![]() ![]() Its use for emergency response is coordinated by the ICG which manages the global stockpile of oral cholera vaccines. The current supply of cholera vaccines is extremely limited. The benefit of supplying one dose still outweighs no doses: although the temporary interruption of the two-dose strategy will lead to a reduction and shortening of immunity, this decision will allow more people to be vaccinated and provide them protection in the near term, should the global cholera situation continue deteriorating. With a two-dose regimen, when the second dose is administrated within 6 months of the first, immunity against infection lasts for 3 years. The one-dose strategy has proven to be effective to respond to outbreaks, even though evidence on the exact duration of protection is limited, and protection appears to be much lower in children. The global trend is moving towards more numerous, more widespread and more severe outbreaks, due to floods, droughts, conflict, population movements and other factors that limit access to clean water and raise the risk of cholera outbreaks. In comparison, in the previous 5 years, fewer than 20 countries on average reported outbreaks. Since January this year, 29 countries have reported cholera cases, including Haiti, Malawi and Syria which are facing large outbreaks. The pivot in strategy will allow for the doses to be used in more countries, at a time of unprecedented rise in cholera outbreaks worldwide. Geneva/New York, 19 October 2022 - A strained global supply of cholera vaccines has obliged the International Coordinating Group (ICG)-the body which manages emergency supplies of vaccines-to temporarily suspend the standard two-dose vaccination regimen in cholera outbreak response campaigns, using instead a single-dose approach. To arrange an interview, get access to audio-visuals, or for more information, contact: The IFRC have launched emergency appeals multiple times this year to support Red Cross Red Crescent activities across the region for the humanitarian issues arising from the floods, with a focus on immediate needs like providing shelters, relief and medical care. ![]() Not to mention devastating impacts to livestock, agriculture, shelter repairs and further increasing economic hardships, eventually preventing them from heading back to lead normal lives.” “These unmoving waters pose a huge hindrance to communities relocating back to their homes, and therefore prolongs displacement. People have nowhere to go and are forced to live in dangerous conditions. "Across the length and breadth of Asia, our health and relief teams are reporting severe repercussions of stagnating waters. “Our teams across the region are reporting grave concerns for communities now facing the often-unseen crisis that follows in the wake of such devastating floods. This also poses the threat of being infected with COVID-19, as evacuation sites are often crowded and without proper ventilation.Īlexander Matheou, IFRC’s Asia Pacific Regional Director, said: Some areas, especially in South Asia, reported that the water took almost two months to subside, while most took weeks. Emergency shelters have had to be relocated numerous times due to rising waters. ![]() Many people have resorted to staying longer in shelters than usual. Even if some volume of the water dissipates, torrential rain continues, and the waters rise again. “Prolonged water stagnation also causes lasting damage to water supplies and infrastructure, threatening the health of communities long into the future.”įlood waters bring in substantial amounts of dirt and garbage into homes, schools, and infrastructure. If left unattended to, this will trigger surges in infectious diseases. “Stagnation of water, muck and mud following floods is a thriving breeding ground for mosquitoes, bacteria, and other harmful organisms. Joy Singhal, IFRC’s Regional Head, Health, Disasters, Climate and Crisis, said: Many weeks later, the flood waters have not receded. Moreover, this number only includes records from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Lao, and Cambodia.Įrratic and early rains triggered often unprecedented floods, damaging homes, livestock, infrastructure and more. This year's monsoon season in the region saw more than 42 million people being severely hit by floods, landslides, and torrential rains since August. Men, women, and children are being forced to live out their day-to-day lives in dirty, stagnated water, and are at risk of deadly diseases such as malaria, dengue, cholera, and diarrhoea, not to mention long-term harmful effects to their bodies. Kuala Lumpur, 27 October 2022 – After unprecedented floods continue to hit many parts of Asia, dangerous un-subsiding flood waters are now the crisis, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warns. ![]()
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