No fewer than 42 people have been reported killed by cholera, acute watery diarrhea (AWD), in war-torn Somalia since December 2017,
The country which has also been battling hunger and malnutrition is in dire following the outbreak of cholera.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said in its latest report on the AWD/cholera that the Somali’s health ministry also announced 29 new cases of cholera between Sept. 24 and 30.
It said that 45 per cent of the new cases involved five years old and below.
The cumulative total of cases is 6,423, including 42 associated deaths, since the beginning of the current outbreak in December 2017.
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.
According to WHO, there has been a downward trend in newly reported cases over the past six weeks.
The UN health agency has called for robust investments in Somalia’s fragile health care infrastructure as a means to accelerate the country’s reconstruction after two and a half decades of civil strife.
WHO, which has been training health workers in Somalia to help cope with the diseases, also urged greater investments in surveillance infrastructure to enhance timely response to disease outbreaks in Somalia.
