West Africa: stopping cholera emergencies

Updated - Tuesday 17 November 2009

Researchers with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) say knowing the drivers behind behaviour and tying hygiene messages [1] to those impulses is crucial for preventing cholera, which has become a recurring health emergency in West Africa.

“If we want sustainable change we need to make sure people practice things so they become habits,” said Jeroen Ensink of LSHTM’s environmental health group.

Ensink also said it might be time to “re-brand” hygiene and health messages, as knowledge of cholera’s causes does not always translate into new habits. “Hand-washing messages need not be just about health; they can be about: if you want to be modern, to smell nice, to be attractive to the opposite sex, use soap.” The use of proper latrines can be linked to privacy instead of just proper hygiene, he added.

LSHTM has studied the impact of government and aid agency prevention and preparedness measures in Guinea and Guinea-Bissau [1] as part of a project funded by the European Commission humanitarian aid department (ECHO).The project aims to build a more coherent approach to cholera control with sound preparedness and early response.

As part of the ECHO-funded project UNICEF and NGOs are training local health workers in responding to cholera, boosting communications strategies and developing emergency kits, which include sanitation and water purification materials, to keep outbreaks in check.

[1] Guinea - Guinea-Bissau: Driving home the cholera message, IRIN, 15 Oct 2009

Related news:

Papua New Guinea: cholera patients battle stigma, Source Weekly, 19 Oct 2009
Cholera: vaccination or improved sanitation?, Source Weekly, 29 May 2009
Cholera: incidence under-reported, millions infected every year says WHO, Source Weekly, 19 Feb 2009

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