A WHO statement said that more than 1.2 million rapid diagnostic tests will be sent to 14 countries in the largest global shipment ever, through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Foundation for Innovative Diagnostics (FIND) and other partners.

The countries that will receive kits in the coming weeks are currently the most affected by cholera outbreaks such as Ethiopia, Somalia, Syria and Zambia.

“This program will improve the timeliness and accuracy of outbreak detection and response by boosting routine surveillance and testing capacity and helping to rapidly identify probable cholera cases,” WHO said.

The organization noted in its report that this initiative will also help the benefited nations monitor trends and build an evidence base for future preventive programs, supporting the achievement of national disease control and elimination goals.

Acknowledging the importance of this idea, Leila Pakkala, director of UNICEF’s Supply Division, said that despite the fact that cholera is easily preventable and treatable, children continue to suffer from this potentially deadly disease.

“That’s why, we are working with partners on all fronts and in innovative ways to stop outbreaks.

Surveillance diagnostics help identify hot spots with great accuracy. This allows partners to target cholera vaccines exactly when and where limited supply will save the most lives,” she said.

Cholera has been on the rise globally since 2021 and ongoing outbreaks generate an unprecedented eighteen-fold increase in demand for vaccines between 2013 and 2023, WHO revealed.

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