The World Health Organization (WHO) African Region website provides comprehensive information on cholera outbreaks across the continent. In 2024, 14 countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, experienced significant outbreaks, with these three nations categoriz...ed as being in acute crisis.
The site offers access to Monthly Regional Cholera Bulletins, such as the May 2024 edition, which details the status of outbreaks, affected countries, and response measures.
Additionally, the website emphasizes the importance of coordinated responses to cholera outbreaks, highlighting efforts to enhance surveillance, provide medical supplies, and implement vaccination campaigns in high-risk areas.
Overall, the WHO African Region's cholera page serves as a vital resource for understanding the scope of cholera outbreaks and the ongoing initiatives to control and prevent the disease across the continent.
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UNICEF reports that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is experiencing its most severe cholera outbreak in six years, with over 31,000 suspected or confirmed cases and 230 deaths in the first seven months of 2023. The North Kivu province is particularly affected, recording more than 21,400 c...ases, including over 8,000 children under five—a sixfold increase compared to all of 2022. The surge is attributed to escalating conflict and displacement in eastern DRC, leading to overcrowded camps with inadequate water and sanitation facilities, creating conditions conducive to cholera transmission. UNICEF emphasizes the urgent need for improved access to clean water, sanitation, and healthcare to prevent further spread of the disease.
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MSF often responds to outbreaks of cholera in the countries we work. But how do we set up our cholera treatment centres to ensure our patients get the best care possible - and that the disease doesn't spread? Learn more about the layout and activities of an MSF cholera treatment centre in this inter...active guide.
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The "Hygiene Awareness Manual" focuses on promoting improved hygiene practices within communities, emphasizing personal and household hygiene, water safety, and environmental health. It highlights the importance of handwashing, oral hygiene, and maintaining cleanliness of the skin and clothing as ke...y aspects of personal and family hygiene. Specific practices such as regular bathing and wearing clean clothes are also emphasized.
For household hygiene, the manual provides guidance on safe food preparation and storage, as well as keeping living spaces, kitchens, and latrines clean to prevent contamination. It also addresses water safety, emphasizing the need to store water in clean containers, treat it for safe consumption, and dispose of wastewater properly to avoid environmental contamination.
The manual underscores the significance of balanced nutrition and food safety, offering guidelines for cooking and preserving food to reduce health risks. It also delves into disease prevention, explaining the causes and transmission of waterborne and hygiene-related diseases, such as cholera and dysentery, and outlining effective methods to prevent them through proper sanitation and hygiene.
This comprehensive guide serves as a practical resource for community health workers and households, aiming to foster better hygiene practices, prevent diseases, and enhance overall health and well-being.
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For several years, agencies supporting preparedness and response to cholera outbreaks have supplied medicines and medical devices through the Interagency Diarrhoeal Disease Kits (IDDK).
In an effort to better align the presentation and content of the kits to field needs, the composition of the ch...olera kits has been reviewed by WHO and its partners in 2015 and again in 2020. The content of all modules have been slightly revised with no changes except for the cholera laboratory check list.
The revised cholera kits 2020 are designed to help prepare for a potential cholera outbreak and to support the first month of the initial response for 100 cases. The overall package consists of six different kits, each divided in several modules.
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The poster deals with the hygienic handling of food by manufacturers to prevent a possible cholera infection and its further spread.
The document focuses on providing access to clean water and educating people about cholera, including its causes, symptoms, and prevention. It discusses the impact of cholera outbreaks, particularly in the Middle East, and highlights the importance of sanitation, hygiene, and proper water treatment ...to prevent the spread of the disease. The text also emphasizes the need for public awareness campaigns and emergency response efforts to mitigate cholera’s effects on vulnerable communities.
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The document "Asenisman ak Pwòprete pou Youn Anviwonman Sèn" focuses on sanitation, hygiene, and environmental cleanliness to promote public health. It provides guidelines and best practices for maintaining clean surroundings, proper waste disposal, and access to safe water. The document emphasize...s disease prevention by improving sanitation infrastructure and encouraging community participation. It serves as an educational resource for hygiene promotion and environmental health initiatives.
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Response to the Periodic EpidemicThe document "Zanzibar's Victory Against Cholera Epidemic" details the successful efforts taken by Zanzibar to control and eliminate cholera outbreaks. It highlights the strategies implemented, including improved water and sanitation infrastructure, public health cam...paigns, vaccination programs, and rapid response measures. The report emphasizes community engagement, government commitment, and international partnerships as key factors in combating the disease. Zanzibar's experience serves as a model for other regions facing similar public health challenges, demonstrating that sustained efforts in hygiene, disease surveillance, and emergency preparedness can effectively control cholera epidemics.
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The PDF "COLERA: Informação para Promotores de Saúde" provides essential guidance for health promoters and activists on cholera. It explains that cholera is characterized by severe watery diarrhea, often resembling rice water, and sometimes vomiting. If not treated promptly, it can lead to death ...within hours. The disease affects both adults and children and spreads through contaminated feces, poor hygiene, and unsafe water or food. To prevent cholera, the document emphasizes the importance of drinking treated or safe water, cooking food thoroughly and keeping it covered, washing hands with soap or ash after using the latrine and before handling food, and using proper latrines or sanitary facilities. It also highlights the role of vaccination, recommending the oral cholera vaccine "Shanchol," which requires two doses 2–3 weeks apart. The vaccine is suitable for individuals over one year old, including pregnant women, and has minimal side effects such as mild abdominal pain or diarrhea. This resource aims to empower health promoters with practical knowledge to prevent and manage cholera outbreaks effectively.
