GENEVA, Switzerland (CMC) – The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a significant drop in cholera cases in Haiti, saying that international action to drive down cholera led to a 60 per cent decrease in cases worldwide in 2018, compared with the previous year.

This points to what the UN agency described as “an encouraging trend” in prevention and control in major cholera hotspots such as Haiti, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

“The decrease we are seeing in several major cholera-endemic countries demonstrates the increased engagement of countries in global efforts to slow and prevent cholera outbreaks and shows the vital role of mass cholera vaccination campaigns,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection which is caused by ingesting contaminated food or water.

It can kill within hours if left untreated, said WHO, stating that data from 34 countries shows there were nearly 500,000 cases in 2018, while nearly 3,000 people died from the disease.

Although outbreaks are still occurring in various countries, WHO said the figures represent “a significant downward trend” which has carried over to the current year.

The organisation believes the decline is the result of massive vaccination programmes, adding that 11 countries received nearly 18 million doses of oral cholera vaccine in 2018, funded by the vaccine alliance, GAVI.

However, to defeat cholera long-term, WHO stressed the need to increase access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation.