Death toll mounts in Central Darfur ‘watery diarrhoea’ outbreak

14/02/2018 21:22 NIERTETI

In Nierteti in Central Darfur, the death toll from ‘acute watery diarrhoea’ – suspected of being cholera – has amounted to nine, while the infection cases have risen to more than 100.

How to prevent the spread of cholera (Sudanese Doctors' Union)

In Nierteti in Central Darfur, the death toll from ‘acute watery diarrhoea’ – suspected of being cholera – has amounted to nine, while the infection cases have risen to more than 100.

Yesterday activists in voluntary work reported to Radio Dabanga from Nierteti that four people died of the disease while being transported from neighbouring villages to the hospital.

Five more deaths were reported from Nierteti the previous day.

An activist from the hospital told Radio Dabanga that the medical isolation centre allocated to receive the cases was full, while others are still searching for a place.

He said that the isolation centre has about 65 suspected cases of cholera.

Volunteers in voluntary work have appealed to the Federal Ministry of Health and State to urgently act.

Outbreak

Two people died from similar symptoms of acute watery diarrhoea or cholera in the last week. Nierteti Hospital’s designated isolation ward received a number of patients during the weekend, volunteers in the hospital told Radio Dabanga.

Fifteen cases of cholera or diarrhoea arrived from the villages of Ketzuela, Kurna, Mara and Kutrem, bringing the total number of cases in the hospital to 53 on Monday.

On Sunday the state’s health ministry deployed a medical team consisting of ten doctors, eight nurses and medics to Nierteti town and they went on their way to the affected villages. “But military forces stationed at Kutrem, east of Nierteti, denied the team access to the villages and forced the team to return to Nierteti,” a source in the area said.

September 2017 was the last time that Nierteti Hospital was treating more than ten cases of cholera – most of them arrived from the camps for displaced people – at a time when the spread of the epidemic in Sudan seemed to subside.

A slight increase in cases was reported during the last week of 2017 and the first week of this year, however: 46 and 30 new cases respectively were registered in eastern Sudan.

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

Related News

Sudanese on Tuti Island: ‘If you don’t help us, we will all be dead within days’

13/10/2024 13:09 TUTI ISLAND, KHARTOUM

Call to tackle Sudan’s war trauma on World Mental Health Day 2024

10/10/2024 16:51
On 5 October 2024 in Port Sudan, Sudan, UNICEF Health Officer Khattab Obaid inspects a shipment of cholera vaccines in the back of a refrigerated truck before they are transported to Kassala, Gedaref and River Nile states. A UNICEF-chartered plane carrying 1.4 million doses of oral cholera vaccines arrived in Port Sudan, Sudan, early this morning, to bolster efforts to protect children from the ongoing cholera outbreak affecting the country. Since the current outbreak began in July 2024, over 18,000 cases of cholera and approximately 550 deaths have been reported in 10 states across the country. The new batch of vaccines adds to the 404,000 doses UNICEF delivered to Sudan last month and will be used in the ongoing immunization campaigns. The campaigns aim to vaccinate 1.81 million people against cholera in the hardest-hit states: Gedaref, Kassala and River Nile. Besides cholera, concurrent outbreaks of other diseases – such as dengue, malaria and measles – are taking hold in at least 12 of Sudan’s 18 states. Earlier this week, UNICEF delivered nearly 190,000 doses of malaria vaccines to the country to help protect children from malaria. “Coming on the heels of war, displacement and famine, the impact of these epidemics could be catastrophic for children,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Sudan. “Delivery of the vaccines to health authorities in Sudan and into the arms of communities most at risk is essential for stopping the spread of these deadly diseases.” Ongoing disease outbreaks are pushing Sudan’s already fragile healthcare system to a breaking point and exacerbating weaknesses in the sanitation and hygiene infrastructure. Limited access to safe water and adequate sanitation, especially in overcrowded displacement sites and camps increases the risk of transmission. Children who have never been vaccinated and those suffering from malnutrition are particularly at risk. “We need all hands on deck now to scale up our response,

1.4 million cholera vaccines land in Port Sudan

07/10/2024 10:14

Welcome

Install
×
Share
Copy Link
×