Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - A serious cholera epidemic continues to afflict a number of west African countries where 32,000 people have been infected and 500 have died.
Nigeria’s announcement of the epidemic brings the number of countries affected to 12. Health authorities in Sokoto state north west Nigeria said that the vibrio spread in a few days killing 33 people and infecting hundreds. The situation is said to be most serious in villages in the district of Sabon Birni.
To coordinate effective action to fight the alarming impact of the disease in west Africa, the UN office for coordination of humaniarian affairs has called UN agencies, NGOs and national health authorities of the affected countries to a special meeting next week in Dakar to draft a plan to halt the epidemic.
In Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Chad and Ethiopia, experts are only waiting for the epidemic to be announced officially seeing that because of flooding they are convinced it is now a question of days before the vibrio starts spreadingon a large scale.
The most lethal and widespread epidemic is in Guinea Bissau where it started in June and has killed 207 people and infected 11,000.
Senegal is the country with the highest number of cases 20,047 infected and 246 deaths, followed by Equatorial Guinea 1,252 cases 52 dead; Mali, 758 cases and 20 dead and Liberia 703 cases 29 dead; Burkina Faso 380 patients 8 dead; Mauritana 497 infected 10 dead; Niger 184 cases 18 dead.
What is concerning is the high mortality rate, in some cases as high as 6% or 8% when the normal rate in no more than 1%. Tragically the epidemic struck in the rain season among communities with poor sanitation and limited access to clean drinking water. Cholera is often transmitted by infected water and causes death by dehydration from diarrhoea and vomiting. It can easily be treated if patients are rehydrated quickly and clean water supplies are available
(AP) (5/9/2005 Agenzia Fides; Righe: 36; Parole:414)
