Africa has a higher proportion of reported cholera deaths than other parts of the world.
- All oral vaccines in production through March have already been reserved.
- More than 10 of the 16 countries affected by vaccine shortages are in Africa.
- Vaccine shortages have recently become an issue, forcing an international coordinating group to propose a single-dose vaccination instead of two.
The world's stockpile of oral cholera vaccines has been depleted, and 16 countries, mostly in Africa, are suffering from waterborne disease outbreaks.
Public health experts are now urging manufacturers to speed up production as soon as possible.
Dr. Daniela Garrone, MSF's international medical coordinator, said the vaccine shortage had a “direct impact on Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) teams responding to an extraordinary number of cholera outbreaks, including in Ethiopia, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe.” “It's having an impact,” he said.
Africa continues to have a higher proportion of reported cholera deaths than other parts of the world.
According to Save the Children, cholera cases more than quadrupled in Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique from 2022 to 2023.
The number of cases rose from 26,250 to more than 95,300, and more than 1,600 people died in three countries, making it one of the worst cholera outbreaks in decades.
Cholera is also endemic in Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Burundi, Cameroon, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Nigeria.
Vaccines currently being manufactured are already being claimed.
“All production through mid-March has already been allocated, and the demand for doses continues to increase,” Garrone said.
she said:
Even now, we are eager for more manufacturers to come on board and urgently produce oral cholera vaccines, and new manufacturers need more technical support to speed up the regulatory process and expand production capacity. It is essential that it be provided.
This shortage has recently become an issue, forcing the International Coordination Group (ICG) to propose a single-dose rather than two-dose vaccine supply in 2022.
This temporary measure was aimed at expanding supplies. But the world is in a similar predicament, with no new manufacturers approved.
Garrone believes this is a disappointment for communities who are at greater risk.
“The lack of vaccines means that people and entire communities remain vulnerable to cholera,” she said.
She added:
We are very concerned that without a vaccine to respond to a local outbreak, or to prevent an outbreak in the first place, we would be at much higher risk of contracting a preventable disease and potentially dying. I'm concerned.
“We are extremely concerned that without a vaccine to respond to community outbreaks or prevent them from occurring in the first place, people will be at a much higher risk of contracting preventable diseases and potentially dying. Masu.”
The current outbreak of cholera is linked to forced displacement that is causing humanitarian crises in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Somalia.
In countries such as Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia, outbreaks have been linked to factors such as poor public infrastructure, such as drafts, flooding and clean water supply systems exacerbated by failing public health systems.
News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hans Seidel Foundation. Articles produced through Africa Desk, and the opinions and statements contained herein, do not reflect the opinions and statements of the Hans His Seidel Foundation.
