5 April 2018 – The Ministry of Public Health and Population of Yemen has recorded 1780 suspected cases of cholera, and 3 associated deaths in the country during week 13 (26 March – 01 April) in 2018. The cumulative total of suspected cholera cases stands at 1086105 and 2271 associated deaths (case fatality rate 0.21%) since April 2017.
The trend of new cases continue to decline. 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 (4132), Maqbanah (1795), Al Sabaeen(1578), Radman Al Awad (1504) and Bani Al Harith (1462) 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.
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.
