CHOLERA – SUDAN (03): EPIDEMIC DECLARED, FATAL
A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Mon 19 Aug 2024 18:04 CAT
Source: Africanews [edited]
https://www.africanews.com/2024/08/19/sudan-declares-cholera-epidemic-after-22-deaths/
Sudan faces a new challenge in the midst of a 16-month conflict
between the military and a paramilitary group as health authorities
declared a cholera epidemic.
Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim said 22 people have died and
354 cases of the disease have been confirmed across the country in
recent weeks. The World Health Organization (WHO) said recently that
78 deaths from cholera were recorded in Sudan between 1 January and 28
July this year [2024].
Cholera is a highly contagious infection transmitted through ingesting
contaminated food or water and can kill within hours without
treatment. Seasonal floods in recent weeks have exacerbated the
situation with critical infrastructure washed away in 12 of Sudan’s 18
provinces, making access to clean water difficult for many.
Ibrahim said outbreak was “because of the weather conditions and
because drinking water has been contaminated.”
The conflict in Sudan has further battered what was an already weak
healthcare system, displaced more than 10 million people, and pushed
many into starvation. The WHO on Friday [16 Aug 2024] said cases of
dengue fever and meningitis infections were also on the rise. A new
round of talks aimed at ending the conflict in Sudan began in
Switzerland last Wednesday [14 Aug 2024], despite the army’s absence.