Three die in Blue Nile State as Sudan confirms cholera cases

September 10, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – Acute diarrhoea has killed three Sudanese in the Blue Nile State, said the Sudanese health minister who called for international support to face the epidemic.

“There are 37 cases of acute watery diarrhoea in the Blue Nile State between 28 August and 8 September. Three of them have died,” said the newly appointed Akram Eltom in a statement released on Tuesday.

According to the statement, there are four confirmed cases of cholera in Blue Nile state which one of 16 states hit by the torrential rains recently.

Last Saturday, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North led by Malik Agar (SPLM-N Agar) declared the Blue Nile State a natural disaster area and called for international support for the flood-affected people.

In a related development, the minister notified the confirmed cholera cases to the World Health Organisation as the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of regional concern.

He also urged WHO to support his government’s action to stop this outbreak and to import cholera vaccinations.

The statement pointed out that two teams from the federal health ministry and WHO travelled to the Blue Nile state to support environmental sanitation, water safety measures, proper disposal of waste and food safety.

Sudanese government spokesman and information minister Faisal Mohamed Saleh confirmed also the four cases of cholera and told reporters that his government is resolved t be transparent and not hide anything to the public.

(ST)