Wednesday July 8, 2020
An outbreak of cholera and acute watery diarrhea in Somalia had killed 26 people in the past six months, a UN health agency said on Tuesday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest joint report with the ministry of health on the outbreak in Somalia that a total of 4,787 suspected cases were reported from 25 districts in Somalia.
“A total of 26 associated deaths were also reported during the same period,” said the WHO, noting that districts with the highest number of cases are in Banadir, South West State, and Hirshabelle.
The current cholera outbreak started in December 2017 following floods that affected districts in the basins of Jubba and Shabelle rivers.
Cholera is a gastrointestinal disease, usually spread by contaminated water and food, and can cause severe diarrhea that, in extreme cases, can lead to fatal dehydration and kidney failure within hours.