The number of countries affected by this epidemic diarrheal disease jumped in 2022.
In 2022, cholera reappeared in ten countries around the world: Haiti, Lebanon, Nepal, Kenya… The World Health Organization (WHO) blames poverty, economic crises and wars, but also global warming climatic.
In Syria, the WHO says it fears a resurgence of cholera in the area affected by the earthquakes of recent days. Disease screening kits have been sent by humanitarian associations, and health officials are watching for the appearance of the slightest case.
Nearly two million cases per year
Cholera is, as specialists generally say, a “disease of poor countries”: patients become contaminated with dirty water. It is regularly present in Malawi, Nigeria, Mozambique, Haiti, and even Nepal. But it spread in 2022. The disease is now emerging in new countries. “There are more and more cases of cholera in countries where there were none before. For example Syria and Lebanon,” who were affected by this epidemic diarrheal disease in 2022, “a first for 20 years or more”observes John Johnson of Doctors Without Borders (MSF).
This is indeed the first case for 30 years in Lebanon, hit by the economic crisis. Today in the world, one billion people are threatened by cholera. Nearly two million cases are estimated per year, with a mortality between 1 and 3%. Economic crises therefore, as in Lebanon, war, poverty and migration explain these cholera epidemics. But now there is also the climate. “Whether it’s repeated cyclones or floods in certain parts of the world, it can be droughts”list Philippe Barboza, head of the “cholera” program at the WHO.
“The ‘climate change’ factor is something that is playing an increasingly important role and increasing the risk, including for countries which, until now, were not affected by cholera”.
Dr Philippe Barbozaat franceinfo
The treatment of the disease is simple: rehydration of the patients, or even antibiotics. Vaccines also exist, but epidemics are so numerous in the world that there is a lack of them. Evidence of a lack of stock, WHO advised to vaccinate affected populations with only one dose instead of two. “One dose is a little less effective than two, and it’s really an emergency situation to vaccinate the maximum number of people with the number of doses that remain, explains, John Johnson of MSF.
Especially since cholera is almost an anomaly in 2023 for some scientists, including Dr. Philippe Barboza. “It’s not inevitable, this disease can be controlled, emphasizes the team leader at WHO. It is not acceptable today that there are still people dying of cholera. The solutions exist. It would be enough for people to have access to drinking water”.
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The World Health Organization hopes to raise more than 2.5 billion dollars in 2023 to respond to health emergencies in all countries of the world, in particular cholera epidemics.
