IVI and the Global Disease Eradication Fund (GDEF), Republic of Korea, are implementing the Enhancing Cholera Control in Nepal and Mozambique (ECHO) project from 2020 to March 2025.

As part of the ECHO project, IVI has remodeled a microbiology laboratory at Seti Provincial Hospital in Dhangadhi, Kailali District, Nepal, to support the capacity-building of local health authorities in disease diagnosis, laboratory capacity, and the establishment and strengthening of a cholera surveillance system. A ceremony for the Renovated Microbiology Laboratory Handover Program was held on June 18, 2023, with the presence of representatives from KOICA officials for GDEF, IVI’s project team, Seti Provincial Hospital, and local health officials.

GDEF is providing a total of $8.05 million USD for the ECHO project, which aims to immunize 540,000 people in cholera-prone areas of Nepal and Mozambique, improve microbiology laboratories, and conduct water hygiene and sanitation (WASH) campaigns to prevent the spread of cholera.