To take steps to eliminate Cholera the first priority would be to focus on prevention of infection and spread of the disease. According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC) it is essential that families make sure to use clean water when cooking food, washing their hands, and practicing personal hygiene. Additionally, it is important to wash your hands with soap and water multiple times a day. Another recommendation that the CDC makes is to defecate in a latrine or to bury feces. Defecating in any body of water can cause contamination and potentially result in outbreak. Finally, it is important to cook food thoroughly, and to clean and wipe down the spaces where food was prepared. By taking these steps there is a less likely chance that Cholera will be spread (8).
However, it is important to remember that in certain areas, carrying out these practices is not always easy or possible.
As previously outlined, Cholera can be transmitted through contaminated food and water. Furthermore, the bacteria can be present in the feces of an contaminated individual and sometimes in river or stream water. This is why it is essential to practice good hygiene, especially hand washing (9).
The most important aspect of treating Cholera is rehydration. IV fluids can be essential to restoring a patient’s health. Additionally, there is a vaccine that can help to prevent Cholera for up to three years. However, this vaccine is not 100% effective and therefore, it has not been effective in eradicate the disease.
Similar to other illnesses, the goal of World Health Organization (WHO) and the CDC is to reduce the prevalence of Cholera by 90%. However, the challenge of this is the monetary value and resources needed to eliminate the disease from high risk regions.
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A study found that Cholera creates a severe economic burden annually. With the cost of treatment, loss of productivity, and loss of life it was determined that 2 billion dollars are spent annually fighting the disease and its effects.
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According to another article the cost of the Cholera vaccine per dose is $1.85. Furthermore, it is estimated that over 10 years it would require 1.1 billion dollars to eliminate Cholera from hotspot regions. When all investments and costs are considered, globally there could be a 50% savings of funds if there was an active investment to start eliminating Cholera right now.
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It is paramount to mention that if the global water crisis was addressed, the US and other nations would see a massive increase in savings. Currently there is an annual economic loss from sanitation and water situations of 80 billion dollars. If there was an investment to attain universal water supply and sanitation, then the annual benefit globally would be 220 billion dollars. This monetary value does not even take into account the economic growth that would be seen from areas that previously have not had consistent and clean water sources (7, 10).