Health ministry confirms 124 cholera cases in southeast Sudan
September 19, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese health authorities reported 124 cholera cases in two states, confirming the spread of outbreak as a result of poor health and water and sewage system structures in the country.
Following the recent floods that hit 16 of 18 states, the cholera epidemic killed six people in the Blue Nile state.
Also, the health ministry identified five states – White Nile, Gedaref, Sennar, Kassala and Khartoum- saying they have the highest risks of a cholera outbreak.
“Blue Nile state recorded five new cases of cholera on Wednesday, bringing the total to 101, while no new deaths have been recorded except for the previous six cases,” said Suleiman Abdel Jabar the health ministry undersecretary.
Abdel Jabar in his statement further said that “the total number of cases of cholera amounted to 124 cases, including 101 in the Blue Nile State and 23 in the state of Sennar”.
Sudanese authorities under the new regime vowed to be transparent in term of international safety standards and to not repeat the policy of the al-Bashir regime.
After the recent floods, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned against the risk of cholera and other diarrhoeal diseases spreading due to the poor hygiene infrastructures in Sudan
The Ministry of Health and WHO are working together to strengthen disease surveillance and provide medical treatment said OCHA Sudan in a statement on Thursday.
The Sudan Humanitarian Fund (SHF), a UN funding mechanism for humanitarian activities in Sudan, is allocating $7.6 million for the cholera and flood response under its Reserve for Emergencies envelope.
(ST)