The Intervention Point: Cholera Prevention in Urban and Rural Bangladesh
Majumder, Maimuna Shahnaz
2012
- Annually, 3 to 5 million individuals contract cholera, an acute diarrheal infection that is caused by ingestion of food or water that contains the Vibrio cholerae bacteria. Because cholera is a waterborne disease, it can be transmitted quickly in environments with inadequate sewage and sanitation systems where infected waste can easily contaminate drinking water. The adequacy of water and sanitation ... read moreinfrastructure and socioeconomic status are crucial factors in influencing the transmission of cholera. As a result of such infrastructure deficiencies, Bangladesh continues to struggle with endemic cholera, reporting upwards of 1 million cases yearly. Such disease burden results in incalculable lost wages and treatment expenses, extracted from an already impoverished society. In the face of such severe economic consequences, prevention strategies must be advanced in order for cholera control sustainability. / / This paper uses the existing literature to formulate hypotheses regarding the most effective intervention point for preventing cholera in urban and rural Bangladesh. Then, by analyzing cholera incidence data obtained from the International Centre of Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh in Dhaka (urban location) and Matlab (rural location), conclusions are drawn regarding which individual attributes contribute most to cholera contraction. The individual attributes serve as surrogates for three primary determinants of cholera: water, sanitation, and socioeconomic status. By understanding what attributes makes individuals most susceptible to cholera, one may begin to understand what determinant makes the given population most susceptible. Such knowledge is invaluable to identifying the most effective intervention points for preventing cholera in urban and rural Bangladesh.read less
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- tufts:UA005.040.009.00001
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