Cholera kills eight in two days across Sudan

Eight people have reportedly died and 231 others infected with cholera in Sudan’s Khartoum, White Nile, South Kordofan, and North Kordofan states on Monday and Tuesday.

Doctor Ali Bashir, the spokesman for the National Epidemiology Corporation told Radio Dabanga that in Khartoum three people died at the Bashair hospital while three more died at El Sheikh El Bashir village in Jebel Awlia in southern Khartoum state.

Bashir attributed the increase in infection in Khartoum’s peripheral districts to environmental degradation, spread of dirt, and a lack of interest by local authorities for cleanliness.

He described the health centres in these districts as backward in the services provided; little access to garbage trucks for those affected by the disease.

White Nile state

Dr Bashir reported the death of one person at the children’s hospital in Kosti in White Nile state. He reported 102 cases in both Kosti and El Duweim.

He told Radio Dabanga that in South Kordofan, one person died in El Abbasiya and at least 140 cases were reported in El Abbasiya, Farshaya, and Abu Jubeiha.

35 cases have been reported in Um Rawaba and its neighbouring villages in North Kordofan.

He attributed the spread of cholera in South Kordofan to the complete lack of services and the focus on the security.

He called on residents of the state to carry out campaigns to clean the environment and provide health education.

South Kordofan

The medical isolation centre at Um El Kheirat in South Kordofan has received about 15 cases of cholera during the last three days.

On Wednesday a medical source told Radio Dabanga from Um El Kheirat that the centre has received about 15 new cases of watery diarrhoea since Monday.

He pointed to the fall in the daily visits of diarrhoea cases to a rate of five. He said that the centre is suffering of a severe shortage of intravenous solutions.

In Delling, three people were infected with cholera on Monday. Medical sources told Radio Dabanga that the medical isolation centre at Delling Hospital received three cases of cholera on Monday.

12 states

The National Epidemiological Corporation announced a decrease in the incidences of cholera in the affected areas with an increase of spread of the geographical areas affected by the disease to 12 states.

Spokesperson Dr Bashir warned of the spread of the disease during Eid El Fitr at the conclusion of the fasting month of Ramadan, and called for precautionary measures.

The emergency interventions by voluntary entities have contributed significantly to curbing the spread of the disease in the affected areas, he said. Remedial solutions will not lead to the final elimination of the disease and called on the government to do its part in this regard.

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