Executive Director of icddr,b’s Prof John D Clemens attended the launching ceremony of an ambitious new strategy to reduce deaths from cholera by 90% by 2030 yesterday , says a press release.
The initiative was launched by the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC), a diverse network of more than 50 UN and international agencies, academic institutions, and NGOs that supports countries affected by the disease.
Globally, cholera kills an estimated 95,000 people per year and affects 2.9 million more. The map of cholera outbreaks is essentially the same as a map of poverty and marginalization. Cholera doesn’t happen by chance: it inordinately impacts communities already burdened by conflict, lack of infrastructure, poor health systems, and malnutrition.
The GTFCC’s new plan, Ending Cholera: A Global Roadmap to 2030, recognizes that cholera spreads in endemic “hotspots” where predictable outbreaks of the disease occur year after year. Focusing on the 47 countries affected by cholera today, the GTFCC partners will support countries to reduce cholera deaths by 90% by 2030.
The Global Roadmap aims to align resources, share best practice and strengthen partnerships between affected countries, donors and international agencies. It underscores the need for a coordinated approach to cholera control with country-level planning for early detection and response to outbreaks. By implementing the Roadmap, up to 20 affected countries could eliminate cholera by 2030.
While speaking at the launching event which took place in Annecy, France Prof. Clemens said, “icddr,b is the winner of this year’s Hilton Humanitarian Award 2017, since its inception icddr,b has dedicated its work to saving lives and finding innovative low cost, and scalable solutions to diarrhoeal disease. The creation of oral rehydration solution, use of zinc and the use of oral cholera vaccine are game changers in the fight against diarrheal diseases, including cholera, and icddr,b remains committed and ready for the challenge of this new ‘global roadmap’ to end cholera.” Speaking on the countries in crisis he added, “Countries in crisis are left with compromised water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and are susceptible to cholera outbreaks, ” icddr,b is responding to the world’s worst cholera outbreak in Yemen by providing expert training to a team of Yemeni health professionals on cholera management at icddr,b’s Dhaka Hospital and icddr,b is also providing technical advice to the government of Bangladesh and NGOs to develop an effective response to the plight of the Rohingya population and the humanitarian crisis created by their exodus from Myanmar.”
The Global Roadmap provides an effective mechanism to synchronize the efforts of countries, donors, and technical partners. It is the first time governments, the World Health Organization, aid agencies and donors have made such a pledge.
