A taskforce of United Nations and international partner agencies is gearing up to launch an ambitious new strategy to combat cholera – aiming to reduce deaths by 90 per cent by 2030.
With an estimated 95,000 cholera-related deaths, and another 2.9 million more people affected annually, the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC), a diverse network of more than 50 UN and international agencies, academic institutions and others, has launched a ‘Ending Cholera: A Global Roadmap to 2030’, which pinpoints endemic ‘hotspots’ where predictable cholera outbreaks occur year after year.
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. Through its implementation, up to 20 affected countries could eliminate cholera by 2030.
Cholera disproportionally impacts communities already burdened by conflict, lack of infrastructure, poor health systems, and malnutrition. Protecting these communities before cholera strikes is significantly more cost-effective than continually responding to outbreaks. The introduction of the oral cholera vaccine has been a game-changer in the battle to control cholera – bridging the gap between emergency response and longer-term control.
The ‘Global Roadmap’ provides an effective mechanism to synchronize the efforts of countries, donors, and technical partners and underscores the need for a multi-sectoral approach to cholera control with country-level planning for early detection and response to outbreaks.
Ending Cholera—A Global Roadmap to 2030 operationalises the new global strategy for cholera control at the country level and provides a concrete path toward a world in which cholera is no longer a threat to public health.
By implementing the strategy between now and 2030, the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) partners will support countries to reduce cholera deaths by 90 percent. With the commitment of cholera-affected countries, technical partners, and donors, as many as 20 countries could eliminate disease transmission by 2030.
Objectives of GTFCC:
To support the design and implementation of global strategies to contribute to capacity development for cholera prevention and control globally.
To provide a forum for technical exchange, coordination, and cooperation on cholera-related activities to strengthen countries’ capacity to prevent and control cholera, especially those related to implementation of proven effective strategies and monitoring of progress, dissemination and implementation of technical guidelines, operational manuals, etc.
To support the development of a research agenda with special emphasis on evaluating innovative approaches to cholera prevention and control in affected countries.
To increase the visibility of cholera as an important global public health problem through integration and dissemination of information about cholera prevention and control, and conducting advocacy and resource mobilization activities to support cholera prevention and control at national, regional, and global levels.
