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WHO: More vaccines set to boost fight against cholera
07.07.2015 08:02 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) —
Efforts to bring cholera deaths down to zero have been stepped up worldwide amid news that disease levels are unchanged, UN Radio says referring to the WHO (UN World Health Organization) report issued on Mon.
As to the report, conflict and displacement has fuelled the spread of the water-borne disease in countries such as South Sudan and Tanzania.
However, WHO says it now wins the public health battle in endemic hotspots and emergency situations, thanks largely to a big rise in the number of vaccines available.
It is to be admitted, cholera is a horrible disease that can kill without prompt treatment; its an acute intestinal infection caused by contaminated food or water.
The WHO report shows that there were more than 140,000 reported cases of cholera globally and more than 2,000 deaths in 2014.
Reportedly, there were major outbreaks in Haiti, Ghana, South Sudan, India and Bangladesh.
But the UN agency believes its made real progress in stopping the disease in its tracks, by massively increasing the amount of oral cholera vaccine (OCV) available.
As to the report, until the late 1990s the vaccine was mainly available just to tourists.
But in 2015, WHO expects for three million vaccines to be on hand, with funding from UN partner the GAVI Alliance to be provided.
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