Less than a week ago, officials at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that there is a high risk that the cholera epidemic will continue to spread, given the crippled health, water and sanitation sectors; conflict that prevents millions of people from accessing clean water; the onset of the rainy season; and people’s weak immunity levels due to food insecurity.
At that point, Yemen’s cholera outbreak resurgence since April 27 stood at 240,000 cases, including 1,475 deaths.
Through July 4, the case and death totals have risen to 275,987 suspected cholera cases and 1,634 deaths, respectively since Apr. 27. Cases have been reported in nine out of 10 governorates and districts.
While the overall case-fatality rate (CFR) is 0.6 percent, certain governorates are reporting greater than one percent CFR–Raymah (1.5%), Hajjah (1.0%) and Ibb (1.0%).
Amran, Al Mahwit and Sana’a governorates had the highest attack rates (19.3‰, 18.2‰ and 17.8‰ respectively).
More than half of the country’s health facilities have closed due to damage or destruction, or due to a lack of financial support to maintain stocks of medicines and supplies and provide health workers’ salaries. Some 30,000 health workers have not been paid in more than 10 months.
The man-made humanitarian crisis is the result of armed conflict and civilians being unable to access assistance due to warring parties.
Related:
- Karachi: Another ‘brain-eating amoeba’ death reported
- Melanoma patients have fourfold higher risk of developing Parkinson’s and vice versa
- Bourbon virus: Missouri resident tests positive
- Rabies update: Two children die in Borneo
- Everything you wanted to know about rabies
- Sepsis ‘lab-on-a-chip’ detects infection in a single drop of blood
- C. diff: Recurring infections rapidly becoming more common
- Lebanon reports second MERS case since 2014
- Cholera cases up 10,000 as tons of medical supplies arrive
