Somalia: Death Toll From Cholera Rises to 75, Spreading Rapidly

April 18, 2024 Hour: 4:26 pm

On Thursday, Somalia’s ministry of health said that at least 75 people have died from cholera since January, amid a significant rise in new cases.

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Somalia: Cholera Death Toll Rises to 60, New Cases

A total of 7,235 new cases have so far been reported, the Ministry of Health and Human Services said, adding that among these cases, 4,647, or 64 percent, were classified as severe.

“The overall case fatality rate for the cumulative cases reported in this period is 1.0 percent, although specific regions like Bossaso, Bulo Burte and Mahaday show higher rates,” the ministry said in its latest epidemiological update released Tuesday evening in Mogadishu, the capital.

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that spreads through food and water contaminated with bacteria, often from feces.

Somalia is facing a cholera outbreak.@unicefsomalia teams visited Banadir Hospital to assess the situation in the cholera treatment centre.

In March, 97 people tested positive for cholera, most being children. Prevention and detection is key to ending this outbreak. pic.twitter.com/kXTD1jBp9m

— UNICEF Africa (@UNICEFAfrica)
April 10, 2024

According to the health ministry, of the reported cases, 3,708, or 51 percent, were female, highlighting the vulnerability of women to cholera infection.

Additionally, it said, 4,174 cases, or 58 percent, were children under five years of age, underscoring the heightened risk faced by this age group.

The ongoing cholera outbreak in Somalia is mainly attributed to a growing number of people with limited access to safe water and adequate sanitation facilities.

⚠️ From #Zambia to #Somalia and #Sudan, people are grappling with cholera outbreaks, fighting against the odds to protect loved ones.

But in the face of adversity, hope and resilience emerge. Read stories of determined aid workers and community members supporting the response ⬇️

— UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA)
April 9, 2024

El Niño induced flooding in the last quarter of 2023 has significantly impacted many areas in Somalia, causing further spikes in cholera cases, according to the United Nations.

Somalia has had uninterrupted acute watery diarrhea/cholera transmission since 2022, and in the Banadir region since the drought of 2017, according to the World Health Organization.

In 2023, more than 18,300 cumulative cases and 46 deaths were reported, over half being children aged below five years.