Foul water blamed for diarrhoea in Sudan’s White Nile

More than 100 people in Sudan’s White Nile state have suffered from watery diarrhoea, suspected of being cholera. A local hospital has received about 1,000 diarrhoea cases. Hamid Ali, the Minister of Health in White Nile has denied that the infections among the 154 citizens were cholera. “All the laboratory tests attributed the infections to two reasons: contaminated water and vegetables.” Ismail Nawai, the locality commissioner, said that the infection was caused by contaminated vegetables as well.  The most recent victim was the resident engineer who was transferred to Khartoum for treatment from Zileita area.  Ed Duwaim hospital has received about 1,000 cases of watery diarrhoea. Reportedly, a number of people has died, although the number has not yet been specified. Dr Mohamed Abdel Gadir, the Medical Director of the hospital, explained to Radio Dabanga that the high number of people suffering from the disease is owing to the contamination of drinking water throughout the state. A local source told Radio Tamazuj last Friday that more than 106 cases of diarrhoea have been recorded in El Salam locality. Three victims died. File photo: South Sudanese boy drinking water from a hand pump (Water for South Sudan)