Calls for schools to close as ‘cholera’ fears grip eastern Sudan

Activists and observers of the health situation in Sudan’s Red Sea State have demanded the closure of schools because of the high prevalence of acute watery diarrhoea, suspected to be cholera, among children.

Journalist Osman Hashim, a specialist in health coverage in eastern Sudan revealed new outbreaks of watery diarrhoea at the areas of Mohammed Goal, Jebeit El Maadin, and Alooulib.

On Saturday, the health authorities in Khartoum state shut-down the state food and beverage shops in the market for ten days after the increase of cases among the public.

The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors has announced the death of 12 people and more than 500 cases of infection in the states of El Gedaref, the Red Sea and Khartoum during the past week. The heath authorities remain secretive amid reports that cholera has been identified in accordance with World Health Organisation (WHO) protocols.

In a field report released on Tuesday, the Committee said that Doka and El Saraf El Ahmer of Gallabat locality in El Gedaref State have recorded five deaths and 100 infection cases in less than a week. However, health workers in El Gedaref State confirmed that the number of deaths over the past week has risen to 16 cases and 287 infection cases in several localities.

Markets closed

A health source reported that the Commissioner of Eastern Gallabat locality issued precautionary measures to curb the spread by closing the weekly markets in exception to Doka market where schools and local markets are beginning work after having been closed down since the beginning of this week.

The health worker reported the registration of 12 new cases at El Saraf El Ahmer of Gallabat locality health centre on Tuesday, while Doka East has registered 16.

In the Red Sea State, a report issued by the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors records five deaths in the hospitals of Port Sudan over the past week.

Hospital shut-down

The report said that on Tuesday, the number of cases in the wards of the children's hospital in Port Sudan has reached 100. Overcrowding has forced the authorities to shut-down the hospital and confine the isolation wards to cases of acute watery diarrhoea and sick new-borns only because of.

A separate report by the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors has recorded two deaths at Bahri educational hospital over the past week, while the total number of cases were 21 as of Tuesday.

The report said that Bahri educational and Ibrahim Malik hospitals have been seeing 30 cases a day, while 70 cases have been received by El Banjadeed hospital. The report highlighted the lack of intravenous fluids, and a failure to provide safety and preventive measures.

The doctors also have demanded in their statement intensification of health education campaigns via the Sudanese media.