Sudan ramps up anti-cholera measures as 90 pc of new cases hit Khartoum

Khartoum, May 29 Sudanese health authorities announced emergency measures to combat a recent cholera surge in the country, with 90 per cent of new cases concentrated in Khartoum State.

Federal Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim outlined actions including the establishment of isolation centres, securing medical supplies, ensuring water safety, and launching public hygiene campaigns.

"Local authorities in Khartoum State should intensify public awareness campaigns to encourage citizens to practice proper hand hygiene before and after meals, treat drinking water safely, dispose of waste responsibly, and take measures to reduce the spread of flies," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

Fath Al-Rahman Mohamed Al-Amin, director-general of the Khartoum State Ministry of Health, confirmed that 13 isolation centres have been set up across major hospitals.

"These centres were established to ensure full preparedness for isolating patients and limiting the spread of the disease," Al-Amin said in a statement.

A vaccination campaign targeting individuals over one-year-old began on Wednesday, reaching 26 per cent of its first-day goal with 30,204 people inoculated, the Sudanese Ministry of Health said in a statement. This marks the initial phase of a plan to vaccinate 3 million people across Khartoum State.

The ministry noted in an epidemiological report published Wednesday that the recovery rate among cholera patients in Khartoum's isolation centers had increased over the past two days, with 530 patients discharged during the period.

On Tuesday, the ministry announced a surge in the country's cholera cases, with 2,729 infections and 172 deaths recorded within a single week.

According to Sudan's Federal Emergency Operations Centre, cumulative cholera cases in the country had reached 60,993 as of May 6, including 1,632 deaths, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the World Health Organisation, Cholera has been known for many centuries. The first pandemic, or global epidemic, was recorded in the 19th century. Since then, six pandemics have killed millions of people worldwide. The current (seventh) pandemic started in south Asia and continues to affect populations globally.

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