West Africa: Cholera - Lessons Learned

"The cholera epidemic that struck Guinea and Sierra Leone in 2012 is winding down. What to do now? Start preparing - for cholera. That’s part of the message from donors, aid workers and health officials after the most serious cholera outbreak in years that infected some 30,000 people and killed 400 others in the two countries - mostly in Sierra Leone. They say there should be better preparations for cholera, based on lessons learned and on a strategy in Guinea that was put to the test in 2012. Since 2009 the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Action Against Hunger (ACF), the Guinean government, the European Union aid body ECHO, and the US Agency for International development (USAID) have taken steps to prepare for an outbreak - including setting up community detection sites, public information campaigns and drills."