EDITORIAL - Cholera outbreaks

The inadequacy of water and sanitation facilities in this country is highlighted by the prevalence of cholera. Latest data from the Department of Health showed that 773 cholera cases have been recorded this year in different parts of the country as of March 11. Since 2023 until March 31 this year, the DOH recorded 3,756 cholera cases, with 19 deaths.

Last year, the Philippines was the only country in the Western Pacific, and one of only 30 in the world, that recorded cholera and acute water disease outbreaks, according to the Global Cholera and AWD Dashboard of the World Health Organization. The cholera bacterium produces a toxin in the small intestine that causes the body’s secretion of massive amounts of water, leading to diarrhea and the loss of electrolytes at such a rapid pace it can lead to death.

The spread of the bacteria, which usually enters the body through contaminated water or food, is facilitated by unsafe water and sanitation. Cholera has largely disappeared in advanced economies, where water and sanitation facilities are adequate and so developed it’s safe to drink water straight from the tap, and even from public drinking fountains. In the Philippines, no cholera cases were reported for over 25 years from shortly before and after World War II, until the disease resurfaced in 1961.

Recent outbreaks reported mostly in developing countries and in areas of conflict have raised concern in the WHO, with the actual cases likely to be much higher. Preliminary figures of the WHO show 708,200 cholera cases worldwide in 2023, with over 4,300 deaths. This is a jump from the official figures for 2022, with 472,697 recorded cases and 2,349 deaths.

There is a vaccine for cholera, but there is currently a global shortage. Regular handwashing and proper hygiene are among the basic health practices recommended for preventing infection. This is a challenge, however, in countries including the Philippines where millions still draw water from artesian wells and defecate outdoors due to the absence of modern sanitation facilities. Until this lack, which has persisted for decades, is sufficiently addressed, cholera will remain a deadly threat.