Position papers will be due on February 5th, 2021. The position paper format, and all other important conference documents, can be found on our conference website, http://lhhsconference.weebly.com/. Email all position papers to our committee email: [email protected]. Feel free to contact us via email if you have any questions or concerns!
Hello delegates! My name is Bhavika Kapoor (BAH-VIH-KAH) and I will be your head chair! I am currently a senior at Laguna Hills High School and this will be my fourth year participating in MUN. I’m the vice president of the NEGU club at school, on the CSF board, and the president of my Lionsheart group. I enjoy spending time with my friends, going to the beach, going to concerts, and playing with my two dogs! I am so excited to see you all in committee!
Hello delegates! My name is Austin Kays and I will be your vice chair. I am a junior at Laguna Hills High School and this is my third year in MUN. I play soccer and run track at LHHS. I love spending time with my friends and playing with my dog. I also enjoy watching sports and biking. I look forward to meeting you all in committee!
Hello delegates! My name is Jen Volk and I will be your moderator. I am a sophomore Laguna hills high school and this is my second year in MUN! I play water polo and I swim at Laguna. I love being around my friends and talking to new people! I also love going to the beach and watching crime shows. I am very excited to meet everyone in committee!
Topic:Reducing deaths linked to Cholera outbreaks in regions facing war Background Cholera is a fatal bacterial infection in the small intestine that can kill in a matter of hours if not treated. Cholera can be contracted by drinking water that has been infected with the cholera bacteria. The most common symptoms of cholera are severe dehydration and diarrhea. In war-stricken areas, water and other necessities may be scarce,leading people to drink any water they find. Water in rivers, puddles, and ponds are more likely to have the cholera bacteria in them. People in war zones are desperate for any water they can find and will drink it without thinking of the fatal consequences. According to WHO, there have been 1.3 million to 4.0 million cases of cholera with 21,000 to 143,000 deaths. The people affected may not have adequate health resources and cannot get medical treatment. This results in a fatality within a day. Amongst the global pandemic COVID-19 and Cholera, many issues have arisen. In the first week of March, several Cholera cases were reported from Neelasandra, L R Nagar, Srinagar, Padmanabhanagar and Azad Nagar, the blame being put on dirty sewage water. Somalia had even announced in November of 2020 a 54 suspected new cases of Cholera. The current floods and cholera outbreak occurred at a time when COVID-19 cases are increasing in all regions of Somalia, stretching the already limited capacity to respond to the cholera alerts. Unfortunately, Cholera has been infecting and killing millions since the 19th century. It is clearly still a prominent issue today. The first recorded cholera outbreak was in India in 1817. This resulted in the spread of the virus to its surrounding countries. Symptoms were even being seen during the life of Hippocrates. More recently, cholera made its way into the Yemen war and killed thousands. Those in the war are being isolated from adequate health care, water, and food. Consequently, these people will become desperate and drink any water available. This is where the virus begins its work. After consuming dirty infested water, cholera makes it way throughout a human’s body, initially killing them. Unable to receive treatment, they experience a slow and painful death. Throughout history, this has happened more than once when in armed conflict within war-stricken areas. However, governmental and non governmental organizations are working to eradicate cholera. With the help of neighboring countries and resources, the UN and WHO are working to bring Cholera cases to a 0. UN Involvement The World Health Organization (WHO) has greatly helped with the outbreak of cholera in war-struck areas. WHO does this by collaborating with Ministries of Health to allow proper access to clean water and sanitation. One of the most crucial goals WHO has set is taking extensive notes and data about the status of cholera in nations prominent in this disease. This is beneficial to determine the amount and various types of aid that a country requires. In the past, WHO and other associated programs have done research on the cholera virus and have put much of their funding toward establishing the Global Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) in 2013. To fund this program, Gavi, a Vaccine Alliance, as well as the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) greatly contribute. This program has provided over 25 million doses of vaccines in over 19 countries since this program was established. In more recent years, WHO formed national and international trust funds that provided a platform for funding and research that targeted areas of concern. With the addition of these programs WHO and the UN were able to raise awareness, funds, and develop research stations. They put these resources into action when they approved and supported the creation of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene program also known as the WASH program. This program aims at installing long-term programs that will ensure the purity of water, since unclean water is highly correlated with becoming infected with cholera. The WASH program strongly contributes to the 6th Sustainable Development Goal. WHO also promotes the idea of nations adopting more surveillance technology into their country that will monitor the prevalence of cholera. This is done when a sample is collected from a person that is presumed to have cholera and with help from surveillance, the sample is tested forcholera. This information is then sent to the surveillance systems which would contribute to preventing and eliminating cholera. When surveillance technology is installed, the outbreak of cholera can be detected as quickly as possible. After the vaccine is administered in that country, the water can be examined and action can be taken to clean the water.