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The document focuses on household water treatment methods to ensure access to safe drinking water, particularly in areas with limited access to clean water sources. It highlights the importance of safe water, noting that contaminated water is a major cause of waterborne diseases such as diarrhea and... cholera. Treating water at the household level is emphasized as an effective way to reduce health risks.
The document outlines several treatment methods, including boiling, which kills most pathogens; chlorination, which disinfects water by adding chlorine; filtration, which removes dirt and certain microbes using simple or advanced filters; and solar disinfection (SODIS), which involves exposing water in clear plastic bottles to sunlight for several hours to kill microbes. Additionally, it stresses the importance of safe water storage, such as using clean and covered containers to prevent recontamination, and practicing good hygiene, including regular handwashing and maintaining cleanliness around water sources.
By promoting these methods, the document aims to raise awareness and provide practical solutions for improving water quality at the household level, thereby reducing the spread of diseases and enhancing public health.
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This core package of materials provides a comprehensive introduction to the FAST strategy: a focused approach to stopping TB spread in congregate settings. In English, FAST stands for:
Finding TB cases
Actively,
Separating safely, and
Treating effectively.
FAST focuses health care workers on ...the most important TB transmission control intervention: effective treatment.
FAST can also be extrapolated to national policy where it serves as a framework for allocating resources to interventions that will have the greatest impact on reducing TB transmission.
This core package is composed of a booklet, job aids, posters, and a button which serves as a visual reminder to staff and patients of the importance of this strategy in TB control. FAST can be implemented in both general and TB specific medical settings.
For full package visit: https://drtbnetwork.org/fast-tb-infection-control-strategy-core-package
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This core package of materials provides a comprehensive introduction to the FAST strategy: a focused approach to stopping TB spread in congregate settings. In English, FAST stands for:
Finding TB cases
Actively,
Separating safely, and
Treating effectively.
FAST focuses health care w...orkers on the most important TB transmission control intervention: effective treatment.
FAST can also be extrapolated to national policy where it serves as a framework for allocating resources to interventions that will have the greatest impact on reducing TB transmission.
This core package is composed of a booklet, job aids, posters, and a button which serves as a visual reminder to staff and patients of the importance of this strategy in TB control. FAST can be implemented in both general and TB specific medical settings.
For full package visit: https://drtbnetwork.org/fast-tb-infection-control-strategy-core-package
more
This core package of materials provides a comprehensive introduction to the FAST strategy: a focused approach to stopping TB spread in congregate settings. In English, FAST stands for:
Finding TB cases
Actively,
Separating safely, and
Treating effectively.
FAST focuses health care workers on ...the most important TB transmission control intervention: effective treatment.
FAST can also be extrapolated to national policy where it serves as a framework for allocating resources to interventions that will have the greatest impact on reducing TB transmission.
This core package is composed of a booklet, job aids, posters, and a button which serves as a visual reminder to staff and patients of the importance of this strategy in TB control. FAST can be implemented in both general and TB specific medical settings.
For full package visit: https://drtbnetwork.org/fast-tb-infection-control-strategy-core-package
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Une liste de contrôle pour le nettoyage et la décontamination des terminaux destinés aux établissements de soins pour les patients atteints d'Ebola doit inclure le nettoyage et la désinfection minutieux de toutes les surfaces, l'élimination et le traitement approprié des articles contaminés,... ainsi que la désinfection de l'ensemble de la zone, y compris les endroits difficiles d'accès, à l'aide de méthodes et de produits appropriés.
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Trailer zum Dokumentarfilm über den Kampf gegen Chagas, eine tödliche Krankheit, die weltweit 6-7 Millionen Infizierte bedroht. Inklusive Interviews mit internationalen Experten und einem Besuch in Argentinien, wo eine Koalition von Ärzten, mobilen medizinischen Einsatz- und Aufklärungsteams sow...ohl die Landbevölkerung, die kaum Zugang zur richtigen Diagnose, Behandlung und Medizin hat, als auch Stadtbewohner untersucht und versorgt.
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THIS LEAFLET AIMS AT GUIDING YOU THROUGH THE VERY FIRST DAYS OF AN OUTBREAK
WHO has developed standardized health kits of medicines and medical supplies to meet different health needs in humanitarian emergencies and disasters.
These kits are developed to provide reliable and affordable medicines and supplies quickly to those in need. The kits are used by United Nations age...ncies, nongovernmental organizations and national governments.
Based primarily on WHO’s Essential Medicines list and guidelines on treatment of specific medical conditions, the contents of the kits are frequently reviewed and updated to adapt to changing needs based on experience in emergency situations.
A certain number of kits are prepositioned in strategic locations to be mobilized quickly in times of need. Long term agreements with suppliers are also in place to ensure rapid shipment wherever needed.
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La atención concedida a la equidad en la Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible obliga a encontrar nuevas formas de ampliar progresivamente los servicios a las poblaciones que no los reciben. Las alianzas satisfactorias entre el sector encargado del suministro de agua, el saneamiento y la higien...e (WASH, por su sigla en inglés) y los programas de lucha contra las enfermedades tropicales desatendidas (ETD) pueden contribuir a lograr esta aspiración. Sin embargo, colaborar para encontrar juntos esas nuevas formas, exige nuevos modos de pensar. En esta edición corregida se presenta un conjunto de herramientas para ayudar a los países y los programas de lucha contra la ETD a colaborar con la comunidad relacionada con las acciones de agua, saneamiento e higiene, y guía en la creación de alianzas, en la movilización de recursos y en el diseño, la aplicación y la evaluación de las intervenciones. Más que una guía de “buenas prácticas”, se trata de un conjunto de herramientas basadas en la experiencia adquirida en la realidad de un programa.
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