Plan helps reduce cholera infections in Guinea-Bissau

Plan Guinea Bissau’s prompt and coordinated reaction during the country’s last cholera outbreak helped reduce contamination in its Bafata program area by 50%, according to an independent evaluation of Plan's cholera-prevention campaign there.

What's more, as a result of Plan's actions, none of the reported child deaths during the Spring 2009 outbreak were linked to cholera.

Cholera is an acute life-threatening diarrheal infection transmitted through contaminated food and water, made worse by the lack of access to hygiene facilities and clean, safe water. Guinea-Bissau has suffered historically from many cholera outbreaks that have claimed thousands of lives over the years.

The success of the campaign was due to early intervention and community-based programs that had a significant impact on reducing cholera in targeted areas.

An important part of the campaign was educating local communities about how to protect themselves from cholera. This included arguing against the unsafe practice of using lemon juice to disinfect drinking water. Other areas included breaking down stigma associated with cholera, such as associations of uncleanliness, and educating people that hiding symptoms and avoiding treatment could lead to unnecessary death.

Radio programs were produced in four local languages to help spread these messages quickly and effectively to a wide audience.

Country Director Ingrid Kuhfeldt says: “The results show that having a strong presence in the region and good understanding of our area, together with early and effective action, can make a real difference. This position allowed us to work with the authorities, private companies, and other non-governmental organizations in the region to greatly limit the cholera outbreak. We were able to help local communities and work with children and young people to avoid contamination, at a relative low cost."

Learn more about Plan's work in Guinea-Bissau