Algerian Red Crescent

Estonian Red Cross

Egyptian Red Crescent Society

Spanish Red Cross

Ethiopian Red Cross Society

World Health Day 2026: How quick local action helped a small community in Nepal beat back Cholera

In late October 2025, the quiet rhythm of life in Ward 5 of Chhinnamasta Rural Municipality, was abruptly broken. Families in this remote corner of Nepal’s Saptari District began rushing loved ones to the nearest health post as a sudden wave of Cholera swept through the settlement.Within days, three lives were lost: a young child, a toddler, and an elderly grandparent. For a small, marginalised community already living on the edge, the losses felt unbearable.“We didn’t understand what was happening,” one mother later shared with Red Cross teams. “We only knew our children were getting sick, and so fast.”Most families here depend on nearby ponds and rivers for drinking, cooking, and washing. Those same waters carried invisible dangers.With open defecation widespreadand no proper sanitation facilities, contamination was unavoidable. Illness was common. Reporting it was not.This time, the consequences were devastating. Yet in the midst of this chaos, something powerful began to unfold communities began to reach for one another.When every hour mattersAs cases rose, frontline health workers quickly recognized the signs of cholera. Their swift action set off a chain of alerts that travelled from village lanes to Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP), led by the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD).Several months earlier, the EDCD had deployed rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for cholera provided by Gavi. To ensure their effective use for surveillance, a project hosted by the IFRC (the Country Support Platform - Global Task Force on Cholera Control) supported nationwide training of health professionals on the use of cholera RDT kits.This meant that the community got a quick answer what disease they were confronting.For families who had already watched loved ones die, the diagnosis brought both fear and clarity. This time, though, they were not facing it alone. Within days, health authorities, local officials, and humanitarian partners were on the ground.Drawing on the lessons from the cholera outbreak in Birgunj, a neighboring community, just months earlier, the response was very rapid. (The Birguni response was supported in part by funding from the IFRC's Disaster Response Emergency Fund, or IFRC-DREF).In Chhinnamasta, action began within 3–4 days, an achievement rooted not in only in epidemic response systems, but in people: the health worker who raised the alarm, the laboratory teams who worked through the night, the volunteers who went house to house to warn neighbours.While the response in Chhinamasta did not come directly under the Nepal Red Cross response funded by IFRC-DREF, it did benefit from the experiences and lessons learnt from other recent IFRC-DREF operations in Birgunj and other municipalities.Partnerships grounded in trustWhen EDCD asked for support, Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) volunteers became the bridge between institutions and families. They knew the settlements. They knew the languages. Most importantly, families trusted them.Provincial and local health offices, including health posts and hospitals, worked in close coordination. They rapidly convened emergency meetings, clarified roles, addressed logistical gaps, and mobilizied resources for an effective response.These partnerships weren’t abstract. They took concrete shape as health workers held urgent planning meetings under a single light bulb in the district office, or asneighbours helpied Red Cross teams navigate the narrow footpaths between homes.Bringing care to the heart of the communityOne of the turning points came when an Oral Rehydration Point (ORP) was opened right inside the affected settlement. Instead of walking long distances to seek help and losing precious time, families now have life-saving care just steps away.Parents arrived carrying children. Elderly people were supported by neighbours holding their arms. More than 1,200 people received immediate care.At the same time, 31 health workers received management training on cholera cases. These were the same nurses and health assistants who had known these families for years. Strengthening their skills meant strengthening the entire community’s resilience.Protecting families in their daily livesBecause cholera thrives where water is unsafe, families had to be protected not only in clinics, but in their kitchens, courtyards, and daily routines. Nepal Red Cross teams and volunteers facilitated settling these in the communities:Teaching families to treat water at homeShowing mothers how to keep drinking water covered and cleanReminding children when and how to wash their handsSharing messages in the languages people spoke at homeFM radio announcements and e-rickshaw loudspeakers carried urgent messages through the villagesEvery visit, every conversation, helped calm fears and rebuild confidence.A strong collaboration“I am amazed by how the Red Cross works from the central level right down to our communities,” said Dr. Mukesh Poudel, Chief of the Outbreak Section at EDCD. “I look forward to collaborating not only on cholera but also on other public health priorities.”Brahmadev Yadav from the Nepal Red Cross Saptari District branch added: “Even with our limited staff, the way EDCD and the IFRC stood with us was extraordinary. We were recognized and appreciated by local authorities.”Stronger than beforeStopping the outbreak was only the beginning. What happened in Saptari pushed everyone: health officials, responders, and families, to think beyond the emergency. New plans are now in motion to:Formalize partnership agreements between EDCD and the IFRCPrioritize preparedness for other epidemics.The experience in Saptari showed that with rapid detection, coordinated action, community engagement, and strong partnerships, even resilient communities can withstand deadly outbreaks and emerge stronger for the future."With its strong volunteer network and close coordination with government counterparts, the Nepal Red Cross Society continues to play a vital role in the cholera response,“ said Bal Krishna Sedai, acting director of the Nepal Red Cross Society.“In its auxiliary role to public authorities, the National Society stands ready to intensify efforts to contain the outbreak, strengthen community engagement, and build resilience.We call on all partners, donors, and stakeholders to act together to implement the National Cholera Elimination Plan to preventfuture outbreaks.”

