Attachments
Context
Reported cases of cholera have steadily increased in Tanganyika province over the past year, with particular hotspots in Moba, Nyemba and Kalemie health zones1 .
Many communities in these health zones live on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, on which they depend for transport and trade, as well as for fishing, washing clothes and collecting water for drinking and cooking.
Exposure to and use of contaminated water sources are known risk factors for cholera transmission. However, many of the underlying causes of cholera outbreaks and transmission are context-specific and strongly influenced by specific community dynamics and capacities to adopt preventive behaviours.
Since early 2022, the Integrated Analysis Cell (CAI) has conducted operational research to explore the underlying factors contributing to these high number of cholera cases in selected health zones in Tanganyika, and to provide a holistic analysis of the socio-behavioural and environmental context. The results of this research have been shared with the Ministry of Health, and cholera, WASH and health actors operating in the affected areas to inform the development of recommendations and actions for more effective and targeted programming. During this period, the CAI also supported the national Case Area Targeted Intervention (CATI) programme against cholera, through post-intervention monitoring to analyse the impact and sustainability of the intervention for target households. Applying an Integrated Analytics approach, this report provides a meta-synthesis of the operational research, focusing on outcomes specifically relevant to WASH, cholera, emergency and community engagement stakeholders in Tanganyika province and at the national level.