Sudan health minister confirms rise of diarrhoea cases in White Nile state

June 5, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese health minister has confirmed the rise of watery diarrhoea cases in the White Nile State among calls at the Parliament to relieve the governor for his failure to control the outbreak.

In a speech to the country’s upper house – Council of States- Monday, Minister Bahr Idris Abu Garda said the number of Acute Watery Diarrhoea (AWD) cases have increased to 5,244 cases and claimed the lives of 76 people.

He attributed the spread of the outbreak to water contamination pointing that human been and animals are drinking from the same source, a matter that contributes to increasing the infections.

He further said that his ministry “intervened at the appropriate time because the denial of responsibility is not likely as some claim,”.

He stressed the government has eight- month medicine stockpile and demanded to take information about the disease “from its sources and not from the WhatsApp”, pointing out that the problem will continue to be repeated unless Water and environment problems are resolved.

Also, a delegation the Council of States briefed the upper house about the AWD outbreak.

Some lawmakers called to sack the federal health minister and the While Nile state governor for their failure to stop the epidemic.

MP Tag al-Din Banga, a member of the facts finding committee, said hospitals are not prepared for the isolation of people infected with the disease adding that patients and their families are in one place.

He directed his criticism to the Ministries of Health, Environment and Electricity saying that human life is not their priority, stressing that the treatment of diarrhoea is greater than the capacity of the White Nile government.

21 CASES IN NORTHERN STATE

Meanwhile, Northern State Health Minister al-Sheikh Ahmed Babikir disclosed that the number of AWD cases has reached 21 infections.

He further said that all the AWD patients who came to the hospitals have received the needed treatment adding that their health is stable

(ST)