Monday February 5, 2024
Beledweyne (HOL) - An outbreak of acute watery diarrhea has killed 18 people, primarily children, in the Hawadley district of the Middle Shabelle region, officials confirmed on Monday.
Local authorities also verified that at least 50 other people are currently suffering, exacerbated by the absence of medical centers in the area for adequate treatment.
The diarrhea outbreak occurred last month in the Beledweyne and Bulaburte districts in the Hiiraan region, resulting in the deaths of nearly 30 people, both children and adults. This followed their return from displacement caused by floods in Somalia's central Hiiraan region.
However, a week ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a project to reduce the alarmingly high number of child deaths related to pneumonia and diarrhea in Somalia.
The project, launched in collaboration with King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), is set to equip 28 health facilities across ten select drought- and pneumonia-affected districts with solar-powered oxygen concentrators.
According to the WHO, an estimated 230,127 children under five years of age and more than 3.3 million community members will benefit from the project interventions. Over 700 health workers will be trained on screening, outreach, and treatment procedures during the project.