WRITTEN QUESTION E-2826/01 by Fernando Fernández Martín (PPE-DE) to the Commission. The eradication of cholera.
Date: 2001-10-11
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Africa, action programme, epidemic, health policy, infectious disease

C 160 E/42

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.7.2002

to the above-mentioned obligation, all accession
played in public (Article 8, paragraph 2). Pursuant
countries have to introduce a remuneration right for performers according to Article 8, paragraph 2 of the
Directive 92/100/EEC.

(1) OJ L 346, 27.11.1992.

(2002/C 160 E/047)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2826/01

by Fernando Fernández Martín (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 October 2001)

Subject: The eradication of cholera

The outbreaks of cholera in a number of African countries,
Mozambique during the last
seriousness of a problem which was eradicated in the developed world centuries ago.

few years following the severe floods there, highlight

including particularly serious ones in
the continuing

What specific plans does the Commission have and what material and human resources does it intend to
devote to implementing a plan to eradicate cholera in the African countries affected by it?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(29 November 2001)

Cholera remains a serious epidemic problem in many poor countries. Sudden large outbreaks are usually
caused by contamination of the drinking water supply. It can be difficult to distinguish cholera from other
types of acute diarrhoea. The mainstay of treatment, as for all causes of diarrhoea, is re-hydration using
oral rehydration salts for mild cases and parenteral fluids for severe cases. Treatment must be accompanied
by measures to ensure a safe water supply and adequate sanitary measures. Antibiotic treatment can reduce
the duration of symptoms. Vaccination, while useful as a short term measure has not been used on a large
scale for public health purposes.

Eradication of cholera will go hand in hand with efforts to ensure access to safe water and effective
sanitation. Early indications from the 9th European Development Fund (EDF) programming exercise are
that countries intend to allocate € 0,4 billion to this sector with the focus on the poor in rural and urban
settings. This represents 6 % of future EDF resources.

Small-scale outbreaks of cholera are usually dealt with through scaling up ongoing efforts to improve
hygiene education, to ensure access to safe water and to manage diarrhoeal diseases effectively. Most
countries in Africa are implementing the IMCI Programme (Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses)
which includes core modules on diarrhoea prevention and management. The Commission supports such
work indirectly through the national health budget.

The Commission, through ECHO, has also supported cholera-related work in large-scale emergency
situations, for example, during the Mozambique floods.

Cholera will be eradicated through improvements in living standards that increase access to clean water
and through improvements to hygienic and sanitary practices. There is no ‘quick fix’ and the Commission
has no plan to mount a specific effort to eradicate cholera in Africa.