Cholera outbreak: What you need to know about the disease, its spread and a potential action plan to fight the nationwide outbreak
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Date
2023
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)
Sponsorship
Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)
Abstract
This webinar was presented on 14 August 2023. Safe, high-quality drinking water is an essential aspect of public health. Despite the fact that water is a necessity of human life, about 20% of the world’s population lacks safe drinking water. In South Africa, approximately 3 million people do not have access to potable water supply and 14 million people are deprived of safe sanitation services.
Water quality is an acute problem, especially for developing nations. In these countries, up to 90% of the cities discharge their untreated sewage into rivers and streams. These surface waters in turn may be used for drinking and personal sanitation purposes. The unsanitary water supplies found in many of these densely populated areas foster the spread of gastrointestinal illnesses and serious infectious diseases that contribute greatly to the burden of morbidity and mortality.
On 21 May 2023, the health department in Gauteng declared a cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, an area about 50 kilometres north of its administrative capital Pretoria, in the City of Tshwane. Cholera is defined as an infectious and often fatal bacterial disease of the small intestine, typically contracted from infected water supplies. Vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and immunocompromised patients (e.g., those who are undergoing chemotherapy, taking steroids, or afflicted with HIV/AIDS) are at special risk of diseases caused by water contamination.
This webinar aimed to:
• Inform the public about cholera and the current status of the outbreak.
• To discuss the implications of the outbreak on Sustainable Development Goal 6: Access to Water and Sanitation for all.
• Outline an action plan to fight the nationwide cholera outbreak.
Description
MP4 video, Size: 746 MB (782 849 130 bytes); Duration: 01:32:37
Contributor ORCIDs
Ubomba-Jaswa, Eunice
; Page, Nicola ; Cloete, Eugene ; Singh, Jerome DOI
Citation
Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf), (2023). Cholera outbreak: What you need to know about the disease, its spread and a potential action plan to fight the nationwide outbreak. [Online] Available at: https://youtu.be/Al-0wFenwuw
Peer review status
Non-Peer Reviewed