Cholera Emergencies Are Avoidable

The world is facing an upsurge in Cholera, even touching countries that have not had the disease in decades, announced the World Health Organization (WHO) on World Water Day.

Years of progress against this age-old disease have disappeared, stated the WHO on March 22, 2023. In the past months, the world has seen a resurgence of Cholera.

Last year, as many as 30 countries experienced outbreaks, and we continue to see a worrying geographic spread into 2023. 

While the situation is unprecedented, the lesson to draw is not new: safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene are the only long-term and sustainable solutions to ending this cholera emergency and preventing future ones.

The global cholera situation is concerning, but the historic United Nations Water Conference began in New York. The Global Task Force for Cholera Control appeals to countries and the international community to channel that concern toward concrete action.

Nearly all cholera cases reported in the U.S. are acquired during international travel, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

For example, the CDC confirmed eight travelers infected with Cholera arrived in the U.S. from Pakistan, Iraq, and Bangladesh in 2022.

In 2023, various countries have confirmed cholera outbreaks.

As of March 22, 2023, cholera vaccines, such as Valneva SE's DUKORAL® oral, inactivated Cholera, and ETEC Diarrhea vaccine, have been approved and are available in certain countries.