Minister: hepatitis outbreak in W. Darfur

Ishaq Ahmed Yaqoub, minister of health of West Darfur, announced the outbreak of hepatitis D in the state, when speaking to Radio Dabanga on Wednesday, 12 December. He affirmed that similarly to yellow fever cases reported recently in the state, hepatitis patients come from the gold mining area of Jebel ‘Amer, in North Darfur. At the same time, the minister assured that no new cases of yellow fever have been reported in the localities of El-Geneina, Azum and Habila. Until Tuesday evening the amount of people infected with yellow fever remained stable at 440, alike the death cases, at 51, according to the minister. Foro BarangaYaqoub declared that 25 percent of the Foro Baranga population had been vaccinated against yellow fever by Tuesday. The campaign reportedly started last Sunday, 9 December. Radio Dabanga told Yaqoub that citizens claim yellow fever has emerged in areas near Sirba locality. He affirmed that the ministry of health took blood samples from people in these areas and sent them to the federal laboratory for testing. In response to citizens’ demands concerning the start of vaccination campaigns in the localities of Sirba, Jebel Moun and Kulbus, the minister explained that because no cases have been registered there yet, there is no need for a campaign. However, he told Radio Dabanga that once the operation in Foro Baranga is concluded, he will “be heading to all northern localities”, adding the vaccines are on the way from the federal ministry of health.Radio Dabanga file photoRelated:Foro Baranga yellow fever campaign starts (11 December 2012)Gold miners to be ‘forcibly’ vaccinated (6 December 2012)