Donate Now
Cholera can be fatal. Clean water is the first line of defense.
Cholera
Countries in southern and eastern Africa are facing the deadliest outbreak of cholera in the past decade.
Cholera is an often-deadly infection caused by eating or drinking contaminated food or water. It can kill within hours. One in three suffering from cholera are children. The worst part of this story? Cholera is preventable.
Cholera, like other waterborne illnesses, spreads through contaminated water into everything people need to live their lives – what they drink, what they eat, what they wash with.
The most effective way to prevent cholera and other waterborne diseases? Clean water.
Public health workers are saying it is rare to see so many cases of cholera in so many countries at the same time. This devastation is linked to increasingly frequent and extreme weather events, a shortage of vaccines, but most critically a lack of clean water, sanitation and hygiene.
But it doesn't have to be this way.
This is where you come in
We are working in three countries to help stem the spread of cholera. Some examples of our response are:
“I want my children to get a decent education.
I don’t want them to end up on the street.”
--- Lillian Lungu, Zambia
Lillian, Zambia
When Lillian Lungu sent her husband off to work in the morning, the day seemed like any other. He picked up a snack at a food stand on his way home in the afternoon.
By that evening he was violently ill. Lillian raced him to the local clinic where beds were filling up with patients showing the same symptoms. The clinic was overwhelmed and her husband was soon transferred to an emergency cholera treatment center set up in the stadium in Lusaka, Zambia. That’s when they lost contact. She never saw him again.
Days later, Lillian got the news that her husband had died. She fears for the future of her family as he was the sole source of income, supporting her and their 11 children.
Unfortunately, Lillian’s story is all too common in Zambia today as cholera spreads. Cholera is an often-deadly infection caused by eating or drinking contaminated food or water.
There is a solution
Dr. Guilherme Tomo is the chief medical officer in his district in Mozambique. He knows the impact clean water has on his ability to protect his patients and stem the spread of disease. Thanks to WaterAid, his hospital now has clean, running water and the results are simple but striking – saved lives.
“Without water, there would be chaos. It would not be possible to clean our materials, or wash hands in my office. Hygiene is so important for me and my patients as it the basis of good health. Water is key to preventing diseases.”
--- Dr. Guilherme Tomo, Mozambique
We can fix this
Clean water, decent toilets and hygiene are critical in getting cholera under control. Simple, proven solutions stop the spread of this waterborne disease and save lives.
WaterAid America EIN/ tax ID number 30-018-1674
Frequently asked questions
Is my donation secure?
Do I get a receipt?
Do you sell or share my contact information?
Can I cancel my donation?
Where can I mail a check?
Our cholera response in more detail
WaterAid is committed to providing immediate cholera relief as well as working towards long-term sustainable solutions that will safeguard the health and well-being of communities for generations to come.
Solutions include training community health workers, promoting community-led sanitation initiatives, and fostering long-term behavioral change towards improved hygiene practice.
At the same time, we are working to address the root causes of the cholera outbreak which is spread due to contaminated water, poor sanitation and hygiene.
Why WaterAid?
Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 29 million people with clean water and 29 million with decent toilets. We have been providing handwashing education for four decades and have reached 27.8 million people.
We believe in long-term solutions.
We work in 22 countries throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America. We are making great progress towards our goal of reaching everyone, everywhere with clean water but we can't do any of it without you.
More resources
WATERAID 101
⟶ CLEAN WATER
⟶ SANITATION
⟶ HYGIENE
DONATION OPTIONS
⟶ DONATE CRYPTOCURRENCY
⟶ DONATE STOCK ONLINE
⟶ DONOR-ADVISED FUNDS
ABOUT US
⟶ THE IMPACT SO FAR
⟶ SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS
⟶ WHY WATERAID