Francesca Rome-Marie on What You Need to Know the Cholera Outbreak

On October 6, 2022, the Public Health Ministry of Lebanon notified WHO about two cholera cases in the northern part of the country, the first outbreak of the disease in the region since 1993. As of October 13, 18 points and two probable deaths have been confirmed. The outbreak could overwhelm the country’s already fragile health system. Here is everything you need to know about the cholera outbreak.

Incident Overview

The MoPH notified WHO about the two cases of cholera, which were confirmed by a culture test reported from the Akkar and North regions of Lebanon. One of the patients had been admitted to a hospital on October 1. After a possible link to the outbreak, a 47-year-old health worker was also diagnosed with cholera. This case represents the first instance of healthcare-associated infection in the outbreak.

After the first two cases were confirmed, active case finding in the settlement where the index case resided occurred, which led to the discovery of 10 more cases. On October 9, the positive cultures of cholera were confirmed. The bacteria were found in various sources, such as sewage, water, and irrigation. Water samples taken from multiple areas, such as Ain Mraisseh, Mount Lebanon, and the Ghadir station, were also tested and confirmed the presence of the bacteria. This indicates that the outbreak has spread to other regions of the country.

What is Cholera?

Drinking water contaminated with the bacteria vibrio cholerae can lead to an acute form of cholera. It can be transmitted to people through contaminated food or water. The disease can also affect children and adults. It can be fatal if left untreated. The main factors contributing to the spread of cholera are poor sanitation facilities and inadequate access to clean water.

The incubation period for cholera is usually between 12 hours and five days after consuming contaminated food or water. This short period can lead to the rapid development of the disease.

Cholera is a relatively easy-to-treat disease. Most people infected with it can be treated with an oral rehydration solution. A multi-sectoral approach, which includes treatment, surveillance, sanitation, hygiene, and social mobilization, is necessary to control the spread of cholera and reduce its deaths.

Professional Advice

In response to the outbreak, WHO has identified various interventions that can help improve the quality of care and prevent the disease from spreading. These include improving access to timely and accurate case management, increasing sanitation capacity, and improving hygiene practices in the affected areas.

ABOUT FRANCESCA ROME-MARIE

Based in Rome, Italy, Francesca Rome-Marie is a compassionate and dedicated healthcare professional who has spent her life building a career in the service of others. She works in different areas focused on health, humanitarian aid, and human development particularly focused on the nonprofit/not-for-profit sectors doing work in underserved and marginalized communities.

Throughout her career, Francesca Rome-Marie’s work and experience have helped her to develop skills in multiple areas. Her experience includes family medicine, nursing, family nursing, primary care, community health, mental health, global health, medicine, research, reproductive health, preventative medicine, and family nursing. She is also skilled in areas that include human rights activism, crisis counselling, sexuality education, gender theory, gender studies, cross-cultural communication skills, humanitarian assistance and intervention, interpersonal communication, nonprofit organizations, and disaster response, recovery, and preparedness. Francesca Rome-Marie has developed a particular passion for work in areas regarding sexuality and gender as well as refugees, forced displacement, health, and rights.

As part of her work in mental health and gender studies, Francesca Rome-Marie understands just how deeply a role that respect for individual dignity and sovereignty plays when it comes to making decisions about one’s own body and life. She has developed a commitment to viewing an individual’s mental and physical health through the lens of not only gender, sexual, and reproductive rights but also gender-based violence.