The WHO Recommends Increasing The Manufacture Of Cholera Vaccines

(NewsReady.com) – An alarming number of communities across the world do not have access to clean water. That has allowed cholera infections to run rampant. Now, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for an increase in vaccines to counteract the disease.

On March 20, the WHO issued a statement calling for the fast-tracking of vaccines for the deadly disease. The organization said that “[i]mmediate action is needed to stem an unprecedented multi-year upsurge” in cases across the globe. The International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision expressed the importance of investing in sanitation and hygiene, access to quality healthcare and safe water, and testing and detecting cholera outbreaks.

Cholera is a bacterial disease typically spread through contaminated water. A person who catches the disease can suffer from severe diarrhea that leads to dehydration. Even healthy people can die in as little as a few hours. Inadequate sanitation is often to blame for outbreaks.

According to the Mayo Clinic, people who have cholera might also experience an extreme amount of vomiting. That is especially true during the early stages of infection. Patients might also experience dry mouth, an irregular heartbeat, dizziness, irritability, extreme thirst, dry skin, and no urination.

The ICG manages the stockpile of cholera vaccines for the world. The organization includes the WHO, UNICEF, the International Federation of Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières, and Red Crescent Societies. The organization is asking donors, governments, partners, vaccine manufacturers, and communities to find ways to stop the spread of the deadly disease.

The WHO reported the countries most impacted by the outbreaks are Ethiopia, Somalia, Haiti, Congo, Syria, Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Without a solution to treat the water in those countries, people will continue to suffer from the outbreaks. The organization also blamed “climate-related factors, economic insecurity, conflict, and population displacement.” Efforts have been made to close the gaps between sanitation and safe water, but there’s a long way to go in other places.