Pressure on Sudan govt. as cholera advances on Khartoum

The Sudanese Doctors Union and the National Epidemiological Corporation have called on the government to declare a state of health emergency in the areas stricken by the cholera epidemic, and request the World Health Organisation to intervene and provide material and in-kind support to fight the spread of the disease.

After first appearing in Blue Nile state 10 months ago, the disease has spread throughout the Nile has now also spread to Khartoum state, threatening the densely populated areas of the national capital, despite attempts by the Health Ministry to hide the facts and reduce the scale of the disaster.

Yesterday El Fateh Omar El Sayed, a leader of the Sudanese Doctors Union and the National Epidemiological Corporation told Radio Dabanga that the cholera epidemic has turned from a severe temporary situation to a constant epidemic.

He has held the Government responsible, saying it has not done its duty since the first outbreak 10 months ago.

He told Radio Dabanga of the formation of the Sudanese Committee for the Prevention of Epidemics recently which includes a number of organisations and volunteers.

Real disaster

The Committee has warned of a real disaster unless the government recognises the spread of cholera in the areas of White Nile, Kordofan and the capital Khartoum.

On Tuesday the committee said in a released report the daily visit by cholera patients in the states of Khartoum, White Nile, Sennar and North Kordofan ranged from 600 to 800 during the past week.

The Committee attributed the increase in the spread of the disease in a number of states to the health authorities’ concealment of information in addition to concealing the results of the dispensing of samples from the doctors treating the cases which is a flagrant violation of the followed global and scientific procedures and irresponsible disregard for people’s lives.

Nuba Mountains

In the Nuba Mountains at least 10 people have died and a total of 58 people were infected with cholera south of Delling in South Kordofan between May 31 and June 6

A health source from Delling told Radio Dabanga that these cases are mostly from the Farshaya area north of Delling

He said that on Tuesday, Delling locality security committee decided to stop vegetables coming from Farshaya after receiving a report on cholera coming from there. Health teams have spread in Delling to provide help and raise awareness

Sennar

Two people died of cholera in Sinja of Sennar state on Tuesday.

Medical sources told Radio Dabanga that Sinja Hospital has received six cases of cholera, two of them from El Galaa and El Shargi reported dead on Tuesday and the other four are still being treated.

In Khartoum state, an activist from El Ezba district in Khartoum Bahri (North) told Radio Dabanga that on Wednesday the district recorded 10 cases, bringing the total number of cases to 35.

She explained that the patients were forced to stay in their homes and take intravenous solutions under the supervision of the district nurse, because there is no qualified health centre.

She pointed to the closure of the health centre in the district earlier without taking into account the health conditions of the residents.

The activist noted the activity of voluntary initiatives in the field of environmental sanitation and health awareness and appealed to doctors and medical personnel to volunteer in the initiative.

White Nile

The incidences rate of cholera has increased at Um Saaf villages of Kosti locality in White Nile state.

Yesterday Abdelrahman El Siddig, the head of civil society organisations told Radio Dabanga that three people died and 15 others have been infected with cholera on Tuesday and Wednesday.

He said that El Maraabi Hospital recorded one death on Tuesday.

He pointed to the large number of hospitalised cases in El Gezira Aba, Asalaya and El Maraabi.

He criticised the White Nile Government for not providing essential aids to treat cholera.

This week, a health source from the White Nile told Radio Dabanga that Um Jogoga village in Gili locality recorded 35 cases who were transferred to Kosti Hospital.

Tendelti Hospital also recorded 26 new cases and the number of cases recorded at Rabak Hospital was 16. The source pointed out that 14 villages in Gili locality are affected.

The health source attributed to Radio Dabanga the decrease of cholera in White Nile state to the initiatives carried out by volunteers during the week.

He pointed out that the initiatives are active in the field of the supply of intravenous solutions, soap, disinfectants, mineral water for the wards and patients.

The source said the initiatives are also active in raising health awareness in villages affected by the disease.

In Rabak in the White Nile state, media expert Babikir El Jak called on the state government to expedite the treatment of the problem of water pollution.

He attributed the spread of the disease to the lack of interest of the government in resolving the problem.

Khartoum state

A medical source in El Haj Yousif told Radio Dabanga that on Tuesday El Banjadeed hospital in Khartoum recorded one death and 10 new infection cases of cholera.

The health source said the number of hospitalised cases in the isolation centre amounted to 41.

On Monday El Ezba (Teibat El Ahamda) district of Khartoum Bahri (North) reported a death and 11 new cases of infection.

On Monday, an activist from El Ezba told Radio Dabanga that a youth initiative is active in the field of environmental sanitation, house spraying and health awareness teams who are calling on homes.

He explained that they have announced an emergency room in the district school to manage the initiative’s efforts.

Kordofan

In North Kordofan, the Central Sudanese Doctors’ Committee revealed that the daily incidences of cholera range between 200-250 cases.

Last week El Obeid Hospital recorded two death cases, while the number of hospitalised cases at El Obeid Hospital were 29 cases and the daily visits were 15 cases.

The report added that the number of hospitalised cases at Um Rawaba hospital was 10 and pointed to the increasing visits from most of the local areas and the neighbouring village.

Dr Amer Adam, the deputy specialist of family medicine in El Obeid reported one case at El Jebelein Hospital that was transferred to El Obeid.

Independent MP Ahmed Sabah El Kheir revealed the emergence of 19 cases of ‘watery diarrhoea’ at Farshaya area and nine cases in Delling in South Kordofan.

Northern State

On Sunday the Minister of Health in Dongola in the Northern state, Sheikh Ahmed Babikir, announced that the number of cases of infection with cholera at El Birgeig locality amounted to 21. The Minister was quoted by SUNA as saying: "The ministry has put in place a number of precautionary measures to combat the disease and prevent its spread to the rest of the state, especially since a number of the country's states have been affected by acute watery diarrhoea".

The minister reassured people of the stability of the health situation in the Northern state. He said the matter is ‘under full control’.

A woman died of cholera at Birgeig Hospital in the Northern state on Sunday evening.

Epidemic

While great care is taken to ensure accuracy, figures quoted in reports on the cholera epidemic in Sudan should be viewed as approximate. As the Sudanese Government has still not officially acknowledged the epidemic, reporting on the disease has been outlawed by security authorities. In April, security authorities arrested journalist Ammar El Daw, the El Gedaref correspondent of El Sayha newspaper, who published an article relating to cholera. Our sources may therefore be subjected to harassment and intimidation for speaking to Radio Dabanga.