Cholera swept our planet

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday that
Cholera outbreaks have increased after years of steady decline.
In the first nine months of this year, 26 countries in Africa and
Asia have reported cholera outbreaks. According to WHO, the
cholera outbreaks are larger and more deadly.
Major ongoing outbreaks are being reported from Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Nigeria,
according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
(ECDC).
An estimated 39,857 suspected cholera cases and 114 deaths have
been reported worldwide since August 24, 2022.
Countries reporting new cases since the previous update are
Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Malawi,
Mozambique, Nepal, Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria,
Zambia, Malawi, and Haiti.
In a typical year, cholera outbreaks are recorded in fewer than
20 countries.
On Sunday, the government of Haiti said that cholera had killed
at least eight individuals for the first time in 3 years.
Haiti's government announced that at least eight people have died
from cholera, raising concerns about a potentially fast-spreading
scenario and reviving memories of an epidemic that killed nearly
10,000 people a decade ago. https://t.co/JRn2L0eUSG
#Malawi has reported 3446 Cholera cases as of 27 September 2022.
@WHOMalawi rapidly responding to the #cholera outbreak by
supporting in surveillance, treatment, sensitizing communities
on prevention and treatment of #Cholera as well as hygiene,
sanitation & water purification. https://bit.ly/3SQj3vy
"After years of declining numbers, we are seeing a worrying upsurge
of cholera outbreaks around the globe over the past year," Philippe
Barboza, the WHO's team lead on cholera and epidemic diarrheal
diseases, told reporters in Geneva.
"Not only do we have more outbreaks, but the outbreaks themselves
are larger and more deadly," he added.
VOA News reported (https://bit.ly/3UZ2D5M):
While poverty and conflict are major triggers of cholera, climate
change is a growing threat.
Philippe Barboza, WHO team lead for Cholera and Epidemic Diarrheal
Diseases, said climate change presents an additional layer
of complexity and creates the conditions for cholera outbreaks
to explode.
"This is what we have seen in southern Africa with the succession
of cyclones that affected the eastern part of the African Coast,"
Barboza said (https://bit.ly/3RAk9KE).
"The drought in East Africa is driving population movements, reducing
access to water, which is already needed. So, of course, it is a key
factor, which is fueling the outbreak. And the same in Sahel and other
places."
Fifteen of the 26 cholera-infected countries are in Africa, according
to the WHO.
Barboza said massive climate-induced floods in Southeast Asia also
have resulted in large outbreaks of cholera in Pakistan and
Bangladesh. Many countries that have made significant progress
in controlling cholera are now back to square one, he added.
Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease caused by contaminated food
or water. It can kill within hours if left untreated. Cholera outbreaks
can be prevented by ensuring access to clean water, basic sanitation,
and hygiene, as well as stepping up surveillance and access to health
care, Barboza said.