Cholera epidemic hits Central African Republic: minister

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/af...ocId=CNG.ae8fea88816684a1020e7c4193dd7119.461

Cholera epidemic hits Central African Republic: minister
(AFP) ? 2 hours ago

BANGUI, Central African Republic ? A new cholera epidemic has hit the Central African Republic and has already claimed at least 10 victims in the south, health minister Jean-Michel Mandaba said Friday.

His comments came the day after a health services source sounded the alarm that cholera had killed six people in the Limbo region, 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the capital Bangui.

"The government of the Central African Republic would like to officially declare that there is a cholera epidemic in the (southern) health zones of Ombella-Mpoko and Lobaye, leaving at least 10 people dead," Mandaba said...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Cholera epidemic hits Central African Republic: minister

Source: http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/cholera-kills-14-in-central-african-republic

Cholera kills 14 in Central African Republic
06 Oct 2011 16:35
Source: alertnet // George Fominyen

By George Fominyen

DAKAR (AlertNet) - A cholera outbreak has killed 14 people in Central African Republic (CAR), mainly in villages along the banks of the Ubangi river some 80 km south of the capital Bangui, according to the U.N. children?s fund (UNICEF)...

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Cholera epidemic hits Central African Republic: minister

UNICEF responds to new cholera outbreak claiming lives in Central African Republic

BANGUI, Central African Republic, 5 October 2011 ― UNICEF is taking part in an emergency response to an outbreak of cholera in two prefectures which has so far killed 14 people. Although the origin of the disease has not been officially identified, it has mainly struck Central African villages along the banks of the Ubangui River some 80 kilometres to the south of the capital, Bangui.

?The location poses particular challenges as the affected region contains some 500 villages spread along the river and in forest clearings,? said UNICEF CAR Representative Tanya Chapuisat, ?UNICEF and partners are assisting the government?s health teams with efforts that have to be mobile and flexible to reach populations at risk.?

?We want to ensure that people know to use soap to wash their hands and use other good sanitation methods,? she said. ?We are also working to make sure that the epidemic does not spread to more densely populated centres such as the capital, Bangui.?

Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera. The short incubation period of two hours to five days enhances the potentially explosive pattern of any outbreak. Cholera is extremely virulent and can kill within hours. People with low immune function ― such as malnourished children or people living with HIV ― are at greater risk of death, though up to 80 per cent of people can be treated successfully through prompt administration of oral rehydration salt.

The official declaration of outbreak was delivered on September 30th by the Central African Ministry of Health. A crisis coordination committee is being led by the government and includes UNICEF, WHO, and international NGOs such as M?decins Sans Fronti?res and Action Contre la Faim.

UNICEF quickly dispatched specialized water and sanitation, health, and communication teams as part of this emergency response and has provided cholera kits, which include vital supplies such as Oral Rehydration Salts, IV fluids and antibiotics, to treat 700 people.

In addition to the involvement of local media, youth groups have been mobilised to go door to door and village to village to distribute flyers that give simple advice about how to stay safe.

UNICEF hopes to reach 60,000 people in the affected regions over the next few days. ?As always, children are the most vulnerable in a cholera epidemic? says Ms. Chapuisat. ?It is our responsibility to make sure that we do everything possible to ensure that children and families are protected. Because CAR has not had cholera cases in many years, people do not necessarily know what basic measures to take to protect themselves. Getting the information out to the people about how they as individuals and communities can prevent the spread of cholera is critical.?

http://www.unicef.org/media/media_60000.html