Fever in North Darfur localities claims lives

Residents of a camp for displaced people in Tawila locality, North Darfur, have reported a rise in the number of deaths caused by a spreading unknown fever, along with a lack of medicines in the only health centre in the area. The state’s Ministry of Health reported that the possible deadly haemorrhagic fever in some localities remain a major concern.Omda Mukhtar Bosh in Rwanda camp complained about the deaths of several people, including children, during one week, as a result of the fever. He added that the symptoms of the disease are high fever, headache, vomiting, and shivering. “Also, the only nearby health centre has witnessed a shortage of medicines for a week,” he said.He appealed via Radio Dabanga to the authorities, to allow aid organisations to bring medicines as soon as possible in order to confront and contain the unknown disease.The Ministry of Health in North Darfur state reported that the outbreak of haemorrhagic fever in Tawila, El Fasher, Dar El Salam, Kuma, and Tina localities remains a major concern. The Un humanitarian office (OCHA) stated in its latest weekly bulletin that as of 19 November, a total of 114 cases, including three deaths, were known.In response to this outbreak, the Ministry is conducting door to door larva inspection and spraying campaigns, OCHA reported. To date, nine neighbourhoods were sprayed and other 19 neighbourhoods have undergone larva inspection and spraying campaigns in El Fasher town. The case fatality rate, however, has dropped from 3.1 percent to 2.63 percent last week.File photo: Outside of Rwanda camp for displaced people in Tawila, North Darfur (archive)Related: Health Ministry registers haemorrhagic fever in North Darfur (14 November 2014)