Beirut, Dec. 26, 2022 (Xinhua) — Lebanese Health Minister Firas Al-Abyad said today (Monday) that cholera outbreaks are still present in some areas of his country despite authorities’ ability to limit the spread of the epidemic, in collaboration with international organizations.
This occurred during a tour Al-Abyad made in eastern Lebanon with representatives of partner international organizations in the second phase of the national cholera vaccination campaign, to follow the progress of the campaign.
On 7 December, Lebanon concluded the first phase of its national cholera vaccination campaign, which involved 500,000 citizens and refugees in hot spots affected by the epidemic.
“We have been able to limit the spread of cholera, but the epidemic is not over yet, so we see some outbreaks here and there, which require following our procedures to ensure the required protection,” Al-Abyadh explained.
He said Lebanon currently has 900,000 World Health Organization vaccines and they will be used to provide basic protection to limit the spread of cholera in the country.
He stressed that “the numbers of people infected by the epidemic have become small, but the conditions that allowed cholera to exist among us still exist, including water pollution or the mixing of sewage with drinking water”.
He stressed that “the cholera epidemic is still present in neighboring countries, and there is cross-border transmission which requires us to immunize our societies”.
He believed that the areas where the epidemic has spread, such as Baalbek, Hermel, the Bekaa Valley and Akkar in eastern and northern Lebanon, are “areas bearing the brunt of the Syrian displacement and the service network in them does not meet the purpose required to serve the people.”
He called on international organizations to increase support for areas hosting Syrian refugees, especially as tests have shown that there is contamination in some water sources, which could be a gateway for the spread of other epidemics if not fixes.
“We are calling for more support for Lebanon, as needs are increasing, especially in light of the presence of camps for displaced Syrians on our land,” he said.
Since the announcement of the first cholera case on 6 October, Lebanon has reported 5,616 suspected cases of cholera, including 666 laboratory-confirmed cases and 23 related deaths.
The emergence and spread of cholera in Lebanon comes at a time when Lebanon has been suffering from a severe economic crisis since 2019 that has led to an unprecedented financial collapse and shortages of fuel, energy and other basic necessities.
