Fears of a Cholera outbreak are growing among the health sector in northwest Syria. With an already strained health care system due to years of war, attacks on healthcare facilities, and most recently, COVID, fears have become a reality with the first two Cholera cases confirmed on September 17.

Syria
Image/CIA

This has now become an imminent danger, putting vulnerable lives at risk. The suspected main culprit of the Cholera outbreak is unclean water from the Euphrates River used for drinking and watering crops (resulting in food contamination), and improper sewage among displacement camps.

The two patients were hospitalized from the Marma All Hajar Village in Jarablus and were experiencing acute watery diarrhea, vomiting with fever, and severe dehydration – all symptoms consistent with Cholera. As of October 4, there were 488 total suspected cases in northwest Syria, and 114 cases in Nabaa Al Salam (Peace Spring) according to EWARN Syria. Those numbers continue to rise.

Subscribe to Outbreak News TV on YouTube

The two patients were hospitalized from the Marma All Hajar Village in Jarablus and were experiencing acute watery diarrhea, vomiting with fever, and severe dehydration – all symptoms consistent with Cholera. As of October 4, there were 488 total suspected cases in northwest Syria, and 114 cases in Nabaa Al Salam (Peace Spring) according to EWARN Syria. Those numbers continue to rise.

UOSSM is responding with preventative measures in northwest Syria for mild to moderate cases including:

1. Providing healthcare centers with infection prevention and control (IPC) means.

2. Providing healthcare facilities with Cholera kits and activating oral rehydration points in each health facility, to provide oral rehydration solution for patients to prevent dehydration, and to prevent escalation to severe illness.

3. Providing community wide awareness campaigns via community health workers (CHWs) – with awareness messages about Cholera and prevention methods – created by the health cluster.

4.Training community health workers to refer suspected cases to healthcare centers to receive appropriate care in a timely manner.

5. Providing capacity building for Trainers of Trainers (ToT) for health care workers. They will then train other healthcare providers and community health workers to have the capacity and ability to provide correct and accurate information, and to provide referrals to healthcare centers.