The Cario. Sudan has been hit by a cholera outbreak that has killed 22 people and sickened hundreds more in recent weeks, health officials said Sunday. The African nation has been rocked by a 16-month conflict and devastating floods.
Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim said in a statement that at least 354 confirmed cases of cholera have been detected across the country in recent weeks.
Ibrahim did not give a time frame for the deaths or the count since the beginning of the year. However, the World Health Organization said 78 cholera deaths had been recorded this year in Sudan as of July 28. The WHO added that more than 2,400 people had also fallen ill between Jan. 1 and July 28.
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Cholera is a rapidly developing and highly contagious infection that causes diarrhea, severe dehydration and possible death within hours if left untreated. It is transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water.
The cholera outbreak is the latest calamity for Sudan, which was plunged into chaos in April last year when tensions between the army and a powerful paramilitary group exploded into open warfare across the country.
The conflict has turned the capital, Khartoum, and other urban areas into battlefields, destroying civilian infrastructure and an already battered health care system. Without basic services, many hospitals and medical facilities have closed their doors.
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The conflict has killed thousands of people and driven many to starvation. It has also created the world’s largest displacement crisis. More than 10.7 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the fighting began, according to the International Organization for Migration.
A previous major outbreak left at least 700 dead and sickened some 22,000 people in less than two months in 2017.
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– 2024-08-26 14:10:54
