Cholera appears in North and West Darfur, again in Khartoum

Cases of cholera re-emerged in southern Khartoum state. The disease emerged in El Sareif Beni Hussein and Foro Baranga localities in Darfur for the first time. And in East Jebel Marra, the Health Ministry deployed a medical team to an area where infections have rapidly spread in the past months.

The Minister of Health in the state, Yagoub El Damoki, acknowledged in a statement to El Jareeda newspaper the existence of deaths due to the disease, saying the majority of them were children and the elderly, but denied the a shortage of medicines.

He said he has asked the state water corporation to purify and chlorine water without finding a response.

On Wednesday five people died of cholera in East Jebel Marra in South Darfur, bringing the total number of deaths to 16 – from the beginning of this week until Thursday.

Of the four deaths, two occurred in the area of Rakona, while the number of infected people has risen to more than 100, Dr Jamal Abdelmawla said. He thanked the Ministry of Health for the quick response and dispatch of the team and for the opening of an isolation centre which can also treat cases of acute watery diarrhoea in the area of Lebei in East Jebel Marra.

“Villagers in East Jebel Marra must immediately go to the new isolation ward in Lebei centre in case any diarrhoea symptoms occur.” – Doctor Jamal Abdelmawla

“Residents of villages must immediately go to Lebei centre in the event of any symptoms of the disease, for examination and treatment,” Dr Abdelmawla appealed to residents in an interview with Radio Dabangat that was broadcast on Thursday.

The first steps required to treat a victim is to constantly give the person salts in order to continue perfusion. “If there are no such salts at hand, especially in the remote areas, the solution is to prepare six cups of water, add sugar and a tablespoon of salt, and give it to the patient constantly until he or she is transferred to the nearest health centre,” Dr Abdelmawla explained.

Khartoum

Cholera in Khartoum state has re-spread after seeing a significant decrease during the past month. An increase in these rates of followed the recent rains that caused harm to the streets and environment because of poor drainage, a source in the health sector informed Radio Dabanga.

“Bashair hospital in southern Khartoum received 16 new cases of cholera,” the source said earlier this week. “The average number of daily visits ranged from 25 to 30 cases of cholera in the past week.”

There is a lack of medicines and intravenous solutions, and the hospital's isolation ward does not operate in accordance with known specifications. “Visitors are not checked before entry,” the source added.

“There is no separation of toilets for cholera patients, which increases the possibility of infection and transmission of the disease.” The medical staff at the hospital has repeatedly demanded improvements without finding a response from health officials.

West Darfur

Seventeen people died of cholera from Sunday until Thursday, the first reports of the disease from West Darfur's Foro Baranga stated. 22 people have been infected, including ten people in Angi Guti and seven in Foro Baranga.

A relative of one of the deceased told Radio Dabanga that the patients of the two areas are currently being treated at the hospital in Foro Baranga. “In response the authorities carried out a large-scale anti-mosquito spraying campaign in Foro Baranga and at Angi Guti village on Tuesday.”

North Darfur

Also in El Sareif Beni Hussein locality the first reports of cases of cholera appeared: 128 people are reportedly infected in villages and settlements, including 44 cases in El Sareif town alone.

On Wednesday alone, the health centre in El Sareif received nine people suffering from cholera. According to a voluntary worker: “Two of the patients died at the hospital in Tuesday and Wednesday. Most of the victims arrived from Bargwo, Hijeir, Kideda, and Hereika.”

The voluntary worker said to expect more patients. “The authorities at the locality level have been silent.”

Central Darfur

The camps for displaced people Hamidiya and Khamsa Degaig recorded five dead by cholera in Zalingei locality between Tuesday and Thursday. The coordinator of the camps in Central Darfur, El Shafee Abdallah, told Radio Dabanga that the camps witnessed three deaths and nine new infections on Tuesday and Wednesday, and two patients died on Thursday.

“On Thursday, the number of hospitalised cases at the medical isolation centre in Zalingei's Royal Hospital reached 47 people,” El Shafi reported.

“Rates of infection and mortality caused by cholera are increasing after the heavy rainfall in the camps.” – Displaced People's Association

South Darfur

The Darfur Displaced and Refugees Association has warned of the increasing mortality rates of cholera in Kalma camp in Nyala, after heavy rains hit the camp and exacerbated the deteriorating environmental conditions.

“The environmental deterioration in the camp is very serious,” said spokesman Hussein Abusharati. “Not enough organisations are active here in the field of sanitation, and the camps run short on medicines and intravenous solutions.”

The construction of more toilets and more medical teams would help diminish the risk of cholera infections, he said. On Monday and Tuesday, four displaced people died of cholera and 49 others were infected in Kalma camp.

Elsewhere in South Darfur, mortality rates and incidences of cholera infection increased, especially in Ed El Fursan and Niteaga, and Um Jana north of Ed El Fursan according to a medical source. “A shortage of cholera medicines has emerged as a result of differences between the National Fund for Medical Supplies and the drug carrier company,” the source said.

Sennar

Three people died of cholera, while 20 people were infected in various parts of Sennar this week. One of the victims died in Deliba in El Souki, where nine people contracted the disease.

A medical source told this station on Thursday that two people died of cholera in El Mazmoum hospital in Sennar. Eight people were infected here, in addition to the 18 people who were infected in El Dindir earlier this week.

National epidemic

The National Epidemiological Corporation reported in early July that nearly 24,000 Sudanese have been infected and 940 cholera patients have died since the outbreak of the infectious disease in Blue Nile state in August last year.

The Sudanese authorities however, refuse to call the disease by its name, and instead refer to it as “Acute Watery Diarrhoea”. The National Intelligence and Security Service has repeatedly warned medics and the press in the country not to make mention of cholera.

Follow #CholeraInSudan, #الكوليرا_السودان for ongoing coverage by Radio Dabanga