WHO EMRO has published WHO scales up cholera vigilance in Khartoum, Sudan. Excerpt:
5 November 2019, Khartoum, Sudan -- To prevent a potential spread of the current cholera outbreak to Khartoum State – including to the country’s capital Khartoum City – and at the request of the Federal Minister of Health Dr Akram Eltom, WHO is working closely with health partners, nongovernmental organizations, and at-risk communities to ensure that suspected cases are quickly identified and responded to, and that people can effectively protect themselves from infection.
“The risk of cholera spreading is very real. If not properly managed, this could have potentially serious consequences. More than 8 million people live in Khartoum State, where the public health system is impacted by the economic crisis, recent flooding, and ongoing outbreaks of infectious diseases,” said Dr Naeema Al Gasseer, WHO Representative in Sudan.
As of 3 November, Sudan’s Ministry of Health reported 332 suspected cases of cholera, concentrated in Blue Nile and Sennar States. Two cases were confirmed in Khartoum State on 19 October.
Together with the Ministry of Health, WHO has conducted initial risk mapping in Khartoum State to identify which areas are more likely to be at increased risk of an outbreak. This will allow for more informed planning to ensure high-risk areas, including Sharq Elnil and Ombada localities, are better prepared to respond as needed.
Scaling up health capacities to detect and respond to cholera
To ensure that health facilities and cholera treatment centres in Khartoum State are equipped to diagnose and treat suspected patients, WHO has delivered cholera medicines and supplies sufficient for 400 severely dehydrated patients, and 500 rapid diagnostic tests used for immediate detection and screening of cholera patients in health facilities.
WHO is also supporting the establishing of 2 cholera treatment centres in Ombada and Bahri localities by providing additional cholera medicines, medical supplies, and rapid diagnostic tests.
To strengthen disease surveillance in Khartoum State, WHO, with the support of MSF, is providing refresher training for 271 health staff and paramedics from all 7 localities on cholera detection and management. An additional 35 health staff are being trained to form rapid response teams who will be the first to respond to suspected cases at locality level.
