Cholera cases in River Nile State continue to rise

January 28, 2024 (ATBARA) – The Ministry of Health in the River Nile State has confirmed an ongoing surge in cholera cases, reaching a total of 47 as of Sunday. Of these cases, six were reported in Atbara, 39 in Al-Damer, and two in each of Shendi and Al-Matama.

The Sudanese government first announced the outbreak of cholera in September last year, and the disease has since spread to several other states. The United Nations has projected that over three million Sudanese could be affected by cholera.

In response to the rising number of cases, the River Nile State Minister of Health, Amal Ahmed Majzoub, has launched a disease vector control campaign as part of the environmental sanitation project conducted by the Islamic Relief Agency in the state.

The Minister emphasized the need to garner support and cooperation from various partnerships, given the country’s unique situation. She also called upon the Atbara locality to fulfil its responsibility in combating disease vectors by draining ponds and covering drinking water sources.

Abdel Raouf Hassan Al-Mubarak, the Executive Director of Atbara Locality, affirmed that their efforts to control disease vectors and transport waste will continue to cover all neighbourhoods within their jurisdiction.

Imad al-Din al-Sayyid, the Director of the Health System for Atbara Locality, stated that the campaign will last for one week and will target the early stages of the aquatic mosquito life cycle, as well as direct spraying and mist spraying.

He emphasized that their priorities as a local health system will focus on the Western Sector and the Sola Sector due to the high concentration of irrigation projects and the prevalence of malaria-carrying mosquitoes in those areas.

(ST)