The World Health Organization provides 14 countries with rapid diagnostic tests for cholera
Geneva, April 5, 2017 – The World Health Organization today announced the launch of the largest global deployment of rapid diagnostic tests for cholera, in cooperation with the Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), UNICEF, and other partners, where more than 1.2 million rapid diagnostic tests for cholera will be shipped to 14 countries. The first shipment will arrive today in Maulai.
The organization stated that this first official publication of tests will improve the timely detection and monitoring of the disease outbreak, in addition to the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns in response to the current disease outbreak and targeting future preventive vaccination efforts.
She pointed out that the countries that will be included in the distribution in the coming weeks are those currently severely affected by the outbreak of the cholera epidemic, such as Ethiopia, Somalia, Syria and Zambia, explaining that this program will work to improve the timing and accuracy of detecting the outbreak of the disease and responding to it by strengthening routine surveillance and testing capabilities and assisting in… Rapidly identifying potential cholera cases will also help countries monitor trends, build an evidence base for future prevention programs and support the achievement of national cholera control and elimination goals.
The World Health Organization stated that cholera has witnessed a global increase since 2021, with high death rates among infected cases despite the availability of simple, effective and affordable treatment, noting that the large number of outbreaks of the disease has led to an unprecedented demand for vaccines from affected countries. .
The World Health Organization reported that while the global supply of oral cholera vaccine increased eighteen-fold between 2013 and 2023, the significant and sustained rise in demand compared to currently available vaccines has put pressure on global stocks, which has caused a delay in preventive vaccination campaigns to maintain Doses needed for emergency outbreak response efforts.
The organization pointed out that the high rates of cholera infection are due to the continuing gaps in access to potable water and sanitation services and the failure to quickly detect the outbreak of the disease and limit its spread, in addition to the fact that affected communities are often unable to access basic health services. The situation is exacerbated by factors related to climate, conflict and population displacement.
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