Malagasy Red Cross Society

Jordan National Red Crescent Society

Forced to move: Communities stand together across Benin

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Population Movement

For almost two years, the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in particular North Kivu, has been facing a devastating conflict that has intensified and become increasingly complex over time, with the potential to reach unprecedented levels in North Kivu. This crisis is characterized by a multitude of armed actors, a large, displaced population and an even larger population in need of humanitarian aid. The IFRC and its membership seek CHF 50 million (CHF 30 million expected to be raised by the IFRC Secretariat) to support the DRC Red Cross in its provision of food assistance, health services, water, sanitation and hygiene and protection services to 500,000 displaced people and their host communities in North and South Kivu.

Morocco: Earthquake

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Morocco on September 8, killing and injuring thousands of people and causing widespread destruction. The Moroccan Red Crescent Society (MRCS) responded immediately, providing first aid and psychosocial support, helping transport the injured to hospitals, evacuating people from damaged buildings and providing dignified burial management.Through this appeal, the IFRC is supporting MRCS to meet the immediate and early recovery needs of 500,000 affected people. Priorities include providing food and safe water, essential household items, shelter support, health and mental health services, and cash assistance.

Caribbean Islands: Hurricane Beryl

Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on 1 July as a Category 4 hurricane and has since left a trail of devastation across the Caribbean. Through this emergency appeal, the IFRC and its membership aim to support the Red Cross Societies of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Barbados, and Jamaica in their response to the hurricane through the provision of immediate humanitarian assistance, protection, and recovery support for the most affected families. The IFRC and its membership will support 25,000 people (5,000 households) for a period of 12 months.

Sudan crisis: Regional population movement

Over 1.4 million people have been forced to flee Sudan's devastating conflict, arriving in neighbouring countries exhausted, injured, and without food, water. Red Cross and Red Crescent teams are already on the ground in Egypt, Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia, CAR, and Libya providing emergency health care, clean water, food, and vital family tracing services to the most vulnerable.

Bangladesh: Population Movement

Over one million displaced people from Myanmar have been living in overcrowded camps in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh for years — facing disease outbreaks, monsoons, fires, and a future with no clear path home. The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society is on the ground delivering healthcare, clean water, shelter, and protection to the most vulnerable, but with international aid at an all-time low, they urgently need to scale up.

Middle East: Complex Emergency

Across the Middle East, millions of people — including children, the elderly, and families torn apart by conflict — have lost their homes, their access to food, clean water, and medical care. Red Cross and Red Crescent teams in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt are already on the ground providing emergency healthcare, shelter, and essential supplies, and are preparing to scale up as needs grow.