Attachments
Executive Summary
Cholera which disproportionally impacts poor countries and the most vulnerable continues to affect at least 47 countries across the globe, resulting in an estimated 1.3 – 4 million cases, and 21,000 - 143,000 deaths per year worldwide. In Ethiopia, despite major improvements seen in the increasing access to healthcare, clean water, and improvement in maternal and child health, the country continues to be significantly affected by cholera outbreaks. From 2015 – 2021 for example, several outbreaks of cholera have occurred in multiple parts of the country resulting in over 105,000 cases and thousands of deaths. Some of the risk factors associated with cholera in Ethiopia include inadequate access to clean water, practice of open defecation, poor household and environmental sanitation, unhygienic latrine and weak sanitation practise among communities.
While preparedness and response efforts largely driven by the health sector have usually been successful in controlling cholera outbreaks, they have failed to comprehensively address the root cause of the repeated outbreaks. This missing link with other sectors has resulted in recurrent outbreaks. Cognizant of this weak link with other sectors and the need for a coordinated and multi- sectorial effort for the control of cholera, Ethiopia, along with other WHO Member States, passed a resolution at the 71st World Health Assembly in 2018, committing to the Global Roadmap for the Control and Elimination of Cholera. The Global Roadmap to 2030 aims to achieve the overall objective of reducing the mortality resulting from cholera by 90% by 2030 through strong commitment from all stakeholders.
In line with the Global Roadmap for the Control and Elimination of Cholera, Ethiopia has prepared its National Cholera Elimination Plan - NCP (2021 – 2028) with aims to achieve interruption of cholera cases (zero cases) in cholera hotspot areas by 2028. The NCP was prepared through the collaborative efforts of several line ministries in addition to the Ministry of Health, governmental agencies and organisation, health and WASH partners, and donors. In addition to reviewing past responses to outbreaks, the process of designing the NCP also included analysis of the current situation in Ethiopia along with existing opportunities and threats, while also reviewing existing strategies and programs for alignment and better synergy.
The NCP is based on the six main pillars of intervention in line with those identified by the Global Roadmap which are: Leadership and Coordination, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Surveillance and Reporting, Use of Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV), Healthcare System Strengthening, and Community Engagement.