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By Blessing David
The World Health Organization is set to conduct a hybrid training for health professionals following the need of integrating the oral cholera vaccine (OCV) as option for emergency and preventive cholera outbreak in endemic countries.
The training which aligns with ‘Ending Cholera: A global Road Map to 2030, is intended for individuals that will be involved in the planning and implementation of OCV campaigns.
WHO in a statement signed by Rebecca Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa. said the road map launched in 2017 targets a 90% reduction in cholera deaths by 2030 and the elimination of cholera in at least 20 countries out of the 47 currently affected.
“The increasing use of oral cholera vaccines to complete other interventions including water, sanitation and hygiene, for prevention and control of cholera outbreaks, is additional achievement in humanity walk toward vaccine equity and universal health coverage.
She stated that the capacity building workshop will strengthen the health systems in implementing high-quality OCV activities. Just as countries are to plan OCV campaigns in targeted cholera hotspots as a component of their National Cholera Control Plan (NCP).
The workshop is designed to address the associated lack of human resources knowledgeable about OCV by building awareness and practical skills on developing an emergency and preventive OCV campaign request, including how to identify areas in an active outbreak to target OCV as a control intervention and how to identify hotspots to prevent cholera outbreaks as part of a multi-year OCV plan, WHO stated.
According to the statement,WHO African Region Member States, including Nigeria, have experienced several cholera outbreaks characterized by high case fatality rates and vaccination against cholera are increasingly used as additional control measures for the prevention and the control of cholera outbreaks since 2013.
According to WHO, the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) is a global network of organizations that brings together partners involved in the fight against cholera across all sectors, offering an effective country-driven platform that promotes a multi-sectoral, well-coordinated approach and as well provides a framework to support countries in intensifying efforts to control cholera
