Cholera and dengue fever spreading in Sudan

Sudan's Federal Emergency Operations Centre reported new cases of cholera, dengue fever and malaria in a number of states in the country.

News Center- Sudan's Federal Emergency Operations Centre held its latest weekly meeting in Kassala on Thursday to review the report about the second phase of the vaccination campaign against cholera and the implementation of the campaign for disease vector control and environmental sanitation.

At the meeting, the health officials reported new cases of cholera and dengue fever in a number of states in the country. “More than 10,700 suspected cholera cases were documented last month. Malaria is rapidly spreading in northern Sudan.”

Nadir Hammad, representative of the Expanded Immunization Program, spoke about the cholera vaccination program and said that the second round was carried out in three localities in Red Sea state, two localities in Kassala, and one locality in the White Nile state in early February. He noted that 98.9 per cent of the target number was reached; 1,867,157 people received a cholera vaccine between February 7-12.

The alarming spread of malaria in northern Sudan was also discussed at the meeting. The health officials decided to send a team of experts to the River Nile state and Northern State to investigate the situation.

The health officials also agreed on the preparation of a list of emergency needs for the rainy season that starts around May in the southern parts of Sudan and reaches the north of the country about one to two months later.