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13th September 2024 (9 Topics)

Cholera Outbreak

Context

Climate change is worsening health issues globally, yet fundamental problems like clean water, hygiene, and sanitation often receive less attention. Recent WHO cholera data underscores this issue, revealing how inadequate sanitation and unsafe water, exacerbated by climate change, lead to preventable diseases and reduced quality of life. Addressing these basic needs is crucial for preventing health crises and improving community well-being.

About

  • Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by the ingestion of water or food contaminated with vibrio cholerae.
  • This bacterial disease is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
  • It can cause severe diarrhoea, vomiting, leg cramps, and weakness, and people with low immunity such as malnourished children and people living with HIV/AIDS are at greater risk of death if infected.
  • The most common pathways of contracting the germs are by eating food cooked by infected people, drinking contaminated water, and shaking hands with infected people.
  • The main symptom of cholera is severe acute watery diarrhoea that lasts for three to seven days.
  • Treatment: Oral rehydration solution (ORS), Intravenous fluids, Antibiotics, Zinc(in children younger than 5). If treatment is delayed, this can lead to excessive and fast dehydration and possibly death.
  • WHO’s data:
    • The global cholera crisis is worsening, with a 17% increase in deaths and a 13% rise in cases from 2022 to 2023.
    • Cholera, a preventable and treatable disease, caused 4,000 deaths last year and continues to spread, with 22 countries reporting active outbreaks into 2024.
    • In South-East Asia alone, 5,052 cholera and acute watery diarrhea cases were reported from January to July 2024, with 2,400 deaths globally.
    • Conflict, climate change, unsafe water and sanitation, poverty and displacement all contributed to the rise in cholera outbreaks last year.
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