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Cholera Vaccine Shortage Cripples Africa's Defence

Somalia is grappling with a devastating cholera outbreak, with Save the Children reporting over 54 deaths in recent months, marking the highest weekly death toll of 2024. This surge follows a year that already saw a significant health crisis, with Somalia recording more than 18,300 cholera cases in 2023. The outbreak is a direct consequence of the severe flooding that ravaged Somalia in October and November of 2023.

The International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision has issued a call for immediate action to address an unprecedented surge in cholera cases worldwide. Since 2021, the situation has seen reported cases more than double from the previous year, with preliminary data for 2023 indicating further increases. The rise in cholera is attributed to persistent gaps in access to safe water and sanitation, exacerbated by climate-related factors, economic insecurity, conflict, and population displacement. Severely impacted countries include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

However, the global stockpile of vaccines faces severe shortages, requiring a shift to a one-dose regimen to cope with demand. The group said that manufacturers must be "fast-tracked" to increase production capacity, ensuring affordable access to vaccines. 

InFocus

WHO-AFRO

(file photo).

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