Cholera Outbreak in Yemen Takes 51 Lives in two Weeks

The Cholera outbreak in Yemen has severely spread in the past two weeks, with a death toll of 51 and a total of approximately 2752 suspected cases.

The acute diarrhoeal disease, obtained by eating food or drinking water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera, can kill within hours of entering the human body if it goes untreated or undetected. For the most part, it can be treated successfully with oral rehydration solution. More extreme cases require intravenous fluids and antibiotics.

“Cholera transmission is closely linked to inadequate access to clean water and sanitation facilities,” according to World Health Organization. “Typical at-risk areas include peri-urban slums, where basic infrastructure is not available, as well as camps for internally displaced persons or refugees, where minimum requirements of clean water and sanitation have not been met.”

WHO has tended to the Cholera crisis by distributing medicines and medical supplies such as cholera kids, oral rehydration solutions and intravenous fluids. Medical furniture and equipment have been provided to diarrhea treatment centers in the affected areas. Currently, ten new treatment centers in Yemen are underway.

“We are very concerned with the re-emergence of cholera across several areas of Yemen in the past couple of weeks,” said Dr Nevio Zagaria, WHO Representative in Yemen. “Efforts must be scaled-up now to contain the outbreak and avoid a dramatic increase in cases of diarrhoeal disease.”

The outbreak has been in effect since early October as health systems remain weakened as consequence of two years of conflict. The collapsing of key infrastructures, such as water and sanitation facilities, as well as warm and wet weather conditions are playing vital roles in the increased spread.

Researchers have estimated each year that there are 1.3 to 4.0 million cases of Cholera, and 21,000 to 143,000 deaths worldwide from the disease, according to WHO.

“Further, awareness campaigns should be organized during outbreaks, and information should be provided to the community about the potential risks and symptoms of cholera, precautions to take to avoid cholera, when and where to report cases and to seek immediate treatment when symptoms appear,” according to WHO. “The location of appropriate treatment sites should also be shared.”

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