Threats and outbreaks of cholera in Africa amidst COVID-19 pandemic: a double burden on Africa's health systems

Olivier Uwishema; Melody Okereke; Helen Onyeaka; Mohammad Mehedi Hasan; Deocles Donatus; Zebadiah Martin; Lawal Abdulwahab Oluwatomisin; Melissa Mhanna; Adesipe Olaoluwa Olumide; Jeffrey Sun; Irem Adanur

doi:10.1186/s41182-021-00376-2

Threats and outbreaks of cholera in Africa amidst COVID-19 pandemic: a double burden on Africa's health systems

Trop Med Health. 2021 Nov 24;49(1):93. doi: 10.1186/s41182-021-00376-2.

Authors

Olivier Uwishema^{1

2

3}, Melody Okereke⁴, Helen Onyeaka⁵, Mohammad Mehedi Hasan⁶, Deocles Donatus^{7

8}, Zebadiah Martin^{7

9}, Lawal Abdulwahab Oluwatomisin^{7

10}, Melissa Mhanna^{7

11}, Adesipe Olaoluwa Olumide^{7

12}, Jeffrey Sun^{13

14}, Irem Adanur^{7

15}

Affiliations

¹ Oli Health Magazine Organization, Research and Education, Kigali, Rwanda. [email protected].
² Clinton Global Initiative University, New York, USA. [email protected].
³ Faculty of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, 61080, Trabzon, Turkey. [email protected].
⁴ Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
⁵ School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
⁶ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Science, Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, Tangail, 1902, Bangladesh.
⁷ Oli Health Magazine Organization, Research and Education, Kigali, Rwanda.
⁸ University of Dar es salaam Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
⁹ Mbeya Zonal Consultant Hospital, Mbeya, Tanzania.
¹⁰ Department of Surgery, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara State, Nigeria.
¹¹ Faculty of Medicine, University of Saint Joseph Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
¹² Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Nigeria.
¹³ Clinton Global Initiative University, New York, USA.
¹⁴ Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
¹⁵ Faculty of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, 61080, Trabzon, Turkey.

Abstract

Every year, about 4 million cases and 143,000 deaths due to cholera are recorded globally, of which 54% were from Africa, reported in 2016. The outbreak and spread of cholera have risen exponentially particularly in Africa. Coupled with the recent emergence of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) in Africa, the local health systems are facing a double burden of these infectious diseases due to their cumulative impact. In this paper, we evaluate the dual impact of cholera and COVID-19 in Africa and suggest plausible interventions that can be put in place to cushion its impact.

Keywords: Africa; COVID-19; Cholera; Double burden; Health system; Pandemic.

Publication types

Letter