The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported an increase in cholera, acute watery diarrhoeas, measles, undiagnosed influenza-like illnesses and severe acute respiratory illness in Somalia in 2018.

Somalia/CIA
Somalia/CIA

In its latest epidemiological country report, the WHO said of the 4,835 disease outbreak alerts received since December last year, 671 were confirmed as true.  

“The highest numbers of diseases reported in week 23 were other acute diarrhoeas (3,402 cases), influenza-like illness (1,808 cases) and severe acute respiratory illness (1,464 cases).

“A total of 343 new cases of suspected AWD/cholera, including 4 deaths were reported in week 23 compared to 396 AWD cases including 1 death in week 22,” the report said.

At least 4,643 AWD/cholera cases and 32 deaths have been reported since December 2017 while the number of measles cases had increased to 130 by June 10. Of the 5 866 suspected cases reported to date, 2 563 are 2 563 children under 5 years of age.

Following heavy rains that resulted in flooding in across the Shabelle and neighbouring coastal regions, bloody diarrhoea and acute respiratory illnesses are on the rise in Somalia.  

Whooping cough, acute jaundice, meningitis, diphtheria neonatal tetanus as well as acute flaccid paralysis and viral haemorrhagic fever are increasingly common throughout the country.

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