Pandemic Killing the Poor: UN Warns That 1 Billion People Are Threatened by Cholera

By Staff, Agencies

The United Nations warned that “One billion people across 43 countries are at risk of cholera – a pandemic killing the poor– despite prevention and treatment being relatively simple.

Cholera is contracted from a bacterium that is generally transmitted through contaminated food or water. It causes diarrhea and vomiting, is especially dangerous for young children, and can kill within hours. Yet, it can be treated with simple oral rehydration or antibiotics for more severe cases.

Between the World Health Organization and the children's agency UNICEF, the UN is seeking $640 million to fight the infectious disease, warning of a "cholera catastrophe" if action is not ramped up immediately.

“WHO estimates that a billion people across 43 countries are at risk of cholera,” said Henry Gray, the UN health agency's incident manager for the global cholera response.

The UN branded the outlook bleak, saying it did not have the resources to fight the outbreaks, and the longer it took to start waging the battle, the worse the situation could get.

So far this year, 24 countries have reported cholera outbreaks, compared to 15 by mid-May last year. Countries that are not usually affected by cholera are being affected, and case fatality rates are far exceeding the typical one in 100.

Gray blamed the rise in cases on poverty, conflict, and climate change, as well as the population displacements they trigger, which take people away from safer sources of food and water, as well as from medical support.