Summary: CHF 179,866 was allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 24 October, 2011 to support the Red Cross Society of Niger (RCSN) in delivering immediate assistance to some 15,000 people affected by cholera (or living in the affected villages) in three regions (Tillabery, Tahoua and Zinder). Since the beginning of the 2011 rainy season, Niger had been facing intermittent cholera epidemics. The head of the Public Health Department stated that the situation was under control thanks to strong mobilization of all health technical services in the affected areas. However, from August 2011, with increasing rainfall in the Sahel countries, the epidemic spread in the Lake Chad Basin countries (Cameroon, Chad, and Nigeria) and along the River Niger and in Mali.
In Niger, the situation was as follows: Niamey (Niamey I & II), 183 cases with 6 deaths; Illéga (Tahoua), 20 cases and 3 deaths; and Dosso 2 cases. During week 40 2,130 cases and 50 deaths were recorded in 7 regions in areas along the Niger River. The river, along with its tributaries and water pools constituted the main source of contamination. River water was used for bathing, laundry, washing-up, watering animals and also as drinking water. Specialists confirmed that the bacteria bacilliform Vibrio cholerae was the infectious agent of the disease. The epidemic spread rapidly through the use of contaminated objects.
The RCSN response operation increased the resilience of populations and reduced the risks of spreading cholera. The response activities included water purification with the use of Aquatabs, sensitization sessions regarding personal hygiene, distribution of soap, detergents and disinfection of affected households and community latrines, and health promotion. Public sensitization sessions including cleaning-up campaigns and social mobilization activities were also carried out, with volunteers using gloves, sprayers and other sanitation materials.
Red Cross volunteers used the Behavioural Change Communication (BCC) strategies to achieve objectives on behaviour change at individual and community level. The DREF operation also addressed the need to strengthen capacities of the RCSN by training its 180 volunteers and 33 supervisors as well as the affected communities to address cholera epidemics through activities including IEC on hygiene and sanitation, health promotion, social mobilization and sensitization campaigns for behavioural change. More than 6,000 households with over 30,000 people were directly assisted, double what was planned.
While the combined prevention actions have contributed to containing the epidemic and keeping people safe, a key lesson learned is that efforts should not stop there, as behaviour communication for change (BCC) is a long-term process. It is therefore recommended that the BCC activities should be sustained after the outbreak in order to address bad habits and break the cycle of recurrent cholera epidemics in the same areas.
The Belgian Government has replenished the DREF for the allocation made to this operation. All remaining unspent balances have been returned to the DREF.
