Cholera vaccine

Why in News?

• Recently, African countries are facing Cholera vaccine shortage, that is a looming threat amid increasing cholera cases in the region.

Highlights

• There have been 27,300 new cases of cholera including 687 deaths in five African countries.
• The WHO (World Health Organization) has said Climate Change could make cholera epidemics more common, as the bacteria that causes the disease can reproduce more quickly in warmer water.
• It Is a life-threatening infectious disease and a public health hazard.
• Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
• The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but sometimes can be severe
• Profuse watery diarrhoea, Vomiting, Leg cramps
• A person may get cholera by drinking water or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacterium.
• The disease can spread rapidly in areas with inadequate treatment of sewage and drinking water.
• Currently there are three WHO pre-qualified Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV), Dukoral, Shanchol, and Euvichol-Plus.
• All three vaccines require two doses for full protection.
• a global roadmap to 2030, with a target to reduce cholera deaths by 90% was launched in 2017.
•  WHO revitalized the Global Task Force for Cholera Control (GTFCC) to strengthen WHO’s work in eradicating cholera.
• The purpose of the GTFCC Is to support increased implementation of evidence-based strategies to control cholera.