30 March 2018 – The Ministry of Public Health and Population of Yemen has recorded 2082 suspected cases of cholera, and zero deaths in the country during week 12 (19 – 25 March) in 2018. The cumulative total of suspected cholera cases stands at 1 084 191 including 2267 associated deaths (case-fatality rate 0.21%) since April 2017.
The trend of new cases has been on the decline since early September 2017. Out of 305 affected districts, 131 have not reported new cases for the past 3 consecutive weeks. Since the beginning of the year, the highest cumulative suspected cases have been reported in Al Hali (4006), Bani Al Harith (1,452), Maqbanah (1,795), Radman Al Awad (1,407) and Al Sabaeen(1,495) districts.
WHO leads the support to the Ministry along with Health and WASH partners to contain the outbreak through technical and logistical support. This includes strengthening disease surveillance; supporting operations in diarrhoeal treatment centres and oral rehydration corners; training the health workforce in case management; deploying rapid response teams; improving availability of safe water and sanitation.
Although cholera is endemic in Yemen, the country has experienced a surge in cholera cases since April 2017 due to ongoing conflict, destroyed health, water and sanitation infrastructure and malnutrition, which has led the population to be more vulnerable to various epidemic-prone diseases, including cholera.
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