No new watery diarrhea cases in Sudan’s Blue Nile : ministry

September 23, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s Federal Ministry of Health on Friday announced that Blue Nile State is free of watery diarrhea after dozens of people died of the disease in the state.

According to the Under-secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health, Essam al-Din Mohamed, 55 people died from watery diarrhea and 2619 cases have been reported across Sudan, with Blue Nile State is the highest in the number of infections.

State Minister for Health, Sumia Akad said that the reported cases are below the normal average and the number of cases admitted to the 30 centers assigned for the epidemic control were 31 cases on Wednesday, 19 cases on Thursday and 8 cases on Friday.

The federal state minister is visiting the Blue Nile state after media reports and statements by the opposition parties about cholera outbreak in the troubled region where the government forces carry out a counterinsurgency military campaign on the SPLM-N rebels.

In statements to the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA) during her tour to the health centers and dispensaries the minister said that 27 centers did not report any new cases on Friday.

Last week , Federal Ministry of Health acknowledged that hundreds of people in Blue Nile State were infected by watery diarrhea caused by (E. coli) bacteria stressing that the epidemic in not cholera.

“The emergency health room will continue its efforts and more units of water purification would be added,” stressed Akad who also praised the role of youth women and students groups participating actively in the local efforts to raise awareness and prevent the spread of the disease.

The minister pointed that the federal government has provided sprayers, pesticides, drugs and garbage collection vehicles to enhance environment health in two of Blue Nile State localities.

(ST)