Infectious Disease Cholera
In the contemporary medical world, health care professionals have put more emphasis on the need for controlling the communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and cholera. Such is the case given the many public health initiatives like the Millennium Development Goals that have delved in containing the situation. Without a doubt, the control of the infectious disease has been a success story as evidenced by the milestones made on this account. For instance, among the ten great achievements of the 20th and 21st century is the control of infectious diseases. However, there is a long way to go given the existence of such conditions and emergence of new infectious diseases. In essence, this discussion aims at establishing the facts from a published article on cholera, which is part of the infectious conditions affecting the society. Also, this paper will provide an in-depth analysis of the relevance of the determined facts on cholera to the course content and global health.
Summary of the Article
The reviewed article offers insight on various aspects of cholera and its management that are worth noting. To begin with, according to World Health Organization, (2016) close to 1.3 to 4.0 million cases, as well as between 21000 to143000 deaths yearly are due to cholera. Its definition according to this article is that cholera is an acute bacterial (Vibrio cholerae) infection that results in diarrhea in the affected persons following ingestion of contaminated food and water. The main sign of cholera is severe acute watery diarrhea that causes one to manifest with severe dehydration, which can result in death with the lack of treatment. The incubation period of the cholera is between 12 hours and 5days after ingestion of the contaminated water or food (World Health Organization, 2016).
The epidemiology, risk factors, and disease burden is another key highlight of this article. Primarily, cholera can be either endemic or epidemic depending on the geographical location. A closely linked factor that propagates the transmission of cholera is inadequate access to clean water and sanitation facilities especially in areas such as slums and refugee camps. Additionally, a humanitarian factor like overcrowding further endangers one to contract this condition. The recent statistics of cholera depicts the worldwide disease burden and necessitates its prevention and control. For instance, in 2015, the cholera notification report yielded 172454 cases, which included 1304 mortality cases across 42 countries (World Health Organization, 2016). Statistics of this kind have an adverse influence on the economic productivity of these countries.
Lastly, the article also provides ideas on the prevention and control of this condition. It recommends a combination of various strategies in the fight against this disease. The measures include cholera surveillance, sanitation, hygiene, and water interventions, social mobilization on the need to be vigilant in case of suspicion of the condition in a member of the society, prompt treatment, and oral cholera vaccines. With such interventions in place, the fight against the cholera is surely not a lost cause (World Health Organization, 2016).
Relevance to the Course Content and Global Health
Concerning the course contents, the ideologies presented in this article are relevant. That is the case given that the many instances that depict that the presented facts on cholera have a strong relationship with the contents of this course. An example in this, the course delves in establishing the role of a professional nurse in a global community. Sherwood, (2017) is of the opinion that nurses on a global center stage have the task of preventing and controlling of infectious diseases, which is a worldwide concern. Cholera is an infectious disease that has worldwide attention and which nurses must prevent and control as they carry out their activities in the global scene. Furthermore, the course aims at developing an understanding of the various factors that influence the healthcare of the world community as well as ways of improving/eliminating the barriers to healthcare. The same is evident in the article given that its emphasis is on the epidemiology, risk factors and methods of preventing and controlling cholera. Evidently, with such instances, it is clear that the established concepts on cholera are of relevance to the course.
Lastly, the facts presented in the reviewed publication are also of significance to the global health. Such is the case given that one of the main global health concerns is infectious diseases (De Cock, 2013). Cholera is one of the communicable diseases that the global community is trying to control or eliminate through public health initiatives. As such, the article is relevant and timely as it endeavors to offer insight about cholera and the measures that global community ought to take to prevent its occurrence and its disastrous health effects to it.
Conclusion
Concisely, this paper aimed at establishing the facts about cholera through a review of an article and analyzing its relevance to the course content and global health. Indeed, from the analysis, it is clear that cholera is a global concern that nurses need to address with immediate effect. However, failure to do so will only necessitate that the global community faces harsh effects of cholera.
References
De Cock, K. M. (2013). The New Global Health-Volume 19, Number 8—August 2013-Emerging Infectious Disease journal-CDC.
Sherwood, G. (2017). Global Health and Nursing Transformations in nurses’ roles in the 21st century. Retrieved 10 February 2017, from http://www2.eerp.usp.br/globalnet/events/Global%20Health%20and%20Nursing%20Transformations%20in%20nurses’%20roles%20in%20the%2021st%20century.pdf
World Health Organization,. (2016). Cholera. World Health Organization. Retrieved 10 February 2017, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs107/en/
