the absence of clean water. This puts them at greater risk Waterborne diseasesincluding cholera.
ClChanging tradition is exacerbating outbreaks even in areas where they are most common. Fifteen of the 27 outbreaks reported this year occurred in countries in southeast Africa, which have been particularly affected by Rain patterns changeHurricanes and droughts. According to the World Health Organization, the mortality rate for cholera in Africa is now 3%. With proper treatment, the death rate will drop to less than 1%, yet the adversity of the climate will make it logistically difficult to provide the health care and sanitation needed to control the outbreak.
Originally published at San Jose News Bulletin
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