Cholera deaths, infections mount in Darfur

Cholera has killed 11 people and more than 50 people have been infected at the areas of Liba, Jasu, Rakona and Duo in the area popularly known as eastern Jebel Marra in South Darfur. Four have died in Kass in South Darfur, while Nierteti in Central Darfur reported three new cases.

The deaths in eastern Jebel Marra occurred from the beginning of the week until Wednesday, according to informed sources who spoke to Radio Dabanga form the area.

The callers, who work in the humanitarian and voluntary field, said that the areas affected in the locality area are completely lacking health services, which prompts people of the area to rely on traditional medicines.

They appealed to the World Health Organisation and the Ministry of Health of South Darfur to intervene urgently.

Kass

Four displaced people died of cholera and an unspecified number were reportedly infected with the disease in Kass in South Darfur on Tuesday.

Sheikhs and volunteers in the camps told Radio Dabanga that two of the cholera deaths were from El Janoubi camp and the others from the camp for secondary school girls.

As the four were buried, joining nine others who preceded them a day before, Shartai Mohamed Siraj appealed to the camp leaders to postpone the formal religious funeral service as a means of raising awareness about the spread of the disease.

In an interview with Radio Dabanga, elders called on the displaced people and those in the town to postpone the funeral to receive condolences for the dead until the end of the epidemic.

They pointed out that the health environment in the camps is poor due to the absence of the role of the United Nations and organisations related to the field of sanitation and preventive health care.

Nierteti

Nierteti Hospital in Central Darfur received three new cases of cholera on Wednesday.

A health source told Radio Dabanga that one case was from the northern camp and two from camp Garsila.

He pointed out that one case was discharged yesterday, while 14 cases are still receiving treatment inside the ward.

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