Cholera cases in North Darfur, Khartoum, eastern Sudan

The spread of cholera to North Darfur claimed the lives of two displaced women in a camp in Shangil Tobaya on Thursday, while the isolation centre has recorded approximately 100 cases of infection.

Abdallah Rashid reported the death of the two displaced women while the centre recorded eighteen new infection cases. Speaking to Radio Dabanga, Rasheed, former director of Nahar Medical and Health Organisation that is active in the area, said that the isolation centre is overcrowded. “This led the management of the centre to put the beds of patients in the courtyard and the corridors of the centre.

“A number of patients are sleeping on the land because of the lack of adequate beds.” Rasheed added that there is a one toilet in the centre, used by patients, attendants and doctors.

“Residents of the district near the isolation centre are concerned about the spread of cholera, saying there are no adequate prevention measures at the centre.” This week, the Sudanese Ministry of Health sent a team to establish a camp isolation centre and prevented the displaced people from leaving and entering Naivasha camp. 

As these are the first reports of cholera infections in Shangil Tobaya, the World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet issued an update about its response to the disease in the Sudanese humanitarian news bulletin by UN OCHA. The WHO and the Sudanese Ministry of Health do not refer to the disease as cholera, but the less severe "acute watery diarrhoea (AWD)". WHO has not replied to Radio Dabanga's latest request to comment on the spread of cholera.

Stagnant water in Khartoum

In Khartoum's Imtidad El Daraja El Talta district, the hospital recorded one death of a cholera patient, and four new infections on Wednesday. Activist Nader El Sayed attributed the cholera outbreak to the accumulation of garbage and the stagnant water in the area. “This might increase if no protection and prevention measures are taken.”

At El Noua Hospital in Omdurman, a medical source reported to this station that during the past week four people have died and nine others have been infected with cholera. This in addition to the eleven cases of cholera that were reported at Omdurman Hospital.

One person died while four new people suffering from cholera were recorded at the islation centre of the Eye Hospital in Kosti in White Nile state on Wednesday and Thursday. While the number of hospitalised cases is 23 people, medical sources confirmed the lack of the recording of new infections in the isolation centre at El Marabee in El Gezira Aba: only two cases have been registered in the centre.

South Kordofan allows food trade

In South Kordofan, one person died and some 20 others were infected with cholera at El Farshaya area, north of Delling, this week. The hospitalised cases ran-up to 19 people.

The authorities in Delling have put a halt on the precautionary measures that were taken three weeks ago in order to prevent the spread of cholera. They allowed the re-opening of the butcheries and the entry of vegetables into the city from Thursday morning onwards.

In River Nile state, State Minister of Health El Amin Mahmoud El Nus said that the total number of infected cases amounted to 264 cases, including four deaths. He said that 26 isolation centres have been established in the state.

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