Country Blocs African Group: Nations in Africa are those most susceptible to outbreaks of cholera due to inadequate healthcare and inaccessibility to clean water. Cholera outbreaks are prevalent among nations that do not have sufficient sewer systems, a reason as to why industrialized nations are among those who do not face as many Cholera outbreaks. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, collapsed healthcare systems, minimal attention to diseases such as Cholera, and insufficient medical supplies have all resulted in a rise in Cholera cases. With a fear of exposure to COVID in hospitals, parents often refrain from visiting hospitals with their children - further increasing insufficient care towards cholera cases. Rehydration therapy is among the most relied upon solutions for Cholera, however it is not completely accessible in African nations. The African bloc carries the largest burden of Cholera outbreaks, however efforts to improve water sanitation and access to basic health care are key factors of the WASH initiative.
Asia Pacific Group: The Asia-Pacific group also represents nations extremely susceptible to diseases such as Cholera. The CDC reports that India and Bangladesh have populations facing heightened risks for Cholera due to environmental susceptibility to flooding. In nations experiencing monsoon seasons, the rise in cholera cases has coincided with rampant exposure to poor sanitation. Water sanitation is the main concern for nations facing Cholera; therefore, with nations such as these so susceptible to harsh, unpredictable weather conditions, it becomes a priority to take preventative measures. Again, improving sanitation and hygiene (WASH initiative) is heavily influential to the effort of reducing contraction of Cholera.
Eastern European Group: Nations facing Cholera epidemics are those housing large amounts of refugees along their borders. The COVID pandemic has deflected concerns regarding diseases derived from poor sanitation; therefore, cases of cholera and malaria have augmented in response in nations housing refugee camps. The general public does not necessarily face an imminent threat, however contraction of the disease is fairly easy in refugee camps. With such a widespread concern of the contraction of COVID in refugee camps, it proposes another threat to those seeking asylum and those who may come in contact with them. Eastern European countries receive large amounts of refugees, therefore water-borne diseases in refugee camps become high risk factors to the safety of those being provided asylum.
Latin American And Caribbean Group: The worst Cholera outbreak to occur in history happened in 2010 in Haiti; with over 8,000 people killed, it must be recognized that Cholera poses a high risk to the region. The infrastructural integrity in these nations is the main factor in their susceptibility to Cholera. Nations in Latin America and in the Caribbean face tremendous repercussions due to inadequate infrastructure. Inadequate infrastructure and collapsed healthcare systems in these nations have resulted in very minimal access to effective medical care. Improving sewage systems and promoting better sanitation is integral to preventing future outbreaks from occurring.
Western European and Other Groups: Cholera outbreaks in European nations are not as great of a concern as they are in other countries. Approximately 80% of cholera outbreaks in European nations can be treated with either vaccines or rehydration therapy. With European nations having adequate healthcare and sewage systems, the spread of Cholera in the typical manner is not a concern. The spread of Cholera in European nations, however, can be accounted to the lack of sanitation in refugee camps - ultimately a threat during the pandemic as resources have been allocated to slowing the spread of COVID-19. The spread of this disease becomes prominent in European nations housing refugees in crowded camps; therefore, refugees residing in European nations are those more susceptible to Cholera rather than the general population.
Questions to Consider
What economic and social conditions must be considered when strategizing approaches to minimizing deaths caused by cholera?
What has your country specifically done to limit the impact that cholera and COVID-19 have on the welfare of the nation?
What has been the largest cholera outbreak in your nation and what were the social, economic, and political implications?
Has your nation made an effort to provide aid to other nations facing cholera outbreaks, and if so, how?
What healthcare agencies does your nation promote to prevent outbreaks of diseases?
In what manner has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced cholera outbreaks in your nation and what has your government done to mitigate the spread?
Works Cited
.“Cholera in Africa.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Oct. 2020, www.cdc.gov/cholera/africa/index.html.
“Cholera in Haiti.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 7 Nov. 2014, www.cdc.gov/cholera/haiti/index.html.
“Cholera in Southeast Asia.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Sept. 2020, www.cdc.gov/cholera/asia/index.html.