The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a global resurgence of cholera, with an increased number of cases and deaths reported across multiple countries.
Checked by GLOBAL TRACKER revealed that From January 1 to May 26, 2024, a cumulative total of 194,897 cholera cases and 1,932 deaths were reported from 24 countries across five WHO regions globally.
It said the resurgence differs according to WHO regions with the Eastern Mediterranean Region reported the highest number of cases, followed by the African Region, the Region of the Americas, the South-East Asia Region, and the European Region with least numbers.
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WHO has classified the global resurgence of cholera as a grade 3 emergency, its highest internal level for emergencies, and is working with partners to support affected countries ¹.
“Assesses the risk of cholera at the global level as very high, due to the number of outbreaks, geographic expansion, and shortage of vaccines and other resources,” this newspaper check revealed.
Meanwhile, the WHO, in a statement on Thursday, stated that there are no reported cases in the Western Region, according to its bulletin released on Wednesday.
The UN health agency said it exhausted its global stockpile of Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV) by March but was able to exceed “the emergency target of five million doses in early June for the first time in 2024.”
The bulletin revealed that, the supply of the vaccine does not equate to its demand.
WHO reported that since January last year, 16 countries requested 92 million doses of OCV – almost double the 49 million produced during that time.
WHO, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other partners are working together to use resources to find long-term solutions for cholera.
On the positive side of health news, WHO announced on Thursday that Chad successfully eradicated “sleeping sickness” as a public health problem.
The agency applauded the Government and people of Chad for eradicating the gambiense form of human African trypanosomiasis, (also known as sleeping sickness).
“I congratulate the government and the people of Chad for this achievement.