OCHA: Suspected dengue fever cases in Sudan reach 612

Between the start of the outbreak in late August 2015 and 7 February this year, 612 suspected dengue fever cases, including 106 deaths, were reported in Sudan.

The outbreak has affected Darfur, Kassala and Kordofan states, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports in its latest weekly bulletin.

According to the Sudanese Ministry of Health, the age group between 5 to 14 years has the highest number of cases (41.9 percent). 54 percent of all reported cases are male.

The Ministry and its partners are focusing on vector control, case management and surveillance, the three key areas that should be addressed during such outbreaks.

In Darfur, 558 suspected cases, including 101 deaths, were reported between 29 August 2015 and 5 February 2016. Darfur accounts for 96 percent of the cases and 97 percent of the deaths, with West Darfur having the highest number of cases and deaths.

In the larger Kordofan region, 47 suspected cases, including four deaths,were reported in the localities of Abyei, Keilak, Babanousa, Al Sunut, El Salam, and in the Debeb area in West Kordofan, Reef Ashargi, Kadugli, Habila, and Lagawa in South Kordofan, and Sheikan in North Kordofan.

In eastern Sudan's Kassala, seven suspected cases, including one death, were reported in the state capital, Kassala town.

Throughout Darfur, the World Health Organization (WHO), the federal and state Ministries of Health supported health promotion activities in affected areas, reaching 188,617 people with messages on dengue fever. Messages were also broadcast through TV and radio channels.

In West Darfur, the international NGO World Relief provided health assistance in 20 villages through mobile clinics and rehabilitated our isolation rooms. The organisation also trained 196 community health volunteers with health education training.