The Partners Platform

Frequently Asked Questions – Cholera

Last updated: April 14, 2022

Please note that emergency responses are dynamic by nature. As such, please note that
some features of the Platform, as well as this document, will be continuously updated. This
document will be updated regularly as new features are added but may not capture all new
features.

Table of Contents
1. PLATFORM ACCESS
2. PLATFORM FEATURES
3. ACCESS TO INFORMATION
4. OCV FAQ
Abbreviations
OCV Cholera Oral Vaccine

Forewords and notes

• This document is intended to provide guidance to country-level users and donors
engaging with the Cholera part of the Partners Platform (also referred to as
“Platform”, “Partners Platform” or “tool”).
• This document is part of a set of materials to guide all users and donors on the
Partners Platform.
• Please contact the Partners Platform support team (partnersplatform-
support@who.int) for any questions that do not appear here.
Platform Access
I’m having trouble accessing the Platform
Why do I get an error message when trying to access https://partnersplatform.who.int/?
This may be for a number of reasons:
Internet service provider (ISP) issue: try to open the Platform from another location or
through a different ISP (for instance from a cell phone service provider or home internet)
to see if that resolves the issue.
Browser issue: it is recommended to open the Platform using web browsers such as Google
Chrome, Firefox or Microsoft Edge, instead of Internet Explorer, to limit encountering such
issues. The Partners Platform has not been tested on mobile devices running iOS or
Android, or Safari on MacOS. A number of accessibility issues can be resolved by clearing a
browser’s cache.
Firewall issue: please contact your IT team to ensure the website is whitelisted. A firewall
may be also part of a computer security tool or Antivirus software installed. The user may
try disabling that and see if it will solve the issue.

I have not received the confirmation email responding to my access request, what do
I do?
Please search for a confirmation email with subject “World Health Organization invited you
to access applications within their organization” from Microsoft Invitations on behalf of
World Health Organization <invites@microsoft.com> in your inbox. You may need to
refresh your spam folder if you cannot find the email in your inbox.

I am continuing to have issues accessing the Platform, what should I do?

If you are continuing to have access issues, please email partnersplatform-
support@who.int directly to speak with someone from the Partners Platform team.

Platform features
General
What is the advantage of uploading a Cholera Elimination Plan to the Partners
Platform?
When a Cholera Elimination Plan, Cholera SPRP, or Cholera Operational Readiness
Checklist is uploaded to the Platform, it allows key stakeholders in countries, including
government and international partners, to keep, view and update as necessary a
consolidated document, all on a single online platform. This document can be instantly
shared with other key stakeholders around the world.

Another advantage of uploading these documents to the Partners Platform is that it

simplifies and streamlines the whole process of submission, validation and review of the
document between countries and regional review committees: time saved allows for
speedier processes, which otherwise would be done offline via emails between different
countries.

Key stakeholders at country, regional and global levels are constantly updated of the
progress of the whole process (submission, validation and review results) through
notification emails generated from the Partners Platform IT system once relevant actions
are taken.

The Partners Platform’s Technical Assistance (TA) & Resource Needs mapping tool allows
countries and partners to visualize TA and resource requests, contributions and potential
gaps.

I wanted to attend a live demonstration of Cholera capabilities but was unable to.

Presentation documents and recordings of demonstrations will be made available in

English and French in the Support Tab of the Partners Platform.

Access to information
Who will have access to my country’s documents through the Platform?

The default security setting allows viewing access for NDVPs only for pre-existing country
admins, donors, global viewers, and designated country viewers and partners. All other
Platform users will only be able to see if a document has been uploaded or not.

OCV FAQ
Why conduct a cholera oral vaccine campaign?

The cholera oral vaccine (OCV) reduces one’s chances of becoming infected with cholera.
The OCV campaign is part of your community’s cholera control efforts and complements
safe water and sanitation measures. Receiving the OCV can help protect you from cholera.

Where is the campaign taking place?

Based on scientific evidence, the highest-risk communities for cholera will receive the OCV
first. Additional communities will be considered in future phases of the campaign until all
communities in need are covered.

Who can be vaccinated?

Anyone over the age of 1 can receive OCV. OCV can also be safely administered to pregnant
women, or women who are breastfeeding. OCV can also be safely given to people with
other diseases, such as AIDS or tuberculosis.

How is the vaccine given and how long does it work?

The OCV is a single vial containing 1.5 mL of product. Two doses must be taken at least two
weeks (but no more than six months) apart and given protection for at least three years.
The vaccine is already effective after the first dose. The second dose serves to increase the
duration of the protection to at least three years. Do not hesitate to ask any questions you
may have about the vaccine to health care workers.

What are the vaccine’s side effects?

OCV is safe, but some rare cases have experienced mild discomfort, including nausea,
vomiting, or gastrointestinal pain. These side effects are mild and disappear within a few
hours. In case of doubt, contact the nearest health centre.

What other preventative measures are necessary?

It is always important to maintain good health and hygiene practices. Wash hands with
soap and water before eating or touching food, or after using the toilet. Drink only water
that has been treated with chlorine or boiled and stored in clean containers. Wash fruits
and vegetables before using clean containers. Eat only well-cooked food and eat it while it
is hot. Do not store waste in your living environment .