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Survey launched to assess usage and needs of Earth Observation applications for cholera-risk

10 September 2021

Cholera is an acute, diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with the toxigenic bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
 
Vibrio cholerae on T.C.B.S. Agar by Nathan Reading, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The disease affects both children and adults and can kill within hours if untreated. An estimated 2.9 million cases and 95,000 deaths occur each year around the world.

Cholera-disease risk information has been critical to bringing rapid humanitarian response forward to reduce the spread of an epidemic before it peaks, and help people cope and recover better and faster. In the last decade, 82 countries reported cholera cases worldwide. Yet, only 11% of these countries integrated disease-risk warnings under their adaptation measures for the Paris Agreement and other climate change strategies.

PML Earth Observation and Social Scientists have developed a survey to understand how Earth Observation applications for cholera-risk information can help to support climate adaptation and so, reduce the impact and risk to human health.

On land, reported cholera cases (WHO data). In the ocean, satellite-observed phytoplankton chlorophyll-a concentration (ESA-CCI data). Figure adapted from Racault et al. (2019) https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/11/23/2763


Specifically, the survey will allow them to:

  • Identify main users and stakeholders 
  • Assess availability and current usage of cholera-risk information
  • Understand potential opportunities and future needs of EO applications for cholera-risk information


The project welcomes survey participation from scientists, practitioners, decision-makers and any cholera-risk stakeholders from countries worldwide.

The survey should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete and is open until 17th September 2021:

www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/EarthObservationCholera  
 
If you have any questions please contact: cholera_podcast@pml.ac.uk

This project is led by Plymouth Marine Laboratory with support from the joint Future Earth - European Space Agency COP26 demonstrator program and UK Research & Innovation (UKRI).

 

 

Related information


Participate in the cholera-risk survey here