Table 1 Categories and definitions of cholera prevention and control interventions included in the review

Health interventions [32]

Case management

Treatment is based on the degree of dehydration of the patient: no dehydration, some dehydration or severe dehydration. Patients with no signs or some signs of dehydration are treated with ORS (plan A and plan B, respectively). Patients with severe dehydration require IV rehydration (Plan C). Antibiotics are indicated in patients with severe dehydration and, in patients with high purging or treatment failure or in patients with coexisting conditions or comorbidities. In children aged 6 months to 5 years, zinc supplementation (20 mg p.o. zinc sulphate per day for 10 days) should be started immediately [32]

Oral Cholera Vaccination (OCV)

Any of the two types of OCV, WC-rBS, killed whole cell monovalent (O1) vaccines with a recombinant B subunit of cholera toxin (Dukoral®) and (ii) WC, killed modified whole cell bivalent (O1 and O139) vaccines without the B subunit (Shanchol™, Euvichol® and mORCVAX™), currently available and recommended by WHO [33]. Vaccination campaigns are guided by a series of criteria, governed by the GTFCC [20]

Antibiotic chemoprophylaxis

Any antibiotic chemoprophylaxis, with doxycycline, azithromycin or ciprofloxacin, is currently not recommended by WHO. However, selective prophylaxis of household contacts of cholera cases (i.e., considered at high risk of being infected with Vibrio cholerae) has been implemented in the past

Other health interventions

As applicable

WASH interventions [10]

Improving the access to water sources and/or quantity of water

Any intervention to provide a new and/or improved water supply or distribution system, or both, i.e., to reduce direct and indirect exposure with contaminated water (e.g., installation of piped water supply, hand pumps, boreholes; installation or extension of distribution networks; water trucking or tankers; and protection of water sources)

Improving the quality of water: water treatment at source

Any intervention to improve the microbiological quality of drinking water at the source, including: assessment and monitoring of water quality i.e., microbiological, chemical and physical quality removing or inactivating microbiological pathogens (e.g., water source level water treatment systems, filtration, sedimentation, chemical treatment, heat treatment, ultraviolet (UV) radiation or flocculation)

Improving the quality of water: point of use (POU) and safe storage

Any intervention to expand use of or improve the microbiological quality of drinking water at the point of use (POU), including:

Assessment and monitoring of water quality i.e., microbiological, chemical and physical quality

Protecting the microbiological quality of water prior to consumption (e.g., chemical treatment, filtration, heat treatment, flocculation, UV radiation, residual disinfection, protected distribution, improved storage)

Improving the access to and use of sanitation facilities and reducing exposure to faeces

Any intervention to introduce, improve or expand the coverage of facilities for the safe management, disposal and treatment of excreta, i.e., to reduce direct and indirect contact with human faeces, and to promote the use of sanitation facilities by the population (e.g., latrine construction, pour flush, composting or water sealed flush toilet, piped sewer system, septic tank, simple pit latrines, VIP latrine, defecation trenches or use of a potty or scoop for the disposal of child faeces)

Behaviour change interventions to improve personal, domestic and food hygiene practices

Any intervention to improve hygiene, including:

Promotion of hygiene behaviours, norms or practices surrounding personal, food and hand hygiene

Assessment and monitoring of hygiene behaviours, norms or practices, including adaptation of activities

Any named method of delivery of hygiene promotion (e.g., interpersonal channels, house-to-house visits, community meetings, mass and social media, targeted areas or information, education and communication (IEC) materials, or other hygiene promotion activities)

Any named theory, framework or technique for hygiene promotion (e.g., behaviour change communication (BCC), community engagement, social marketing and demand creation, integrated hardware)

Distribution of hygiene materials or non-food items (NFIs)

Any intervention that provides hygiene materials or use of hygiene materials (e.g., soap, hygiene kits, handwashing stands, sinks and other facilities)

Promotion or distribution of disinfection and cleaning of households and community spaces and/or materials

Any intervention that provides or distributes disinfection materials (e.g., chlorine spraying, disinfection of clothes, disinfectants, disinfection of bedding or vehicles) or promotes household cleaning (e.g., safe laundry practices, cleaning of floors and furniture)

Improving dead body management and safe funeral practices

Any intervention to improve safe funeral practices, funeral gatherings and management of corpses in the community

Improving the management of wastewater and faecal sludge

Any intervention to improve management of wastewater and faecal sludge

Provision of interventions that improve solid waste disposal

Any intervention to improve solid waste disposal, particularly in public places

Use of vector control interventions to reduce flies

Any intervention to improve fly control and/or other vectors

Other WASH interventions

As applicable