WHO intensifies efforts to address cholera outbreak in Somalia

Somalia has been grappling with ongoing cholera transmission across 28 districts affected by drought since 2022, as well as in the Banadir region since the drought of 2017.

In its weekly update on cholera, the WHO disclosed that starting from the first week of 2023, a total of 11,704 suspected cholera cases, resulting in 30 deaths, were recorded across 28 districts in Somalia.

Recently, in late July, 235 new suspected cases without any associated fatalities were reported from the same 28 drought-affected districts.

The WHO noted that the overall case fatality rate of 0.3 percent reported in these districts remains below the emergency threshold of 1 percent.

To combat the outbreak, the WHO and its health partners have escalated the implementation of cholera response measures, particularly concentrating their efforts on Jubaland state, the current epicenter of the outbreak. (ILKHA)