ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 2 — An ongoing cholera outbreak in Ethiopia has claimed more than 400 lives so far, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday in its latest situation update.
The latest health cluster bulletin for Ethiopia warned that the ongoing flooding incidents in different parts of the East African country have further exacerbated the spread of cholera in the country.
According to the report, there is a 12 percent increase in the number of cholera deaths during November compared to the preceding month, with 28,333 cholera cases reported as of Nov. 29, including 404 deaths.
Amid an increase in the number of cholera-related deaths, there is also an increase in the case fatality rate, reaching 1.43 percent by the end of November, when compared to 1.37 percent during the start of November, it said.
The report further indicated an increase in the number of districts with active cholera outbreaks from 81 on Nov. 1 to 97 on Nov. 29.
It said the cholera outbreak has been controlled in 198 districts out of the total 295 districts that reported cholera cases since the start of the outbreak in August 2022.
As part of the ongoing response efforts, the report said over 8.3 million people have so far been vaccinated with one dose of oral cholera vaccine across 72 districts in different regions of the East African country.
Various UN agencies and humanitarian partners have been calling for durable solutions to address the root causes of recurrent cholera outbreaks, which include poor-quality drinking water and open defecation.
Various reports have expressed concern that fecal contamination of drinking water is the main source of cholera in the country, with most cholera patients using unsafe drinking water. (Xinhua)
