The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the continent is likely to see its worst cholera crisis this decade, driven by extreme weather events and poor water supply and sanitation infrastructure.
According to reports, Cholera cases are rising globally and 31 countries across the world have reported outbreaks of the disease since January 2022.
From January 1, 2023 through January 29, 2023, around 26,000 cases and 660 deaths were reported in 10 African countries and In 2022, a total of around 80,000 cases and 1,863 deaths were recorded from 15 affected countries in the continent.
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So far, the cases recorded on the continent in the first month of 2023 alone have already risen by more than 30 per cent of the total caseload of 2022.
If cases continue to rise rapidly at this rate, the number of cholera cases could be much higher than those recorded in 2021.
“The common denominator for many of these outbreaks is climate-related events, such as storms, floods and droughts,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom.
Most of the larger outbreaks, which are also simultaneously occurring, is a direct impact of the increase in adverse climate troubles, said Philippe Barboza, WHO team lead for Cholera and Epidemic Diarrhoeal Diseases.
“The cholera crisis has been playing out across the Horn of Africa and the Sahel accompanied by major floods, unprecedented monsoons (and) a succession of cyclones,” the expert said.
While cholera cases globally stunted in 2021, Africa ditched the trend, with confirmed cases reaching the 2017 levels.
Story was adapted from Down To Earth.
